Day 13 - Driving, Driving, and more Driving

The sun is coming up in Cortez, Colorado.  No NP stops today. Breakfast and in the car to Salt Lake City we go.  

Hey tour guide, where is Salt Lake City? oh, Utah. Is it very far?  It's a long, 

Long,

 

Long,

 

Long drive. 

 

We did make one stop. 

The Tie Fork rest area is located on US-6 in Spanish Fork Canyon between Price and Thistle Junction. This rest area is one of the most popular and busiest non-interstate rest areas in the state. This rest area celebrates the long history of the canyon as a major artery of the railroad industry. The design is reminiscent of a turn of the century train depot.

 

 

  

Ok, we did make a food stop. Hey Jason, look what we found. In & Out Burger.  

 

Hey tour guide, can we get this picture taking over with and order. We are hungry. 

 

Woah, this looks good.  Let's eat.

 

The fries are not ours. 

As the sun sets over Salt Lake City Utah, we bid you good night. 

 

 

TTFN. 

Tomorrow is another day. 

 

 

 

 

Day 12 - Are we still in Colorado ?

Good morning tour guides. Where are we off to today?  Hovenweep NM.  What's a Hovenweep?  It's a monument made out of rock and mortar, buts that's not important now. 

 

 

Hey Jason, looks like we are on Jasper Reily road. 

 

Hey tour guide.  Who gets to help stamp in the NP Passport book today?  Ok, it's CJ's turn. Can I watch?

 

 

Wow, really cool looking buildings. 

 

 

 

Hey tour guide, is that a gecko? You have Geico insurance, don't you?

 

Hey tour guide, help us out of this canyon please.  It is really hard climbing up these rocks. 

 

Hey tour guide, look what we found walking around. He's a Kangaroo rat. He's really friendly and nice. Can we keep him and take him on our Most Excellent Adventure?  We will kiss him and love him and squeeze him and hug him and call him Roo.  Oh goody Roo, you can come with us. 

 

This was a lot of fun tour guide. Where to now?  Anasazi Heritage Center.  Is that a NM?  No, well why not?  Will we be able to get stamps in the book?  You know our other tour guide loves to get stamps. 

ok, let's get some stamps.  

 

Hey tour guide, let's look this place over. Hey, what is she doing?  Oh, weaving. Doesn't look to hard. 

 

Wow, they really ground corn this way?  This is hard and tedious work.  It sure would take a long time grind enough corn to make something to eat.  Why did only the women do this?

 

Look at all these artifacts they found.  They are really cool.  

 

 

 

 

Hey tour guide, where's the monument?  Wow, they didn't find much, did they. 

 

Whoa, we're going to a third monument today. You tour guides are sure trying to wear us out. The tour guides brother wore out 4 days ago, and he's not even with us.  What's this place?  Lowry Pueblo?  What's a Pueblo?  Community house in apartment like structures. 

 

 

 

Hey tour guide,  I think we have seen this before.  Let me think.  Ok, I know what it is.  It's a Kiva. Oh yeah. A Kiva is circular room, built partly under ground. 

 

 

TTFN. 

PS. The UTE Mountains. 

The sleeping UTE is said to resemble a UTE Chief lying on his back with arms folded across his chest, recovering from wounds in a battle with the evil one. 

 

Day - 11 Four States at one time

As the sun rises over the LaPlata Mountains. 

 

Today is this tour guides Birthday !!

 

On the way we passed What looks like a very large sand castle. 

 

 

We are off to AZ, Utah, NM, CO. We will be in these four states at the same time. 

 

 

 

Next stop. Castle Grayskull. Maybe we will see He-man and She-Ra. 

Well, they were not home. So, it's off to Aztec National Monument in New Mexico to see the Aztec Ruins.  But first, more stamps in the National Park Passport book. Hey, can we do one? Oh goodie, thanks tour guide. 

 

 

 

Wow, these ruins are cool.  Just let me repeat that I did not ruin them. 

 

 

 

Now where to tour guides? Darango Colorado? What's there? A train, I have never been on a train. What, we are not ridding it, bummer. Ok, maybe next time. 

 

 

Hey cool, are we buying a Harle-Davidson Motor Cycle? We like this one. Can we keep it?  Maybe next time. 

Supper time, supper time, sup sup supper time. Hey that sounds like a song. I just made up a song tour guide. What, it's not supper time, but summer time. oh ok, it could have been a big hit. I give it a 82. Wow, this is a cool place.  wait a minute, it's a saloon?  What's the name of this place?  The Diamond Belle. Well, ain't that special.  What are we doing on this bar?  I told you we don't drink. 

 

Oh no, I can't beleive you are making us do this.  Oh well, as long as you are doing it. 

 

 

 

Ok, you better take a picture. Ok, that's better.  Now I don't feel so goofy.  Tour guide, you do look funny. 

 

 

Now as the sun sets. 

 

TTFN

PS. 2016 is the National Park Service Centennial. There are 59 National Parks. 122 National Monuments. 30 National Memorials.  50 National Historic Parks.  90 National Historic Sites.  Get the kids, pack the car, and take a road trip.