TRAVEL AWAITS: My 5 Favorite Springtime Experiences in the Arizona Desert

 

This article was first published in Travel Awaits on March 13, 2022.

When I experienced fall in the Northeast for the very first time, I fell madly in love. I couldn’t stop dreaming of living with those trees that paint the sky from palettes of gold, red, orange, and yellow. So the home I bought in Seattle was one that had such a special maple tree by the living room balcony.  But when winter came, all its beautiful leaves fell! That’s when, being originally from the tropics, I knew I could not stand the height of winter in such a place for long.

So when at the end of the eight-year fulltime RVing phase we looked for a place to settle, it had to be in the south. That’s how we discovered the Arizona desert, an environment usually described as barren, waterless, and without vegetation. Considered dull, uninteresting, even unlivable due to extreme heat or cold, people wonder why others would choose to live in a city like Phoenix or Tucson.  It’s simple really. We are people who can bear the desert heat in summer better than the winter cold up north. Happily, we have been rewarded with springtime experiences in the desert that rival fall experiences in the north.  

Relishing Simple Things at Home

Springtime is when temperatures are ideal at home. Weatherspark, my favorite forecaster of average temperatures anywhere in the world, says that from March 1 to May 31 highs around Phoenix are 75 to 90 and lows are 55 to 70. Because it is also not humid but dry, it is about as perfect a climate as can be for people like us. It’s that time of the year when we turn on neither the air conditioner nor heater. We simply open the windows to let fresh air in!

It’s fresh, chilly air that wakes you up to in the mornings, perfect with your hot coffee, chocolate or tea. A little later, it becomes the best time to putz around the garden, go around in a golf cart, and soak up bountiful Vitamin D. The nights are also great for cocktails on the patio, another little walk with the dog, or for going out in style and comfort.

Seeing Colors Burst Out Everywhere

When we first arrived in the Phoenix area, I thought I would only be seeing drab colors—until I saw the wildflowers painting the desert floor in the entire spectrum in spring! They carpet the valleys and hillsides quite colorfully. Several regional parks—Estrella, White Tank, and Cave Creek—and state parks—Lost Dutchman, and Picacho Peak—are some of those we visit during this time. The flowers come out more when winter has been especially wet and snow that has collected in mountain tops produces larger melts. Then a desert super bloom happens.

The wildflowers truly transform the desert floor but that is not what really delights me. At first, I hung on to the notion that I still preferred fall in the Northeast because the color swatches are so huge; they are splashed on the big trees! Well, imagine my delight when I witnessed the Arizona state tree, the desert trees called paloverdes— green sticks in Spanish, all parts of which from the leaves to the branches, limbs, and trunk are green— turn yellow in spring! Their little yellow blossoms sprout, bloom with abandon, and turn the crowns entirely yellow. Imagine the scene when there are miles of them together. You will appreciate my utter delight because I am an avid xanthophile!

There are two native Arizona Palo Verdes: Foothills and Blue. They bloom at separate times, so the golden blaze stays around for two months, from mid-March to mid-May. The Foothill paloverde has more yellowish bark and lighter yellow flowers. Blue paloverdes have twigs, young branches, and leaves that are bluish-green and flowers that are bordering on orange. Both are everywhere: in parking lots, freeway banks, private gardens, and public lands.

The first to bloom are the Blues, with the Foothills following about two to three weeks later. Their flowers are both five-petalled, with the banner petal standing out above the plane of the other four. In Blues, the banner petal is yellow, sometimes with orange spots. The Foothills’ banner petal is white. Once these flowers are pollinated, they produce edible beans.

Finally, the iconic Arizona desert cacti, the lovely saguaros that can grow to about 75 feet tall, also bloom in spring. Just go to the Saguaro National Park in May and you will see how beautiful it is when they all bloom at the same time! Imagine those green, thorny, and bulky trunks and arms transform themselves into delicate, flower-bearing trees of the desert. Truly quite a sight!

Enjoying Bodies of Water  

Some people react with disbelief when told that Arizona is blessed with 128 lakes and seven major rivers. So endowed, the desert beckons outdoor enthusiasts to swim, hike, raft, ski and fish especially during spring. The same snow melts that water the plants guarantee that these bodies of water come alive. In springtime, waterfalls gush, lakes fill, and rivers rise.

