SW Colorado-help with details please

Old Apr 22nd, 2017, 03:40 PM
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SW Colorado-help with details please

Okay....I really appreciate any advice you can provide...LOL. Fly in late June 16. Time with family June 17-18.
Sun 19 - drive to Sand Dunes. Hotel Sun night Alamosa
Mon 20 - drive to Mesa Verde. Hotel in park.
Tue 21 - do something like White Water Raft or Horseback Riding and go to Hotel in Durango
Wed 22 - Maybe Jeep or hike. Hotel in Durango.
Thur 23 - Do hike, or sightsee. Drive to Telluride. Night in Telluride.
Friday 24 - Drive from Telleride and find something fun to do along the way closer to Denver. Hotel somewhere along route 70 maybe near Breckenridge or Vail.
Saturday morning - arrive in Denver have lunch with relatives near airport and get in line for TSA by 2pm for 4pm flight.

Am I crazy or what? lol Any suggestions/advice greatly appreciated.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2017, 03:41 PM
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Well...to clarify...on Mon 6/20 drive from Alamosa to Durango area and find something fun to do. At night drive to the hotel in the park....in order to do the ruins on Tuesday.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2017, 03:49 PM
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Unless you have reservations already made for Far View Lodge in Mesa Verde, that's not likely to happen. Several motels in Cortez.

When do you plan to see/explore Mesa Verde? You need at a minimum a full day to see the best sites and get to see all the wonderful sites.

Personally, this is way too rushed IMHO. Distances are pretty far in this part of CO, so that your drives will be longer than you expect.

Do you HAVE to return to Denver? Consider flying home from Albuquerque; much close to Durango.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2017, 06:26 PM
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Would it make more sense to just skip the Sand Dunes? And go directly to Durango?
We already purchased airfare to and from Denver.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2017, 07:06 PM
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You asked the same April 15 and had 12 excellent responses. So why are you asking the same question like you never asked it before? Didn't you like those responses? Go back and read them again. It will answer this question.
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Old Apr 23rd, 2017, 03:30 AM
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dreed3, If you can't find your other thread, just click your name and you will find all you have entered. Then click the old thread.
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Old Apr 23rd, 2017, 08:50 AM
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Thanks for the tup emalloy! I was getting a little lost on the postings. I'll try not to be redundant.
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Old Apr 25th, 2017, 07:46 AM
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Keep it simple. Save sand dunes for your next trip. Make your reservation asap for MesaVerde. If you can't get in there, just add a night to your hotel in Durango and make the short half hour drive to MesaVerde the morning you want to tour Mesa Verde. You are trying to squeeze too much in one day if you try to tour all of Mesa Verde in the same day you want to either raft or horseback ride.
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Old Apr 25th, 2017, 12:51 PM
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It is far more than short half hour drive. Just from the entrance of the park to the visitors center is close to 45 mins.
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Old Apr 25th, 2017, 03:00 PM
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To clarify. I was referring to the drive from Durango to the Mesa Verde turnoff on Hwy 160. It's 30 minutes. I live in Durango; I go past it all the time. You are certainly correct that there is also the drive into the visitors center, but if OP cannot get lodging at Far View, they are going to have that drive no matter whether they are staying in Cortez, Mancos or Durango. My point was if they can't get Far View lodging and they are already staying in Durango, why add another lodging location to the itinerary, keep it simple. Many times, I have easily made the drive from Durango to spend time at Mesa Verde but I believe that OP is being optimistic to try to fit in Mesa Verde and river rafting or horseback riding the same day
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Old Apr 25th, 2017, 03:19 PM
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"entrance of the park to the visitors center is close to 45 mins."

FYI - There is a [relatively] new visitor center right at the entrance.
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Old Apr 25th, 2017, 03:26 PM
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Yes the new VC is near the turn off from 160, the top of the mesa, where the old one was is 45 minutes or so and it is even farther out to Cliff Palace and Balcony house. Far View Lodge is near to where the old VC was.
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