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Published: July 14th 2013
The One about Disappointment at Mesa Verde
Sorry to set the tone for today so early, but it’s been that kind of day.
It rained last night. I mean real rain!! I even turned on the wipers to clean the windshield. In that odd light, I saw a hole in my windshield. Take a look at any picture I have posted of Moya and look how big my windshield is. It is not only a hole, there is a crack as well. It’s not all the way thru, but the way she vibrates, I hope it just stays as it is until I can find someone to throw resin in it. GROWL.
Despite that annoyance, I slept well, was up and gone from Ruins Road before 8:00. During my shower I noticed 3 red ant bites on my abdomen. Then I figured the pain on my butt was from another one. Is this an omen for the rest of the day? I am getting to be a pro breaking camp quickly, I love my new Moya. I did take Winston for a long walk, and avoided the cur. I did spy the HUGE vegetable garden without any weeds!!!
Impressive!
Aztec was DEAD! The next town was Farmington, NM. I set Garmina to find a Post Office, only after I had passed it, so I turned around; it didn’t open until 10 on Saturdays, so I figured out how to send the baby blanket to Florida. Val, be on the lookout for it on Monday. Farmington was a nice town. I drove thru the newer part, Target, Wal-Mart, Dunkin Donuts, Michaels, you get the idea. I read it had a nice ‘old’ downtown, but I stuck to the edges of town. As I headed west towards Four Corners, the towns continued, but they got smaller and smaller, and the landscape less and less green.
Another one of those things to ponder. Why oh why is anything I want to stop at on the other side of the road. The liquor stores, the Pawn shops are all on my side of the road. The trading posts, the scenic overlooks, are always on the other side of the road, and that kept happening. There are no warning signs of what’s coming up, and I missed the turn, as I travel in the right lane if there is one, and
turning around is next to impossible. I missed a few really neat looking Trading Posts and one VERY HUGE flea market. Where directed I turned north towards Four Corners and the landscape became volcanic – moon like – desert. It was beautiful in its starkness, but no way this land supported life. Imagine you are in the crater of a large extinct volcano, and in the center is the cone, that piece of rock that is so hard it doesn’t get warn away by wind over the years. All brown. No trees. And barbed wire, of course. The road was in awful shape as well. There were so many ruts in the pavement that in order for me not to bounce to death, I drove over the center yellow line; I was able to do this for miles and miles as there was no cars in front of me or behind me. When someone came up I moved over. I suffered thru 30 miles of that.
The Four Corners Monument is about 30 miles down this ugly road on the Navajo reservation. I pulled in and created a cloud of dust. So happy the windows were all closed. In
front of me was a Harley with mom and pop on it. They pulled up to the gate, but didn’t go all the way up, they stopped on thick gravel. They were blocking the road, I could not pass. He turned around and realized I was there, turned back around and tried to move, but the bike wouldn’t move in the thick gravel and fell over, pinning both of them underneath. I turned the engine off and was out of Moya in 3 seconds. She got up and out right away, but his knee was turned at a bad angle. He wasn’t really pinned, he just couldn’t move. A very large man came over and pulled him via his arm pits until his leg straightened. After a minute or 2 he was able to get up. His words to me? “I was trying to get out of your way.” That’s right, make your stupid mistake about me. Older couple. Wealthy, I could just tell. Expensive Prescription Ray Bans, bandannas under leather hats, leather jackets, leather leggings, leather boots. Big Ass Harley. The big landed on the tip of the handlebar, there did not appear to be any damage to it.
It just goes on and on and on
Can you see the ruts in the road??He was standing, and now I was blocking traffic, so I moved Moya. Winston was barking this entire time. Today was not a day for me to want to tolerate any crap from Winston. Thinking about it, he also said “I don’t want to pay $6 to see this! Where can I turn around?” Benny go home.
The actual monument is a bronze disc in the earth with a large cross. As each quarater of the pie/circle gets larger as it goes out from center, the state name is set in bronze letters in the ground, and beyond that the state flag. The best part was looking at the contortions the people go thru trying to get themselves in all four states at the same time. The deal is you take the picture of the group in front of you, and the group behind takes yours. It worked wonderfully. There was no way I was laying down or planking in all four states. I just put my feet at the cross and said “Shoot”. Surrounding the monument were vendor booths, all filled with Native American handiwork. Many beaded things, silver, leather, etc. I bought a silver and stone slide,
from the artist himself. PICTURE.
