May 2009

It's National Park month :)
Check this out, a web cam for the Grand Canyon, it's a beautiful view. Our first stop of the month is the Grand Canyon. We were here 10 years ago, but we were having a hard time remembering what we did and where we did it :P It was late October of 1998 and no digital camera, so I am not even sure where the pictures would be now. It's almost like seeing it for the first time, though, I did remember some of the stuff we did then, but all we were able to see was the west end because both the east end and the north rim were closed due to weather. Check out the Grand Canyon pictures...there is sound (music & info) if you want to listen to it on the GC page :)

somewhere up there, there is a big hole in the ground. We are on the hunt for it.	First stop, see what we can see via a comfy chair and some popcorn.

Wildlife (local lizard :)	Pima Point in the afternoon
Next on the agenda is to visit more Indian ruins at the Mesa Verde National Park and other ruins in the area. May 8: we arrive at Cortez, CO and are met by our friends Allison & Jim. They are already here, just waiting for the next adventure. They got here a day before from Moab, which is where we are heading after our stay in Cortez. We put a plan of action together and we followed it through! Can you believe it, this is our first trip into Colorado since full-timing in 2000. What's with that???
Check out the Mesa Verde webpage (a must see, even if I do say so myself!) for all of our adventures in the Cortez, CO area. There is lots to see there, because there is so much to see in this area. You never really "get it" until you visit things and see for yourself. Who knew this area had been inhabited by so many Puebloans (that is the new correct term, they don't use Anasazi so much any more...).

This Nat'l Monument covers almost 164,000 acres and has been set aside to preserve the archaeological sites located here.	Jim and I hiking into the bottom of the canyon at the Hovenweep Nat'l Monument.
May 9: We took a circular drive to get to Hovenweep and then back home so that I could make a stop along the way. Why?? To taste some Colorado wine! We stopped at Guy Drew Vineyards; had a nice chat with the owners, Guy and Ruth Drew. They pour the wine in their kitchen/dining room...

There are several vineyards in the McElmo Canyon, which is good for grapes, warm in the day, cool at night. We ran across this one (not owned by Guy).	Who would think that there could be a winery & vineyards in something that looks like this type of desert...

Crossing McElmo Creek with a view of the tasting room/home and one of their vineyards on the left.	A small oasis in the yard of the vineyard/winery. All of the lilacs are in bloom around the Cortez area and boy, do they smell good! I miss them, we can't grow them in TX, too hot too early I guess.
May 10: Happy Mother's Day! and Happy Birthday to my sister Heidi :) this is the day we actually go to Mesa Verde Nat'l Park, if you haven't already, you must see the Mesa Verde page...

We were feeling this, but it could have been worse, we have been slowly but surely acclimating ourselves to the elevations around here starting at the Grand Canyon.	This gentleman works for the Colorado Fish & Wildlife. He has volunteered to check on the Peregrine Falcon aeries in the area along the cliffs of Mesa Verde. He says that there are about 25 mated pairs, that is so awesome!

Cliff Palace, the most photographed cliff dwelling at Mesa Verde and SO worth it. Luckily, they limit how many people can tour through it at any given time, with a Park Ranger.	Spruce Tree House, this is another great one, self guided, and a short, steep hike into the canyon to see it.
May 11: today is a rest day, grocery shopping, laundry, relaxing... good thing, it was pretty dang windy! May 12: we head up north about 10 miles to the Anasazi Heritage Center, another great trip. The museum is wonderful, it really helps to give you more insight into the Ancestral Puebloan lifestyle. We shared the museum with lots of kids on a field trip.

Blending ancient imagery and pottery designs found in archaeological sites in the Four Corners region, artist Charles Bruce painted the Chuska Puma. Donated to the Anasazi Heritage Center.	Our last night in Cortez, we head to one of the local hangouts, Main Street Brewery & Restaurant.

We are going to miss the free beer tomorrow... The hamburgers were great.	I, of course, need to sample the beers, so I order the beer sampler. Nine beers I get to taste & share. I liked the IPA and the Pale Export Ale the "bestest".
It was like Cortez saying goodbye, a great sunset on our last night here.
May 13: Happy Birthday to my brother Jeff! oh, yeah, and goodbye to Jim & Allison, they are working their way east while we continue our trek north & west. Today, we drive to Moab, UT... goodbye Colorado, but we will return...

