Mesa Verde National Park, Cortez and Cousin Eric

Mesa Verde NP is a glimpse into the lives of the Anasazi Indians (now called Ancestral Pueblo people for some reason) from 550 AD to the 1300’s when the people and the culture vanished. These cliff dwellers had challenges planting crops and had to be fit people to climb the cliffs to get to the homes and hunt in the hills and valleys. 

The earliest homes were called pit homes. They were dug into the ground for insulation from the very cold winters. The holes in the sides are air vents. 

The homes were tucked anyplace with a cave or overhang. The round areas are called kivas and are believed to be common gathering rooms for multiple families. They made bricks by carving the relatively soft sandstone and using mud and water for mortar. 

The Sun Temple was believed to be used for religious ceremonies. Walls are 4 feet thick and there is no entrance. It is assumed that they climbed a ladder to climb in and out. The national park service is missing an opportunity. They should build a platform so visitors can look in from above. 

Really cool national park to see but you have to be dedicated to the process of getting to the cliffs. It is a 45 minute drive from the park entrance and the drive goes straight up with very curvy roads. The top is at 8,500 feet! 

One of the things that I have loved about this trip is that I have been able to link up with old friends and new family. Eric Owens is my cousin. We had never met. He is my fathers brothers son. I moved from California several years before Eric was born. His beautiful family live in Cortez Colorado. It was great to spend the evening with Eric and his wife Vee.