San Juan River and mountains and Medicine Hat

Beginning to see mesas and "monuments" in the distance...

Though I frequently would see oil wells pumping away, I was seldom quick enough to get a photo of them.

Then there were these black shiny rocks which we couldn't identify.

Coming to a stop where another highway joins...just love that huge pile of rocks...

We stopped to pick up a snack...which ended up taking 30 minutes to prepare a "to-go" of bread, veggies and a very heavily garlic hummus.  Apparently everyone who was seated got preference.

There's that brilliant salmon colored earth! And look at those wrinkled mountains!~

Georgia O'Keeffe would definitely love this!

First view of Medicine Hat...behind those power lines...shucks.

We kept exclaiming over the beautiful colors!

We crossed a bridge over the Santa Fe River

More of the Cortez CO family's place

The first few days of my visit I got to enjoy the dry desert heat...but then it cooled down by the time I left...

The back side of Mesa Verde - a long mountain.

Looking toward far left, that's where there's an entrance to the Mesa Verde park from Durango. After we visited the park, including the highest peak, I wonder where it is from this view.

Here comes my son to take me back to the High School to watch soccer! He works there as a mentor to help kids graduate and go on to college.

The game was already started, and our team was leading (for the first time in 9 games) We went on to win!

At half time, the 3 graduating seniors on the team, and their parents were recognized by the Assistant Principal.

After the game we stopped by a historic marker just down the road at McElmo Gorge...

For me, seeing these cactus bloom was special.

What the gorge looks like where the road passes over it.

A small building on the other side of the gorge (probably not this one) is the site of an archeological dig.

Let's go to Monument Valley the scenic way!

We started over on the far right in CO, about where Hwy 41/162 goes off Hwy 160 going west through Utah and into Monument Valley.  What a beautiful ride. McElmo River gorge continued along much of the highway.

It was late afternoon, and driving west meant the passenger (myself) had great views with bright sun and few shadows.

My son told me of a recent camping trip while rafting down the San Juan River in this area.  He and Kendra had also gone back packing camping in Canyon of the Ancients nearby.  This territory is becoming familiar to him, but he'd never been as far as Monument Valley, where so many movies have been filmed.