DURANGO - Most of the year, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad relies on history, nostalgia and the spectacular scenery of the San Juan Mountains to attract riders to its tourist train.

As winter arrives, its attention turns to children, tapping into the magic of storytelling and the wonder of the holidays to create a family attraction with its special holiday-themed excursions: the Halloween-based Great Pumpkin Patch Express and the Christmas classic Polar Express.

The Pumpkin Patch Express started three years ago, after the D&SNGR saw the popularity of its Polar Express the year before, said Andrea Seid, railroad marketing director. Last year, 17,000 people rode the Polar Express, and the Halloween train is finding more fans, too.

"The holiday trains are becoming a family tradition," Seid said.

For the Halloween rides, kids are encouraged to wear costumes as they listen to the Charles Schulz favorite "It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," written for a 1966 animated TV show about a little boy's belief in the Great Pumpkin, who brings presents to children on Halloween.

The four-mile, 30-minute train ride takes all aboard to a pumpkin patch just outside of Durango, where riders are greeted by Snoopy, Charlie Brown and Lucy from the "Peanuts" comic strip. There are hayrides, a hay-bale maze, bounce house, trick-or-treating and live music. And each child gets to pick a pumpkin to take home. Both open-air and enclosed, heated coaches are available for the ride.

The Great Pumpkin Patch Express will make weekend excursions today, Saturday and Oct. 19, and Oct. 25 and 26. The whole trip lasts about three hours. Excursions to the pumpkin patch depart the Durango depot at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tickets are $21 for kids ages 2-11, and $29 for others.

Can't get away that soon? Then shoot for the Polar Express, which begins running Nov. 26 and continues weekends - and a few weekdays - through Dec. 28. It does not run on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.

The trips before Christmas take children to visit Santa and his elves at the North Pole. After Christmas, the train delivers Santa back to the North Pole.

Pajamas are the preferred attire as children read along with the classic story - Chris Van Allsburg's 1985 tale of a boy who rides a magical train to the North Pole and is awarded the first gift of Christmas. The boy simply wants a sleigh bell from Santa's reindeer. And its sound can be heard only by those who believe in Santa.

The train ride includes caroling, treats and hot chocolate. Santa and the elves are waiting and then ride back with the kids. Santa hand-delivers a special gift to each child - a sleigh bell, of course.

The Polar Express is an evening trip. Times and prices vary depending on the day, generally running $18 to $29 for kids and $28 to $39 for adults. All rides on the Polar Express are in enclosed, heated coaches, Seid said.

For more information and reservations, call 1-888-872-4607 or visit www.durango train.com.

And remember, if you want to experience the thrill of riding an authentic coal-fired steam train as it knifes along perilous cliffs 200 feet above the Animas River, you will have to book another ride on the train and take it the full 45-mile distance to Silverton. Plan on spending an entire day on the round-trip.

Now, about getting to Durango.

It's about 300 miles to Durango from Colorado Springs, so plan on making a long weekend out of it.

And there are a couple of options for getting there. The most direct route is down Interstate 25 to Walsenburg, then west on U.S. 160 over La Veta Pass, past the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, across the San Luis Valley and over Wolf Creek Pass to Durango.

Or you can take U.S. 24 west to Buena Vista, go south down U.S. 285 to U.S. 50 then west again over Monarch Pass, through Gunnison, past the Blue Mesa Reservoir and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and over to Montrose. There you catch U.S. 550 south through picturesque Ouray with its hot springs, up the Million Dollar Highway over Red Mountain Pass and through Silverton. One more pass at Coal Bank Hill and down into Durango.

Either trip offers a variety of scenery and even skiing opportunities, depending on when you go and how many days you spend.

In Durango, there is a typical variety of chain motels. But downtown Durango offers you the chance to immerse yourself in history, especially the world of Springs founder Gen. William Jackson Palmer.

It's appropriate, since the Durango & Silverton train is one of the last remnants of Palmer's Denver & Rio Grande Railway. Durango was founded in 1879 by Palmer's railway. Its rails reached the town in 1881. The Silverton line was built in secret and opened less than a year later in July 1882, hauling silver and gold from the rich mine fields of the San Juans.

It remained a freight and passenger train until 1969 when the line was listed by the National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark and abandoned by the D&RG, leaving it to survive as a scenic railway for tourists.

Durango has embraced its history, starting with the train station on Main Avenue at Fifth Street.

Steps away is the quaint General Palmer Hotel, a 39-room Victorian landmark built in 1898. It boasts a Four Diamond Rating from the American Automobile Association for 25 consecutive years, and each room is decorated with antique furniture. The flat-screen TV looked a little out of place in the room, but it was a welcome modern convenience along with the Wi-Fi and updated bathroom.

A block away is the larger Strater Hotel, which is older, dating to 1887, and has 93 Victorian-era rooms.

Just off Main is the Rochester Hotel, an intimate 15-room hotel built in 1892.
Assorted bed-and-breakfasts and more modern, kid-friendly lodgings with pools abound downtown and along the U.S. 550 commercial corridor. Check them out at www.Durango.org and www .Durango.com.

Eating options are equally varied downtown. Coffeehouses, ice cream parlors and cafes are joined by the obligatory brewpubs, as well as an impressive list of more upscale restaurants.

Locals suggested Ken & Sue's, known for its American cuisine with an Asian flair, and it did not disappoint. Especially its back patio, with its twinkling lights under tents comfortably heated against the crisp mountain air. Another hit was Mutu's Italian Kitchen on East Second Avenue, just off Main.

For a more casual atmosphere and menu, including pizza, Mexican and Italian food, our family enjoyed Farquahrts Pizza Mia on Main.

We had strong recommendations for the Cosmopolitan, which tempted with an eclectic menu and upscale setting, as did Randy's, which serves steaks and seafood.

-

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0193 or bill.vogrin@gazette.com