We made a change in our itinerary and traveled with Matt and Alice from Moab, Utah, to Cortez, Colorado. We did this so that we could visit Mesa Verde National Park and the cliff-dwellings there. On the road, we have made use of Albino’s walkie-talkies to update each other on any road problems or when Cosmo needed to stop for lunch or a potty break. We all commented that we were happy, once again, to see some green in the landscape and feel the cooler temperatures outside. In Cortez, we checked into the Cortez-Mesa Verde KOA on Highway 160. I have to say that this is one of the nicest parks we’ve ever camped in. The 2 brothers who own it have created a welcoming and lovely place to stay. Flowers, bird feeders and well-kept roads and sites made us wish we could stay longer than 2 nights.
Cosmo was happy to be there, too, and was patiently waiting for Alice and Matt to help him out of the truck.
After a lunch outside at our picnic table, we went exploring. First, we went to Dolores, which became a major stop on the rail line between Telluride and Durango. A group of railroad buffs has rebuilt the station there and it is the home of the Rio Grand Southern Railroad Museum and the Galloping Goose. This hybrid vehicle, half bus, half rail car, ran the mail and passengers on this line.
We finally dragged Hank away and visited the Anasazi Heritage Center. This amazing museum contains more than 3.5 million artifacts and explores archaeology and interprets local history and Native American life ways. It also features two 12th century archaeological sites. The exhibits were fascinating and we enjoyed the hike up to the ancient dwellings. Up there, we also got to see the McPhee Reservoir and the Sleeping Ute Mountain—it is supposed to resemble a sleeping warrior, head to the north and arms folded across his chest.
We returned to the campground, went swimming, grilled hamburgers and sat around a campfire watching the sun go down. Can you tell we were enjoying just being outside?
Just a few more shots of the campground and its beautiful flowers.
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