E saving us another $30 with his Every Kid in a Park Pass.

Shout-out to Kid's Dramamine, the real MVP of this trip.

Made it down the hill and about to enter the Long House.

Climbing up into the ruins of the Long House.

Amazing that these ruins have been standing for nearly one thousand years.

I've been curious about these cave dwellings since elementary school. Pretty amazing to be here!

Remarkable and a privilege to get to be in this place.

Amazing to be in this space as a Ranger played the pan flute while we toured.

Colorado: Mesa Verde National Park

June 25, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

When we first began planning the trip, we knew we wanted to spend an extended time in the Ridgway, CO-area and beyond that we didn't really know where else we'd be going. After looking at the National Parks' map and realizing how close we'd be to Mesa Verde, it was a no brainer to make a stop at this place I'd always been interested in since elementary school.

We snagged passes to a Ranger-led tour of the Long House. It was fascinating to be in these ruins and to learn more about the Ancient Pluebloans.

The most special moment was an unexpected one -- as our ranger was sharing more info about the people who had lived in the Long House, we suddenly heard music. For a few minutes I couldn't figure out where it was coming from, then finally spotted Ranger Bonnie playing the pan flute down in the plaza area of the Long House. It was such a special moment.

We wrapped up the morning with a stop at the Visitor's Center then headed to our next stop: Moab, Utah.Read more