My trip and reflections on campus

My trip through the American Southwest

Okay no, I haven't finished editing all the photos....I swear that my dad and I took about 300 photos in a week span...and now I have to edit them. So eventually it'll be done....I am working on it.

Day 1 - Monday

Took my little car and we drove to Cortez, Colorado. I did part of the driving but due to the suns direct sunglight on my left shoulder/arm, got a really bad sunburn.

We stayed in a little motel in Cortez, went out to dinner at a really rather good Mexican resturant. Dad had a few margaritas and was a tiny bit tipsy. We had to stop by Walmart to pick up a few things we forgot and something to hydrate my skin. My dad was acting like Rainman the whole time....when I asked him why he wasn't also organizing everything, he said if he could see it better, he would (I joke that he is slightly OC cause he loves to organize...trip Cheapo Discs is a perfect example). He was like a cross between Rainman and Monk. It was pretty funny and weird. The best line of the night was when we went to checkout, dad handed the clerk a really beat up nearly falling apart $20 and she tore it trying to get it in the drawer. Dad turns to me and whispers "She fucked up!".

Day 2 - Tuesday

We drove to Mesa Verde which was really cool. I had been once before but that was when I was in stroller...so I don't remember jack. We drove through the park which still shows damage from fires from 2002. Some part of it seemed sureal because of all the fire damage. We drove aaallll the way to Cliff Palace and then found out we needed to buy tickets to go on the tour. Apparently this changed in the early 90's. When my dad, mom (and me in a stroller) were there, you could explore the ruins until a watchful eye of several stationed rangers. We then proceeded to drive back to the Visitor's Center. Driving back we figured out the paper they gave us at the station said that we would need to buy tickets, however I had been to busy thumbing through out Parks Pass Owner's Mannual (yes it is called an "Owner's Mannual") that we got when dad bought the parks pass at the gate. So yes, we may not have known to get tickets but hell, we knew that there were 21 parks in Arizona and that dad has visted the only National Park in Illinois (Lincoln's home).

Once we'd been to the visitor center, we got tickets and headed back to Cliff Palace. We took the tour which involves climbing down some slightly steep stairs and then sat in the shade while the tour guide talked. While most people were slightly bored going along the short walk before we listened to the tour guide, I was staring and looking at the amazing cross-bedding in the sandstone. So pretty! I guess that it was Dakota sandstone but it turns out it is another similar large dune deposit.

STILL WORKING ON THIS POST, CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES AND A LINK TO PHOTOS.....