In fact, there are over 15 waterfalls in the state; many are in the Havasu region, in particular, the spectacular Havasu Falls. Close to where we live, the usually dry one on the Waterfall Drive of the White Tank Mountain Regional Park finally gushes after the rains in February and March.  

And because the lakes are full, we enjoy the two “steamboats” that ply the two gorgeous lakes all day—the Dolly Steamboat on Canyon Lake and the Desert Belle on Saguaro Lake— offering lunches, cocktails, and dinners on tour. The many beaches come alive around those lakes, especially the great  Lake Havasu where the UK’s London Bridge was reconstructed, Apache Lake which offers motel rooms from where you can just step into the beaches, and the wonderful playground that Lake Powell has become.  

There are seven major rivers in Arizona. The mighty Colorado River is one and Salt, Gila, Verde, Blue, Virgin, and Agua Fria are others. There is rafting, tubing and kayaking galore. My husband and I particularly enjoy photographing the wild horses of the Salt River Valley playing in the tributaries of the Gila River.

Going to Markets, Festivals, Ghost Towns, and Ball Fields

Daytimes are perfect so markets come alive at this time in the desert. There always seem to be a farmers’ market to go to, every single day of the week. It is delightful that tropical fruits like avocados, watermelons, and cantaloupes, citrus like oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and lime, and even vegetables like artichokes, palm hearts, and Brussel sprouts are dirt cheap. At this time of the year, I rarely source produce from the groceries.  

Festivals also abound, from arts and crafts to music, film, and wine and everything in between. Go to the Indian Fair + Market run by one of the best Native American art museums in the country, Heard Museum of Phoenix on March 5 and 6, the Nascar Weekend at the Phoenix Raceway on March 11-12, or the massive Maricopa County Fair on April 6-10. Open-air concerts and drive-in theaters are plentiful. Even ghost towns like Goldfield come alive with gunfight reenactments, stagecoach runs, and steam locomotive tours offered again.

Even sports teams choose springtime in the desert to train. Come to see your favorite ballplayers practice at the Cactus League Spring Training at ball fields around Phoenix—from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers. Their athletes appreciate springtime in the desert even when not at practice.

Visiting National Parks and Monuments

And it is the best time to visit the Arizona national parks and monuments that the area is known for: Sedona, Grand Canyon, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Petrified Forest, etc. You’ll be pleased at how they are dotted with springtime flowers. And, in addition to the full blooming of the cacti at Saguaro National Park, the same thing happens at the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument whose creamy blossoms open during the evenings in spring. In fact all cacti bloom in spring! 

Winter in the desert can be chilly, so we go farther south to Mexico. And the heat of summer, though no worse than the humid heat of the Midwest, motivates us to visit our children who all live in great summer places. Fall used to be my favorite season, hands down, until we came to the Phoenix area. It is such a paradise in spring. Besides, spring now means more to me than fall: it signals the beginning of life rather than the end of one.

So we make it a point to be home in April and May from all our travels. That is the time in the desert when it’s as if the sun has unloaded its energy, lending its rays to everything it’s touched, and the color yellow permeates the whole scene without the heat associated with the brightness of it all. I chose the right place to make our home. And it’s the time you should come and visit us!

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5 Refreshing Socially Distanced Trips to State, Regional, and National Parks

We have been on lockdown, in our Viewpoint home in Arizona, since we arrived from Mazatlan, Mexico on March 23. There have been a few restrictions lifted. Bill can now play golf at the 18-hole course at our Viewpoint Golf Resort and the pools are now open where we live. I have been focused on finishing my second book. Groceries and medicines are picked up curbside. We had special dishes picked up for Easter Sunday and Mother’s Day. Zoom Parties have replaced physical hugs with family and friends.

But what has really saved the day is the refreshing outdoors that we sought on our road trips to open state, regional, and national parks around Phoenix. We can easily socially distance naturally because there are none to a few people who are doing it, like us. Also, our car is an extension of our home. We disinfect it and keep it isolated from foreign influences. We also carry with us our caboodle of face masks, surgical gloves, and hand sanitizers.

