Oct 2nd, Tues: Kansas

Oct 2nd, Tues:  After leaving Alamosa KOA in Colorado, we continue to head east.  We had picked several routes and by the time we were on way, we were still undecided which way to go.  Our destination is Dodge City, Kansas.  Problem is that there is nothing in southeast Colorado that  we wanted to get to cuz there is nothing here!  With only two routes leaving Colorado to Kansas,  we set Sophie (our GPS) for a campsight.

We wanted to go one way, she took us another!  And we ended up on the Santa Fe Trail, a scenic trail.  Scenic did we read?  Well you've got to look at the pictures to experience what we saw.  Unbelievable!!!!! And this went on for hundred of miles.  And so we drove for 8 hours to get to Dodge City.

But look................we made it into our 36th state:  Kansas - home of Toto and tornados. 

Checked into the Gunsmoke Trav L-Park in Dodge City, Kansas and got a rental car for tomorrow's adventure.  No campfire tonight since they are on a fire ban and have been all summer.  Office lady tells us that they did not even have fireworks this year.

Tonight it is baconista brats that have been marinading all day in German beer, onions, steak sauce.  Wrap them in bacon, grill and you've got one heck of a supper.

P.S.  We left Mountain time and now are in Central time.  Gretchen is still adapting!  And only means that we are getting close to home.

picture:  W. Spanish Peak at 13,682 feet and snow on top.  This is near Cuchara, Colorado
picture:  O give me a home where the deer ..............and the antelope play!
picture:  picture #1 of the "scenic Santa Fe Trail"
picture:  picture #2 of the "scenic Santa Fe Trail"
picture:  picture #3 of the "scenic Santa Fe Trail"
picture:  picture #4 of the "scenic Santa Fe Trail" - the train tracks and telephone poles.
picture:  picture #5 that confirms that we are on the scenic Santa Fe Trail.  Had you fooled?

    Gosh we cannot take much more of this scenery!!!!!  Get us to our campsite asap!

picture:  welcome to Dodge City.  Yee-haw, ride 'em cowboy!

Oct 1st, Mon: NM/Co to Alamosa

Oct 1st, Mon:  Left Cortez this morning for sights east.  And what a beautiful drive we had.  We are going to show you some georgous scenery.  We stopped for no historical or restaurants.  We went through Carson National Park, Navajo National Park, through Arizona, and through New Mexico, and then back into Colorado. Highest we were today was 10,320 feet.  Pop your ears!  We were on Cumbres and Toitec scenic parkway which was the 10,000+ passes.

We had a plan but it got confused on the back roads of New Mexico and Colorado.  That's okay because we saw some scenery that cannot be explained nor seen through our camera.  More hair pins turns, going up and down to over 10,000 feet altitude in Colorado.   We ended up in Alamosa, Colorado KOA for night with a campfire and using our gift from Laura to warm up steaks from last night.  Yum,  yum,  yum.  Thanks Laura!

The trip:

picture:  The navigation center:  Camp ground books on the left.  GPS in middle (soon to be passed to the driver),  map of Colorado and New Mexico, miscellaneous and refreshment in the Michigan mug.  Up front:  Visors, hats, and the Michigan bear who has been with us through the whole trip and doesn't complain nor does he help in navigating!
picture:  Acutally that hill is MUCH longer, higher than what this looks like.  Motorhome whining.
picture:  The lonely road ahead.
picture:  Navaho State Park with house boats.
picture:  driving OVER the dam.  Oh, damn!!!!
picture:  View from the top of the road over the dam.  Oh, damn, again!!!
picture:  a drunken curvy sign?  Another damn!!
picture:  Roger smiling while driving over the dam.  Oh, damn!!
picture:  Oil fields are about every 1/4 mile in New Mexico.  Many, many.  Is this government land where the government get the royalties or private land for the royalties?  As most minerals rights are owned by the government.  So how much revenue is the government getting off of oil royalties?  Questions as posed by Roger.
picture:  how do those rocks stay up there?
picture:  another drunken curve?
picture:  Look out for rocks falling.
picture:  next four pictures are trying to show the beauty of the Aspen turning colors against the pines.  In the sunset, these were just gorgeous.  Wish you were here to enjoy.
picture:  Blue and friend, 9-month old Maggie at the KOA doggie park.  Blue rules!
picture:  Roger using our gift from Laura to heat up some great steaks.  Yum, again.

Sept 30th, Sunday: Mesa Verde National Park

Sept 30th:  It's another beautiful day in Colorado.  The day was spent on a trip just down the street to Mesa Verde National Park.  Entering the park you see acres and acres again of burned out forest.  Different in Mesa Verde than the other parks is the foliage and all the tremendous amoutn of burnt trees.  Another twisting, turning, up hill and around hill drive for over 20 miles to get to our adventure.  Car rentals are good,  motorhomes whining and struggling are bad!  At one point in a cross over a different mountain pass in the motorhome, Roger had it floor boarded and we were only going 10 mpg.  There were no turn outs so we were committed to that drive. 

