Our adventure started Sunday morning at 4 am when my husband, two boys and I
went to the airport to catch our flight. As part of the first portion of the American
Latino Expedition we flew from our home in Los Angeles to Denver, Colorado to
Durango.
We explored Durango, the town that Outside Magazine called “The Next Big Thing”
because of its proximity to the desert southwest and to the wilderness of Colorado.
Durango is a lovely mountain town with tons of biking, hiking, and paddling to make
it a popular outdoor destination. We thought it was friendly and beautiful and we’re
already talking about coming back someday. After lunch in Durango we drove 35
miles to our destination, Mesa Verde National Park.
The day and the scenery kept getting better and better. The drive to Mesa Verde
National Park Visitor’s Center was stunning (more about that later from the other
adult half of the Condes Campers, my husband Carl). And so was the new Visitor
Center.
The Visitor Center opened in December of 2012 and houses exhibits from the
Ancestral Pueblo People. We went there to learn more about the park, get out tickets
for tours of the cliff dwellings that Mesa Verde is famous for, and to get our boys
their Junior Ranger kits.
The Junior Ranger Program is for kids ages 4 to 12 and is a great way for them to
learn about Mesa Verde. We got our booklet with activities and questions and
hopefully my boys will complete them in order to earn their junior ranger badges.
After the Visitor Center, we explored our home for the next three days, the Far View
Lodge.
We ended the evening at the casual Far View Terrace restaurant. We had a great
dinner and ended the evening watching the sunset.
Viewing the Top of the World in Mesa Verde
Going to Mesa Verde National Park, we knew we’d be going up in altitude. Even so,
the change from the daily world we’re used to is striking. Durango, Colorado is the
nearest airport and the town sits at 6,500 feet as the gateway to many outdoor
adventures. The short drive to Mesa Verde, though, brought us into a whole new
world.
So far, I’m struck by how high up we are and how beautiful the vistas are. The drive
into the park is truly amazing, starting with the Visitor Center at the park entrance
(6,950 feet). Above the beautiful new visitor center is a promontory that seems to
rise up and be alone in the sky with distinct rocky edges and a narrow plateau. Once
inside the visitor center and looking at the topographical map of the park, we realize
that the seemingly solitary peak we saw was just the start of the tabletop mountains
that are Mesa Verde (Spanish meaning “green table”, for the table-like flatness of
the mountains).
Leaving the Visitor Center, we climbed another 1,500 feet into the sky, going past
the promontory to reach the highest point of the park at 8,572 feet (Park Point
Overlook). From there, we can look down upon the magically high promontory we
saw from below just a half hour before, and now are truly on top of the world. From
this point, Colorado and the Four Corners region stretches out in every
direction. We’re not just looking out at the world, we’re looking down upon the
world, as the valleys and mountains stretch out in all directions. I’m not sure, but I
think we were looking 100-200 miles in every possible direction.
It’s a stunning site, to be up so high and seeing the world roll away beneath you. It
seems as if you are looking down upon the fluffy clouds in the distance, and you can
merely reach your hand up to touch any part of the sky.
It’s our first day here, and we haven’t even had a chance to go see the amazing
ancient cliff dwellings from nearly a millennium ago. I can’t wait to get up tomorrow
and see what more awaits us.