Hovenweep National Monument & Aztec Ruins National Monument

Hello readers - it's been difficult to finish documenting the summer!  We've been back in AZ for about a month and we are back to work and school in earnest.  I want to get back to talking about the present at some point, so let me combine two amazing sites into this post to try and get through all of the amazing places left to write about!

These two sites are not close to each other and we visited them on different days.  They were actually in two different directions from our campground at Ancient Cedars RV Park and were both approximately an hour drive one-way.  Though we were camped in Colorado, these excursions took us back to Utah (Hovenweep) and into New Mexico (Aztec Ruins)!   The four corners area is full of ancient archaeological sites.

The kids and I visited Hovenweep one day Husband was working.  I have to admit that the rural drive gave me pause. As we drove further and further through the desert and passed very few other vehicles I had no cell reception and was hoping that we didn't have any emergencies!  I don't know what I was worried about in particular, but when you are driving unknown roads with two young kids by yourself, the adventure can be a bit scary - just being honest.

Anyhow, we made it to the visitor center and it was a very hot day.  While there are a number of sites to see, we opted to take the walk from the visitor center back to the Hovenweep castle to observe the sites along the canyon.

All along the walk evidence of a large settlement was visible.  But the heat was brutal and we ran out of water pretty quickly so we didn't finish the hike instead we turned back to explore the visitor center, movie, and junior ranger book.  Thankfully the ranger was very nice and willing to tell us about the sites.  Brother and Sister both had good questions and because we were the only people in the visitor center for a long time we got to spend a lot of time chatting.  This is one of the best parts of these smaller National Parks - no crowds and the friendly, available, and informative rangers.  The rangers are amazing at all of the parks, but at those parks that are less visited, the rangers have more time to spend with you.  We also found a nice picnic table in the shade and ate the lunch I packed.  Its a good idea to pack food when you go to a National Park, because in most cases restaurants are few and far between.  BTW, I love taking pictures of the kids in their vests when they are hiking...

We visited Aztec Ruins National Monument as a complete family on our last full day at Ancient Cedars RV Park.  This park is at the mid-Northern part of NM and is a very small park which preserves a huge pueblo and boasts the largest reconstructed Great Kiva.

Aztec Ruins were not inhabited by the Aztec - this is a misnomer that stuck.  This is another site of the ancent puebloan people.  The site does have a really cool story about the archaeologist who excavated it and reconstructed the Kiva.  He grew up playing in the ruins and later purchased the property and conducted his life's work there.  The visitor center is in the building that was once his home.  What makes this place unique is how intact parts of the ruins are and how visitors are allowed to walk through parts of the intact buildings.

Here we are walking through a series of subterranean rooms which have the original ceilings (floors to the stories above).  Walking through these rooms one felt the sacredness of the space.  We spoke in hushed tones despite being alone.  There was a certain seriousness about these rooms.  I don't know how else to describe it.

Here is a view of the building we walked through from the outside.  Notice the small square "window" in the picture above - those are at ground level in the next picture.

There were also some really cool decorative elements in the design of the pueblo.  Notice in this picture the darker rocks used to create a line across the front of the building.  The rocks are actually green and were brought from afar (can't remember exactly where) for decorative purposes.

The pueblo is huge - here is one picture that tries to capture the size.

Finally, I want to share the amazing reconstructed kiva.  For once I could really imagine this being the center of activity of the community.  Having the building plastered and with the roof intact it is obvious this was an important place.  What a treat to see one restored.

A special aspect of this Great Kiva are the many antechambers and windows overlooking the main room.  The great circular disk near the pillars are those originally used to support the roof.  Plexiglas is installed at various points in the kiva to allow you to view beneath the plaster.  It was an exceptional experience.  Here is a view from the outside.

Many modern-day tribes trace their ancestry to the ancient puebloan people.  The movie in the visitor center highlighted some of these tribes and we heard in their own words why this place is special.  I found it to be special, yet also somewhat sad.  What truths did these people know that we do not? What was it like to live in this community around this grand kiva?

We loved this park and hope to visit again.

Canyon of the Ancients National Monument (BLM)

Last summer I learned the difference between a National Park and a National Monument - namely the President can create a National Monument and Congress creates a National Park.  I also learned that the National Park Service oversees 419 national units/parks which include 19 naming designations including "National Park," "National Monument," "National Lakeshore" and "National Historic Site."  When you purchase the National Park Passport book you obtain a list and map of the complete park system so that as you plan your trip you can be sure to include as many national parks as possible.

