The cave hotel blasted into a New Mexico mountain where guests must climb a 70ft ladder to enter
Dinosaurs were still roaming the planet when the walls of this amazing cave hotel were formed.
Kokopelli's Cave in Farmington, New Mexico, is a one-bedroom wonder carved within a 65-million-year-old rock formation.
Guests have to 'really want to stay there' and must clamber 70ft down a sloping path and enter by ladder.
Scroll down for video
The 1,650 square-foot hotel is 280 feet above the La Plata River in beautiful, isolated wilderness near the Mesa Verde National Monument.
Its owners say visitors are guaranteed peace and quiet, as well as remarkable views.
It may look like Fred Flintstone's house, but inside it is furnished with carpets, modern appliances and even a jacuzzi.
After blasting out the rocks, Bruce Black Snr had originally intended using the cave as his own unique geological office.
They set up a drilling rig onto the cliffs above and drilled three holes for ventilation, electrics and chimney.
By 1996 it was ready to be lived in and Bruce Black Senior and wife Margie moved in.
In 1997 they started offering it as a bed and breakfast to guests in search of the ultimate alternative accommodation.
One for the photo album: The 1,650 square-foot
hotel is 280 feet above the La Plata River in beautiful, isolated
wilderness near the Mesa Verde National Monument
Kokopelli's Cave in Farmington, New Mexico, is a one-bedroom wonder carved within a 65-million-year-old rock formation.
Guests have to 'really want to stay there' and must clamber 70ft down a sloping path and enter by ladder.
Scroll down for video
Head for heights: An outside view of Kokopelli's
Cave hotel in Farmington, New Mexico, which was formed when dinosaurs
roamed the Earth
Don't look down! A balcony has been created
outside the hotel by fencing off the edge of a cliff. It may not be
suitable for vertigo sufferers, but it offers fantastic views
Home sweet home: It may look like Fred
Flintstone's house, but inside it is furnished with carpets, modern
appliances and even a jacuzzi
Blast from the past: The hotel was blasted out in the 1980s by father-and-son geologists, Bruce Black Snr and Bruce Black Jnr
The hotel was blasted out in the 1980s by father-and-son geologists, Bruce Black Snr and Bruce Black Jnr.The 1,650 square-foot hotel is 280 feet above the La Plata River in beautiful, isolated wilderness near the Mesa Verde National Monument.
Its owners say visitors are guaranteed peace and quiet, as well as remarkable views.
Its owners say visitors are guaranteed peace and quiet as the walls are extremely thick and there is nothing for miles around
Shaping their home: After blasting out the
rocks, Bruce Black Snr had originally intended using the cave as his own
unique geological office
Adapting the landscape: The owners set up a
drilling rig onto the cliffs above and drilled three holes for
ventilation, electrics and chimney
CAVE NAMED AFTER HUMP-BACKED, FLUTE-PLAYING FERTILITY DEITY
Kokopelli
is a fertility deity revered by some Native American cultures in the
Southwestern United States. He is usually depicted a a hump-backed flute
player and presides over both childbirth and agriculture. He is also a
trickster and represents the spirit of music.
After blasting out the rocks, Bruce Black Snr had originally intended using the cave as his own unique geological office.
They set up a drilling rig onto the cliffs above and drilled three holes for ventilation, electrics and chimney.
By 1996 it was ready to be lived in and Bruce Black Senior and wife Margie moved in.
In 1997 they started offering it as a bed and breakfast to guests in search of the ultimate alternative accommodation.
Outside and in: A sign identifying The Black's
hotel hang by the cave, while another light-hearted one adorns one of
the internal walls
Silent night: In 1997, the Blacks started
offering the place as a bed and breakfast to guests in search of the
ultimate alternative accommodation
Legendary heritage: The cave is named after
Kokopelli, a flute-playing fertility deity revered by some Native
American cultures in the Southwestern United States
Panoramic paradise: The isolated hotel offers
incredible views across the New Mexico landscape, making the trip out
there all the more worthwhile
One for the photo album: The 1,650 square-foot
hotel is 280 feet above the La Plata River in beautiful, isolated
wilderness near the Mesa Verde National Monument