Deal Here Bolens Dealhere Bolens Pit Beef

Okay, I am going to step abroad from the travel blogging for merely a second, and venture into another aspect of the travel life: infinite, upkeep, and food. Ordinarily I wouldn't even bring these things up, but one of my photography mentors has challenged usa to stride out of our usual style of photography and try a genre we oasis't tried, so I chose food. And a blog post idea was born.

(I honestly couldn't care less about food photography, simply I understand how being well-rounded will make me a better photographer in the long run.)

Since we downsized from two incomes (well, technically 5, since I was working 3 jobs and Kevin was working ii) to only one income, nosotros accept a pretty tight upkeep to be able to beget this amazing travel lifestyle. So we have to be very careful with our coin, and where our pennies are allotted.

A bigger grocery budget means a smaller gas budget, which ways we can beget less travel adventures. And then I made our grocery budget into a game:

How depression tin we go and nevertheless eat well?

Another obstacle that we have to overcome is limited food storage space. I mean, take y'all e'er seen an RV refrigerator? Take a tiny footling flat fridge and cut that in half.

We are really really really fortunate in that nosotros have a relatively large kitchen for an RV that is this size. It was part of the reason why I chose the rear-kitchen floorplan: the kitchen is actually similar in size to that of my kickoff apartment and our trailer is only thirty anxiety. There'southward an bodily pantry, albeit a small-ish i. Kitchen and nutrient storage is simply something that you will have to compromise on if yous are going to move into an RV. Unless you get one of those behemoth "residential" RVs that we tin only dream near affording someday…

So due to a lack of space, by necessity nosotros make frequent trips to buy groceries. We simply cannot hit up Costco and buy 10 lbs of coffee at a time, considering we have nowhere to put information technology. When we lived in our house, I would go grocery shopping every other week, considering I hate grocery shopping, only in the RV, nosotros go a minimum of one time a week, and ofttimes need to make a quick run mid-week for those 2 or 3 items that nosotros only couldn't brand concluding all week long.

I upkeep $100 a week (in cash, so we aren't tempted to "fudge" with the debit bill of fare).

Any extra cash nosotros have at the end of the week that we have leftover goes into an former coffee tin can "Cruise Fund." The last few weeks we take been consistently striking betwixt $threescore and $fourscore a week on food. We only have virtually $100 to get to be able to book our cruise. (Yay!!!)

How can we beget for our family unit of 3 to eat (and swallow well) on $60-$80 a week?

Two Rules:

Rule #i: Be smart about what y'all buy.

• I don't buy a bunch of processed crap. We eat whole food. Most fifty% of our budget is spent in the produce section (l%!!). Most xx% is then spent on dairy, because we love cheese and yogurt in our house. Perchance 20% on beans and grains (breadstuff, pasta, rice, etc), and the remaining 10% on misc. staples like spices, granola bars, and peanut butter.
•  I don't coupon. I have learned that this causes me to seek out a certain brand, which inevitably costs more a comparable store brand, even with the coupon. Couponing, at least for me, causes me to spend more money (example: Chobani greek yogurt is $1 normally, but with a coupon for 20% off makes it $.80. The Kroger brand of greek yogurt is like $.l. This coupon would but save me money if my family will only consume Chobani, but since no ane cares, I volition non spend the extra $.30 merely for the allure of "saving" $.20 using a coupon). Plus, very rarely do coupons exist for whole foods; 99% of the fourth dimension it is for processed garbage.
• Nosotros eat mostly vegetarian. Meat is expensive and, honestly, unnecessary. I was a vegetarian foryearsuntil I got severely bloodless while I was pregnant, and for some medical reason that I never bothered looking up, you shouldn't have iron supplements while preggers, and then I started eating more than meat. But now that I'm not anemic (or significant!) anymore, the bulk of our meals are sliding dorsum into the vegetarian realm.

IF we take money left over later on buying our produce, grains, and dairy, nosotros might swing past the meat section and see if anything is on auction or a crazy adept deal, and get ONE thing that nosotros stretch for the unabridged week. Any kind of roast is popular, 1 calendar week nosotros got half a turkey on sale, sometimes nosotros'll get the $5 rotisserie chicken, etc and make that work on salads, in soups, or on sandwiches for the whole calendar week. But really, no one needs a 32oz steak in one sitting. No one.

