Moab and its parks.

                                We arrived in Moab ,Utah , just in time for the years first heat wave .

                                 I mentioned a few weeks ago that the  air-conditioning in our car wasn't 

                                 working , something that hasn't bothered us too much until now...

                                 In Moab it was over 20 degrees by 8 o'clock , and then got up to 

                                 the toasty temperature of 30 for the rest of the day .

                                 Moab is a bit of a outdoor adventure paradise ,lots of mountain 

                                 biking ,hiking, rafting and such . We have hauled our bikes along

                                 on this trip, and really not used them at all , but my idea of getting 

                                 out on some easy trails here   did not feel as appealing once we got

                                 a feel of the heat.

                                 We were actually quite lucky to get a spot for our trailer , it seems 

                                 like Moab is the destination for many on a sunny weekend.

                                 The first night we spent rating out the afternoon heat , and then 

                                 strolling the downtown strip ,well suited for a visitor with shopping in mind.

One of our first views at Arches National Park , early in the morning .
A photo further down will give a more 'real' look at it ,I just like the
oddness in this picture.

We were out of the trailer by 7am today , seemed early , but once we were heading
 home 5 hours later it was easy to feel sorry for the later hikers who didn't get to start
out with the morning freshness.
This is at Arches N P ,can you see the arch behind and above their heads?
These arches (there are about 600 in this park) are shaped because  different rock
layers erode at varying rates.In these cases the softer rock layer , originally
deposited below has eroded away leaving an arch creating this kind of opening ,
or sometimes 'jus't holes in the wall.

Impressive, no?
I'm also amazed at how humans always seem to be able to find out the 'how'
behind these kind of phenomenon.

Walking out this morning was not an easy one , but definitely worth it , the
landscape was just amazing !

Not an arch , but fun to look through !

This is a close-up at the first image .
It's called 'Balanced Rock', and there are many examples of these in the park too ,
but this one was very impressive.  It's a pedestal  made of sandstone , which
erodes away faster than the slick rock boulder on top .
Eventually the pedestal will crumble enough to make the boulder fall , and as it's at
a height of 39 meters  won't that be quite a sight?


We thought of staying another day in  Moab , but the heat really got to us .
And the wind , and the sand , the trailer need a good sweeping the morning we left ,
not to mention sleeping on sandy sheets...
And as we drove we sure got out of the heat and into the rain ,
 and are just now hitting snow ,yikes!!!

kokopelli

Who was Kokopelli? Well, there are many different legends of him, some say he was a fertility god, others claim he was a trickster or a mischief maker, although one of the most noticed features is that he is a hunchback, some people claim it was a sack and that he sold corn, or a quiver for arrows, but a physical deformity is th most agreed upon by archeologists since in that time of prehistoric  Mesoamerica ( central mexico south to present day nicaragua), supernatural powers were usually ascribed to hunchbacks.
The most logical reason for being a hunchback is pott's decease (or tuberculosis of the spine) which causes the vertebrae to collapse, deforming the spine into a curve that might in some cases resemble a hump.

Even if Kokopelli originated from Mesoamerica he still managed to get painted on petroglyphs all the way from Alberta, to central america.

In the picture above and below you can't see any deformity since it's a stuffy which also makes him able to play MTG

Above you can see how Kokopelli terminated Taavi in MTG, in which Taavi attempted to beat the all star champ Kokopelli in one-on-one!

In this picture in Arches national park you see Kokopelli playing his flute in his house , here we found a huge wall filled with little rooms and such but i only included this photo.

Kokopelli's flute is sometimes replaced by a bow or staff, you might even see him skiing or riding a bike, althoung with pott's decease that would not be possible since people with pott's decease usually shuffle their feet when walking in order to not hurt the spine, so if they can't walk properly than i've got a sliiiiiiiight feeling they can't do skill stuuuuuff on skis, or bikes.
written and done and made by LOKI  PLUUUSSS  KOKOPELLI.

Mesa Verde, an architectural marvel!

                                Mesa Verde , as well as a few other destinations we've been to
                               during these weeks, has so  lived up to our expectations ,
                               or surpassed them.
            
                                
                            

This is the Yucca plant , one of the most important plants for the people
native to this region.Some uses they   would have had for it would be as food  ,
or they  would fashion shoes or rope from it's stalks.

The cliff dwellings!
A very convenient place to live , it might seem , but to get there , up and down
the mountain side, would be something to get used to ...
Apparently they built cliff dwelling like this one (there were over 600 like
this one scattered around the mountain sides),but stayed in them for about 100
years before they moved elsewhere in the 1300s.

