Where In The World Is Sum1?

A Weekend In Desert Paradise

Date: Weekend of September 14^th


Locale:  Four Corners Area


         With a weekend free in Colorado, I couldn't just sit in the Denver area, I had to be a tourist.  Class was done Thursday at noon, so I checked out of my hotel, and drove to Pueblo, Colorado.  After spending a relaxing evening there, I drove to Farmington, New Mexico on Friday.  It was a very pleasant drive, made more so by a side trip to the Taos Gorge Bridge.  This bridge was completed in 1965, and spans the Rio Grande River just west of Taos.  It has been featured in several movies, most notably for me, "Wild Hogs".  It was quite the ride getting there, but this momentary destination was even more pleasant.  There were quite a few roadside vendors at the rest area nearby, and I shopped a little.  But I really enjoyed walking out on the bridge and taking a few photos', as well as a selfie with the gorge in the background.

         After relaxing at the gorge for an hour or so, I drove west alone Hwy 64 to Farmington, NM.  A special treat (at least for me), was stopping to visit the Earthship Community just west of Taos.  It is very interesting, a lifestyle I can see myself having lived all these years if I hadn't joined the Navy.  Arriving in Farmington, I spent Friday and Saturday nights there, using it as a central spot for my weekend 'adventures'.

         Saturday, I drove to the Four Corners Monument, a place I'd never been to, despite growing up in Albuquerque!  I found it fascinating, and exhausting.  I mean how many of you can say you've walked around four states in less than a half hour?  At that elevation, it was particularly tiring....    Along the way, I stopped to snap a few photo's of Shiprock.  Shiprock is the throat of an extinct volcano, the surrounding land has eroded away, leaving only this volcanic center to rise above its surroundings.

         The real treat was Sunday.  I had to head back to the Denver area, so I first drove the Mesa Verde National Park.  I had no idea it was so big, or that the drive to the actual Pueblo ruins would take an hour!  As a result, I didn't tour any of the sites, only stopping to snap a few photo's and enjoy myself.  Needless to say, I have to return there and spend a whole day exploring that park!  After that adventure, the drive back to the Denver area was pretty mundane. 


Photo's From Visit:

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Rio Grande Gorge Bridge


An Earthship House, part of the Taos Earthship Community


Shiprock


Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park

Historic/Interesting Places Visited:

         Four Corners Monument          The Four Corners Monument is cared for by the Navajo Nation, and sits in the middle of no-where really.  But that's how it should be, if you ask me.  It is the junction of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.  I know that GPS coordinates place the 'true' Four Corners some miles away, but this was the site designated by surveyors years ago, so it will/should remain as the Four Corners Monument.


         Shiprock Rock Formation


         Mesa Verde National Park          https://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm          Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to preserve and interpret the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people (The Anasazi) who made it their home for over 700 years, from 600 to 1300 CE. Today, the park protects nearly 5,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.

In Closing

         Next week I will be in Denver delivering a class to the techs at the Veterans Hospital.  Til next time, be good to yourselves and those you love, and WRITE!




Jim Dorrell