Dinosaur Nat’l Monument – With the Boulder Clan

The world is slowly loosening up for those who believe in science (which is like saying you “believe in gravity,” mind you.)  Vaccines, proper precautions, and some amount of privilege in various forms allow some tentative traveling again.

And that means seeing dear friends who are like family to me.  I’ve known their children since infancy and enjoy seeing them growing older and enjoying all that life offers.

PCO Joan.

When my buddy d-low organized a family camping trip to Dinosaur National Monument (DNM) for what I call “The Boulder Clan” and invited Joan and me, we greatly looked forward to it.  Joan’s never visited Dinosaur National Monument, and I have not seen many of my friends since pre-COVID.

The most prominent part of DNM is, of course, the Quarry Exhibit Hall with its wall of fossils.

Many of which a person can touch.

And it may inspire some dinosaur shenanigans!

But as impressive as the hall may be, the monument offers much more. With scenic hikes, take in parts of the park that the exhibit hall may only miss.

PCO Ramie B.

And the reminders of people who came this way previously. Unlike the Ancestral Pueblo places Joan and I frequent, the Fremont people called this place home at about the same time frame.

Joan seemed to enjoy these different aspects of the monument for her first visit.

The other important part of the monument is, of course, the Green and Yampa Rivers. Again, exploring the park by raft seems a way to immerse yourself in it fully.  Joan already put together some packrafting ideas for future visits!

Our campsite for the weekend ended up near the swiftly flowing Green Riiver. Not only scenic but an excellent way to re-connect with friends we have not seen in so long.

PCO Ramie B.

And a chance for people to take the rare photos of Joan and me together. 🙂

My phone but snap courtesy of Julia M.

And no trip would be complete without going to the Colorado side of the monument with its high plateau that gives cooler temperatures and impressive views of the Green and Yampa Rivers below.

Joan and I enjoyed the national monument. But, perhaps, more importantly, we enjoyed seeing people have not seen in so long, too.

PCO Julia M.

We all made our way home. Joan and I made our way back slowly and explored more of the Fremont sites between the area and Moab.

And not more than a few high desert wildflowers, too.

An excellent holiday weekend. With COVID restrictions starting to ease, I hope these visits become more frequent. With two back-to-back visits with friends, I like how the progression of this trend!