Black Canyon of the Gunnison & Blue Mesa Reservoir

June 7 - We drove the north rim of the Black Canyon on hwy 92 and had some spectacular views of the canyon and the river which in parts was 2700 feet down with very steep walls. The hike at Chasm View was through a lovely pine forest and ended at …..a chasm view.

I was holding on to the handrails at the overlook with all my might. I’m not crazy about heights and this was HIGH! Our favorite day at the Black Canyon was the ranger led tour on the pontoon boat. It was a perfect blue sky, sunny and 80 degree day. To get to the boat on the river you hike down 232 stairs and then another half mile hike along the river. So gorgeous with a creek tumbling down the side of the canyon and long views up and down the river. The ranger explained the history, geology, and the current day uses. We went with Ed & Bunny (new friends from Wisconsin that we met at House Ck Campground). Just a terrific tour and I would recommend it to anyone in the area.

Grand Junction region

June 3 = Grand Junction is a nice town with an art walk including close to 100 sculptures.

We spent an afternoon walking main street with a nice lunch outside and some shopping. There is a great bike path nearby called the Colorado River Trail and we biked the 12 mile loop. Next we moved to the state park at Palisades which is heart of the Colorado wine country so we had to go wine tasting;-) Some good wines for a young wine country. Above the Colorado River at Palisades is the Grand Mesa. The last day we were there it was 100 degrees so it seemed like a great day to head to the top which is 11K feet. Lovely views and lots of snow at the top so we took a short walk on a forest road. By the time we got back to camp it had cooled all the way down to 95 degrees. Which made us happy to leave the next day and head up into the high country near Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Our first stop was Elk Creek Campground on Blue Mesa Reservoir which is the largest body of water in Colorado. Very pretty.

Colorado National Monument June 2010

Our next stop in the Colorado exploration was the Fruita/Grand Junction area on the western border with Utah about the middle of the state line. The main attraction here is the Colorado National Monument which has an amazing display of canyons and formations. We loved the hikes and walks to lookouts especially since every stop had tons of wildflowers. There were purple and lavender; fuchia and soft pink, flaming orange and apricot, buttercup and pale yellow, and multiple shades of white and green everywhere you looked. So pretty.

More at House Creek & SW Colorado

May 2010 - House Creek Campground was a favorite and we stayed here for 9 days while exploring the SW region of Colorado. The scenery and wildlife was terrific. Views from the front window of the coach.

A great hike in the Canyon of the Ancients National Monument is Sand Canyon. It is a beautiful trek through red sandstone canyons with cliff dwellings that are tucked away in places that you “discover” as you go. We felt like the first people to find these places since they were remote and no one else was there. A surreal experience.

We did come upon a resident who wasn’t too happy to see us.

Before we left the area we took a very long day trip into Utah to see the Valley of the Gods which is a miniature version of Monument Valley. It was a crude, dusty road with the most spectacular views of sandstone monuments.

Mesa Verde National Park - May 2010

Mesa Verde is the highlight of the ancestral pueblan ruins and the national park has done a fantastic job of displaying the ruins while preserving them. The information and viewpoints set off the ruins and the lovely scenery at its best. We even saw these wild horses just across the meadow from the Visitor Center.

At Spruce House there was a pretty trail down to the ruins. You could walk around, through and underground to the kiva. The whole area is fascinating and pretty at the same time.

House Creek, Telluride, San Juan Mtn Skyway

After Canyon de Chelly we continued into SW Colorado which is still part of the 4 corners region. We found another terrific campground near Cortez, CO on the McPhee Reservoir. We liked it so much we stayed 9 nights. It must have something to do with the bluebird of happiness that perched nearby.

We also had hummingbirds that continually buzzed us at the campsite. One day trip was a drive on the San Juan Mountains Skyway. Spectacular views for hours including multiple 14K ft mountains and 3 10K ft passes. Lizard Head Pass was almost 11K and had the loveliest little lake.

Stopped in Telluride to view the waterfall and had a picnic lunch by the river.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument

Canyon de Chelly NM is in the NE corner of Arizona very near the four corners. It has a wonderful campground in the middle of Cottonwood trees. The scenic drive of the canyon and the ruins is spectacular.

Our last evening, we went to a ranger program conducted by two Navajo men. They told stories of the creation, the legend of the spider woman (rock formation in picture), and how the coyote put the stars in the sky. They also sang Navajo songs accompanied by drums. Loved it!