Driving day 5--Santa Fe, NM, to Cortez, CO--

June 3rd, left Santa Fe via I 25 to hwy 550N--great choice--because no construction/maintainance going on and no traffic on this well-maintained hwy. Crossed the Continental Divide-elevation 7380 @ 11:00AM EDT/9:00AM MDT and arrived into Durango, CO, to make a special stop--TICKET for the Durango-Silverton RR! All set for Monday,6th June, leaving @8:15AM(which means I must be at the station by 7:45AM)--a 45min to 1 hour drive from Cortez, where I will be staying! Then, while driving out of town, found out a construction delay was scheduled to begin that same Monday, at 7AM! I left Cortez earlier--but I'll wait to tell about that later--first let's get into Cortez, CO.

Arrived at my Econo Lodge home(for the next 10 days or so) and began moving in--well not everything--cause I was early enuf in the day to find out if any of the festivities of the 5th Annual Indian Arts & Western Culture Festival were still going on. The festival had begun Memorial Day weekend! So, yes, I missed most of it but not all, thank goodness.

Drove over to the Anasazi Heritage Center, outside Cortez about 10 miles, and saw the special exhibit--"Roads To The Past, 50 years of New Mexico Highway Archaeology"--amazing finds were on display--from all over the state(NM)--a traveling display on loan until the 12th. (Daniel's girl, Lee, is doing a similar 'dig' participation this summer outside Alexandria,LA, and will find some pieces of the past herself, if she's lucky!)

Also went to the Cultural Center in Cortez that evening to see some local Navaho dancing. Will post some pics of that, ENJOY!