Holiday Inn Vancouver Center

Kathy is in the midst of battling a bad cold a few days before we leave on a trip, but we’d bought tickets to the Vancouver Opera (La Boheme), so here we are in a room with a view on our credit card’s annual free night.

Broadway...

The balcony view...

It’s fun being back in the Queen Elizabeth - a lot of memories of great performances over the decades...

Growing Marshmallows in Our Back Yard

Snow on Thunderbird Lake

Seattle Sunset

Landing at SEA...

Same Airline DRO-DEN

Thankfully, a different Trans States Airlines plane than the one we flew DEN-DRO a few days ago.

Breakfast in Durango at Cj’s

Ample...

Stacked Breakfast Burrito...

Pancake...

Downtown in Durango

It’s always a nostalgic visit for Kathy, who grew up here. We wandered along Main Street for a few blocks from the old post office down to the train depot.

A work train steamed back to the depot as we watched.

There are many more restaurants, bars, and coffee places fighting for tourist dollars than when Kathy lived here.

T-shirt shops too...

Durango Homewood Suites

We stayed in the Durango Hampton Inn last night, a perfectly decent property that’s familiar to us.

Today, adding to our Hilton stays, we moved to the fairly new Homewood Suites, south of town.

It’s quite the property with a living room and adjacent kitchenette.

The bedroom looks comfortable and the bathroom features a tub (in fairness, so does the Hampton Inn).

All in all, an attractive property.

DEN: Our Trans States Airlines Sky Chariot Awaits

DBA United Express, Trans States Airlines is new to us.

From the downstairs express gate B87 we catch a glimpse and conclude they don’t worry too much about the paint job.

Apparently mechanics are trying to change a pump in the lavatory. The gate agent said “down in the bowels of the plane - no pun intended.”

Good one.

And we’re aboard.

Connecting at DEN

Nice flight - haven’t been in the Denver Airport in years...