Yes, it will take you an entire day and you still won’t see everything—even in winter when some of the park is closed.   In the summer, there are several ranger-guided tours you may take.   They cost $4 per person and may be obtained a day in advance at the park Visitor’s Center near the entrance or the Colorado Welcome Center on Main St. in downtown Cortez.   If you are going with children and don’t have a problem crawling through a short tunnel, Balcony House is the best tour.   You have no other option for viewing Balcony House except for this tour.   We generally do not recommend the Cliff Palace tour because you are never going into the ruin, only in front of it.   You can see Cliff Palace directly just above it off of Cliff Palace Loop or from a distance on the Mesa Top Loop overlook.   You may do the first option in winter if snow doesn’t close the road to Cliff Palace.   The Mesa Top Loop is open in winter.  The above p...

Nearly everyone will have a birthday this year, so this is appropriate for all except those youngsters born on Feb. 29, who age only a quarter as fast as the rest of us.   (I remember my grandmother’s sixteenth birthday!) Birthday wishes are timely here at Kelly Place.   Kelly Place has been in business for 35 years!   McElmo Canyon Research Institute is celebrating 25 years of existence.   And our partner Elderhostel Inc., providing educational and economical vacation packages-- now called Road Scholar, is celebrating 40 years.   Kelly Place has been working with them from our beginning, 35 years ago.   So enjoy your cake and candles this year.   We wish you all very many happy returns!

Red Fox seen at Kelly Place We are frequently asked about the wild animals that may be encountered around Kelly Place. It is canyon country and there are a number of animals which have not been frightened off by the humans. The most notable is undoubtedly the mountain lion. In our ten years on the property, we have never seen one here. HOWEVER, we frequently see evidence that they are around, and not on the fringes either. Sometimes their footprints are right outside our home. When I spoke to the Colorado Wildlife official about the danger, he told me that this is a “good mountain lion” because it doesn’t kill our pets and has stayed out of sight of humans. If they were to move our good mountain lion, it would open up the territory to another which may not be so good. So we live with the mountain lions. We are observant of the correct way to behave if ever we do encounter one. That is to make yourself look large (holding a jacket or shirt over your head) and unusual. I though...

For more free things to do, check out the blog posts for Colorado and Utah. Hoodoos, petrified logs, bizarre geologic formations. Spend a day exploring Bisti Wilderness, New Mexico. Three of the Four Corners belong mostly to the Navajo Nation: Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Both Arizona and New Mexico have sites that are known for the presence of Ancestral Puebloan ruins: Canyon de Chelly (pronounced "shay") in Arizona and Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. Canyon de Chelly is located on Navajo land and Navajo people still live and farm in the Canyon. A tour of the Canyon floor, led by Navajo guides, will cost money, but the road which loops around the Canyon offers spectacular views of cliff-dweller ruins and beautiful rock formations. There are overlooks from both the north and the south rims. The history of the Navajos in Canyon de Chelly is both fascinating and sad. When Kit Carson was charged with "rounding up" all Navajos and leading them on the Long Wa...

For more free things to do in the Four Corners, see the prior post about southwest Colorado and the upcoming post about Arizona and New Mexico. Monument Valley is hard to beat for beautiful landscapes and rock formations. However, just a short drive from there is totally free Valley of the Gods, an 18 mile drive (high clearance vehicle!) that weaves through incredible massive rocks. You can freely hike and climb on these rocks, in contrast to Monument Valley. For those less adventurous, just bring your camera because the sights from your car are worth the drive. While in southeast Utah, stop at Sand Island Recreation Area, just west of Bluff and take a look at a long wall of petroglyphs--ancient rock art. As you approach the panel, you will begin to discern the faded remnants of the oldest carvings beneath the more recent ones, including the notorious Kokopelli. This is a long panel and much more complex than the more famous Newspaper Rock in Canyonlands National Park. Sand Isla...

Why spend lots of money when you can find things to do for free? There are so many activities that can be enjoyed in the Southwest! In fact, there are so many in all Four Corners, I had to divide them up into the different states. I begin with Southwest Colorado, where Kelly Place Bed & Breakfast is located. Every summer, the Cortez Cultural Center sponsors evening events every day except Sunday. Most of these are traditional Native American dances--great for the whole family! There are also special lectures, Native American music and sometimes drama. These events begin at approximately 7PM in the outdoor amphitheater next to the Cultural Center on Market St., one block north of Main St. Bring a warm covering because it gets cold later, even in summer. One of my favorites is the talk by one of the few remaining Navajo Codetalkers of World War II, Samuel Sandoval. He explains how he was raised in the Navajo tradition with his grandfather as role model. Then when his country was...

All of the following photos were taken within 2000' of our lodge. You can spend days roaming the canyons and shooting the very  bizarre landscapes to be found here. Cactus Canyon, later that day, more dry and curling up just fine. Cactus Canyon, many meteor strikes even in this small 12" square area. Cactus Canyon, could well be the Moons surface. Well, what's with the potato chip effect? Not without water. Cactus Canyon, solitary "leg" holding up the rest of the world. Cactus Canyon, this tree couldn't decide which way to grow, finally got over it and strengthen up! Cactus Canyon, cool mini-water slide in the rock. Cactus Canyon, a nice serene scene with water in it, rare. I also love the rock textures I find in Cactus Canyon. Can't get enough of them! Cactus Canyon, we have our own "arches" beginning to form.  Give it another 2.5M years! Cactus Canyon, this is the...