We had sort of a long twenty-four hours of driving yesterday...over colina together with dale. It was raining together with cloudy for much of the day. We headed W on USA Hwy 160. The scenery was lovely despite the pelting together with gloom. There were a lot of rustic barns along the way.
In the commencement one-half sixty minutes or so, nosotros passed through the lilliputian town of Del Norte, Colorado. There isn't much to state virtually the town itself, but I noticed on every light postal service was a metallic sculpture. Each 1 was different. I managed to photograph quite a few, but at that spot were many I missed, including a cowboy together with a moose...and at that spot were others. Here are the ones I was able to capture.
And moving on downward the roads, at that spot were to a greater extent than barns.
We passed through 2 tunnels on our means to the Wolf Creek Pass. The house was made famous inwards a vocal past times C.W. McCall inwards the mid-1970's. If y'all were born during the 14th Century similar me, thus y'all mightiness recollect the song.
As nosotros reached the summit, nosotros were warned repeatedly of a hairpin plow ahead together with advised of the nearest runaway truck ramps. It was difficult to illustrate inwards a photograph, but let's but lead maintain a await at the epitome below. Just exterior the left side of the frame is the hairpin plow that volition lead maintain us to the route below the 1 nosotros were traveling. This was also where nosotros crossed the Continental Divide for the fourth fourth dimension this trip.
Winding down, down, down, nosotros leveled out together with drove on, seeing to a greater extent than barns equally nosotros went.
Now this 1 below is sort of interesting. I can't create upward one's heed if it's a grain get upward or a barn for giraffes.
After several hours of non-stop driving, nosotros reached the town of Durango, Colorado. We were planning to halt hither for tiffin at a brewpub, but industrial plant life the streets also narrow together with lined with cars to lead maintain whatever promise of finding a house to common with our large rig.
We in conclusion industrial plant life an Applebee's with a house nosotros could park, together with thus nosotros called off the hunt for a to a greater extent than interesting eating theatre together with stopped for lunch. But all was non lost inwards Durango, because equally my friend "Unknown" pointed out, nosotros were to drive correct past times Durango Quilt Company on Hwy 160...literally correct on the highway. It was impossible non to stop.
Durango Quilt Company isn't the quilt store I had inwards heed when nosotros started the day, which but made the twenty-four hours all the to a greater extent than interesting. I'll tell y'all to a greater extent than virtually it inwards a split post.
Looking at the map, I noticed nosotros were going to go past times past Chimney Rock National Monument. There are several national parks together with national monuments that showcase together with celebrate the ancient dwellings of the Native Americans who 1 time inhabited this area. Looking at some pictures, it didn't seem thus unlike from Mesa Verde National Park, where nosotros visited many years ago. And, since nosotros were on our means to encounter Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, nosotros decided to go past times this 1 by. Nevertheless, nosotros could encounter Chimney Rock from the road.
Just a lilliputian means downward the road, nosotros passed through the town of Cortez, Colorado, together with what a cute lilliputian town it was. I dearly would love to lead maintain spent to a greater extent than fourth dimension here, but I had my sites onset the quilt shop, together with nada but the quilt shop.
And wow...that was a dandy lilliputian quilt shop. I'll tell y'all virtually it inwards a split postal service equally well.
From there, it was but a few to a greater extent than miles to accomplish our concluding destination, located inwards Dolores. Dolores sits correct amongst McPhee Reservoir. Here's what Wikipedia has to state virtually the reservoir:
McPhee Reservoir is named for McPhee, Colorado, a society town founded past times the New United Mexican States Lumber Company, that is straight off submerged nether the reservoir. In 1927, the McPhee sawmill produced over one-half of Colorado's lumber. The town housed upward to 1,500 employees. The sawmill shut inwards 1946.
It's ever weird for me to intend virtually entire towns submerged past times the edifice of a dam, but that's what happened. There was pelting inwards the forecast, together with the clouds were looking to a greater extent than threatening equally nosotros traveled along, but the tempest passed us by, together with at that spot was no rain.
Whenever nosotros become far at a novel location, the kitties commencement desire their treats, together with thus they desire their catio.
And dinner is presently to follow for them. Smitty fifty-fifty got out for a prissy long walk.
When all truthful cat job organisation was taken attention of, nosotros industrial plant life the laundry together with started a unmarried charge of clothes. While nosotros waited for that, nosotros went for a walk around the RV Park. This house isn't called "The Views" for nothing. There were some beautiful views of the valley below.
It's difficult to encounter inwards the epitome above, but let's but zoom inwards for a infinitesimal thus y'all tin forcefulness out encounter what nosotros saw at the extreme correct of the plateau located off inwards the distance. To us, it looked similar some sort of structure...maybe fifty-fifty a mission...and thus nosotros got out the binoculars to lead maintain a ameliorate look.
It turned out to go layers of mountains with the plateau sitting inwards front end of a larger mount behind. Either that, or it's a mountain-sized cat...Catzilla, perhaps. What make y'all think?
Looking to the right, nosotros could encounter this:
Looking further to the right, nosotros could encounter this:
On the other side of the park, together with straight behind our rig, nosotros could encounter this:
We also saw our onetime friends the desert marigolds. We didn't encounter them when nosotros were inwards the mountains.
Also, this teepee, which appears to go available for rental.
And this interesting grass.
So this morning, we'll lead maintain breakfast together with thus caput out to encounter Canyon of the Ancients. I suspect this volition involve hiking out to encounter the Native American structures, but really, I lead maintain no idea. It was 1 of the items stuffed into my Colorado folder, together with honestly, with the quilt store located thus close, how could nosotros resist? (Be "we," I hateful "me.")
My operate is cutting out for me with 2 quilt shops to tell y'all about. I'll begin with Durango Quilt Company side past times side fourth dimension I write.