Colorado Trip 2012 Part 1- Mesa Verde

We had an amazing trip to Colorado.  Like our California trip, we had to change plans at the last minute (a few weeks before).  We usually "full-out" camp in Colorado but due to the recent devestating fires there, all campfires were banned.  No campfire means no cooking and heating up water to bathe and clean.  Hubby, our travel agent, planned for three nights in Durango and seven in Silverton.  We drove and tried to save a little money staying in KOA cabins along the way.  The drive there was nothing to write home about except for a faith story that I will share after I'm done documenting the trip.  So after a long drive, we arrived in Durango and I fell in love with that town!

It was a big city that wasn't too big and had spectacular views from all around.  Seriously, this is our view from our little KOA cabin.

  The first night we all witnessed a storm with a lightning show up on that mountain.  We didn't spend too much time in our cabin though because we were up early and getting ready for our adventures during the day.  Mesa Verde was our very first one and it was everything I had hoped it would be.

You have to climb this ladder to get there.  

 Not for the faint of heart but I made it.  One step at a time.  Don't worry Mom, it was very sturdy and the kids had a blast climbing it.  

I could have stayed up there all day and imagined about what it would have been like to live in that time period.  What I took away from our trip that day was a sense of community.  I could feel it from those walls.  And how it was out of necessity to work together or they would die.  I think there is much we can learn from those walls.

 Roo's wish was granted when she got to go down into a recreated kiva.  It was dark and dusty and SMALL.  I could not imagine being stuck down there with so many other people to keep warm in the winter.

We are peering through a window(door?) to look way up and see this beautiful ancient artwork.

And we ended the day with this amazing sight.  It's a view of 100 miles all around and this site was originally used for watching for wildfires.  Some things are worth turning around for.  Thanks honey!