Sunday July 22, 2012

We all showered this morning and then went to breakfast.  We drove the 9 miles to Mesa Verde and then another 15 miles to the Visitor Center where we got tickets for Cliff Palace.  Our next stop was to pick up box lunches at the cafeteria, as our tour would not start until 12:30.  We drove to the museum and watched an informational film on the people of Mesa Verde and then looked at the exhibits on display.  We walked down to Spruce Tree House, a small area of cliff dwellings built into the ledge below the mesa.  The kids got to go down into a kiva (round religious/ceremonial hole built into the ground accessed by a ladder).  We then went to picnic before our tour.  The lunches were pretty good: turkey sandwich, sweet potato chips, granola bar, banana, and a bottle of water.  Cliff Palace was so much larger than Spruce Tree House!  They think there were 23 clans living there, as there are 23 kivas in evidence.  The people grew corn and squash on top of the mesas and dried the corn for winter.  They have found some 200-year-old dried corn in some sealed pottery that was still edible!  They also ate small rabbits and mice for protein.  Because of the surrounding area and lack of large trees, they probably did not have access to large game.  We had a lovely day at Mesa Verde.  Back at the hotel, we went to the pool so the boys could have some fun.  It is thundering and lightening outside again this afternoon so we are again happy that we are not tenting in this kind of weather.  The boys have been writing in their journals although both Theo and Dan have fallen behind.  Alex is the only one up to date, but hopefully the others will catch up on the return trip.  We saw a BBQ place at the edge of town and were thinking about stopping there for dinner tonight, but when I inquired at the desk, the clerk said that it has been closed for years.  She suggested another place that we will try.  We just got back from dinner and, boy, are we stuffed!  Alex and Dan had ribs, Theo had chicken, Dave had steak and grilled shrimp, and I had pulled roast beef.  Everything was very good.  The boys have just showered and I will read to them in a few minutes.  We will have to get up early tomorrow as we have reservations for an early train ride in Durango.