Mesa Verde, cliff dwellings and the Pueblo people

We drove from Four Corners to this park. We didn't have it planned but being so close, how could we miss it. It was the right decision. Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado is a must. It's mind-blowing to think that Puebloans were living in the cliffs, climbing up and down the walls, bare hands, as part of their daily lives. Walking down the trails is like walking back in time, almost 800 years ago this place was alive and populated. Imagine winters and summers by the cliffs, perfect shelter with south facing homes providing warmth in the cold, and shade in the summer seasons. 

Matty and I were to see this site solo. We were fighting about something, nothing important but a good excuse to take separate ways. Sometimes when we need a break from each other we go explore on our own and then converge in the van later, talk about what we saw over dinner. So Matty went to explore the Spruce Canyon Trail and I went on to hike the Petroglyph Point Trail. It was a wonderful experience the walk silent, not many people on the trail, leaves blowing in the wind as the soundtrack, I imagined being a Puebloan. 

At the end of the day we drove the Mesa Top Loop Road Auto Tour, a 6 mile driving tour with paved trails, surface dwellings and cliff dwelling overlooks that look specially beautiful with the afternoon light. We end up seeing the sunset from Park Point Overlook(8572ft), the highest point in the park.

The next day we went early to see the Spruce Tree House, we were able to enjoy it with no other people there for a little, which is a treat since this is a very popular park. Explored as much as possible the rest of the day, there is so much to see.