Mesa Verde National Park

We finally made it to Mesa Verde National Park, a trip we've been wanting to make for several years. The kids were so excited, but not as excited as me! We decided to camp in a nearby state park, since it was cheaper and we wanted to stay somewhere in the mountains. The campground in Mesa Verde is desert and has little shade. We chose Mancos State Park, which was less then an hour from the National Park. We were able to spend days at the Park and come home for relaxing evenings in our campground.

Our first stop was at the visitor's center to pick up our Junior Ranger books and buy tickets to tours. The visitor's center also houses the archaeological discoveries in the park, and we got to look into the archive room through windows. 

Our first sight of a cliff dwelling! After taking a walk around the museum area, we went inside to work on Junior Ranger books and explore the museum. We all loved the many dioramas with tiny little Indians going about their daily lives. 

 The dioramas were so detailed we studied them for a long time. 

Hailey working on her Junior Ranger badge.

Caiden helping Colby with his book.

After our museum visit, our picnic was entertained by the antics of the camp robbers. 

A newly discovered species, Hailieous Jayous. 

After lunch, we explored the driving tour. We got to go from early rooftop dwellings and farming sites to later cliff dwellings. It was really interesting for the adults and older kids, but the younger ones started getting tired of getting in and out of the van. 

Looking at ceremonial kivas inside a protecting building.

Colby sporting his brand-new shirt because guess who's bag got forgotten at home? Our very first stop that morning was for some Colby clothes. Oh well, it all goes to make better 

memories later. 

Our first cliff dwelling tour! It wasn't as scary as it looked... just don't ask Jeff about it. We climbed a 30 foot ladder, then the tour guide talked about the different parts of the dwelling. We were free to explore a bit, as long as we didn't touch anything. To leave, we had to crawl through a tunnel and then climb another ladder and steps carved in the rock. It gave us a taste for what it must have been like to live in the cliffs, climbing up and down daily!

A little fishing in the evening, and then some singing around the campfire. 

Breakfast.

The next day, we visited my favorite dwelling - Long House. I cannot describe to you the beauty and immenseness of this place. It truly felt sacred to walk into, like a cathedral with the cliff soaring over our heads and the ruins stacked up around us. 

Before there was "the dab", there was Caiden, pretending to be a Greek statue. 

  Back to the visitor's center to get their badges, then we were off to the four corners.

A view of Shiprock, in New Mexico, which we could see from the reservation on our way to the four corners.

The museum in Cortez, which some of the kids labeled "The best meseum ever!". I think someone gives that label to every museum we visit.  Hailey is practicing weaving. Colby loved these drawers with different displays in them. 

Grinding corn and looking at a reproduction of an ancient house.