Southwest National Parks

Day 1	Thursday	September 24th
5:45 a.m.	Depart:	Spokane
	Do:	Seats
8:29 a.m.	Arrive:	Salt Lake City
10:20 a.m.	Depart:	Salt Lake City
	Do:	Seats
11:54 a.m.	Arrive:	Denver
	Do:	Rent a car
		Lunch
1:00 p.m.	Depart:	Denver
		(Go out and take exit 6B right on E 470 toll road. Go right on I-25. Take exit 243 left on Hwy 30/66. It will become Hwy 36.)
2:25 p.m.	Arrive:	Estes Park	73
		(Begin on the southside of Elkhorn Ave.)
		Rocky Mountain Gifts & T-shirts (10-9)
		Mountain Berry Bakery (9-4) 400 B E Elkhorn
		Rocket Fizz Candy Store (10-6)
		Brownfield's Souvenirs
		Christmas Shoppe (10-5)
		Funky Moose (10-5)
		Unique Colorado Souvenir (10-10)
		DQ (12-8)
		Awesome Shirtworks of Estes Park (10-6)
		The Old Fashion Candy and General Store (9:45-7)
		The Phat Bear Gift Shop (10-5:30)
		Caramel Corn (11-10)
		The Lazy Moose (10-7)
		Moosely Tees (10-9)
		Hayleys Ice Cream
		Estes Village (9-10)
		Estes Park Candy & Jerky Depot (10-9)
		Mt Everest Gift House (10-8)
		Estes Park Souvenirs (10-9)
		Rocky Mountain Souvenirs (10-9)
		Favorite Things (may be closed)
		Gifts for Everyone (10:30-6:30)
		(Cross to the north side of the street. Walk left towards the Christmas shop first.)
		Elizabeth Guild Thrift Shop (10-3)
		Nana's Christmas Cottage (10-5) 125 Spruce Drive
		Penelope's Old Time Burgers (11-7)
		The Stanley Chocolate Factory
		The Taffy Shop (10-6)
		Colorado Tees and Gifts (9:30-8)
		Purple Mountain Taffy Co (10-6)
		Laura's Fine Candies (10-6)
		Trailhead Threads & Gifts (9:30-6)
		Wear Me Out T's (10-8)
		(Walk to the car.)
	Lodge:

Day 2	Friday	September 25th
	See:	Rocky Mountain National Park
9:00 a.m.	Do:	Estes Park Visitor Center (8-5)
9:10 a.m.		National Park Sign	2.7
10 min	Do:	Beaver Meadows Visitor Center (9-6)	3.2
15 min		Beaver Ponds	6.2
5 min		Many Parks Curve Overlook	2.2
10 min		Rainbow Curve Overlook	4
15 min		Lava Cliffs Overlook	7
1 min		Trail Ridge Road Summit	.5
1 min		Gore Range Overlook	.6
2 min		Alpine Ridge Visitor Center (9-4:30) Trail Ridge Store, restroom, food-drinks	1
2 min		Medicine Bow Curve	.6
7 min		Milner Pass	3.8
4 min		Farview Curve Viewpoint	2.2
10 min		Beaver Ponds Picnic Area	5.2
2 min		Public Restroom at Timber Creek Ranger Station	.6
4 min		Public Restroom at Bowen-Baker Trailhead	1.8
6 min		Public Bathroom on the left side.	3.1
	See:	Kawuneeche Visitor Center (9-5)
	Lodge:

Day 3	Saturday	September 26th
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Rocky Mountain National Park
		(Continue south on Hwy 34. Turn right on Hwy 40. On the right side.)
1:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Dinosaur National Monument	221
	See:	Canyon Visitor Center 4545 US 40
		(Continue right on Hwy 40. Turn right on 9500 E St.)
	Do:	Dinosaur Monument Sign 2430 S 9500 E
32 min		Quarry Visitor Center 11625 9500 E	28.5
5 min		Swelter Shelter Petroglyphs	1.2
7 min		River View Point	4.4
3 min		Turtle Rock	2.2
		(Go back to the main road and turn left on Hwy 40. Go right/south on Hwy 64.)
1 hour	Arrive:	Moosehead Lodge	52.7
	Lodge:

