Durango day 2

On our first morning in Durango, we were slow to wake up and eat, and got to take in the beauty of our rental cabin.  We had most of the day free, so our family plus Erica decided to take a half-day trip to Mesa Verde National Park, only 30ish miles away.

It was a long drive from the park entrance to the cliff dwellings, but it was a gorgeous drive!

So high on mesa verde - the green table

At last!  We made it to the cliff dwellings!  It was an amazing sight, even from way up by the parking lot.

We had a long and winding walk down, and saw lots of little creatures:

We made it up close.  It was soooo cool.  These pictures don't do it any justice.

This circle on the ground is a kiva, or underground room.  We took the ladder down into one!

Girls in a kiva!  It was neat to see the construction, and think about the placement of the fire, shelves, air vents, etc.

Jess climbing out of the kiva

Chris emerging from a kiva

Meg grinding some grains

There are petroglyphs on this wall

Auntie Erica loved spending the day with us!  (I think)

My favorite people in a really cool place

Parting shot of the Spruce Tree House

After lunch, we drove further in the park to see two more cliff dwellings.  We went through an area that had been badly burned.  It looked like a ghost forest:

The cliff dwellings at Cliff Palace were AMAZING, but they were closed for the season.  We had to make do with the view from the observation deck.

Incredible terrain

Jess was tickled to see the "T-shaped windows" - a clue from her Junior Ranger book that she was determined to see!  Some of the windows of the homes are wider on top, as you can see.  One hypothesis is that the Anasazi people carried wood sticks on their back, and the t-shaped windows made it easier to get inside the houses.

We drove to a third cliff dwelling, but it was closed to tours at the time, and there wasn't a viewing area.  So we drove back to the beginning.  We toured the museum and the visitor's center, and the girls know more about Mesa Verde than they ever wanted to know!  They worked hard to complete their books, and each earned their Junior Ranger badge:

One neat note is that Megan is studying early American history this year, and she learned about the Anasazi, cliff dwellers, kivas, and Mesa Verde in her social studies class just a few weeks after our trip!!

It got hot in our van while we were out hiking, and our snacks got a bit melty.  Some time in front of the A/C helped.

That evening was Steph's wedding shower.  It was a gorgeous night, with the prettiest sunset ever!  It was a lot of fun to meet her family and friends who we've heard so much about.

Steph with her two moms!

Hazel got pooped out at the shower

Right after the shower was the bar crawl!!  We all had matching t-shirts, just like for Mary & Justin's bar crawl.  Megan still wears her CC's bar crawl t-shirt...it is her favorite PJ shirt!

Millions of kids at a bar.  Normal.

Grandma with a beer - look out!

The CC's

Our cute family

Joe and some sisters

Some of the crew.

Dad C. and Justin took the kids home, and Chris, Erica, Mom & I were hoping to stay out all night with the youngin's.  But we pooped out after not too long and went back home, too.