There’s something timeless about traveling through the Four Corners region — that sweep of red rock, pine forest, and high desert air that makes every mile feel like a discovery. On our latest adventure, we started in Durango, Colorado, hopped aboard a historic steam train to Silverton, explored the ancient cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park, and wound our way southeast to Santa Fe, New Mexico—where the food, art, and skies made us want to linger forever.

Durango: All Aboard!

Durango feels like the kind of Western town that hasn’t lost its soul. Early one morning, with coffee in hand and the crisp mountain air nipping at our cheeks, we boarded the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The old steam engine chugged to life, billowing black smoke into the clear blue sky.

As the train followed the Animas River through steep canyons and pine forests, the landscape unfolded like an old film reel — waterfalls, mining ruins, and the Aspens starting to turn. By the time we reached Silverton, a former mining town turned mountain getaway, we were grinning like kids. We wandered the wooden sidewalks, admired the colorful historic buildings, and grabbed lunch before catching the return trip — a perfect blend of nostalgia and mountain majesty.

Mesa Verde: Walking Among the Ancients

The next day, we made our way to Mesa Verde National Park, about an hour from Durango. No matter how many photos you’ve seen, nothing prepares you for the moment you step into the shadow of the Cliff Palace. The scale, the craftsmanship, and the sheer audacity of the Ancestral Puebloans who built these dwellings into the canyon walls over 700 years ago is humbling.

We spent the day exploring overlooks and standing quietly amid the ruins, imagining daily life here centuries ago. It’s one of those places that makes you feel connected — to history, to the land, and to the generations who came before.

The Road to Santa Fe

From Mesa Verde, we drove southeast, crossing from Colorado into New Mexico, where the landscape softened into desert mesas and wide, open skies. By the time we reached Santa Fe, the sun was setting behind the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, painting everything in shades of rose and gold.

Santa Fe: Where Art Meets Spirit

We parked the RV at Santa Fe Skies RV Park, a gem perched just outside the city with panoramic views and even its own outdoor sculpture garden. As the name promises, the sunsets there are unforgettable — the kind that make you stop mid-conversation just to watch.

In town, Santa Fe is a feast for the senses. We wandered the galleries in the square, where adobe walls glow in the sun and every doorway leads to something creative — paintings, pottery, metalwork, and jewelry that capture the essence of the Southwest.

Of course, no trip to Santa Fe is complete without New Mexican food. We indulged in enchiladas smothered in red and green chile (“Christmas style,” as the locals say), sopapillas dripping with honey, and smoky carne adovada that made us swear we’d never eat Tex-Mex again.

We visited the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, marveled at the Loretto Chapel and its miraculous staircase, and spent our evenings back at the RV park, surrounded by art, stars, and that endless desert quiet.

The Spirit of the Southwest

From the rhythm of the Durango train to the echoes in Mesa Verde’s canyons and the creative pulse of Santa Fe, this journey felt like a thread connecting past and present — history, art, and adventure woven together.

Whether you come for the food, the culture, or the scenery, this corner of the world has a way of staying with you long after the wheels stop rolling.