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T2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys

mayo - septiembre 2022
The stories from our short getaways around Colorado … with a quick dip in and out of Utah. Leer más
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  • Two to TravelT2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys

    Flexibility = Colorado Fall Colors

    25 de septiembre de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    We should be heading west to Monument Valley today.

    Instead, we are heading east … retracing our path from last Sunday via US-160. Once we get to I-25, we’ll be heading north … going back home.

    No worrries … nothing serious … no illness or any mechanical issues. It’s just a glitch with an expensive THY flight voucher that has us canceling our road trip.

    After spending considerable time going back and forth with THY these past few days, this morning we agreed to fly to Turkey on the 29th … that’s September 29th … four days hence.

    We’ll get home tonight; make whatever additional logistical arrangements that are required tomorrow — including winterizing the Cruiser; pack our bags on Tuesday; fly to YYZ on Wednesday — tickets on THY were priced closest to the amount of the voucher out of this airport in Toronto … half of what it would have cost to fly out of any of the USA gateways; fly to Turkey on Thursday. Whew!

    Now to figure out a way to get home from Turkey! But I need to wait until I have a steady cell signal to do my research. In the time, I’m going to enjoy the ride.

    Our reward for being flexible enough to make this switcheroo with our travel plans? Beautiful fall foliage colors. We weren't expecting to see these colors in our home state this year. It was amazing to see how much color has been added along US-160 in the short week since we passed this way … going west at the time.

    Thus ends this year’s Two to Travel’s RV journeys!    Leer más

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  • Two to TravelT2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys

    Mesa Verde NP: Weatherill Mesa

    24 de septiembre de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Today, the second day we set aside for exploring Mesa Verde NP, we headed to the Wetherill Mesa area.

    First up was another ranger-assisted hike/tour … this time to the largest cliff dwelling on this mesa … Long House. It is believed that between 1150-1300, several generations of Ancestral Puebloan families lived together in this dwelling, which has 150 rooms and 21 kivas. What made this tour special was that we were able to enter the dwelling and walk in the footsteps of the ancients as we wandered through the rooms in which they lived.

    The hike to the dwelling is about 2 miles round-trip … all but .3 miles of that being on a paved path from the information kiosk. Once allowed through the trailhead gate, we went down concrete steps and followed a downhill dirt path to the dwelling. When we reached Long House, we then climbed up two 15-foot ladders. All doable with a bit of agility. I’m glad we opted for the 9:30a tour — and actually got on the 9:00a tour — as at that early hour, the temperature was still comfy.

    Once we got back to the top of the cliff, we decided to take a detour along the Long House Loop Trail … all paved. By doing so, not only did we not retrace our path back to the kiosk, but we also got to check out the views of Long House from the overlook, and take a peek at the ruins at the mesa-top Badger House community. Here we saw pithouses that are thought to date back to around 620-860.

    Back at the kiosk, we had a quick picnic lunch. Thus re-energized, we tackled the hike down to visit the Step House … the only cliff dwelling visitors are allowed to check out on their own. The ~ 1-mile paved zig-zag trail down to the dwelling is steep, but doable … with an elevation change of about 100 feet. This path is normally used to get back up to the top of the cliff, but we hiked it both ways since the trail down to the ruins — which includes some steep staircases — is closed for restoration.

    What makes Step House special is that one gets to see — side by side — a reconstructed pithouse that dates back to 620 as well as a multi-story pueblo that was built centuries later. Archaeologists have posited that the pit houses gradually developed into the circular rooms we know as kivas. In the pueblo, we also saw a panel with clearly defined petroglyphs chipped into the rock face … interpreted by modern Pueblo people as clan and migration symbols.

    It was 3:00p by the time we climbed back up to the kiosk and made our way to the car. Since our day had started at 7:00a, we were ready to call it quits. Turns out that was a good thing. Why? That story is for the next footprint.    Leer más

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  • Two to TravelT2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys

    Hovenweep … aka Deserted Valley

    23 de septiembre de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    From the Lowry Monument, we followed the back roads for about 21 miles to cross the state line between Colorado and Utah.

