LAKE POWEL ARIZONA

On our travel day to Lake Powell  our wagon masters and some others came upon this bus fire. There were 43 French tourists on board who had just arrived from Paris the day before. All got out safely along with their luggage but were standing in the hot sun watching the bus burn. Adventure Caravaners provide some bottle water to all. Not a good way to start a vacation.

On day two at lake Powell we had a nice Boat ride to Rainbow Bridge where we all had a chance for more picture ops.  Do you know the difference between an arch and a bridge?  A bridge is and arch with water under it. Also one must be respectful of these arches/bridges as they are sacred to the Native Americans.

BUS FIRE ON OUR TRAVEL DAY TO LAKE POWEL
EVERYONE GOT OUT SAFE

CHUCK AND SUSAN

HOUSEBOAT ON THE LAKE
1 OF OVER 1000

ENJOYING THE RIDE

NOTE THE WHITE MARK
LAKE IS DOWN 70 FEET

ENTERING THE CHANNEL

FLOATING WALK TO THE BRIDGE
IN THE PAST BOATS USED TO
GO FURTHER UP THE CANYON

BOB AND MICHELE

US

RAINBOW BRIDGE

PART OF THE CREW

OK EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD
"DRIVE SAFE AND HAVE A NICE DAY"

MONUMENT VALLEY

Our next stop was in Monument Valley, Utah but, on the way, we stopped at the Four Corners Monument.  It is a Navajo reservation but also the geographical corners of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. We decided to be in all four states at once.

Monument Valley is also on Navajo land and our jeep tour took us into the valley that will probably be very familiar to all of you John Wayne and other old western movie fans.  John Ford was the director of many John Wayne movies so the point was named for him.

The last picture is actually one from Moab where we had a Crazy Hat contest.  The winner, Pete, fashioned a hat to look like Carlos.  Carlos is the poodle and Kelvin is Carlos' owner.  (Pete isn't in this picture but I had to give him credit for the hat).

WE ARE  IN FOUR STATES AT ONE TIME, COLARADO, NEW MEXICO, UTAH AND ARIZONA

MEXICAN HAT

INDIAN WOMEN IN HOGAN MAKING HER WARES

GETTING READY TO RIDE INTO MONUMENT VALLEY
 




THE STAFF

JOHN FORD POINT

THE THUMB



 WINNER OF OUR CRAZY HAT CONTEST

DURANGO AND SILVERTON NARROW GAGE RAILROAD

PAT BLOWING CHOW CALL ON HIS BUGEL FOR THE POT LUCK DINNER

THIS POST IS FOR DURANGO COLORADO. WE STARTED OFF WITH A POTLUCK DINNER WHICH WAS ENJOYED BY MOST EVERYONE. THE HIGH LITE OF DURANGO WAS THE RIDE WE TOOK ON THE DURANGO AND SILVERTON NARROW GAGE RAILROAD.  THE SCENERY WAS GREAT AND IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE A RAILROAD STEAM BUFF THE SMELL OF COAL BURNING AND THE SOOT IN YOUR HAIR WAS THE BEST AND IF YOU WERE NOT IT WAS JUST A GREAT TRAIN RIDE. THE FIRST PICTURES BELOW WERE TAKEN ON THE ROAD TO SILVERTON. WE TOOK THE BUS UP AND THE TRAIN BACK TO DURANGO. THE BUS DRIVER WAS BRAGING ABOUT THE FALL COLORS. BEING FROM THE NORTHEAST I WAS NOT QUITE SURE WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT, AS THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THE COLORS OF THE NEW ENGLAND STATES.

JOYCE, LEE, HEDDA AND PETE WAITING FOR LUNCH IN SILVERTON

THE STEAM POWER

OPPS FORGOT THE OBSERVATION CAR

VERY OLD BOX CAR

ON THE WAY BACK TO DURANGO FROM SILVERTON

 

THE RIVER WAY DOWN BELOW

 

CORTEZ, CO MESA VERDE NP

BETTY AND I STUMBLED ON MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK ON OUR WAY HOME FROM ALASKA IN 2004.  WE ONLY GOT TO STOP IN FOR SEVERAL  HOURS SO THIS VISIT WAS A TREAT ALLOWING US A MORE COMPLETE VISIT. THE ANASAZI (NOW CALLED ANCESTRAL PUEBLOAN PEOPLE) SETTLED IN THE AREA ON THE MESAS  FROM 700 TO 950 AD. THEY THEN FELT THE NEED TO MOVE INTO THE CAVES BELOW THE MESAS FROM1000-1300 AD. WHERE THEY BUILT THESE SPECTACULAR CLIFF DWELLINGS. NOTICE FROM THE PICTURES BOTH THE MESA AND CLIFF DWELLINGS HAD ROUND KIVAS WHICH WERE THE SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL LIFE CENTER. SOMETIME AFTER 1300AD THE DWELLINGS WERE ABANDONED DUE TO POOR CROPS,  DROUGHT AND DEPLETING ALL NATURAL RESOURCES. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO DESCRIBE THE DWELLINGS THAN SIMPLY AMAZING.

 

ABOUT TEN OF US TOOK THE OPTIONAL BALCONY AND CLIFFHOUSE TOURS WITH A LARGER GROUP EXPLORING THE SPRUCEHOUSE DURING THE BUS TOUR.

 

 

BALCONY HOUSE TOUR

 

THIS TOUR HAD US CLIMBING A 32 FOOT LADDER CRAWLING THOUGH A TUNNEL AND FINALLY CLIMBING UP THE FACE OF THE CLIFF USING CARVED  FOOT HOLDS.

 





 

RANGER SAFETY TALK PRIOR TO DESENDING

ENTERING THE BALCONY HOUSE

FINAL ASCENT TO BALCONY HOUSE

AT BALCONY HOUSE

ENTERING BALCONY HOUSE

NOTE KIVA COMMON IN ALL STRUCTURES

LEAVING

CLIMBING OUT UP THE ROCK FACE

 CLIFF HOUSE TOUR

 

ON THIS TOUR WE DESCENDED SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET DOWN PATHS AND LADDERS TO THE SITE. THEN UP SEVERAL MORE LADDERS THROUGH CREVICES TO EXIT

CLIFF HOUSE VIEW WHILE DESENDING

RANGER TALK

WALKING ALONG THE FACE OF CLIFFHOUSE

ANOTHER VIEW

 

SPRUCE TREE HOUSE

SHERRY EXITING THE KIBA

DOWN IN THE KIVA

 

NOTICE THE KIVA IN THE REAR



A DEEP PIT HOUSE