Cliff Palace
Incredibly well preserved since 1100 AD. Ten dollars to stand on a concrete plaza was less impressive.
Mesa Verde, Colorado | May 29, 2026
A lot of driving the past few days. Four hours the day before yesterday and over four hours yesterday. I was exhausted last night. Caught up on sleep. Camped on BLM land in Cortez, Colorado.
Since I’d gotten us coveted tickets to the Cliff Palace tour we felt under the gun the whole drive. We made a quick stop at Four Corners because neither of us had been and this was probably the time. It was extremely underwhelming. Ten dollars per person admission. A bland concrete plaza with the four corners spot in the middle, surrounded by vending areas devoted entirely to Indian jewelry. We took a quick photo and left feeling like ten dollars was way too steep. I’ve visited highway rest stops that are nicer. It’s owned and operated by the Navajo Nation.
Still a couple hours to Mesa Verde from there. Once you reach the entrance it’s another 45 minute drive to the back of the park on a windy, hilly, fuel-guzzling road. The tour itself was great. Incredibly well preserved Indian settlement from 1100 AD, abandoned since the 1300s, discovered in the 1880s. I find it all fascinating. We toured just one site but apparently there are hundreds within the park.
Afterwards I took a 20 minute nap in the van and then drove to a pin we’d found on iOverlander. Fourteen designated camping areas back here, and this was the only unoccupied one. Shannon was at the Visitor’s Center trying to fix her phone and showed up a couple hours later. We sat around as the sun set and both turned in early.
I’ll tinker around the van until around noon and then head into Durango, 45 minutes away. Pick up my Amazon packages at the UPS Store. And today is Shannon’s birthday. We’re going to soak in some hot springs, fancy ones. Looking forward to it.
These past couple days have been good but all the driving is hard on the system. I want to find a spot we like and stay put for a week as soon as possible. Probably another single night near Durango tonight, then hopefully somewhere we can stay awhile.
Perfect weather. 65 degrees. Right in the middle of the butter zone.
I keep talking about this feeling I have in the morning. All day really, but heightened in the morning. A feeling of being at the end of the things to do, for a brief window of time. Where the striving has ceased. Where everything slows down and rolls away and it’s just this. This is it. This is being alive, this is the moment. What is left after you strip everything else away? Turns out it’s contentment. A glorious, simple peace, contentment and gratitude. If I’m able to live like this for the rest of my days, I will have won life. I think it’s more likely that something else will come along that suddenly seems like the right thing to do. If that happens, I know I will always look upon these as some of the best days of my life. This is it. This is the real fucking deal. This is living. This is being alive. This is a visceral experience of life. For me. What an adventure.
Roads dispatches appear on layng.com/roads after a short delay.