Mesa Verde National Park is known for it’s Ancestral Puebloan dwellings built and carved into the side of these cliffs. My partner Lindsey and I decided to drive down to the park after spending the day in Ouray, Silverton, and Durango after initially planning to return north after Silverton. But when we checked our maps app we were only 3 hours away, we’d get to check out Durango, catch sunset at Mesa Verde, and then the drive back a different route to Montrose that was only another 3 hours. As I sit here typing that, I can’t believe we sold that to ourselves as the prudent choice. We had very little time in the park, but we did manage to drive the loop and see some incredible things. And the sunset was one I’ll never forget.

We did manage that 3 hour drive back to Montrose, all in the dark. And we may have driven straight back to Black Canyon of the Gunnison for one more view of the stars. We definitely push our limits, even on vacation.