Mesa Verde National Park.

After a fine breakfast at Ted's Tacos I headed to Mesa Verde National Park. Locals tend to say it like "mesa virdy". I had got my tour ticket on Wednesday so that I could be in the first tour of the day. When I got into the park I lined up at the gate to Wetherill Mesa. They open the gate @ 9 a.m. then it takes about 30-40min to drive the twisting 12 miles to the parking lot. The Long House is only open during the summer and only cars or small trucks are allowed to drive the road. All tours through the Long House are led by a Ranger who gives a running commtary about the site. There isn't a lot of information as to why they built the cliff dwellings as they would have been difficult to build and keep supplied. They do know that the Indians who built them moved south around 1300 do to a drought that had been going on for about 25 years. It's a very interesting place and worth a visit. To see some of the photos I took follow this link. GAW

Green Chile means something differnt in Cortez, CO.

After a road side dog for lunch I had to do better for supper, I headed north to Mancos, CO to eat at a resturant that I found out about through "Feasting on Asphalt" Alton Browns great food road trip. As I feared once I got there I found it closed, only open for breakfast and lunch. Once I found a place to stay I asked the ladies working to suggest a place. Blondies Pub & Grub was only 5 or 6 blocks away (walking distance) so it won. It was the typical bar and grill fare. I ordered the southwestern burger (chile cheese burger) with onion rings. The onion rings were battered vs breaded and were excelant, I'm sure they came out of a box in the freezer, but I still liked them. The cheeseburger was good, but the chiles were whole very much like the canned chiles I have gotten at the market around home. The chiles in Cortez, CO are a much differnt creature than in New Mexico. GAW

The jorney home begins.

Wednesday, time to start moving east. I'm in Cortez, CO tonight and will be going to Mesa Verde National Park in the morning. I got my tour ticket this afternoon, I will be touring The Long House. It's only open in the summer and it has the most climbing and walking (I need the exercise). Food wasn't much today, green chile means something different in Cortez, CO than it did in New Mexico. I have a good train photo taken from Coolidge Road. I have to be up early so I will add the food and train goodies in a day or two. The photo is from the Mancos, CO overlook near the entrance of Mesa Verde. It also proves, sort of that I'm not sleeping on the couch stealing photos from the web. GAW