Day 4	Sunday	September 27th
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Moosehead Lodge
		(Head south on Hwy 139. At Grand Junction go left on I-70 at Grand Junction. Take exit 26 onto Hwy 50 south. Go left on Hwy 347.)
3 hrs	Arrive:	Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Sign	161
4 min		Tomichi Point	1.3
7 min		South Rim Visitor Center	.3
		Gunnison Point-restroom
4 min		Pulpit Rock Overlook- restroom	1.8
5 min		Chasm View (.3 miles)	1.9
4 min		Sunset View	1.5
	Depart:	Black Canyon
		(Go back to the beginning onto Hwy 347. Turn right on Hwy 50. At Montrose go left on Hillcrest Dr. Go right on Sunnyside Rd. Continue left 12th and left again on Townsend Ave/Hwy 550. At Ridgeway go right on Hwy 62. Go left on Hwy 145.)
1 hr 50 min		Sunshine Mountain Scenic Overview	87
10 min		Lizard Head Peak Vista Overlook	6.6
		(Continue on Hwy 145. At Cortez go left on Hwy 160.)
1 hr 20 min	Arrive:	Mesa Verde National Park Sign	67.1
		(Turn right on Mesa Top Ruins Rd. On the right side.)
7 min		Mancos Valley Overlook	3.4
6 min		Montezuma Valley Overlook	3.2
13 min		Geologic Overlook -turn right	6.4
4 min	Lodge:	Far View Lodge $168.25 Mile Marker 15 Check in 4 p.m., check out 11 p.m. ( 2 Queens, CM, Fridge)	2.2

Day 5	Monday	September 28
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Far View Lodge
		(Go left on Mesa Top Ruins Rd. Turn left towards Pipe Shrine House)
9:10 a.m.	Arrive:	Far View House (.75 roundtrip)-was one of the most densely populated parts of the mesa from A.D. 900 to about A.D. 1300. Nearly 50 villages have been identified within a half square mile area, and were home to hundreds of people. Today, several excavated and stabilized sites are linked by a trail system within a short walking distance. These surface sites include Far View House, Pipe Shrine House, Coyote Village, Far View Reservoir, Megalithic House, and Far View Tower	1.9
		(Continue left on Mesa Top Ruins Rd. On the left side.)
7 min		Cedar Tree Tower- (1/2 mile loop) one of several tower sites that have been discovered on the mesa tops. Towers were primarily built during the Classic period (A.D. 1100 to 1300) at Mesa Verde and are usually associated with a kiva. The purpose of a tower-kiva complex is not known. Some speculate that towers had a ceremonial purpose based on their close association with kivas	3.7
		(Go left on Mesa Top Ruins Rd. Turn right. Continue around the circle.)
4 min		Spruce Tree Terrace Cafe (11-4)	1.1
		(Walk to it.)
3 min		Mesa Verde Museum (10-4:30) Constructed between 1922-25, it replaced a log cabin that had exhibited cultural items since 1917. The musem was built using Cliff House Sandstone, the same stone used by the Ancestral Pueblo people to construct nearby Spruce Tree House and other cliff dwellings, in an architectural style known as Modified Pueblo Revival, which was inspired by the architecture of Mesa Verde's descendant communities. Bookstore, water, restroom, snack bar, gift shop, post office	.7
		(Continue straight a head on the loop. Turn left on Mesa Top Ruins Road. On the right side.)
15 min		Cliff Palace (Booked on Sept 22nd) 30 minutes/25 miles $8 Largest cliff dwelling in North America. Built between 1190 and 1280 CE, Cliff Palace was once home to over 100 people.Today, it stands as a testament to the engineering and artistic achievements of the Ancestral Pueblo people.It contained 150 rooms and 23 kivas and had a population of approximately 100 people. Out of the nearly 600 cliff dwellings concentrated within the boundaries of the park, 75% contain only 1-5 rooms each, and many are single room storage units. If you visit the Cliff Palace overlook you will view an exceptionally large dwelling which may have had special significance to the original occupants. It is thought that Cliff Palace was a social, administrative site with high ceremonial usage. Restroom	4.4
		(Continue right on Mesa Top Ruins Rd.)
2 min		House of Many Windows Viewpoint	.5
4 min		Hemenway House-Perched on a remote cliff in Soda Canyon, Hemenway House looks to fall off the small ledge on which it rests. Built in the 1200s, the cliff dwelling has 26 rooms and one kiva and was part of the larger Balcony House community. Hemenway House was named for Mary Tileston Hemenway, who funded the first scientific archeological expedition in the southwest. She never visited Mesa Verde, but she helped protect Ancestral Pueblo sites throughout the region.	.8
		(Go back to the main road and turn left. Turn righton the loop.)
11 min		Navajo Canyon View-A flat, paved overlook adjacent to the parking area offers beautiful views of Navajo Canyon and Echo House cliff dwelling. Canyon views from your vehicle.	4.1
		Bathroom on the right side
2 min		Mesa Top Sites-Paved, level 100 yard (91 m) trail with a 1% grade. Excavated site covered for weather protection. The 6-mile (10 km) Mesa Top Loop takes you through 700 years of Ancestral Pueblo history. From remains of early pithouses and masonry villages to multi-storied cliff dwellings, archeological sites along this loop show how early Pueblo architecture evolved. Archeology and Pueblo oral histories shed light on what life may have been like for people who lived, worked, and raised families here for generations. Along the road, you’ll find short, easily-accessible paved trails to view twelve archeological sites. Short trails along the Mesa Top Loop lead to surface sites such as pithouses and pueblos; overlooks of cliff dwellings tucked into alcoves; and viewpoints where you can enjoy the beauty of the landscape that was home to generations of Ancestral Pueblo people.	.6
2 min		Sun Point Pueblo-Flat, paved 50 yard (46 m) easy trail to ancient pueblo, covered for weather protection.	.3
1 min		Sun Point View-Short walk leads to an uneven sandstone overlook with guardrails where you can see 12 alcove sites, including Cliff Palace. There are 12 tall, uneven stone steps on the left and about a 40 foot (12.2 m) ramp on the right. Over 30 cliff dwellings occupy these canyon alcoves and ledges. How many can you spot?	.3
1 min		Oak Tree House Overlook-It was part of a larger community, neighboring many other cliff dwellings in Fewkes and Cliff Canyons.While most cliff dwellings are small, with fewer than 10 rooms, this neighborhood includes many of Mesa Verde’s largest cliff villages. View this site from your vehicle if you wish. The overlook is uneven sandstone with guardrails. Parking is limited.	.1
1 min		Fire Temple and New Fire House Overlooks-View these sites from your vehicle if you wish. To get a closer view, there are three tall, uneven stone steps from the parking area to the sandstone viewpoint	.2
		(After the loop turn right.)
2 min		Sun Temple-The best panoramic view of Cliff Palace can be seen here from your vehicle. Walk to Sun Temple on the paved, mostly level 200 yard (183 m) trail. The features classify it as a ceremonial structure. Because neither household goods nor roof beams were found by archeologists at Sun Temple, some believe the symmetrically planned "D" shaped building was never completed. Yet its size alone points to the amount of labor that went into its construction. The stones in the fine masonry walls were shaped and given a "dimpled" flat surface by the builders of the structure. Based upon the amount of fallen stone removed during excavation, the walls probably were between 11 and 14 feet high. The thick walls were double coursed and filled with a rubble core. Today, modern concrete covers the top of the walls to prevent moisture from going into the rubble placed between the walls. Please do not climb or walk on the walls of this fragile archeological site.	.7
		(Go back on Mesa Verde Ruins Rd. On the right side.)
15 min		Far View Lodge $168.25 Cancel 72 hours before Check in 4 p.m., check out 11 p.m. ( 2 Queens, CM, Fridge)	7.4
	Do:	Dinner