    Our destination … the Hovenweep National Monument. The site was established in 1923 to preserve some of the finest examples of ancestral Puebloan masonry found anywhere. However, it was given its name — which means deserted valley in the Paiute and Ute language — in 1874.

    This national monument consists of six units that straddle the Colorado-Utah state line. On our way, in fact, we’d planned to visit at least one of the units in Colorado, but the side road was wet and muddy, with deep ruts that we didn’t want to negotiate. So, we focused on the Square Tower Unit in Utah instead.

    After checking in at the Visitor Center, we headed down the path to the overlook, which is the starting point for the Little Ruin Trail … a loop of just under 2.5 miles. It was fairly hot but there was a light breeze that kept us comfortable enough.

    We started out by crossing the canyon first — 80 feet down, across the canyon floor, and 80 feet up … not too difficult really. But by doing the trail this way, we got the most difficult section out of the way at the outset. The rest … well, it was a piece of cake. Of course, we stopped to photograph all the Puebloan ruins along the way, so it took us about two hours to get back to the visitor center.

    A quick lunch at one of the picnic tables at the site. And then we set off for the RV park … driving back via the McElmo Canyon to create a loop with new-to-us scenery to entertain us along the way.

    A great day … and we hope to have another one tomorrow as well.    Leer más

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  • Two to TravelT2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys

    Lowry Pueblo

    23 de septiembre de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    After losing a day to rain that fell pretty-much nonstop yesterday, we had a full day of sightseeing on the agenda today.

    First up, the Lowry Pueblo, which is part of Colorado’s Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. It was constructed by the Ancestral Pueblo people around AD1060. Occupied for approximately 165 years, what began as a small village with just a few rooms and a kiva ended up becoming a pueblo with 40 rooms, 8 kivas, and a Great Kiva.Leer más

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  • Two to TravelT2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys

    Red Skies at Night

    22 de septiembre de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    It rained all through the night. It rained all through the morning … and through much of the afternoon. It wasn’t until 3:00p that the skies stopped shedding tears and the sun broke through the overcast. Yay!

    What is it they say about red skies at night being sailor’s delight? Well, we’re going to take it as a good omen for tomorrow.    Leer más

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  • Two to TravelT2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys

    Dolores: Anasazi Heritage Center

    21 de septiembre de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    Since the Cortez Cultural Center did not take up too much of our time, we decided to add the Anasazi Heritage Center to our afternoon outing … about 10 miles away.

    Located on the outskirts of Dolores, the center bills itself as Southwest Colorado’s premier archaeological museum, focusing on “… Ancestral Puebloan, Native American, and historic cultures in the Four Corners region.” Operated by the Bureau of Land Management, the facility also serves as the visitor center for the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

    The rain let up just long enough for us to walk from our car to the building. And then the skies let loose again. No matter. There were two videos to keep us entertained, as well as a museum filled with interesting artifacts, and a special exhibit entitled “Sand, Stone, and Song … Ancient Lessons from a Living Landscape.”

    Definitely a “not-to-be missed” place to visit for anyone traveling in the region. In fact, we walked out of the center/visitor center discussing plans for a return visit to this part of the southwest as there is no way we’ll get to do on this road trip everything that has now captured our interest.

    The rain that accompanied us continued to fall throughout the evening and is still pitter-pattering as I wrap up today’s three-part story. If the local weather forecast is to be believed, there will be more of the same tomorrow.

    We are having to rethink some of our plans due to news reports of flooding and road closures. But we still have time before we have to solidify any jiggles. In the meantime, we’re looking forward to clearing weather starting on Friday 🤞🏻.    Leer más

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  • Two to TravelT2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys

    Cortez: Cultural Center

    21 de septiembre de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    With the skies clouding over and the rain beginning to fall, we drove over to the Cortez Cultural Center … the original reason we came to town.

