The Gold Mine

After our adventures at Mesa Verde National Park, we continued our road trip to Durango, Colorado to stay for the night.  Let's just say that we should have planned ahead because in the end it was really hard to find a hotel.  But, it all worked out. The next morning we got up, got packed, and headed to Silverton, Colorado, which is an old mining area.  We all got to try our hand at panning for gold...Limhi and Ernesto were really good at it.  Unfortunately, we have since lost the little bag with the flecks of gold we collected.  Good thing it was probably only worth $1.

 After panning for gold, we got on our mining gear in order to take a tour of the inside of the mine.  We all got on a little train and the tour guide drive inside the mountain.  It was a really creepy feeling (can you see that I'm always the scaredy cat?). 

 Here, the tourguide is explaining the different type of mining tools that have been used over the years.  At one point, he turned on one of the drills.  Talk about loud!

 By this point, Isabel decided it was time for a nap.  I'm not sure how she could sleep through all the racket, not to mention that mines are really cold and wet!

 Here are two little miners standing beside the carts that go in and out of the mountain.  They listened intently as the tour guide explained stories of the "tommy knockers."  Apparently, miners believed that spirits lived inside the mine.  The "tommy knockers" were spirits who would play tricks on the miners by making noises or stealing their lamps or lunches.