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Landing at
Cortez Airport
and visiting Mesa Verde National Park! |
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Cliff Palace
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Best time of the year to go? |
Right after Labor Day if you
can. |
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Flight time in a Super Viking from KAJO? |
3.4 |
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Food on the airport? |
No |
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Fuel on airport? |
Yes |
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Landing or Parking fees? |
Parking Fee |
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Comments about arriving and departing. |
Departing to the west watch the hill! |
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Things to do at or near the airport. |
Mesa Verde National Park |
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Rate this stop with 10 being best, 5 average. |
9.5, Mesa Verde WOW! |
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The Home of Bellanca N4201B |
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Mesa Verde is one of those out of the way
National Parks that you spend an afternoon at on the way to
somewhere else wishing you had a couple of days. This time I planed
three nights at the Far View Lodge and purchased tours to see each
dwelling. The tours are only $3.00 a person so go crazy!
We landed at Cortez airport and picked up our
rental car. I'm always concerned about leaving my plane at
uncontrolled airports but Cortez is very secure and well lighted.
Both Hertz and Budget have cars at Cortez, if an air carrier is not
expected you'll need to call and have the rental car employee come
in.
On the way to Mesa Verde I strongly suggest
you stop in Cortez at Wal-Mart, you go right past it, and pick up a
throw away ice chest. Water is a must and maybe something for lunch the next day. The
park is spread out and your going to do a lot of hiking.
Mesa Verde is a 30 mile drive to the gate,
once inside the park another 20 miles to the Visitor Center and Far
View Lodge. Hit the visitor center first and get reservations for
the tours you want. We like the morning tours when
it's cool and the light is right. We were there the week after Labor
Day. The place was pretty much empty. The guided tours were just 8
to 12 people, I understand the were 50 to 60 people the week before.
I also suggest you stay in the park and there
is only one place, the Far View Lodge. Other places are an hour
drive and I always get stuck behind a 20 mph motor home. Why
don't those guys pull over?. At the Far View Lodge be sure and
get one of their upgraded rooms. The regular rooms are kind of run
down and the savings is small. The lodge, restaurant
and bar are brand new and the view is breathtaking. We had dinner
there twice and the food was very good. They also had a nice wine
selection.
We did return to Cortez one afternoon to
shop a Mesa Verde Pottery and have dinner in town. People in town
all suggested we eat at the Shiloh Steak House and we were not
disappointed. Eat on the patio among the trees and water features,
it's very pleasant. Neither of us had steak but the food was
outstanding.
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Welcome to
160knots.com ! |
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Sunrise taken from our room
at the Far View Lodge. |
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Sun hitting the mesa taken
from our room at the Far View Lodge. |
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Taken from our room at the
Far View Lodge. |
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Deer taken from our room at
the Far View Lodge. |
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Picture taken from our room
at the Far View Lodge. |
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Picture taken from our room
at the Far View Lodge. |
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Picture taken from our room
at the Far View Lodge. |
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Balcony House |
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Balcony House |
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Cliff Palace |
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Cliff Palace |
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Cliff Palace |
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Cliff Palace |
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Cliff Palace |
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Cliff Palace |
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Deer in burn area. |
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Fire Temple |
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Long House |
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Long House |
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Long House |
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Long House |
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Long House |
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Hike to the Nordenskiod
dwellings. |
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Hike to Nordenskiod
House |
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Hike to the Nordenskiod
House |
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The Petroglyph Hike is a
very enjoyable hike and I suggest you take it. |
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Petroglyph Hike |
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Petroglyph Hike |
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We met this woman on the Petroglyph
Hike. Since she used to own a PT-22 then a Cessna 195. She
lives in San Diego and being a pilot she made the page. |
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Petroglyph Hike |
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Petroglyph Hike |
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Spruce Tree House |
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Spruce Tree House |
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Wetherill House |
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Wetherill House |
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