Mesa Verde, Ancestral Puebloans

We left Moab and headed south on route 191 and then went east into Colorado on routes 491 and 160. Just east of Cortez, we stopped in at Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site. The road up to the park, the only National Park that is about people rather than rocks, was full of challenging switchbacks, steep climbs, many of which had no shoulders and no guardrails....but it was well worth the nerves. This road will be added to our list of great roads.

Have you ever stood in a North American Village that was built in 1200 AD??? The Puebloans built their dwellings out of sandstone, with mud water and urine as mortar. The Cliff Palace that you see in the picture was the largest with 129 rooms. This park preserves as a reminder of this ancient culture. Archeologists have called these people Anasazi, fro a Navajo word....but they are now called Ancestral Puebloans, reflecting modern descendants. One can only visit the cliff village via a park ranger, and descending many step staircases and ladders. Cliff Palace as you see in the picture is 65% original !