Planning a Mesa Verde Country® vacation? Read what others are saying about us!
There is so much to write about in Mesa Verde Country®. Whether in print or through electronic media, our archaeological wonders, special events, culture, history, and heritage have captured the attention of journalists across the country and around the world.
Please enjoy a sampling of what journalists have written following their visits to Mesa Verde Country®.
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Having teed it up on 151 golf courses this year through December 17, it is difficult to determine my top-5 or even how to set the criteria for judging those that were best. I like golf, and I like playing golf so spending day after day on the links is my definition of nirvana. So I decided to list here a quintet of courses where I had the most fun, separated into categories rather than just listed as a whole. These five courses meant the most to me in 2011 or they were a surprise (aren't those always the most treasured?). But when reading this please remember that, for me, just about any day on the course is a cherished memory.
Best Municipal Course - Conquistador Golf Course, Cortez, Colo. - Something needs to be said about city-owned golf courses that have the right formula and put it into practice day in and day out. That's what the golfer gets at this Press Maxwell-designed jewel. You can view La Plata Peak, Mesa Verde and Sleeping Ute Mountain from virtually everywhere on the course as long as you're not in the Ponderosa pine and pi–on trees that line the fairways. The track was in flawless condition and a blast to play.
From: Cybergolf.com, December 14, 2011 By: Steve Habel, Jay Flemma, Blaine Newnham, Joel Zuckerman, Tony Dear
Our National Parks are exquisite in winter. You may want to take a trip to southern Colorado for some spectacular sights.
Winter in Colorado means pristine alpine skiing, snow-capped mountains and après-ski around cozy fireplaces. But in the southwestern part of the state, winter visitors will find a different kind of winter paradise — with no fees and no crowds.
In Mesa Verde Country, the southwest Colorado travel destination surrounding Mesa Verde National Park, visitors will find — along with the park — two national scenic byways, one national forest, two national monuments, one tribal park and the largest archaeological reserve in the United States. This winter, Mesa Verde National Park will offer free Park entrance, and will open its third largest cliff dwelling, museum and four cross-country ski trail systems to the public.
From: Examiner.com, December 2, 2011 By: Elizabeth Rose, Phoenix Day Trips Examiner
The San Juan Skyway extends through sage-littered plains, up verdant river valleys to lofty peaks streaked with snow and alpine cirques glistening in the sun. The 236-mile loop in southwest Colorado can be done on less than a tank of gas in a day, but it deserves a lifetime of exploration. In this two-piece series, I share how a person of average fitness can get into the heart-catching scenery without tapping their 401K. The best ways to take in the rugged terrain are on foot, horseback, 4x4 vehicle, or on a turn-of the-century steam train.
The journey through this soul-stirring stretch of the Rockies begins in Durango, the gateway to the Four Corners region. There are stops in Mancos, Mesa Verde, Telluride the glamour girl of the mountains, Ouray the sweet spot in the San Juans, and Silverton the heart of the high country.
A whistle blast from the Durango-Silverton train signaled all aboard. The longest continuous running line in the country was completed in 1878 at a cost of $1,000 per foot.
From: National Association of Baby Boomer Women, Oct. 29, 2011 By: Linda Ballou
I've said it before, the entire state of Colorado looks like a picture postcard. (Being from the pancake-flat Midwest, I have something to compare it to.) But southwest Colorado offers something more: a glimpse of American Indian history, great outdoor adventure, fine restaurants, and vineyards. Anchored by world-renowned Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde Country is located on two National Scenic Byways — The San Juan Skyway and Trail of the Ancients. These areas are ideal for exploring fascinating ruins and hiking rugged mountains.
Mesa Verde — Cliff dwellings of the Ancient Puebloans. This National Park and World Heritage site is the largest archeological preserve in North America and continues to be excavated. The Ancient Puebloans lived in the Mesa Verde area for 750 years. From 600-1300 A.D., they built elaborate stone villages that have been maintained remarkably well. When these American Indians abruptly departed, they left us with more questions than answers. Today, Mesa Verde is filled with more than 600 cliff dwellings and 4,700 archeological sites that tell the story of a people, their customs, and traditions.
