Cortez Colorado

After Silverton we drove to Cortez via Dolores where the visitor center for the Canyon of the Ancients is. We stopped at the visitor center to plan our activities for the next couple of days. The Museum there was very well done and we learned a lot about how the architecture of the pueblos evolved as well as the theories about how and when humans migrated into the area. Here is a map from BLM on the area.

Map of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, displaying trails, points of interest, and safety warnings for visitors.

From our discussion with the Ranger we decided to spend the next day driving around the canyon visiting many of the pueblo sites, then the day after that hiking to some of the pueblos along Sand Canyon.

After Dolores we headed to the Retro Inn where we stayed a couple nights. It was a very fun and comfortable stay. I actually met a good buddy of mine who was sitting on the bench in front of the hotel.

A retro motel sign reading 'Retro Inn' with a 'No Vacancy' sign below, surrounded by pink flamingo lawn ornaments, a vintage trailer, and people sitting in the background.
A man sits on a park bench next to a life-sized statue of a famous musician in a black leather outfit. The scene is black and white, with trees and a vehicle visible in the background.

Here’s a photo of one of the walls in our room.

We walked to dinner both nights. The first night we ate across the street at Denny’s Diner, and the second night we ate at a new Ecuadorian restaurant called Udeza 593. Udeza was excellent and the locals obviously figured it out. The restaurant is two weeks new and the place had a line to get in as we left.

Exterior view of a Denny's diner with a classic design, featuring red and black checkered patterns and large glass windows.
Exterior view of Urdeza 593 Restaurant with palm tree graphics and signage, located in a commercial plaza.

Denny’s photo courtesy of Google Maps. Urdeza photo courtesy of Urdeza Facebook page.

Day 1

Our first stop was the Hovenweep National Monument. There was an excellent trail that was about 1.5 miles that took us around the ruins.

Ruins of a stone structure on a cliff surrounded by desert vegetation and rocky terrain under a cloudy sky.
Ruins of ancient adobe structures surrounded by desert landscape under a cloudy sky.
Ruins of ancient stone structures amidst a rocky landscape with sparse vegetation and a cloudy sky.

Then we went on to the Painted Hand Pueblo. After taking a small walk to the pueblo structures we saw the little green guy (photo courtesy of Leslie) in the parking lot.

A stone ruin stands on a rocky outcrop surrounded by dense greenery and rolling hills in a desert landscape.
A rocky cliff overlooking a vast landscape of rolling hills and valleys, with scattered vegetation and mountains in the background.
A small, colorful lizard with green and brown markings crawling on a rocky surface.

The last stop of Day 1’s tour was Lowry Pueblo. According to Wikipedia, this 1,000 year old pueblo is believed to have begun as a relative small community with just a few rooms, but is unusual for the presence of a great kiva, suggesting it served as a communal center for a scattered population before the settlement around it got larger.

Day 2

As planned, we returned to the canyon to take a little longer hike along Sand Canyon. The trail was amazing as were some of the pueblos we saw along the way.

A hiker walking along a sandy trail in a rocky canyon with colorful cliffs and green vegetation in the background.
A narrow dirt path winding through rugged terrain with rocky outcrops and sparse vegetation.
A rocky landscape featuring unique formations with reddish-brown rock, scattered bushes, and a blue sky.
A large rock formation with layered colors, set against a clear blue sky, surrounded by sparse vegetation and desert terrain.
A rocky cliff face with a large overhang, featuring remnants of ancient stone structures below. The sky overhead is partly cloudy, and sparse vegetation is visible in the surrounding area.
A large rock formation with a prominent overhang and a small ancient stone structure at its base, surrounded by sparse vegetation and under a bright blue sky.
Ancient cliff dwellings constructed from stone are visible on a rock face, surrounded by rugged red rock formations and sparse vegetation.

After touring the Canyon of the Ancients we planned to head to Mesa Verde. But first, since we were so close, I wanted to stop at Four Corners Monument since I’ve never been there before.

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