Bryce, Zion and More

The "Cowboy"

                                                           Bryce, Zion and More

Because we missed seeing both Bryce Canyon and Zion Canyon stops on the caravan, we turned around in Santa Fe New Mexico, headed back west instead of starting our trek back to Florida. This westward sojourn also worked out perfect for a rendezvous with Zach. Los Angles is only a 6-7 hour car ride from South Western Utah. The place we picked for our get together was Snow Canyon State Park, arguably beautiful enough to be considered a National Park.

We allowed 3 days to get back to Bryce Canyon. The first night we made it to Winslow Arizona, a famous stop along RT 66. The next 2 nights we went to Kanab Utah the gateway to The Grand Staircase, Escalante National Monument. This is a very large track of land of more than 3 million acres as compared 38,000 acres of better-known Bryce Canyon. We hiked and drove through only a small portion of it.

Bryce Canyon was spectacular and more unique in its landscape than many of the other parks we have visited. In fact it is not a canyon but is composed of many smaller (that’s a relative term) amphitheaters. Geologically speaking the landscape was a large plateau that eroded away over time creating these amphitheaters filled with tall stone structures called hoodoos. Typical of my behavior our first day was frenetic, the day started with a 3-½ hour tour of the park and ended with a Ranger guided moonlight hiking tour down into the Canyon. A ½ day horseback ride into the canyon was sandwiched between. Needles to say were exhausted and a bit sore the next day.

After 3 nights at Bryce we’re off to Zion NP, perhaps one of the more visited parks in the system. Our first day we rented special boots and walking sticks to enable us to hike the Narrows, a “trail” up and in the Virgin river through a narrow canyon. We slept well that night after this 10-mile hike. The next day we explored more of the park.

Snow Canyon SP in St Georges Utah is only an hour drive away from Zion. We reserved a campsite for 4 nights to allow time for a visit with Zach. Here we hiked many of the trails exploring the varied geologic features including slot canyons, some with ancient petroglyths and a lava tube. This stop was special most of all because we got to spend some quality time with Zach, a rare commodity where he lives on the west coast and we are on the east coast.

This is where we start our journey southeast to Florida to spend the impending winter. Instead of making a beeline east we plan to stop along the way and see the sights. The first is the Petrified Forrest/ Painted desert National Park, recently combined into one park. On our way east the next day we “had to” stop in Gallup for lunch so we could get another southwestern meal at Jerry’s restaurant. It was as good as we the last time! After lunch we headed on one of our long hauls, went through 3 states, ending in Oklahoma City. Here we are going to spend 3 days exploring the city along with getting laundry and grocery shopping done. 

Inside Bryce Canyon

Zion Canyon NP

Zach peeking out of the lava tube(it extends 1/2 mile into the earth)

American Dipper thinking about dipping

Slot Canyon Snow Canyon SP

Virgin River Zion Canyon NP with Navajo Sandstone Cliffs

Diana and Zach Slot Canyon Snow Canyon SP

Moon Rising over Bryce Canyon NP

Snow Canyon SP

The start of the Narrows Hike

Log at Petrified Forest NP

Looking down into Bryce Canyon

Big Horne Sheep grazing on slope at Zion

Canyon starts to narrow Narrows Hike

Cross section log at Petrified Forest NP

Looking down into Bryce Canyon NP

The Hikers

The Narrow Canyon

Rainbow captured driving east of Albuquerque

Our rig Petrified Forest NP

Painted Desert

The "cowgirl"

Caravan Ends

               The Caravan Ends and The Last Phase of The Road Trip Begins

The last stop for the caravan is a small town north of Santa Fe, New Mexico called Pojoaque. The trip up there from Albuquerque was along what is known as Turquoise Trail. We made the trip in the company of 2 other trailers from the caravan. We made several interesting stops along the way. The first was at what was billed as a Turquoise Mining Museum in a very small town with only 1 paved road and a series of dirt roads. The museum turned out to be a collection of mostly junk that was run by a suffer dude from New York. The next two stops come under the category of B and B. The first B was a small café lunch spot that made the best cinnamon rolls(Bakery) and the second B was the Santa Fe Brewing Company.

