The area around 'Mesa Verde' has been popular among nomadic peoples and later settled farmers for a long time.
Since 500 AD, besides the fields, the first dwellings were also built, which later became villages with permanent homes. The pit houses were transformed into stone houses in the 13th century, which were built in rock niches for protection against weather and enemies.
In order to visit these houses, we had to book a tour in advance at the Visitor Centre. We had to choose between 'Balcony House' and 'Cliff Palace'. Then we were guided by a ranger through the village and learned many things about life in these villages. We had a hotel right inside the national park. In the evening, we sat on the terrace with a glass of wine and could observe wapiti deer during their evening meal. The day ended with a breathtaking sunset. The next morning, we drove to 'Canyon de Chelly' in Arizona, in the area of the Navajos. This caused some confusion for us, as Arizona has not introduced daylight saving time, but the Navajos do. So the time not only changed from state to state, but also within Arizona... At the Grand Canyon, we almost missed our shuttle bus because we relied on the wrong time... Canyon de Chelly We hiked along the 'White House Trail' into the valley. At the end, there was another house built into the rock: White House
