Walk The Sky!!! Never Again!

Do I look like I'm having fun? No!!!! They did have a gift shop (see the bag?), so this trip wasn't a total bust!

But I will NEVER EVER walk on the Skywalk again! It was THE scariest thing I've ever done.
Part of the floor of the Skywalk is glass. It's like NOTHING is there.
The walls of the Skywalk is glass so that too is like NOTHING is there.
You are about 2,000 feet above the Colorado River!

I held on to the railing for my life. I was scared sh*tless! We started our walk on the inside ring of the Skywalk. As we walked (ever so slowly), we were told that we had to get on the outside ring so our photo could be taken.

The guy walked toward me and told me to cross over to the other side. I couldn't do it. I couldn't walk across the part that looked like nothing was there. He saw my terror and told me to walk across on this one beam where I couldn't see down!

I got across to the other side with Zip on one side of me and the guy on the other side, both holding on to me!!!

He took our photo! You know how most times when you see these photographers, you try to avoid them. Well, this time, I WANTED our photo taken, and I was going to buy that sucker no matter how much I had to pay. I didn't care if the photo was good or not! I wanted proof that I was on the Grand Canyon Skywalk!!!

When we got to about the middle of the Skywalk, Zip wanted me to cross back over to the inside ring because there was this lady up ahead and Zip said we had to go around her.

I told Zip that I would just wait for her to move. Well, Zip was insisting that we cross. He told me to just let go of the railing and we could cross over. I tried. I really did try to let go of the railing but I couldn't! Zip took me by my arm and tried to reassure me that I would be okay--just a few steps and we would be across.
I said no no no!!!! I couldn't let go. By now, I was trying to hold back my tears! I was terrified like I've never been before! I was ready to panic. I was ready to jump off the Skywalk just to end this torture. I was ready to yell at the lady to please move so I wouldn't have to cross over!

Just when I thought I was going to lose it with Zip insisting that we cross over, the lady looked back at me and asked me if I was okay. Did I look okay? No, I wasn't okay. I was scared out of my wits. I wanted her to move out of the way so I could make forward progress off this thing.

Thank goodness, she moved her happy butt out of the way!

I did overhear her husband say the same thing to her that Zip said to me--about crossing over. She couldn't do it either. Oh my gosh, it wasn't just me! She couldn't cross over where it looked like nothing was there either!

I don't know how long that walk took us but when we finally got to the end, I was about ready to just die! I didn't see any of the canyon and I was terrified out of my mind. Oh joy!
Zip said we were on it for about 15 minutes; I say we were on it for about 2 days!!!

I don't know if you can see the terror in my face in the photo below but can you imagine me on the Skywalk???? I'm glad I peed BEFORE I went on it!

Do I look like I'm having fun!!!!

It was ONLY 49 miles BUT about half of it was on a dirt road. It was about 20 miles of dirt dust and more dirt dust. Whenever a tour bus would go by us--Zip had to slow way down because we couldn't see anything but dirt dust!
The road went up and down, sharp curves to the right and left, dirt dust all the way! I could taste the dirt in my mouth even with the windows closed. I was praying we didn't get a flat tire! Can you imagine having to change a tire with all that dirt dust??? Oh my gosh, please, no flat tire!!!
We drove and drove and drove!

Zip was getting all excited! I just wanted the road to end. It was a bumpy, dusty, loud ride!

We got to this booth where a lady yelled out, "It's $20 to park your car. Then you take the bus out to the skywalk!"

Well, after that long awful ride, I had to pee. Not knowing what the toilets were like or even if they had any, I decided to use my trusty pee pot in the car.
Zip kept watch, of course!

We then went into the make shift building and was told that it was $30 a person to take the bus out to the Skywalk and another $30 to walk the Skywalk. Yikes!!!!
But, I didn't endure that ride for nothing. So we paid our $120 and got the bus.

There it was! The Skywalk over the Grand Canyon!
We had to put on these "booties" to cover our shoes so not to damage the Skywalk's glass floor.
On went the booties over our shoes and we walked the sky over the Grand Canyon!

Grand Canyon Skywalk!

After leaving Las Vegas, we were headed for the Grand Canyon! Zip was driving and I was working on my Seminar trades, just coloring away!
I looked up and in a flash, I caught a glimpse of a sign that had "skywalk only 49 miles."
I yelled at Zip--"Skywalk!!!! Only 49 miles. I just saw a sign!!!!"

