Our campsite showing the neat shelter.
The Bounder and shelter.
Emblem on the side of the shelter with a Native American theme.
Adjacent to the campground is the Coronado State Monument which is the location of the preserved and partially rebuilt Kuaua Pueblo. These ruins were settled in the 1300s and remained settled until the 1600s. Coronado visited this area 1540-1541 and much that is known about the pueblos, in this area, comes from the journals of Coronado and his men. Of real interest here is the original paintings on the walls of the sacred Kivas which were excavated in the 1930s. The paintings were painstakingly preserved by the archeologists and are on display at Coronado State Monument. They asked that we not photograph these images since they are of religious significance to Native Americans.
This sign made sure you stay on the trails and not go places you shouldn't. It got our attention.
In typical Patty vacationing, she found all kinds of neat plants and flowers to learn about. Some of these desert plants look as tough as they are but others are delicately beautiful. We have a lot of fun learning the names and a bit about these plants and it makes interesting initial conversation when we meet new people at the places we visit. Hope you enjoy!
This is a type of four o'clock, Pat hasn't narrowed it down to the specific four o'clock since there are several that look similar.
The cane cholla is very deserty looking plant with spines that burn when they stick you. (Don't ask!) The flowers are simply luscious. Woody interiors underneath all of the thorns are used to make canes therefore the name's origin.
This is one of a number of unidentified plants Pat has found. Me thinks there is a book on Southwestern plants in our future. This one is really colorful.I think this would be a great place for a good old fashioned camera with some Kodachrome in it since the color saturation on our digital stinks.
Another unidentified flower.
This is the flower on the four wing salt bush which makes for a very impressive plant.
The Geologic formations are simply awesome and we could fill many pages with pictures of mountains, upheavals, and erosion.
We set off for the Jeminez Pueblo at which on a previous trip we had purchased some bread made in the traditional ovens. Alas in twenty years, some things will surely change and this was one of them.
No women selling bread along side the road. Big disappointment!!! However we did get take a fantastic ride through the Santa Fe National Forest. One huge heart breaker was the devastation for miles and miles of the Los Alamos fire. This was totally unbelievable in scope.
While taking the pictures of the soda dam we discovered some interesting art that was probably done by a modern day Indian artist since we were on the Jeminez Pueblo and driving this many nails into a guardrail post would take some time.
Pat also discovered two new flowers. Notice the white flower turns into a feathery pink seed pod. This is also unidentified.
This salmon colored flower is unidentified for now.
Some of the fun of traveling is stumbling on to unexpected treasures, and this trip was no different. While checking out the damage done by the huge forest fire, I noticed some movement and on the double take saw that it was an elk. Pulling the typical stunt that leaf lookers do at home which will always get my dander up, I gabbed the camera and took one quick picture. Fortunately we only inconvenienced one other driver.
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