Spruce Tree House - Cliff Dwelling at Mesa Verde N.P.
We toured Spruce Tree House and several other dwelling sites, amid sunny skies and high winds. Given the proper time, one could spend days exploring this park alone....but alas, such was not our luxury. By late morning, we were heading off to what was left of Colorado, and into Utah....
Canyon, Mesa Verde N.P.
Rocky Mountains in the distance
After a brief stop in Cortez, in SW Colorado, we crossed into Utah and met a storm front rolling in. Never before had we seen such a clear division of clear blue skies, and cloudy grey skies. The Utah scenery was as spectacular as we had seen thus far, as we followed Route 491 (formerly Route 666!) to Monticello, and then turned north. Even the construction delays did not bother us, as they afforded even better views and photo opportunities of the rugged and sculpted landscape.
Rock formation eastern Utah
Travelling north, we stopped briefly at the visitor's centre in Moab, UT. The staff were warning tourists against braving several of the local sites due to high winds (60mph) and sandstorms. Moving onwards, we crossed the brown Colorado River and skirted the fringes of Arches National Park, up to Interstate 70, where we again headed west. This route continued to afford stunning scenery at every turn, including the scenic overlook at Ghost Rock.
Ghost Rock overlook along I-70 West
Meandering through canyons, passes and plains (mainly in third gear!), we encountered few people but lots of sun, snow and hail all at the same time as we approached Richfield, UT, and then the I-15 interchange. Turning south now, we stopped in Cedar City at dusk, for a well-deserved steak dinner at Sizzler. Thus far we had been keeping to our $15/day food budget, which consisted of sandwiches, hot dogs, and other grocery staples. As darkness fell, we settled in for the night at a truck stop on the way to St. George, UT.
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