So we both watched for the next sign!!! There it was!!!! Another sign--only 49 miles.

I told Zip that we had to go there!!! Only 49 miles one way, about 100 both ways. We have to go there and see this thing!

So we did!

Gnat Attack!

No photos on this entry! Just a story about the gnats at Hovenweep! Gnats! How bad can gnats be? They are so tiny! So defenseless. They have nothing going for them! Just because they can fly and I can't, how bad can a gnat attack be?????

I'm here to tell you that these Hovenweep gnats are THE worst gnats I've ever encountered!

When we got to the Visitor's Center (aka gift shop!) for Hovenweep, the guy behind the counter asked us if we were going to walk to some of the ruins.

Well, I wasn't interested in his small talk. I wanted to shop. I was on the hunt for postcards and other little treasures that just had my name on them, begging me to buy them--to rescue them from the prison of the gift shop and into the world of the paper bag that signals to them that they have a brand new home.
No, I wasn't interested in his small talk about gnats. I wanted to shop!!!!

But Zip LOVES to talk to people so when the guy behind the counter was making small talk about us hiking to see the ruins and how the gnats were really bad this time of year, Zip was listening! Zip likes all the history stuff and learning about the ruins and how the people lived and who built what and what happened to them blah blah blah!
We did watch a very informative video on Hovenweep (that was AFTER I bought my treasures!). Yeah yeah, it was interesting! History is over! It's done. It's the past. Let's move forward. For some reason, Zip doesn't feel that way. Zip LOVES history!

Okay, back to the small talk about gnats. The behind the counter guy talked Zip into buying the very last bottle of "bug off" spray!

I didn't ask Zip why he actually bought bug spray for gnats. First of all, the bug spray didn't cost that much. Secondly, bugs like me for some reason. We can be outside in our backyard and not one mosquito will land on Zip. Me on the other hand--I'm like a landing strip for ALL the mosquitoes in the neighborhood. So it wouldn't hurt to have some bug spray since I didn't bring any!

I had packed a survival bag, filled with Survivor type stuff--a bottle opener, a space blanket, a small tool kit just in case I needed to unscrew something, my Epipen, in case I got stung by a wasp, duck tape (you just never know!), a small first aid kit, two mean-looking survival knives, flashlights, plastic bags, Chem Sticks and other kewl things like that.

But bug spray! Rats!!! I didn't bring any!

Well, with my bag of treasures in hand, we left the Visitor's Center, ready to go on a hike to see the ruins!

We walked on this very modern thing called sidewalks. Yes, it was fully paved, just the way I like it. I thought--how bad can this be? I'm really enjoying myself.

We walk about 300 feet to this scenic overlook. It's just so beautiful that photos sometimes cannot capture the beauty of it all. We stand there, admiring the scenery.

I'm thinking to myself--I'm sooooooooooooooooooo fricking glad that I didn't live back during those times. Yuck!!!! Living in a house made of stones, dirt floor, high on a hill, with no Wal-Mart! How in the world could I live that way????
So, while it was truly beautiful, I was also very thankful that I live now and not back then.

Well, after about 2 minutes of standing there--taking it all in--it happened! Yes, you know what I'm talking about right?
The gnat attack!

Before I knew it, I was slapping myself silly, trying to get those darn gnats. They were everywhere!
In my ear, up my nose, and trying hard to get into my mouth. Holy Crap! That guy was right! The gnats are really bad! AND, the gnats were getting Zip too!

So what did Zip do? He whipped out the last bottle of bug spray in the Visitor's Center and starts spraying my exposed arms and neck.
I'm standing there like one does at airports when they wand you. You know the stance!

Arms out, level with your shoulders, feet wide apart. Zip is just spraying away! After he does me, I do him. We think we're safe!

WRONG!!!! The gnats just laughed at us! Bug spray didn't phase them at all. This nice hike turned into something else.
Not only were the gnats following us as we walked, the nice sidewalk turned into this dirt path lined with rocks.
Oh no!!!! This was not going to be fun after all!

Then I got scared because of something I read back at the Visitor's Center--
"Beware of snakes. . . watch where you walk"!!!!

Snakes!!!! I hate snakes. I kept a look-out for snakes, in between slapping myself. Why oh why didn't we just go to the gift shop, buy the postcards and get back into the car??? Why???
Mean vicious biting gnats! Possible snakes. . . and what do you think I do?
I begin to see things! I thought I saw a cougar or something awful like that.
Something moved. Was it a cougar, a mountain lion, or just a rabbit??? Maybe a mean hungry bear!?