We made several trips into Santa Fe, a city with a rich history and a strong arts culture. It was the terminus of the famed westward route known as the Santa Fe Trail. We managed to visit the Georgia O’Keefe museum and the Albuquere museum of art.

Just north of Taos is a development known as Earthship, a project that produces and espouses the construction of homes with recycled materials that are environmentally friendly and self sustaining. They collect rainwater on rooftop collectors and manage to use the water 4 times to meet the needs of the homes and their gardens. These people were passionately devoted to their lifestyle. After our visit at Earthship we stopped to see the Rio Grand gorge as we headed back to Taos for lunch where we found another B, the beer and fire oven lunches were great.

Just a short distance away from Pojoaque is Los Alamos, the home of the Manhattan Project, where the first Nuclear Bomb was developed that subsequently was dropped on Japan bringing World War II to an end. Most all of the original buildings from that era are gone but there is a great museum and the National Parks had an interesting lecture on the subject.

One morning we had some free time so we went birding in Espanola. There were several, we believe, man made ponds along the Rio Grand River. Here David finally got the elusive Cinnamon Teal Duck along with about 20 other birds seen previously. One of which was migrating overhead, we saw 2 Sandhill Cranes flying south. After which we joined up with the rest of the group for a fabulous lunch at a ranch. Then as we headed back to our RV Park we had to stop at the local weavers. One had local apples that we had never heard of. David loves tart; well for him they were good.

Our last official caravan visit was to Bandelier National Monument, a large park that features ancestral puebloan structures both free standing and dwellings in alcoves high up on the cliffs. We did a great hike into the canyon that provided stunning views of the surrounding area as well as the canyon below with an array of ancient structures.

The caravan culminated with a banquette where we presented our 4 leaders, 2 couples, with special gifts as a token of all our appreciation for their hard work. Diana along with several others made 2 pillow covers out of kerchiefs depicting the 4 corners area. She had everyone sign the kerchiefs. She then sewed them on a piece of deer hide that was fringed on the edges to make them into pillows. She also made special earrings for one of the leaders and the other needed a lanyard for her badge.

We departed the Caravan with many sad goodbyes and headed west to visit Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP that we missed due to our wedding trip to New York. The first night on the road was spent in Winslow Arizona, a town made famous by the Eagles song in the 70’s. We meet friend from Florida there and had a delightful dinner at the famed La Posada Hotel.

Reo Grande in New Mexico

Note Ruins at bottom of canyon Bandelier NM

Alcove with cliff dwelling

ruins at Bandelier

Foyer at Earthship the stained glass are old wine bottles and soda cans

Climbing up to cliff house at Bandelier

Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona

Food Production at Earthship

Fall colors in New Mexico

                                                                On To New Mexico

We move on to the last state in our Caravan tour, New Mexico a new state for me. Farmington is our first stop. Not much here in Farmington but it is a good launching point for a visit to Chaco canyon, a major cultural and trading center for the Ancestral Pueblos People. The trip to Chaco brought back memories of The Trans Labrador Highway.  The road connecting Chaco Canyon National Park to the rest of the world is an Indian Road through Indian reservation. As it turns out the Indians are not happy that their ancestral property has been made into a park. Thus the gravel road on the Indian land has received no attention for some time.  It is difficult to find fault with their feelings, nonetheless the road was an adventure at best.

Chaco Canyon is a magical place with a fascinating history. The ancestral pueblo people made this the center of their world some 1000 to 1200 years ago. The construction of a large community with a series of roads leading out in all directions was a monumental task that required a huge expenditure of recourses. They also lined up walls exactly north/south and east west. Special windows were put in to capture the summer and winter solstice. Remember they didn’t have the wheel, used rocks to cut rocks and trees that grew 50 miles away. Everything was carried on their backs. The National Parks decided to put in a dam to control water, after exhaustive scientific study for locating the dam they dug down for the foundation and found that the Pueblo people had used the same spot. What amazing people. The strangest thing is that they occupied the site for only about 300 years. It is not known why they up and left. All evidence is that they just walked away.