From: WhatsHappeningOnline.com, October 15, 2011 By: Mira Temkin
Each year over half a million people make a pilgrimage to Mesa Verde to see the truly astounding cliff dwellings. The unique stone towers and other buildings at Hovenweep attract far fewer visitors. Its relative obscurity comes from its location. Although on paved roads, Hovenweep's 20-mile expanse of mesa tops and canyons sheltering 6 villages lies along the Utah-Colorado border in truly in the middle of nowhere. Make the journey anyway.
From: Offbeat Travel, 2011 By: Neala Schwartzberg
CORTEZ, Colo. — "One morning after heavy rains flooded that arroyo, I found a skull,'' said Marc Yaxley, nodding toward the dry gully bordering his remote bed-and-breakfast. "I had my fingers in the eye sockets,'' he said, before realizing he was handling someone's head. "Every day is like a reality TV show here.''
Plenty of B&Bs boast historic landmark status, but Kelly Place has its own archeological preserve. The grounds include two dozen documented prehistoric sites, including underground and cliffside chambers built by ancestral Puebloans dating to 1150-1300 AD.
From: The Boston Globe, September 11, 2011 By: Robin Soslow
TIFTON — Home. That's the space between earth and sky.
Share the philosophy and the beauty of such a home on a glorious holiday among Ancestral Puebloan people in America's West, highly possible thanks to Mesa Verde National Park and its neighbors.
Farms, gardens, orchards and ranches of Cortez, Colorado and nearby communities connected me to the people living in these canyons, mesas, mountains and rolling sage plains a thousand years ago.
Tessie Naranjo says they're still here, those ancestors, living in the mesas for seven centuries, from 550 — 1300 AD.
"We are them. We have not gone away. I feel their presence," Naranjo softly says.
I did too, perhaps because I was trying and surely because I started my three-day visit in the Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores.
From: The Tifton Gazette, August 13, 2011 By: Christine Tibbetts
Nearly every Colorado art gallery displays pottery made by local artists. Some even specialize in just pottery. But there are only a handful of places where visitors can view the pottery being made as well as buying finished pieces. Here are several worth a visit.
Mesa Verde Pottery: Ute and Navajo artists ply their craft while you watch them carve, paint and throw pots and other pottery pieces. With several different styles, from softly blended...
From: Encompass, July/August 2011, pg. 58
The last two months of spring may be the "shoulder season" in Colorado, but it still gets its share of fun. The skiing is almost over and the mountain terrain can be too slushy for hiking, but that doesn't stop the action in towns where springs means pleasant temperatures and the welcome color of daffodils, tulips and blooming trees.
From: Colorado Meetings & Events, Summer 2011, pg. 40
EMC Lifestyles - Well over 1,000 years ago, even before Europeans explored North America, people were living in the Four Corners region of the U.S., and traces of this past civilization are still to be found there today. It's a rich history of once vibrant communities that have crumbled with timefrom ancient pit houses to more modern surface houses to even more modern cliff dwellingsand yet many of these communities were gone from this area by 1300.
The Four Corners region, the only area where four states connect together, consists of southwestern Colorado, southeastern Utah, northwestern New Mexico, and northeastern Arizona, and there's even a Four Corners Monument to mark the spot. The "Trail of the Ancients," the only National Scenic Byway in the U.S. that's totally dedicated to archaeology, is a great route for exploring much of this area's history, and I'd recommend checking it out.
From: Belleville EMC, May 12, 2011 By: John M. Smith
 Durango, Fruita, Moab, Cortez. Cortez? Cortez. In far southwestern Colorado, near Four Corners National Monument, sits one of the nation's fastest-growing mountain bike destinations. Cortez is located in Mesa Verde Country®, an area roughly the size of the state of Rhode Island that surrounds Mesa Verde National Park. Rapidly becoming a destination mountain biking area rivaling other well-known spots in Colorado and Utah, Mesa Verde Country features two national scenic byways, one national forest, three national monuments, one tribal park and the largest archaeological reserve in the United States.
From: World Book and News, May 6, 2011
At Mesa Verde National Park, visitors can walk in the footsteps — and right into the homes — of the Ancestral Puebloans who lived here a thousand years ago. A trip to the park, located about five hours north of Santa Fe, provides a fascinating, hands-on adventure in ancient history, complete with ladders, tunnels, crumbling ruins, and intriguing questions: How did the Ancestral Puebloans survive? Why did they build dwellings into the cliffs? Where did they go? The park lets visitors explore these and other mysteries on a variety of self-guided trails and ranger-led tours and at the site's archaeology museum. Families can check out artifacts, such as an 800-year-old sandal, then let their thoughts drift with the scent of pine across the mesa top, where the Ancestral Puebloans lived long ago.