We had gotten to Hovenweep rather late, so there was nobody else walking except for us.
What would we do if we were attacked by something? Or what if we saw a snake?
We didn't bring our knives or anything that could be used as a weapon. All we had was bug spray that didn't even scare away gnats, postcards, a key chain, and bookmarks!

By the time we got back to the car, I was so happy that nothing wanted to make "happy meals" out of us that I actually thought I had fun out there!!!!

We visited Hovenweep on 17 or 18 May (can't remember exactly). I'm writing this story about the gnat attack on 27 May. I have so many places where they "got me" it's really not funny; you can still see them--all along my neck, my forehead, my shoulder--tiny little gnat bites! Talk about itch. Itch Itch Itch!!!!!

The next time the person behind the counter makes what you think is small talk about bug spray and gnats--buy your postcards and get back into your car! Forget about the "one with nature" crap! It's just not worth it!

My Cher Shirt

Is this a kewl shirt or what? I wore it to the Cher concert of course!!!!

I know I know! I'm a dork but I'm a happy dork!!!!

More Las Vegas and Cher!

Here's some more photos of us in Las Vegas! Of course, I had to buy a Cher shirt.

Oh!!! And a Cher pen, a Cher video, a Cher CD, Cher postcards, and a Cher program!

It's all about Cher tonight!!!!!

Las Vegas and Cher!

Okay, I'm going to skip Zion National Park for now and go straight to Cher! We saw her tonight here in Las Vegas!!!!!! She was totally awesome! She's 61 years old but looks 20.

Zip and I saw Sonny and Cher in concert way back when--I think when we were living in Frankfurt, Germany. I loved them both. I used to watch the Sonny and Cher Show every week too.
Okay, here's one of the views from our room at the Paris Hotel and Casino.

Hovenweep!

What a name, huh? After the Canyon of the Ancients, we weren't ready to call it quits.
We saw a sign for Hovenweep National Monument and decided on the fly to go visit it. We did a huge loop BACK to it too.
Oh well. All we have is time right?
We drove and we drove and then we drove some more. We had to go back to Utah to get to this place!
It was about 4:30pm and the place closed at 6pm, so we had an hour or so to go exploring. This place is super kewl--well worth all that driving!
We watched a 20-minute video that explained what we were about to see.
Of course, there was a gift shop, so I was one happy camper!!!!!
We also got to "stamp" our National Parks passport! We now have TWO stamps in it--Mesa Verde and now Hovenweep!!!!!
We were able to buy a lifetime National Park pass for only $10. As long as I'm with Zip in the car, I get in also. Can you say, "oh yeah!!!!!"????
This area is truly very beautiful and I can only imagine what the people way back when thought when they saw it for the first time.

Canyon of the Ancients

After Four Corners, we visited the Canyon of the Ancients which contains a huge number of archaeological sites-- more than 6000 recorded so far, and up to 100 per square mile in some places-- representing Ancestral Puebloan and other Native American cultures.

Four Corner Dogs!

Here's one of the dachshunds!

And the Vizslas with owner!

Of course, we had to tell them all about Teddy and Bear!

When you have to go, you have to go!!!

Okay, this is not a subject that is usually discussed BUT I will "go there" to tell you this story.
As I've told you, I am NOT pioneer woman! I like my comfort. I LOVE all the modern conveniences that so many of us take for granted, such as having clean water with a turn of a knob, food being kept cold so we use it whenever we want to, and lights at night so we don't have to sit in the dark.
Are we not very lucky to be living NOW instead of way back when????

Well, another thing I dearly love is a flushing toilet! What a mess we would all have if there were NO flushing toilets!!!! Well, on this road trip, we took a toilet with us. It's not a flushing toilet but it is a toilet.
Before we left, we went to Bass Pro Shop and bought it. By having this in the car with us, I was feeling pretty good that no matter what, I didn't have to "hold it."
You know that feeling right? You gotta go but there are no bathrooms up ahead!
Well, we were visiting Four Corners (out in the middle of nowhere!) and we were there for quite a while. We kept seeing all these people with dogs. This one guy had a huge and really beautiful German Shepherd. A couple had a cute little white poodle and some other dog. A lady had a handsome looking Schnauzer.
There were three dachshunds who were raising holy heck too, just barking away whenever anybody got close to their car.
Well, we got to talking to this one couple who had two Vizslas. They told us that they were at a dog show in Cortez!!!! That's why all the dogs!

