For the first time this trip, we had nothing to do today but drive to the Cotopaxi/Arkansas River KOA. And we got here at noon! No sights to see, long distances to drive, just pitch the tent and relax along the Arkansas River. So we did. I even took a nap. The kids played minigolf, chilled at the playground, swam in the just-opened pool, and even did a little fishing. Then came happy hour, grilled drumsticks, and s’mores by the fire. Day complete. 🙂
The main attraction today was the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. On the way there, the land was FLAT with mountains in the distance and dust devils here and there. And then they came into view. The tallest sand dunes in North America at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. So we rented sand boards and headed to the dunes. First came the Medano Creek crossing – a seasonal flow and a welcome treat especially at the end. But that sand was H.O.T. Note to self – next time wear socks and shoes. Poor toesies!
What a BUSY day! We started the morning with a Pancake Breakfast for the birthday boy. That was a camping treat! 🙂 Then we were off to explore Mesa Verde NP. And did we! We started with the Mesa Top Loop Road driving tour where we were able to see surface dwellings and cliff dwelling overlooks. Next came the highlights. The Cliff Palace with the five 8-10 foot ladders on a 100 foot vertical climb and the and Balcony House with its 32-foot ladder to climb up, 12-foot long tunnel to crawl through, and then a 60-foot open rock face climb with two 10-foot ladders. Did I mention that this was all on a CLIFF?! The Rangers shared lots of information with us but the bottom line is this – they just don’t know much about people who once lived here. But we still learned so much – it was fascinating. And it took ALL day!
We wrapped up the day with birthday cake for the birthday boy. We will always remember this wonderful day.
Not on our original itinerary, but with Canyonland NP right here we had to check it out. We visited the Needles Overlook and climbed all over the rocks. The view is VAST. One ranger said he preferred it to the Grand Canyon. Not sure I agree but it is impressive. We also stopped to see Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument in Monticello, UT. It’s a rock panel carved with one of the largest known collections of petroglyphs. Unfortunately, it looks like some more modern etchings have been added, but it is amazing to think that some of the carvings are 2,000 years old, left by people from the Archaic, Anasazi, Fremont, Navajo, Anglo, and Pueblo cultures.
We are camping for 2 nights at Morefield Campground at Mesa Verde National Park. As we set up camp, we saw the souvenir sand we brought with us from Arizona. I wonder how long we’ll be finding it in our gear …
On the move again. Our first stop was Edge of Cedars State Park Museum. Very informative with an impressive collection of Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) pottery. There is also an authentic Puebloan village to explore. Kids finally caught a lizard that got itself trapped in the dwelling.
Then, a less than two-hour drive brought us to Moab. And everybody else, too. The entrance line took us at least 45 minutes to get through. Luckily, we brought lunch. Once inside, we hiked to the North Window and then climbed up to the South Window. Spectacular! We went to the Delicate Arch view point and then walked to the Landscape Arch. This was a full afternoon!
Hubby’s next must-do … beer and a burger at Moab Brewery. Mine … an evening stroll window shopping. This is a great little town with fun shops – FULL of tourists (with their JEEPS or UTVS) but not quite as touristy as Jackson Hole.
This morning we drove from Lake Powell to Blanding, Utah. This is an example where it’s not the destination (there is NOTHING in Blanding) but the journey. We drove to the Navajo National Memorial in northern Arizona. We met John Bahe Smith, a Navajo artist. The kids really liked a small painting he did of Monument Valley, “Totem Pole,” so they chipped in and bought it. We will have to find just the right frame and mat for it. We took a walk to the overlook of some Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. An appetizer for our trip to Mesa Verde.
Next stop – the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. We’ve seen these structures before but what is so striking here is the flat land. And then – WOW! A pinnacle, butte, tower jutting into the landscape. It really made me think of Cars…
Oh, and for dinner – Navajo Tacos. I’m stuffed!
Thankfully, the winds eventually died down last night. It was a little unsettling to think that another strong gust could take down the tent. No problems, though. Daddy and son did a great job that held all night and all day today!
This morning, we hiked Horseshoe Bend (impressive but no railings) and Hanging Gardens (cool temps!). Lots and lots of Navajo Sandstone, Arizona sun, and much appreciated wind! We saved the Glen Canyon Dam tour for the afternoon. Kids enjoyed asking if we were doing on the Dam tour, if we could go to the Dam gift shop, or watch the Dam movie. Any way one could possible add “dam” to the sentence, they found it!
Without actually getting on or in the water, we’ve done all there is to do here. It was nice to stay 3 nights in one place but we are now ready to move on to our next destination … !
Daddy and son woke up at o’dark early to go fishing this morning. AGAIN. We weren’t too far behind because this Arizona sun comes up early! The big event of the day was a tour of Lower Antelope Canyon. The wait was about as long as the tour, honestly. But, worth it. It’s difficult to describe the way water has shaped this Navajo sandstone into magnificent sculptures. We took TOO many photos!
After the desert heat, we headed to our campsite to get our suits and hit the beach. Good thing we did – the winds were gusting to 40mph and nearly took our tent away! We got there to find it collapsing onto itself. After fixing the situation with big rocks (no wonder we found them scattered all over the site!), we headed to Lone Rock Beach, which is also part of Lake Powell but in Big Water, UT. The view was nice, the water cold, and the wind as strong as ever. We aborted this mission after 5 minutes because of the sandstorm like conditions. 😉
No sleeping under the stars tonight. We had to add the fly to keep this tent from blowing away!
Forget campfire breakfasts, when the view is this great we have to enjoy it. So, we packed up the tent and headed to the Lodge for a “good ol’ fashioned American breakfast.” And then sunned ourselves on the patio. We had hoped to stay tonight in one of the cabins but our reservations were cancelled because of that water main break. We’ve heard great things about Lake Powell, so we’ve decided to head out there a day early. One thing I can’t quite figure out though is the time. Arizona doesn’t do daylight savings time but the Navajo Nation does. My phone isn’t automatically switching over but I think the minivan is. We are supposed to be 3 hours behind EDT.
Anyway … Lake Powell is quite the sight. The temperature is finally warm (read: HOT) and we overlook a blue, blue u-shaped lake with open skies. We are sleeping tonight with the fly off the tent. Truly under the stars!
Last night, Daddy woke us up at 1am to take a look at the stars. It is claimed that one can see 7500+ stars in these parts but only about 2500+ in most other places. Not sure if that’s true or not but the black sky sure did sparkle!
We didn’t make it to Zion this weekend (tunnel closure and horseback riding) so we decided to drive through on our way to drop off the RV. The combination of red roads and huge red rocks was breath-taking. One regret is that we didn’t get to do any hiking -we just didn’t have the time.
The next stop was the North Rim Campground of the Grand Canyon. Thankfully, the water pipe was restored so there was cold water (no hot!). We walked the Transept hike along to the rim to the North Rim Lodge and Angel’s point. Grand is truly a perfect way to describe these canyons. And they are much greener than I expected. We had cheese and crackers on the boulders, wine and pizza on the Lodge patio, and ice cream back at the the Campground General Store.
