Get your kicks on Route 66....

Want to get a quick brief note out so folks won't worry. In Gallup, NM at the USA RV Park on Rt. 66. You know those folks you've all seen, the older couple at camp grounds with their little dog. Always friendly with a "howdy" or a quick chat. We  are they!! Yep, only with a little size envy. Our little Chalet is consistently the smallest rig parked.  We have joked that it's smaller than many of the slide outs but today we discovered it is smaller than some under carriage storage areas!

We arrived here from Cortez after spending the night at Sundowners (or something like that) RV park. Visited the Anasazi Heritage Center in Delores. Very informative about the history of the people, ancestors of the Pueblos, that have populated this area for thousands of years. Originally hunter/gatherers they started growing corn and beans in the valley and lived in pit houses. Observing more precipitation on the upper mesas they moved up there. Becoming more cooperative they began to group their homes into villages and learned to build above ground square rooms of mud supported by rocks and poles. In the 12th century, for unknown reasons, many dropped over the edge of the mesa and built complex communities in the natural caves that are common along much of the sandstone cliffs lining the canyons. (pictures  to follow later). Then, again for unknown reasons, they gradually migrated out of this area in the 1300's settling in the Phoenix area. Their architecture has withstood the ages in the Mesa Verde region. This we spent the better part of a day touring. 

With much study and debate, we have decided to drop south to Gallup and then we'll turn west toward north rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce. 

The pics in this post are of Canyonlands, our camp on the banks of the Colorado River near Moab and the long ribbon of highway.