Healthy nutrient existence more expensive is one of the globe'southward biggest myths that makes me crazy. Yep, eating zip but boneless, skinless chicken breasts and drinking kefir and buying organic pears in the centre of winter will probably become spendy. But a pound of dried beans is less than $one and will feed my family unit for a solid week, and beans are expert for you lot, too! Eggs are cheap, versatile, and packed full of poly peptide.  Onion, carrots, spinach, cabbage, etc are all inexpensive and all healthy!

But be smart about what you're buying.

Rule #2: Learn how to *really* cook, and seriously question the "meal-plan" model of food prep.

The mutual wisdom of the internet these days says that if you write out a detailed repast plan, write out a detailed shopping list, so only buy those things, yous will waste less food and therefore salve yourself coin.

I have not found this to be true.

Really, these experiments are my most expensive shopping trips by far. My family doesn't swallow 7 dinners a week. My family eats 3, tops, and and so 4 nights of rotating or re-purposed leftovers, or improvising because we don't feel like eating what nosotros are supposed to. Plus, 7 meals' worth of ingredients volition never fit in our kitchen at one fourth dimension.

Making 7 distinctly different meals in a week is and so wasteful for us. Especially if you go and discover 7 different recipes off the internet that don't fifty-fifty have interchangeable ingredients. And I am not that highly motivated to endeavour to come up with seven really cohesive but different recipes on the internet. I exercise not have that attention span.

We did, even so, take a really successful week of "Mexican" food. Nosotros simply made a big batch of beans and ground beef with taco seasoning at the beginning, had plenty of tortillas, lettuce, cheese, salsa, cilantro, and sour foam on manus, and kept re-purposing those aforementioned ingredients. Tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, nachos, and enchiladas all require near-identical ingredients just rearranged in different ways. So we only had to buy one head of lettuce, one bunch of cilantro, 1 container of sour foam, and goose egg went bad. We used it all up that week, but those were literally all we bought that week.

Instead of spending my stay-at-habitation-mom days searching Pinterest for the perfect recipe that incorporates everything in my fridge that's almost to go bad, that my child will also love, and that has the proper amount of nutrients and macros, and blah blah blah, I taught myself how to cook.

Similar, how to really cook. Not just follow a recipe. Only to melt like a contestant onChopped.

Permit'south run into, I accept half an onion, greek yogurt, whole wheat spaghetti, and cheerios, simply dang information technology, I *really* want to put my concluding $20 into the Cruise Fund instead of buying food for my family, so I will only have to make this work.

So instead of "pinning" 32 recipes for chicken noodle soup, I learned almostmirepoix.Instead of searching for fajita recipes, I learned nearly Mexican and Southwestern flavors. Instead of giving upwardly and ordering takeout, I learned how to stir-fry. I am figuring out what flavors compliment each other, and which flavors don't piece of work at all.

Why is this important? Because when I am wondering what to do with the Butternut squash sitting on my counter taking up space (but that we got for $1.x), I can remember that I really liked butternut squash in a back-scratch dish I in one case had, and since I at present accept an agreement of curry flavors, we concocted an amazing curried butternut squash stir-fry with wheat noodles, bong pepper, onion, and served it over rice.

No recipe (or Cheerios) required.

I've got an upgraded grilled-cheese sandwich idea swirling effectually in my head that involves bleu cheese and pears… maybe some dijon mustard and would information technology exist weird to accept walnuts on a grilled cheese sandwich? I love that flavor contour but I also really love sandwiches.

How does this salvage united states of america money?

I am learning that with the same handful of ingredients, we can create thousands of different combinations to keep our meals interesting and balanced. I don't need to buy sure (larger) quantities because I can conform the cooking to suit (I only have 2 potatoes? Sweet, I only need to buy 1 leek for soup).

And honestly, it saves me a ton of time because I can whip something upward without having to read recipes, constantly washing my easily to wake my phone up every time I demand to check quantities and cooking times, dig around for my dry measuring cups, and so on. I seriously wont cook anything more complicated than five or more ingredients, or if it involves an oven in whatever mode (with the rare exception of blistering sweet treats, like cinnamon rolls… yum…)

I know, I know; I'k a stay-at-dwelling house-mom and so I have "all the fourth dimension in the world to cook." Only I still hate cooking. Merely because I'm learning how, and information technology'southward easier, doesn't hateful that I enjoy being in the kitchen. It means I figured out how to brand it easier on myself. Cooking has never been my forte. Earlier I met Kevin I subsisted on cereal and Lean Cuisines. I would happily render to that if I didn't accept a family whose health I actually intendance about.

