MEMORIAL DAY

MONDAY, 30th MAY.

Memorial Day today, a federal holiday in remembrance of those Americans who died in their country's service.

In the just over two weeks we've been in this country, we've made a few  OBSERVATIONS.  They are :

1.  American people we've met have been warm and welcoming, friendly, cheerful, helpful, polite and honest.

2.  As in parts of Europe, speed limits and some road rules seem to apply only to foreigners, locals tend to blithely ignore them!

3.  Tipping has not been an issue, it appears to be up to the individual whether to tip or not.  We have done so on a couple of occasions...our choice.

4.  Light switches operate in reverse to ours, i.e. to switch on, flick up...it took a little getting used to!

5.  America is much the same size as Australia, but with about ten times more people it's obviously more densely populated
but as in Australia, there are great distances to travel between points of interest, sometimes with little in between, just like at home.

6.  Tax is not included in the displayed purchase price of items (as it is Down Under) but is an add on at the till..catches us every time but I guess we'll get used to it.

7.  The motels here don't have electric jugs....so we bought a cheap one from Walmart!

8.  It is legal to turn right against a red light at an intersection, providing it is safe to do so.

9.   We are so glad we came....we love it here!!

Today will be a day of rest for us, we plan to do very little other than catch up on emails, do a little 'homework' and decide where we will go next.

TELLURIDE

SUNDAY, 29th MAY.

Telluride is a ski resort in the San Juan Mountains in the south west of Colorado and is about 65 miles from Montrose.  We set off late this morning in bright sunshine and in shorts and t-shirts but once on the road, could see grey sky lurking in the distance.  It's a very pretty drive from here, lots of winding, tree lined roads that go up and down and on one down section, a truck coming uphill towards us was suddenly engulfed in heavy smoke which billowed all around us  too, making visibility nil for a few moments.  The stench of the truck's burnt out engine was awful, making it necessary to leave windows down to let the very cold air in to chase the stench out.  We came to a viewpoint shortly after and were blasted by a bitterly cold wind when we opened the car doors, so we scurried back into the car for warm jackets to don while admiring and photographing the view, then continued on to our destination.  This was the Town of Mountain Village, a relativity new town with golf course, resort hotels, expensive restaurants etc., etc. but...a free cable car which took us up the mountain to the 10,500 ft level from where we took another (free) cable car ride down the other side of the mountain to Telluride.  Telluride is a much older town with a bit of history, many old buildings in the old part of town, lots of colour and currently lots of students celebrating graduation.  While there is still a lot of snow about, there's not enough for skiers so the ski lifts are not operating but there are plenty of mountain bikes being hooked on to the cable cars going up, to be ridden back down the mountain.  After our 'tour de town', we returned to Mountain Village, collected the car from the free car park, drove a little way to a pretty picnic spot by Elk Pond and devoured our lunch, we were ravenous.
On our way back to Montrose we stopped at Ridgway for coffee at the True Grit Cafe, built in 1987 in memory of John Wayne.  Many scenes from the film "True Grit", as well as from TV shows such as "Gunsmoke" were filmed in the town which is small and very friendly.  Along the highway just past the town,
is the Dennis Weaver Memorial Park which we'd noticed on the way into Montrose on Friday, so stopped in to have a look.  It's just off the  highway, a small, simple park by the river, dedicated to the memory of Dennis Weaver, a resident and environmentalist of Ridgway and boasts an enormous (2800 lbs with a 21foot wingspan) bronze sculpture of a bald eagle...impressive.
We were back in the sunshine then, had left the bitter cold and drizzle behind in the mountains and once back in Montrose, enjoyed evening drinks on the verandah in the suburbs.

BLACK CANYON

SATURDAY, 28th MAY.

A fabulous day.  We left the motel this morning after enjoying a complimentary continental breakfast and drove up the Main Street and round the corner to the Visitor Centre, passing a Farmers' Market on the way so decided to call in there on our way back.  The lady in the Visitor Centre was extremely friendly and helpful and we left armed with useful information and maps, then walked back and through the market and up Main Street, calling in to the Heirlooms for Hospice shop (Op Shop) to have a look at the terrific collection of furniture, knick knacks, clothing etc., before driving out to Black Canyon, a 20 minute drive away.  Another canyon but different from the others we've visited, the Gunnison River can be easily seen way down below many of the viewing spots, most of which are along a track just a short distance from the road.  A picnic table affording magnificent views of the canyon was where we stopped for lunch and when we thought that perhaps we'd taken enough photos we made our way back to the Park Visitor Centre where we saw Boris' cousin (a Hymer B564) from Switzerland in the carpark and were briefly overcome with nostalgia.  Moving on, we drove back almost to the entrance gate and turned onto the Portal Road, following its curves and 16% gradient to the Gunnison River, where we watched two fly fishermen casting their lines and 'felt the serenity' of the river and the sheer rock cliffs on either side.   Camping is permissable by the river, fishing, canoeing, perhaps swimming in the summer all possible.  Perfect!!

When we'd had our fill of all these wondrous sights, we drove back to Montrose, settled in to our airbnb and met our fellow guests Matt and Janet from Michigan who are on a similar road trip to ours though travelling in the opposite direction, and permanent guests Jullian from Alabama and Dan from Massachusetts, both of whom are Occupational Therapists working in the area on contracts.