White Tank Mountain National Preserve

Spring in the desert is my favorite time and place. I immediately researched where the spring wildflowers were still blooming after our 14-day complete lockdown. We found one, the White Tank Mountain Regional Park. The Park features 19 hiking trails, ranging from 1.3 to 9.1 miles, 1,161 to 2,119 feet above sea level. Eleven of them are short and easy. However, the best one, the Waterfall Trail, was closed.

It was just an hour’s drive northwest from our home on Interstate 10, near the town of Surprise, Arizona. We were charged $7 for our vehicle and the registration was contactless. We were directed to the not yet bloomed-out section. As we drove there, we found about ten cars parked in different areas. And when we got to the spot, we had a ball photographing the yellow and purple blooms. It was our first chance to go out of our home and absolutely loved it.

Estrella Mountain Regional Park

This park was supposed to be just 45 minutes directly west of our home, also on Interstate 10, but this time near Goodyear, Arizona. But the GPS directed us to a dirt road near its southern border. It took us almost another hour to drive around the expansive park. It was a good thing that, on this extraneous drive, we found lots to photograph.  The paloverdes were still blooming yellow and we came upon an old jet fighter plane on display at an air club.

The Park is huge with 20,000 acres of desert, mountains, and a large wetland. There are baseball fields, a large grass picnic area, a golf course, fishing, and over 33 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. There was the abandoned horse show arena and a few horses were available for riding. A couple was riding their horses on to the Pederson Trail of 8.7 miles. Another couple was starting their hike on the 2.4 mile Baseline Trail. We were content photographing the horses and the geometric shapes of the empty benches and other parts of the arena.

Ironwood Forest National Monument

It was supposed to take us just two hours to get to the Ironwood Forest National Monument southeast from Mesa on Interstate 10. Our GPS took us to an exit that led to a dirt road that had a cautionary warning. As we reached the middle of the dirt road, we encountered a flooded wash area with another warning that said to not proceed in case of floods. We found a small track at the side to safely go but as the road became scarier, we turned back.

From my phone’s GPS, we found a route that took us south through more of Interstate 10. Forty minutes later, it took us to another dirt road called West SilverBell. This one, however, had the National Monument sign on entry and no warning. The whole trip took us three hours but it was so refreshing. It was like we were at the more primitive version of the Saguaro National Park. And the saguaros were in full bloom.

an ironwood tree in bloom at the park

Since it was a national forest, there was no visitor center and no fees to be paid. And we were pleasantly surprised with the ironwood tree. It is also called the palo fierro and it blooms in late April/May. We were there just at the right time. They were blazing in “fiery” purple. On the way home, the GPS directed us to a different route from how we came. And it led us to the same dirt road we were on at first. It was shorter but the longer route was definitely lovelier.

Picacho Peak State Park

This Park was about an hour from Ironwood Forest National Monument and it was on the way home right on Interstate 10. So we paid the $7 fee per vehicle and took the short drive through. It was supposed to be the best place to see spring flowers but we were late for the spectacle. But the peak itself is a spectacle. Its centerpiece spire is visible from downtown Tucson as it rises to 3,374 feet above mean sea level. It appears to be the remnant of a volcanic neck. Although now it is believed that it is just an eroded piece of rock.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Even if the trip to this National Monument took almost three hours each way south on Interstate 10 and Highway 85, we made it a point to go. It is a UNESCO biosphere reserve located in extreme southern Arizona, just 18 miles from the Mexican border. We understand that many illegal aliens use it as a corridor into the country. As a matter of fact, the Visitor Center is named after Kris Eggle, a border patrol agent killed by a drug smuggler during a border patrol operation.

We did not regret going because, although the visitor center was closed, there was a number to call to talk to a ranger. She directed us to where the special cacti grow in numbers. The park is the only place in the US where the organ pipe cactus grows wild. It was easy to drive through and spot the places where the cacti flourished, nearer the foothills. In addition, the desert wilderness scenery is so beautiful with ocotillos and saguaros blooming. Finally, there was practically no one around.

These five state, regional, and national parks were heaven-sent. I do not know why not more people go to get refreshed from being captive in their homes.

