Travel from Mancos to Montrose, CO

We drove our coach 143 miles, about 3 hours, from Mancos, Colorado to Montrose, Colorado.

The map route, heading north:

Map route

Leaving the RV park:

Leaving RV park

Bye Mesa Verde:

Leaving RV park

Delores, CO

Paladin sleeping in his safe space:

Paladin

A nice river next to the highway:

River

Another RV:

RV

A farm:

Farm

Horses:

Horse

River

Scenic mountains:

Mountains

Fire station:

Fire station

Rico, Colorado:

Rico, CO

Rico, CO

Delores, CO

Mountains:

Mountains

Mountains and lake

Mountains

Mountains

We paused near Telluride:

Telluride, CO

Mountains

Paladin looking out the windscreen:

Paladin

Mountains

Mountains

Mountains

Mountains

Mountains

Ridgway, Colorado:

Ridgway, CO

Ridgway, CO

Ridgway, CO

Paladin looking out the passenger window, while sitting on the back of the chair:

Paladin

A fuel stop at a Maverick station; unusual to not use a truck stop:

Fueling

Paladin in the step well:

Paladin

Arriving at a KOA campground:

KOA

Travel from Monument Valley, UT to Mancos, CO

We drove our coach 149 miles, about 3 hours, from Monument Valley, Utah to Mancos, Colorado. Another new state!

The map route, heading east — through four states:

Map route

Leaving Monument Valley:

Rocks

Horse riders:

Horses

Rocks:

Rocks

Dusty road into the distance:

Rocks

Rocks:

Rocks

Rocks

Another straight road over the horizon:

Road

Having gone from Utah through Arizona, we briefly crossed into New Mexico near Four Corners, the only place where four states meet:

New Mexico

Then a minute later into Colorado:

Colorado

We stopped on the side of the road for a lunch break:

Break

Mesa Verde:

Rocks

Cinema in Cortez, Colorado:

Cinema

Liquor store in Cortez:

Liquor store

Mesa Verde:

Mesa

Our destination:

Destination

Moki Dugway switchbacks

On a road trip to Bears Ears and Natural Bridges National Monuments (a post about them tomorrow), we drove our truck up Utah State Route 261, which includes the Moki Dugway dirt switchback road carved into the cliff face of Cedar Mesa in Utah.

Here’s a map:

Moki Dugway map

The mesa from the bottom:

Mesa

A warning sign:

Sign

Heading up the road:

Road

Twisty GPS route:

Twisty GPS

Road

Road

Monuments:

Monuments

Don’t look down:

Switchbacks

Switchbacks

Switchbacks

Switchbacks

Switchbacks

Switchbacks

A road at the top and bottom:

Switchbacks

Monuments again:

Monuments

View from near the top:

Switchbacks

Stay tuned for a timelapse video of this drive.

Travel from Green River to Monument Valley, UT

We drove our coach 195 miles, about 4 hours, from Green River, Utah to Monument Valley, Utah.

If you’ve ever seen a Western movie, you’ve seen Monument Valley.

Here’s the map, heading south:

Map route

Green River is proud of their melons:

Green River melons

Green River melons

An interesting church:

Interesting church

We stopped at Love’s to top up the diesel, since fuel stops are few and far between for the next few legs of our journey:

Love's fuel stop

Only about 40 gallons (our tank is 150 gallons), though still rather expensive with current fuel prices:

Love's fuel stop

Back under the lowish rail bridge:

Rail bridge

Mesa:

Mesa

Rocks:

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Moab:

Moab

Moab

Rocks

Rocks

We stopped for lunch at the rest area by Hole N the Rock:

Hole N the Rock

Rest stop

Lunch

Onward:

Rocks

An arch:

Arch

Rocks

Rocks

Trading post:

Trading post

Water

Rocks

Rocks and buildings

Rocks

Rocks

First sight of some iconic Monument Valley rocks:

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Bridge:

Bridge

The bridge was a little narrow for our coach, so we treated it as a one-way bridge:

Narrow bridge

Rocks

Several people stopped at Forrest Gump point; an iconic location from the movie:

Forrest Gump point

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Our destination:

Rocks

Travel from Torrey to Green River, UT

We drove our coach 107 miles, about 2.5 hours, from Torrey, Utah to Green River, Utah.

Here’s the map, heading northeast:

Map route

Leaving the RV park:

Leaving the park

Driving through Torrey:

Torrey

Some road works on the road to Capitol Reef National Park:

Road works

Road works

Road

Entering Capitol Reef National Park in our coach, as our route takes us through the park:

Capitol Reef National Park

More road works:

Road works

Heading through the park:

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park

Road and river

A somewhat desolate area beyond the park:

Highway

Lots of interesting rocks, though:

Highway and rocks

Highway and rocks

Highway and rocks

Highway and rocks

Highway and rocks

Working on my laptop:

Laptop

Highway and rocks

Paladin sat on the back of Jenn’s chair for a bit:

Paladin and Jenn

Highway and river

Highway and rocks

Some dust storms in the distance:

View

Dusty

Exit towards Green River:

Exit to Green River

Paladin:

Paladin

Dusty:

Dusty

Dusty

Exit:

Exit

A somewhat low bridge; our coach is 12’ 7” high, so enough clearance:

Low bridge

Low bridge

Welcome to Green River:

Welcome to Green River

An interesting building façade:

Building

Green River would be more accurately called brown river:

Green River

Our destination, the Green River KOA Journey:

KOA Journey

Route maps

Here’s an animated GIF showing our RV travel routes: the Yellowstone rental trailer trip last year, adding travel in our coach last year, travel so far this year, and finally the planned route for much of the remainder of the year.

Route maps