frijoles canyon

Our first stop Friday morning was at Bandelier National Monument. We arrived early and were happy to enjoy the sites virtually alone. I can't image walking through with hundreds of other people (like we would later in the summer, and later in the day) because the quiet peace of the monument was one of my favorite features.

Ever since Heidi, Julie, and Deyce took a trip that involved a stop at Mesa Verde, I've wanted to take my own trip to see the ancient Native American homes and artifacts. (Yes, I'm jealous like that. And I plan my vacations so that I can play "I did that, too" with my friends and family. Or maybe I just thought their stories were so fascinating that I wanted to see with my own eyes the wonders they described.) Mesa Verde was a little out of our way, and required more time than we had to give, but Bandelier was a fabulous alternative. We saw the remnants of the Pueblo village in the canyon...
and in the cliffs.After the hike around the dwellings, we wandered through the wilderness trails for a while before heading out of the park. "Wandering" as in, thinking we were on the nature trail that would lead us back to the visitor center, but then realizing we weren't. And then finding our way back.