No Place Like A Cave Dwelling

Still no weather that makes for pontoon boat fun so we headed to the Roosevelt Monument to see the Salado Indians cave dwellings. Its a bit of an uphill hike but on a nicely paved trail. There is a visitor center where they have artifacts and information on the Salado people who left their homes empty for us 600 years ago. Its hard to get a grasp on the time frame but looking at what is remaining of the dwellings is pretty amazing. You can still see the smoke stains on the ceilings, part of the original roof remains and the fingerprints of the builders are still clearly seen on the walls. It’s hard to believe that the Salado hiked 5 miles for food, materials and trade and then made their way up ladders with their supplies to reach the cave dwellings.  They did however have a beautiful view from their homes.