Mesa Verde Round 2

We spent two nights in the Far View Lodge at Mesa Verde National Park.  Although it is more of a motel than a lodge, but was recently updated and pretty nice.  Today was spent touring the park and going on the 3 paid ranger led tours.  Pictures with brief captions below.

The "lodge" also had a fine dining room and a lounge.  We had our first dinner in the lounge and made good use of the local brews on tap and in bottles (see yesterdays post).  The Breckenridge Vanilla Porter was most excellent, and their Oatmeal Stout was pretty tasty as well.  Ska Brewery, out of Durango CO just down the road from the park, had 3 beers on tap, Modus Hoperandi a very good IPA, tasty Pin Stripe Red Ale, and a so-so True Blonde Ale.  The lounge also provided us with 3 appetizers and 3 desserts in additon to the 5 beers (white chili cheese fries highly recommended).  The second evening we ate in the fancy shmancy Metate Dining Room.  Feeling somewhat guilty for the previous nights indulgences we limited ourselves to 2 beers and one dessert.  The beers Hoppy Boy IPA and Honey Brown, both pretty good but not great, were from Twisted Pine Brewery out of Boulder CO.

day miles 45, trip miles 1,920, odometer reading 34,745

Hole we crawled out of into Balcony House.

The original juniper wood balcony of Balcony House.

  

Cliff Palace from Overlook

Funky plant, anybody know what it is?  (we don't)

walls and rooms in Long House

Overlook of Long House

Spruce Tree House

In Spruce Tree House showing Kiva with roof on (access where poles stick up)

Kiva without roof on showing interior layout. (google Kiva if you want to know ;)