From Milwaukee to Phoenix to Durango and Back Again pt. 2

Another day while in Durango we went up to the ski resort Purgatory, where there are a few different summer activities available. We took advantage of the alpine slide. My mom stayed home with Morgan since he was too little to do anything (and he seriously needed a good nap) while the rest of us took a fun ride down the mountain.

Maddie and Abby riding the chair lift up to the top

The view!

We also went horseback riding! This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Morgan got to go and it basically made his life. 

We saw some pretty amazing views!

Our guide was awesome and so sweet with Morgan

One happy rider!

On our last day in Durango we took a trip out to Mesa Verde. This was by far my favorite part of the trip. For those of you who don't know, Mesa Verde is a national park that houses some ancient Native American Pueblo dwellings. Most were built somewhere between 500-1200 a.d. It was so cool to see them and imagine what it must have been like to live in those caves! I loved it. 

View from one of the dwellings

A kiva--a circular hole built in the ground where the Pueblos would gather for religious ceremonies and to spend time together as families. 

Maddie and a kiva

The next day we all piled into the "bus" and headed back down to Phoenix to fly home :-( it was sad to say goodbye to everyone and have to leave behind the beautiful mountains. We had a blast on our family trip!