Luckily for us tourists there are now ladders and steps carved into
the mountain side , and narrow crevices at one spot, for us to get up and down
and through the mountain.

The circular shapes are 'kivas' , used for  ceremonial purposes, as well as weaving
and other domestic activities.

We had very early morning in Mesa Verde , but after a rest we had out first
encounter with mini golf this trip . In Sweden more or less every campground
 seems to have one , but it's not so common around here!
If you look super closely you can see that on Sylvain's club sits Kokopelli .
Loki said he could bring you luck if you asked him *politely* for help,
but I don't think it works , especially as I did ask him for help , and still lost...

An evening campfire has so many advantages;it's warming , cozy , keeps
the bugs away ,and whatever you cook it does not create a pile of dishes !
We even had some , oh so sweet, marshmallows , to make us feel like
real vacationers, if we needed to be reminded....

Taos ,New Mexico,oh,so lovely!

                                 Taos ! After a few days in  Santa Fe  it was like coming to a more

                                 manageable sized town , but still full of charm.It has all the adobe 

                                 structures needed to make you feel like you'd be on a different 

                                 continent,but no with  as stringent rules as Santa Fe.

                                 We arrived late at night , and spent the first night camping out 

                                 at Walmart ,before moving to a more reputable camping for

                                 the 2nd night. 

                                 We timed our visit to get to see a festival at the Taos pueblo ,

                                 a town  which has been continually inhabited by the Taos natives

                                for at least 1300 years,possibly longer. And that makes it the

                                oldest town in the US! They were having a spring planting celebration 

                                while we were there , and unfortunately that meant  a 'no photos 'rule, 

                                so therefore no images for my blog , very sad indeed !

                               

But in Taos we could take photos , here's some beautiful Mexican pottery
on a rooftop .Notice the blue sky ! The weather has turned warm and sunny
again , no more rain or snow for us !

Apart from learning about the native history of this area , we also went to
 see this hacienda , representing the Spanish influence in New Mexico.
The no- window wall was there to protect them from possible native attacks .

Look Kokopelli !We searched high and low for this specimen , and he is
now our newest family member .He  also needs to be present in an awful
lot of photos according to Loki, who is his closest friend.

Sylvain and I got a night on our own , and went for the most amazing meal at
this restaurant;the Love Apple  !
Anyone of you who goes to Taos have to go here !
I haven't eaten anything like it for as long as I can remember!
The restaurant is in an old chapel , and serves a somewhat eclectic menu ,
New Mexico influenced .
Love Apple was apparently the old Spanish name for the tomato.

And this is how the town gets that romantic adobe look , while keeping to
sturdier materials.......

OK, this was what made this town just a bit more special !
A  'Magic-The Gathering"  store!
Not only did Taavi and Loki spend an awfully long time in there
choosing what to buy to create the most perfect deck,.but they
 also had a tournament which had them spend a full evening there.
And that was when Sylvain and I got to enjoy that memorable meal at
the ''Love Apple".

The next day we even  had to get on the road a bit later than planned so
that Loki could receive his prize for 5th place out of 12 ,which was a booster pack.

Finally though , after quite a few hours of driving we are now settled in
at the camping by Mesa Verde National Park , in Colorado .

After a late dinner , Chicken Masala with wine , we're now off to bed
to get an early start of hiking  in the park.
Good Night!

A cool day !

                                This was a day that didn't fully go as planned , but it somehow
                                worked out well anyway. First of all we woke up to the chilly
                                temperature of 4 degrees !That was never in my plans when I
                                came up with the idea for this trip! Our hope of the day getting warmer
                                didn't amount to much ,it stayed cold , and we are now thinking
                                of  emptying the trailer of water so it doesn't freeze during the night .
                                I checked the weather forecast though , and it seems like it will
                               be warm again by Tuesday , so YEAY!
                              

After sleeping in and then a delicious breakfast at a french bakery in Santa Fe,
we drove up the mountains to 'Bandelier National Monument' .
We'd just got within the park boundary when an odd sound made us pull over .
And as you can see for yourself on the photo , it was a flat tire .
By now it was only 2 degrees , and starting to snow .....
But if you try to think in positive terms we were lucky to not be pulling
 the trailer , nor was it raining ,and we weren't on a highway either .
Instead a concerned park ranger showed up , very willing to help us out .
So it all worked out , and soon we were on the road again!

These cliff sides were home to groups of Native Americans ,ca 1100-1500.
They enlarged natural cavities in soft volcanic rock to create cliff dwellings,
and also built free-standing pueblos on the valley below , as seen in
the forefront on this picture.
The darker small circles you see on the cliff sides are  openings they used.

Some of them you are allowed to enter , by climbing the ladders.

