Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Dinosaur, Colorado!

The next stop on the prehistoric portion of our grand tour was the Dinosaur National Monument - just a short drive from the Colorado border (and the town of Dinosaur) and the site of many fossil discoveries.


There's some work being done in the park right now (the visitors' centre kept collapsing because it was built on soft clay, so they've finally shelled out to rebuild it), but there's still a few things to see.

Heading up the track

These rocks are covered with the impressions of prehistoric fish scales, as this area used to be partially under water.

Sauropod tail bone fragments

Stegosaurus humerus!

Paul communes with a sauropod's femur

Tiny fossilised clams

As well as dino stuff, there are also 1000 year old Native American petroglyphs

And possibly best of all, motherfucking prairie dogs!

Prairie dogs EVERYWHERE. These are but two of the many, many photos we took of these little dudes popping out of their burrows and dashing about the place.

Paying our respects to the dino guardian of the carpark

Next next stop on the dinotour? Colorado, and the humble town of Dinosaur.

Blue Mountain, near the Colorado border

Farewell Utah (for now), and hello Moffat County Colorado...

... and hello Dinosaur!


All of the streets in Dinosaur have dino names - I can't tell you how funny it is to hear the GPS say "turn left - Highway 64, Stegosaurus Highway". We may have made a few unnecessary turns just to enjoy the absurdity.

We met some of the locals...


... and visited a few more street corners.

Our final item of business in Dinosaur?

 Lunch, of course!

Delicious malts...

... and a grilled cheese. 

1 comment: