Cortez

The southwestern Colorado town of Cortez, an archaeological center of America, lies between the entrance to world-famous Mesa Verde National Park and the fascinating Ute Mountain Tribal Park. Whether you come to visit either or both of these sites, by the time you leave you'll be steeped in the history of the Ancestral Pueblo people.

Ancestral Puebloans lived in the Mesa Verde area for more than eight centuries. The park is most famous for its cliff dwellings, but many of the surface sites also tell the story of the people who inhabited this area for centuries. At nearby Crow Canyon Archeological Center, the story of the Ancestral Puebloans is still being studied. Day programs offer a glance into the field of archaeology, and weeklong programs include the opportunity to excavate at a working archaeological site. The Cortez Cultural Center provides a glimpse into current American Indian culture with free Indian dances, occurring six nights a week during the summer months, and many special events all year long.

Cortez boasts 116 acres of parks and trails, as well as a professional 18-hole golf course. The Crossroads Culture Walk in downtown Cortez guides you through the history of the town with buildings dating from the 1890s to the 1930s. A short drive south of Cortez is McElmo Canyon, the location for the growing micro-industry of viticulture. Enjoy daily wine tasting from one of the vintners.

Cortez, a community near the Four Corners (where the borders of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico meet), offers an excellent choice of lodging as well as a wide variety of restaurants ranging from fast food to gourmet. Many of the exceptional trading posts in the area date back for generations and have helped make Cortez a trading center for more than 1,000 years.