Mesa Verde National Park Colorado

Yesterday, I left Durango and headed west to a national park that I have been wanting to see since I was a kid. I had seen this place in my collections of National Geographic Magazines at a young age and had always dreamed of traveling there. This stop was a fulfillment of a childhood dream and a continuation of my post-it note travels throughout Colorado. Along with my quest to see all seven continents by Post-it Notes based on Uber rider inside information. My saying, "Your dreams become a reality when you believe in them was part of this stop."

The entrance to Mesa Verde National Park is located forty minutes west of Durango. The first place to stop is the visitor center. The visitor center offers valuable information for the park, and the park rangers provided valuable information for visitors and all the various stops throughout the park. The second stop is the Far View Terrace. This offers souvenirs, food, beverages, and great views of the western side of the park. I myself grabbed a grab and go sandwich, chips, and Gatorade.

There are plenty of amazing stops to see the historic cliff dwellings. The one I wanted to see was the Cliff Palace. This was one that did not disappoint my expectations. The palace is built into the valley and is the largest of the dwellings that the Pueblo people lived in. There are over a dozen of these stops that explain the history of each house, pithouse, Adobo, and other buildings that stretch back to 700 AD.

There are three different roads, with each one offering loops for each stop you can take to see the various historical areas of the park. For myself, I did the Cliff Palace Loop and the Mesa Top Loop. There is also the Long House Loop, which is west of the other two in the corner of the park. The other three stops to add are the Montezuma Valley, Geologic, and Park Point Overlook. These three overlooks offered incredible views and ambiance since of peace the park has to offer.

This is one place that did not disappoint and one I'll visit again, especially to see the Long House Loop and Wetherhill Mesa. Incredible park that offered a childhood bucket lists check off. #ridingwithkurt