The morning sun on the way into Mesa Verde National Park
wildlife on the drive up to the cliff dwellings
The Mesa Verde area was occupied from about 600 to 1300 AD. However, much of that time the inhabitants lived on the top of the mesa. The cliff dwellings were lived in from about 1100 to 1200. Archeologists have different theories on why the inhabitants moved down into the cliffs in the first place and why they moved on, but they are all guesses...protection, drought, change in religion are some of the guesses.
9:00 a.m. tour of Cliff Palace
These were built with very rudimentary tools.
Aren't they gorgeous?
Our tour was led by a fantastic ranger who not only gave us an lively explanation of the history, but also told us that the crops of the time were corn, beans & squash, which she also told us if you eat together are the perfect source of nutrition.
The walkway out of Cliff Palace.
They had fires several years ago
This is some sort of insect that is everywhere throughout the park and creates a loud clicking noise. (click on the picture to make it bigger)
Square Tower House. It's got 4 stories.
These were the main gathering places. They had a hole in the top for smoke to go out and holes in the floor and sides for storage. I think they look a bit claustrophobic, but then again I live in a time with furnaces.
A later built dwelling on top of the mesa
After we went through the museum we walked down to Spruce Tree House.
The long, beautiful drive out
Wild horses
Next State Up: UTAH!
Gorgeous
Does the road ever end?
Somewhere seemingly in the middle of nowhere: Hole in the Rock
Those white doors are the doors to the said holes in the rock
That is a car on the top
I love the fact that you can see the rain coming out here
I don't know what that is...but it exists
