caravanman
Engineer
One of the problems with this South West trip report is that I am running out of superlatives... I have described views I have seen as nice, good, amazing, stunning, wow, incredible, etc, etc, and then I round the next bend and my eyes almost pop out again at the new, different, stunning vista!
So it would be fair to say I am having a great mini adventure. The mountains, canyons, red and stratified rocks, blue sky and that wonderful sunshine and heat (and an exciting thunderstorm or two) !
A slight shock in the morning as I left Raton, New Mexico... it was cold! I even put the car heater on for a short while! Yesterday evening I was sat outside my room in the warm sunshine reading a newspaper, this morning it feels so different... not as cold as home, but a surprise!
From Raton I chose to head north past Trinidad to Walsenburg, where I turned west onto the 160 road. What can I say, all these drives have been great, this was "just" another great drive. Arrived back in familiar territory in Alamosa again, at least I already knew where the supermarket was. A quick food shop and onto the 160 west again. My route took me through South Fork, Chimney Rock, Durango, and on to Cortez, where I stopped for the night at the "Retro Motel", which has a nice name, nice price, and nice modern rooms, but a s-l-o-w internet!
The afternoon's drive had been rather different, up through some very high mountains, with heavy rain and mist. It was odd to be looking down on clouds in the valleys far below at times. Came upon a rock fall, thankfully small enough to pass, a reminder of natures random games... Anyone could have been driving under at that moment, and goodbye driver... game over!
Mesa Verde National Park: Monday 29th September 2014.
Gosh, wow, and all that stuff again, but even more so!
I was not sure what to expect from the park, so checked out of the Retro and drove a short distance to the park entrance. I asked about "senior admission prices" but the attendant said that was only for American Citizens. I mentioned getting senior rates on trains, bus, and motel rooms, but she was adamant... so I paid my $10 which I thought was reasonable anyway... but it does no harm to ask! My ticket is valid for 7 days... wonder if I can later sell it on to someone for half the price.. (joke!).
Steep winding road up into the park, excellent views on either side, a good paved road with stopping places. I took a lot of pics on the way up, and was then blown away by the ruins of the Anasazi cliff dwellings... Such a setting! These folk must have been feeling danger from something to build their homes in such inaccessible spots. An interesting museum with pottery, basket weaving, and information on the developments from early pit dwellings to the elaborate cliff houses.
I guess we can never know the what or why they lived as they did, but carbon dating can reveal some of the when. All in all a fabulous $10 worth!
So I spent rather longer than I imagined I might in the park, and decided to rebook the Retro for a second night. I can’t yet add any pictures because of the s-l-o-w internet here but hope to do so tomorrow night, wherever I am... Thinking to head north to Grand Junction and then west, and then head down towards Flagstaff...
EDIT to include MESA VERDE pics:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152745771169120.1073741846.682004119&type=1&l=f2389a1f0b
Cheers for reading this,
Ed.
So it would be fair to say I am having a great mini adventure. The mountains, canyons, red and stratified rocks, blue sky and that wonderful sunshine and heat (and an exciting thunderstorm or two) !
A slight shock in the morning as I left Raton, New Mexico... it was cold! I even put the car heater on for a short while! Yesterday evening I was sat outside my room in the warm sunshine reading a newspaper, this morning it feels so different... not as cold as home, but a surprise!
From Raton I chose to head north past Trinidad to Walsenburg, where I turned west onto the 160 road. What can I say, all these drives have been great, this was "just" another great drive. Arrived back in familiar territory in Alamosa again, at least I already knew where the supermarket was. A quick food shop and onto the 160 west again. My route took me through South Fork, Chimney Rock, Durango, and on to Cortez, where I stopped for the night at the "Retro Motel", which has a nice name, nice price, and nice modern rooms, but a s-l-o-w internet!
The afternoon's drive had been rather different, up through some very high mountains, with heavy rain and mist. It was odd to be looking down on clouds in the valleys far below at times. Came upon a rock fall, thankfully small enough to pass, a reminder of natures random games... Anyone could have been driving under at that moment, and goodbye driver... game over!
Mesa Verde National Park: Monday 29th September 2014.
Gosh, wow, and all that stuff again, but even more so!
I was not sure what to expect from the park, so checked out of the Retro and drove a short distance to the park entrance. I asked about "senior admission prices" but the attendant said that was only for American Citizens. I mentioned getting senior rates on trains, bus, and motel rooms, but she was adamant... so I paid my $10 which I thought was reasonable anyway... but it does no harm to ask! My ticket is valid for 7 days... wonder if I can later sell it on to someone for half the price.. (joke!).
Steep winding road up into the park, excellent views on either side, a good paved road with stopping places. I took a lot of pics on the way up, and was then blown away by the ruins of the Anasazi cliff dwellings... Such a setting! These folk must have been feeling danger from something to build their homes in such inaccessible spots. An interesting museum with pottery, basket weaving, and information on the developments from early pit dwellings to the elaborate cliff houses.
I guess we can never know the what or why they lived as they did, but carbon dating can reveal some of the when. All in all a fabulous $10 worth!
So I spent rather longer than I imagined I might in the park, and decided to rebook the Retro for a second night. I can’t yet add any pictures because of the s-l-o-w internet here but hope to do so tomorrow night, wherever I am... Thinking to head north to Grand Junction and then west, and then head down towards Flagstaff...
EDIT to include MESA VERDE pics:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152745771169120.1073741846.682004119&type=1&l=f2389a1f0b
Cheers for reading this,
Ed.
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