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are plenty of restaurants in Durango, as well as small shops and a cinema. The next morning we would begin a . 50-mile and chilly ride up the mountains to an old silver mining town called Silverton. The elevation here is over 9000 feet, so we were thankful of the big 750cc twin-cylinder engines in the thin air. Riding into Silverton is like riding back in time. Most of the roads in the small town are unpaved, some of the sidewalks are constructed of wood, as are some of the buildings, including the town's old jailhouse. Around noon, you could hear in the distance Durango & Silverton #481 blowing its whistle as it rolled into town with car loads of tourists. The passengers would disembark in Silverton for a few hours then take the train back to Durango. What a great way to spend the day, I thought. Maybe next time. Kinney and I headed back to Durango via the "old highway," a scenic two-track dirt road that took us about halfway down the mountain before popping back out onto the pavement. Even though the dirt road was only 12 or so miles in length, it was one of the many highlights of the trip. Once again, we rolled back into • Durango as the sun set behind the mountains, beating 01' #481 by 30 minutes. For Kinney and I, our trip was now over, but , and headed east to Chinle, at the Canyon De Chelly Natiimal Monument. The canyon features deep gorges and steep cliffs. The ritual was the same as the Grand Canyon - you ride up to the overlooks, park your bike and hike about 100 yards to the ledges. Kinney and I noticed, however, tire tracks at the' bottom of the canyon. We were told that you could ask around and pay one of the local Indians to take you on a ride through the canyon in a four-wheel vehicle. From there we headed into New Mexico on Highway 64. We rode through the towns of Shiprock, Farmington and Aztec, and then headed north on Highway 550 into Durango. Durango is famous for its clean air, cold weather, ideal mountain biking trails and the Durango & Silverton narrow gauge steam-powered trains. Moments after riding into town shortly after sunset, train whistles could be heard echoing off the mountain walls. We checked into the . Durango Lodge, located about a twominute' walk from the traip station. There 6 (Above) Canyo'n De Chelly National Monument in Arizona might not be as well known as the Grand Canyon, but isn't any less spe·ctacular. (Right) Viewed from far away, this rock formation in New Mexico looks' like the sails of a tall ship, hence its name Shiprock. (Below) The Pickle Barrel Restaurant is typical of those in Silverton, Colorado. for the rest, it was just the beginning, as they would continue on for another five days. It was tough for Kinney and I to watch the group ride out of town without us the next morning. Despite the fact that Desert Only Travel only caters to French "dual sporters," Kinney and I discovered plenty of new opportunities for some spectacular dual sport riding. While we were somewhat limited as what we could explore while riding with the tour, Kinney and I noticed plenty of attractive looking dirt roads heading off to "who knows where?" all along the ride. Afterwards, Kinney and I both agreed what a great vacation it would be to ride (or truck your dual sport motorcycle, and maybe even a mountain bike) to Durango and plan day rides out of there, which should include a day trading your motorcycle in for a train trip to Silverton and back. Even if you're the only dual sport enthusiast in your family, there's plenty to do for the entire family in Durango while you're out riding. One way or another, there's plenty of trails out there in the great Southwest and beyond, so do some exploring and check 'em out. ~