After breakfast, we started packing up and left Moab about 8:30 and drove southeast to Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez, Colorado.   When we entered Mesa Verde, there are some mountains to climb.  We crossed our fingers hoping our Ford Explorer would make it.  We did!  We found the campground and registered.  Bob had made reservations for full hookups-electric, water, and sewer.  Unfortunately, we had no cell phone service.  We had a strong signal in Cortez so we were hopeful.  As soon as we got into the park, we lost the signal.  After we set up camp, we drove to the Visitor’s Center to get tickets for the tours.  Some of the ruins do not require a ticket, but Balcony House, Cliff Palace, and Long House do.  We bought tickets for those three tours.  The girl who sold us the tickets said that she belonged to the same credit union because her mother had taught and retired from DeKalb County Schools.  She had graduated from Towers High School.

One thing that we noticed as we drove through the park, much of the park had dead trees damaged from fire.  Signs at the Visitor’s Center told us that they had had numerous fires in Mesa Verde since 2000.  The underbrush had started growing, but not much growth from the trees.