On the way from Durango to the Grand Canyon, we made a pit stop at Mesa Verde National Park in the southwest corner of Colorado. These canyon dwellings are impressive because the area just seems so inhospitable to human life today, which is maybe why natives haven't lived here for about 700 years. It is believed these dwellings were made in 1200 A.D.
I have a hard time imagining how much effort it would take to get water from the bottom and farm and hunt on the top of the mesas. Not much time to be bored living here.
This is Cliff Palace, the largest of the cliff dwellings. We needed tickets for a tour to go down into this one, something we didn't make time for.
Me inside the Spruce Tree House. This one was the best preserved when re-discovered by cattle herders in the 1800's. There has been some amount of restoration to all of the cliff dwellings, there are 600 of them in total at the park. Tons of artifacts have been found here, pottery, tools, etc. I am sure this place is an archeologist's dream!
Some of the very unique landscape seen on our way through northern Arizona to the Grand Canyon. We made it around midnight. We saw lots of elk with huge racks grazing along the side of the road.
Total Miles: 376, long day of driving
Total Gas: $127.46
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