Chaco Culture National Historical Park

If you take Interstate 25 North out of Albuquerque, then exit onto Highway 550 West, eventually you will come to this sign. Turn south on CR 7900 for 5 miles (paved), then right on CR 7950 (unpaved, ungraded, ungraveled). It can be a real adventure.

This is part of the Colorado Plateau, arid high desert, and it is beautiful. The brochures describes the road as unpaved and rough.

We saw sporadic windmills, all with a water tank for the cattle. No electric wires on this landscape.

It takes more than a rough road to scare us away, although I worried that my teeth might fall out and I was a long way from Dr. John. I couldn't have called him anyway; no cell towers around here.

We were averaging ten miles an hour, so the livestock had nothing to fear from us.

The livestock looked sleek and healthy, which surprised us because there were no green pastures. I guess what they have is nutritious.

They got bored with us rather quickly.

I've heard about those desert storms that can produce flash floods in a matter of minutes. Not happening today.

outside of war zon

I think we're good to cross the wash. The danger might be that we get stuck in the sand.

Twenty-one miles seems like a long way when you a driving a washboard, dusty road, but eventually, we got to the park. Wow! It was definitely worth the drive.

More tomorrow.

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