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The Season’s Best in the New Phoenix Desert

We were snowbirds in the Phoenix area for three years before we bought a home base at the Viewpoint Golf Resort two years ago. In all that time, we had confined ourselves to festivities at the Resort during this Merry Season—the Christmas Décor competition, the Christmas Train and Golf Cart Parade, the Christmas Bazaar, the Hillbilly Christmas Party, and the New Year’s Eve Glamor Ball. This year, besides these activities plus the usual neighborhood and friend’s private parties, we ventured out to the Phoenix area and found three events of distinction that make the Phoenix desert a special place for the season.

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix

the Frog Dome by night

Every second Tuesday of the month is Community Day at the Garden. That is when the general admission fee of $34.95 is lifted. So, on Dec. 10, we put on our walking shoes and spent six hours on my first visit to the famous Garden that showcases the beautifully unique plants of the hot and dry deserts of the world. There are several trails: the Sonoran Desert, Center for Desert Living, Desert Discovery, Desert Wildflower, and the Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert. There is also a Garden Shop, a Patio Café, and Gertrudes, the Garden Restaurant where we had an early dinner to wait for the sun to set.

the Frog Dome by day

I was thrilled that, when we went, the Wildlife Rising by Cracking Art straight from Milan, Italy was being exhibited. 1,000 animal sculptures made of recyclable plastic—frogs, fish, birds, pandas, rabbits, foxes, and alligators—were on full display. It gave a wonderful burst of colors to the plants in winter. When dusk fell, the annual Las Noches de las Luminarias, the southwest region’s holiday tradition, was also on. The 140-acre garden was lit with 8,000 luminarias that are hand-lit. It was a day I will never forget. And we vowed to go back on one of the Community Days in spring to discover more.

the Tumbleweed Tree

Tumbleweed Tree in Chandler

The Christmas tree has been a hallmark of any holiday celebration. But at Chandler, Arizona, one of the cities around the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, it is uniquely special. Standing over 50 feet tall, the Tumbleweed Tree has been a Chandler tradition since 1957. This ‘holiday tree' begins with 2,000 tumbleweeds assembled into a 35-foot tall wire framed Christmas tree, painted with 25 gallons of paint dusted with 65 pounds of glitter and adorned with thousands of holiday lights that give it a spectacular look, day or night.

We made it a point to see this tree personally and took pictures from all imaginable angles. But we were not able to go to the Tumbleweed Tree Lighting Ceremony. Accompanied by a charming lights parade, it is held on the first Saturday in December to usher in the entire holiday mood. It’s too bad we missed it because of a special event we had to attend. Already a  unique southwestern tradition, the ceremony also features many lively entertainment sideshows and a diverse array of specialty food vendors.

Lights of the World in Phoenix

map of the Lights of the World Spectacle

Would you believe the largest holiday lights show in North America is in Phoenix? It is located in the huge Arizona State Fairgrounds. Over ten million lights and lanterns are put on 65 dazzling displays in several exciting themes—Trek Across Europe, Isles of Oceania, Dinotopia, Christmas Dream, Animal Kingdom, America America, Golden Castle, and Oriental Aromatic. It opens at sundown and we were able to spend all of the four and a half hours until it closed at 10 pm. There were so many photo-ops and food options that kept us busy all night...all for the discounted $14.99 for seniors.

the entrance to the rides

But it is more of a kids’ haven because there are plenty of rides at the Children’s Playground and the full-fledged Carnival. On special nights, there are even Shows like the magician Marrl Lemm’s Show, “The Man Behind The Curtain,” the Puppetone Rockers' Show, or the Acrobatic and Sea Lion.  

Holiday Balloon Glow

There are more such events. We did not have the time to see the Holiday Balloon Glow where more than ten huge hot air balloons are flown over a shopping village complemented by 80 vendors and food trucks. The Phoenix Zoo, on the other hand, sponsors Zoolights with millions of lights in 700 dazzling displays, music and light shows synchronized with 15,000 lights, and wildlife that glow. We have them lined up for next year plus the Tumbleweed Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Phoenix Zoolights

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Road Trip to a Reunion at Park City, Utah

Summer is when the heat kind of smothers you in the Phoenix desert area. It was a smoldering 105 degrees Fahrenheit when we left. We had planned a five-week road trip through Utah, Idaho, Montana, Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California to escape the heat, visit with family and friends, and see places we had not seen before. 

