The Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park is one of the more poignant settings in the National Park System. Testament to the tenacity, and workmanship, of a civilization long vanished, the rooms and kivas that are tucked into a cliff have largely stood the test of time and remain today to spark our imagination and curiosity.
Mesa Verde National Park
Talk regional cuisines and when the region that pops up is the Southwest you know the talk is going to get spicy: Chipotle peppers with their rich, smoky flavor, habaneros with their bite, and potentially potent chile rellenos. But Southwestern cuisine is more diverse than its bite might indicate. You can discover that during a meal in the Metate Room at Mesa Verde National Park, where the menu is built around bison, elk, turkey and quail, as well as squash, black beans, and tortillas.
Plans Announced to Digitally Map Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Digital mapping. This relatively new technology is a boon to archaeologists and preservationists. It's already been employed at Mesa Verde National Park, and now plans are in the works to digitally map the focal point of Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
- By Kurt Repanshek - July 4th, 2009 11:49am
If You’re Touring Mesa Verde, She Said, Be Sure to Ask for Paula
Dumb and Dumber got a big surprise at Mesa Verde National Park. Sometimes even a blind hog will find an acorn.
- By Bob Janiskee - June 2nd, 2009 6:37am
Mesa Verde’s Tribal Park Neighbor: So Near, So Far, So Different
Dumb and Dumber trips can take interesting twists and turns. We’d seen similar cliff dwellings just a few miles away at Mesa Verde National Park but this Ute Mountain Tribal Park experience was oh, so different.
- By Bob Janiskee - May 22nd, 2009 10:15pm
Upon Further Review - Wacky Question of the Week
Another summer is almost here, and with it, the opportunity for those who work in parks to field some excellent questions from visitors. Along the way, those rangers and volunteers will also undoubtedly encounter a few new candidates for the wacky question of the week.
- By Jim Burnett - May 14th, 2009 8:55pm
Descendants of Mesa Verde Anasazi Help Produce a Musical Masterpiece
The Pueblo Indians in New Mexico and northern Arizona are descendants of the Ancestral Puebloans who abandoned the cliff dwellings now preserved in Mesa Verde National Park. Does the modern pueblo culture straddle the ages? See for yourself. Just cue this composite audio/video, turn up the volume, and get ready for a surprise.
- By Bob Janiskee - August 28th, 2009 5:04pm
Tracing The Postage Stamp-Sized History of the National Park System
You could call it a postage stamp-sized history of the National Park System, but the history of park scenes on U.S. postage is really quite colorful and carries a few stories with it.
- By Kurt Repanshek - March 27th, 2009 8:02am
Looking into the Past
Climbing to Safety
Some interpretive tours in the national parks require more group participation than others. Take the visit to Balcony House in Mesa Verde National Park. The rangers actually ask you what kind of shape you're in and whether you're afraid of heights.
Kurt Repanshek
- By Kurt Repanshek - February 12th, 2009 3:44pm
It's Not Too Early To Start Planning This Summer's National Park Vacation
Sure, the calendar says January, there's a lot of snow out there across the country, and you haven't even thought about filing your income taxes. But it's still not too early to begin planning your national park vacation for this summer.
- By Kurt Repanshek - January 22nd, 2009 11:07am
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