Our Traveling Table: Mesa Verde and Moab, UT

I think our bodies were in shock waking up outside of Mesa Verde, CO in 32 degree temperatures. I found it unfair that my resolving heat rash still itched unrelentingly under my down layers and poly p. But one advantage of making the push from FL to CO was to see the kids react to the changing landscape. It was also cool to be able to contrast the commercialism of Disney with the natural beauty and history of Mesa Verde.

Anna....always on her bike

Pulled into this place in the dark and woke up to the most beautiful campsite.

So check this out. The Ancient Pueblo Indians created these cliff dwellings of different sizes in 1200 AD using nothing but sticks and rocks for tools. They farmed the top of the mesa and raised their families hundreds of feet up on these cliffs. No baby gates. Not even a guard rail. The infant mortality rate was 50% and the average life expectancy was around 30. Ca-razy!

Balcony House

Cliff House from across the canyon where about 100 Ancient Pueblo Indians lived.

Alex stuck in the entryway.

Kids and the canyon. Cliff dwellings are on both sides.

I couldn’t wait to get my family to Moab, one of my favorite places on Earth. It’s known as the Adventure Capital of the US and for good reason. You can mountain bike, hike, climb, swim in the Colorado River. I absolutely love this place. So we explored Arches National Park, found some amazing climbing, and hiked in some canyons. We could have spent an entire month just in Moab. Even the kids didn’t want to return to our campsite at the end of the day. It’s definitely on our list of “have to go back to “ sites.