Day 6	Tuesday	September 29th
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	Mesa Verde
		(Turn right to the main highway. Turn right on Hwy 160. At Pagosa Springs go right on Hwy 84. At Charma turn right on Hwy 64. Go straight head on Hwy 84.)
2:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Santa Fe	262
		San Miguel Mission Chapel (1636) (10-3) Donations $5 Oldest of its kind in Santa Fe, the chapel of San Miguel was originally built in 1636. It was later burned and rebuilt at the start of the 18th century. It contains a number of fine statues and a high altar from 1798, with the likeness of St. Gertrude.
		Loretto Chapel 1875 (9-5) $4 Sr By 1873, the Sisters were able to start the construction of a Chapel. Using the same French architect and builders as Saint Francis Cathedral Basilica, the Chapel of Our Lady of Light (as it was then known) was patterned after Archbishop Lamy’s favorite Sainte Chapelle in Paris. With its gothic-style architecture, the Chapel certainly would have stood out among the small adobe homes surrounding it at the time. Unfortunately, the architect died before access to the choir loft was built. Given the height of the loft and the small size of the Chapel, a staircase would have taken up too much floor space, thereby reducing the seating capacity to an unacceptably small level. Legend states that seeking guidance and help, the Sisters of Loretto prayed a nine day novena to St Joseph, Patron Saint of Carpenters. A novena is a special prayer said for nine consecutive days. On the final day of the novena, a carpenter appeared with only a hammer and carpenter’s square. He built what is now known as the Miraculous Staircase with simple tools and wooden pegs. The rare wood is not native to the American Southwest. When the Staircase was complete, it is said that the carpenter disappeared without receiving thanks or payment. The Sisters tried all local lumber stores but could not find accounts open for supplies for their stairs. Some believe the carpenter was St. Joseph himself while others believe that is was someone sent by St. Joseph. What is known is that the Sisters of Loretto prayed, and their prayers were answered. The Staircase has two complete 360 degree turns with no center pole for structural support. The entire weight of the staircase rests on the bottom stair. The banisters were added approximately ten years later due to the difficulty of climbing the tall, tapered stairs with no railing. The two small brackets that can be seen on the outside connecting the stairs to the wall and pillar were added in the mid 20th century in order to provide more support and protect the staircase from negative effects due to vibrations from passing cars and trucks. Unfortunately, rather than helping the structural integrity of the Staircase, the modern brackets damaged the sides of it by preventing the natural spring-like movement of the Staircase while in use. The underside of the stairs were originally open, but was filled in with a horse hair and lime mixture painted to look like wood.
		The Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assissi (9:30-4) Gift Shop The City of Santa Fe was founded in 1610. That same year the first church was built on this site. The original adobe church was replaced in 1630 by a larger one, which was destroyed by the Pueblo Indian Revolt of 1680. The expelled Spaniards returned in 1693, but were not able to rebuild the church until 1714. This new church was named in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Santa Fe. The only part of this church still existing is the small adobe chapel dedicated to Our Lady La Conquistadora. Brought from Spain in 1625, the statue is the oldest representation of the Virgin Mary in the United States. In 1850, Santa Fe received its first Bishop, Father John Baptiste Lamy of France. Judging the 1714 old adobe church as inadequate for the seat of the Archdiocese, Bishop Lamy ordered a new Romanesque church built, and brought French architects and Italian stonemasons to build his Cathedral. Construction of the Cathedral began in 1869 and continued until 1887. The new Cathedral was built around the former adobe church and, when the new walls were complete, the old church was torn down and removed through the front door. The stained glass windows in the lower bay are from France and depict the twelve apostles. Seven archbishops, including Lamy, are buried in the sanctuary. Dedicated in 1887, the Cathedral’s spires were never completed due to lack of funds. During the most recent structural renewal in 1967, the Cathedral was strengthened, new sacristies were added, and a Blessed Sacrament Chapel was built. In 1987, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the stone church, a monumental altar screen depicting famous saints of North and South America was installed. The Cathedral was elevated to a Basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. Basilica means a church of particular importance in Rome and abroad. Churches are honored by the Holy Father because of their importance in the history of spreading Catholicism.
		(Turn left on Cathedral Pl. At the corner go right on Water. On the left side just past Old Santa Fe Trail.)
		Frontiersmen Canoe Statue
	Lodge:

