Grandkids trip to Mesa Verde

As I was thinking about our National Parks and the series I started thinking about some of the more memorable visits. I realized that the visits to each park have been memorable in their own way.
One park visit which we may not ever get to repeat again, hence, an incredible special visit was to Mesa Verde in July 2006. Now we have been to Mesa Verde before but this trip was different.
We’d originally planned a grandkids trip to the Southwest, exactly where I don’t even remember any more. Then my dad, who was very ill with cancer, told me that Mesa Verde was going to celebrate the 100th Anniversary that summer by opening up 2 sites: Mug House, never opened to the public and Oak Tree House, closed to the public in the 1930’s. From Memorial Day to Labor Day the park service was offering a hike every morning to the Oak Tree and each afternoon to the Mug House. Only 14 persons would be able to join each hike, 1 per day.
The prospect of visiting 2 sites 1 of which had never been opened was more than we could bear so I got on-line immediately. We were so lucky, we got into Mug House on one afternoon and the Oak Tree the following morning. The Oak Tree hike only had 6 openings left and that was just enough for Dale and I and the 4 grandkids.
Christabel turned 6 on our way to Mesa Verde when we stopped at Canyon de Chelly, Elias 8, Taylor 9 and Sunny 10. They were young but old enough to appreciate the incredible places we were about to visit.
On one of the hikes we had to cross the face of a cliff using ropes across the face. We had to use the toe holds made by the Native Americans while holding the ropes. Needless to say we were very concerned about the grandkids and especially Christabel crossing as we could not help them cross. They were great troopers crossing like their American Indian ancestors before them and had bragging rights for some time.
We do have an appreciation for those early settlers climbing up and down the cliffs with only toe holds. Yikes!
Fortunately our kids do not read these blogs. They have never heard all of the details that we conveniently left out!