Currently in Cortez CO (Low 56 Mostly Sunny and Breezy High 79)
We got a late start yesterday so decided to visit the Visitors Center of the Mesa Verde National Park and research our visit planned for today. Since the entrance to the park is only 8 miles and we have a Senior Pass which gets us in free we figured it was a great way to get information at a very low cost. Our first assumption that we could get in free was false as the visitors center is before the entrance gate so everyone can visit the visitors center free, and our 2nd assumption was also false. Usually the visitors centers at National Parks have a great video. The video for this park is at the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum on the other side of the entrance gate. With all that said it was still a good time.
The view as you walk up to the visitors center is awesome of the snow capped San Juan Mountains.
There is a sculpture out front of a cliff dweller climbing the sides of the cliff.
There were displays and info available, here is a scale model of the USS Mesa Verde, the first ship of the US Navy named after the national park.
Examples of pottery and jewelry that are found in the area.
A great painting of what Mesa Verde would have looked like years ago, notice the San Juan Mountains in the distance.
We are determined to see the film so we will drive up today to the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum with stops along the way no doubt.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
Currently in Cortez CO (Low 38 Sunny High 81)
When you live fulltime in an RV every day is not jam packed with sightseeing, sometimes you have to do the stuff that you do in a house like shopping at Wal-Mart, cleaning, laundry, getting the rig washed and waxed, etc. That is what we have done the last couple days but we are sure in a nice scenic area to do all that. Here is a couple of shots out our back window of when the sun sets and the impact it has on the mountains.
Speaking of Wal-Mart we continue with our scenic views from the Wal-Mart parking lots.
We did have a great lunch at Once Upon a Sandwich in Cortez before we shopped at Wal-Mart.
We split a grilled cheese sandwich on steroids and a chicken fried chicken with homemade mashed potatoes. Both were excellent. With all the mundane stuff out of the way we hope to do some sightseeing, first on the list is the Mesa Verde National Park.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
Currently in Cortez CO (Low 36 Mostly Sunny High 61)
After a week in Pagosa Springs Colorado we departed yesterday and headed to Cortez, also in Colorado. It was another scenic drive on US-160. We drove by Chimney Rock National Monument.
Then it was the snow capped San Juan Mountains.
It was approximately 100 miles, this is the route we took.
We are staying at the Cortez/Mesa Verde KOA.
Another beautiful area. Here is the view out our back window.
Some more views out our back window, it seems like the storms may have followed us, although we didn't get any rain it sure looked like we might.
We will be here a week and plan to explore some of the archeological sites in the area if the weather cooperates and it looks like from the 'forecast' that it just might.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
Currently in Pagosa Springs CO (Low 26 Currently Sunny 35)
Heading to Cortez CO (Currently 43 Sunny High 69)
We were blown away by the wildlife that we could see out our back window at the Mountain Landings Suites and RV Park in Pagosa Springs Colorado. Both GPS devices brought us right to the park. The gal at checkin was friendly and had a great recommendation for food at Marconi's which we tried that night and once more for lunch. The park roads and sites are gravel. We had a backin this time and shock of all shocks we did it like champs. The hookups were convenient. The Verizon phone coverage was pretty good but the Verizon 4g was very spotty and slow most of the times with frequent shifts to 3g. We found that to be the case in town also. The park wifi was a little better than the Verizon 4g so we used that most of the week. Although there were trees we had called ahead to make sure we got a satellite friendly site and we ended up with a great line of sight for our roof mounted dish.
Here is our Lifestyle from the front.
To the right.
To the left.
From the rear.
We had a so so week weather wise but the wildlife out our back window more than made up of that. Pagosa Springs is such a great area we would probably visit again. If we did we would stay here again.
Here is the scenic view from the Wal-Mart parking lot, continuing a tradition in Colorado at least :-)
After we blogged yesterday about all the wildlife we had a visitor, a new to us Cassin's Finch.
We talked about the snow and realized that we didn't show any pictures. Of course it was the worst when Bob when to pick up lunch.
We depart today for Cortez Colorado.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
Currently in Pagosa Springs CO (Low 22 Mostly Sunny and Warmer High 59)
The weather impacted our sightseeing for our week in Pagosa Springs Colorado but we had some great sights out our back window. As soon as we got here Bob sat out a couple of bird feeders since we were backed up to a field.
