May 12, 2013 - Four Corners/Hovenweep

We spent our final two days in Cortez, Co visiting the Hovenweep National Monument and the Four Corners of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. Four Corners is the only place in the U. S. where one can touch four states at once? It is a somewhat desolate area on the Navajo Reservation and the Navajo charge a small fee to enter as well as have many booths to sell their handmade jewelry, pottery, and other native goods. I talked briefly with a young Navajo girl, who is working on her P hd in Public Health, but makes jewelry to continue...

May 9, 2013 - Mesa Verde National Park

We spent May 8 and 9 exploring the cliff dwellings and other sites of the Anasazi, now known as the Ancesteral Puebloans. It was very special and educational to be able to photograph from afar as well as hike into theses ruins that once housed a culture of people hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Some of the pictures were taken from a mile or more distance while others were within touching distance of the former homes of these people. The architecture and engineering skills were extraordinary as demonstrated by how exact the rocks...

May 7, 2013 - Anasazi Cultural Center/Mesa Verde National Park

Tuesday, May 7 we visited the Anasazi Cultural Center, which holds exhibits that describe the history of the early natives who inhabited the cliffs and mesas of the Cortez, Colorado area. Cortez, known as the Archaeological Center of America, is home to Mesa Verde National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. We will visit the latter two monuments later this week. Visiting this area gives one a small insight into Ancestral Puebloans and Their World. The pictures are a small part of a large...

Apr 11, 2013 - Mesa Verde National Park

We travelled high up into the mountains (8500 ft) to visit cliff dwellings built by the Anasazi people between 1200 and 1275 BC. They are the ancestors of many of todays Indian tribes. These dwellings built in natural eroded caves are constructed of stone and timber and house up to 200 people with 114 rooms and 8 ceremonial rooms(Kivas). It stretches 216' wide by 89' deep. It hangs beneath a Mesa where they grew their crops. They abandoned these premises about 1300 because of depleted game to hunt and drought. Amazingly well preserved. A...

Mar 22, 2013 - Went through the Painted Desert

Hello Everybody, We have decided that today was our favorite place. Forget all of the other favorites we noted. Jocelyn is sending lots of pictures. We survived our night in the RV Park on Rte. 160 right next to the Highway in the city of 4 buildings. We then traveled on 160 all day. We drove through the painted desert. It was not as bright as I remembered it but was told it has to do with the time of year and the sun. We also went to visit the Four Corners Monument. The last time I went 42 years ago I took a picture of Mike and Jeff and...

Oct 17, 2012 - Cortez - 2

Our final outing in the Mesa Verde area was a trip to Durango, CO. This was on Dale's "bucket list" and so we went up to check out the narrow gauge train ride from Durango to Silverton, CO. This train ride will be for another trip, but definitely a "must do". Durango is a coal mining town with a bustling downtown full of old store fronts. We had brunch looking out over the Animas River. From there we headed up the mountains to Silverton, CO. We now know why they call Colorado golden. The fall colors between Durango and Silverton were...

Oct 13, 2012 - Cortez, CO

Hated to leave Monument Valley, but not sorry to leave the red dust behind. It absolutely got into everything! We headed to Cortez, CO which sits in the Valley of the Ancients and the Sage Plains of Ancestral Puebloans. We are staying in Sundance RV Park in downtown Cortez. Nice little park with lots of trees (no satellite) and no red dirt. We had originally planned to stay four nights but we are actually staying 6 nights. Lots of history in this area and just outside Cortez is Mesa Verde which is an 8,000 foot mesa with very deep canyons...

Oct 9, 2012 - Crossing State Lines

Second state line to cross was Kansas--the sign for Kansas was really small compared to Nebraska. It took a long time to got through Kansas because we went diagonal. The land seemed pretty flat with hardly any trees and things in the fields. We did stop briefly to see the Hideout of the Dalton Gang. Their sister lived in a 2 room house in Meade KS which had a tunnel from the house to the barn to escape in. Third state line was Oklahoma--We went through what is called the panhandle of the state because it was the very edge. There was not...

Oct 4, 2012 - La Mesa RV Park, Cortez, CO CONTINUED

Sunday-10-4-12, La Mesa RV Park, Cortez, CO We drove to La Mesa in Cortez on Thursday for two nights and decided to take an additional week, for a total of 9 nights. We took Friday as a rest day and then drove to Four Corners National Monument on Saturday, a 40 mile one-way drive. This is where four states meet together, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. This is a National Monument, but is on Navajo Indian land, so the Navajos run this site. This is the only place in the US where four states border each other. It is a place to stand...

Oct 4, 2012 - La Mesa RV Park, Cortez, Colorado

We have been here for over a week, there is a lot to do and see here. When we get time in a few weeks, we will add more information and lots of photos about this stop in Cortez, CO--it is a great place with lots to see/do and we don't have much time to work on the journal. We will be heading to Arizona tomorrow, we will send a notice when we get the photos on for you to see.

Oct 2, 2012 - Rocky Mountain High

Cortez, Colorado, at the foot of the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, is our current location. What a change from Amarillo where we last saw the Dr. and Laura. It was a two day journey and over a 2,000 foot elevation gain to here from the Texas Panhandle. Cortez seemed like a good place to hang in the southwest for a short while until the temperatures back at Quail Run drop a few more degrees. The area is jam packed with things to do and explore. We recently did an overnighter to Ouray, CO. The old mountain mining town along the San...

Sep 20, 2012 - Cortez, CO

/// Thursday - September 20, 2012 A Travel Day: Later this morning we will be leaving Moab, UT to travel a distance of 110 miles back into Colorado. We will be staying at the Sundance RV Park in Cortez. This will serve as our base of operations while visiting the many special places in the area. We have lots on our agenda during this stay in Cortez so our time there should pass quickly. We remain on schedule to meet our very special friends John & Ann in Williams, AZ. Just for the record, Ann has promised to treat us with her special Crab...