Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Mesa Verde National Park


Mesa Verde National Park, located in Colorado near the Four Corners region, was created in 1906 to preserve the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people, both atop the mesas and in the cliff dwellings below. Comprised of 52,485 acres with more than 4000 sites and 600 cliff dwellings, it is the largest archeological preserve in the United States. Some of the cliff dwellings are open to self-guided tours, such as the Spruce Tree House near the Visitor Center, and others are only available via ranger led tours. The first day we were there (in June 2015) we drove through the park taking in views at the many overlooks, ending the day with a walk down to the Spruce Tree House. There isn't much definitive information on the lives of the ancients who occupied this region from 550 CE through the early 1200's, spanning over 700 years, but there are many clues as to how they may have lived, and archeologists have given us their best interpretations based on what they left behind. Wandering through what remains of these ancient people was fascinating and I spent much time imagining what their lives must have been like. Here are some pictures from our first exploration of the park. 

 
 



 









Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Rocky Mountain National Park

Our trip to Denver in June 2015 wasn't our first stay in Colorado, but it did include our first visit to the Rocky Mountain National Park. We picked a beautiful blue sky day for our outing, perfect for a hike and picnic. The late spring and early summer wildflowers were in bloom, the higher peaks still had a dusting of snow, and the weather was pristine. Located northwest of Boulder, the park encompasses the Continental Divide and the headwaters of the Colorado River. The stunning wilderness of this park features majestic mountain views, lakes, and varied climates and environments from wooded forests to mountains tundra. Of course one day wasn't nearly enough to get more than just a glimpse of this natural wonderland. Once again we agreed this was somewhere to come back and spend more time, next time.
















Friday, July 3, 2015

Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City, Misourri)

On June 2, 2015, we made our twentieth visit to a Major League baseball stadium, catching a game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. That day the KC Royals were playing the Cleveland Indians, and since we aren't tied to either team, it made it easy to just relax and enjoy the game. There were plenty of Kansas City fans, to be sure, the stadium was awash in Royal Blue, but in the end the home team lost - Cleveland 2, Royals 1. The weather was perfect for an evening spent outdoors, the peanuts and beer good as usual, and we were even lucky enough to find veggie hotdogs at one of the concession stands. We have now been to 2/3 of the 30 Major League ballparks!