Summer Trip 2009 - Part 2

New Mexico and Arizona

After leaving Texas on July 20th, we headed into New Mexico to see the Carlsbad Caverns. We arrived mid-day and had a great time seeing the Caverns. Kerilyn and I had visited the Caverns when we were young with our family and I remember it being pretty cool. But I also remember being a bit bored by the end of the tour. This trip was a bit more exciting. We didn't see the entire thing, but did see most of the main Cavern. Sherman and Eliza hiked almost the entire time. I did have to carry Eliza a couple of times, but she did real well. (I think the hike was between 2.5 and 3 miles total.) And I think both Sherman and Eliza enjoyed it for the most part. Sherman asked many times if we could bring Daddy there some day. Hopefully we will get the chance.

Along the Trail.

Boy did we love their Monkey backpacks!

Inside the main Cavern.

We only spent a couple of hours at the Caverns, but it was well worth the stop. As for the area surrounding the Caverns, there was not much. All of the towns are quite run down and other than stopping for a quick dinner, we didn't stick around to see much. We wanted to make it all the way to Albuquerque that night and we still had a long drive ahead of us. We finally arrived at our hotel just before midnight and were very grateful to get some sleep. After such a long day, we took our time the next day getting on the road as we headed into Arizona to see some more family.

Our drive was much shorter this day, but we all needed a few more stops. So we took our time and saw a few things along the way. One unplanned stop was to see the Painted Desert National Park. It was really cool. We only drove through the upper loop for sake of time, but it was well worth it.

Snack Time.

My camera didn't really do the scenery/color justice. It was really beautiful. It had rained the night before and we were told that that was the best time to see the Desert because the colors are so vibrant. I highly recommend seeing for yourself some day.

The last stop on the loop we did was a historical marker for Route 66. As we were driving through New Mexico and Arizona the kids had been watching the movie Cars. We felt like we were in the movie as we drove through the beautiful red rock scenery. So, it was fitting to find this Historical Marker along the way.

Our main destination this day was Page, AZ. There we visited another of Mark's brothers, Steven, his wife Kristi and their family. We stayed two nights and it was great to have a break from driving. Sherman and Eliza had a great time playing with their cousins and Aunt Kristi did a great job, showing us the sights. On Tuesday, we spent the morning at the beach at Lake Powell. The water wasn't too cold and the scenery was awesome. Below are a few pictures.

Rachel

Sherman

Andrew

Kate

Eliza

After the beach, Aunt Kristi took us to an overlook of the Dam.

Cousins!

That evening we went on a short hike to the "Bowl" (I think that is what they called it). Hiking down into it was especially beautiful.

Aunt Kristi, Rachel, Andrew and Kate

Sherman and Andrew had a great time together. They are the same age (although it doesn't look like it - Andrew is about a head taller).

Uncle Steven joined us at the bowl after work. The kids enjoyed watching him bike down into the "bowl".