Dolores, CO

September 23, 2021

Our Thursday morning started peacefully just outside Rico, Colorado at Cayton Campground. This camping site was everything we needed yesterday to mentally recharge after a busy two days in Telluride. Having electrical hook-ups overnight allowed us to lounge around in the RV after dark and charge all our technological devices, but not having internet or cell phone access gave us quality time together that we needed.

After we packed up and ate breakfast this morning, we drove about 45 minutes to the city of Dolores, Colorado. This town has been on our Southern Colorado must-see list because of its rich history and numerous recreational activities. Specifically, Tory has been learning about Native American history in Social Studies and this area of Colorado has a large number of pre-Pueblo ruins and the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. I was excited for her to see some of those examples up close and in real life.

Andi and I were surprised how quickly the landscape changed as we neared Dolores. The towering San Juan mountain range in Telluride subsided to mere foothills the farther south we drove. The Dolores River begins here which is what drew many of the original settlers to the area.

Our first stop in Dolores was the local library where there is typically the strongest wi-fi signal in town. Andi went into the library to work for a few hours while Tory, Aden and I sat in the RV outside and did schoolwork. Afterwards, we walked across the street to the Whistler’s Walk restaurant for lunch. It had a friendly, local vibe that Andi and I found to be pleasant. While Telluride was trendy and fun, we both agreed that we enjoy the community and slower pace of life in a smaller town.

After lunch, we continued onto Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Tory’s “Every Kid in a Park” 5th grade national park pass granted our family free entrance onto the grounds. Inside, a friendly park ranger gave us a brief introduction to the monument and provided the kids with a scavenger hunt and Junior Ranger packets to complete. The four of us spent an hour or so wandering through various exhibits learning about the ancient Pueblo people and culture.

This is one of those places where you really have to use your imagination to visualize what life would have been like for the pre-Pueblo people who lived here long ago. Tory had some understanding since she was learning about Native Americans in school, but sadly it was mostly lost on Aden. He was more interested in running around than completing his Junior Ranger booklet which was frustrating to Andi and I.

After the inside portion of the museum, we decided to follow a path to see some pre-Pueblo ruins preserved on the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Nothing like some good ‘ol forced family learning! Tory began to pout because it was hot outside and she didn’t want to walk. Both kids grumbled the entire time we walked along the very nicely-paved pathway.

At the top, we were rewarded with a panoramic view of the city of Dolores and beyond, as well as some of the best preserved ancient ruins in the area and Tory and Aden mostly forgot about being upset.

Back in the visitor’s center, the kids collected their Junior Ranger badges and then we hopped back into the RV to continue onto Mesa Verde National Park near Montrose, Colorado. Andi reserved us a campsite at Ancient Ruins RV Resort for the evening.

Once we arrived and got checked into our spot for the night, Andi and I considered taking the e-bikes across the street to ride around in the national park. However, it was clear that the kids had enough culture learning for the day. Instead, Andi offered to take Tory and Aden to the campground swimming pool while I did my workout at our campsite. It did us all good to have some downtime that evening.

Andi cooked dinner, Aden and I made a few trips to the campground laundry room throughout the night, and Tory FaceTime’d with her cousins. We decided we’d hit Mesa Verde National Park first thing tomorrow.