There are none left , but there used to be walls built out of bricks creating
an additional living space in front of some of  these caves.

Some were just one room caves , but could also be multi rooms like this one.
They weren't actually caves , as they were man made , but are called caveats
instead.

Some images from Santa Fe, showing the  adobe walls .

The city ( by which I mean downtown) is  really beautiful,and has strict regulations
on how to build . It all has to have the look like something centuries old.
Many buildings are nothing more than painted over cement or concrete ,
which can be a  far more easy building material , as  it doesn't react negatively to rain...

I'm assuming we are missing the lilac season at home this year ,
so I get to enjoy them here instead.

By evening the weather had started to turn somewhat depressing .
Slushy ,wet snow ,yuck!
We rented a movie at Walmart ( where we are NOT camping) ,
 and headed home to cozy up in the trailer .

Diet on the go ....

                                Today we arrived at Santa Fe , and that was something I had

                                looked forward to since the very beginning of the trip .

                                It's a very beautiful city , but more on that tomorrow , with 

                                photos and such ,today it's a look at what , and where, we eat;

Dinner in our trailer , after a long day of driving .
 This was actually at a Walmart parking lot , and the curtain is  closed for privacy .
There is not all that much space in our trailer , it's just 17 feet long. But there is still space
enough for cooking , although most of the time we try to  keep it simple.
Practical though to not have to stand up from the table to clear it after the meal ,
the kitchen counter is well within reach !

This Loki says doesn't look all that appealing , but it was my first
restaurant meal in Santa Fe , and it tasted GREAT, so here it is .
It's called  Chilles Rellenos (I'm not sure about the spelling), and according
 to the waitress it's a favourite with the locals.

Downtown Santa Fe , at the plaza.
A street vendor was selling Fajitas ,  I think he's visible behind my head.
They were great , but were falling apart in our hands , so quite messy .
And in the end of my meal I discovered a dead fly underneath it all ,
I guess I'm lucky I spotted him before he became a part of my meal ...

This photo is from our time in Las Vegas .
We bought a 24 hour pass for the buffets , and managed to fit in 3 meals
within that time period.
This is breakfast , and as you can see it's a bit of everything on the plates ...
They did crepes to order ,  they were delicious ,
 and my absolute favourite  for breakfast.

I don't think Loki finished off everything on his plates ,
 but I'm sure that he ended it all with  an ice-cream cone.

So , there you have it , lots of good food on this trip ! :) !

A day of driving,and sight-seeing

Here we are , Taavi closing up the trailer to get going in the morning .
Great to get some good help from your kids at this age , no ?
We stayed 2 nights  in Flagstaff , and saw volcanoes , ancient native dwellings ,
visited the very touristic town  of  Sedona , and swam  down a rocky slide
 at Slide Rock State Park ,which  was extremely  refreshing (yes,it's warm here)
 and a novelty for me!

Walnut Canyon , just outside  Flagstaff .
The native people lived in improved caves (or overhangs)
here many hundred years ago ,and it is now a state park.
The photo below shows what their mountain home looked like form a distance.

If you look really carefully you can see the openings of the cave-dwellings.
Far below there used to be a river for their fresh -water need , and otherwise
they managed some gardening on these steep hills .Impressive!

written by Lena and continued awesomely and epicly and uber cool-isly by Loki

Ok, stop lookin' at the Pueblos  (cliff dwellings, if you can even see them),and take a niiiiiiiice looooooook at the ROCK.
 Notice anything different? Look at the lines in the rock, well surprisingly those lines were actually formed by air currents! Weird right?
 Photo not taken by me, I would not use that one , it's not close enough, she should have used my photo instead, it was superb!!!!

On our way east today we passed through Petrified Forest National Park .
I didn't know what to expect , and was happy we did this detour .
From the side they look  like a rusty log , but as you can see below they have
all kinds of  colors depending on their mineral content , stunning!

Can you believe it's  even wood???

                              

And some desert wildflower in what was a patch of Badlands within
the Petrified Forest.

The rest of the day was a long day of driving which ended at Walmart in a town called Grant .
Tomorrow we'll be in Santa Fe , but for now we're camping next to some truckers
while hearing the distant sound of the highway.
It's really not too bad to spend the night at Walmart , we got some last
minute essentials for our dinner ,and no paper work needed before you tuck in for the night....
Good night !

Grand Canyon!!!

                                One of those places that is  hard to capture on camera. It's such an
                                immense landscape,beyond my imagination.
                                Colder than I thought it'd be too ,close to freezing during the night.
                                We spent 2 days and 1 night here , and did some shorter , but of
                                 course steep ,hikes.