This was a bonus stop for us because I didn't know it existed before we checked into the Ancient Cedars RV Park.  The reason it escaped my planning attention is because this National Monument is administered by the Bureau of Land Management instead of the National Park Service.  Because of this distinction this monument is not included in the National Parks Passport Book, which had served as my definitive list of all national sites of interest prior to learning about BLM parks.  While at the visitor center and museum I was able to secure a list of all BLM parks to add to my National Park Passport Book.  But let me say that this park is most certainly worth a stop especially the museum which has a very interesting story to tell.

Escalante Pueblo located on a half-mile trail behind the visitor center overlooks the McPhee Reservoir

The museum is extremely well put together, engaging, and has a vast collection of ancient artifacts.  I spent a long time looking at exhibits before realizing what I was looking at -  I was looking at artifacts that were saved from flooding by the Dolores Archaeological Program (DAP).  The DAP was required prior to the construction of the McPhee Dam which would ultimately create the Reservoir (pictured above) and flood many archaeological sites.  The DAP took place over 7.5 years, employed over 500 people, and collected information from 1600 archaeological sites.  In 1978 it was the largest single archaeological contract awarded in American history.

Here is a map of the Dolores River prior to the dam being built.  All of the excavated sites appear as dots.

Here is a map of the reservoir that was created after the dam was built....so yeah, these sites are now under water.

It appears that many steps were taken to preserve the past gather as much as possible prior to the creation of the reservoir.  However, it is disconcerting that these sites were knowingly flooded.  A ranger told me that extensive surveys were done to determine where the reservoir should be placed.  There was public comment and then the DAP.  The reservoir serves as the water source for the area including a great deal of farm land.  Nevertheless modernity and history collide in this place as land uses change over time.

A ranger told me that in the basement of the museum was a vast collection of other artifacts along with the documentation related to its discovery.  Apparently researchers can access the artifacts to continue to discover more about the ancient puebloans of the area.  I was told that the museum is there to tell the story that the sites can no longer tell.  I have never been to a museum set up to honor ancient places that were purposely destroyed.  It was a bit hard to stomach, but then again the collection was amazing and fascinating even including artifacts partially excavated (still in dirt).

The actual lands that the BLM manages are vast and there are still many other sites that were not affected by the reservoir.  One of those sites is Lowry Pueblo.  A portion of the museum held artifacts from this preserved site as well.

This site is notable in that it has been partially reconstructed and a shelter has been built over it.  Visitors are also allowed to enter the structure through a small door...

...and observe a kiva from the ground level.

However, one of the most fascinating aspects of this kiva was the fact that there were remains of plaster along the bottom wall where there once was a decorative panel that had been photographed by early archaeologists when it was first excavated.

The first archaeologists thought that by re-burying the art it would preserved it when in fact this hastened the demise.  When later archaeologists excavated it again they found the decorative panel was almost all gone.  Only a small piece remained and was removed for display in the museum.  I had a very hard time taking a picture due to the glare from the glass.  But I thought seeing the wall art of the ancient puebloans was one of the coolest things in the collection.  

Here are some more amazing photos of the Lowry Pueblo site.  Including the Grand Kiva which was not part of the covered site.

There are many other sites one can explore in the Canyon of the Ancients NM, but we didn't have the time to explore others on this trip.  I look forward to future visits to the preserved sites of these ancient people.  I would also enjoy visiting the museum again.

Mesa Verde National Park

Spruce Tree House

At this point in our trip we seemed to take a turn from biology & geology to anthropology.  We began our education of the ancient Puebloan peoples and their sacred sites.  In these places I hesitated being a tourist.  These sites are the tangible remains of a grand civilization and it is clear that their descendants honor the places.  Much of the understanding of the people is lost to pre-history.   In the minds of present-day descendants these places are alive with the past.  The ways of knowing, living, and thriving in these desert environments are lost; unfortunately our society does value the cultivation of such knowledge.  The Ancient Puebloans were of the earth and worked with it to craft their civilization.  Today we seek dominion over the natural world it as if we were aliens upon this planet instead of the children.  These and many other thoughts came to mind as we existed in these spaces.  It is quite remarkable.  It seems right to approach these sites with a sense of the sacred in mind.