So I prefer to cook things that require minimal fourth dimension in the kitchen. And I can throw something together really quickly, because I know how.

I too still practise some form of food prep early on in the week. I turn our scratch, raw ingredients into "convenience" ingredients. Similar, I will cook dry beans so they're soft and prepare to get in recipes. I volition cook beets (I love beets) once, chop them all, throw them in a tupperware container in the fridge, and they're super easy to toss on elevation of salads or fifty-fifty to toss in a snack cup for my kiddo, or to toss with some feta and fresh parlsey for a really pretty and super yummy salad.

This is easy to exercise with our Instant Pot.

Seriously, if you could take 1 kitchen gadget (similar if you lot were to, say, motility into an RV with express storage), the Instant Pot should exist it. It'southward WONDERFUL. Nosotros use ours probably three-4 times a calendar week.

These really pretty beets that I prepped? Perfectly steamed to the proper texture in 15 minutes. Set it and walk away. I totally forgot about them for like an 60 minutes. No big deal, the Instant Pot took intendance of it, and they are still just every bit perfect.

I tin can make chili from scratch, with stale beans, and frozen hamburger in similar xc minutes (when you lot commencement with frozen items, it takes a while to get the Instant Pot to pressure, so I e'er add an extra 15 minutes).

Butternut squash in xv minutes.

I can make my mirepoixin the bottom of the Instant Pot assail the saute office, build my soup on acme of it, then merely fix the cooking time for the longest-cooking ingredient and washed.

It's a force per unit area cooker so it forces flavors to "meld," making anything taste like its been simmering all day. I honestly can't tell the deviation betwixt spaghetti sauce lovingly simmered on the stove for 8 hours or tossed haphazardly in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes.

I might get hate mail for that statement from the Spaghetti Sauce Purists, only I am non a sauce snob, nor is my ii-year-old, so piece of cake and fast wins every time.

And then to epitomize:

1. Brand smart shopping choices. Buy store brands where possible, don't buy watermelon in December, and remember that filet mignon is a rare treat, not a nightly staple.
2. Learn how to actually cook without recipes. Recipes can and should guide you, just you lot should be able to make swaps or omit or add ingredients with confidence so that random rutabaga in your fridge doesn't go to waste.

If yous all have made it this far, I challenge you to encounter how low y'all can get your ain grocery budgets. Commencement with $100 a week and go from in that location. Let me know how it goes!

The 4 Corners Monument is a monument that is owned and run by the Navajo Nation in a spot where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado see. It'due south the only point in the U.s.a. where the corners of four states intersect.

Because I generally dear life, and I dear travel, and I go excited about the smallest of things, and I'm the nerdy friend who shamelesslyadorestourist-traps, I don't often have anything negative to say nigh, well, anywhere nosotros visit. And so I will say this:

If you really really actually reeeeaaaally covet one of those photos with your shoes and your bae's (seriously, how did that even become a word?) shoes in ii different states each, or you want to let Insta or Snapchat know that you were in "in 4 states at i time!!" while you lot hold a pose that looks like you're playing State Twister (left pes: Utah! Right hand, Arizona!), then, fine, go. Pay the $5 per person for the photo. I'one thousand not saying you shouldn't go.

I'm saying that you should be prepared to exist disappointed.

Seriously, it is, in my opinion, over-hyped and nether-whelming.

And in 2009 in that location was (is yet?) a heated debate on whether or non the monument is fifty-fifty geographically accurate…

Which pretty much kills it for me. Inaccuracies of whatsoever kind brand my neurotic heart twitch.

We made the mistake of stopping by without doing our homework first, considering I am impulsive past nature. And past "stopping by," I hateful "drive an hr away from our overnice, cozy KOA, and into the desert to a perfectly nondescript, unremarkable tourist trap."

Live and learn.

Seriously, guys, I didn't even go a photo of the little bronze medallion because after paying $10 (kids nether 6 make it costless) to the completely apathetic lady at the gate, trying to park in a pothole-filled one-half gravel/half mud "parking lot" that hasn't seen maintenance in years, and seeing how modest, and, frankly, un-ineresting this "monument" was, my heart only wasn't into it.

And I tried. I tried to pretend like waiting in line to snap a photograph with complete strangers photobombing in the groundwork was fun. Because that'due south what we are supposed to practise, right?

