May 04, 2010 22:53
(I'm sitting here on my queen-sized bed at the Quality Inn in Durango CO wearing panties and a Utah Rocks! t-shirt - since they don't have ones that say Utah! Who knew?!... YET! - with kitty at my side and Mom in the other luxurious bed. 4 European square pillows each. Duvet with sheet on top and bottom of the comforter. Large flat-screen TV. Cute note by the sink that let's people know that if they love the sheets and towels enough to take them with them, they will be charged X$. Fridge and microwave. Hot tub. Free interwebs. HBO!)
(Oh yeah, one of the advantages of being 62+ means you get a lifetime National Parks card for $10... schweet! And I get in on her card when she's in the vehicle!!)
So Mom and I did Mesa Verde today. With the full intention of doing Canyons of the Ancients afterwards. Ha! Foiled again! From the beginning of the drive up the mesa, you get the most stunning views of the valleys towards Cortez and Durango. Crazy high-up huge valleys of green and lakes and further towards other mesas and the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies. Unbelievable views. You can see 4 states once you get up to Far View which is the Visitor Center and bookstore. I'd love to stay in the Lodge up here sometime... you can't even see the whole complex until you're on the way out! We decided to not take the guided tour of the ruins because you had to ascend/descend 5 ladders, a HUGE amount of stairs and crawl through small spaces on your knees. Knees being the figurative word here. Mom had ACL/meniscus repair a year ago due to skiing (and tripping over ancient curbs). Crawling is out for me due to skating and Ultimate damage. Two freakin' old ladies... but we DID meet a cute old guy from Georgia who was there with a tour (Elder Hostel) so I'm encouraging Mom to check out their tours... she wants to meet a nice, active man with whom she can explore the states... get a NP passport and start checking them off! :-) Lunch at the cafe up near the upper loop/museum. Split a Navajo taco. HUGE! Still tasting the chili... damn!
Left the park around 4pm... it's a big park and they're doing some roadwork so it took us over an hour to get back to the highway. Durango! It was an hour away and it's a cool town with a laidback vibe. We figured it would be NOOOO problem to find a pet-friendly hotel. Well, by #4 (Residence Inn who wanted $120 for a room PLUS $75 NON-REFUNDABLE pet fee!) we were a little discouraged but #3, a cool, expensive place in downtown Durango with loaner bikes and vintage gardens, went online and made a couple of recommendations. #5 didn't take pets. #6 was the AWESOME Quality Inn. LOVE! Ground floor room with parking space right in front of the room. And the room and sink and bath are all huge. For $79 including the kitty and breakfast. Schweet!
Kitty is now on Mom's lap... cute!
So, we got unpacked, litter box in the bathroom, food and water in her dishes (she won't take water in the car), clean t-shirts (purchased today) and undies (from the extra bags) and we were ready for dinner. Went through the local guide and decided on a place at the opposite end of town... specializes in New Mexican food... Hatch chilies and adobado and sopapillas and margaritas. House margaritas were a bad first choice while waiting for a table but the classico were good. Mom got a huge combo plate; everything was yummy... chili rellenos were... different. Had masa inside and more cheese out then in. I had blue corn enchiladas with red chili sauce. YUM! No leftovers were taken. A strange feeling for me. :-)
Tomorrow we need to make better time. Mom has to be back for a class on Friday morning. I need to be back for Art Car stuff on Friday. I need something weird to wear for the Art Car Ball! (WHY did I give the green feather thing to Dixie???!!!)
So, tomorrow we are going to get an early start (8:30; reasonable!) and hit the local bakery/homemade donut place across the street. And get a decent coffee without resorting to fucking Starbucks. We're going to head to Farmington then to Bloomington then down to Albuquerque then across to the TX panhandle. I want to stop at our family cemetery in Arlington TX for a bit... Lots of headstones in limestone so they are disappearing... my family history is rich and mysterious and I must know more!