Our trip into Mesa Verde National Park stoked memories of movies such as Land of the Lost or Journey to the Center of the Earth where explorers stumbled upon untouched, hidden valleys full of prehistoric life. We half expected to discover a Brontosaurus peaking his head above the trees in the lush green valleys and canyons between the mesas we were navigating.
We had hoped to take a few of the guided tours but quickly discovered that they can sell out up to two days in advance. Tours of Balcony House and Cliff Palace were unavailable so we had to view them from the overlooks on our own.
We did secure tickets for the ranger guided tour of Long House which was amazing. We also realized that it would have been highly likely that we would have heard the same historical information in each of the guided tours so one tour was plenty. While many of the National Parks have had amazing geological features, this was the first park to really highlight a history of the people native to the land, ancestral Puebloans.
We learned quite a bit about the various generations of native people who lived on these mesas for over 1000 years. We learned what they ate, how they lived, how they built their structures, and a little bit about their faith.
After a full day of exploring the ancient ruins we headed towards Moab, UT for the night to be prepared for even more National Park adventures tomorrow.
I am extremely pleased to announce that upon our arrival in Moab, UT we promptly discovered our 50th state license plate... Hawaii!!!!!
