If you're a meat-eater, you can't visit the Rockies without sampling some Colorado jerky, and the Georgetown Jerky and Emporium has over 120 varieties to try.

The three-mile journey on the narrow-gauge train, which dates to 1880, takes you from Georgetown to Silver Plume; the Lebanon Mine tour is about midpoint in the trip.

Georgetown was designated a National Historic District in 1966, the result of a push by town faithful who stuck around after everyone else left with the quick collapse of the silver boom.

I didn’t just realize this while riding the Georgetown Loop, but the hour-plus trip through the Rocky Mountains underscored everything I’ve come to love about the railroad.

The Georgetown Loop Railroad west of Denver can be seen next to a backdrop of pines and golden aspens near the Devil’s Gate Station in Georgetown, Colorado.

Once a mining town, Georgetown was recently recognized as one of the best holiday destinations for its historic Christmas market.