Zip effort put into this snapshot. And also, why is that lady smiling at the camera? The line was behind us… this was the verbal angle everyone was shooting photos from… She couldn't have chosen whatsoever of the other 50 unoccupied benches to sit at? And so weird…

I even tried to go into the spirit by walking the perimeter, which is lined with nothing just souvenir booths, and peradventure even buying an obligatory nick-nack to commemorate the trip. Considering I could recollect of nothing else to do…

At least 70% of the souvenir booths were unoccupied, leaving only a handful of booths selling your average, run-of-the-mill dreamcatchers, turquoise jewelry, chaplet, and the token bone knives that yous can purchase at literally whatsoever powwow in the entire country or every unmarried gift shop in the Southwest. To add insult to injury, as I tried in vain to find anything unique plenty for me to willingly requite them my money, non a single vendor acknowledged my presence as I shopped their booths. Nearly of them were on their prison cell phones and wouldn't even so much as glance upward. Who knows, maybe I would take parted with some cash for a beaded pilus prune (that virtually probable would collect dust in my drawer) had a seller actually been friendly and engaging. I wanted and then desperately to make this trip non experience like an epic waste of my time.

Even the fry staff of life sign was attached to a deserted food truck that looked similar it had been inoperable since the 1990'south. [Cue sad music.]

We spent maybe 20 minutes in that location, trying to like it. Even our photo wasn't worth the $x (it kind of kills the excitement for me to learn that the only reason it's even considered geographically correct was because in 1925 Congress said, "Yeah fine, whatever. Do what yous want.")

But if the photo is what you lot want for your Facebook Profile, and you lot are happy to pay for it, and you lot arealready in the area and have cypher better to do,then go. It's kind of interesting to say, "yeah, we've been there." Simply do not get with bully expectations.

Peradventure "Four Corners" is Navajo for "Disappointing Tourist Trap."

During the 7th Century, while Mohammed was busy starting the Islamic organized religion,  the [would-be] Koreans were perfecting Tae-Kwon-Practise, Europe was heading into the Dark Ages, China was hard at work making the world's 1st books, and quill pens were the iPhones of the times, there were actually some things happening in America, too.

Who knew, right? Not me. Either I slept through every history form I've ever taken, or Oregon public schools simply didn't find it very important for me to know much of what was happening to the aboriginal people of what would be the Us. Granted, I didn't learn about the ancestry of Tae-Kwon-Practise, either, but I couldn't resist adding that fun fact.

In the American Southwest, in an area that is referred to as the Four Corners Region (meaning where Utah, Arizona, New United mexican states, and Colorado encounter), an aboriginal civilization was also taking off. This civilization is ofttimes referred to equally the Anasazi.

The term "Anasazi" is actually no longer considered correct. Archaeologists originally used the term because information technology is the Navajo word for "ancient foreigners." Yet, the Anasazi are believed to exist descendants of several Puebloan tribes currently in the Southwest, and the Puebloan people wonder why the word for their ancestors actually means "enemy" in their language.

Then they prefer for their ancestors to be referred to as "Ancestral Puebloan People." Seems off-white.

And when they left in the 1200's, they left ruins of their civilisation behind for us to find almost 700 years later (the ruins were discovered by a couple of cowboys in the late 1880'due south). Mesa Verde National Park is in Southwestern Colorado merely outside of Cortez.

Since I was determined to be way more prepared for this visit to Mesa Verde National Park than I was for our spontaneous finish at Petrified Forest National Park, I had read up on their website to see what all we needed to see. I saw that there were ranger-guided tours that allowed youinsidethe aboriginal cliff dwellings at the park. Um, hellooo. Yes, please! There are a few dissimilar options regarding the guided tours: yous tin visit the Long Firm, the Spruce Tree House, the Balcony House, or the Cliff Palace. Or all of them if you have the time and desire!

Because we were visiting and so tardily in the season (Oct), the Cliff Palace was already closed for the winter. I researched the other tours and decided that the Long Business firm bout would be the best fit for our fiddling family.

I likewise read that the tours fill up quickly so be sure to get there early on in the morning.

They were non kidding.

Nosotros arrived at the visitor center parking lot at eight:05 a.thousand. Five minutes after the park opened. We walked in, Kevin went straight to the line for bout tickets while I chased the toddler around the visitor center (toddlers hate standing in line), and the people ahead of us got the terminal tickets for the Long House tour.

Getting there at viii:05 is five minutes likewise late.

We asked near the other tours. The Spruce Tree Firm tour wasn't available due to unstable conditions (yikes). The Cliff Palace was closed for the season. That left us with the Balcony House.