From: Disney FamilyFun, March 2011 By: Rani Arbo
Her long dark hair drifting over her shoulder, petite Ming Adams strokes the feathers on a plump quietly clucking hen with one hand and reaches under with the other, withdrawing a brown egg. Gently placing it in the basket resting on the fresh sawdust floor, she nestles the basket into the crook of one arm, smiles and holds up one of the larger eggs and says, "Breakfast up at the house."
The 'house' is the adobe, new sustainably-constructed rammed earth ranch home of Garry and Ming Adams, overlooking their 2,000 acres at Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch outside of Cortez, Colo. "We put the house on top of this hill to be able to take in the views up and down the canyon," explains Garry, wearing overalls and a safari-style cap complete with khaki neck covering drooping over his collar.
From: Lynx Magazine, March 2011 By: Eric Toll, Travel Editor
Mesa Verde National Park sits in the southwestern corner of Colorado, adjacent to the Four Corners region where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado all meet... Cliff Palace, oft considered Mesa Verde's crown jewel is the largest cliff dwelling in North America... Southeast of Cliff Palace resides Balcony House, easily one of the most visually stunning spots in Mesa Verde and one of the best-preserved sites in the Park. Balcony House sits 600 feet above the expansive Soda Canyon...
From: GORP.com By: Nathan Borchelt
Travel beyond the mountain towns of Southwest Colorado and you will catch a glimpse of the past, where architectural gems are tucked within sandstone canyons in the form of crumbling pueblos and cliff dwellings hugging high, rocky alcoves. These are silent reminders of the Ancient Puebloans of Mesa Verde Country that prospered in the area from 1 to 1,300 AD.
Blanketing the valleys and mesas at harvest time with gold, green, and brown are the agricultural crops once cultivated by the ancestral Puebloans, mostly corn, beans, and squash, which still fill the market baskets of today. Consider flying into Cortez, Colorado, a good location to begin an agritourism tour of the region. Rent a car and then take a road trip along the national scenic byway, the Trail of the Ancients, considered the "archaeological heartland of America."
From: Away.com, October 25, 2010 By: Gigi Ragland
Mesa Verde Country in southwest Colorado is one of the largest, yet most unpopulated, tourism regions in the country.
Encompassing tens of thousands of square miles, most of the area (except for four small towns) has no people, but countless archaeological ruins from a thousand years ago. This area comprises the archaeological center of America, including Mesa Verde National Park (selected by National Geographic Traveler as one of "50 Places to Visit in a Lifetime"), Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (contains more than 100 archaeological sites per square mile), Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway and Crow Canyon Archaeological Center.
From: Examiner.com - Phoenix, October 12, 2010 By: Angele Sionna
There is more to Mesa Verde Country than meets the eye. The ancient Pueblo ruins in Mesa Verde
National Park draw most folks to the Four Corners area for summer vacation.
But there are many more atractions in the fertile Mancos and Montezuma valleys. Just as in ancient times, this area remains an enclave of a vibrant thriving farming community. Come for the archeological spectacular and stay for some of the state's best wines, fresh produce, bakeries, coffee roasters, cheese makers, unique restaurants, festivals and spectacular fall colors. From Pueblo, Mesa Verde country is a 5½ hour drive. The good news is that whatever route folks take, either traveling west from Pueblo or south on Interstate 25 to Walsenburg through Wolf Creek pass and Durango, the drive down is breathtakingly beautiful.
From: The Pueblo Chieftain "Caminos", October/November 2010 By: Renee Fajardo
Organic. Sustainable. Local. These buzzwords have taken on a new emphasis in southwestern Colorado.
With a $50,000 grant in hand, the local tourism folks set out to establish a whole new genre for travelers — agri-tourism. Families looking to educate their children about the real world could find no better venue than the Great Sage Plain region of Colorado, the southwestern corner of the state known more for its ancestral Puebloan ruins than sunflower farms.
From: GoColorado.com, September 24, 2010 By: Linda Du Val
The National Geographic Geotourism project officially launched as part of the National Four Corners Monument dedication Friday morning.
