Cliff Dwellings and Mexican Food

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Today, we decided to head to Mesa Verde National Park, located about 50 miles west of Durango. Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to 1300. Today the park protects nearly 5,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States. We had read on their website that many of the cliff dwellings were closed, but they did offer a tour of Spruce Tree House. We left about 10:45 and took a lunch with us. The drive to the park entrance was very easy and relaxing, with snow remaining on many of the shady sides of the cliffs and mountain sides.

Driving to Mesa Verde

We arrived and headed to the brand new visitor and research center, located at the entrance to Mesa Verde. This was a really nice facility, costing 12.1 million back in 2011. We walked around inside, made a small purchase in the store, and picked up a map. The Ranger said that there were not guided tours today, only self-guided, so we didn't feel rushed to get to the ruin site, as we first thought.

(photo by NPS)

The entrance

Scale model of rhe Mesa Verde area

We drove the 20 miles into the park. We had been here in the Summer of 2011, and there were areas that had obviously burned recently. Well, the park is in recovery from fires in many places, but it is still a very surreal and beautiful place. It still amazes me!

Beautiful Mesa Verde

We arrived at the museum and visitor center near the Spruce Treehouse, and decided it would be best to eat our lunch before we headed to the cliff dwelling. The Spruce Treehouse tour requires a 100ft (30m) descent and ascent on a winding path, with a total walking distance of a 1/2-mile round trip. Rangers are on-site to answer questions. The temperatures were in the 40s, but with the sun out, it felt much warmer. We started down the trail, and quickly realized it was going to be a little challenging. It was very steep!

We made it down to the cliff dwellings, and enjoyed exploring and hearing about them from the Ranger. I even got to hold some shards of pottery from the ruins! Tony climbed the ladder into a kiva, a room used for religious rituals. The ruins are really intriguing.

Spruce Treehouse.  Somehow, we have to get down there!

Hiking the path...

Making our way down...

Almost there!

Tony in Spruce Treehouse

View of the cliff overhang

Spruce Treehouse cliff dwellings

An excavated Kiva

Tony going into a Kiva

Inside the Kiva

Erika looking at pottery with the Ranger

The "penthouse"?

After we viewed this cliff dwelling, we headed back up the switch-backing path to the surface. We had to stop a few times, as we'd get a little winded in the high altitude. We made it out, and then toured the museum. Many display cases with artifacts and dioramas explain the Puebloan culture during the time the cliff dwellings were in use.

We then headed through more of the park, on the Mesa Top Loop Road, where there are pull-outs for viewing additional cliff dwellings from afar. Here is a pic of Tower House Cliff Dwelling.

We finally decided we were worn out and needed to head home about 4:30. The sun was beginning to get low in the sky, and it was getting colder. We made it back to Durango, just as the sun was setting. We decided we were in the mood for some Mexican food. We haven't had good luck with Mexican Food in Colorado, but we decided to try Tequilas. We found a place about a block away to park. Right as we were getting out of the truck, the Durango & Silverton train was coming back through town. I took a video, but I'm having an issue getting it to upload to the blog. I will continue to work on it.

We had fajitas for two, and there was plenty, it could have been fajitas for three! We enjoyed our meal, and while we were eating, a man dressed as "santa claus" came walking through the restaurant ringing a bell, and proclaiming, "Happy New Year!" Everyone cheered and clapped for him! After dinner, we headed back to the trailer.

We were both pretty tired from our exploring and hiking Mesa Verde. We ended up heading to bed about 9:30pm. About 12:01, we were awoken by someone in the trailer park blasting a hand-held air horn, like you often hear at a sporting event or high school graduation. LOL!  We immediately thought of our friend Jay, whom has a powerful train/air horn in his truck and is known for blasting it when he is at a Rally.

Happy New Year, everyone!!