Well, by the time we left, I had to "go" but I was NOT going to use any of the portable "Johns" which were lined up out in the hot sun! No way! Can you imagine the number of "butts" on those things!? How many ways can you say "yuck"?
We drove up the road a bit and then pulled off to the side of the road so I could use my nice clean toilet. Ahhhh, it was so nice. I just love my car toilet!

Four Corners!

This is the only place in the United States where you can stand on four states all at the same time--Colorade, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. There's a monument at the place where all four states meet and it's run by the Navajo people.
While here, we tried some Navajo Fry Bread with the "works" which included honey, powered sugar, and cinnamon! It was good--kinda like a cross between a bunelo and funnel cake.

Have you ever heard of horsehair pottery? We never have either! There was a Navajo lady selling some. And yes, they actually use horse hair to create beautiful patterns in the pottery. Of course, we had to buy a horsehair (southwest) bear!

Mountains!

With my super duper 18 - 200 mm lens on my Canon digital, I was able to bring these mountains to me! So beautiful.
This is how I like to view the mountains, through a camera lens!!!!!
I know I know--cluck cluck cluck, Miss Chicken Little that's me!

Trying to Forget!

This is what I did while Zip looked over yander in far-away places on the edge of this cliff and that cliff. I took photos of pretty stuff like flowers and even little critters. We saw squirrels, deer, lizards, and even a snake trying to sleep.
Yeah, I'm still on the mesa but as long as I didn't have to "see" how high I was, I was okay for the most part. Enjoy the photos!

On the Edge--not me!

Here is Zip on the edge of the cliffs. Of course, he is doing his thang!!! Acting like Magellan, discovering new lands--who knows!
Where am I?
Huh, way back from the edge where it's safe.

I Like Flat!

If you were to call me a big fat chicken, I would have to agree with you! I am a chicken when it comes to high places. I don't like high places. On a pucker factor scale of 0 (being cool as a goose) to 10 (being tight as a wad), I'm probably a 14 when it comes to "being afraid of heights."
I like flat! Flat ground. Flat roads, Flat flat flat!!!!
There's a part of IH 10 in San Antonio where it goes UP in the air to connect to Loop 410. I try to avoid driving on that section of the highway as much as I can. It's just to fricking HIGH. It scares me. It makes my pucker factor go up considerably!!!!!
Well, today, we went to Mesa Verde National Park. My pucker factor went off the charts!!!!!!
Zip drove of course and I avoided looking "out." I hid my face inside a brochure so I couldn't see anything! We went up up up and some more up! It was awful.
When we got to the top of the mesa, I was a wreck. I needed a motion sickness pill or a stiff drink really badly.
We found the gift shop (oh yeah!) and I asked if they carried anything for motion sickness. NOPE! But the nice person behind the cash register could see how "green" I was and offered me some crystallized ginger. She said that it might help me!
I was willing to drink the blood of an ox, stand on one foot, rub my tummy raw, and buy all the T-shirts in the store if it would help me, so I took a piece of the ginger and started sucking away on it.
It was like candy! Rather sweet and good in a weird way.
By the time I started to feel better, it was time go back down the mesa! Just great! Going back down was just as bad as going up.
I remember when I was a kid, living in Italy. My parents would go on these driving trips up and down the mountains with my brother and I in the backseat of the car.
I barfed my way up and down those mountains. You know the saying--leave only footprints! HA! I left more than footprints in Europe, that's for sure!

Anyway, I'll spare you any further details of my Mesa Verde ordeal. Hope you enjoy some of the photos I took of the ancient dwellings!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Okay, is it just me or are you confused too? Can we bring water with us or not?

Me and My Computer!

Okay, this is what I have to do to use my computer here at the Strater Hotel in Durango, CO. There is NO desk in this Victorian-type room. I guess they didn't have computers back then. Go figure! It's almost too primitive for me but as you can see, I'm adjusting.

How it really works!

Okay, this is what I think. That's a bunch of BS about the rainfall and all. I know the true signifance of the Continental Divide and it has nothing to do with rain, water flowing here or there, or anything like that.

Look at the photos of Zip. When Zip is on the east side of the Continental Divide, he's almost normal.

When Zip is on the west side, he's totally out of it!

Photos don't lie! Case closed!

Continental Divide!

Do you know about the Continental Divide? It's very interesting if you are interested in that sort of thing.

