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Paved with Good Intentions
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Virtually all of the park's main roadway is receiving some much needed attention this summer. Ten miles of road from the entrance to Park Point are being repaved, and the rest of the main road from Park Point to the Chapin Mesa Headquarters Loop is being chip sealed. A water line replacement project will soon be underway as well. Please drive carefully, watch for road crews, and allow an extra 45 minutes to get to your Mesa Top Loop, Cliff Palace/Balcony House, and Wetherill Mesa destinations. Be safe, and enjoy your visit! Read more about park construction projects here.
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The Mesa Verde Association is a joint membership program of the Mesa Verde Museum Association and the Mesa Verde Foundation. Your MVA membership supports both of these 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
The Mesa Verde Museum Association (tax ID 84-1404606) provides educational and interpretive material to visitors of Mesa Verde National Park through an active publishing program and the operation of retail bookstores online, in the park, and in Cortez, CO. Our services enhance the visitor experience and promote stewardship of Mesa Verde's world-renowned archeological resources and natural landscapes. Proceeds from all Association operations are donated to the park's interpretive, research, and education programs.
The Mesa Verde Foundation (tax ID 84-046967) funds capital improvements, projects, and educational endeavors for Mesa Verde National Park. Our projects include construction of a new Visitor and Research Center near the park's entrance and remodeling the existing Far View Visitor Center into a Tribal Cultures Center to enhance understanding of the connection between the Ancestral Puebloans and contemporary Native American tribes.
You are receiving this email because you are a member of the Mesa Verde Association or because you purchased a product from the Mesa Verde Museum Association. To ensure that you continue to receive emails from us, add info@mesaverde.org to your address book today. |
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Welcome to "Verde Views," the e-newsletter for Mesa Verde Association members and friends. This periodic publication will keep you informed about Association news and events, park happenings, new products and special sales.
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| Cliff Dwelling Tour Tickets Now Available in Cortez!
| MVMA is now selling National Park Service ranger-led cliff dwelling tour tickets at the Colorado Welcome Center (CWC) at 928 East Main Street in Cortez. Tickets will be sold up to two days in advance of each tour. Tickets will not be sold at the CWC on the day of a tour. Tour tickets are $3.00 per person, per site, and are offered for the popular destinations of Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Long House. The only way to access these sites is by accompanying a park ranger on a guided tour.
"We are pleased to introduce this pilot program for pre-sale of tour tickets," stated Bill Nelligan, Acting Superintendent for Mesa Verde National Park. "We are hoping local residents and visitors staying in local establishments take advantage of this opportunity. This will also help reduce the long ticket lines at Far View Visitor Center." The CWC is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. From June 1 through August 31, it will be open extended hours, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Long House tour tickets may still be purchased on the same day or up to two days in advance of the tours at the Far View Visitor Center in Mesa Verde National Park. The Visitor Center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. From May 30 through September 6, the Visitor Center will be open extended hours, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tour tickets are $3.00 per person, per site. Tour tickets may also be purchased at the Morefield Ranger Station, at the entrance to Morefield Campground, beginning May 30th through Labor Day, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Please help us spread the word about this convenient new service in Cortez.
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| Special Hikes and Tours Available Now
| The Mesa Verde Institute, an educational program of the Mesa Verde Museum Association, is bringing back the popular day-long Spring House and two-hour Mug House hikes last offered during the park's 2006 Centennial Celebration, and we've added a day-long "Wetherill Mesa Experience" hike to the Institute slate. These daily ranger-led tours are offered in partnership with the National Park Service starting on May 30. Tickets for Spring House and Wetherill Mesa Experience must be purchased in advance, and are being sold exclusively online at www.mesaverdeinstitute.org. Tickets are selling briskly, but many dates remain open. These all-day hikes are $35 per person, including lunch and snacks.
Mug House Hikes and Cliff Palace Twilight Tours (with historical figures from the park's past) also begin on May 30, continuing daily through September 6. Tickets for these activities are sold up to two days in advance exclusively in person at the Far View Visitor Center MVMA Bookstore. Mug House is $15 per person, and Cliff Palace Twilight Tours are $10 per person. More information about all Institute programs is available now at our newly-updated website at www.mesaverdeinstitute.org. As always, Institute and Museum Association proceeds support Mesa Verde National Park.
