Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

We set off from Bluff, Utah, on a day trip in the car to Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado.  The trip over 100 miles each way.  On the way to the national park, we stopped at Four Corners, where the states of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado all come together.  What a disappointment! The monument was officially closed, so there was nothing to see.  We drove in and saw the Indian sales booths.  No, thanks!  Luckily we only went 8 miles out of our way to Four Corners.  It was amusing when we saw the following sign, because we were in New Mexico for less than one minute.

This sign was more meaningful since we were in Colorado for most of the day.

We finally got to the somewhat boring town of Cortez, Colorado, and soon after that, we entered Mesa Verde National Park.  We went from about 6200 feet in altitude to well over 8000 feet.  They were getting ready to resurface the road, so it was a bumpy ride.  We finally got to Far View Visitor Center and purchased tickets to go on a ranger-led tour of Cliff Palace.  We were a little nervous about all the "warning-strenuous hike" signs, but we did okay and were glad that we got to see Cliff Palace up close and personal.  The following picture is the exit from the cliff dwelling.  Yes, that crack you see is very steep steps and ladders to exit the cliff!  You can see the people at the top, but look carefully, and you will see a person at the bottom.  No that's not me, but I was sure huffing and puffing when I reached the top!

View of Cliff Palace from the overlook and tour meeting area.

A closer look at Cliff Palace during the ranger-led tour.

Spruce Tree House. 

We didn't take the self-guided walk down to this cliff dwelling, but we had a good view from the overlook.

Square Tower House

This was another cliff dwelling that we got a good look at from the overlook.

We had a good lunch in the park at Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum cafe, but our dinner was a disaster.  We ate at Ute Mountain Casino, which was on the way back to Bluff.  The casino restaurant offered a Mother's Day buffet, but it wasn't well done and didn't have good food.  Casino restaurants are a "gamble".  Some are excellent, some are average, and this one was bad!  Also on the way home we endured a dust storm.  Not a great ending to the day, but nevertheless, it was a fun and educational, although tiring, day.

Thanks for reading about our Grand Circle adventures!