Cortez, CO neighbors, Jim & Allison	Team work putting up the stabilizers :) getting ready to go again...

along the drive, either high desert or rock cliffs to view.	We did not stop, but I had heard about Hole n' the Rock, it is a 5,000 sq ft home cut out of the rock.

We had a evening light show right outside of our front window, the sun setting on the La Sal Mtns and the red cliffs behind us.	Colored clouds over La Sal Mtns.
May 14: Jim worked his shift and then we took an afternoon drive on what is called the Colorado River Scenic Byway 128. It was very scenic, lots of red rock which I love and very interesting driving through the La Sal Nat'l Forest area thru & above Cache Valley.

We drove along the Colorado River for quite some time, we saw a few rafters and lots of red cliffs	On the other side of the hwy drive, more red cliffs and canyons. We hope to hike one of them before we leave.

A bend in the Colorado River with tall mesa cliffs	more mesa cliffs with the La Sal's in the background.

Fisher Towers, more red rock and there is a hiking trail that we did not do.	More Colorado River, the local tour companies do 1/2 & 1 day slow river raft trips through this area.

We had to watch for cows, it was open range area once we got into the La Sal Nat'l Forest area.	Looking down at Cache Valley

There had been a pretty recent burn, this was just devastating to look at, so barren, so brown.	Once you got through the burn, you could see where a stand of aspen survived, the contrast is amazing.
Along the route, we also stopped at two of Utah's wineries and tasted some wine.

Castle Creek Winery is part of the Red Cliffs Lodge, which I always thought would be a fun place to stay.	Some very sad looking vines and part of the resort; you can see the Colorado River top right at the bottom of the red cliff.

Part of the wine line-up, they do get the majority of their grapes from California, so they can not put Utah on the labels. If you look to the right, you can see the Cab Sauv. has "American" on it, it is a "mutt" wine.	Coming into Spanish Valley Vineyards & Winery; these vines are much happier looking! With a great backdrop of the La Sal Mountains.

The tasting room at Spanish Valley, it is just a carved out space in the winery, but works well. I love the old press out front. These wines were made entirely from Utah grapes.	More of Spanish Valley's vines as you look towards the red cliffs along highway 191 into Moab.
May 15: it's up again at 4am so that we can catch the sunrise in Arches National Park. See all the wonderful pictures on the Moab, UT page.

sunrise in the Arches	Our shadows as we come down the slickrock from Delicate Arch.
May 16: it's the Fiery Furnace, check out the video on the Moab, UT page!
May 17: We head up and over to the Canyonlands National Park in the afternoon and then around to Dead Horse State Park for the sunset. Guess where the video is? You got it... Moab, UT page. There were a ton of movies made in this area, all over Moab. You might might recognize a few... 1996 Con-Air, 1998 Galaxy Quest, 1999 Mission Impossible II all used Dead Horse State Park as a prop of some sort, on the land or from the air...

It's a drive through BLM land to get to the entrance, but we made it.	The Colorado River as it passes through some of the canyons on it's way through the Canyonlands Nat'l Park.
May 19 & 20: is more hiking & driving and you got it...it's over on the Moab, UT page.
Next stop is Salt Lake City, I am going to spend a LOT of time in the Family History Library looking for long lost ancestors. You won't see much here, unless you like to look at books, microfilm and microfiche! :)

Driving up to Salt Lake City from Moab, one of the first great sites are the mountains that circle around SLC. I have never been skiing here, but I hear it's wonderful!	This is where I spent LOTS of my time, until I was almost brain dead. The Family History Library, mecca for genealogists! I found stuff, but there is always more to find.

We left SLC to spend one night in the Boise area (it was a two day drive to Walla Walla), it just worked out that my great grandmother was buried near Boise. So I found Cloverdale Memorial Park where she was buried, there is a wonderful pond with 3 pairs of swans.	Another long, gone ancestor, my great grandmother (maternal) Lydia. She was married twice, her kids never liked her 2nd husband. Lydia May Foster Sims Hoffman
I visited my great grandmother and then we drove off into the late sunrise the next day for Walla Walla! You will have to check out June for all the fun there :) Hope you had almost as much fun as we did, we had an excellent time with Jim & Allison, loved the Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches, Mesa Verde and everything in between. Things will quiet down a little, but then again, we will be in Walla Walla for the first two weeks of June and then the last two weeks will be spent in the Seattle area. We shall see how relaxed we can get... Kim & Jim

It's National Park month :)