The Balustrade Firm is listed every bit the most physically challenging site to get to. It involves a climb upwards a 36-foot archaic ladder, another 9-foot ladder, scary-steep "steps" carved into the face of the cliff, and a tunnel that yous take to crawl through that is nine-feet long but only 24-inches square in some spots. Bigger people have to literally wriggle through information technology. At that place is a "practice tunnel" in the visitor center if you are worried about claustrophobia or if you lot simply wont fit. The Balcony Business firm tour is non recommended for people with heart atmospheric condition, respiratory problems, joint problems, etc.

Kevin was all, "Sounds awesome, sign u.s.a. all upward. Can I bring my toddler?"

Cliff Palace

We got into the very last tour of the day, scheduled for apex, so we had a few hours to kill. The ranger gave united states a map and suggested that we proceed a self-guided tour through the park and visit some of the other ruins until it was time for our tour.

First piece of advice for anyone wanting to visit: Brand sure you top-off the fuel in your vehicle before driving through the park. Fill up in Cortez. It takes almost an entire hr of drive fourth dimension from the visitor centre to the "hub" of where most of the archaeological sites are. The but fuel in the park is at the campgrounds, which are near the visitor center, so not particularly helpful. Luckily, we were fine with iii/4 of a tank, but definitely don't show up on i/viii of a tank and await to go at that place.

Mesa Verde means "light-green table" for those of y'all who chose to take French in Loftier School instead of Spanish (like, ahem, moi). The mesa pinnacle is where the Ancestral Puebloan people farmed. Early on people (like in the 550's and 600's) likewise lived on the mesa tops. Carbon dating shows that past the A.D. yard's, they had started to move their villages under the overhanging cliffs to take advantage of nature. Then the oldest sites aren't even cliff dwellings. They are scattered across the mesa tops and are easily accessible to visit by car.

As you are driving forth, go along a sentry for a fiddling brown sign announcing the presence of a site. At that place is infinite on the side of the road to pull over. When you come across one, pull over. I cannot limited enough how much you do not want to miss these.

The National Park Service built these huge buildings over the archaeological sites to protect them from further harm from the elements. Fifty-fifty with the buildings, and being literally 20 yards from the main road, these are impossible to spot without the assistance of the signs.

We were very fortunate that we were there early on enough, and during an "off-season" time, that we normally had these sites to ourselves to explore.

One of the many pit houses. This one dates to 600 AD, although archaeologists and carbon-dating indicate that the pits have been remodeled and the stones re-purposed up until the 1200's. There is a brusk walking loop that brings yous to two others on this same path.

The Ancestral Puebloan people dug these pits in the grounds, called kivas (kee-VAH).  Like many other things in archaeology, their purpose is debated between archaeologists and generally considered to be speculation. On one manus, they could have lived in these, which would protect the people from the elements and camouflage them from the exterior enemies (the original kivas had roofs and blended into the environment). On the other hand, many archaeologists believe that the kivas were used for religious ceremonies or for political meetings.

(I'1000 over here wondering why they couldn't have been multi-purpose, since they had to exist a royal pain to build, but I am also not an archaeologist.)

One of the more primitive kivas, this one features the usual fire pit andsipapu.

The kivas are very traditionally laid out. The doorway tunnel faces the South. The fire pit is in the centre, and towards the Northward is a small hole called asipapu(see-PAH-poo).

The modern-day Hopi tell sacred stories of the sipapu every bit a identify where humans emerged from the globe, from the third World into the 4rd World. Different tribes believe their sipapus, or places of emergence into this globe, are in different places, such as from the Colorado River in the One thousand Coulee. As such, archaeologists believe it is why the sipapu was traditionally dug into the kiva floors, every bit a religious symbol to never forget their origins.

The ranger read u.s. the Hopi sacred story near the significance of the sipapu. I idea it was very charming, not different the story of Adam and Eve, and there is no manner I can do it justice by paraphrasing, so that is something you will just accept to Google.

A larger, more-modern pit business firm. Besides, the ruins above-ground indicate that in that location may accept been towers built. This is part of an unabridged village. The different rings of the kivas intersect, also indicating a lot of remodeling happened to the kivas as the village grew.

A more advanced kiva. The fire pit as the main feature, and now there is a stone in front of the ventilation tunnel to deflect the air current. This caused the wind to circulate around the kiva and push the fume out of the side vents and the summit without disturbing the burn itself. Adjacent to the fire pit is where they ground their corn, and, of class, in straight alignment with the door and burn pit is the sipapu hole. Also noteworthy is the introduction of benches forth the outside all for people to sit down.

