Perkins Road to Canyons and Ruins.

In my write up about Browns Canyon Ruins, I mentioned that Perkins Road (CR 206) is also the way to Three Kiva Pueblo; well coming from Blanding that is. There is another route, but that's going to be in the series of write ups I'll be doing on the various canyons between Monticello and Blanding.  By the way, this isn't going to be about Three Kiva Pueblo; sorry, but I'm not done with Perkins Road just yet.





This graded gravel road has some of the most amazing scenery along both sides; dips, curves, steep inclines and declines giving a full vision vantage view.  There is also a full view of the Abajo Mountains; a covering of snow giving them a more defined, dramatic aura.





Monument Valley is in the far distance.

One detail I should warn you about Perkins Road, it likes to change names; in the city of Blanding you start on Main Street and 500 South, then it turns to 1100 East/Dairy Lane. You'll get to a cattle guard with two signs - CR 206 and CR 2416 and wonder; now when did it change to CR 2416? Don't panic, just cross over the cattle guard and stay the course; that's CR 206 just playing its name game with you.



Get ready to get a bit frustrated, I'm going to tease you to no end now.  Twenty miles along the road, you'll come to the junction for Montezuma Canyon Road (CR 146); there is some sort of substation there.  The left turn will bring you to Three Kiva Pueblo in another seven miles; however, this entire road is full of cliffside and cave ruins; rock art; wineries, and modern homes built into the sandstone walls.   CR 146 comes out on Route 191, just five miles from the Monticello Welcome Center.  Sorry, but that's all I'm going to say about it in this post; you'll just have to wait for my canyon series.

There are two options now; make the left turn onto CR 146, or keep going straight; oh and I mean that.  There will be forks in the road; stay straight, or if unsure, lean towards the right hand path.  The scenery gets pretty drab, the desert and stone taking on a grayish hue; horses roaming the land freely don't seem to mind posing for photos.

This horse was a true sweetheart.



Just as you think you're about to fall asleep, a homestead comes into view; around the corner, Hurrah, signs!  Now all you have to do is pick a direction; return the way you came,  CR 262 to Blanding or Bluff, Hovenweep National Monument, or to Cortez, Colorado.  Cortez is where we were headed, to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Tequila's.   Oh my, the stomach is growling, and I'm drooling just thinking about eating one of their most awesomely delicious meals.



Route to Cortez, Colorado



There you go, Perkins Road (CR 206), and the point of all this is that you shouldn't just go to a certain point on a roadway just to see one thing...keep going and find those other wonderful sites.

Mary Cokenour