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Published: July 13th 2007
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After our stop at the four corners, Brian and I agreed we should grab a bite to eat before checking into our motel for the night. We found a local place named the Anasazi Restaurant and enjoyed a meal as far away from Weight Watchers as you can possibly get. Brian had a huge Taco pie that literally filled the entire plate and was loaded with everything you would typically find on a taco, while I indulged in the Cortez Cristo which was turkey, ham, and cheese on French toast (with a side of jam of course)! Delicious!
We then went to check in at the Tomahawk Lodge (you think the little old, white couple could have chosen a more politically incorrect name?!). Legalities aside, as the lady was checking us in two HUGE dogs ran past the door behind her…apparently chasing one another. They were Great Danes and were so tall they could rest their heads on the waist-high counter! I watched them amusingly because I knew the only thing on Brian’s mind was putting as much distance as possible between himself and the dogs! Anyway, we finished off the night by checking into our room, watching some
TV, and crashing.
The next morning we slept past breakfast time and wandered into Once Upon a Sandwich for lunch. While we had expected an average deli, we found ourselves in a homey restaurant dedicated entirely to lunch. The waitress sat us and Brian enjoyed a Chicken Sandwich while I got a Baked Potato loaded with Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Ham, and Cheese! When I declared I’d eaten enough of it, Brian wasted no time devouring the rest! Finally, we were ready to drive to Mesa Verde National Park.
Once inside the park, it was a little depressing to see that like Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite before that, forest fires were prevalent here, and had destroyed much of the forest.
Mesa Verde is where the Ancestral Pueblo Indians built entire villages into the sides of the mountains circa the year 600. It has been designated a National World Heritage Site and is truly amazing to explore. Our first stop inside the park was Spruce Tree House. After a short hike we were at the base of the dwelling where it was possible to take pictures and go down one of the kivas. The rest of the house could be
accessed only by park rangers, although we did see two kids around the age of 16 permitted to enter because of their current status as members of the Navajo Tribe! I thought that was pretty cool and was genuinely jealous as we watched the kids explore the many rooms, kivas, and other intricacies that made up the dwelling.
Our next stop was the tour of Balcony House. The tour was given by a park ranger who had also done archeology of the site and had fought forest fires in the park, so the information she was able to share with us made the tour extremely interesting. But even without a guide, exploring Balcony House would have been awesome on its own. To start, we had to climb a 30 foot ladder to reach the cliff dwelling, and then we were required to crawl on our hands and knees through a 12 foot tunnel! As you can see from the pictures, both entrances to the tunnel were extremely narrow and I honestly don’t know how some of the people on the tour squeezed themselves through them! The reason the entrances were so small is because the average height for the
Pueblo Indians was 5’2 for women and a mere 5’4 for men! Anyway, everyone on the tour got through it so I guess that’s all that matters! The obstacles weren’t over though! To exit Balcony House, we held onto cables, placing our feet in the divots created by the park service, and made the steep climb to the top of the mountain.
Overall, Brian and I had an awesome time admiring and exploring the cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo Indians at Mesa Verde…and whether Brian will admit it or not, I think he may have a more favorable attitude towards National Parks now that he’s seen them and enjoyed them! Honestly though, the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde are truly amazing and definitely worth the trip if you’re out in Mid-West.
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Carolyn
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Great Photos
What great photos of Mesa Verde - we are headed out there in a few months - can't wait to see this beautiful spot.