The ORIGINAL 1000+ Posts Club

[Meryl]

We climbed high up into a network of mesas in southwestern Colorado to visit Mesa Verde National Park:



This whole area is riddled with Anasazi ruins, the largest of which is called the Cliff Palace.  It's utterly quiet up there--beautiful, but spooky.



This dwelling is called the Square Tower.


We started our trip at the Grand Canyon:



At Hermit's Rest, the westernmost point on the South Rim trail:



Where we sat at this picnic table...



And just couldn't resist leaving a message to those who would sit there after us...

[Meryl]

We stayed at the beautiful old El Tovar, built in 1911, right on the South Rim:



For breakfast, eggs and bacon and their famous Pancake Trio (one each of blue corn, buttermilk and buckwheat, served with both maple syrup and prickly pear syrup and pine nut butter).  Yum!



The dining room features beautiful paintings of Native American rituals.   These are Hopi and Navajo:

[Meryl]

This view of the Canyon reminds me of a certain movie's opening:



After Mesa Verde, we headed south through Shiprock, Window Rock and Gallup, ending up in Albuquerque:



When I get back my last rolls of film, I'll post a few more! 

[Meryl]

Hey, guess who came to dinner tonight?  Oilgun! 

John Gallagher and I met him out at Five Leaves and had a high-time supper and was drinkin' and talkin' and all.  He was too sick with the flu to make it for the Chrissi and Mikaela weekend, but this way we had him all to ourselves.  We ended up going to the Tuck Shop on First Street afterwards for some Australian coffee (I had some Boylan's Diet Cane Cola).  What a great evening!  Pictures were taken, so keep an eye out for them. 

[David In Indy]

Beautiful pictures Meryl! Thanks for posting them!

It took a loooooooong time on a dial-up connection but it was very much worth it.

[Kelda]

great photos!!

[jstephens9]

WOW!!! Those are incredible pictures. Thanks for sharing them. Now, just what I needed, somewhere else that I want to visit. That old hotel looks great too.

Jack

[Meryl]

Thanks for your comments, everyone!  I'm hoping Mikaela will share some of her photos here, too.  She took about a thousand of 'em. 

[Monika]

Now, just what I needed, somewhere else that I want to visit.

That´s exactly was I was thinking too!

It´s now on my "must-see" list

*grumble grumble*

[jstephens9]

That´s exactly was I was thinking too!

It´s now on my "must-see" list

*grumble grumble*

I know Monika, I really don't need more places on my list of places to go. And I haven't even made it out of the United States yet. The Grand Canyon has been on the list, but it looks like there is also much more to see judging by those pictures. I also need to get those states on my map. If all goes as planned I will have Illinois on my map soon.