Coming out of the mountains in the fall of ‘24, we needed to stop in Farmington, New Mexico. Tad Cooper needed a checkup. One of the places we stayed, and a contender for the short list of “places we want to go back to,” would be the Bisti Badlands Wilderness Area. While managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Bisti Badlands doesn’t have dispersed camping options. It’s accessed by
While traveling through the mountains of Utah and later Colorado, we noticed Tad Cooper kept getting hot; hotter than he should. So as we were coming out of the mountains, we decided to have him checked out at a Freightliner dealership. Luckily for us, Farmington, New Mexico had one, and we were able to bring him in. While staying in and around Farmington, we were able to take in a
While making our way south from our summer hangout in the mountains of Colorado, we needed to find a little stop between stops to break up otherwise long, mountainous drive days. We’re a big fan of Freecampsites.net, but the sites on this page are not always guaranteed as advertised. Miramonte Reservoir West Campground is claimed to be free online. As we approached the site, we saw signs saying otherwise. Staying
The southwest of the United States may seem like a desert today, hosting only small dispersed cities and towns without much going on. This hasn’t always been the truth. This area was home to a diverse and booming population of people for over 10,000 years. No place showcases this better than Canyon of the Ancients National Monument. While many national parks and monuments can be defined by a singular access
Mesa Verde National Park is probably the one most anticipated by Mom. This land is sacred to the Puebloan people of the Southwestern United States. It is the site of some of the most iconic and culturally significant ancestral sites in the world! Mesa Verde National Park: A Study in Change and Sensitivity When Mom and Dad were in school, the term “Anasazi” or “Anasazi peoples” was in the textbooks
While looking for camping that was convenient to Mesa Verde National Park, we found a little strip of public land just off of Forest Service Road 316 outside of Mancos, Colorado. This section of the San Juan National Forest is an ideal launching point when exploring not only Mesa Verde National Park but also the nearby Canyon of the Ancients National Monument. The area was pretty popular, judging by the
We love little museums; whether they are a mishmash of local history or the hyper-focused outreach of a local utility. They all have something to offer. To date, the most unique and complete little museum we’ve visited is the Museum of the Mountain West in Montrose, Colorado. The Museum of the Mountain West is the collected life’s work of a single person! The owner and curator has collected everything from
One of the “youngest” national parks, Black Canyon of the Gunnison is still a sight to behold. Located just outside of Montrose, Colorado, this small section of the Gunnison River still has some spectacular views. The section of the canyon the park encompasses holds some of the steepest and darkest sections in the world. Some areas only receive 30 minutes of direct sunlight due to the steepness and narrowness of
As we started to leave the mountains of Colorado, we plotted a route that not only got us closer to some events we had planned but also put us in range of more national parks. The BLM lands outside of Montrose, Colorado not only put us in range of Mesa Verde National Park but also unlocked some other great experiences in and around the city. Actual BLM Camping Around Montrose
While spending our summer in the mountains outside of Denver, Colorado, we decided to spend a day and explore some of the attractions that Denver had to offer. One of the gems of that exploration was Wings Over the Rockies. It’s no secret that we love Air and Space Museums and Wings Over the Rockies is one of the best! Wings Over the Rockies: A Mix of History and Pop