Driving to Durango

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We got a pretty early start to head back east through Zion, through the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona and on into Colorado. After a lovely breakfast of Southwest Eggs Benedict, we set out. The scenery was mostly uninspiring and flat but the roads were good and not very much traffic. We ran into a huge thunderstorm in Arizona and drove right through the middle of it. By the time we reached the Four Corners (the only oplace in the United States where 4 state boundaries touch, the sun was shining and it was hot! We stopped at The Four Corners National Monuiment to have a bite to eat before moving on to visit Mesa Verde (ancient cliff dwellings of the Anasazi). We got there a bit late in the day so we were only able to explore the Spruce Tree Dwelling and check out the museum. Mesa Verde is a really amazing place. It's funny when you compare the building technology of North America 500 years ago to that of Europe! Five hundred years after Notre Dame was built in Paris they were building cliff dwellings here! After we left Mesa Verde, we drove directly to my aunt and uncle's place in Durango, had a beer and chatted a bit and then went out for a lovely dinner. Went to bed early because we have an 8 am tee time tomorrow!

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Photos

Desert Monuments
We didn't go to Monument Canyon but this is a sample of what is there

Lake Powell, AZ
A dammed up river made this lake in northern AZ

Spruce Tree House
Anasazi cliff dwelling

Kiva ruins
A kiva is a building in the ground for meetings and ceremonies

Dwellings perspective
To get an idea of the size

Comments

[dj]

hey! wait a moment
I hope you looked around to see what the cliff dwellers had to work with. Not exactly rich fertile grounds. I think they did fair square. Oh and as far as southwestern eggs benedict, pfft. lol. glad you are enjoying the weather, maybe it will snow before you get home. :))