Not all ruins were under ground, either. The Sun Temple is a large structure across the canyon from the Cliff Palace. Again, archaeologists aren't certain what the purpose of the Sunday temple was, merely they do know that it was built to final. The masonry was very advanced for the fourth dimension period and it has withstood the last 700 years very well.

Looking through a window of the Lord's day Temple.

Sun Temple gutter system for water runoff.

After visiting the Dominicus Temple, we decided to head over to the Balcony House for our bout. Nosotros were a fleck early, but seeing as how I was much more prepared this fourth dimension around, I had packed u.s. lunch, so we decided to eat earlier we went on our tour.

Sadly, there is no view of the Balcony House unless you are in it. I would have liked to see what it looked like from the other side of the canyon (Soda Canyon), but currently there is no admission to the other side.

Our bout guide wasawesome. Her name was January, and she had been an archaeologist for 20 years earlier semi-retiring to piece of work for the National Parks system, then she was awealthof information.

She started off the bout giving u.s. all of the warnings: no heart problems, no joint issues, probably shouldn't go if you are scared of heights or claustrophobic. If yous become to the offset ladder (which is 36 feet high) and make up one's mind that y'all can't practise it, that is your fourth dimension to turn back, because one time yous go up the ladder, there is no going back down. Yous have to cease the bout. Altitude sickness and dehydration are as well very real possibilities at an distance of 7000 feet.

We tossed the toddler in the hiking backpack and said, "let's do it."

We were non the just ones on the tour with trivial kids, though. Someone even had an babe in one of those Kangaroo packs, so I felt better.

And at present, a battery of photos:

Our tour descending to the trail that will take the states to the Balustrade House

Kevin and the kiddo in "the infant packer." Caleb, fortunately, loves being in the baby packer. probably because he is up loftier and can see everything.

The ladder we had to go upwards to get to the Balcony House. It wasn't terrible, only I did discover that when people say, "just don't wait down," in that location is a reason they say that. Information technology's oh and then very true.

Before we got up the ladder, we had to stop to larn about a natural miracle known equally a Sandstone Spring. The rainwater landed on acme of the mesa, watering the crops, and so seeped into the ground, was filtered by the many many layers of sandstone, and came out of petty "springs" nether the cliff edge. This was the Bequeathed Puebloan People's chief source of fresh drinking h2o.

Watch your children: there is no railing. At that place is flooring and cliff. Even the kivas are unprotected, and 30-anxiety deep with a rock floor. Don't fall in. That might hurt. Plus, I'm not sure, but I think haemorrhage in a federally-protected archaeological site is highly frowned-upon.

Original timbers that used to support a balcony. Hence the name "Balustrade House."

Co-ordinate to modern-solar day Puebloan people, they still use balconies to make important announcements or to perform special ceremonies.

Grinding stones.

I of the two Balustrade House kivas. They estimate that near 30 people, or two extended families, lived in the Balustrade House.

Random people on our tour… I never got tourist-free photos of some of the features. That'southward what happens when your tour group has 30 people in it.

Meet where the sandstone has turned black on the walls? That is apparently what happens when the oils from human hands constantly touch the sandstone. it turns black over fourth dimension. That is why the rangers inquire that yous not affect anything; to preserve the architectural integrity of the ruins.

How to get out, Function 1 (Okay, the ranger asked united states to hold onto that corner so nosotros didn't fall).

How to get out, Function 2: You lot accept to crawl through a tiny tunnel nether that wall, and if you look closely through the "window," you can see yet another ladder on the other side.

Tight squeeze, but we made it out! Nosotros had to accept the kiddo out of the infant packer and send him through the tunnel later Mom. He was all over it.

How to become out, part iii: One time out of the tunnel, you lot scale another ladder, then scramble up the face up of the cliff with these scary-ass steps that were carved into the cliff face. The National Park service had to carve them bigger than they were originally due to modern-day people'south much larger feet… No fancy camera angles, this is literally how steep information technology was. Hang onto the chains.

The verdict?

This was absolutely worth the trip. I would accept happily paid 5x as much equally they actually charge for the tour. Information technology was amazing.

At present we can't wait to go dorsum and take the other tours (see? The Saucepan List rabbit-hole).

