Mark and I have been trying to visit as many National Parks and Monuments as we can, mostly because we love it, and partly because it is already paid for, so it helps us save money. Flagstaff has so many that are really close by, too. This past weekend that Mark had off we went to the Walnut Canyon National Monument. Not only was it very interesting to visit, but great exercise too!
Walnut Canyon National Monument entrance
View of part of Walnut Canyon
A cute little old ranger was on the path and told us a little bit about the ruins. He said that these dark marks on the roof of the rooms is from them using fires to fumigate their storage rooms to get rid of rats and such. Pretty neat!
A view of the descent. It wasn't hard going down.
Before we began to go back up, we were greeted with this warning.
Talk about teeny doors!
These were some of the most intact rooms. This part was even high enough for Mark to stand in!
Again, full rooms still together. They even had little rock landings in front of them.
We looked happy before we began to climb the stairs back up...
A view of where the cliff dwellers built their houses in the side of the cliffs.
Still smiling a little at the top!
There is a trail that goes along the rim of the canyon, which is where we found this cute baby horny toad scurrying across the trail.
And that was our fun outing to Walnut Canyon National Monument. It was great to see how preserved it is, but there were some parts that were completely destroyed by looters before it was declared a National Monument.
Next up, we are headed to the Grand Canyon to camp for our anniversary next weekend. We wanted to go camping for our honeymoon, but so many people discouraged it that we didn't. So now we are going to make up for missing out 7 years ago!
We've had some funny things happening, so I decided I had to blog about a few of them. The first funny thing I don't have pictures of, but I thought it was too funny not to mention it.
Last Thursday our air conditioner went out on us. That's not the funny part. Because of the AC not working we have had our back door open most of the day to attempt to cool down the place. Late Friday night we had yet another visit from a rather large bug, which looked like a Cicada. Roslyn just happened to notice it fly in and started chasing it around. She kept jumping up trying to get it, about 4 feet in the air.
The bug found one of our nightlight wallflowers and headed towards it. Roslyn jumped up and snatched it right out the air. I was waiting to clean it up after she spit it out like she usually does, but she kept crunching on it, and then swallowed it! I promise we feed her! Maybe she knew I needed a good laugh.
The other kind of funny/weird thing was when I was going to take Mark his lunch at work. I parked the car and started walking in, wondering why there were so many people just standing around in the parking lot. Then, I looked up and this is what I saw...
The Budweiser Clydesdales and dog
How random is that? At first I thought the dalmatian was a plastic one or something, but then it stood up. I have to say, I was a little worried they might trample me. I couldn't help but think they must have gotten lost.
Lastly, I have to start by saying our apartment was built for warmth. Flagstaff is really not very hot, which we LOVE! But the way our apartment is set up, all windows are on the same side of the apartment, which all face west. So we can't get any kind of cross breeze, and when the sun is hottest, in the afternoon, it has 2 windows and a sliding door to enter through and heat up our apartment. So most of the weekend our apartment was around 85-90 degrees inside, even though it was only around 70 outside. Even at night, when it gets down to the low 60's, our apartment remains in the high 80's.
Our problem is, neither of us can sleep at all when it is above 70. So, our solution was to put an air mattress on the patio and sleep out there.
It felt great, almost like camping. The problem was, there happens to be a resident crow in a tree behind our apartment, and it starts its crowing at the crack of dawn. When I woke up to its delightful sounds, I asked Mark if I could get the gun and shoot it. Unfortunately, he said it wasn't legal.
Too accurate a name! Have I told anyone that I hate Blogger? Well, I do. Just thought I'd get that out there. Any way...
My brother, Richard, came down to visit with his family on his way to Las Vegas for a children's expo for Lisa's business. While they were here we did some hiking, and stopped to see the Elden Pueblo Ruins that are right in Flagstaff. Stephen thought they were meant to be climbed on.
Maylee, Richard, and part of Stephen
Maylee, Lisa, and Spencer. Spencer was being shy.
Since Mark had Monday afternoon and Tuesday off, we decided to go with them. We didn't realize just how close it was, only about 4 hours. We arrived around 9 pm, and it was kind of neat how we came around the corner, and there was this huge city filled with lights just right there.
Unfortunately, we forgot our batteries for our camera, so we had to use my cell phone to take pictures. So, the first few pictures aren't fabulous. Not that my pictures are ever fabulous, these are just even less fabulous.
Las Vegas
After arriving and checking in, we decided to walk down to the Treasure Island Hotel. Boy, did we regret that decision. Although it was great to get some exercise, along the entire walk there were advertisements of women for unmentionable services. Even on the ground! We had to carry all of the kids so that they wouldn't stop to look at them, after Maylee saw something on the ground and tried to pick it up. Poor kid!
By the time we got to Treasure Island, we had just missed the show. But when everyone cleared out, we realized it was probably a good thing that we missed the show. So, we just took a picture in front of the Pirate ship instead. We had to do the Pirate ship, because the other ship had a big naked woman on it. Imagine that, a naked woman statue in Las Vegas!