Day 7	Wednesday	September 30th
	See:	Santa Fee
12:00 p.m.	Depart:	Santa Fe
		(Go south on I-25. Take exit 290 right onto Hwy 285. At Carlsbad go right on Happy Valley Rural Rd/Hwy 524. Turn right on Hwy 180.)
5:00 p.m .	Arrive:	White City	292
	Lodge:

Day 8	Thursday	October 1st
9:00 a.m	Depart:	White City
9:15 a.m.	Do:	Carlsbad Caverns Trading Company (8-5)	7.3
		Visitor Center (8-5)
		Natural Cave Tour a)You may want to bring a light jacket or sweater as the year-round temperature in the cavern is about 56ºF (13ºC). b) Don't forget your camera! Flash photography in the cave is permitted, just be courteous of the person next to you when you use your flash. Tripods are permitted on the Big Room and Natural Entrance trails, but not on ranger-guided tours. c) Plain water is permitted in the cavern d) You can bring your cell phone, but there is no signal in the cavern. Remember to put it on "airplane mode" or turn it off if you are taking it in the cavern to conserve the battery. e) Underground rest area-restrooms and limited snack bar
15 min	Arrive:	White City	7.2
		(Go right on Hwy 62.)
30 min.	Arrive:	Guadaloupe National Park Sign	31.6
		(Continue on Hwy 180. Turn right on Frijole Ranch Rd to the park.)
16 min		Pinery Butterfield stage Station Ruins	10.8
		Pine Springs Visitor Center
		(Go back left/east on AHwy 180. Turn left on Frijole Ranch Rd.)
12 min		Frijole Ranch Museum	7.2
		(Go back to Hwy 180/62 and turn left on Carlsbad Cavern Hwy.)
45 min		Bat Flight Amphitheater 6 p.m. To protect the bats, electronic devices are not allowed at the Bat Flight Program and surrounding area. Electronic devices include cameras of any kind, laptop computers, cell phones, iPads, iPods, tablets, and MP3 players.	41.2
	Lodge:	White City Cavern Inn 6 Carlsbad Cavern Hwy Carlsbad, NM 88268 (575) 361-2687	7.2

Day 9	Friday	October 2nd
9:00 a.m.	Depart:	White City
		(Go left on Hwy 62. Turn left on Loop Rd. Go left on Hwy 285. Go left/west on I-40. Take exit 159B onto I-25.)
1:00 p.m.	Arrive:	Albuquerque, NM	298
	See:	Old Town or Petroglyph National Monument
	Lodge:

Day 10	Saturday	October 3rd
5:30 a.m.	Depart:	Albuquerque
	Do:	Seats
7:15 a.m.	Arrive:	Salt Lake City
8:25 a.m.	Depart:	Salt Lake City
	Do:	Seats
9:12 a.m.	Arrive:	Spokane