Our 8 day bus tour from Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Omaha, Lincoln, York & Grand Island to Colorado includes one of the most "classic" train tours in the Colorado Rockies. Numerous train rides include the Pikes Peak Cog Railway; the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad; the Royal Gorge Incline Railway; the legendary narrow gauge Durango and Silverton Railway, and, the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Other tour highlights include a visit to the excellent Colorado Railroad Museum; Garden of the Gods; United States Air Force Academy; Denver Botanic Gardens and the Colorado State Capitol. The trip is just $999/person for double occupancy and includes a deluxe touring motor coach, an on-board tour coordinator, luggage handling, all admissions, 7 nights lodging, 7 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 1 dinner.

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After picking up passengers, our first day is spent traveling to Colorado. The next morning we visit the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Interact with nature, learn about the park's geology and experience Native-American culture.

Then after lunch ride the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. For 115 years the highest Railroad in the US has taking passengers to the 14,110 foot summit. During your trip the conductor will entertain you with the history and facts of the mountain, the region and the engineering feat that is the Pikes Peak Railway.

The Pikes Peak Cog Railway is 8.9 miles long. The round trip lasts 3 hours and 10 minutes. The first third of the trip is along Ruxton Creek in Englemann Canyon. Here the steep track follows a cascading stream through dense stands of Englemann spruce, Colorado blue spruce as well as Ponderosa pine trees. The track is built next to the stream and there are boulder fields on both sides of the train. Conductors like to point out the various "faces" and shapes which, with a bit of imagination, can be seen in the giant boulders.

You are allowed 30 to 40 minutes on the top of Pikes Peak. The reason for this is that most people begin to feel the effects of high altitude (slight nausea, headache) after about this amount of time.

Overnight in Colorado Springs.

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Start your morning with a visit the US Air Force Academy. A movie highlighting the academy experience is shown in the 250-seat theater. The exhibit area features displays on history and cadet life with specially designed exhibits to explain the academy's four "pillars of excellence." These refer to the four areas of the cadet training program: character development, academic, athletic, and military training. The 5,652-square-foot exhibit area includes video and static displays, a hometown map, and a historical exhibit featuring information on Academy history, current and former superintendents and other significant features of the Academy's history.

Next is the rail for the Royal Gorge Incline Railway, a place where looking down is even more breathtaking than looking up. Built in 1931, and traveling at a 45-degree angle, the world's steepest Incline Railway is still considered one of the most difficult structures ever built. Here, timeless granite walls loom all around as you descend over 1,500 feet to the canyon floor, a mere 50 feet at its widest. Looking up, the Bridge appears as a delicate ribbon cutting across the sky.

Stepping off the car, you'll enjoy the cool spray of the roaring Arkansas River, while whitewater rafters brave the Class 5 rapids below your feet. One can only imagine what it must have been like with guns blazing and dynamite exploding as early railroad officials hired Bat Masterson to protect their crew and materials in the Royal Gorge War.

Overnight in Alamosa, Colorado.

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Most of today will be spent on the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad. Built in 1880 and little changed since, its equipment, structures and vast landscape exist today as if frozen in the first half of the twentieth century. The time has long passed when the railroad last hauled precious metals over Cumbres Pass. But its steam locomotives still labor up steep grades carrying visitors over high trestles, through tunnels, and along narrow shelves above yawning gorges. In an era of strip malls, cruise ships and jumbo jets, the Cumbres & Toltec provides an experience for those seeking something different. It provides adventures that unfold in the easy cadence of Mountain Time.

Lunch is provided at the Osier Depot.

Overnight in Durango.

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Today ride the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway. Durango was founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1879. The railroad arrived in Durango on August 5, 1881 and construction on the line to Silverton began in the fall of the same year. By July of 1882 (amazingly, only 9 months after construction began) the tracks to Silverton were completed.

The line was constructed to haul silver & gold ore from the San Juan Mountains, but passengers soon realized it was the view that was truly precious. This historic train has been in continuous operation for 126 years, carrying passengers behind vintage steam locomotives and rolling stock indigenous to the line.

You will experience Colorado at its best...wildlife, waterfalls, majestic peaks, all from the view point of an 1880's passenger. You will see places you can get to only by foot or by train. Railroad, history, and the wilderness; you get it all on the D&SNGRR.

Have lunch and time to explore in Silverton, Colorado. Nestled high in the heart of the San Juan Mountains in a mountain valley at 9,318 feet, the Town of Silverton combines supreme natural beauty and magnificent Victorian charm. Silverton is a town that has its own color and character. Most of the buildings and the mining-laden hillsides reflect a simpler day as does the Silverton lifestyle. Silverton offers a style of living where there is more time for family and community. The year round population of 500 is supported by tourism. Over a quarter of a million people visit town each year. The booming summers are balanced by quiet, peaceful winters.

Overnight in Grand Junction.

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Today enjoy the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Journey To Another Time on a Scenic and Historic Train Ride ... The Georgetown Loop Railroad brings Colorado history to life in a fun adventure that will thrill the entire family. Open cars allow an unobstructed view of everything along the line. The beauty of the rugged Rocky Mountains surrounds you as an old-time steam locomotive chugs its way up the canyon, hauling your train past the remains of several gold and silver mines.

Tour the Colorado State Capitol before you overnight in Denver. The historic tours usually include the following: early Colorado history, Capitol construction, the lawmaking process, the gold dome, several stained glass windows, Women's Gold Tapestry, presidential portraits and a stop outside the Senate and House of Representatives' chambers.

Overnight in Denver

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Today explore the Denver Botanic Gardens. Rooted a mile high, Denver Botanic Gardens has been a favorite Denver destination for over 55 years. Art and science unite in the Gardens' spectacular 23-acre urban oasis, offering an unforgettable artistic garden experience, as well as a living laboratory for education and acclaimed conservation and research programs.

Later a tour of the Colorado Railroad Museum. Visit the 1880's style depot full of history, photos, illustrations and documents illustrating the history of the railroad.

The Colorado Railroad Museum is recognized as one of the best privately supported rail museums in the United States. This "can't miss" site for railfans features over 100 historic narrow and standard gauge locomotives and cars exhibited on 15 acres at the foot of North Table Mountain, near Golden, Colorado. The museum was established in 1959 to preserve for future generations a tangible record of Colorado's flamboyant railroad era, particularly the state's pioneering narrow gauge mountain railroads.

This evening explore Historic Downtown Golden on your own. The heart of the city of Golden is as old as the city itself, with a prominent and colorful past spanning nearly 150 years.Merchants of downtown have come from all walks of life, from miners to retails to Indians and artists, natives and immigrants, from children to nonogenerians. Today downtown Golden has 21 entities over 50 years old; 11 entities over 100 years old, including ones who could boast being the state's oldest tavern and hardware store, a remarkable record of success and longevity in its commercial climate.

Overnight in Denver, Colorado.

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On your last day, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride visiting with friends new and old. Return home with fond memories of your train rides across Colorado, that will last a life time!



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