Mesa Verde-completes the loop in the Colorado Plateau

         May 9

        We visit Mesa Verde, our last National Park. The timing of weather patterns has continued in our favor. We scheduled 2 guided tours in the park. It was competitive getting the Square Tower House tour because they take only 10 people once a day. Both tours ended up being great, with striking, well preserved ruins from the unique Pueblo people who inhabited this area for centuries, but build the amazing  cliff dwellings during the 13th century. Our guides were both great and gave us an interesting historical review and a close up view of the well preserved structures.

Carolyn is our guide in the morning

We first see the Square Tower House from the overview

The descent to the cliff dwellings is part of the fun

Carolyn enjoys sharing her knowledge.

While we are there, Carolyn shows off some of the petroglyphs and gives us a little education regarding the distinct style of Mesa Verde Pueblo pottery. She has some potsherds ( that is a word) to show off.

We also distracted by flowers ( what else is new ) and birds. Bird ID tells us that this is a Spotted Towhee. It has a beautiful, bright call.

As we drove around the fingers of land that make up the park, we get to appreciate  how many of these cliff dwells there are. There is one ravine just full of the cliff dwellings.

     In the afternoon we visited the Cliff Palace on a tour guided by Cayden, a young man giving his first tour of the season. As thunder clouds moved in, we held our breaths in hopes that the tour wouldn't be cancelled. We squeaked through minutes before the other tours were stopped!

Descending in to the ravine.

Scrambling back out of the ravine.