[JONAT-chat] Mesa Verde (Colorado sector) lodging

[Mark Stephenson]

Robert,
 
You have me totally confused. Here's the itinerary cut and pasted from the website:
 
OKLAHOMA CITY
April 23	 Friday	 Dallas / Ft. Worth	 to	 Oklahoma City	  	 	
April 24	 Saturday	 Oklahoma City	 to	 ?	  	 	
April 25	 Sunday	 ?	 to	 Garden City OK	  	 	
DENVER
April 26	 Monday	 Garden City OK	 to	 Golden CO	  	 	
April 27	 Tuesday	 Golden CO	 to	 Gunnison CO	  	 	
April 28	 Wednesday	 Gunnison CO	 to	 Mesa Verde National Park CO	 3 hour park tour	
 
Is there a route change not posted? Bob! Help! :-)
 
Does this revision mean you want to do the hand-off in Cortez? Yikes! My sector is already to go with Mesa Verde as the handoff. I could redo it starting at Cortez. Either that or we should keep the handoff at Far View. If we are down to a week or less to go and we don't have a bunch of people trying to join us at Mesa Verde, then we can wing it and cancel and Mesa Verde and book in Cortez. Or book both places for the 28th, but a bunch of cancellations at the last minute seems unfair.
 
Dick, what are you planning?
 
While I like the idea of cutting off a half hour at the beginning, the drive to Page is almost all 65 mph 2-lane highway, According to my calculations it should be about 5 hours, 45 minutes of driving time for 292 miles. 
 
Mark


________________________________

	From: jonat-chat-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:jonat-chat-admin@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of RMac@aol.com
	Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2004 1:00 PM
	To: jonat-chat@autox.team.net
	Subject: [JONAT-chat] Re: [JONAT-chat] Mesa Verde  (Colorado sector) lodging
	
	
	Dick, thanks for making the effort!  Apparently the electronic reservations system for Aramark is down, and Orbitz was simply defaulting to "no rooms available."   Good news for us.
	
	Here is the official Motels list for the Colorado Sector:
	
	Night of:
	April 24     Golden Hotel, Golden CO
	April 25     Golden Hotel, Golden CO
	April 26     Best Western Tomichi Village Inn, Gunnison  
	April 27     Far View Lodge, Mesa Verde NP
	   alternate:     Best Western Durango Inn And Suites, Durango 
	April 28     Best Western Sands, Cortez
	   alternate:     Far View Lodge, Mesa Verde NP 
	
	Details are attached as ColoradoLodging.pdf for Dick and Mark.  Anyone else who is interesed can read it at http://tinyurl.com/2j8kd 
	
	I will be staying at home for the Golden/Denver nights, and the listed motels the other nights.  Right now no one but myself and my rider are joining at Golden.
	
	I will change my own reservations to Far View Lodge on the 27 and Best Western - Cortez on the 28.  The drive to Page will be a long one, and the half hour head start will help lengthen the time available for sightseeing.  Being half the price helps, too. Those who value peace and quiet over a telephone connection, and not having to vacate their room every single morning, will probably prefer to stay both nights at the Lodge.
	
	The afternoon tour of Mesa Verde is unavailable until after May 1, unfortunately. The morning and all-day tours, however, are available and I shall probably be taking the all-day tour myself.  Tour-free exploration is available for those who prefer it, except for key ruins.  Those require a Ranger escort, but are inexpensive ($2.75 for a one hour tour) and run hourly for the ruins open this early in the season.  If you do not wish to devote an entire day to the Park, stay in Durango Tuesday night and spend the morning seeing the sights there. 
	
	By the way, Best Western shows all their rates on their own site, and these match the best which can be gotten from the discount websites such as Orbitz and Travelocity. You should be aware that the cheapest rate for one BW is NOT necessarily the cheapest rate at another. I am AAA rate at two of them and "BestRates" at the third.
	
	Dick and Mark, you are two thirds of the Colorado contingent at the moment. Your input is welcome.
	
	--
	
	Robert MacLeay - Denver, CO
	1990 VDP Majestic
	Coordinator, Colorado Sector <http://homepage.mac.com/robertmacleay/.Public/JONAT-CO/COHighlights.html> 
	Jaguar Owners North American Tour 2004 - http://jonat.org
	
	
	
	In a message dated 3/23/04 11:53:57 AM, dhile@enterprise-lakepowell.com writes:
	
	
	

		We have a group of rooms reserved at the Far View Lodge at Mesa Verde.
		Participants are to call 1-800-449-2288, which is a direct line to
		Reservations and mention JONAT ( or "the Jaguar Group")
		We are receiving a 25% discount and the rate is $82.00/night plus tax.
		
		NOTE: This is the ONLY lodging in the Park and those who miss out will
		probably have to find accommodations in Cortez or Mancos (good luck) which
		will complicate things if they want to tour the ruins, etc.
		
		I strongly advise that participants contact Far View IMMEDIATELY and reserve
		a room. The General Manager will hold them as long as possible but they
		won't last forever. This is a very popular tourist attraction and bus tours
		are common, so one bus can wipe out a lot of rooms.
		
		BTW, the GM at Far View is also interested in buying a 120FHC, so let me
		know if anyone has a line on one.
		
		Dick Hile
		Arizona ASC
		
		
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