Sunday, March 30, 2008

Four Corners - Four Days - Spring Break Trip


Wahatoya Peaks - Named by the Ute indians - Meaning "Breasts of the Earth". Now called Spanish Peaks. Just west of Walsenberg.

When our granddaughter, Jordyn was twelve years old she announced that she'd like to see the Four Corners on her spring break. She wanted us to take her in our MoHo and it sounded like fun to us.

Now Dakotah (granddaughter number 2) said it was "her turn". We left home Wednesday morning for a 900 mile fun-filled excursion. If someone says "go", Sandie and I are both grabbing for our hats.

Dakotah on the left with her friend Bree.

First stop at the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Hiking up to the tallest dune (750 foot climb). That's Sandie, Dakotah, and Bree.

Looking north on the way up to the high dune.

"On Top"! The wind was blasting but we loved being up there.

We took a couple of plastic sleds but the sand was very soft and the sleds barely moved.

When we went with Jordyn, we used cardboard and the speeds were very scary.

Dakotah rolls a dune!

Our campsite cost $7 (half price with the "Old Timers" Golden Age Passport).

Leaving our campsite we spotted these Mule deer and a bunch more on the other side of the road.

We loved the views all four days.

Next up was a stop at Pagosa Springs to soak in the hot springs.

The complex has a bunch of soaking pools, each a different temperature ranging from 93 to 108 degrees fahrenheit.

It was so nice that I was able to take a nice nap laying on the rocks after my first session.

That's snow on the ground but laying around the pools in the sun was warm and comfortable.

Mineral deposits from a lot of years accumulation.

Some of the pools, the river, and town.

Hangin'!

Dakotah does her "traditional" backbend on the four corners.

I did one as well but it was so pathetic I can't show it.

Bree does a nice one as well.

If you're anywhere near the Four Corners you must get your ticket punched for eating a Navajo Taco.

Watahe! Hello in Navajo. I tried using "Mike" on the Taco cooker but didn't realize the new word I'd just learned thirty miles away was Ute for hello. Oh well! There weren't any fights or anything.

Oh boy! Mesa Verde! I never get tired of visiting here.

Four stories of fascination!

Cliff House Ruin - Biggest in the park.

One of my favorite camping sites (Walmart). This one is in Durango.

We stopped at the city park by the river on our way into town and grilled some chicken, then staked out our campsite.

Treasure Falls on the west side of Wolf Creek Pass.

Looking west from Treasure Falls.

We were back home by 6 PM on Saturday night.

P.S. My MoHo has the Ford 6.0 Powerstroke diesel engine. I bought it mostly for the turbo-charged diesel power but it probably gets around 20% better mileage than a gas motor would?

Now that diesel fuel is running close to $4 per gallon and the MoHo gets 10 MPG, a lot of people gasp when they hear about making a 900 mile trip in four days. But,,,,,,,,,, do the math.

$400 in diesel fuel includes sleeping, eating your own food, and lot's of fun.

Or, if we had taken my van.

$200 in gas in my van + motels ($225) + restaurants ($240) = $665.

Of course you don't figure the depreciation, up front $ layout, Etc. since I decided a long time ago that I love the MoHo lifestyle and had to have one. I use this same logic on Sandie when she mentions all my motorcycles, tractor, kayak, musical instruments, boat, Etc.

Later,

MegaMel

1 comment:

David Ben-Ariel said...

Just returned from seeing the Great Sand Dunes en route to Four Corners from Toledo, Ohio! Never heard of them before and so when I stopped to read the historical sign about the sacred mountain (to the Deneh/Navajo) I saw the sign mentioning the Dunes and decided to go check them out and was hoping they weren't a waste of time and gas money - and they definitely weren't! Would like to have spent more time there, but continued to Four Corners, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, etc.

Looks like your family had a great time. :-)