Featured - Pitstops for Kids

In honor of upcoming National Parks Week, today’s Off the Beaten Path post features beautiful Mesa Verde, Colorado.

Mesa Verde National Park tips:

Mesa Verde National Park is located in the southwestern section of Colorado, one hour from the town of Cortez, off I-160. With so much to see, families can easily plan to spend 2-3 days exploring this park!

Why it’s worth the drive: Mesa Verde is home to the ancient cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300. The park protects over 4,000 known archeological sites (including a staggering 600 cliff dwellings), most of which are open for viewing (and exploring) by the public. These sites are not hands-off experiences: kids can hike right down to the ruins (some self-guided, some in group tours) and walk through ancient doorways, climb wooden ladders, and see how Mesa Verde’s first inhabitants lived firsthand. (General Tip: don’t let the high desert landscape fool you; Mesa Verde is at high elevation. Be sure to bring jackets and watch for altitude sickness when spending the day out in the elements.)

Where to Stay: The town of Cortez is too far away for most families to consider lodging there (although it does offer a variety of motels). Instead, we stayed in Mesa Verde National Park at their Morefield Campground. You can camp in an RV or tent, or rent sites already equipped with 10″x12″ canvas pole tents complete with cots (which is what we did!). Even with over 400 sites, the campground (the only one in the park) fills up fast in summer, so reserve early. If camping is not for you, The Far View Lodge offers deluxe accommodations, and is located closer to the cliff dwelling sites.

What to see: A good place to start is the Far View Visitor’s Center on the mesa top, where you’ll learn the history of Mesa Verde (and can purchase tickets for group tours…the only way to view the major dwellings). You don’t want to miss Cliff Palace and Balcony House where rangers lead small groups through the cliff-side ruins. (Be adviced that extensive climbing and even some crawling is required…if you’re active people, it won’t be a problem: our four-year-old did fine, as did our set of grandparents.) If you have time, walk the short trail to the self-guided Spruce Tree House, where kids can get an up-close view of the ancient people’s kivas and other religious artifacts. Tip the adjacent Spruce Tree House Museum is a good place to find needed Junior Ranger trivia answers!

Date last visited: July 2009

Distance off the interstate: 1 hour.

Hours and Admission Prices: The National Parks charge $10 per vehicle. Hours vary by season.

Food Services: Several restaurants are available within the national park, but we did the majority of our grocery shopping in Cortez before entering the Mesa Verde area, and made our own meals. A camp store is available in the Morefield Campground.

Website: http://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm

Elwell Lakes Lodge review, CA

Hands’ down, Elwell Lakes Lodge and the surrounding Sierra Nevada region of Northern California is one of our favorite places on earth. As such, I’m afraid I’ll have a hard time being impartial in this review! Having grown up in the area and visited numerous times from childhood to adulthood, I cannot recommend it highly enough for an adventurous family vacation well off the beaten path.

Elwell Lakes Lodge review:

One of many family cabins at Elwell lakes Lodge.

The lodge, nestled high in the Sierras 25 minutes from the small resort town of Graeagle, CA, is located over an hour northwest of Reno, NV, and almost two hours north of Tahoe, and is comprised of approximately a dozen rustic guest cabins, seveal tent cabins, a recreation hall well-stocked with books and games, and a main lodge. Cabins are comfortable with furniture, linens for the beds, kitchens, and bathrooms. Most, if not all, have a front porch and a BBQ.

Best of all is Elwell Lakes Lodge’s location. Situated just past Lakes Basin Campground, it is literally a gateway to the numerous lakes that comprise the Lakes Basin Recreation Area. Directly from your front door is a well-maintained network of hiking trails leading to some of the most beautiful scenery in the Northwest. The fishing, swimming, and exploring can’t be beat. If you so desire, you could easily stay a week and not get back into your car once.

Nate and Cal, playing along the shore of Long Lake.

If you do choose to take a drive, our picks are to the wonderful mining town of Johnsville and Plumas Eureka State Park where your kids can see a stamp mill still standing, or (in the opposite direction) to Dowieville and the excellent swimming along the Yuba River. Nearby Salmon Lake and Sand Pond offer great swimming and fishing as well, and excellent golf is awaiting in Graeagle.

Most days, we prefer to make pancakes for breakfast, explore the lodge, and hike or swim (kids love the stockpile of Legos in the main lodge and the creek running alongside the furthest ring of cabins). They spent one memorable (to them) afternoon catching frogs. Be sure to bring a book or two, and plan to sit awhile on the main lodge deck overlooking the mountains.

Date last visited: Last weekly stay, July 2004. Last visit, July 2009.

Distance off the interstate: Approximately 35 minutes from Hwy 89.

Rates: Rates vary by cabin, ranging from under $600 to over $1000 weekly. (These rates include housekeeping and use of all lodge facilities and row boats on Long Lake). If you’re looking for a place with nightly rates, Gold Lake Lodge has similar style cabins, is nearby, and has a restaurant on-site. We’ve stayed there as well, and love both lodges.

Food Services: At the time of this posting, Elwell Lakes Lodge does not provide meals. The owners do host a fun pot-luck dinner once weekly in the large dining building, and every cabin comes equipped with a kitchen and stocked with pots, pans, dishware, and silverware. Otherwise, our dining recommendations are The Sardine Lake Lodge, just a few miles further up Gold Lake Highway, or for kid-friendly pizza and pasta, Gumba’s in Blairsden.

Website: http://www.elwelllakeslodge.com/

Nate looks for minnows in the shallow water of Sand Pond on a summer evening.

Contact Information: Phone: 530-836-2347 Mailing address: P.O. Box 68 Blairsden, CA 96103

Directions: From the town of Graeagle, turn onto Gold Lake Highway. After driving seven miles, turn right into the Lakes Basin Campground. Follow the signs to Elwell Lodge (stay left).