Going Back in Time

Day 5: July 1, 2009 - Durango, CO to Durango, CO

Just call us Mr. and Mrs. Adventurous

Today could easily be considered the most adventurous day of our trip, our year, maybe our lives - but probably not. Nonetheless, it's been a wild ride.

Now, you may be wondering, why did Mike and Melissa start in Durango and end in Durango? Well, most of that is part of another blog, the one entitled Stuck in Four Corners with You, just note, that we did not awake this morning with thoughts of returning.

The day began with eggs and an apple with peanut butter. We slept well in the back room of Zach's place and were excited to make our way to the Grand Canyon with a few pit-stops along the way. Before leaving Durango, we decided to have our car's oiled changed and receive any other services necessary. While Mike waited for the car to be taken care of, Melissa took a walk and made a call home so mother wouldn't have to be worried. Upon her return walk to the Jiffy Lube, Melissa witnessed a small brown bear run across the street from the hotel to the campground - only 100 feet in front of her! She was so thankful to be on the phone with her mother so she could shout "Oh my gosh! That's a bear! I thought it was a dog, but it was a bear! Holy Cow! A bear just ran across the road in front of me!" Although seeing a bear first thing in the morning gave her a bit of a kick, she still prefers a hot cup of tea.

Soon as the car was properly cared for, we got in the vehicle and made our way to Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde was astounding! It is incredible to see the dwellings of people thousands of years before our time. However, do note that it is not necessary to purchase a ticket to go on a tour of the dwellings. Upon entering the park, we received the notion that the only way to see the cliff dwellings was to go on a tour. That being so, we headed straight to the visitor center to purchase our tickets. We then had a pic-nic where we saw the largest raven and squirrel known to man as well as had a close encounter with a cute little mohawked-gray bird. From lunch we walked to the outlook from which our tour would begin. It was here that we realized we could see the cliff dwelling perfectly and that we would have to listen to a ranger for an hour, when we'd rather wander the cliffs and trails on our own. We made the decision to forfeit the tour, gave the tickets away and made our way around the park viewing dwellings from a far and visiting the one self-guided dwelling known as Spruce Tree House. The tour is, therefore, an unnecessary investment.

After Mesa Verde, we hit the road and made our way to Four Corners, America. This is the place where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico touch. We took our touristy photo, browsed the booths of Native American jewelry and art, enjoyed a Navajo Taco and...got stuck. [Enter blog entitled Stuck in Four Corners with You]. Day 5: Not so successful.