Of grade, if you lot visit, you can't miss stopping at the Far View Terrace for their Navajo Tacos. Soooo yummy. Fry bread every bit big as your head, chili, stewed seasoned chicken or pork (nosotros both preferred the pork), and whatever toppings you lot want. A word of advice: one taco volition easily feed 2 people. We each got one and couldn't finish them. The fry staff of life/chili philharmonic definitely makes the taco. Sadly, we didn't become a photo because we were too busy stuffing our faces.

But definitely, definitely visit.

A true story, and a potentially uninteresting story. Just I did get some very moody photos. I don't know why they are moody. I didn't mean for them to be. Information technology just happens when the lord's day is playing peek-a-boo backside the clouds, I approximate. Random dark and lite areas.

Soapstone Prairie is a natural area in extreme Northern Colorado. Like, it'southward pretty much Wyoming. It looks like Wyoming. I mean, it'due south a prairie, after all.

I know, I know, I promised a couple more Arizona posts. They're on the dorsum burner still. But [insert whiny voice] I'm tired of writing nigh Arizona. We get it, your land isawesome.Merely now I get to see autumn, and go to the mountains to play in the snowfall, and drink my coffee hot, and information technology's still 100-degrees there (and last I checked, the saguaro cacti don't turn pretty shades of orange in the fall), so neener neener.

So the program was to get to 1 of the 500 natural areas in Fort Collins (okay, I have no idea how many natural areas in that location are, but in that location are a lot) so I randomly picked one on a map that nosotros had picked up. I chose Soapstone Prairie. Then, since it is on the Wyoming border, and we needed to make a Wal-Mart run, I suggested hitting up the Wal-Mart in Cheyenne rather than backtrack and go back s to the ane in Fort Collins.

Mission in mind, we loaded upwardly the kiddo and the domestic dog (Tucker loooooves visiting the natural areas) and headed up County Road xv, the last vii miles of which were not paved. The kid cried virtually the entire bulldoze in that location because nosotros are the meanest parents in the globe for not lettinghimdrive. Mind you lot, he's two years old, but pointing that out to him was pretty futile.

Naturally, equally we pulled to the entrance of the natural area, ii highly inconvenient things happened. First of all, the kiddo passed out in the dorsum seat. Because arriving at our destination was clearly the all-time time for him to finally fall asleep for a much-needed nap. I am Not waking it upwards.

Then, nosotros noticed the signs. No dogs allowed. Anywhere. Not even on a leash. Non even in your car.

WHY???? Who came up with that rule??? I have a hard fourth dimension liking any place that doesn't let dogs.

Since in that location was no one staffed at the entrance berth, we did what whatsoever normal dog owners would do; we told Tucker to lay downward in the dorsum and drove on in anyway.

Kevin picked upward a brochure on the way in, and nosotros learned that, in addition to a strict rule against dogs, there is besides a rule against flying kites, and allowing your falcon to harass the wildlife.

Well, there goes all of our plans for the twenty-four hour period.

I mean, I was with you for the no kite-flying dominion, and mildly irritated about the no-dogs-even-in-your-personal-vehicle rule, simply not assuasive me to harass wild fauna with a falcon??? At present you're merely beingness unreasonable.

We agreed that since the kiddo was sleeping and since we had contraband in the dorsum, in the form of a dog who simply could not remember to lay down and go along a low profile, we would just plough around at the parking lot and head back out.

With a few stops for me to hop out and accept some photos, of course. Ordinarily those involved me screeching at Kevin to "finish!!" and "support!!!" and honestly, I'm amazed the kiddo slept through all of the slamming of brakes.

The prairie was super- pretty, and I would accept loved to take gone on a family hike, simply it but wasn't in the stars for today.

Plus, I'm not allowed to harass the wild fauna with a falcon, so there's that…

We hopped dorsum on I-25 and crossed over into Wyoming. I love Wyoming. I was eagerly staring out the window looking for bison (I have an unnatural obsession with buffalo), and, of course, checking out the horses. I have never outgrown the urge to yell out "pony!" when I meet a horse. Even though I own ane and have been riding since I was, like, 6.

Kevin and I were in the middle of a heated debate on whether or not we needed to stop at a fireworks stand (which are apparently open year-circular in Wyoming) when I spotted camels.

Camels.

Camels.

Every single i of my mental "browser windows" (My next statement against fireworks, my shopping listing for when we get to Wal-Mart, my calculations of how long the kid had been comatose for, every fiddling matter that women tin can keep in their minds at any given fourth dimension) came to a screeching halt. My brain seriously short-circuited and I hyper-focused on the camels.

