MESA VERDE COUNTRY® - A TREAT FOR THE FIVE SENSES

Sight: A Looking Glass into the Past

Mesa Verde Country® is a veritable looking glass into the region's rich history. Mesa Verde National Park, the hallmark attraction, allows visitors get an up-close-and-personal look at the life of the Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi) and their ancient cliff dwellings and mesa-top villages.

Other heritage attractions include Ute Mountain Tribal Park, offering a remote archaeological experience with Ute Indian guides; Hovenweep National Monument, protecting six prehistoric, Ancestral Puebloan villages spanning 20 miles; Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, boasting more than 100 archaeological sites per square mile; Crow Canyon Archaeological Center; and the Anasazi Heritage Center, featuring interpretive programs and exhibits on archaeology, history and Native American culture.

Touch: Feel Like an Ancestral Pueblo

At Mesa Verde National Park, visitors may literally walk in the steps of the early-day inhabitants, climbing in and out of the ancient communities using ladders, stairs and tunnels. At Ute Tribal Park, Ute guides help visitors interpret Ute Indian history, pictographs, geological land formations, and Ancestral Pueblo petroglyphs, artifacts, and dwellings. Visitors may touch ancient pottery sherds, stone tools, and corncobs (just be sure to put them back!).

At Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, kids of all ages roll up their sleeves to participate in the center's day programs "Touch the Past," or in one of their week-long educational or supervised dig programs.

Sound: Mother Nature's Chorus

Sometimes, the sound the soul craves the most is beautiful and refreshing silence. Pristine splendor hides in the sweeping vistas and rugged beauty of Mesa Verde Country®, where Mother Nature's whispers offer relaxation and solitude.

In the springtime, take a hike in the San Juan Mountains, keeping ears (and eyes) peeled for wildlife moving through the meadows, or listening to the calming sounds of a babbling brook or rushing waterfall. Visit during the Ute Mountain/Mesa Verde Birding Festival in May, and join birdwatchers from across the nation in welcoming the sights and sounds of spring migrants and early nesters.

Smell: "Sniff Out" a Real Wild West Experience

For a true western experience, take part in an authentic cattle drive where you will experience the real "smell of the west." Visitors also can take a horseback ride into the backcountry and enjoy the pungent odor of cowboy chow cooking on a roaring campfire. The cowboy heritage of the area also provides entertainment with rodeos, a county fair, agricultural tours and cattle drives through town — all a part of life today in Mesa Verde Country®.

Taste: The Local Flavor

Mesa Verde Country®, once home to an ancient Ancestral Puebloan trade route, and an historic fruit-growing region, is now host to a winery, distillery and microbreweries to delight the palates of visitors. Guy Drew Vineyards (www.guydrewvineyards.com), southwest of Cortez, has a tasting room open daily. Suds fans can belly up at Main Street Brewery and Coyote J. Brewing Company (www.jfargos.com) in Cortez and Dolores River Brewery in Dolores (www.doloresriverbrewery.com), and check out the new Mancos Valley Distillery in Mancos. Farmer's markets that take place throughout the summer and early fall provide indulgence in local harvests. August visitors have the opportunity to experience the Mesa Verde Country® Food, Wine and Art Festival, featuring the acclaimed winemakers' dinners.

Mesa Verde Country® (www.mesaverdecountry.com)
Mesa Verde Country® is the southwest Colorado travel destination surrounding Mesa Verde National Park. The towns of Cortez, Dolores, Mancos, and Towaoc, and the entire Mesa Verde Country® area, comprise the archaeological center of America.