Since school is about to start and we were in a down-time Terry and I, the grandchildren and thier parents decided to take a short vacation.
Terry put the water in the pasture and we headed out.
Cortez, Colorado is three hours away from us, with Mesa Verde (the Visitor’s Center) an hour out of Cortez. So in four hours we were looking, walking, and touring some of Colorado’s most famous cliff houses.
There are two mesas which are open to visitors, each mesa takes four hours or so to completely see.
Some you drive to and get out and look upon as they are waaaaaay
across the canyon. Others like this one just above (Long House) is open for tours
others you walk down to and then get to walk through out.
This cliff is called Cliff Palace. The time space is 600 A.D. to the middle of 1200 A.D.
You can NOT be afraid of heights, nor have bad knees, or get tired of walking
You get to walk in the footsteps of these very ancient people …here you go up the rock in ancient foot holes
It took four hours on the first mesa and about 6 hours on the second mesa
Everything that goes down, has to come back up.
I was walked out! It was hot, also, heat hovering around the very high 90s. You could see it shimmer off the canyon walls.
Lots and lots of people. It costs to get into the park, and it costs per person no matter the size or age to travel into the large cliffs. The group sizes are regulated so you are not crowded or the site over-whelmed with people.
Times have changed. This made my 6th visit to the park. In the beginning you could just go and do and enjoy. It’s now big business, but still very enjoyable.
If you get a chance to go, please do so.
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
I have always been fascinated by Mesa Verde (and other cliff dwellings). It is hard to imagine constructing something so large and complex with only basic tools… and then doing it in a crevice in the rock! I’ve only visited when it was really, really hot. I can only imagine how terribly cold it could be in the winter!
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Wow, thanks for posting this! As a big Louis L’Amour fan I have read about the park, but never seen pics anywhere near this good!
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That is so amazing. I googled it and the sat view is unreal. Now I’m looking at properties there 🙂 What a gorgeous amazing mesa. Really. I’d love to live near that and have it for inspiration.
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Linda, what an interesting post. How magical it must feel to be able to place one’s feet in foot prints of those from so long ago. Such wonderful photos, how fascinating the cliff dwellings are. I have to ask, were those your grandchildren climbing the ladders? I would have been a nervous wreck. You all must be in tip top shape! Thanks for taking us along on this most interesting field trip. Sending greetings from Maine, Julie.
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Very nice, Linda. That’s on our long list of places to visit sometime… Not sure I could go up and down those ladders though… ha
Sounds like you all had a great time–even though it was hot and crowded… (OH–don’t we yearn for the olden days when things weren’t so crowded and regimented????)
Hugs,
Betsy
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Mesa Verde, like Yellowstone, is another National Park in danger of being loved to death. It’s good there are rules to protect its fragile ecology, but it does make you long for the days of less crowds and lower prices. It’s such an amazing place that truly makes you wish those people had left behind more records of their daily lives. A good reminder to keep writing in that journal…or posting blogs ;0D.
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The Cliff Palace looks absolutely incredible. It’s almost hard to believe that something that complex could be so old. We’ve talked about visiting Mesa Verde, but I think perhaps we should think in terms of Spring or Autumn when it may not be so hot. I’m glad you enjoyed your visit.
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I love how places like this fuel the fire of imagination. It’s incredible to think of all the history that is around us. Looks like you had a fantastic adventure.
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Of all the places we saw as a kid, that was one of my favorites! I hope to take our kids someday! I’m glad you got to go with your grandkids, sounds like fun!
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That is one place that is on my “bucket list”! A holiday around here is going to town for groceries 😦
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I remember how scared I was to climb that big ladder when I was 3 or 4. I need to take my kids!!
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How fun and it looks like the grandbabies did very well. That’s a lot of walking for some so young (and old – haha). Definitely looks like someplace I’d like to see and all because you shared. Thank you.
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I’m afraid of heights, have bad knees, AND can’t walk very far. So I really appreciate getting to see your photos. Thank you so much!
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I am sooooooooo jealous!!! That is one of the places on my bucket list, fantastic shots..:-))
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Twice our family has driven by the entrance to Mesa Verde. We were always on our way to someplace we had to be, and didn’t have even half a day to properly devote to such a magical place. Maybe one day. 🙂
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