On my way to Mesa Verde, I passed by Monument Valley but decided not to actually go there. I did get to see the famous spot on US-163 from “Forrest Gump”. My visit to Mesa Verde didn’t include any of the tours since I had my dog Sadie, but the cliff dwellings were easily visible from the Park road. There were also other interesting dwellings close to the road that I could briefly pop out of the car and see. One of the nice things about visiting Mesa Verde is there is a dispersed campground just across the highway. Also, since the park doesn’t allow trailers or towed vehicles beyond a certain point on the Park road, they provide parking if you need to make use of that.
My Side of the Adventure 
Beautiful. We are glad you are having a wonderful time! Ron-Kim
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