Thursday, November 10, 2016

Colorado - Durango and Pagosa Springs

Lunch and a couple of hours in Durango reminded me how charming this town is.







Continuing in the themes of favorite places and hot springs, an overnight stop in Pagosa Springs gave me an opportunity to soak in the riverside pools for a couple of hours and work out the driving kinks.  Then it was time to leave the mountains of Colorado behind me and head south to New Mexico.




Colorado - Mesa Verde Nat Park



Continuing east I take a day to visit Mesa Verde National Park, a place I visited 7 years ago with a dear friend.  This is more than a little nostalgic for me, since I'd been hoping she could have joined me for part of this trip, but was unable to make it.  Seven years ago we roughed it in a tent here for one night, but had a fabulous experience touring Cliff Palace.  This time, I stayed in the town of Cortez and spent some time touring parts of the Park we hadn't visited.

Some beautiful art work by local artists graces both the inside and outside of the Visitor's Center, whose architecture is a modern interpretation of a cliff dwelling.


The Visitor's Center has a mock-up of the ladders into the cliff dwellings and the tunnels you sometimes have to crawl through so that people can try them out and see if they can manage both!  Smart idea!







He knows he's safe in here this time of the year!



Thursday, November 3, 2016

Utah - Arches National Park

Finally, the long-awaited five-day stay at Arches, a place I've been wanting to visit for years! 




The campground has a great amphitheater, but it was too late for any programs.

Skyline Arch, just behind the amphitheater


Pine Tree Arch
 Tunnel Arch - the top right side collapsed in 1991.  Fortunately the hikers sitting underneath it heard a sound like thunder and got out in time.
 


Slickrock after the thunderstorm
 




A pair of the park's many ravens




Broken Arch


Sand Dune Arch - barefoot hiking in and out. Felt so good!


Looking east to the La Sal Mountains in the early morning.
                                       Balanced Rock









The original log cabin and cold storage at the Wolfe Ranch site
 


Following the cairn-marked trail up and up


Delicate Arch, the park's iconic symbol

 
Last campfire of the night.  Tomorrow it's goodbye Arches!