We have had surprisingly low bird activity on the feeders but that doesn't mean there hasn't been any activity. The first bird we saw was the black billed Magpie.
The Magpie at the feeder.
We have had deer almost every evening.
We missed the best Kodak moment when one of the deer started eating out of the red bird feeder. We were looking out another window and by the time we got our cameras the deer had moved on. We also had a couple of horses came close by. Bob went to say hi a couple of times. They really weren't too interested when they found Bob had brought nothing for them.
Plus we had a Raven, the largest dang black bird we have seen.
The most activity has been when an Abert's squirrel, which we started calling Albert, decided he wanted some of the bird food.
This long eared tree squirrel tried to climb the pole to the red feeder and was instantly knocked off the pole by a Lewis woodpecker, aka Lewis, no matter how many times he tried. This is a new bird to us. Bob tried to get a photo but missed the action each time. Here is Lewis in a calmer mode.
Giving up on the red bird feeder Albert set his sights on the bird feeder hanging from the ladder. He first climbed the tree and then in a few moments jumped down on the roof and climbed down the ladder.
Albert kept trying to reach the feeder but had no luck and finally gave up.
Turns out Lewis not only didn't like Abert at the feeder but also any other birds. In spite of Lewis we did see a few birds, a couple of which were new to us. Here is a black headed Grosbeak which we have seen before.
Lewis must have been on a break because here are a lot of Grosbeaks.
New to us was the dark-eyed, gray-headed Junco, one of the
least known birds of the coniferous forests of the southern Rocky Mountains.
We also saw a new to us, a Plumbeous Vireo, formerly known as the Rocky Mountain Race of the Solitary Vireo.
Even though we had a lot of indoor time due to the weather this week it has been exciting as it seems there was always something going on outside our back window.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
Currently in Pagosa Springs CO (Low 24 Overnight Snow then Partly Cloudy with a Passing Shower High 49)
We had on and off snow showers yesterday with cold temperatures so this gives us an opportunity to catch up on the couple of movies we have recently seen during our travels, 'Going in Style' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2'.
'Going in Style' deals with geriatric retirees losing their pensions.
Morgan Freeman, Alan Arkin and Michael Caine are excellent along with the supporting cast lead by Ann Margaret. Deciding to bolster their net worth and save a home from foreclosure they decided to rob a bank. What ensues is a whimsical farce that you should suspend belief as you enter the theater, which you should seriously do for all movies. In spite of somewhat glorying robbing a bank it is pretty funny. As we age we tend to like geriatric comedy more and more.
'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2' is the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There is a lot going on in this movie but the combination of action, character development, and comedy makes this a really good movie. We learn a little bit more about each of the Guardians. The mystery of Peter Quill's (Chris Pratt) father. Details are provided on the sister relationship between Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Nebula (Karen Gillan). Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) was severely damaged in the first movie so is now Baby Groot. The voicing as a baby is amazing. Drax (Dave Bautista) and Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) complete the Guardians.
After successfully completing a job Rocket steals some high tech batteries making the Sovereign race very angry. The two stories, Quill's father, and the Sovereign race wanting to eradicate the Guardians overlap in an incredible special effects scene. Of course the Stan Lee cameos are excellent.
As with all Marvel movies there was a lot of additional material after the credits start running. Some of the bonus material will certainly figure in a future movie and the other stuff was funny. If you liked the first Guardians, or a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this movie is for you. Even if this is the first Guardians that you see we think you will like it.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
Currently in Pagosa Springs CO (Low 30 Snow Flurries early then a couple of Showers High 44)
We knew it was going to be nice scenery in Alamosa Colorado but we had no idea how nice. The rain we had for the first few days we were there actually enhanced our perspective because we would get glimpses of the mountains and then they would be behind rain clouds. When it finally cleared up for a couple days we would get a different look so we took a lot of pictures. We were surprised driving back to the park when we saw this part of the range for the first time as it was hidden in clouds for the first couple of days.
Might be the most scenic view from a Walmart parking lot we have seen, and this was on a rainy day.
The mountains we can see out our back window at various times during our stay.
We really enjoyed our time in Alamosa, and the scenery, and would not hesitate to visit again.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
