National Parks

Read more about the article Grand Teton National Park!

Grand Teton National Park!

Three days in Grand Teton National Park did not disappoint!  Our drive from Ashton, ID was beautiful through lush green fields that took us to Teton Pass at an elevation of 8,432’ into Jackson Hole, WY.  After a short walk around the town we headed to the entrance of the national park.   Throughout our exploring we encountered all types of wildlife. Have you ever wondered how the park rangers show up so quickly when animals are visible from the road?  Most of the animals that frequent populated areas are “chipped” and “tracked” ; when an animal is getting close…

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Read more about the article Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest National Park

Many years ago, as a child my Aunt and Uncle drove from Bloomington, IL on Route 66 west with the destination of the Grand Canyon.  On the journey one of their planned stops was the Petrified Forest.  When they arrived home, one of my gifts from the trip was a piece of petrified wood!  Their trip sounded amazing and I always wanted to visit that special place.   When we left Albuquerque we planned a visit to the Petrified Forest.  Carol had visited this national park several years ago, but I had no idea what it would be like.  I…

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Read more about the article Bandelier National Monument

Bandelier National Monument

We have been in Santa Fe for a couple days, checking out the town and enjoyed a delicious lunch yesterday at The Shed. This morning we checked out the Railyard Farmers Market.  Our winning purchase was a “Hatch Chile Croissant”!  To our surprise it was so good!After the Farmers Market we headed to Bandelier National Monument about 35 miles from Santa Fe and is part of the Jemez Volcanic field. This monument dates back more than 10,000 years.  Native Americans moved in and out of this area following movement of game animals.  Bandelier National Monument consists of ruins of above…

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Read more about the article Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

After a two hour drive through beautiful desert/forest countryside we arrived at Gila Cliff Dwelling National forest that is the home of the Cliff Dwellings.   The Cliff Dwellings were the home of the ancient Puebloan people.  Archeologists call this the Mogollon area. It is believed that these were built approx. 700 years ago and were most likely home to several different groups.  Evidence suggests that the Apache migrated to the upper Gila River in the 1500s.  Apache leader Geronimo (tribe name Goyahkla) was born in the Gila River area.   To get to the cliff dwellings you hike a…

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