After our  evening meal, we walked around the corner to the Horsefly Brewery & Bar for a couple of beers.  The bar staff consisted of at least eight young people, all cheerful and hard working, rushed off their feet for a time serving drinks and meals.  We got talking to the Denver couple sitting next to us at the bar and chatted happily to them until it was time for us to leave and retire for the night.  

DURANGO to MONTROSE

FRIDAY, 27th MAY.

It has been a day of stark contrasts today.  When we left Durango this morning, there was blue sky and sunshine, though there was a chill in the air and grey sky ahead.  After a few miles of flat road, we began to climb the winding road into the mountains and before long came upon snow fields which are still quite thick in some areas.  We started off in shorts and t-shirts but on our first photo stop, the fleeces were donned as the temperature had dropped considerably.  Making several stops to admire views and take photos, we arrived in Silverton at around noon in bright sunshine and treated ourselves to lunch in a small cafe/diner before strolling around the fabulous old gold mining town.  In its heyday, the town housed 32 saloons and bawdy houses, many of the old buildings still exist though they have different uses today.  Early Silvertonians suffered through more than their share of wild shootings, knife fights, barroom brawls, mining disasters, deadly avalanches and the threat of Indian attack....a true wild west town with a fascinating history.  We watched the Durango/Silverton steam train leave on its 3-1/2 hour return journey to Durango, then left for the drive to Montrose.  Shortly after we left the valley and started climbing again, it started to snow!  A light snow fall to begin with but it became a little heavier as we went along and visibility was low for a little while.  The road was narrow and winding with sheer drops at some points, then the snow stopped to be replaced by rain.  We stopped at Bear Creek Falls in light rain to take a photo or two then continued on to Box Canyon Falls, by which time the sun was shining again.  We paid $3 each (seniors' rate) to view the falls which are spectacular, and sat and watched chipmunks and brightly coloured birds, then drove through Ouray, out of the mountains and through farming country to Montrose, a large town which we have not yet explored but we will be here for a few days, intending to visit nearby attractions on day trips.  It will be good to stay put for a while, we've clocked up a lot of miles in the two weeks we've been in the U.S. of A..

DURANGO

THURSDAY, 26th MAY.

It's less than 50 miles from Cortez to Durango so we were in no hurry to get on the road this morning.  We left at about 10a.m., stopped at Mancos, an historic old town on the way, had a stroll around, coffee at one of the cafes and wandered through a couple of galleries featuring superb works by local artists then continued on to Durango.  By this time the sky was very grey with rain threatening so our picnic lunch in the river park was eaten in the car.  After checking in to the motel, we drove down the long Main Avenue, parked the car and explored the town.  We'd have liked to stop here longer but  could only book one night....Memorial Day is celebrated this weekend and there is a bicycle classic being held from Saturday to Monday, so all accommodation is fully booked.  We managed to secure a room in Montrose for tomorrow and the following three nights in an airb&b so will be in the same general area for a few days. 

MESA VERDE

WEDNESDAY, 25th MAY.

We had a late start this morning.  Mesa Verde is only 10 miles from Cortez so after dropping off a load of washing at the laundry, it didn't take long to drive there.  The entrance is just off Highway 160 (another 'free' entry into the park ) and then a 20 mile winding drive through the mountains with viewpoints along the way.  Mesa Verde National Park was created in 1906 to preserve the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people, both atop the mesas and in the cliff dwellings below.  The first Ancestral Pueblo people settled in Mesa Verde (Spanish for green table) about 550 AD and by about 1300 Mesa Verde was deserted.  To see some of the dwellings, it is necessary to join a tour but as these last 4 hours and cost a lot, we once again took the self drive option and spent a fascinating few hours marvelling at the ingenuity of these people.
On our return to Cortez and after collecting our clean laundry, we walked down Main Street to a nearby micro brewery where we just had to test a couple of their selection of beers, an excellent conclusion to an excellent day.

MONUMENT VALLEY

TUESDAY, 24th MAY.

Our first stop this morning was at the 13 mile marker on Highway 163 in Arizona, which our Blanding motel owner had told us was where Tom Hanks was filmed running in the movie "Forrest Gump".  It was a popular spot and just as well there was little traffic at that time as people tried to recreate the scene, posing for photos in the middle of the road. 
Once in the valley, we first visited the Trading Post, built in the 1920s by Harry Goulding and his wife Leone (known as "Mike") and now now a museum exhibiting Anasazi Indian artifacts, historical photos, motion picture memorabilia and the Goulding's living quarters.  John Wayne's cabin, an original set from the film "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is situated behind the museum.  The tradition of film making continues to this day, Monument Valley is still used as a location for movies, television shows, commercials and magazine shoots. 
However, as interesting as it all was, it was not why we came and after our wander through the past, we drove along the valley drive, 17 miles of unpaved dirt road which took us about two hours.  There are tours available but we took the self drive option and of course, the usual squillion photos. 
After leaving Monument Valley, we drove back into Utah and stopped in Mexican Hat at the Olde Bridge Bar & Grille by the San Juan River, for coffee and apple pie before continuing on to Colorado through ever changing scenery, not a red rock in sight!  We are now in Cortez for two nights and a little r and r.