From Bryce to Mesa Verde: A Scenic Adventure
Drive from Bryce to mesa Verde is 6.5 hours. If you take the route along the 70, through Moab you will see amazing procession of mountain after canyon after rock formation after mountain. No services for 100 miles all landscape to take in… Simply wonderful!
Arches National Park…Again?
On the way to Mesa Verde we take a pit stop at Arches National Park! Now, if you are a true fan of the blog, you will know that we have already visited Arches two years ago and covered it in great detail here.
This time around, decided to check out windows arch and turret arch with the kiddos and let them get some energy out rock climbing.
Car Emergency Chronicles
Picture this: You’re cruising along the open road, wind in your hair, and the promise of adventure ahead. But then, just outside Mesa Verde, your car decides it’s time for a little drama. The engine heats up, and you’re left pondering life’s mysteries—like why car trouble always strikes at the most inconvenient moments.
Fear not! Our intrepid travelers found salvation in the form of a good Samaritan with spare coolant. After a pit stop at the nearest gas station and a 24/7 mechanic’s intervention, the culprit was revealed: a broken radiator cap. A mere hiccup in the grand road trip saga, right? And hey, we only lost one day of our trip and at the end of that day the author got in a invigorating 2.2-mile run along the Lookout Point Trail. La Sal Mountains, you’ve never looked better!
Mesa Verde: Where Heritage Meets Cliff Dwellings
Welcome to Mesa Verde, where history whispers through ancient sandstone. This national park, nestled near Cortez, Colorado, isn’t your run-of-the-mill wilderness. It’s a sanctuary dedicated to preserving the heritage of the Pueblo people.
The Park’s Vast Canvas: Picture a mesa stretching out before you, roads winding like threads across its canvas. Drive 75 minutes into the heart of the park, and you’ll find yourself at the cliff dwellings—the crown jewels of Mesa Verde.
Cliff Tops and Elevation: These roads aren’t your average scenic drives. They cling to cliff tops, 8,000 feet above sea level. Pull over, catch your breath, and soak in the views. The sun and moon approve—they’ve been setting the stage for centuries.
Camping at Morefield Campground
Located 5 miles inside the parks entrance, this campground has full hookups, warm showers and 24 hour laundry, general store and gas station. Everything you need to explore the park.
Ranger Night Sky Program
We stayed a total three nights exploring Mesa Verde. On one night they hosted at night sky program. The program went into depth about the connection between Astronomy and the Native people who inhabited the area. They brought out two telescopes for us to view stars in the sky.
Climbing the Cliff Dwellings
Visit each cliff dwellings by tour only. You can also see them from scenic viewpoints located on top of the Mesa.
Cliff Palace: A Time Capsule in Stone
Step into the past with the Cliff Palace dwelling tour. Imagine 160 Puebloans bustling about these sandstone chambers in the 1200s. T-shaped doorways beckon you inside, and you marvel at their endurance—almost a millennium of standing tall.
Farming on the Edge: Corn, beans, and squash sustained these ancient inhabitants. Their farms perched on mesa tops, while living quarters nestled into the cliff walls. Handholds etched into stone served as ladders—a daily dance with gravity.
Kivas: Sacred Spaces: Round kivas dot the landscape. Each one held secrets—a place for decisions, knowledge-sharing, and sacred ceremonies. Imagine winter nights, huddled within their insulating walls, stories echoing off ancient stones.
Three Worlds, One Hole: The Puebloans believed in three worlds. Emerging from a small hole at the kiva’s center, they journeyed from the third world to inhabit the second. A cosmic commute, if you will.
Balcony House: Where Trade Meets Mystery
The cliff dwellers of Mesa Verde weren’t hermits—they were traders. Macaw feathers whispered of distant lands, and seashells from the Gulf of California and Mexico adorned their lives. Balcony House, perched on the edge of time, witnessed these exchanges. Imagine the echoes of barter, the pulse of connection, as ancient hands passed treasures across the canyons.
Smells of the Southwest
Close your eyes and inhale—the air in South Colorado carries secrets. It’s a symphony of fragrances: pinyon pine, juniper, rabbit brush, sage, and cedar wood. These scents weave together, telling stories of sun-soaked mesas and ancient spirits.
Cultural Center in Cortez
At the Cortez Cultural Center, we stepped into a world where time bends. A local Ute family welcomed us with open hearts, sharing their ceremonial heritage. Native flutes whispered ancestral melodies, cultural stories danced in the air, and our souls swayed to rhythms older than memory.
And then there’s the legend—the Sleeping Ute Mountain. A warrior god, they say, shaped this mountain, casting its shadow over the valley. It stands sentinel, a silent witness to centuries of human drama.
Ute Tribal Origins Unveiled
A tribal elder sitting next to me shared his tribes origin story, “Picture this: two infants, separated at birth by cosmic whims. One chose warriors to the north, growing into a formidable force. The other found farmers to the south, tilling soil and sowing life. Destiny wove their paths back together, birthing the Ute tribe—a fusion of strength and sustenance.”
The Great Pueblo Migration Mystery
Why did they leave? The cliff communities thrived for only a century. Was it drought? A cosmic nudge? The Puebloans didn’t vanish; they dispersed. Southward they went, weaving their stories into the fabric of Hopi, Zuni, Taos, Santa Clara, and Acoma communities.
So next time you’re on a road trip, remember: broken radiator caps and ancient mysteries are all part of the adventure. Mesa Verde whispers its secrets, and we listen, grateful for the journey.