This stop also marked our return to the desert.  Though the elevation still provided some relief from the intense heat of Phoenix, highs were in the 90s and we had to remember sunscreen, water and snacks when we embarked on our hiking adventures.  One of our first adventures was to Step House.  This was a one mile roundtrip hike that starts 100 feet above the pueblo.  You hike down to the ruins and then back up along a winding path through the yucca and other high desert plants.  It was a hot hike - the hottest we had been on all summer, but it was rewarding to come around a curve and see the pueblo ahead of us.

Step House is just visible in the shade of the cliff wall

A pit house was reconstructed at Step House to give us an idea of how some of the earliest dwellings of the area were fashioned.

To the kids the best part of these tours were the ladders.  The best way to enter a cliff dwelling is the same way the original occupants entered.  Touring many of these ruins requires some effort and few are accessible to all populations.  Step House was one of the few that was on the accessible side of the spectrum.  You didn't have to climb the ladder, but my kids weren't going to pass up that opportunity!

Step House was a self-guided tour and you could borrow the guide from the rangers at the trail head.  The numbers were clear as you walked the trail.  We enjoy these types of tours as we like to stop along the path and read aloud to the kids.  We can also dive deeper into any concepts that need explanation.  It helps that Husband has his BS in Anthropology - as he can always provide a bit more information and context.  All of our National Park trips are an extension of the school year and fit beautifully into the life of a homeschool family.  One fact that was eye-opening was learning that of the 61 National Parks, Mesa Verde is the only one that preserves the cultural artifacts of ancient peoples.  The rest of the National Parks preserve the natural world.  There are over 4.000 archaeological sites in Mesa Verde.




Many of the sites can be observed via a driving tour and short walks to overlooks.  Getting to the sites requires driving over the mesas by traveling up, down and around the mountainous terrain.  There are three guided hikes that require tickets.  Cliff Palace is an hour tour and the least strenuous.  Even so ladder climbing is necessary to exit the site.  Reading the description of the tour we were unsure if it was something we should all do - we were worried about Sister, but looking back our fears were unfounded.  At one point I heard a ranger saying something to the effect that they never worry about the kids, its the parents that sometimes have a hard time with the tours!  As it turned out Brother and I ended up going on the tour first by ourselves and then we all went a second time as a family.  I could have gone on the tour many more times because each ranger has their own way of discussing the site and just being in the site is a mysterious and wondrous experience.

Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwellings with around 150 rooms.  It was built in the 1200s and was occupied for around 600 years.  It is absolutely amazing. 

The T shaped windows are common in the pueblos

One of many kivas

 As I mentioned...ladders...there are 100 feet of ladders to exit this site.  The kids didn't mind this one bit, in fact they thought it was a lot of fun. 

We will certainly go back to this park.  Next time I want to tour Balcony House which has more ladders as well as one or more tunnels you have to crawl through.  We really enjoyed this park and would like to visit earlier in the summer or at a different time of year to avoid the heat!  If you go, be sure to check out the archaeological museum - we really enjoyed learning about the many artifacts on display. 

Ancient Cedars RV Park, Mancos, CO

Ancient Cedars RV Park is a few miles from the entrance station and approximately a mile from the first visitor center of Mesa Verde National Park.  In terms of location it is absolutely an ideal place to stay in order to explore not only Mesa Verde, but also number of other parks within an hour radius (Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, Aztec Ruins National Monument, and Hovenweep National Monument).

On the downside, the sites are rather tight and we didn't have any shade.  There were shaded sites and I think they were slightly more expensive.  A strange thing about the layout of the park was that the sewer connections are uphill of the trailers in the row we were parked.  Since the dumping system works on gravity - that was a bit of an issue and Husband had to build up a ramp.  We did stay for a week and this was the one place where the WeBoost was absolutely  necessary.  We would not have had data if not for the WeBoost.  There is very spotty Verizon connectivity at the grounds of the park.  They did have WiFi as well and between the two Husband was able to work from home.

They boast a number of amenities and, for the most part, they are good.  There is a recreation cabin with a pool table and a foosball game.  We had some quarters eaten by the retro video game.  The cabin does not have air conditioning, but with the doors open there was a breeze.  It was a nice space to explore.  They also have a number of movies that can be checked out.

They have a putt-putt golf area.  We didn't use it, but it looked nice.  Also you get to a beautiful view of Mesa Verde while playing!

