Currently in Cortez CO (Low 36 Currently Sunny 47)
Heading to Moab UT (Currently 52 Sunny High 80)
Our GPS devices brought us right to the KOA. The front desk was friendly and efficient. The interior roads and sites were gravel. We were in a long pull thru and it took a little jockeying since the power pedestal was at the front of the site and our cord connection is at the rear of the Lifestyle. We had to add our sewer hose extension. Once settled the hookups went smoothly. We had a great view out our back window.
Here is the Lifestyle from the front.
To the right.
To the left.
From the rear.
We got some nice views of the snow capped San Juan Mountains, storms approaching, and sunsets from our back window.
This is a very nice park in a great location. We would stay here again.
We depart Cortez today heading to Moab Utah.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
Currently in Cortez CO (Low 43 Mostly Sunny High 71)
Here is a view of the mesa as we headed into the park.
There are more than just cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park. Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi) were present in the region from about 400 AD to 1300 AD. Not all of the Anasazi were cliff dwellers as evidenced by other sites across the southwest. Mesa Verde National Park is somewhat unique in that the various dwellings are present. The first settlers in this area were basket makers and dug a shallow Pithouse with a wood frame covered by mud shell. Here is one of the earliest ones preserved in the park.
From the web we got a drawing of what the Pithouse would have looked like.
They then dug deeper pits for the Pithouses showing here.
From Pithouses they then began developing above ground pueblos as well as pottery.
With below ground common rooms for sharing food showing here.
And the Kivas which were ceremonial.
For a reason currently unknown they then moved to building cliff dwellings patching stones together. Here are some of the ones built into Navajo Canyon.
Then a great drought hit and about 1300 AD they left the area moving south to Arizona and New Mexico. As we were leaving we saw a storm in the distance.
We had some very strong winds but no rain from that system.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
Currently in Cortez CO (Low 46 Sunny High 74)
All we can say is WOW! Mesa Verde National Park is amazing, so amazing with a lo of photos that we are going to break our visit into 2 blogs. Today we will cover the road into the park and Navajo Canyon. Tomorrow we will cover the ruins at the park.
Although the entrance is only 8 miles from the KOA the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum is about 20 miles from the entrance. We did a lot of climbing and switchbacks with a tunnel and some pullouts. Here is the tunnel.
The road sign for one of the many switchbacks followed by a photo where you can see the road below the road we are on.
The pullouts were scenic.
Evidence of a recent forest fire.
We got to the Museum and watched the orientation film, which like other national park videos was great. We then drove the Mesa Top Loop where we saw the Navajo Canyon which was gorgeous.
Here is the side of the canyon that has the cliff dwellings we will cover tomorrow.
We were blown away by Mesa Verde National Park and highly recommend it as a place to visit. Stay tuned for Part II tomorrow.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
Currently in Cortez CO (Low 56 Mostly Sunny and Breezy High 79)
We got a late start yesterday so decided to visit the Visitors Center of the Mesa Verde National Park and research our visit planned for today. Since the entrance to the park is only 8 miles and we have a Senior Pass which gets us in free we figured it was a great way to get information at a very low cost. Our first assumption that we could get in free was false as the visitors center is before the entrance gate so everyone can visit the visitors center free, and our 2nd assumption was also false. Usually the visitors centers at National Parks have a great video. The video for this park is at the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum on the other side of the entrance gate. With all that said it was still a good time.
The view as you walk up to the visitors center is awesome of the snow capped San Juan Mountains.
There is a sculpture out front of a cliff dweller climbing the sides of the cliff.
There were displays and info available, here is a scale model of the USS Mesa Verde, the first ship of the US Navy named after the national park.
Examples of pottery and jewelry that are found in the area.
A great painting of what Mesa Verde would have looked like years ago, notice the San Juan Mountains in the distance.
We are determined to see the film so we will drive up today to the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum with stops along the way no doubt.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
Currently in Cortez CO (Low 38 Sunny High 81)
When you live fulltime in an RV every day is not jam packed with sightseeing, sometimes you have to do the stuff that you do in a house like shopping at Wal-Mart, cleaning, laundry, getting the rig washed and waxed, etc. That is what we have done the last couple days but we are sure in a nice scenic area to do all that. Here is a couple of shots out our back window of when the sun sets and the impact it has on the mountains.
Speaking of Wal-Mart we continue with our scenic views from the Wal-Mart parking lots.
We did have a great lunch at Once Upon a Sandwich in Cortez before we shopped at Wal-Mart.
We split a grilled cheese sandwich on steroids and a chicken fried chicken with homemade mashed potatoes. Both were excellent. With all the mundane stuff out of the way we hope to do some sightseeing, first on the list is the Mesa Verde National Park.
Till next time,
Bob and Jo
