12 July 2019

Just 80 miles from Farmington, Messa Verde history of the people that dwelled in the cliffs over 750 years ago.  They would grow corn and squash on the plateaus then climb down nearly vertical cliff walls to the homes under natural out croppings.  Outside Cortez, east on HWY 160 the Tortuga entered the park and started the climb and the 50 mile drive to the cliff dwellings.

Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to preserve and interpret the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from 600 to 1300 CE. Today, the park protects nearly 5,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States. (NPS)

I don’t think any Tortuga or human could get tired of the majesty of the west.