If you have a dog, you will not be disappointed by the dog park - It is huge!  They could have put less land into the dog area and more into making the RV sites bigger.  They also have a very nice playground (unfortunately I don't have a good picture).  The kids enjoyed it and it is right next to the laundry, so they could play while I took care of that.  On the issue of the laundry, it is a very small room with four washers and four dryers.  I used it twice and I was the only person using it both times, so it must be adequate for the park.  Their public showers and bathrooms were very clean.

One disappointing amenity was the pool.  I am not going to swim in a cloudy pool because, as a public health professional, I know that there are all kinds of nasty bugs one can get when pools are not properly maintained.  Regardless of my reservation, I saw other people swimming - but my kids were disappointed that I didn't find the pool clean enough.  I did complain to the office and was told that their maintenance person was delayed by a couple of days - well, depending on the use of the pool that could be a problem and I was glad that we didn't take a dip.

We stayed at Ancient Cedars RV park for 8 nights (we left Estes Park a day early and added a day to Ancient Cedars).  We paid a weekly rate plus per day fees for one kid for a grand total of $295/ week or approx $37/night.  They did give us the weekly rate for our extra night.

Lastly, the city of Cortez, CO is the place for grocery shopping and eating out.  It is 15 minutes away from the Ancient Cedars RV park.  There are also some RV parks in Cortez that one could consider, though I didn't check prices.  Surely Verizon would have been much better if we would have stayed in Cortez.

Pros:

• Proximity to Mesa Verde National Park and other sights within an hour radius.
• Nice amenities (putt putt, cabin, dog park, playground)
• Clean common areas (laundry, bathrooms/showers)
• Decent WiFi
• Dark park - no lights after 10 p.m. for night sky viewing

Cons:

• Small, narrow, sites with uphill sewer
• Pool was cloudy
• A bit pricey with the per day per kid extra fees.  I think it should have averaged closer to $30/night.

Rocky Mountain National Park (Part II)

Each day brought new adventures and we had wonderful weather!  One day the kids and I spent the day exploring Lilly Lake.  There were a variety of birds to observe and the trail was flat and took us around the lake.  I noted there was a second trail that took you up one of the mountains to look down on the lake, but we weren't up for a climb that day.  All around the lake were wildflowers and amazing views.  Here are a small sample of some of my photos.

Speaking of the birds...at one point on the trail a flock of geese had decided to rest.

Because we have been trained to "stay on the trail" we tried to pass them giving them as wide of berth as possible without leaving the trail...however a dominant male raised his head and started hissing at us in an evil and threatening way.  We thought it best to stray from the path and avoid the ire of the  gander.  It could have turned ugly, but we were giving off "we are leaving you alone" vibes!

Finally, when the work week was done we were able to visit the park as a complete family.  I saved one big adventure to do with Husband and that was to take the historic unpaved, one-way road - Old Fall River Road constructed between 1913 and 1920 to the Alpine Visitor Center.  It proved to be a beautiful and fun drive up the mountain to nearly 12,000 feet!

At some point on the drive there were two hitchhikers with snowboards and other gear along the road.  We inquired as to whether they needed assistance and they asked if we could take them to the Alpine Visitor's Center because they were planning on snowboarding back down the mountain to their vehicle!  We offered them a ride and they rode in the back of the truck.  When we reached the summit, I spoke to them a bit further.  They had been snowboarding that section of mountain for nearly 20 years!  Though the snow looked very patchy to me, they said there was ___ vertical feet of snow (I can't remember, but it sounded impressive).  We parted ways at the summit, because they had to hitch a ride to another location before they started their adventure, but it would have been really cool to watch them!  Here is a view of the last stretch of the Old Fall River Road - clearly the snow was still rather deep in places!

Because the Alpine Ridge Trail was such an adventure we decided to hike it again with Husband.

On the drive back down the Trail Ridge Road we saw herds of elk.  They seemed to love the snow!

Our last adventure at Rocky Mountain National Park was to visit Lilly Lake a second time and take the more mountainous trail to the overlook.

I feel we only scraped the surface of this huge National Park and if I can find a better place to stay (other than Estes Park) I would definitely visit again!  It was a wonderful park to visit in the summer as the weather was absolutely perfect for hiking.  Also there doesn't seem to be a bad view anywhere in the park!  The special thing about this park is the diversity of ecosystems from the montane to the alpine tundra with a vast variety of wildflowers from the lowest to the highest elevation!

Near Lilly Lake

Alpine Sunflower and other alpine wildflowers