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High Desert Plateau

Elevation 6,181'

If you come this far off the beaten path, you are here for wildness, land, place and story. Maybe even sanctuary. We are cradled between Sleeping Ute Mountain (Wisuv Káruv) touching the sky at 10,000 feet, and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument dense with Ancestral Puebloan sites, remains that tell only part of the story, rich with geologic drama. Carved bedded sandstone, domes, hoodoos, natural bridges compose the geology, and compelling slot canyons ( we have three). Pineon pine and sage brush, shrub oak and desert flowering cacti. Bring a hat that won't blow off in the wind, good shoes, a canteen. Walk into it with a camp chair, retreat into a wind carved dome, hide in her arms when rain comes. You're surrounded. And also put in your place...

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Puebloan Culture

"“If the desert is holy, it is because it is a forgotten place that allows us to remember the sacred. Perhaps that is why every pilgrimage to the desert is a pilgrimage to the self. There is no place to hide, and so we are found.    â€• Terry Tempest Williams

                                                            

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Oasis

An element of surprise as you find yourself in an oasis of mature shade trees, under a canopy of green, with flowering fruit trees (apple, apricot, pear, even a quince) gardens of vibrant amaranth and native corn. A field of native grasses and statuesque pines. We are a refuge for birds and many guests come here to observe, count among them hummingbirds who remember the many feeders across the place. Expect moods. Spring blossoms bring sweet and cooler days. Summer sun warms your bones, lets you know who's in charge. Then monsoons brings a thirsty world refreshment, rain gathers over canyon rock, gaining momentum fills our pour overs with thunderous waterfalls of abundance, awakening every creature and terrain. Other times the rising heat from sand and rock creates a virga, a sheet of rain that never meets the ground. And sometimes, our rain is a lullaby. Fluctuations of 40 degrees in a single day soften come autumn, all under big stars with nearby hikes and an on site archeological self-guided tour.  Once here, all your plans may fold.         

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Great Old Broads fro Wilderness

We support Great Old Broads For Wilderness. Being bold, courageous, and fearless in defense of wild lands.

c. AEKp 2022-2025 Dazine Graphics

Southwest Culture in the US

​We are a Hidden Gem Destination with Lodging and Retreat 

located on an Archeological & Horticultural Preserve 

dedicated to Human Refuge in Strange Times. 

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women owned company

solar powered

we are inclusive

Ancient Echoes at Kelly Place  14537 CR G, McElmo Canyon, Cortez, Colorado www.kellyplace.com / ancientechoes@kellyplace.com. 970.565.3125

Much more than "a hotel"
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