Breaking down camp is a pain! We had visions of getting up and out early. This is very difficult with young kids, making breakfast, showers, and tent breakdowns. We were able to hit the road at 10 and in the park at 10:15. Mesa Verde was the site I did the least amount of research, and to be fair, one I never heard of prior to our adventure.
Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300 (I thought US history started in 1492 A.D.). Today, the park protects over 4,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.
For the Bowman’s Mesa Verde was loosely translated to: The Place to Lose Stuff. I lost my Blackberry, Meg lost her cell phone cover, and we lost Molly. WHAT! Yup, we lost Molly. Mesa Verde is at 7,000 feet and requires visitors to walk down paved walkways to view the unique cliff dwellings. Halfway down, Meg called back to me to ask where Molly was. We were 15
minutes into our decent and it was clear, Molly was not with us. Jen and I backtracked while Meg and Jim took the other 6 kids to the dwellings. Molly, the intelligent 11 year old stayed in the last place we were all together. She hit the bathroom prior to the decent, but we did not connect on this. All was good with Molly (see photo to right as evidence that she rejoined the gr
oup). Meg found her cell phone cover quickly after Mary had dropped it, and Jen found my Blackberry at the end of the day. So everything worked out!
Our drive to Colorado Springs was great. We had dinner on the road, but with a twist. Traveling with Meg and Jim is awesome. My sister is one of the most technologically savvy people I know. She was able to determine what small town we would be in at 7pm. She then researched the best places to eat. She then called and ordered pizzas when we were 30 minutes out. Finally, she identified a park with swings and a merry-go-round where the kids could run and we could eat. It worked flawlessly! From stop to start we were in the town for less than one hour. Our 2.5 hour drive to our hotel in Colorado Springs provided a lightning storm to our west, north, and east. The lightning was vivid, but we had little to no rain. Storms in big sky states are amazing.
We have laundry to do tomorrow and then we are off to Missouri. Our longest drive day!
Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300 (I thought US history started in 1492 A.D.). Today, the park protects over 4,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.
For the Bowman’s Mesa Verde was loosely translated to: The Place to Lose Stuff. I lost my Blackberry, Meg lost her cell phone cover, and we lost Molly. WHAT! Yup, we lost Molly. Mesa Verde is at 7,000 feet and requires visitors to walk down paved walkways to view the unique cliff dwellings. Halfway down, Meg called back to me to ask where Molly was. We were 15
minutes into our decent and it was clear, Molly was not with us. Jen and I backtracked while Meg and Jim took the other 6 kids to the dwellings. Molly, the intelligent 11 year old stayed in the last place we were all together. She hit the bathroom prior to the decent, but we did not connect on this. All was good with Molly (see photo to right as evidence that she rejoined the gr
oup). Meg found her cell phone cover quickly after Mary had dropped it, and Jen found my Blackberry at the end of the day. So everything worked out!Our drive to Colorado Springs was great. We had dinner on the road, but with a twist. Traveling with Meg and Jim is awesome. My sister is one of the most technologically savvy people I know. She was able to determine what small town we would be in at 7pm. She then researched the best places to eat. She then called and ordered pizzas when we were 30 minutes out. Finally, she identified a park with swings and a merry-go-round where the kids could run and we could eat. It worked flawlessly! From stop to start we were in the town for less than one hour. Our 2.5 hour drive to our hotel in Colorado Springs provided a lightning storm to our west, north, and east. The lightning was vivid, but we had little to no rain. Storms in big sky states are amazing.
We have laundry to do tomorrow and then we are off to Missouri. Our longest drive day
Ah, another "No Child Left Behind (For Long)" story-- way to stay put, Molly. Jen & Bill, we feel for you during what must've seemed like one of the longest hikes.
ReplyDeleteHope you keep finding "vacationary" moments along the way, and Jenny, can't wait to paint!
love,
-Mary