In about 1200 A. D. the ancient Puebloans decided to upgrade their living quarters from underground pit houses to impressive cities nestled in cliff alcoves, complete with million dollar views. However, they lived in their creations for only twenty years after the building was finished before mysteriously vanishing from Mesa Verde. This ancient enigma has drawn both scholars and visitors alike to this national park, and has made it a place of wonder. We arrived in Mesa Verde just in time to take the Twilight Tour of Cliff Palace, the largest ancient dwelling in the park. Cliff Palace is thought to have been home to 100 to 130 people. The next morning we toured the Balcony House, which was home to only thirty people. The fact that the Ancient Puebloan people had called Mesa Verde home for 700 hundred years captivated our imaginations as we contemplated the lives of those before us.
