Grand Mesa Day 2: Walking with the Dinosaurs

Today we rode to Dinosaur National Monument. None of us had ever been to Dinosaur National Monument, so this was going to be a treat. We didn't know what to expect, so we stopped at the Visitor Center on the Colorado side of the park. A short film of the history gave us a little insight, but as with most things, you have to see it to believe it.

About a 30-minute drive from the Visitor Center, we arrived at the Quarry Visitor Center and looked around at the exhibits. While we couldn't hike the Fossil Discovery Trail (it was closed because of storm damage earlier this year), the Quarry Exhibit Hall was open, so we hopped on the shuttle and looked at the wall of dinosaur bones.

About half the length of a football field, the wall is a half-finished archeological dig site. The excavation lasted for some time before it was decided to let the people come to the dinosaurs. More than 1,500 fossils are exposed to view on this wall, and it is pretty amazing to see.

After checking out this amazing fossil wall, we went and looked for the petroglyphs. They are the lesser-known attraction of the monument, and are no less spectacular.

We spent a little time checking them out then headed to our hotel in Rangely. And what trip would be complete without at least one complication. This year it was our lodging reservation. Unfortunately, the place we had booked only had a single queen bed, or two single beds. Of course, we could always pay for two rooms. Er, no. After a phone call, we moved to one of the other hotels in town.

Tomorrow, we head to our home away from home for the week.