The Road Trip to Park City, Utah

It took us eleven hours to drive to Park City, Utah from Mesa, Arizona. After driving for seven hours, we stopped for a night in Panguitch, Utah, a town of 1,520 people. What I will not forget about this town is Yvonne at the Panguitch Drug Store. I had left the charger for my Fitbit Charge 3. She took my Fitbit to her home after work hours and called Bill to pick it up when it was fully charged.

Glen Canyon Dam

Before we reached Panguitch, we passed through the beautiful city of Page, Arizona famous for its unique slot canyons and Horseshoe Bend. Right after Page, we found Glen Canyon Dam. Even if it is only a third the size of Hoover Dam (8 generating units compared to 17), it is still the second tallest dam in the US and the one that actually feeds our Arizona home with electricity. And Lake Powell, the manmade recreation lake it created, is larger than Lake Mead created by Hoover Dam. No wonder Page has become a big city. It has a lot going for it.

Glen Canyon Dam National Recreation Area

The Reunion at Park City, Utah

On the second day, our drive was just four hours. We designed it this way so we could arrive in Park City early. We even had time for some fun at the Park Silly Market, held every Sunday from June to September at the downtown area. Then we went to the grocery to shop for some dinner ingredients before checking in.  

Park Silly Market

yellow bike areas in downtown Park City

This stay was a family reunion with two of Bill’s three children and three of his five grandchildren. The two families arrived at almost the same time and the dinner I prepared, Filipino chicken afritada and Vietnamese lettuce wraps, was ready just in time. The 3br suite at Wyndham Park City was spacious enough for all. The best part was the free drumstick or ice cream sandwiches at the lobby!

Day One: Downtown and the Olympic Village

The morning of Day One was a stroll up and down the hill of Main Street in Downtown Park City. Everyone found something to take home from the unique shops. We ended up having lunch at 501 on Main. After lunch, we found ourselves at Java Coffee where we had either ice cream or coffee. I had both with a scoop of Java Coffee ice cream. Yum.

Jump Skis at the Olympic Park in Park City

Then we headed to the Olympic Village. Park City was the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics. We marveled at athletes training to dive at the Olympic swimming pool and took shots of the ski jumps. Wandering around the Ski Museum was also fun with the gift shop, the exhibits of bobsleds, and a huge artistic rendition of a bison head.

marmots are everywhere in Park CCity

On the way back to the resort, the children (and I) had so much fun spotting marmots on the roads. At Wyndham Park City, we again enjoyed the free drumstick and ice-cream sandwiches. Then the kids frolicked at the heated pool and hot tub before our chicken kabobs dinner. A game of Taboo saw the adults competing against the children, ending 1-1.

Day Two: Bloods Lake Trail

We searched the Net for hiking trails and selected one listed in the Park Magazine’s article, “Four Family-Friendly Easy Hikes in Park City.” It was a great find! The Bloods Lake is nestled at an elevation of 9,300 feet. We had to negotiate Guardsman’s Pass and parked the car at the clearing about two hundred feet higher.

the kids were brave enough to take a polar plunge at the cold lake

It may have been rated easy but for me it was hard. There was a section with a steep incline. Going down was hard; going back up was even harder. But the views were beautiful, especially since some wildflowers were still blooming. The children took a plunge at the cold lake. They got out as soon as they discovered a leech swimming. Are they perhaps the reason it’s called Bloods Lake? 

the view on the way back to the parking area/trailhead

Back at the resort, it was another round at the heated pool and hot tub for the kids; also the drumsticks and ice-cream sandwiches. Then, it was a left-overs night supplemented by one large and one medium. pizza Then the kids decidedly beat the adults at the games of Taboo and Catch-Phrase. We vowed to prepare for next year’s reunion.

Check-out Time was 10 am so we had plenty of time to pack and have left-overs for breakfast. But it was the goodbyes that took forever long. Bill was so happy his family finally had a reunion. He was sad to see them go but hopes that it will be an annual thing from now on. Next stops: Helena, Montana then Calgary, Alberta.

