Cumbres & Toltec Just Ride It

Living life with style and grace is on my list of top priorities. This includes following your passions (within reason of course!). One of the joys of my long-time relationship with my husband of 30 years has been sharing our interests. Mitch is passionate about trains as you frequent readers know. On our recent trip out West we spent 3 days riding live steam engines. First departing from Chama, New Mexico and riding the Cumbres & Toltec up to Antinito, Colorado. As a testimony to my devotion to "the one I love" I spent the night in Antinito, as he was clear that he wanted to ride both ways. And after sharing my feelings for the only hotel available clearly and on several occassions, I was informed that I might adopt a new attitude!

I must say I was viewing the next day as rather redundant as we would be riding back on the same track we had covered going up. It didn't matter the trip was so beautiful, often reminding me of Switzerland, that I found the trip back to Chama just as pleasant. In fact I suffer from quite a healthy case of vertigo, but the ride was so thrilling and the scenery so beautiful, I reconcilled myself to the fact that if I did die, there could be no better place than on those trains.

Side note: upon meeting one of my husband's train buddies later in Denver, the gentleman exclaimed, "you must be the most patient person on earth!" when Mitch introduced me as his wife. "Why yes, I said, "funny you should mention that, you don't know how many people have told me that before."

(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved