Mesa Verde National Park Highs & Lows | Square Tower House Tour, Far View Sites, & a hit and run 🤬

For our first adventure in Colorado we’re exploring Mesa Verde National Park and the day was full of highs (Square Tower House tour) and lows (closures + a hit and run). Despite the less than smooth experience, we really enjoyed seeing this park and all of the incredible Pueblo history and cliff dwellings.
Watch more Colorado Vlogs: • Colorado
⌚Timestamps
00:00 Recap
03:06 Run in with the law
05:30 Far View Sites
08:23 Mesa Top Loop Road
11:35 Square Tower House Tour
18:25 Park Point Overlook
19:33 Hit and run
🗺️ Items in this vlog
Garmin InReach Mini: amzn.to/2NuiMBW
Peak Design Camera Clip: amzn.to/31P1jbC
📍Locations in this vlog
Spruce Tree House: www.nps.gov/meve/learn/histor...
Far View Sites: www.nps.gov/meve/learn/histor...
Mesa Top Loop: www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvisi...
Square Tower House Tour: www.recreation.gov/ticket/fac...
Park Point Overlook: www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...
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👋🏼 About us
Hi y’all! We’re Adam, Kathryn, and Kona, an adventurous married couple (+ pup!) living on the road in our self-converted sprinter van! You can often find us driving all around the US and Canada, scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos and ice cream (we're a 5+ taco and 2+ scoop household), and enjoying nature.
We help travelers spend less time (and stress!) planning their trip and more time enjoying it! Our detailed travel guides, KZbin videos, and travel resources share the must-visit local eats, popular and off the beaten path sights, and tons of tips to make planning your next adventure a whole lot easier.
Note: We’ve linked a handful of items so you can see exactly which products we take with us. Full disclosure--if you click on these links and make a purchase, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. We will only ever recommend products we truly love, actually use during our adventures, and think you can benefit from too!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Our camera + hiking gear: adventuresofaplusk.com/resources/ Watch our Colorado vlogs: kzbin.info/aero/PLZKRTK1yCEM5VdN7MxWEpdwEf5GoD_7-o

[@Sarichan]

Man, what a rough day 😅 In all honesty, I actually love how you record and show us even the negative parts of the day and not only just show us the positive parts like I feel so many of other travel youtubers do. It feels so much more real & authentic and seeing you guys power through tough patches helps make me feel better when things go wrong on my travels as well! Yall are due for some good karma after that day for sure!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We are so fortunate that usually things go well, but always want to share if things go wrong too!

[@janlillis3676]

Mesa Verde has a special place in my heart I’ve been there many times as a young child my uncle was a park ranger there and he was also an archaeologist /paleontologist and help do a lot of digging . Did not know how blessed I was to visit ,it is awesome!!!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

How cool! I bet you learned SO much from him!

[@KayTEEChimp]

Loving all of your videos. I could watch your videos all day. I especially love your positive attitudes and how you make all situations seem fun!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you so much Kailey!!

[@gslink]

You too are the greatest at "pivoting"!! I know it's a pain and we feel the pain with you but your attitudes are so refreshing and it makes my heart glad to see that there are folks out there with such great perspectives on travel and life!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you Gary! We have been trying really hard to just roll with the punches. We of course get bummed, but are thankful for what we get to do!

[@user-tz1ry6io8y]

Feel your pain. Been hit twice while I was away from the vehicle and that set me back $1000 bucks between the two with deductible. One of them, they left a phone number that turned out to be bogus. Then awhile back my catalytic converters were stolen and then another $500 buck's deductible. I guess we need a deductible kitty to throw money into. Anyway, you are not alone. Chin up and carry on. It fades in a while. Loved the vid none the less. Even in this one, you two were uplifting as usual. I always feel cheered up after watching. Just remember, for everything bad, something good and unexpected, good happens eventually. I am 80 and I know!

[@prej1741]

Aw that’s so sad especially that it happened to nice ppl like u guys. But so glad Kona was okay. I hope the rest of ur Colorado trip goes smoothly. Safe traveling 💕

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you! So far it is going smoother thankfully!

[@Focalaura]

I took the Square Tower House Tour with ranger Taylor several years ago and I was so impressed with his knowledge and reverence for this place. It’s wonderful to have people like him who bring so much passion to what they do.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We couldn’t agree more!

[@jatraveler1277]

So glad you had a Parrk Ranger tour. Thanks for filming some of his talk. THE best way to get NP information. Thanks for an honest report of your day in Park. Karma will shine through.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

So glad you enjoyed hearing from him! We have done a couple tours lately and love getting to share their knowledge!

[@jramsey108]

Square Tower is my favorite structure at Mesa Verde, I am envious of your hike to it. Thanks for documenting and sharing - this made my holiday season.

[@runningslowman]

Most enjoyable and informative videos on the Internet! Love 'em - keep it up - especially the ice cream shops🍦You are so fortunate to be able to make this trip. I hope to be able to visit some of your locations myself this spring/summer!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you so much, Phil!

[@FredAlexander-wx5sp]

Thank you for filming your experience. A HUGE gift!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bradgingerich6814]

Yay!!! This should brighten my day! It’s a dreary, rainy Monday here in Ohio. Thanks to Adam and Katherine for another awesome vlog to watch!!!! I’ll see you again this evening guys, have a great day! 😊🙋🏼‍♂️🤗😍

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

The Ohio weather sounds like it goes along well with the video lol!

[@jymnmeier3527]

Sending love to all three of you for a bumpy day

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you so much Jymn for the love and kind word on the video! We had higher hopes for how much we could show and film that day, but we are glad you thought the video was immersive anyways!

[@DM-gn3op]

Sorry to hear about your van !! What a grass-hole whoever did it. Move on guys !! God will provide 🙏. Stay safe

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Karma will get that jerk! We hope 😃

[@ahhitskatie9094]

Your b-roll is always so beautiful! This was yet another helpful and awesome video. Neat to think about what it must have been like to live there back in the day for the Pueblo people!!

[@ahhitskatie9094]

Also, really sorry all this stuff happened to you guys! Oy. I guess that's the not-as-fun part of travel. But glad you guys are okay!!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you so much! It is really wild to think about how they lived! And we're thankful we are okay and that Brisket will recover!

[@JohnandCaraRetiredTravellers]

So sorry about the bumper!! Ughh! Great video, I’m amazed thinking of the amount of labor hours it took to build these dwellings with hand tools! Incredible! ~Cara 😊

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

The amount of labor is insane to think about! They had to have been SO strong to carry those materials.

[@MDJSTVFL]

Sorry about your day, keep your heads up. I’m glad to see the pup is OK. Keep doing what you guys do so well, stay safe and keep enjoying life!!!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks Mark! We appreciate it!

[@TheEsquireClub]

Fascinating!

[@anaw936]

Mesa Verde is by far my favorite National park, so sorry you didn’t have the best time. It’s a beautiful drive from Durango to Ouray with lots of abandoned mines and a few cute towns. Hope you enjoy the rest of Colorado.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It's not the park's fault! We really enjoyed the park and hope to go back and see more! And we will be sharing that drive soon, LOVING it!

[@ChrisG-so8th]

Another wonderful video!! So sorry about your your van being damaged! I am glad Kona is all right and both of you are safe!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you Chris!

[@midwestsmalltown]

Interesting. We were pulled over when we visited Mesa Verde as well a few weeks ago. The issue we ran into is that a lot of the park is closed - we had the OPPOSITE where we got there too LATE!!! The park is larger than you think - it's a good way back to the cliff dwelling from the entrance to the park. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get back there. Ranger was super nice - but it was a bummer to miss one of the sites. Great video - thanks for taking me back!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Wow! They love to pull people over there! You’re maybe the third to comment that they also got pulled over too. And the park is very huge! It takes a while to get from the entrance to the back!

[@thejarrettsjourney]

Oh my goodness how frustrating, you guys are much more calm than I would be if someone hit my van and left! How extremely rude of people and poor Kona so scary. You two handle adversity and challenges with grace, so inspiring.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Hahaha we did not film the many curse words and tears hahaha. We wish we could've had Adam's face when he saw it on camera. He looked like a deer in headlights and kept rubbing his eyes to make sure it was real haha. Such a weird day, but thankful we are all okay!

[@KodyK2024]

Mesa Verde holds such wonderful childhood memories for me from back in the 1960’s. Hoping to get back there next year. So sorry about the van, but glad Kona is OK.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We’re so glad too! And we hope you can visit Mesa Verde again soon!

[@theoldno.7]

If you guys have any method of payment acceptance for helping you out for fixing the van or travel expenditure, fans like me can definitely help. I love to travel just like you guys and would definitely support you when in need. If there’s any way I could support you, please let me know! And don’t ever change your content from what it is now, like Kara and Nate.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We appreciate that so much! 💗 But we are thankful insurance is really helping us out!

[@theoldno.7]

@@AdventuresofAplusK are you guys currently in Colorado?

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We are! We will be here for a while!

[@lauriehester4682]

Wow! What a bummer!!! I so understand things not going like you planned...love how you guys roll with it all!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you! Trying to be more adaptable, as soooo much is always changing on the road!

[@LesPaul-po5wd]

Once again, you two hit it out of the park with your videos! - great stuff. can't tell you enough how helpful your information points are on everything from trails, to back up plans, to areas to see, and food !!....very impressive. maybe you remember me, but I made a comment to you guys on another video that my wife and I are embarking on a 6 week trip out west this summer - from Ohio to - badlands, black hills, bighorn mts, yellowstone, jackson, craters of moon, ID, and glacier nat park - ending in Priest Lake northwestern ID. 2 years in the planning - we leave this coming Monday 6/14!!! Can't describe the excitement and anxiety. Nieghbors still think were nuts, thats ok. We are. truley hope to see you/meet you on the road someday, somewhere. You two are truly an inspiration. Thank you and sage travels!!........Scott & Natalie

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Y'all are in for the time of your lives! Let us know how the trip goes, we are excited for y'all! And thanks for the kind words on the videos!

[@OffRampAdventures]

Another great tour! Thanks, guys!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks for watching!

[@erniechastain7508]

I grew up in Wyoming but every summer was atleast a month down at my grandma's farm in Cortez, CO just outside of Mesa Verde. She would take us grandkids to Mesa Verde every summer and show us everything. No one explains the beauty of a National Park better than a grandparent, even if they are making up all the facts as they go or just read the information on plaques and then try to explain it to you like they have known these things their whole life.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

That sounds awesome!

[@richardbeee]

Always wanted to check them out. Now i have. Great video!!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks Richard! Glad we could show you!

[@hikinganddrone]

Nice sharing my friend 👍👍👍

[@GARY1951A]

Mesa Verde looked incredible! I am so sorry someone hit your van! Looking forward to your next video and hopefully, you won't experience any "issues"!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thankfully no more issues so far!

[@SchoandJo]

Y'all are so STRONG! Life sometimes gives us challenges but ya'll are great at overcoming them! Brisket will be new and improved before you know! ❤️

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Right back at y'all! Two of the strongest people we know despite the pivots life throws atcha! ❤️

[@kaylaandmarkalan]

So sorry to hear about your van! Hope you guys can get it fixed quickly and easily!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you! Unfortunately it has been a nightmare to coordinate, but hopefully we will have it handled soon!

[@DavidPopowich]

Thanks so much! Planning to visit June 2023

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks for watching! We have a guide on our website for Mesa Verde as well. We can be much more detailed and thorough in our written content. We hope it helps! adventuresofaplusk.com/visiting-mesa-verde-national-park

[@matdolor2564]

If you enjoyed that, go to chimney rock national monument! It’s about a 45 min drive and it has ruins at the top of a mountain. The astronomical alignments make it like an American Stonehenge! Great vid

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We really wanted to go there! We drove by it a couple times!

[@hollythomas6875]

You guys are great...you made lemonade out of lemon🍋 One thing about life -expect the UNexected!! Keep on keeping on 👍

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We’re so thankful it wasn’t worse!

[@pamelakern2849]

Loved this video!! So sorry about your van 😔

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you Pamela!

[@ttttaylor101]

When I went to the park, my roommate and I got to try snowshoeing. We were there in January and it was amazing. We were so unprepared but it was some of the best memories. The park is awesome in the snow too!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Snowshoeing is so fun! What a cool place to visit in the snow!

[@suzanneaydelotte801]

Loved the ruins…so cool and so much history! 😍 What a beautiful park❣️ I’m so glad that Kona is okay ❤️ and that your van will be okay…I wish people were honest…😵‍💫

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We so wish they were too! 😭

[@emmasummerilltravelexpert3891]

We love tours and talks with the park rangers. We learn so much! Poor brisket. We have a van (called Colin). We rented him out last year and a window got badly damaged. I nearly cried when I saw it! It took 6 months to get replaced as he’s old and the part had to be specially made.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We love the tours and talks too! So sorry to hear you had a headache with Colin! We are at least thankful the Sprinter bumper should be an easy part to get!

[@emmasummerilltravelexpert3891]

Yes that is the good thing about a new van. Parts are easy to source! Hopefully it won’t take too long for you.

[@ericlivingston5442]

Really enjoyed the ranger led hike and talk to Square Tower. There sure is a lot of information and history to absorb. Sorry about the damage to the van, lots of inconsiderate folks all over. Y'all seemed to handle the stress pretty well. Take care, and looking forward to your next vid.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

So glad you enjoyed the ranger led tour! We were excited to let someone else do the talking for once 😉😂

[@garyscharf9232]

Thanks for allowing us to travel along with you. My father grew up in Mancos, and his father helped with the construction of the park - was awarded a contract to pour the concrete posts that were used to make the guard rails on the highway. I also had an uncle who was a blacksmith in Durango where my grandmother grew up. Her small cabin is now part of a museum there.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Wow thanks for sharing that family history! That is so neat to have that! Thanks and thanks for watching!

[@sonny1172]

Oh wow! What a day this was. What a jerk to hit and run. When we were at Cuyahoga National Park we came back from biking the tow path to find a Park Ranger at our truck. A guy had backed into us, but thankfully he stayed and reported it. I love Ranger led tours! We did the Balcony House tour at Mesa Verde. Our Ranger was hilarious. My favorite joke of his was when we were standing near the cliff edge and he asked us what we thought the number one cause of death was. After we all guessed, he said “Sleepwalking” and looked over the edge with a poker face. Lol

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Oh no! I’m so glad they at least were an honest, good human though! We never caught our hitter and getting the van fixed was a real pain, but all good now! Hahaha that’s a funny joke! Or I guess maybe it wasn’t a joke 😬😂

[@AzulFyre]

I was on a road trip with a friend as we did a big loop through Petrified Forest NP and Monument Valley and back to Santa Fe. I've been kicking myself ever since because I hadn't realized how close we were (comparatively) to Mesa Verde. I'm so glad you got to see it and that sucks about the hit-and-run. Glad it wasn't as expensive as you were expecting.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Aw man! We hope you can make it back! It’s such a unique national park, we loved it, minus the few hiccups haha!

[@debrabalawajder2617]

What a day! Sorry about your bumper! I enjoyed your video! Hopefully, the rest of your Colorado visit will go smoother.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thankfully it has been MUCH smoother!

[@debrabalawajder2617]

@@AdventuresofAplusK You are troopers!

[@scottlehman2144]

Did this on the way to Durango and I'm glad we did. Great National park with some interesting history. These 2 seem to like the same things my wife and I do. Hope they go to Pagosa Springs.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Stay tuned for our next video 😄

[@loeyminske3459]

Oh No! Hope Kona wasn't too traumatized and everyone is ok. Beautiful scenery and that huge Castle or whatever it was that you didn't get to go to looked to cool! Maybe next time.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

She thankfully seemed okay!

[@kellyhunsaker3775]

I made it to your Mesa Verde trip. This is one of my favorite vacations we ever had as a family. I highly recommend going back one day and do some of the things you missed. I am so sorry that someone hit you and left. That sucks!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Yes we'd love to go back one day!

[@elyssethekraken4143]

❤️ y’all are great!!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks for the love!

[@elyssethekraken4143]

@@AdventuresofAplusK absolutely!!! Way to always keep it real. Things definitely don’t always go as planned. Expect the unexpected.

[@exploringcoasttocoast0203]

Wow so sorry to hear about your van. We were there before Covid and nothing was closed and there was no tour of square … the one you did. And we did ranger tours of Cliff house and Balcony - there weren’t any self tours of those.. Great video guys.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It was a bummer and huge headache to deal with, glad we finally got it fixed! And it seems they vary which ones they do tours of. We hope to do more sometime!

[@darlenestout7548]

Bummer. Glad you all are ok 👌

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks Darlene!

[@NeverStopAdventuring]

We enjoyed Mesa Verde when we went years ago. Even when everything was open they seem to alternate the ranger lead tours so we have several more we'd love to do sometime in the future. We did Balcony House back then and it was really cool.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We’d love to do that one! It’s hard for us to even know what is a normal experience there haha, but we still think visiting and seeing what you can is worth it!

[@sheafan1971]

I am so glad you are exploring different states and all they have to offer, sorry to hear about the van damage

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks William!

[@chrisignacio1791]

Sorry about your Van ,On the Bright side you Guys are Fine!!!! Love Your Content!!!!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks Chris!

[@alrichardson7027]

Hello Adventurers😊😊, I have only been to Mesa Verde once and did the Cliff Palace tour, which was so awesome. So much history of the pueblo history and the ranger did a great job bringing the history to life. I loved climbing the latter's too. It's very obvious that someone didn't have the guts to admit to what they did to your van. I'm so furious that they just took off! Things just weren't right at times but I'm sure that your next Colorado destination will make up for what happened at Mesa Verde. Hey, where's the cool restaurants in the Durango area? I'm know there are some cool eats there. I can't wait to see what's next. Great video👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We really want to visit Cliff Palace next time! The ladders are a blast! And shockingly, we didn't eat in Durango...minus ice cream, which we will share haha. Trying to stick to a tighter budget, so more cooking these days!

[@karenmusic2166]

I can't believe you were there in May...so was I! Great trip...will go back.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Very nice! We hope you enjoyed it!

[@FindersKeepers88]

Good, Thx

[@themccurryjourney]

Sorry to hear about your van! Would love to visit this national park and learn all the history here!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It’s a great park despite the mishap!

[@rtco3706]

Nice!!!🧡🧡🧡

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks for watching!

[@travmccullough6300]

Sorry about your van guys. That definitely sucks. At least you didn't have fires to deal with. A few years ago, they had major fires in the park. I didn't see much evidence of that in your video, so that's encouraging. We were there in the 90's and have always wanted to go back.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We saw a bit of damage driving to Mesa Top Loop, but it wasn't toooo bad.

[@timpartain1301]

Sorry about the van. The park looks really interesting. Never been there and have to put this one on my list. Love the videos and wish you better luck with future adventures.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It's a really cool park! And thankfully things have improved since haha!

[@231main]

You handled all of the curveballs thrown at you with such grace. All things considered, Mesa Verde looks like one of the more unique national parks and well worth a visit for the history and artifacts alone. Hopefully everything worked out ok with your van.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thankfully we eventually got it fixed, but it was a huge headache. The park is amazing though!

[@joycemoses2411]

Park Ranger tours are the best!!! We visited Mesa twelve years ago. It was very nice. Sorry to learn about your van's hit/run. Glad that your doggie was okay.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

The park rangers rock! (except when pulling you over haha)

[@joycemoses2411]

@@AdventuresofAplusK If only the park ranger knew how honest and respectful the two of you are, he would have never stopped you.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It’s a bummer that some bad apples make it harder for the rest of us. But we now gather evidence to prove our innocence everywhere we go haha

[@MichaelYoungblood1]

Well that was an exciting and bittersweet day. I am sure that was extremely frustrating in the moment but at least you can look back and be thankful that nothing worse happened. You two had a great attitude, took everything in stride, and showed your viewers how to be flexible because even the best laid plans may go askew. As for Mesa Verde, it is such a unique park and so interesting. Awesome job taking us through the park (at lest what was open at the time). Glad you were able to experience a ranger-guided tour of the cliff dwellings. They are a must for any visit. I went here a kid and still have fond memories. I did either the Cliff Palace or Spruce Tree House. I can’t remember which, maybe it was both? Would really love to come here again with the kiddos. I know they would love it. We did plan to come in 2020 but well that whole pandemic thing happened.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

VERY bittersweet hahah! Had we known what a huge ordeal getting the van fixed would be, we may not have been as positive lol. But Mesa Verde is such an incredible park and we loved learning the history. We will need to go back to redeem the experience!

[@MichaelYoungblood1]

@@AdventuresofAplusK Definitely and with less closures.

[@_kristinaweber_]

Mesa Verde is soooo underated! It was my husband and I's favorite!! Everyone should def go.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It's an amazing park! We loved all of the history!

[@_kristinaweber_]

@@AdventuresofAplusK That was our favorite too, was the history. Super fascinating. I love being able to travel and learn something from it! Love your guy’s videos!

[@janilsonpinheiro1778]

Watching from my city Governador Lindenberg - Brazil. Nice 👍🇧🇷

[@JaxBespoked]

So sorry you guys had such bad luck. Petroglyph Point is definitely one of the the best short trails in the state/Park system. Tons of interesting and quirky things for a trail that took me about an hour to finish. I think it was my second favorite experience after a guided ruin tour.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We were SO bummed to miss that trail. Besides the tour it was the #1 thing we were excited to do. Next time!

[@bobbosworld6795]

Great video. You seem like even better people tho which makes me happy.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you! ❤️

[@dennisgregoire7706]

Good effort, but off the cuff comments on occupation, activities, and time frames, are risky and not consistent with the extensive archaeology writing on site. Cliff dwellings were actually only occupied for 100 yrs. Surface settlement was much longer. The static exhibits at Park are sometimes out of sync with more current archaeology/anthropology research, especially the growing " regional" context that early settlement occurred.

[@Boulderman]

So cool you are in my beloved state of Colorado 😀. On your way to Rocky Mountain National Park be sure to come through Boulder, Colorado where we live. Beutiful place at the feet of the Flatirons that go streight up. As you come into the Boulder Valley you will be met with an eye opening view of Boulder with the snow covered Indian Peaks and Flatirons in the background. Boulder is home of CU, flagship univserity of our University system, Naropa, Chaurtaugua, Pearl Street Mall and many cool places to eat. A great place for a video making.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We love Boulder! We have visited Boulder a few times before and it's one of our favorite areas in CO!

[@scottmcaulay4627]

I will definitely invest in cameras for both inside and outside for my van. So thanks for the experience but sorry for the hit and run.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We are definitely much more on alert now!

[@HamiltoncreekphotographyBrooke]

Oh that accident makes me so sad for y’all!! Not cool, people, not cool! But the park looked amazing! We went to Bandelier NP in NM and had similar closing issues but it was still so cool to learn the Pueblo history! 💛💛

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It was such a bummer (and still is as we figure out getting it fixed). But we loved the park, it's so incredible to learn and see all of the Pueblo history!

[@sharischmidt4712]

Sorry to hear that your beautiful van was injured with poor Kona inside. It's unfortunate that the guilty party didn't step up and do the right thing, hopefully all goes well from here!! Safe and happy travels ahead!!😊🍁

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you Shari! Thankfully it has gone better since! And we now photograph every car parked by us hahah

[@crystal.ann.b7347]

We loved Mesa Verde! Its so interesting and amazing!!! I was disappointed that the Cliff Palace road was closed. We didn’t have a chance to do the tour! I’m sorry you got hit and run! People can be so crappy! 😡

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

The lack of a conscience people have is wild! But the park was really cool despite that incident!

[@WhenAdventureKnox]

Such a great song choice to open the episode! 🎵 I can't believe you guys got pulled over by a ranger... you're the most honest and rule abiding people I know on KZbin so the idea of you getting blamed for something you didn't do is quite funny after the event, but I can image you'd not find it so amusing at the time! You did very well to get the blues and two's in the mirror! When you've been accused in the past, was it from rangers at a National Park too elsewhere? I Loooved that you got all of the footage of the ranger's tour - I forgot just how wonderful the Rangers are out in the US - so knowledgeable! I was surprised by how much history there is out that way. I'd spent a bit of time in Boston/Massachusetts about a month before visiting Mesa Verde and got it into my head that your history is very recent, then got to Colorado and did a huge re-think. It's fascinating! So sorry to hear about the van, but agree that you had factors playing to your favour - Kona was okay and it was just the bumper! I know the day probably felt very stressful, but it genuinely made for a really interesting video from all kinds of angles! ❤️

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

I'd like to think we are some of the most law abiding folks out there too! I have a fear of getting in trouble haha. In the past, we had a campground host at a national park campground accuse us (we had just gotten there 20 mins ago and quickly went down to the beach...he touched our hood and said "but it's not warm" ) and also have had a cop once make sure we knew we couldn't sleep at a park when we were just there working that afternoon. The rangers are SO awesome! We are so glad he was cool with us filming him too! And the Native American history in the US is really crazy!

[@CactusAtlas]

One of these days we're going to knock off Colorado on our list. Despite being a neighboring state (by a corner at least! 😅) we haven't been. Definitely a worthwhile park from what I can see here though. Those ruins looks AWESOME and are definitely something we LOVE! We've slowly been visiting as many here in AZ as we can. Never really would have thought about issues with the van and accusations. Hadn't crossed my mind as so far our adventures have mostly been in my tiny VW Golf until we upgrade to 4WD. 😂 Despite such a troubling start it certainly looks like the kind you can laugh about later. Hopefully.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We are LOVING Colorado! We may never leave hahah! And despite us being extreme rule followers, some van lifers are not and it has caused all of us to be looked at a bit more critically. As someone afraid of getting in trouble, it always rattles me a bit when we are accused, but thankfully we have learned to make sure we always have evidence of where we sleep and whatnot to prove our innocence haha.

[@mcnater]

So sorry about the van. Some people can just be the worst. Fortunately there is definitely more good than bad out there. Looking forward to more Colorado vids and I hope you got some great cheese to cheer you up.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

People can be awful! We definitely made up for it with how much ice cream we ate the rest of our time in the area 😅😅

[@lightningwill8477]

I’ve been enjoying your videos of ONP, Utah and now sw CO. I live in the PNW now after 15 yrs In Pagosa Springs. Thanks!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Ah very cool! We will have a video from Pagosa Springs in 2 videos!

[@lightningwill8477]

@@AdventuresofAplusK I noticed you both sitting in a public hot spring in (I think in pagosa) the introduction of this video! Capitol reef used to be my favorite park, but ONP beaches and rainforest have taken that spot. Great videos! Safe travels!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Ahh! I forgot we put that in the intro! And ONP is AMAZING, love the diversity there!

[@carlstrohmeyer]

Sorry about the problems! Me and my wife had to chuckle though about the pull over as many years back in Mesa Verde we were pulled over by an over-zealous ranger for going too slow in our 27' Class C motor-home. We were even using pull outs, but we passed one because it was much to short for our vehicle and that is when we got pulled over. After a long discussion with his supervisor he was told to not write us up for this.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Oh wow!!! It’s funny how you can get pulled over for going too slow at a national park!

[@carlstrohmeyer]

@@AdventuresofAplusK Yes, this is what we thought as we've been to many National Parks over the years and we constantly heard rangers tell visitors to slow down while enjoying the park. We've also have always been courteous and have pulled out to allow others to pass whenever possible (& not just in National Parks) both in our previous MH and now pulling a TT

[@utndiep]

Oh no! :( as long as you guys are safe and it should be an easy fix(?) loving all vlogs!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Getting it fixed has proven to be a big ordeal since every shop is backed up and we will be without our home for a few days when we do get it fixed, but I think we are figuring it out! 🤞🏼

[@georgem7965]

About 10 years ago my son and I took a guided tour on the Ute Mountain Reservation with a Ute guide. The Ute Mountain Reservation surrounds Mesa Verde on 3 sides and we got to visit and climb through a number of Anasazi ruins that are pretty much as the Ancients left them. There are still corn cobs and pottery sherds lying where they were left. Also, lots of original timbers and roofs. Definitely worth the time and money if you want a more "authentic" and less touristy experience. Do not confuse the Ute Mountain Tribe and Reservation with the Southern Ute Tribe and Reservation which is next door.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Oh wow that would be something else! I'd love to go back in time and see what a lot o those dwellings were like in their prime. I guess the experience you had gives you the closest thing now. Thanks for the tip! I'm reading a book called 'Blood and Thunder' by Hampton Sides and he describes when a few people were 'exploring' Chaco Canyon.

[@angelmonckton1663]

Sorry so much seemed to be against this video. You all are great keep up the great videos. Remember that life being always smooth can be boring. Thanks for giving us the true life view.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

The world was slightly against us this day, but thankfully things have gotten better!

[@oliverjh1281]

Wow what a interesting place all that history 👍 sorry about the van there sure are some low life’s around but at least no one was injured 🙏

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks Oliver, we are very glad we are okay and Brisket is only a little beat up!

[@bobinpodunkutah]

Headed to Mesa Verde S O O N......Cliff House tour........Hope we don't get pulled over by the Ranger ! Luv UR Vid's !

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Haha just don't get there toooo early! Good luck!

[@jakesonaplane_]

Looks like a frustrating park to visit with all the closures! Been thinking about going, but maybe I'll just do Black Canyon for now. Still love following y'alls adventures!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It’s getting slightly better! June-the rest of the summer is definitely the better time to go. I think went a bit “early” for the busy season

[@AceGoodheart]

Yeah, i need to get a dash cam for my jeep. 5 years ago we had our igloo cooler stolen while at the Grand Canyon. We got out of our vehicle to view the lookout. We were gone no more than 10 to 15 minutes and we were very near to our vehicle, but somehow they managed to steal it that quickly.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Oh no! We always think we are safer at the national parks, but that’s clearly not the case. So sorry to hear about that!

[@nunofurbznes2799]

Just missed crossing paths with you guys at Mesa. We were there on May 5th. A cool place for sure.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We missed you by a couple weeks! What all were you able to see and do?

[@nunofurbznes2799]

@@AdventuresofAplusK Unfortunately, there were no tours, the trails were closed, and you could drive the Mesa Top Loop road only. But we were satisfied with the views of the dwellings from the overlooks--it wasn't a wasted trip by any means. The place is very interesting, and we did have a beautiful day without some fool running into us, so we won't complain.

[@jamiewalters4]

Really cool looking area... I too really like the history, the structures, and the educational aspect. Look forward to visiting. Kinda annoying with the different open/closures etc but hey gotta be flexible. And of course just sucks out loud the van getting hit. Boooo!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It’s such a unique park! Definitely not our smoothest day, but the park itself was amazing!

[@stargazer5073]

Flexible...plans.....👍

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It's the biggest lesson van life has taught us!

[@stargazer5073]

@@AdventuresofAplusK why did Pueblo people leave?

[@BopjoWebDesign]

You guys had Zach Gallifinakis for your ranger tour guide! LOL! We had the same guy! Stoked that you got to visit this amazing place. We went last year and did the Cliff Palace tour (with "Zach"). You definitely get to hike down to them, but you can't go into them, which totally makes sense. Sucks about the van and rude people who hit and run! Unbelievably inconsiderate....

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Hahahah that is such an accurate comparison! So glad you got to experience him as your guide too!

[@sc4799]

So sorry your welcome to Colorado wasn’t great. But, Welcome! If you’re traveling up towards Denver stop in Castle Rock. Coffee at Crowfoot Valley Coffee, breakfast at the B&B Cafe, short hike up The Rock, a visit to Castlewood Canyon State Park, then back to Castle Rock for beer and food at Wild Blue Yonder. :)

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thankfully Colorado has been VERY good to us since! Absolutely loving it here. Thanks for the recommendations!

[@UKRakaUrbanKickzRecordings]

Was just there last month! I wild horse came up to our balcony feeding on grass, by the main lodge area, then galloped off into the distance. Hope you guys have fun in Durango. Love that town! The main street is vibrant at dusk with tons of excellent spots to grab drinks and tasty bites ;)

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

That is amazing!!! We saw some horses while driving and it was so cool! We really loved Durango, we spent almost a month there and had the best time just working from there.

[@UKRakaUrbanKickzRecordings]

@@AdventuresofAplusK WOW! A month...that sounds outstanding. Glad you guys saw wild horses...it's such a unique thing to see really. Really eager to watch more of your travels through Colorado...be safe, enjoy and don't forget to visit Voyageur National Park when it's strategically possible with or without Kona. Voyageurs is the most magical of all the parks....trust me. You can always park your van in Crane Lake, rent a small boat and explore Crane Lake, Sand Point Lake, Namakan Lake (my fav) and Kabetogema Lake by small boat, camping within the park at the designated camping sites. Maybe Kona could manage an hour boat ride between camp spots ;)))

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We definitely will! We have lots of family near Chicago, so I think we will save it for a future trip when we can fly up there, visit some of the big cities that we don’t really want to do with the van, canoe on the boundary waters, and visit the two NPs!

[@UKRakaUrbanKickzRecordings]

@@AdventuresofAplusK Great plan! Great life...be safe have fun and enjoy!

[@bradgingerich6814]

Well it was a bit of a painful but still a good vlog! This is now the second time you’ve been hit and run on! Not cool people! I’m sorry your start to Colorado was so rough. Here’s to hoping things go much more smoothly next time! I love you guys!

[@bradgingerich6814]

The cliff dwellings are so cool! I’ve wanted to visit them ever since I read about them in school!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thankfully we only got hit once! We just had a delay since we shared it on Instagram! Phew! But things have gone much more smoothly since!

[@blakem.92]

I really like that park.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It is super neat! Love the mix of history and nature!

[@brunnie]

Sorry about your van. Mesa Verde, and I think this is due to size of the park, has more restrictions because of Covid than many of the other parks. Unfortunately with the one road closure you probably weren't able to see the wild horse herd, if they were up on the mesa top. Besides bears, there are also mountain lions in the park boundaries. Were the museum & bookstore open? When we were there in Feb. both were closed. Now.... Welcome to Colorado!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We aren’t even sure haha. We saw conflicting information online. We were going to try to visit the visitor center to get our patch, but couldn’t figure out if it was open and since it’s at the front of the park we decided to just skip it this time.

[@nikkiemberson5064]

I am in Colorado this weekend :)

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Have an awesome time!!

[@nikkiemberson5064]

It was great, my sister graduated wirh her Master's degree and it was the first time my family has all been together since September. Now we are making the trek back to Minnesota.

[@gmaneis]

Thanks again for a video triumph! 19 years ago, a ranger told our group he and another ranger tried to spend the night at Long House, but had to leave a 3am because they kept hearing a woman's voice making eerie noises. The whole park is inhabited by ancient ghosts. You can feel them everywhere you go, as you may have noticed. Always an awesome experience. Thanks for sharing yours. While I'm here, I gotta tell ya' I watch a LOT of travel videos on YT, and a lot of them are made by dopey people who crank up nauseating whiny voices when they say stuff like, "Oh God! This vegan peanut butter ice cream. I mean, it's good and everything, but they don't give you enough napkins. I mean cripes, look, it's dripping all down my arm! Yuck!" You guys, on the other hand, laugh off the many minor and rarely major setbacks that are inevitable on road trips, and you just keep on sharing your joy, which makes your work great fun to watch. Safe travels to you always. :-)

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Maybe it was a ghost that got our van then! I can imagine staying the night down there would be super eerie! Thanks so much for the kind words about the videos, van life has really taught us to just laugh things off and roll with the punches (and ice cream melts lol!) and we're really really glad you enjoy the videos!

[@gmaneis]

@@AdventuresofAplusK Don't know if I've told you, but my wife purse was stolen out of the RV we used to have. Tons of credit card hassles, but as you say, you roll with the punches (literally to our driver's side window) and keep on havin' fun. I know it's super irritating, but your bumper should be an easy repair job. I sure hope so. When I was a kid, notes on windshields explaining damage were common. It's a different world. When we lived in New Mexico, our insurance agent told us most of that state's drivers don't even have insurance.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Oh no, that is awful! And it's pretty shocking the lack of a conscience some folks have.

[@gmaneis]

@@AdventuresofAplusK Yes, but then those nasty folks are counter-balanced. Among the many great things about you guys is that you think correctly, work hard, and do the right thing in harder situations. Your parents are, no doubt, proud of you, and you should be proud of yourselves. Sounds sappy, I know, but it's just the truth.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We really appreciate it!

[@midwestsmalltown]

Adding to my last post - ALOT of the park was closed when we were there as well. Trails closed, roads closed, - I wonder if it's $$$ - and the park is understaffed? I felt for the ranger working. BEYOND that it's a beautiful place and I would return 100 times over - regardless. Sorry about that van incident! SHEEEEESH! Hope all is well - I need to catch up with you from Niagra and New York or wherever the heck you are right now out East!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =)

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We would totally return too! Even with the mishaps haha! We wrote a guide on Mesa Verde a couple months back and it appears their construction projects were pretty delayed, so many areas were still closed. I think it was supposed to be all open by now!

[@shellybennett8194]

Sorry about your hit & run! My welcome to Colorado involved a hit and run that cost me $1000!!! I hope things get better for the two of you :)

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Oh no!!! So sorry to hear that! Very glad our insurance is covering most. I guess that means we pay a lot each month 😅

[@hueandsteve1989]

So sorry you went through this. As much time as you spend on the road, would you consider a dash cam? I have an Owl Cam that sends live clips when hit. Again, it’s a horrible feeling when people hit & run. We love you guys.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We are definitely considering one! Just trying to research our options, so thanks for sharing what you have!