DURANGO, Colo. — Standing in the cold, we heard the train long before we saw it. In the late afternoon twilight, just as the sun dipped behind the San Juan Mountains in Durango, Colo., the clickety-clack of steel against steel was unmistakable as the engine gained momentum.
From the platform, we watched as great puffs of bluish-gray steam rose to the sky as the train chugged toward the station. Then the whistle sounded.
As my husband and I waited for the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad’s Polar Express, all around us were kids and adults in flannel pajamas adorned with images of Snoopy and Superman, hearts and flowers, and stripes and plaids. Make that lots of plaid.
The high octane excitement and anticipation of the ride were contagious, and the chilly air practically crackled with the yuletide spirit.
“All aboard!” the bespectacled conductor shouted to the pajamas-clad crowd. “All aboard for the Polar Express!”
We then stepped aboard for a magical hourlong journey from Durango to the “North Pole.” Based on Chris Van Allsburg’s popular children’s book “The Polar Express” and the subsequent 3-D movie starring Tom Hanks, the ride is one of those once-in-a-lifetime events that will leave you overwhelmed by its specialness.
The story begins to come to life as the coal-fired, steam-operated vintage train, looking like a long golden necklace, pulls away from the station. As “chefs” pass out steaming cups of hot chocolate and gaily decorated Christmas cookies, the conductor walks through the train, punching tickets and sending snowflake-like confetti every which way.
The inside of the train is warm and toasty and adorned with holly and white lights. Even I found myself “ooh-ing” and “ahh-ing” at every turn. The windows frost up quickly as the train winds its way to the North Pole where Santa Claus and his elves await, and as we rode through this slice of the Rockies, the combination of snow and moonlight brightened up the mountainsides.
Along the way, a narrator reads “The Polar Express,” which is a story about a pajama-clad boy who comes to believe in Santa Claus through a magic train. To keep with the theme of the book, both children and their parents are encouraged to wear their jammies and bedroom slippers aboard the train.
Once the Polar Express arrives at the North Pole, Santa and his elves board the train and, following the tradition of the book, they give each child (and some grownups) a silver sleigh bell. On the return trip, everyone sings Christmas carols as Santa moves from car to car.
The Polar Express is as heartwarming and tender as anything I’ve ever seen. By the end of the ride, I found myself believing in Santa Claus and in all that Christmas is and should be.
The Polar Express runs through Dec. 28. Reservations are required, and early bookings are highly recommended. Prices differ according to class of service.
If your plans don’t take you to Durango for the Polar Express, not to worry. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, in operation since 1881, offers year-round journeys throughout this scenic corner of the Rockies, including summer excursions to Silverton, fall foliage weekends, the Cascade Canyon Winter Train, and other holiday-themed rides.
After your train journey ends, be sure to take a stroll up Durango’s Main Avenue to its cornucopia of restaurants. Durango, a dog-friendly town perched at 6,512 feet in elevation, has an amalgamation of American Indian, Southwestern and Contemporary Western art galleries and museums. For shopping, there are plenty of one-of-a-kind boutiques.
The Durango Mountain Resort is nearby for skiing, and if you visit before October 2010, be sure to see the mountain lion exhibit at the Center for Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College.
Lodging in Durango runs the gamut from historic bed and breakfasts to cabin rentals to the Durango Mountain Resort to national chains. We stayed at the Rochester Hotel, a cozy Old West-style inn that was the backdrop for several movies, including “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “City Slickers.”
Durango is served only by US Airways from Phoenix and Frontier and United from Denver. Since we were cashing in miles on Delta, we flew into Albuquerque, the closest international airport at an easy three- to four-hour drive away. Most locals, we found, also use Albuquerque for easier connections. Denver is an eight-hour drive.
For additional information, visit wwww.PolarExpressRide.com, www.DurangoTrain.org, or www.Durango.org.
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
