Nowhere on the planet is the dinosaur way of life better preserved or protected than at the Dinosaur National Monument that straddles the Utah-Colorado border.

And nowhere is the dinosaur more celebrated than in the surrounding countryside. In Vernal, the dinosaur is king. Huge re-creations dot the landscape of the Natural History fieldhouse, not far from Dino, the huge pink dinosaur that welcomes you to town.

Thirty-six miles from Dino, I pedaled into the high plains town of Dinosaur, Colo., pop. 319, which was called Artesia until 1966 when someone suggested renaming it in honor of the nearby proximity of the world's greatest dinosaur museum.

The street names reflect just how warmly the idea was embraced. There's Brontosaurus Boulevard, Stegosaurus Freeway, Triceratops Terrace, Brachiosaurus Bypass and Diplodocus Drive.

But I won't pedal down them. I've reached the end of the line. My wife pulls the Subaru over, I throw the bike on the rack, and for the first time in 400 miles, turn the fueling back over to the dinosaurs.

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Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.