Mesa Verde

Last weekend we took a trip to Mesa Verde with Dan and his family.  It was a lot of fun.  We camped for 3 nights and everyone did really well. The cousins loved being together.  We got to see a lot of really neat things.  There were the mesa houses which were pit houses and pueblos.  We also got to see cliff houses.  These were definitely the favorite houses.  We got to see 2 self-guided cliff dwellings and 2 ranger-guided cliff dwellings.  The ranger led dwellings were Cliff Palace which had the more exciting hike with stone steps and ladders, and Long House, where we got to go up into the dwelling and see the seep spring.  We also stopped off at four corners just to say we had been there.

 Spruce Tree House, one of the self-guided cliff dwellings

 We also got to go inside a reconstructed Kiva.  The kids thought the ladder was a lot of fun.

On our way out of Cliff Palace.

 Long House.  Maya did not want her picture taken.

 The ladders we had to climb to see the seep spring at Long House.

Four Corners monument.

We stayed in Monticello on the way home and stopped by the temple.  We also went out to eat at a really great chuck wagon restaurant.