San Juan Skyway - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 435

Severalmilesahead,theroadtwiststhroughaglaciatedvalleydottedwithbeaverdams
before easing into the town of Rico.
10. Rico
Adopting the Spanish word for “rich,” this once-booming mining town is lined with stone
and brick Victorian structures from the 1880s. For the next 30 miles or so past Rico, the
route follows the Dolores River, which takes a leisurely, meandering course through a val-
ley of aspens and spreading cottonwoods.
11. Dolores
The pleasant town of Dolores is perched above McPhee Reservoir, popular for recreation
and the site of ancient ancestral Puebloan settlements. Some of the remains that were ex-
cavated here before the gorge was flooded are on display in the Anasazi Heritage Center,
located on a bluff overlooking the Montezuma Valley about four miles south of town on
Rte. 145. The center also features a 25-room ruin and a full-scale replica of a pit house
dwelling.
Descending past ranches and farms, the drive reaches the strip town of Cortez. Nearby
are scenic desertscapes backed by the La Plata Mountains and Mesa Verde National Park.