The ship at the Treasure Island hotel.
The next day, Tuesday, we got to hang out with Maylee, Spencer, and Stephen. It was a lot of fun, when we weren't dodging the questionable parts of the hotel. Funny part of the story, we forgot to take pictures of the hotel that we were actually staying in, Circus Circus. So, I will describe it to you. Lots of flashing lights, a ginormous flashing clown with a ginormous sucker, and a big pink circus "tent", and construction everywhere.
On to the fun stuff.
We took the kids to the Adventuredome, which was on the second floor of the hotel/casino thingy. It was actually pretty cool. There was a roller coaster that went around the top of most of the dome, and when it came by, the kids all stopped and stared. If you couldn't hear it, you could definitely feel it rumbling by.
Two super cute guys, Mark and little Stephen.
Ginny and little Stephen. He was always waving! I loved it. When we were going to our hotel rooms, he started waving at a car full of guys. Surprisingly, several arms came out of the windows and started waving back. It was too funny!
Richard took Maylee and Spencer on the Dora and Diego ride. I didn't get many details out of them, but I think they loved it.
Who would have thought this was made for 3 passengers?
Spencer had a huge smile on his face the entire helicopter ride. This wasn't the best picture, but as I said, I hate blogger, and this was the picture given to me, so it stays.
When we checked into the hotel they gave us books full of coupons. We only spent $2 for all of the rides and games! This was one of the free games, and Maylee won a Jamaican looking banana. Fabulous! Spencer played the game too, and missed by one ball, so Maylee was kind and gave her banana to him.
This is what she did to win the banana. I was really surprised! I wouldn't have been able to do it.
Stephen enjoying a big rig ride.
Spencer's big rig ride.
Maylee played this water gun game, and won 19 tickets! When we went to trade them in, the guy was kind enough to give us 3 suckers for all 3 kids. Maylee shared them with her brothers.
Mark's first encounter with sticky kids. Mark didn't like the suckers, but the kids sure did!
Every 30 minutes they would have a 15 minute circus act.
This was the clown that went first. I didn't realize that my camera would pick up sound! I really do learn something every day!
Two very bendy people. I don't know what to call them, but here they are doing something unusual.
This video is a bit creepy, so watch at your own risk! If you turn down the volume, it is a bit less creepy.
After wearing the kids out, we went back to the room so they could take a nap. After their nap, Richard and Lisa took them swimming. We would have gone swimming too, but I prefer not to subject people to seeing me in a bathing suit. Besides, there were already quite a few bikini clad whales by the pool! So instead, we decided to take a drive. When we got back, Mark said, "We just dragged the strip!" So here is our experience in pictures from the car of the Las Vegas Strip.
The closest I have ever been to the Statue of Liberty.
New York, New York
M&M's. Yum!
More of the New York, New York section.
Can't pass up a picture of a ginormous Harley! By the way, What is the difference between a Hoover, and someone riding a motor cyle? The position of the dirt bag! Haha! I couldn't pass up the opportunity.
The closest I have ever been to the Eiffel Tower.
The Excalibur. We didn't see the moat, which was quite disappointing.
The Luxor. Something about a diagonal elevator? Any way, closest I have ever been to a pyramid.
My favorite part. When we were heading back, there was a car stopped in the middle of the road with an ambulance and police car by it. We took advantage of being stopped by all of the rubber neckers, who were taking pictures of the stopped car!, and got to enjoy the fountain show at the Bellagio. We rolled down the windows, and could hear the music and everything! Pretty cool.
Today Mark and I went to the Wupatki Ruins, and they were pretty amazing. The signs said that ruins dated from the 10th and 11th centuries, and they were still standing, amazingly. To get to Wupatki we had to drive through the Sunset Crater Park, so we took some pictures along the way. Then we went to visit all of the ruins in the National Park, there were six dwelling sites all together. Wupatki, Citadel, Nalakihu (which we didn't get a picture of), Box Canyon Dwellings, Lomaki, and Wukoki. Wupatki was really cool, with a game court, and a blow hole. The blow hole is a hole that goes down really far into the earth, and the cool air blows out of it. It was fascinating geological stuff!
The Wukoki was by far the most impressive to me. It was built on a large outcropping of rock, so you can see it from miles away.
Sunset Crater National Park
The link to their site is: http://www.nps.gov/wupa/index.htm
Signage
Mark in front of the Wupatki National Park Visitors Center
Wupatki Pueblo Ruin
The current resident of Wupatki
Closer look at Wupatki
An interesting tidbit. The guide said that the rangers from the early 1900's actually moved into and lived in the Wupatki ruins with their wives. The government charged them $10/month to live there. Imagine that!
The Citadel Pueblo Ruins built on top of a high hill
Mark headed to the Box Canyon and Lomaki Ruins
Box Canyon Dwellings. These were the most preserved of the ruins.
Current Resident of the Box Canyon Dwellings. Cool Lizard, huh? He did a really funny wiggle for us too!
Lomaki Pueblo
Lomaki Pueblo. Must have been some oddly shaped people living here. Look at the passageway.