                                                   A view from the rim . It's hard to get a view of the river ,
                                     but it's  somewhere down there , but much further away than
                                    we ever went , of course.  

A family photo , finally.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!! squirrels!!! cute as they may seem, every day 20-30 hikers get bitten by squirrels by pretend- feeding them, and you can't blame the squirrels when the people are  like "come eat my fingers they taste like candy!".
The squirrels of the Grand Canyon are definitely the most common mammal you'll see there, some visitors might go to the Grand Canyon and the only wildlife they will see is squirrels so it would be nice to not get bitten by the only wildlife you see, am i right????
Luckily we got a nice glance of a condor  on our way out ,whom we named George Freddy JR.
And if you are really brave you might like a mule ride down the Grand Canyon ,which doesn't have any source of railing unless you're at the top. So going down on a mule might not be the most pleasant ride. Fascinatingly though ,no one has ever died in the Grand Canyon by the cause of mules, they are amazingly sure footed compared to the many humans who will fall of the trail every year.

POSTED AND EDITED AND MADE AWESOME BY LOKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A view from one of our hikes .

On our way up , and looking slightly tired ,I think .

After this hike we took off in our trailer again .

We went just a little bit south , to Flagstaff , so called because someone
hung the American flag off  a de-branched tree a long time ago.

                                Las Vegas !!!  Sunny , busy and actually a lot of fun !

                               As it was on our way I had decided we should stop by for a day

                               or two , something my family thought was kind of unnecessary ,

                               but once we got here , and they realized  the potential of seeing 

                               Cirque the Soleil they were sold.We stayed two nights in a
                               campground just off Las Vegas Boulevard.

The strip.
We had ice cream in New York , and breakfast in Paris , where you see the Eiffel
Tower .

                                  This was the second Cirque the Soleil show we saw , and it was great ,
 but even better was' Ka',a show
 they have performed in Vegas for 18 years by now .

We were also luck to see the exposition of 'Bodies',which travels around North America ,
 but has a permanent  display here in Vegas.It's actual real bodies  preserved in
a way so that you can see organs,muscles ,
and  everything else .Completely fascinating , and just a little bit unsettling at times .

And that is all for now , no more pics as the computer is taking what seems to
be a lifetime to upload  them  today .
Next stop Grand Canyon!

More trees and sunny sweetness!

For someone growing up in a colder northern country I was very
 happy indeed to meet with these trees . I've never seen a living orange  ,
and that made my day , that day .

Another Great Tree.

We drove on long, windy roads to the Sequoia National Park ,
 and met with the second largest tree in the park,the' General Grant'.
The Sequoia are the largest living tree on earth and they can get as old as 3,200 years !
It was only 4 degrees up here , and plenty of snow.

The General Grant !

The next day we met with quite a change in nature .
Just before entering Nevada desert land took over .

That made us aware of the sad fact that  the air-conditioning
in the car was broken !
Long days driving in a heated car does not do good for
a sometimes  impatient traveler.....

But hopefully this is something that can be fixed in Las Vegas ,
 because that's our next stop .
That'll be my second time in Vegas within 6 months ,who would have thought?
 

West coast wanderings!

Another Big Tree.Big enough for a car to pass through it , but considering our
trailer we had to be satisfied with just walking through it .This took place almost
a week ago(I've actually lost  count on the days, it is likely to  happen while traveling ,
 at least that's my experience),as I've had some issues around transferring photos ,
 so at the moment I'm just catching up to reach the present day .

San Francisco did have some sun , but also rain as you can see...  
The Golden Gate Bridge it is though ,and we drove across it numerous times
 from our campground.

A view over the city from Telegraph Hill .We spent just a day in San Francisco.
It was  a beautiful city ,absolutely stunning architecture but  we were eager to see more .
Reading through our guide books , and looking at the maps ,it is easy to feel like being in
constant motion to have time see all of the Southwest in just a month.
An impossible feat indeed. 

Looking relaxed , no?
 Our driving took us to Santa Cruz, and yes Liz , it is wonderful here!


We didn't see much more than the boardwalk around the beach , and the
Amusement Park where the boys enjoyed themselves for hours , while us
parents earned our first sunburn for the year!

It is Spring Break down here ,and the park was packed with happy  people .

A beach with  an Amusement Park , that's what every town should have !

In Monterey , just south of Santa Cruz , they have the most wonderful aquarium.
Just look how content and fulfilled the children get....
They also had a great city campground in the hillside , so no Walmart camping
 for us there.

Jelly fishes !

Seahorses!

And with that we left the glorious coast , which had finally started to spoil
us with some sunshine and headed inland ,but more on that very soon .