Mesa Verde National Park...blog #6

 

 

Mesa Verde National Park

Monument Valley 
Joshua Tree National Park

 

 

After we left the McKinney, TX area we headed West. Our initial plan was to go to Santa Fe, NM. By the time we got around to making reservations in Santa Fe all the Parks were full. So we changed our plans. We spent 3 or 4 days in Santa Fe about 4 years ago so we decided we would pass this year. We rescheduled and headed to Cortez CO, Cortez is the closest town to Mesa Verde National Park. It took three days of driving to get to Cortez from McKinney. Been a while since we have driven across Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. It has its own landscape and personality, along with a whole bunch of nothing.

 

The pictures are what we looked at for three days. The closer we got to Arizona the more brown and less trees. Lot of people love the Southwest but we decided we were very happy with our decision 15 or so years ago to go with green, grass and humidity.

 

We pulled into a nice KOA Campground in Cortez, CO. We had reservations for three nights. After the 1000 miles from McKinney and a few places we wanted to see we liked the layover.

 

 

First thing the following morning we went out to Mesa Verde National Park. This park features the Cliff dwellers. Mesa Verde was established in 1906, and again Theodore Roosevelt was the President that signed the bill to officially make it a National Park. Mesa Vere was also the first archaeological park and the worlds first cultural park. History of the park has been studied and many many books are written attempting to put the early settlers history in perspective. The park highlights the time frame of 1300 to 1400 or so. The picture below is of Cliff Palace. The cliff dwellers were here for about 100 years and then just left.  This is the tour (lead by a Park Ranger) we took. Was very interesting and will not bore you with the details but if you enjoy this sort of thing Google is a magnificent teacher. Mesa Verde is a great but is a one day Park. Google it before you go will help.

 

Day three in Cortez was a down day. We drove around town and spent some time at an Indian Art Gallery and found some nice Indian Pottery. We also found a local dinner that had been in the same family for 40 years and all of the local Policemen dined their....they had fantastic pancakes.  

 

Monument Valley was the destination after Mesa Verde. We drove by the four corners on the way to Monument Valley.

 Ann and Sabastian.

It was really HOT that day 117 degrees.

 

Monument valley is not a United States Park under the Department of the Interior it is managed by the Navajo Nation. This Park is just one of those places you should go. It is near Kayenta AZ. Most people know this Park as where John Ford directed many Western Movies, many that stared John Wayne. Stagecoach, She wore a Yellow Ribbon and many others. We took the Jeep and drove about a 25 mile loop, I can bore any of you some time with many many pictures. Below are a couple.

 

 

About 20 miles South of Monument Valley is a town of Kayenta. During the Second World War most of the Navajo Code Talkers came from this part of the United States. They have a very small but interesting museum in town. It is actually at a Burger King. The father of the Burger King owners was one of the Code Talkers. Some may have seen the movie Wind Talkers starting Nicolas Cage. History speaks very highly of this group of Marines and what they did for the War effort. Kayenta is really off the beaten path but if you are ever in the area it is worth a look.

 

So off to Joshua Tree National Park, did I mention it is still 114 degrees. Pulled into the Park and it took hours for the coach to cool down. It is now Monday morning June 26. The good news is I finally have internet that will support this blog system. It also happens to be my Sister Pammy Jean's Birthday. So I got to call her, we even have cell phone service. Name of the town we are in is 29 Palms. A few may know it as a Marine Base. What a terrible assignment post.

Ann and Sabastian (again)

 

Joshua Tree National Park is a newer Park and does not have much history because it is a desert. Many would ask why did you go to this Park and drive 3965 in 115 degree temperature to get there. It is one of those things when you got a plan you just got to do it. Ann has questioned my intelligence, or lack thereof,  numerous times. Anyway back to the park. It is about 800,000 acres of two deserts. The Colorado and Mojave. It is a desert and has always been a desert so no body ever lived here. So no history. The park is here because it is about the only place a Joshua Tree can live. So it is here for the Tree. This is a one day Park but do it in January.

 

 

We are turning the Coach around and heading East tomorrow we have reservations at park in St George UT. After that we have no clue. We hear it is only 103 in St George. Excuse the typos and other vocabulary issues in this blog. Was busy wiping the sweat out of my eyes as I tried to type. Until next time 

Doug and Ann