Mollie Kathleen Mine and Manitou Cliff Dwellings

Ready to descend into the mine.

We traveled 45 miles SW and 1000 miles straight down to visit the Mollie Kathleen Gold mine. The Mollie is the longest continually operating gold mine in the US, and is still full of gold veins even today. There was plenty to learn (a big plus for mom), but full of loud machinery and a gold sample at the end of the tour, so the boys were thrilled too. The tour guide showed us all the intricacies of gold mining and modern machinery. At the end of the tour, we asked our tour guide where he spends time with his kids. He directed us up the road to a creek that made a great picnic spot for lunch and a bit of chilly wading.

Tentatively wading into the chilly water

Soaked from head to toe

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings were the next stop. The Cliff Dwellings were originally located near Mesa Verde, and were painstakingly moved to protect them from looters. Unlike other museums, this place is all hands on. Visitors are encouraged to climb in, on, and around the ruins. The boys are reluctantly used to looking but not touching, so this place was a dream.

They climbed into a bread oven and pretended to grind corn like the Anasazi Indians, while mom smiled at the education in action moment. The cliff dwellings offered us the chance to see cliff dwellings, a teepee, and a pueblo and compare the different native dwellings.

Ryan checks out the grinding stones

Inside a grain storage bin

We turned in early in preparation for the drive the next day, but as the boys drifted off to sleep they were talking about where they would live if they were an Indian. Ah, the bliss of a day where good learning and good fun meet.