Dear Isaac, Maia, and Virtual Wanderers,

We are home!!! The last day of our road trip to the Southwest is often the same route – The road less traveled to Canyons of the Ancients Visitors’ Center and Lowry Pueblo. I rarely use the word Anasazi, because Ancient Pueblo or Ancestral Pueblo is a better descriptor of the Native Americans who called this region home. Our last day is a day of Four-Corners Ancient Pueblo dwellings.

The Visitors’s Center is just outside (south) of Dolores near McPhee Reservoir. The Center is closed on Sundays, but the walk is open. There were friendly volunteers there today to greet visitors at the trail. The trail has switchbacks to take you up the hillside. It’s a nice walk because you can see Sleeping Ute Mountain and Mesa Verde in the distance. Today had the look of a storm lifting from the region.

The round-trip walk is about a mile. Dominguez Pueblo lies on the top of the hillside. We have been here often. From here, we can almost see home (well, the San Juan Mountains). The Pueblo is small but a stunning place for a dog photo. I used Windows 1120 as my background!

From there, it is the road less traveled. We continue on US Hwy 491 out of Cortez to Pleasant View. Lowry Pueblo is about 7-8 miles west on County Road CC. Today, my Garmin took me on County Road BB – which was muddy after the rain (and had some rough rock areas) and I won’t go that way, again. The drive is through farmland – some paved, some not. County Road CC is well graveled. It is a short hike around the Pueblo and out to the Great Kiva. The Kiva reminds me of the ones at Chaco Canyon – probably why I am drawn to this place every year. There is a small parking area, picnic area, and restrooms. Lots of signs telling the history of the Pueblo along the walk. There are always people there, but it’s never crowded.

From the Pueblo, we continued to Dove Creek, then north on Highway 141 through Egnar. Slick Rock Hill is very scenic with views of the Paradox Valley – but no place to pull off on the switchbacks. You start through Disappointment Valley when you drop down from Slick Rock. I think it is a beautiful route, and definitely not much traffic. The name depicts a vivid history of pioneers in this area.

It’s not too far from there to Naturita. The road gets familiar because I had clients along the route in my Montrose County West End nursing days. In fact, I am pretty sure my Garmin still has a few addresses stored from my journeys through this region to meet with clients for home visits. Deja vu.

From there, it is my old commute – which was 88 miles, but today’s journey was only about 80 of that. This is not 75 MPH freeway through a city – it takes roughly 2 hours to get from Nucla to Montrose when the roads are good. The storm lingered in the mountains today – wet roads and rain storms – but nothing too major. The route takes you through Norwood and down Norwood Hill. Then, over Dallas Divide and through Ridgway. From there, it is north on Highway 550 to Montrose.

Alternate routes from Cortez to home include going east to Durango and over Red Mountain Pass. It is stunning mountain scenery but a little white knuckle on curves at high altitudes. I have driven it dozens of times in my life but it now stirs my vertigo (a day later) about 50% of the time because of the switchbacks. You can also go straight through Dolores and over Lizard Head Pass, which is a way I go if I am headed camping at Hovenweep. It is more mountainous than the Lowry Pueblo route, but not as high altitude as Red Mountain. And, no Windows 1120 to explore.

I started going through trip photos and feeling a little overwhelmed. I have new plants to plant, bags to unpack, laundry to do. . . and back to my business (Art from the Hartt) duties. So, until the last leaf falls in the Fall, my life shifts into a different gear after the Arizona trip. It’s called eudaimonia.

Love Ya’ All, GMH (Cathy)