Day 2 - A double dose of National Parks!

---

Today was much more eventful than yesterday...no Knock Knock jokes and I'm currently resting comfortably in the "parlor" of the Step Back Inn where I can access the internet. Mom is thrilled with my choice of accomodations. This place is much more charming than the Motel 6. We even have wash cloths, two drinking cups, and the typical basket of shampoo/lotion. Those were all missing from the Motel 6 experience in boring Salt Lake City.

We made our way to Arches today to enjoy pleasant temperatures, small crowds, and oh...did I mention the scenery? Incredible! It looked so much like Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland but it was REAL. I don't think my still photos or camcorder shots will do it justice, but I tried. Ethan really loved the cool rocks. Mom showed her fear of heights when we hiked up to one of the "windows" arches to see the view and sit below it. She let Ethan know very clearly that he was making her nervous by going anywhere higher or closer to the edge than her comfort level.

After Arches we headed for Mesa Verde in Colorado. Some road construction slowed us down somewhat so we didn't arrive until the visitor's center had already closed. We couldn't take a guided tour of any of the sites, but we did get to access the museum and drive the scenic loop to view all of the main attractions. As the sun was on its way down we began the 20 mile drive to the park's exit. I spotted two deer just a few feet from the road and because the traffic was so light by that time, I was able to stop (in the road) and snap a few pictures. Ethan got his wish to see some wildlife up close. That made up for not getting to climb up into the actual cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde.

We still had almost 2 hours to drive to Aztec, New Mexico, where I'd made a reservation ahead of time. So we took a chance that a small town on the way would have some acceptable place to eat dinner. I only saw one restaurant as we drove through Mancos, a town of 1000. But I stopped. Instead of the sketchy looking diner one might expect to find along a highway, it looked more like a something you'd find in Portland - an old house with character converted into a hip but casual restaurant. Pangea was its name. Only one other table was occupied when we arrived. Turns out our waitress was a recent transplant from Portland. She couldn't take the rain and had been doing social work for 3 years. The three of us sat at an outdoor table and enjoyed our first sit down meal since we hit the road. It was a lovely evening and the food was delicious.

The final leg of driving for the day occurred in darkness, which made Ethan nervous. He was worried we'd hit an animal and took note of every road sign displaying a deer, elk, or cow. I finally had to remove the topic from his list of possible discussion items. Once we made it to the Step Back Inn, we were all relieved. Tomorrow won't be as hectic. We'll take in the local attraction - the Aztec Ruins - which I was actually going to bypass, even after I booked the room. But the front desk clerk convinced me we should take a very short amount of time to see them. Then we'll head south to Albuquerque where we will go to visit Grandma first, and then on to Marcia and Bill's house (aunt and uncle), our hosts until Monday morning. I know there is much more excitement to come!

---