Harlem22,
For me, your colour version definitely has much more going for it.
Apart from what seems (to me) a more convincing effect of distance, the colours are muted enough already to provide the natural simplicity that I imagine you've been reaching out to by converting to b/white.
I do find myself attracted to black and white, probably because I spent many years producing it, but sometimes colour can present a pretty powerful argument too.
It always comes down to opinion - I just expressed mine; both presentations work nicely.
Rob C