Notes from the Mountain at Mesa Verde
Hello again:
Carol writes......
We arrived at the Morefield Campground early in the day, a first for Chriss. The lady who checked us in was such a wonderful happy person. She told us she used to live in New Jersey like us and we had a long chat. As matter of fact, everyone in the office/store were so nice to us. Once in the campground we did our normal thing...... that is the same thing we do in a restaurant, we looked at and even tried out almost every available table..... I mean campsite.
Round and round we went with the aid of our wonderful camp host "Jerry" leading us in his electric kart. The sites were very narrow and short. It was very difficult to find a site that Chriss could maneuver our RV with its motorcycle trailer while backing into our site from the narrow camp road. Chriss said I was such a big help to him. I waited at each site as Chriss drove the loop again and again looking for the best site, which we eventually found.
Yesterday we met our next door neighbors, Peg and Pete and their dog Willie. They are from Colorado. We learn they are about our age and not full time travelers like so many that we meet. Peg and I hit it off very well and leave Chriss and Pete to fend for themselves. Peg and Pete leave this morning for the Grand Canyon. Even though they were parked next to us there was heavy thick shrubs between us. Therefore our site remained quite private but with a nice backyard view of the mountains.
After returning to our trailer last night, again Chriss and I sat outside under the stars. If possible the sky was even brighter than when we were at the Great Sand Dunes. So many stars, I saw the milkyway like never before. It was so incredible, our universe is so big. Chriss and I discussed this for a long time while looking up until our necks hurt. After a while we got cold and came into the camper, the temp this morning was in the 40’s but the sun is warm.
We are all settled into our site and are presently at the Laundromat at the park store/office. We are washing eight bags of dirty clothes in four washers. Life does go on even while on vacation. I was very happy we didn't need to go back down long curvy mountain road to the local town laundry. One of the nice things about traveling in a motorhome is that after doing our laundry we simply went to the parking lot and made lunch right there looking out at the mountains.
After lunch we drove about 20 miles further into the park. The road went up and down mountains and around amazing hair pin curves on a narrow two lane road. Our destination was one of the best preserved cliff dwellings with self guiding tours. This is an amazing thing to see. Postcard pictures don't do it justice. After walking down a winding half mile paved trail at the mountainside a beautiful cliff dwelling is visible. It is built into the side of the mountain under a rock overhang, construction was done in the 1200’s by the native Indians.
In the information/bookstore (Chapin Mesa Museum) there was a short slide show with narration giving a lot of information. We learned about the natives and their life style. The whole community was abandoned after a 23 year drought and they just moved on. It is amazing that this happened in this area that would become the USA all before 1492 when Columbus paid his first visit.
Anyway life on the Mesa continues and we will write more tomorrow.
Love to all,Carol and Chriss
Chriss writes...............
Carol was such a big help while I was backing into our campsite. The longer level sites were at a premium and hard to find. We even needed to trim some overhanging branches to get both the motorhome and motorcycle trailer into our tight site. There was barely enough room to be off the road.
In the museum we meet another RV couple. We are at ease with each other and exchange stories about our travels. Later while watching the slide show in the museum at "Spruce Tree House" I started to feel poorly and told Carol several times. After the show I told Carol that I was going to the restroom and would meet her outside at the top of the trail head that leads down to the cliff dwellings. It turned out to be a very long walk to the mens bathroom. Not feeling well I was gone a long time. Upon returning I could not find Carol. I looked in the museum and everywhere else but couldn't find her. By now I really wasn't feeling very well. I started down the trail (which was fairly steep) only to the first turn looking for Carol. Once again.... no Carol. I came back up to find Carol at the top of the trail. Mad she was, the look on her face. This is not normal for Carol.
After spotting me coming up the trail the first thing Carol said to me was " DID YOU GO DOWN THERE WITHOUT ME." I said "yes" this was my bad. A male pride thing. I was angry because I couldn't find her. Now I was really feeling bad and surprising out of breath and all sweaty from my short climb up. I should have told her "I No honey, I only went down to the first turn looking for you." Carol angerly walked past me and went all the way down to see the ruins without me. I waited patiently for her. Eventually she comes back up, we walk back to the RV in silence.
We are parked on top of the other side of the ridge line. We are in a gravel overflow parking lot all by ourselves. I get some binoculars from the RV and go sit on a very narrow ledge over looking the canyon below. I find another small cliff dwelling that I feel may be unreported. With excitement I go look for Carol. Finding her I take her by hand and lead her to the cliffs edge. Surprising she comes, while saying...... "What, are you going to push me over the edge." I say no, it's going to be a lovers leap. Carol stills comes with me. We sit together on the edge, watching the sun set behind the far canyon wall. It is a beautiful sight to behold.
It gets dark and we return to our motorhome in better spirits. We make dinner before starting our journey back down the mountain to our campsite. During the descent we will stop many times to look with our binoculars at anything we think we can see through the darkness. We lean against the RV holding each other trying to stay warm taking turns looking into the night. Soon we are back at our campsite and to bed we go. I think to myself, Carol is always there for me I am so thankful, we have such a good time together.
Good night.
Chriss
