Mesa Verde and Elvis

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Driving into Mesa Verde National Park on 09/30, we saw evidence of the prior day’s hailstorm. It looked like snow on the sides of the road and on the hillsides, but most of it melted during the day. The first lookout point was over 8,000 feet in elevation and afforded a 360-degree view of snow-capped mountains to the north, the valley below to the west, and Shiprock, NM to the south.

Mesa Verde is famous for the ruins of the cliff-dwelling Ancient Puebloans. There is evidence of their settlement as early as 500 A.D. to 1300 A.D., when their homes evolved from pit houses on top of the mesa to the unbelievable cliff-dwellings under the canyon’s stone arches, accessed from the top, not the bottom of the canyons!

We descended to the Cliff Palace, largest of the sites, for a closer look. There were over 100 metal and stone steps on the way down. To get back to the top, we had to climb a narrow set of stone stairs and a wooden ladder scrunched between the canyon walls - not for the faint of heart!

We ended our two-week caravan with Jim and Chris as they returned to Denver and we headed toward Arizona. Driving south, we ended up in the middle of the Shiprock Navajo Fair! The traffic delay was over an hour, as there were over 100,000 people in attendance. The 4-lane road became a miles-long parade route on the 2 northbound lanes. The 2 southbound lanes became the two-way traffic lanes. Needless to say, it was like driving in a slot canyon with semi-trucks, parked cars, barrels, and people darting between vehicles in the bumper-to-bumper traffic. Slightly unnerving to say the least! The best part was the Navajo Elvis impersonator whose float paralleled our bus all the way down the parade route. Thank you, thank you very much……..

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Photos

Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde
Cliff dwellings from around 1200 AD

Return to top of canyon
Slightly precarious climb back up

Cliff Palace again
Showing relationship to top of mesa

Snow in the Mountains
Looking north at the white peaks off in the distance

Shiprock, NM
We were surprised to find ourselves stuck in a parade

Driving for miles in a tight space!
A 45-foot bus and tow car - like threading a needle

The Navajo Elvis
Americana at its finest

Comments

[Mary Ann]

Navajo Elvis
As the rest of us are living the drudery of fulltime employment its always a lark to follow your travails which now include an Elvis impersonator! You need to get a slot on Good Morning America and entertain the rest of the country!!!