As a main attraction of the Four Corners region, the monument was the perfect place to announce the call for nominations of places that will be included in an interactive map, said Jim Dion, the National Geographic business development associate spearheading the project. Dion has been working in conjunction with 25 representatives from area tribes, Four Corners organizations and government officials to lay the groundwork for the $250,000 geotourism project to create a National Geographic "Geotourism MapGuide" for the region.
From: CortezJournal.com, September 18, 2010 By: Hope Nealson
EMC Lifestyles - Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado preserves and records the incredible history of the Ancient Puebloans who made this area their home for several hundred years, and I found it to be mesmerizing. Not only did I get to examine the ancient culture that shaped this region, but I also got to enjoy the area's fantastic scenery from several extraordinary outlooks/viewpoints.
I discovered that it's a real climb to get into the park, for I had to face several hairpin turns and switchbacks, and I had to drive through a tunnel as well, but once I reached the Visitor Centre, there were opportunities to relax and enjoy the great views. It's even called the "Far View Visitor Centre" and it's aptly named. The Far View Visitor Centre is important, not only for learning some historical facts about this intriguing area, but also as the place where visitors book their ranger-guided tours. Tours of the major cliff dwellings must be booked here, in advance, not at the actual site, or you could also pre-book these tours in Cortez before entering the park, at the Mesa Verde Country Visitor Information Bureau.
From: Belleville EMC, September 9, 2010 By: John M. Smith
 Square, circular and D-shaped towers have stood for eight centuries on a canyon rim at what's now Hovenweep National Monument in Utah. Their function remains a mystery. Celestial tracking? Message signaling? Spiritual ceremonies? Or defense, considering the strategic portholes and lack of ground-level doors? There's plenty to contemplate during walks around this silent pre-Columbian historical site along the southeastern border of Utah.
From: Washington Examiner, September 5, 2010 By: Robin Tierney
At Mesa Verde, ancient history is cool
Visitors can scale ladders at cliff dwellings or learn about modern Native American life 
There's no time to be nervous. The kids charge ahead up the 32-foot ladder, squeezing through a narrow, 12-foot tunnel, walking in toeholds carved into dusty sandstone.
Imagine if you could only get into your office or house via toeholds carved into rock. Imagine cooking by tossing a hot rock into a waterproofed basket filled with stew fixings and grinding corn with a rock. Imagine living with your family in small stone rooms. Imagine no TV or video games to entertain the kids — just stories passed down from generation to generation. We're all trying to get our heads around what family life must have been like for the Ancient Puebloan families who lived in these amazing cliff dwellings in southwest Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park, the nation's largest archeological preserve offering some 4,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings.
From: msnbc.com, Tribune Media Services, September 3, 2010 By:Eileen Ogintz
Land of the Ancients
As an 'agritourist' in southwest Colorado you can trace 1,300 years of food production  Mesas, canyons, and mountains. Embraced by vertical fortresses of nature, the valleys below these expansive geological wonders carried riches of abundant water, fertile soil, and wildlife, sustaining a culture revealed to us in modern times as "ancestral puebloans," the "Ancients" of Mesa Verde Country. Travel beyond the mountain towns of southwest Colorado and you will catch a glimpse of the past in the form of crumbling pueblos and cliff dwellings tucked within sandstone canyons — silent reminders of the thriving civilization that prospered in the area from 1 to 1300 AD.
From: Zone 4 Magazine, Fall 2010 By: Gigi Ragland
How many children today had a chance to pluck a warm egg from a chicken's nest or pull a carrot from the earth?
Families interested in a hands-on lesson about eating locally can find no better venue than the southwestern corner of Colorado known more for its ancestral Puebloan ruins than for its sunflower farms. Not far from the celebrated Mesa Verde National Park, agricultural tourism is beginning to bloom. Visitors can find a flock of Churro sheep, a species brought back from extinction by local breeders, on alpaca ranches that specialize in these sweet-faced, fiber- bearing creatures.
From: The Denver Post, August 29, 2010 By: Linda DuVal, Special to the Denver Post
Often when I'm in a foreign place, I entertain the notion of actually living there. I have flirted with the idea in Florence, London and Paris after staying a few weeks or months, but
after only a few days in southwest Colorado, already I was imagining a life there.
