AK to FL - Day 8

Okay, so the teepee in Cortez was awesome but a bit on the really cold side! We slept okay but woke up a lot to move toddler bodies and rearrange sleeping bags and blankets. Zach told us before bedtime, "This is so cool." We agree, but maybe more so when the temps are warmer.

We had a long day on the road but saw some really awesome stuff today! Just down the highway from Cortez is Mesa Verde National Park. I remember visiting this park once when I was pretty young, and I was very excited for the chance to see it again today.



View from highest point in Mesa Verde, elevation 8572 feet!

We decided to drive around the park and stop at overlook areas to view the cliff dwellings instead of taking the guided tours. Mesa Verde is an unbelievable place, and I'm in awe that these ancient dwellings are still here for us to see.

Spruce Tree House

Square Tower House

Cliff Palace

Once we finished up our drive through Mesa, we got our driving day officially started. We clipped the southwest corner of Colorado heading east on US-160 to CO-140/NM-170, crossing into New Mexico, and continued on to NM-574 to US-550 S to I-25 S to I-40 E. It was a nearly cloudless day, and our driving conditions couldn't have been better.

An almost full moon greeted us on the horizon as we made our way to the New Mexico/Texas border, and here we are in Amarillo for the night before we tackle the very large state of Texas tomorrow!

AK to FL - Day 7

We enjoyed our detour in Utah and had a great opportunity to visit with nearly all my family. It was awesome to see everyone, and the break from all the driving was definitely needed before we continued on with our trip to Florida. We stayed with my parents for a few nights and Carrie for a couple more. Carrie even took me to a Foo Fighters concert with her.....so awesome!! I haven't been to a concert in over 4 years, and if you know me, you know how much I love a great concert! Thanks again to all our family for the great time we had!

How ironic is it that after watching a lot of Scooby Doo in the car today, we just happened upon the Mystery Machine?

We continued on with our trip this morning and after a few stops between Salt Lake and Provo, we finally started to make up some time. We took I-15 S to US-6 E to US-191 S to US-491 S and arrived in Cortez Colorado for our overnight stop at the KOA in Cortez.

Our drive took us past Canyonland's National Park, Arches National Park, and Moab. Even though I grew up in Utah, I don't ever recall visiting any of these places, so it was great for us all to see the sites for the first time together. I had hoped we would have had a little extra time to see the parks, but our earlier stops had us on a tight deadline to reach Cortez before dark. I don't mind night driving on freeways, but I'll admit I don't care to drive the highways at night and chance hitting a deer. I saw enough of their bodily traces on the drive today.

We arrived in Cortez with just enough time to set up for the night, and the boys were happy to have use of a playground before bedtime. We reserved a teepee and we absolutely love it! It's a first for all of us sleeping in one, and it's awesome! It's going to be a cold night, but we've got all the gear to keep as toasty as possible. We'll head out early tomorrow and if all goes as planned, we'll reach Amarillo for our next stop.

LaDart teepee out.....