Mesa Verde

How we love a good National Park (and they're all so good!).  We fell in love since we've moved to Utah.

We go out of our way for National Parks now.

Mesa Verde was out of our way but WORTH IT.

This is not a great picture snapped as we rounded a curve heading up the mesa.  It was a breathtaking view any way you looked.

We ate a picnic lunch at a table underneath a tree.  I remember laughing a lot--to the point that I thought we were maybe annoying the park ranger sitting at a table across the way--but I can't remember now what we were laughing about.

Even if I did remember, it probably wouldn't be that funny anymore.  That's just how it goes.

In preparation for our little hike to Cliff Palace, our park ranger, who Emma named Gar-bear (His name tag said Gary), gave us a lecture about how difficult the climb was and how we needed to drink lots of water and be in optimal health to even attempt it.  He said it was all the harder since we were at 7000 feet.

He said, "If you have a head-ache, I don't want you to go."

I'd had a headache for a week/weeks/a month?  Also, the hike was 3/4 of a mile, round trip.  I felt like we could handle it.

Gar-bear was a bit of an alarmist.  It wasn't that hard.  What it was was amazing.

It felt unreal.  Below, the picture has some people in it, for scale.

This picture doesn't show scale, just a cute red head.

This is a picture from the other side.

We climbed about 100 feet vertically back up to the top on ladders.  All I could think about was how people raised children there.  They didn't have ladders.  You could see the toe holds they used to climb.

It was pretty incredible.

We headed for home, stopping in Monticello to see the first little temple that was built.

It is smaller than the church next to it.  

Also, being in Monticello and realizing how remote it is made me appreciate the blessing that little temple is to this community and the surrounding area.

I was happy to get back to Utah.  The red rocks in southern Utah speak to my soul.  Driving through Moab and Green River, I felt buoyed up.  The beauty and variety of the earth keep on amazing me.

Maybe the boost in my spirits is what Utah's slogan, "Life elevated" means.