Day 12 - Across the Great Divide

Today we have started our journey to LA.

But yesterday (day 11) we went to Creede. On the way we seen Buffalo.

Creede is an old silver mining town at an altitude of 8,800 feet with a population of only 300 people.

The mines have been converted into tourist shops and a when we were there there were a lot of older people learning wood and stone carving.

I found a bath load of ducks (Duck Duck Go anyone)

Creede was also the site for the Shootist,John Wayne’s last movie. It’s also where they have just finished filming the Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp.


So today we were up and away early and drove across the Great Divide and the scenery is breathtaking. Photos do not convey the size and majesty of the scenery.

We had lunch at Durango which is a railway town (Denver and Rio Grande Railroad) that also seem to have a lot of wine shops.

We then moved on to the highlight of the day, Mesa Verde. Most people have seen photos of Mesa Verde in one form or other.

Mesa Verde is best known for the ancient cliff dwellings of the native americas. These were abandoned in about 1200 AD.

Mesa Verde is massive, a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be. This is not only one site to see the cliff dwellings but a number of sites. We visited one site, Spruce Tree House which is the third-largest village and had about 130 rooms. You could spend a good 2 or 3 days exploring this National Park.

Tomorrow we are off to Monument Valley another iconic American site especially in western movies. It was a favorite site of director John Ford.