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| Indian Arts and Culture Festival
|  The Mesa Verde Country® Indian Arts and Culture Festival returns to Mesa Verde this weekend. Now in its 10th year, this 10-day festival consists of activities throughout Montezuma and Dolores Counties. A highlight of the festival is the Juried Indian Art Market, which will be held in the Far View Terrace parking lot on Saturday, May 29, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday, May 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Native American dancers will be performing at the Chapin Mesa Amphitheater on both days at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. In addition, there will be a rug seminar and auction at Far View Terrace on Saturday.
Learn more about the festival at http://www.mesaverdecountry.com/tourism/festivals/iacf/iacfschedule.html |
| Free Four Corners Lecture Series Programs
| Attendance continues to be strong for this year's free Four Corners Lecture Series. June programs will include Anne Hillerman, daughter of award-winning author Tony Hillerman, delivering "Tony Hillerman's Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn," with photographs by Don Strel, June 6, 7 p.m. at the Far View Lodge Library. Sally Cole will discuss "Indigenous Iconography: Anthropomorphism in Colorado Plateau Rock Art and Cultural Traditions," June 13, 1 p.m. at the Anasazi Heritage Center. On June 22, we're back at the Far View Lodge Library for Mark Schiavoni's talk on the Four Corners Power Plant. Then on June 26, 7 p.m., again at the Lodge Library, Ben Chavarria speaks on "Land, Water, and Reservation: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow." Looking ahead to early July, the park will host traditional Hopi dances by the Lomayestewa Family on July 3 and 4 at the beautiful Chapin Mesa Amphitheater. Mark your calendars to see these outstanding programs!
The free annual Four Corners Lecture Series is sponsored by the Fort Lewis College Department of Anthropology, Bureau of Land Management, Anasazi Heritage Center, Cortez Cultural Center, Crow Canyon Archeological Center, Mesa Verde National Park, and MVMA's Mesa Verde Institute. Additional support is generously provided by ARAMARK and KSJD Dryland Community Radio. View the full schedule of all 29 offerings here. From talks to traditional Hopi dances to a pottery firing, you can learn more about the lands we love by attending free programs this summer!
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| Plein Air Paintout | On May 14 and 15, Mesa Verde National Park and the Mesa Verde Foundation hosted a plein air "Paintout" for nine painters in the park that included some of the country's best known and respected landscape painters. Attendees included Carole Cooke, Veryl Goodnight, Gregory Hull, Karen Kristen, Marilyn Kroeker, Susan Matteson, Rosie Sandifer, Curt Walters, and Jim Wilcox. Shown in the accompanying photos are Karen Kristen and a painting she created during the paintout.
The event was the brainchild of Mancos sculptor and painter Veryl Goodnight. The painters spent a day painting on Wetherill Mesa and a day in Long House - truly a unique opportunity that was greatly appreciated by all participants.
Goodnight Trail Gallery of Western Art in Mancos will host a show opening in late September featuring work created during the event, and a portion of sales will support the Mesa Verde Foundation. Check future editions of Verde Views for more show information as it is available.
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| Unveiling Mesa Verde's Junior Ranger Logo
| Drum roll please: announcing the arrival of Mesa Verde's very own Junior Ranger logo! We captured the iconic ranger flat hat, a traditional black-on-white pottery design, Square Tower House, and a colorful collared lizard all on a sturdy 3-inch diameter embroidered patch. Your new Junior Ranger will wear this emblem with pride; it's ready to be sewn onto his or her hat, backpack, or jacket. This patch will help kids to remember this park's important cultural lessons and natural beauty, and will inspire them to pursue their Junior Ranger badges at other national parks. And we won't tell if grown-ups want to wear them too! $3.99 per patch. Click here to purchase your Junior Ranger patch and other Mesa Verde Junior Ranger products.
As always, Mesa Verde Association members save an additional 20% on your purchases. Call us today at 1-800-305-6053 to order using your member discount. |
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