A visit to another Ancestral Pueblo, Aztec ruins on the surface may seem more of the same but they had a very large Kiva that was recreated by an archeologist back in 1932.  The reconstruction was made as close as possible to the original based on their studies. The architectural detail was amazing including the base for the 4 large pillars supporting the roof. At the base of each pillar were 3 large stone disc, each weighing 300lbs, about 3 feet in diameter used to accommodate any natural movement of the structure. These may have been ancient people but they were as sophisticated as any contemporary culture.

Now we are on to Gallup.  Here we were given a tour of a real Indian Trading Post. This institution acts as sort of a bank and safety deposit box for the local Native Americans. They may bring a valuable ceremonial item and hock it for a very low price. The trading post will store this item safely for up to at least a year when it can be reclaimed for the original amount paid out. The vault was filled with an enormous amount of jewelry, not to mention hundreds of saddles, buffalo robes and many other culturally valuable items. Gallup is where we were to have a balloon ride. Half the group had a wonderful ride but our half had our ride canceled due to weather. Fortunately both of us have had a balloon ride in the past.

Another trip was into Canyon de Chelly. This is Navaho land. We went on a tour into the lower north section of the canyon. Our Navaho driver, at least 75 years old, owned land at the end of the canyon. It was a wonderful treat to see where he and his family lived. The vehicle we were in had a flat tire, our drivers nephew Danny who was driving one of the other tour vehicles was gracious and helped fix the flat. It was all part of the adventure. The jack the had was not the correct jack so they had to dig a hole under the wheel to enable placement of the new tire.

PBS has done a piece about Canyon De Chelly. Google “Canyon songs: National Park” and you will see Danny and his children. It is beautiful.

After our trip in the canyon we had time to drive the southern rim road. We had enough time to go to the end overlook and saw Spider Rock. In Gallup we had bought a small rug made by the women that own this area of the canyon. They are the only ones that can weave the Spider rock pattern.

Our next stop was Sky City where we visited the Acama Pueblo located high up on a Massa.  This is an active community where people still live today, however it is used primarily for ceremonial special occasions. The people were some of the nicest people we have meet on all of our travels. They seem not to have any of the lingering hostilities toward the White culture that usurped their ancestral lands. As our guide said they have forgiven those atrocities in the past. A very pleasant and happy people!

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta was a highly anticipated event for us and it more than meet our expectations.  We were parked with about 150 Airstream Trailers in a lot that was only 300 yards or so from the field where the balloons were launched. There were about 550 Balloons in the Fiesta and they ranged from small colorful to very large specialty balloons. It is truly a spectacle to be among 500 balloons being inflated and launched.  In the morning before dawn they would have 10 balloons inflate and glow. Once they launched some would go high and fast others would go low and slow to determine what the rest of the balloons would do. The balloonists call this area a box. By staying low and slow you go one direction but once you go higher the winds take you back to where you launched so now you are a box.

At night they would do what was called static inflation where the balloons would be inflated to upright but not take off. To see the glow in the dark was beyond belief. Saturday and Sunday were caped off with fantastic fireworks displays.

++++++

Hike In Gallup

Canyon at El Morro

Spider Rock canyon de Chelley

Steps in cliff at on hike in Gallup

Inside Canyon de Chelly

Steps coming down from Acoma Pueblo

Chaco Canyon

Inscription on cliff at El Morro by a young girl from Iowa while on the Santa Fe Trail

Acoma Pueblo

Inflating Ballons

Mass assension

Frog Balloon

Dawn Launch

Balloons over our trailer

Inflation

Night Glow

Darth Vader Balloon

El Morro