Mesa Verde National Park

We are enjoying our stay in Durango, CO, in spite of the crazy weather!  It was beautiful the first week and now we are having rain and snow on and off!  Expected to be like this for the next 3 days, its kinda crazy!

Mesa Verde NP is one of those not to be missed parks.  I had been there many years ago but was happy to go back again with Mike.  Besides, we were able to do the Long House tour which I had not done previously.  These huge pueblo ruins built in alcoves under the mesa rim are truly marvels!  You must plan ahead if thinking about seeing this park as tours have to be planned ahead of time and ruins open for the season at different times.

What you see below is a fraction of the ruins that you will see as you drive the mesa rims at the park!

Getting ready to tour Cliff Palace

local Mesa Verde resident

a nice petroglyph panel on a trail

Spruce Tree House

Square Tower House

Sunset House (I think, saw from across canyon)

on our way to tour Long House

yes, we got to climb ladders

Long House has the best view!!!

we were able to explore Step House without arranging a tour

on the way "home"

Iguanas and lizards of Key Largo

This past month we have been parked in Albuquerque, NM, visiting family there and flying around to other parts of the country on a couple of smaller trips.  One was to Key Largo in Florida so Mike could get in some diving.

Home to many colorful lizards and iguanas that are not native to Florida, they have become permanent residents and do pose so nicely for the camera.....what can I say??

this guy was massive even from my viewpoint which was looking up 12 to 15 feet halfway across a parking area!

i had lots of posers on the deck at our resort

brown anole, sorry about the quality

curly tailed lizard

enjoying some fresh water on the patio

this is a red headed agama

Painted Desert, Winslow, AZ

We are in Holbrook, AZ for 2 weeks to be near the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Parks among other things and places.  Yes this is desert and yes there is not much growing out this way but these parks are not to be missed!  This area of our country is so  unique and colorful!!

Historic Painted Desert Inn

At the Puerco Pueblo ruins
there are a few really nice
petroglyphs






And then, Newspaper
Rock boasts hundreds
of petroglyphs

Yep, there is the famed corner

Note the mural behind Mike,
it has a girl in a flat bed Ford
driving by
in the reflection....too cute!

Just outside of Holbrook at the local golf course, Mike O'Dell, who works there, gave us a personal tour of the Hidden Cove Petroglyph site:

Mike, our guide

Some nice
petroglyphs here!!

admiring petroglyphs on the rock above

Dave (Mikes cousin), Mary, me and Mike in front of the "Skywatcher petroglyph"

Willcox Flowers, Rex Allan Museum, AZ

For those of us who have been around a while, you may remember some of the old cowboy westerns.  Rex Allan was a singer and star of many for some years and was born in Willcox, AZ.  There is a very nice little museum dedicated primarily to him near the railroad tracks there in the old down town area near the tracks. 

We visited the museum while we were there with friends of ours, Pat and Phil, who drove into town for a couple of days.  It really was very interesting as these small town museums often are.  As you can see in the pics, the museum is situated right next door to the Keeling Schaefer wine tasting room which was kind of handy;)

The desert is blooming spectacularly this year and here are just a few pics from around Willcox and from our drive  through the Salt River Canyon to Holbrook, AZ, where we are now.

a local band was playing in the museum that day, so nice!

in front of the Rex Allan statue outside the museum, Mike, Pat and Phil

the vineyards at Coronado Winery in Willcox

our drive through the Salt River Canyon