Going to Mesa Verde National Park was supposed to be a quick trip from our hotel in Cortez, Colorado. The park opens at 8, so we decided to start early and enjoy the whole day there, especially since we missed Gunnison National Park. The visitor center was our first stop to get the lowdown on what to do. My wife, revisiting after 30 years, was buzzing with excitement, and her energy was contagious. They suggested we drive the two loops, visit the park, and hike by the museum.
The drive to the top of the park is about 20 miles, where the museum is located, and along the way, we took in the sights from various pullouts.
First up, The Razor’s Edge. It sounds scarier than it is. This spot offers a stunning valley view and is an excellent place to scout for any lurking dangers (like killer squirrels or something). The short walk to the edge (about 50 feet) lets you fully appreciate the drop without actually needing a parachute. We even saw a deer casually scaling a mountain. No biggie.
Next, we drove 5 miles up to the fire monitoring station. This place is where they keep an eye on fires and communicate with authorities about their location and intensity. Apparently, the Pueblo Indians used fire for communication too—talk about old-school texting! There are two lookout areas where you can soak in views of the San Juan mountains and the plains below. A camera snaps pictures every 15 minutes during fire season, and a live person sits in a tiny room, playing “Where’s Waldo?” with fires. Lightning is the main culprit here, and you can see scars from past fires.
Continuing our climb, we passed many scenic lookout points, each offering more jaw-dropping views of the San Juan mountains, still sporting some snow at the end of June. Suddenly, the drive took a turn for the eerie. We entered a zone where dead trees were all that remained, standing like skeletal sentinels. A sad sight, likely due to drought.
Winding through the long, twisty road, we finally reached the end of the park. It was around 9 am when we got to the museum. After a quick snack, we were ready to dive into this unique park. The mystery of the disappearing Pueblo Indians and the artifacts they left behind intrigued us. It was like stepping into a real-life Indiana Jones adventure.
So, we may have missed Gunnison, but our day at Mesa Verde was shaping up to be epic. Who knew exploring ancient ruins and dodging imaginary dangers could be so much fun?
