Northeast by Southwest: November 2010

When contemplating our trip to Denver for Thanksgiving with Michael's sister and family, we thought, why not throw several hundred more miles into the mix and make it a full blown vacation? Looking at the map, we figured Moab, UT would make it a nice circle, and check off one of the major places we wanted to visit in the area.

So that is how we ended up driving over 1,400 miles over the course of a week, following the path as shown on the map below. If you click on it, it will bring you to Google Maps with the details of our stops.

As you can see, our first stop was Farmington, home to Michael's sister Tania and her family. We had yet to see her house, so we got the grand tour and the boys showed off all their toys to Nathan. Nathan left with a butterfly book that he is now completely obsessed with.

Along the way, we got a distant view of Shiprock, but unfortunately didn't have time to get very close. Thank goodness for my zoom lens!

We figured since we were in the region, a short detour to Four Corners was warranted. Four Corners is the only place in the US where four states meet (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona). We took the required photos standing on the intersection of the four states, and Nathan spent 20 minutes running from one to the other.

The intersecting lines on the GPS...

And then we were off to Moab! We arrived and checked into our hotel, a really nice one bedroom suite buried in a neighborhood. If anyone is in the area, we highly recommend Kokopelli Motel and Suites! The next morning we slept in a bit and headed off to Arches National Park. We were a bit disappointed with all the clouds, but little did we know that was the best weather we would have for a few days.

Entering the park, looking down the canyon towards Moab. The light and shadows on the sandstone was breathtaking.

Our first stop, the Three Gossips.

Then on to the Windows, where a short hike brought us to North and South Window (the latter in the background). Notice how bundled up we were, it was getting cold and very cloudy!

Still at the Windows, looking back towards Turret Arch.

Another view of South Window, it the very dramatic lighting.

We took a short hike to the viewpoint for Delicate Arch, probably the most famous of the arches, and featured on Utah's license plates.

That afternoon, we headed back to the park to do some more hiking, but it was torrentially pouring rain, so we returned to the hotel. For dinner we made a big plate of spaghetti, and started eating. Suddenly the power went out. We went to the local store and bought some flashlights and glow sticks. Nathan loved the glow sticks, and played with it all night, even after the power came back on. The video below is Nathan dancing with the glow stick (click on the Youtube link if the video doesn't work).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZS6uHGkPLM

The next morning we got up really early to try and get some good early morning light photos. Unfortunately, the weather worked against us again. I got one good sunrise shot, and then the clouds blocked the sun.

Sunrise at the Windows.

Through the clouds and cold, we hiked into Landscape Arch, the longest arch in the world. Michael says he could never be a good enough structural engineer to design something like this. Of course, as soon as we hiked back to the car and packed up to get Nathan home for a nap, the clouds broke and the sun came out :-)

We returned in the evening to hike to Delicate Arch for sunset. View of the Windows from our return hike.

We had planned on staying for three full days, but a bad weather forecast for our route over the Rockies to Denver pushed our departure up a day. We squeezed in a quick morning trip to Canyonlands on our way out of Moab. We wanted to see so much more of this gorgeous place, we will just have to return one day!

Grand View Point Overlook at sunrise. Amazing canyons that rival the Grand Canyon.

Mesa Arch just after sunrise. We would have been there at sunrise, but a busful of Japanese tourists scared us away.

Group photo at Mesa Arch.

Hiking back to the car from Mesa Arch.

Nathan insisted on climbing every.single.stair.

And then it was on to Denver (well, actually outside of Denver in Golden, CO). Michael's sister Nicki lives there with her family, and has hosted Thanksgiving for 18 years in a row! Michael's entire immediate family was there, which made for a big dinner.

Nathan had an amazing time with all of his cousins, and was enamored with the Johnson's two dogs, Coal and Lava. He woke up every morning asking for the doggies. He misses them still (his cousins and the dogs)!

Going for a sled ride with Carly and the dogs.

Tickling the ivories.

We woke up Thanksgiving morning to no power, howling wind and single digit temperatures. Luckily there was a blazing fire in the wood stove, and the power came back on a little later.

Michael and Kirk watching over the deep frier. This was a dangerous job as it was single digits and insanely windy.

Nearly all the Malenfant and Johnson cousins (oh Patrick, where are you?)

The carving of the turkey.

On Friday, Nicki took us on a tour of her pride and joy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) Research Support Facility. It is designed to be the largest zero net energy building in North America, and Nicki has documented the entire design-build process as part of her job at NREL.

Some of the amazing features include a basement labyrinth that stores cool or warm air for heating/cooling purposes, solar collectors and a building design and layout to maximize natural light. More info (all written by Nicki) is here:

http://www.nrel.gov/sustainable_nrel/rsf.html

The NREL sign, mounted on a wall of beetle pine (the pine trees in the region have been decimated by beetles).

Nathan got right to work.

Running a meeting.

Walking over one of the panels, showing all the utilities running through the floor.

Thank you again Nicki for the great tour!

The next morning we packed up the car and headed back to Albuquerque, sad our vacation was over, but happy to be home.

We continued our tour of New Mexico during October, one Saturday heading out to Acoma Pueblo, and another Saturday heading north from Albuquerque. Acoma Pueblo is also called "Sky City" because the pueblo is located on top of a 367-foot sandstone bluff. Since 1150 A.D., Acoma Pueblo has earned the reputation as the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. They also have beautiful pottery (see the pot Michael gave me for our anniversary in a previous post). As you can see in the map below, the pueblo is southwest of Albuquerque.

Michael and Nathan walking around the visitor center, a gorgeous building, with a fantastic cafe (and the nicest bathrooms I have ever seen).

Up at the top of the bluff in the pueblo, looking across the valley.

Looking the other direction, you can see the San Esteban del Rey Mission, a Catholic mission, built in 1629. If you look at the larger version of the photo, you can see the lineup of porta potties (there are no utilities in the pueblo).

The ladders used to access the upper levels of the buildings.

Another shot of the ladders.

This past weekend, we woke up Saturday morning, and decided to see the aspen/cottonwood leaves changing colors in the mountain. Too bad they had already turned. But we had fun north of Albuquerque, stopping in Jemez Springs (B), showing Nathan where Daddy grew up in Los Alamos (C), touring the Taos Pueblo (D) and then dining in high style at Rancho de Chimayo (E).

Our stop in Jemez Spring was the Jemez State Monument, site of a pueblo built over 700 years ago, and a mission complex built by the Franciscans between 1621 and 1625.

Michael and Nathan checking out the inside of the church.

Nathan enjoying the trails around the ruins.

In Los Alamos, we had a nice breakfast burrito by Ashley Pond, then drove by the house Michael grew up in.

Next was Taos Pueblo, also considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in America. This is the former church on the pueblo and cemetery.