Zip said (Zip knows just about everything there is to know!) that rainfall that falls to the east of the Continental Divide flows toward the Atlantic Ocean. And that rainfall that falls to the west of the Continental Divide flows toward the Pacific Ocean.

That's pretty weird huh? Sorta like something an alien would think up!

Roswell and Aliens!

Notice the "alien" lamp post!!!!??

Where's the gift shop?

The BESTEST part of any adventure is the gift shop! Sometimes I like JUST going to the gift shop instead of visiting whatever we're visiting. Yes yes, I know. It shouldn't be about the shopping but I can't help it. If something doesn't have a gift shop--why go? Well, at the gift shop at the caves, I bought a purple sliced agate key chain--it was calling to me so I had to buy it. And some fudge too. That was yelling our names from across the store, so yep. You guessed it. I picked out some chocolate fudge with nuts on it (for Zip) and some vanilla fudge with nuts on it (for me).
All in all, the "cave" stop was so much fun and we were ready to get into the car and sit!!!!!!!

Roswell, NM, was our next stop. The closer we got to Roswell, the more excited I got. I couldn't wait to visit with the aliens. Right near our hotel, down Main Street, was the UFO Museum! Oh yeah!!!! Aliens, here I come.
The museum had the complete story of the alien sighting, which happened back in 1947. Was it a cover up? Was it true that it was just some weather balloons? Or did aliens really crash near Roswell? We will never know but here's what I think--the little green guys did crash near Roswell but didn't stick around since shopping is really limited. I didn't see any malls so can you blame them?

While we were walking up and down Main Street, we found a wonderful scrapbook store called, Imagine That!
It had EVERYTHING! Including a cute alien stamp (which I had to buy) and 12x12 alien scrapbook paper (yep, bought that too!) and alien stickers (yeah, you guessed it!). I bought a small "alien" green ink pad so I could stamp my Roswell postcards with the alien stamp!!!!!
Zip thinks the aliens stayed in Roswell because some of the people there looked pretty "alien" to him. Zip could be right, who knows?
What I did know was that I was going through Mexican food withdrawal. Mexican food is my ultimate favorite and I needed my fix--we hadn't had any Mexican food since Sunday!!!!! So we got into the car and went on the hunt for a Mexican food restaurant in Roswell.

Down Main Street, we found one that looked pretty interesting called Mi Cabana. We crossed our fingers, hoping that it would be Tex-Mex Mexican food and not some alien Mexican stuff. And know what? It was GREAT. For $5.50 (yes we both ordered the same thing), we got a cheese chili relleno, a crispy beef taco, an enchilada (I had cheese, Zip had beef) and rice and beans. Oh my goodness, it was so good. We inhaled the food. Oh, the chips and salsa was good too. We left with our tummies full and very happy.
Stay tuned for alien photos!
Yuki

Beautiful Ripples!

This photo is so totally kewl! I love the effect of the ripples!

Cave Photos!

See the nice concrete steps WITH handrails!

My kind of cave!

Road Trip!

Well, our "road trip" adventure is underway! We left on Monday for Roswell NM (to visit the aliens). I've always wanted to go there so why not now?!

On the way to Roswell, we stopped at the Caverns of Sonora. Totally awesome. The tour inside the caves took about 2 hours and we probably walked over 2 miles.

Now, let me tell you something--I am NOT pioneer woman. I don't like camping. I don't want to walk down a path to a community bathroom to do my business! I want a flushing toilet in my room. My idea of "roughing it" is a bad Holiday Inn. Am I making myself clear????

And the only way I would EVER go into a cave is if I don't have to crawl on my belly to do it. I don't want to get all muddy. I don't want to be in the dark. I don't want critters crawling on me! I want a nice path for me to walk on without getting my shoes all muddy! I want lights to show me the way.

So with that said, this "cave' stop was what our bodies needed. To walk 2 miles did our body good. But inside the cave, it was rather humid. My bangs were totally messed up--no more curl, that's for sure!

I'm thinking that the next cave I go exploring in needs to have air conditioning maybe!

We were given a bunch of facts about the cave but I really don't remember all of them. Some that I do remember are:

the caves are family-owned.

it's a living cave.

spelunking tours are available (but not for me that's for sure!)

formations are probably millions of years old.

known for its "popcorn" formations.

we went down to a depth of 155 feet--hmmmm, maybe elevators would be good thing too. :}

Stay tuned for more photos!

Yuki