During this road adventure there was no cell service. Therefore no FourSquare check ins as I crossed into Arizona then crossed into Colorado. 30 miles to Cortez CO and as I got closer, it got greener and greener and I saw farms and animals and people and the casino on the left side of the road. On the very outskirts of Cortez was a Sonic and I had to try their new Cheesy Bacon Pretzel Dog and Diet Limeade. Awesome. Cortez is a beautiful town, and as I drove thru I had my first ever on this trip thoughts, “This is a town you need a car in.” I didn’t know how prophetic those thoughts were. Beautiful hotels, bed and breakfasts, shops, but not as nice as Park City, so I will just get my fill when I get there. I continued on to the Visitor Center at Mesa Verde National Park and stopped at the visitor center. RV parking was so far away, I knew I had to leave the generator on for Winston as it would take me a while. I quickly toured the Visitor Center and learned about the Tours that
they give 2x a day. I needed to sign up. I went to the sign up area, getting ready to pay my $3 for a 4 hour tour to see 700 years of history and get to go inside the cliff dwellings. There is no shuttle bus from the campground to the tour meeting point. You must make the drive yourself. 20 miles thru the park on switchbacks. The maximum length vehicle they allow in here is 30’. I am 27. While I am legally allowed to make that trip, there is no way I want to drive 20 miles on switchbacks, then leave Winston in a parking lot with the generator on for 4 hours while I do the tour. Disappointment at its best. I drove on to the campground where I had to register, hoping someone there would have an idea, and I was met with lots of sympathy, but no suggestions. This campground has 350 sites, about 35 with utilities, I have one of them. I found it and THERE IS NO ONE ELSE HERE. I can see 2 other campsites, and this is an open area, up hill and downhill, and NO ONE ELSE WAS HERE.
Teec Nos Pos Trading Post
Pronounced Tase Naws Paws Native American crafts for sale as well as groceries. OK, it’s only 2:30, more will come. I set up camp, and realized I had parked too far from the sewer hole. Since I had my levelers down and my slide out, I said EXPLETIVE DELETED and would leave it. I am so now totally questioning this decision to stay here 2 days at $37/day. I already paid. Out in the sun, I can’t drive anywhere without being on a road I would not want to drive by myself. OK, take a walk and see what I can walk to. Dogs are only allowed on paved roads and their edges. No trails. The pavement was too hot for Winston. I decided I will make it around my loop, just to see. The loop was so steep at the onset, I could only take 40 steps before I needed to rest. (Remember, I take a drug to slow down my heart rate. I tire very quickly). It was 1000 steps to the top of the hill, just half way around. Going down was easy, of course, but Winston was not happy. Back in the rig we quenched our thirsts and I pondered. There is a Ranger program at the Ampitheatre tonight.
My first view of the four corners
in the center, between the flagpoles, NM, UT, AZ, CO all come together here on the Navaho reservation I was hoping to be able to walk it, but it is an all uphill walk from my campsite. Unless I can hitch a ride from…….who?????? I am sitting here contemplating the trees. There is no TV signal, yet wonderful internet. Go figure. I have been listening to this Afghan book, and I just can’t anymore. It is too depressing, especially since I have done several other similar ones lately. I don’t want to hear about any more women tragedies; Time to listen to something else.
A hummingbird just flew up to the screen next to me as I sit at my dinette. Did he think I was a flower???? Scared me, but where was the camera when I needed it!!!! Maybe that is my reward for making the right decision. I am going to suck it up, chalk it up to just a bad decision, and leave tomorrow morning and drive towards Moab and Arches. Go where the wind blows. There are plenty of campgrounds along the way, and I will look for a cheap Passport one to help ease this expensive one. I can make it from there to Park City in 4 to 5 hours, and
I just might get there on Monday. Better let Kristine know.
Kat out
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Barb
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we are in Utah
Started our trip. Going to Zion , Bryce.then to Yellowstone, Cody, Grand Tetons.Salt Lake and Park City .Looking forward to seeing you.The arches are beautiful travel safe.