Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado:  10 May 2005

MVNP has a great variety:  cool scenery within, lots of ancient ruins, and excellent long range vistas.  [21 photos]

Park Entrance: long climb ahead

Halfway up and looking back

Skeletal trees, grim survivors of a large brush fire

Parapets

Great Colorado vista

Parapet and snowy peaks

Square Tower House c. 1200 AD

A pithouse, one of the earliest residences

Cliff Palace has more than 50 rooms

Cliff Palace, zoomed

Cliff Palace, 10x zoom

Tour group at Cliff Palace, 40x zoom

Tower at Cliff Palace

Antler nubs

Sun Temple corridor

Spruce House, circa 1200 AD

Spruce House has 114 rooms

About 125 people lived at Spruce House

Spruce House

You can climb into certain parts of Spruce House, including underground chambers called "kivas"

Another vista on the ride out