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10 Discoveries You Will Love in the High Desert of the Colorado Rockies

Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde NP

The Rocky Mountains is a significant feature of the North American landscape. The The Canadian Rockies and the four Canadian national parks are some of its most popular attractions. But the discoveries we made around the high desert plateau of the Colorado Rockies should really be as popular, especially since a significant part of Native American culture complement its outstanding rock formations.

Mesa Verde National Park

We spent a week in this largely undiscovered area en route to the Denver High School graduation of Bill’s granddaughter Cassie. About an hour west from where we stayed is beautiful Durango, Colorado, a city of about 17,000 people at 6,500 feet in elevation.  Another fifty minutes west is the Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It sits very near the Four Corners, the intersection of the states of Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona at elevations of 7,000-8,500 feet.

an Ancestral Pueblo in Mesa Verde NP

One day we took the self-guided tour of Mesa Verde, the largest archeological preserve of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from 600 to 1300 CE. There are over 5,000 known archeological sites and well-preserved 600 cliff dwellings, including Cliff Palace, the largest in North America. The Park is easy to go through with over fifty miles of roads and many more trails. It is to me, the best national park of this type in the country. And it is just ninety miles from and “aligned” to the earlier ancestral Puebloan settlement of fifteen large buildings that comprise the Chaco Culture National Historical Park, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site which we visited in 2012.

aerial view of Durango, Colorado

The next day we asked the Durango Visitor Center to map out a plan for our city day trip. A few blocks around E 3^rd Avenue are historic Victorian Homes, original hospital, churches, and residences of the city’s storied past of gold.  We then drove up a winding climbing road to Fort Lewis College to enjoy the beautiful aerial views of the mountains and the city valley below. Back to the city floor, we had a good tour of the Durango Art Museum and the busy Durango Theater that is currently featuring Mamma Mia. Then we had my Mother’s Day lunch at Ken and Sue’s before we took a walk along the banks of the Animas River some sections of which are famous for river rafting. On the way back, we drove through the Ute Indian Reservation, southeast of the city, with its world-class visitor center and museum. There is a bigger UTE reservation in Utah and that is how Utah got its name.  

Wyndham Pagosa

We stayed at Wyndham Pagosa in Pagosa Springs, higher in elevation than Durango at 7,150+ feet and five hours southwest of Denver. Wyndham Pagosa had a week’s availability of a one bedroom unit for us and we decided it would be good to break our trip there. We were already amazed at what we discovered in Durango but there were two more great sites right where we were based.

Mother Spring in Pagosa Springs

The town of about 1,700 is named for its sulfur springs, including the world's deepest geothermal hot spring. At approximately 144°F, this is the Mother Spring that feeds the other pools hosted by three local hot spring soaking locations right at the outskirts of the downtown area, the largest of which is at The Springs Resort & Spa. They and the pretty Visitor Center close by are right at the banks of the San Juan River that cuts through town (and is excellent for fishing).

Chimney Rock National Monument from the highway

at the  ridge top of Chimney Rock NM

But the highlight of our week was our visit to the Chimney Rock National Monument, another important discovery just nineteen minutes south of our resort and at more than 7,000 feet in elevation. The rangers told us they were initially trying to incorporate it as part of the Mesa Verde National Park but in 2012 it was decided to be named as a separate national monument. The Great House Pueblo of thirty-six rooms and two kivas at the top of the ridge, close to Chimney Rock and its close neighbor Companion Rock, had a largely ceremonial role in the Chacoan culture that was centered in the Chaco Canyon, ninety miles away. As the moon makes its lunar cycle across the sky over a period of 18.6 years, it appears in a Major Lunar Standstill (MLS) between the two rocks for approximately 16 months. The latest began in 2004 and the next one will be in 2021. As a matter of fact the construction of the Great House was started during the MLS in 1076 and ended at the ensuing MLS in 1093.

Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Beginning with Mesa Verde National Park and ending with the Chimney Rock National Monument, the area should really be more popular than it is. I guess the reason it is not is that it is more remote, high up in the Rockies. The national parks of Canada in the Canadian Rockies are just an hour away from the city of Calgary. This Colorado high desert plateau is 5-6 hours away from the nearest big city, Denver. But I would like to encourage all, especially Americans, to visit this area for its cultural and natural significance.

     
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