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Published: June 23rd 2014
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June 22, 2014 Four Corners and Mesa Verde
Today started off at a Navaho Campground at which we spent the previous night. (Much easier to put up at tent in daylight instead of the dark like the first time.) Little bit of a late start in the morning, because we wanted to wait until the park office, that gave tours opened. When we finally packed up the tent, cleaned the car, and repacked the tent it was 9:30. We then proceeded to the park office but the next guided tour didn't leave until 10:00 and we had places to be. So we did our own tour on the paved walkway down to a look-out where, with binoculars, the homes of the Hopi (cliff-dwellers) were visible. Not just visible, they were amazing and mind-blowing I still cannot rap my head around that we (the Europeans that invaded the land) saw the Native Americans as "savages" and "uncivilized". How did we not understand that the high order of thinking involved in making those houses and amazing pottery was not uncivilized it was remarkable. (Mom insert- there was a native woman in the museum weaving on a loom. Some day I will be
able to afford such artwork!)
After leaving the campground we headed to the Four Corners. (Which btw was a lot farther away than we thought.) After driving for about 2 1/2 hours in 90 degree weather, it was a little hot... -_- Anyway we got there and waited in like for like 10 minutes got our picture and back in the car, destination Mesa Verde (for those if you that don't know it means Green Table.) It was amazing! To say the very least. We took a mini hike on a paved trail to look a the remains of a village in a cave. This was 90% original and about 80 people would have stayed there at its peak. It was very cool and mind boggling. Next we decided (well I guess it was more moms decision) to hike out to see the largest collection of petroglyphs in one area in the world. Mom and I were in flip flops and I was also in a dress which I thought would be fine since mom said the trails were paved. Mom said that this trail might not be all paved but at least most of it was and I'm
used to walking barefoot or in flip flops at the lake and stuff so I figured I would be fine. She also said that it was only going to be a 1.4 mile trail. Well this 1.4 mile trail seemed to be lasting a long time so Matt decided that he would look on the guide because none of us could figure out how this 1.4 mile trail was going to loop back around yo where we started. Matt whilst looking at the at the guide learned that it was actually a 3 mile round trip... -_- which we all would have been ok with IF we would have brought water or you know NOT HAVE WORN FLIP FLOPS AND A DRESS. So as we're scaling the side of this canyon Mom and I are in bare feet because it was easier to walk like that rather than in slippery flip flops with no grip, I stepped on a thorn and it went into my heel and when I went to pull it out it broke off in my foot. It hurt to walk on so I just walked on the tip-toes of my left foot for the remainder of
the hike. Which I made the best of because "hey I'm gonna have a really toned left calf muscle after this." On the way we passed about 3 other villages in the cliffs but they had collapsed so they were just the remains. Once we finally got to the petroglyphs it was a relief but also insane I could not seem to rap my head around how they survived so long. After we looked and talked about them for a while we pushed onward because we were only halfway done at least the side-of-the-cliff-walking was over now we were walking across the top. Once we climbed to the top Sadie started having "heart palpitations" so we had to let her sit for a little bit. Once the "heart palpitations" stopped we continued and made it to the end and everyone was alive. Though Sadie and Cecelia raced to the water fountain at the other side of he canyon because both of their "mouths and tongues were sooooooo dry" we were all alive.
On the drive back down the canyon to figure out where we were going to stay Mom got overly emotional because this, besides Aunt Lyndsey and they St. Louis Arch, was our last stop in our family vacation I mean journey. So while I'm also sad about that, looking back on how much we learned and have seen is crazy and amazing. While at the beginning I thought this trip was going to be hell and I wasn't going to enjoy it, it really did turn out to be an outstanding experience and I am so glad that we did it as a family as a way for Sadie, Cecelia and I to "get out of Benton" and see what else there is to offer. I'm grateful that Mom and Matt made this trip happen.
-Belle
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