We decided to take a drive down the Pig Trail from Northwest Arkansas down to Ozark, Arkansas. Molly had never driven the road and I decided it was high time she experience the drive!! We both enjoyed the drive immensely and stopped several times to take pictures of the incredible colors and majesty of Autumn in the Ozarks. We missed the peak “leaf” weekend I think, but there were still fantastic colors to behold. There was a small campground before…
On our way from Page, Arizona, to Kayenta, Arizona, we stopped at Four Corners. Until this trip, I had never set foot in neither Arizona, nor Colorado, nor Utah. I was able to check all of these off my bucket list in one fell swoop!! We really aren’t frowning. The wind was blowing at near hurricane force and the sun was directly in our eyes!!! What a fantastic trip this is!
After we left Antelope Canyon, we made our way to Kayenta, Arizona, and headed to Monument Valley to see more incredibly beautiful rock formations. The road we had to drive on to see these formations was VERY bumpy, VERY rough, and VERY windy! Our poor car is COVERED in red dirt and sand and desperately needs a bath! The Left Mitten and The Right Mitten The Nun and Two Students These beauties were roaming free in the park. The black…
Today we toured Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. It was absolutely stunning. The colors, the appears-to-be-physically-impossible rock formations, and the arches themselves were mind boggling. There were many times I told Molly some of them looked as if God had been playing tiddlywinks or building with Legos. The day was phenomenal. Molly made friends with a mountain goat!! Many of the arches and formations had names given to them because of their resemblance to said names. Yes, many of…
Thursday, October 15th, we made our way to Antelope Canyon, which is located in Page, Arizona. We took an open-air tour truck ride to the canyon itself and were led by a young Navajo tour guide. His name was Lionel. Before the tour started, he performed what is called a “Ring Dance” for us. He used ten rings during the dance. In competitions, they use up to 55 rings!! Antelope Canyon is the most fantastical place I think I’ve ever…
On Wednesday, October 14th, we ventured into The Grand Canyon National Park. There really are no words to describe the majesty and grandeur that is The Grand Canyon. We thoroughly enjoyed our drive through the park. We didn’t get to see any of them flying around the day we were there, but this hole was the home for the baby condors that hatched earlier this year. When they left the nest at a few months old, their wing span was…
Today we left Albuquerque and headed to Flagstaff, Arizona. On the way we discovered accidentally that we were crossing the Continental Divide. There was not much to mark the spot save for a couple of rather gaudy gift shops and one little sign by the highway. That was a quick stop! The next stop was also a very quick one at a place called “Church Rock.” Next stop on today’s adventure was the Petrified Forest National Park. This was a…
Our last stop before leaving Santa Fe was a visit to The Loretto Chapel, home of the “Miracle Stairway.” From the Loretto Chapel website: Two mysteries surround the spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel: the identity of its builder and the physics of its construction. When the Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878, there was no way to access the choir loft twenty-two feet above. Carpenters were called in to address the problem, but they all concluded access to the…
We started the day off today headed to Santa Fe, New Mexico. On the way we stopped at Camel Rock. It is a naturally formed rock, and it looks like a camel!! After that we got into Santa Fe and started out by visiting the Georgia O’Keefe Museum. It was nice to see some of her works displayed. Here are a few of my favorites from her works. We left there and walked around Santa Fe for a couple of…
Last night we rode the Sandia Peak Tramway to the top of Sandia Peak to have dinner at the High Finance restaurant located on the top of Sandia Mountain. The Sandia Peak Tramway is an aerial tramway located adjacent to Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. It stretches from the northeast edge of the city to the crestline of the Sandia Mountains and has the world’s third longest single span. We had a little bit of a wait to get on the…
In Santa Rosa, New Mexico, we found a spot simply called “The Blue Hole.” We decided to check it out as it was on our way to Albuquerque anyway. From Wikipedia: The Blue Hole of Santa Rosa is a circular, bell-shaped pool east of Santa Rosa, New Mexico that is one of the most popular dive destinations in the US for SCUBA diving and training. The Blue Hole is an artesian well that was once used as a fish hatchery….
The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is held every October. Balloonists come from all over the world to participate in this week long event. We attended what is called the “Mass Ascension” where all that year’s participants take off in the span of about three hours. This morning they started with a laser show before the sun came up. Before the sun comes up, they send up a few balloons called the “Dawn Patrol.” They go up before the rest of the…