The South Riding RV Travels

721

20th September 2012 - Monument Valley UT to Four Corners to Mesa Verde CO to Durango CO

Leaving Monument Valley we headed east through Mexican Hat where this rock formation is a dominant feature.
We next visited Four Corners, the only point in the US where four states meet at a point. The states are Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. Recent GPS measurements suggest the actual point is actually a short distance away.
A number of stalls sell native art. Jan bought the vase second from the right.
Seen in the car park was this classic car. Maybe somebody will tell me what it is.
We moved on to Mesa Verde where the fall colours provided a great show.
We went on a tour of Cliff Palace, one of the largest Anasazi sites.
The round shape at the front is a 'kiva' which was an important religious construction. There are about 30 of these on this site which is a source of some puzzlement to archaeologists.
The tours are led by park rangers who are very knowledgeable but there is much here which is not understood.
The site has not been used since the 1300s except for the millions of visitors who come each year. Some structural problems may prevent visitors from coming in the future.
They may have moved into the cliffs as a protective measure because these sites are not easy to access.
The purpose of these is unknown but everybody passing said the same thing.

 

LEGO

You can only visit the front but there are more buildings at the rear. There are only limited routes between the front and the back. The rooms there may have been used for storage.
This is a kiva with the small hole just in the sunshine. That is where we all climbed out of the earth according to legend. We are now in the fourth world.
Hidden inside a building and only visible from a contorted position is some of the artwork on the walls of one of the towers.
The route out - or was it in. Just bear in mind it is at 8000ft plus so your heart will be thumping by the time you get to the top.
There have been a number of serious forest fires in recent years (usually started by lightning). This part was burned in 2002.
Another site known as the House of a Thousand Windows.
You can only see the sites on the other side of the canyons. Those on our side are below us.
At 8532ft the view from the highest point is spectacular.
It is 15 miles back down to the park entrance and the road twists and turns as it drops over 3000ft.
The fire watch tower at the peak. This is staffed in the season but nobody was there today.