Day 20 - Farmington N.M. - Durango, Co.

I found a great little RV park very near to Aztec Nat. Monument, outside of Farmington N.M. and it was only $20 with elect. hookups.  Also very quiet since almost all of the "residents" were long term and worked for the oil fields - so lights out early.

My drive was four blocks to Aztec N.M. which is very large ruin site.  I was able to have a one on one semi. tour with a Park Service Ranger who grew up in the area.  He was quite knowledgeable about the site and the history of the area in general. 

The site is one of the biggest I have yet seem and has about four hundred rooms and several "kivas".  These are cermonial or meeting rooms and are always round - most partially below ground which keeps them very cool (about 25 degrees different from outside temps.)

This is a model of the entire complex and shows the Great Kiva in the center with all of the other rooms around the sides.

 It  has one of only three "Great Kivas" know to exist in the U.S.  This Kiva or meeting room is about 100` in diameter and 20` high.  You say "show me a picture" - well OK.  Those are windows around the sides.

Below is a view of the Great Kiva from a higher vantage point.  Notice the early use of "skylights" - not really, they had to cover the hole in the center (see previous picture) that served two functions.  First, it let the smoke from the fire pit (on which the ranger is sitting) out.  Second, it was the traditional way (via a ladder) that the ceremonial dancers entered during celebrations (it symbolized messengers from the heavens descending into the meeting or celebration).

I also happened to enter the Great Kiva just a one of the park personal was starting to give a talk about the structure and it "believed" use in the society.  It of course had to be rebuilt since the use of the site dates back to between 800 & 1130.  After that a prolonged drought,  forced many of the people to abandon the sites in search of other sources of water.

Like at so many of the sites, the doorways are shaped in this pattern and made it easier for someone entering with a large bundle or container.  The doorways were covered with a cloth all but the bottom so that the heat would stay in and some fresh air could also enter.

These two pictures (above) are interesting in that they show a darker layer of stone that has been included in the walls.  Originally though, all of the walls were covered with a type of "stucco" that was white so all of this layering was hidden.  Odd.....

They found many of these milling or grinding stones that were used to turn the corn into flour.  Corn was a main staple of their diet.

And now for something completely different - this is the lowest I have found regular gas on my trip (so far).  We haven`t seen those prices in Santa Barbara for a while!  This was in Farmington, New Mexico - it might have something to due with our taxes - maby.........

 And no I did not stop at the Taco Bell for the other kind of "gas"!

As soon as I crossed the border into Colorado the landscape changed from desert to mountains with green stuff growing all around.  A little snow (a little hard to see) on those mountains made it even better.

Well since it is after 10:00 PM and I gave blood today (mosquitoes) at this campground.  I will close and invite you to check in tomorrow for more stuff............
"Rocky Mountain" goodnight.