Sept. 30, 1999

Journal Staff Report

Mesa Verde is a "Place of a Lifetime," according to National Geographic Traveler magazine.

The publication’s October issue will name Mesa Verde one of "50 Places of a Lifetime," a list of must-see destinations across the globe.

The article, written by poet and novelist Evan S. Connell, says of Mesa Verde, "Except for ancient stone-and-mortar cliff houses stuck to precipitous canyon walls, there is scarcely a building in sight. What prevails throughout the national park is a feeling that one must be near the rim of the world."

"To be included among the wonders of the world is quite an honor," said Dale McFarland, regional general manager for Aramark/Mesa Verde Company, the authorized concessionaire for the park.

"Colorado is proud to be home to one of the world’s most important travel destinations," Colorado Gov. Bill Owens said. "Mesa Verde is unique and offers a perspective into the history of a rich and ancient culture."

One of only seven places in the United States to be recognized by the magazine, Mesa Verde has the distinction of being honored with the other world-renowned monuments, including the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Giza and Machu Picchu. The other American destinations were San Francisco, Big Sur, the Hawaiian Islands, the Grand Canyon, Vermont and New York. Canadian sites included the Canadian Rockies, Boundary Waters and the Canadian Maritimes. Other recommendations range from the Sahara Desert and the Serengeti Plain to the Amazon Forest and the Galapagos Islands, from Jerusalem and the Vatican City to Petra, Angkor and the Taj Mahal.

The list was compiled from hundreds of nominations submitted by National Geographic Society correspondents, writers and travel authorities.

Mesa Verde was the first national park in the United States designated to protect archaeological sites and has been designated a World Cultural Heritage Park by UNESCO, an organization of the United nations entrusted to preserve the work of humankind.

It was also selected by Sunset, Smithsonian, Historic Traveler, Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel and Consumer Reports as an exceptional travel destination, and received the Conde Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Award for top historic monument in the world. First Lady Hillary Clinton visited Mesa Verde in May as part of the nationwide "Save America’s treasures" initiative.

"When Conde Nast chose Mesa Verde as the top historic monument in the world in 1998, that spurred lots of press, as well as many more people," McFarland said. "We knew there would be an influx."

This year’s visitation is up approximately 6 percent over last year’s figures. Park and Mesa Verde Co. officials hope for a similar increase as a result of the National Geographic Traveler piece.