I was so taken by the beauty of the natural landscape, as well as the natural beauty of the people. The people are relaxed, and the towns have a positive energy. Locals who moved there from other states told me they were never happier than when they moved to Colorado. I could see within a day of being there that there was something special about this place.
From: The Canadian Jewish News, August 26, 2010 By: Melody Wren
"Call them 'ancestral pueblos,' " insists Lynn Dyer, executive director of the Mesa Verde Country Visitors Information Bureau. "Pueblo leaders tell us it is not 'abandoned,' only vacated because 'it was time.' " Your RV safely parked, you're on the very edge of a sheer cliff unable to see the ancient built-in village more than 100 feet below you. You're going to descend a steep staircase and climb three-story lodge pole ladder into Balcony House at Mesa Verde National Park.
Getting to Mesa Verde RV Resorts Located between Cortez and Mancos, Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park is a place you head in your RV without depending on the freeway. Located closer to Interstate 40 in Gallup, New Mexico, than it is to I-70 at Grand Junction, Colorado, Mesa Verde Country is in the Four Corners. From Gallup, U.S. 491 is the direct route. From Grand Junction, the route takes you past Canyonlands and Arches National Parks near Moab, Utah before hitting U.S. 491.
From: Livestrong.com, August 16, 2010 By: Eric Jay Toll
EMC Lifestyles - If you enjoy roller coasters, then I've got a drive for you! You'll soar, plunge, and twist on this thrilling loop ride of about 400 kilometres through the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado. You'll experience a great variety of both terrain and temperature, for you'll climb through four mountain passes and you'll descend into an area of high desert, arid mesas, and wide open spaces. You can do the entire trip in a day, but I'd strongly recommend taking a few days and stopping at some of the enticing places you'll see along this magnificent route.
I had the good fortune to experience this loop drive for myself on my recent visit to Colorado, and my adventure trek actually began just north of the San Juan Skyway, at Montrose, for my plane landed here and I picked up my rental car.
From: Belleville EMC, August 5, 2010 By: John M. Smith
In the lower-left corner of Colorado, the little town of Cortez has a funky-weird vibe and some of the best new trails in the Southwest. No wonder Johnny T calls it home.
My riding partner, Dave, and I watch three rifle-toting hunters skulk up a dirt road near the Sagehen trails, some 10 miles north of Cortez, Colorado. After they disappear from view, the sound of gunshots echoes through the sagebrush. Suddenly, eight huge elk thunder across our path. Moments later, gusts as strong as 55 mph whistle through our helmets and jostle our handlebars. Then, right after we find the seldom-trod Sagehen singletrack, the pivots holding my rear suspension shear with a sickening, metallic crunch. It's been a damn weird 10 minutes in a damn weird place.
From: Bicycling, August 2010 By: Rob Story
Ein lautes, schrilles Pfeifen, kurz danach ein dumpfes Fauchen; Die "Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad" setzt sich langsam in Bewegung. Wenig später rattert die nostalgische Dampflok mit ihren gelben Waggons durch eine atemberaubende Landschaft. Auf schmalen Brücken überquert der Zug einige Male den Animas River. Die in den Fels gehauene Trasse führt haarsharf vorbei an schwindelerregenden Abgruenden.
Translation: A loud, shrill whistle, followed shortly by a dull roar, and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is slowly moving. A little later, the nostalgic steam train rattles its yellow cars through a spectacular landscape. Over narrow bridges the train crosses the Animas River a few times, as the railway carved into the rock narrowly leads past dizzying abysses.
Mehr als 50 Gipfel, die über 4200 Meter in den Himmel ragen, machen diesen Bundesstaat zum höchstgelegenen der USA. Zahlreiche Nationalparks laden zu aufregenden Natur-Erlebnissen ein, Eisenbahn-Fans gehen in fauchenden, alten Dampfzügen auf Achse. Und über allem liegt stets ein Hauch von Wildwest. Translation: More than 50 peaks rising over 4200 meters into the sky make this state the highest in the USA. There are many National Parks for an exciting Nature experience, and railroad fans ride roaring, old trains on the move. And over all, there is always a touch of the Wild West.
Einzigartiges Kulturdenkmal: der "Klippenpalast" von Mesa Verde. In den Hoehlenwohnungen lebten einst Anasazi-Indianer. Translation: Unique cultural heritage: the "Cliff Palace" of Mesa Verde. In the cave dwellings once lived Anasazi Indians.