Our destination now is a cliff  dwelling called Cliff Palace - the largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde.  And we thought the drive here was something.  You had to walk down steps carved out of the sandstone.  Many, many steps that wound around and down 100 feet.  Then when you are down you walked up an 8-foot ladder to the dwellings.  A ranger gave his talk.  Now that you have walked all this way down, how do you think you get back up?

Three, count 'em, THREE 10-foot ladders straight up after climbing more steps up and around. All all this at 7,000 feet altitude!

A-huffin' and a-puffin, we made it. Gretchen hurt all the rest of the day! Roger made some great steaks for our last meal here. Wind way too much for our last night campfire. Off to a desolute southeast Colorado tomorrow.  But you know we will find an adventure out there.

No wonder Gretchen is so whipped out and goes to bed at 8p.m.  Not only did she make that Mesa Verde climb but has been in four different time zones!  Five o'clock in the morning isn't really 5a.m.  It could be 5, it could be 6, or at home it could be 8a.m.  Nothing like being lost in time and having fun while lost!

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picture:  Burnt trees.  Since 1906 - 2000, 75% of the forest has burned due to dry lightning strikes
picture:  Destination:  Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde
picture:  "apartment" in the Palace is original stone/plaster.  We don't make things today that can last 2,000 years.  How could they?
picture:  Kiva:  ceremonial room/gathering place
picture:  Fire pit in middle.  Right above that is a 3-inch circle (sipapu) that symbolizes where the spirits  of ancestors first emerged to enter the present world. 
picture:  Gretchen making her way up the steps when leaving.  Above her head begins the three ladders climb.  Look at those steps and the closeness of the walls.
picture:  she's still climbing!!!!  LOL
picture: Roger climbing that straight up ladder.
picture:  The last of the exit ladders.  Thank goodness.  But you still have to walk more up hill on the sidewalk and through the long parking lot!
picture:  Mesa Verda on the exit.  You can see part of the road near the bottom.  A contrast of Mesa Verde with foliage in front ground and in the background are the Ute Mountains, just rock formation.
picture:  Cooking delicious steaks.  Time for rest and some good wine.

Sept 29th: Canyon de Chelly

Sept 29th, Wed:  Still in Cortez, Colorado with weather in the 80's during the day, sunny but the nights get cold enough for the furnace.  This is great:  every morning Blue gets up before us and starts his morning "whine".  It's time for his morning walk with Roger.  Gretchen gets a little quiet time and/or time to update the blog.  Life is great.

We visited a Canyon that was spectacular.  Only downside was that is was almost a three hour long drive to get there.  We have a rental car that is most uncomfortable, a Kia. Canyon de Chelly (pronounced "duh Shay") is back in Arizona and on the Navajo reservation.  There were seven overlooks that included ruins  from 22 rooms to 80 rooms inhabited about 900 until 1200 A.D.  The last stop was to view Spider Rock, a monolith 800 feet tall.  It is amazing how the Indians lived back then and still do now but on the canyon floor as farmers.

We bought a beautiful Navajo hand made vase and the Navajo lady, without a front tooth, was very appreciative because 1 of her 8 children has braces and a payment was due in two days!  Or so she said when Roger tried to negotiate with her on the price!!

We have been back and forth in Arizona now for a couple of days and realized that today will be our last day to visit in Arizona.  Geez, the trip back is fast coming upon us. 

picture:  back seat driver
picture:  Canyon de Chelly's first overlook with active Indian farms which you can see on the bottom right..
picture:  Canyon de Chelly warning sign to hold onto pets, children.  800 feet cliff ahead!  Blue turns his head away cuz he cannot look down!
picture:  dwellings from 900-1200 A.D.  However, no one is home today.
picture:  Looking over the 800 foot cliff.  Yikes!  Good thing there is a railing here to hand on to.
picture:  Spider Rock.  Sure doesn't look like it's 800 feet tall.  We see tent campers down there.  You cannot go down with a guide.  But they don't have any water, electric, a pot to pee in,  and the night will be cold.  Give us a motorhome anyday!  Alcohol is forbidden on the reservation, so this is truly the meaning of "dry" camping. 
picture:  On way to Spider Rock.  Sign says 200 yards and Roger reminds Gretchen that this will be like walking 4 football fields (down and back).  You know, that she has disk problems where walking can be painful.  Thank you, Roger, for your observation.  Love ya.
picture:  three horse's asses.
picture:  Somehow they get over the fence to run on the road.  So far we have seen sheep, cows, and now horses who have been through the fence.  Still looking for that Road Runner.