    The center, which is housed in a mercantile building that dates back to 1909, bills itself as being a source of information for archaeology and American Indian culture. It has a few exhibits and there were some pieces of art on display in the back. Our visit was a short one, but it was worth a stop to check it out.Leer más

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  • Two to TravelT2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys

    Cortez: Murals

    21 de septiembre de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Rain, rain … go away! Unfortunately repeating those words did no good today. So, instead of going out for a hike, we took care a few things around the RV this morning.

    Taking advantage of a slight lull in the wet stuff, after lunch we headed over to Cortez. The plan was to check out the cultural center. But first, noting the blue skies and sunshine, we drove around to check out some of the murals we spied. That break in the weather did not last more than 20 minutes, so good timing on our part.Leer más

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  • Two to TravelT2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys
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    Mesa Verde NP: Cliff Palace & More

    20 de septiembre de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Today was the first of the two days we set aside for visiting Mesa Verde National Park (MVNP) … and what a day it was. Not only did the weather cooperate — at least until mid-afternoon — but we also got to visit the amazing 150-room dwelling known as the Cliff Palace.

    MVNP was established in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. According to the signage at the visitor center, it is the only national park in the US that was created specifically to “… preserve Ancestral Pueblo culture and prehistoric architecture. … the extraordinary record of these Pueblo people who made Mesa Verde their home for over 750 years, from AD550 to AD1300.”

    While the Cliff Palace (accessible only with a ranger-assisted hike) was definitely the highlight of our day, we also explored other parts of the Chapin Mesa area.

    Our explorations took us to the Spruce Tree House, where we knew we’d get little more than a distant view because this cliff dwelling is closed for restoration. I had hoped to hike down to the petroglyphs from there, but the gathering storm clouds and the blazing heat put the kibosh on those plans. Maybe next time.

    We also stopped at the Far View Community … which predates the cliff dwellings. This was an Ancestral Puebloan farming community that supported dozens of families … starting around AD800. Despite the growing storm clouds, we headed off to walk the ¾-mile trail here. Alas, rain began to fall about halfway into our walk so we had to speed up our pace … not much dallying along the way.

    Our second day at MVNP will be spent exploring the Weatherill Mesa area. We will have to wait until Saturday to do that, however, as heavy rain is in the forecast for the next couple of days.

    P.S. Before you all ask! We skipped the Balcony House tour. My knees screamed that crawling through a 12-foot tunnel was going to be a no-no! Nor could I see my occasional bouts of vertigo allowing me to walk up the steps carved into the cliffside or climb a 32-foot ladder to get up to the top of the cliff.    Leer más

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  • Two to TravelT2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys

    R&R @ the RV Park

    19 de septiembre de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Today was a much needed time of rest after our long day of driving yesterday.

    Our day of R&R started off with a late breakfast … during which we watched bits and pieces of the funeral for Queen Elizabeth from the segments we set to record on CNN.

    Next, I did what I love doing when we have downtime during a road trip … reading and writing on the patio. … when I wasn’t distracted by the western blue birds that stopped by to say hello throughout the day. Thanks to the shade provided by the trees at our site and our awning, I was able to stay out all day. I was especially glad that we have side panels that filtered the sun coming into the site midday from the back until the Cruiser was able to act as a sun break late in the afternoon.

    Mui’s never one to sit still, so he found things to do to keep himself busy … including a quick drive up to Cortez to do a bit of shopping at Walmart. We’ll be going up that way later this week, so I opted not to accompany him on his shopping trip.

    Both lunch and dinner was al fresco on the patio. Mui broke out the barbecue to grill some Turkish meat patties for lunch. Dinner consisted of wine and snacks instead of a full blown meal. Perfect, if you ask me.

    Our upcoming days will be a mix of hiking and drive-seeing around the area. I’m sure we’ll have some downtime along the way … but we’ll be squeezing that in between everything else we hope to do.    Leer más

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