From: Freizeit Spass, 2010 By: Franz Mark Frei
...To the south, the ancient Indian cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park are the main attraction. They're on a high mesa outside the town of Cortez. You can see the dwellings from a network of roads and viewpoints, but we took several guided tours that involved climbing ladders. Not for everyone.
Either way, Mesa Verde was memorable, America's first World Heritage Site, a step back in time. (For park information click here.) We spent the night at the 150-room Far View Lodge, 15 miles into the park. Sitting on our balcony watching the moon rise was a never-to-be-forgotten experience.
From: Santa Barbara Independent, July 16, 2010 By: Barney Brantingham
From roughly A.D. 700 to 1300, Ancestral Puebloans chose to settle on cliffs and farm the local mesas instead of migrating with the seasons. The area where they settled-between Albuquerque, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Phoenix-is among the richest archaeological spots in North America.
Want to explore the cliff dwellings up close? At Mesa Verde National Park, expert rangers lead $3 interpretive hikes through Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling found to date in Northern America, and Spruce Tree House, where you can descend into a kiva, a ceremonial chamber supported with six timber pilasters. Central to each kiva is a fire pit, an innovative ventilation system, and a "sipapu," a hole that was meant to allow spirits to rise.
From: PETA Prime, July 2010 By: Robin Soslow
Southwest Colorado is a place for quiet contemplation and exploration, for listening to the wind whistle through the arroyos, watching ravens soar through towering red-rock canyons set against a striking blue sky and searching for signs of the region's fascinating ancient inhabitants.
This area is known as the Four Corners, where the borders of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah intersect. In Colorado, this region is nome to Mesa Verde National Park, a World Heritage Site and among the country's grandest archeological sites, in addition to Hovenweep and Canyons of the Ancients national monuments — all of which share insight into the Ancestral Puebloans who lived here long ago. In fact, visitors can still examine many tangible traces — dwellings, pottery, petroglyphs, hunting and cooking tools — of the people who called this area home before the first European stepped onto this continent. Intrigued by such stories and motivated by the chance to view centuries-old structures and explore those connections, I embarked upon the Trail of the Ancients Scenic and Historic Byway, a 114-mile drive through southwestern Colorado that connects the major archeological sites and creates a fascinating tour that can be undertaken in only a few days. (Visit coloradobyways.org to learn about Colorado's 24 other byways.)
From: 2010 Colorado Official State Vacation Guide By: Eric Lindberg
"If you have a fear of heights and tight spaces, this tour's not for you," said Park Ranger Paula Wolfe, preparing 25 adults and children for an hour climb up and down cliffside ladders, squeezing between rocks, and crawling through crevices "as wide as my hat." The destination is Balcony House, a cliff dwelling inhabited by nimble pre-Columbian Indians between 1180 to 1270 A.D.
From: The Examiner, June 27, 2010 By: Robin Tierney, Special to The Examiner
Celebrate Native American culture at the 10th Annual Mesa Verde Country® Indian Arts & Culture Festival at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. Visitors will enjoy displays of artwork, handmade rugs, dance demonstrations, and more! You can also take tours of archaeological sites. The festival will run from May 28 - June 6.
From: Byways.org, May 27, 2010 By: America's Byways® Press Room
 Tucked away in the Four Corners region of southwestern Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park showcases the ancient history and culture of the Anasazi people, ancestors of the Pueblo. The park contains more than 4,000 archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. Visitors to Mesa Verde and the surrounding countrysidewill find accommodations to suit most budgets and preferences.
From: USAToday.com Travel Tips, 2010 By: Don Amerman, Demand Media
Visit Mesa Verde National Park and the Ute Tribal Park this weekend for the annual Ute Mountain-Mesa Verde Birding Festival. You can view a wide variety of species, possibly including Western Tanager, Lucy's Warbler, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Black Phoebe, Green-tailed and Spotted Towhee, Wild Turkey, Roadrunner, Clark's Nutcracker, and more! In addition to birdwatching, guests can attend an art show, workshops, and listen to speakers including Keynote Speaker Brian "Fox" Ellis. The festival runs from May 12-16.
From: Byways.org, May 11, 2010 By: America's Byways® Press Room
One of the most popular and fascinating features of the southwest's Canyon Country is the remains of the prehistoric Anasazi Indian civilization. The Anasazi thrived in the region for nearly 1,000 years leaving evidence of their extraordinary masonry talents everywhere. The zenith of the Anasazi culture was reached in Chaco Canyon during the years 900-1100 A.D. The gigantic pueblos of Chaco rival the other great works of the ancient world, such as those of the Mayas and Incas. By the year 1300, the Anasazi had abandoned the entire region, generally moving into the Rio Grande Valley of northern New Mexico. This departure has long been one of the southwest's great mysteries and has been the subject of intense research and speculation for generations.
From: The American West Travelogue, 2010 By: Joseph A. Sprince
If you're not participating in the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown, testing your knowledge at the Harry Potter Quiz or watching the Colorado Firefighter Calendar Judging Contest, there are some big races this weekend. Colorado's fastest will have the opportunity to earn some money this weekend, here is a breakdown of this weekends racing action:
Pueblo to Pueblo Run 11M/10k/2M The Pueblo to Pueblo race starts in Cortez, as runners are bused to the race start. The top three overall male and female winners in each race will receive awards valued from $30.00 to $100.00.
From: RunColo.com, April 21, 2010 By: RunColo
Steeped in ritual, history and cultural importance, the Mesa Verde area will again host the annual Mesa Verde Country® Indian Arts & Culture Festival. Now in its tenth year, the festival features traditional American Indian dances, cultural discussions and a variety of exhibits relating to Ancestral Puebloans and modern-day American Indian tribes.
From: Colorado.com, April 2010
Wed, 5/12/2010 - Sun, 5/16/2010... Spring migrants and early nesters attract birdwatchers from across the nation to the Ute Mountain-Mesa Verde Birding Festival. Located in the Archaeological Center of America, many of the birding field trips visit spectacular archaeological areas such as Mesa Verde National Park and the Ute Tribal Park.
From: Birder's World Magazine, 2010
Southwestern Colorado's Mesa Verde Country is home to a fascinating variety of raptors, seasonal migrants and year-round residents. Each year the region's natural diversity is celebrated during the Ute Mountain — Mesa Verde Birding Festival. This year's festival will run from May 12 to May 16.
The festival opens with a reception for participants and a free Beginning Birding lecture. Registration also begins Wednesday afternoon and is available throughout the festival.
From: Travel Age West, March 16, 2010 By: Janeen Christoff
... Ute Mountain/Mesa Verde Birding FestivalMay 13 to 16 (Cortez) 970-565-1151; utemountainmesaverde birdingfestival.com This fundraiser benefits the Cortez Cultural Center, so have your wallet handy. Individual birding tours start at $15 and go up to $65 for a Ute Mountain Tribal Park horseback tour of birdwatching sites. Festival events begin at 6 a.m., and continue until 8 or 9 p.m.
From: The Denver Post, March 14, 2010 By: Claire Martin, The Denver Post
The Trail of the Ancients in Colorado and Utah takes you back to a time long before the United States existed, long before Spaniards came north from what is today Central America. Amazingly, some regions of the Colorado Plateau remain today much as they must have been in the 13th and 14th Centuries. Arid and mostly uninhabited, the terrain along the byway conceals secrets of bygone populations, vibrant people who came and went like snow in warm spring sunshine or tumbleweeds at the front of a desert storm. The byway travels through some of our country's most beautiful yet austere country, and it lends itself to contemplation and rejuvenation as well as recreational adventures.
From: Byways.org, 2010 By: America's Byways® Press Room
Mesa Verde National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Colorado's oldest national park. It is located approximately 35 miles west of Durango and is home to a maze of canyons, cliff dwellings and canals. Visitors who want to learn more about the ancient people who once lived in the area and see archaeological artifacts can explore several interesting attractions near Mesa Verde National Park.
From: USAToday.com Travel Tips, March 2010 By: Sabah Karimi, Demand Media
April Pueblo-to-Pueblo Run provides spring training on National Scenic Byway
Cortez, Colo. - For many, running in Colorado means high altitudes, thin air and legendary races like the Leadville 100, Imogene Pass Run and Pikes Peak Marathon. But for runners seeking challenge and adventure - minus the 10,000-foot-plus elevation - southwest Colorado's Pueblo-to-Pueblo Run series offers the chance to run amid historical Native American lands, on a national scenic byway.
From: Colorado Runner, February 8, 2010 By: Anonymous
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