Why are there camels in Wyoming?

Does someone raise them?

It looked similar they were in a pasture in front of a church. Does the church enhance them?

What is the purpose of keeping camels?

Practice people ride them?

Does that church building use them in a living Nativity scene at Christmas?

Is that cost-constructive?

How well do camels practice in a Wyoming winter? Aren't they desert animals?

Where does one fifty-fifty go camels from, anyhow?

Just… so many questions that I couldn't move past until we got to Cheyenne. I take only been to Cheyenne one time before, simply I was pleased that I could kind-of tell where we were, and my pride in my marginal navigational ability helped dispel some of the lingering camel questions.

Then, only when you thought this story would never end, the wind blew a saucepan into the road and Kevin couldn't avoid it. And so we striking information technology, it got wedged under the automobile, and we had to pull into to the closest parking lot to pry information technology out from under the auto.

Nosotros got the bucket un-stuck from the undercarriage, just information technology had been wedged under the frazzle. I don't know a ton about car anatomy, but I believe that it was where the exhaust pipe meets the manifold. Since that crap gets HOT, the plastic bucketmeltedonto the exhaust.

It melted! There was molten plastic adhered to my car'southward exhaust system. My biggest question was: how critical is it to get the melted plastic off the frazzle? Because I've already set one car on burn, I don't need to repeat that whole episode. Plus, I'm pretty certain that at this bespeak the insurance company would get suspicious.

Charred remnants of my Mercedes after it spontaneously combusted while driving to the Oregon Coast two years ago.

Fortunately, I think Kevin'southward dad might be the only person on Earth who would know the answer to; "Will melted bucket plastic on my exhaust organization catch my machine on fire if we bulldoze home to Colorado from Wyoming?"

Kevin called his dad, and, but like I had anticipated, he did, in fact, know the respond. He had run into a similar state of affairs involving a quad several years ago. He asked a few basic questions like, "What color was the bucket?" (white) and "where exactly on the exhaust is it?" (the manifold/frazzle pipage junction) and told us that we could either try to heat it up and scrape it off with a stick, or just drive it and somewhen it will disintegrate (but we would have to deal with the annoying and possibly highly toxic smell of called-for plastic while nosotros drove).

We chose to just drive it off. Because "potentially carcinogenic" is less scary (short-term) than "molten plastic that can burn down the mankind off your basic." We'll roll the die that if/when we develop lung cancer, hopefully modern medicine will have treatment dialed in by so. But I'd like to keep both of my hands, and Kevin's too, thankyouveryuch.

Really, we just should have stayed habitation today.

Hither are some pretty pictures that I took from the auto:

Nosotros made information technology back to Colorado. Information technology didn't stink too terribly bad. We have a road trip planned for this weekend and so any hasn't burned off still likely will. Hopefully our upcoming trip works out ameliorate than our twenty-four hours today.

When we were traveling from Phoenix, AZ to Loveland, CO for our side by side consignment, we decided that the least mountainous style to go would be to go due east through New Mexico and so n to Colorado. We left Phoenix at 3 a.one thousand. to avoid pulling the fifth wheel in 117-degree estrus. Too, it allowed the kiddos to continue sleeping in the machine for a good portion of our trip. Kevin drove the rig; I followed in my motorcar with the two kids.

When we got to the Northeast corner of Arizona, it was all the same mid-morning (only felt like we had been driving FOREVER). I saw signs informing us that Petrified Forest National Park was coming upwards, and to tune into some AM radio station. I did, because I had nothing better going on in my life at that moment, and I listened to someone extolling all that The Petrified Woods National Park (PFNP from now on) had to offer. A 2-infinitesimal sound byte on echo.

Honestly… I had never heard about information technology. I had no thought what was there. It sounded mildly interesting on the radio. Iwastired of driving and wedidhave our National Park Pass that nosotros purchased at the Grand Canyon and hadn't used since. But I wasn't interested enough to call Kevin to enquire him if we could detour, since he had the much more than stressful chore of towing a 30-foot 5th wheel. I was just there for moral support, not to become in the mode.

When Kevin turned on his blinker to take the exit, though, I was stoked. I love adventures! It was like he read my heed! Or he just knows me really well.

Thankfully, PFNP had a well-designed parking lot that had RV parking in the back that nosotros hands pulled into. It was almost empty, merely it was also 9:30am on a Thursday. We moved the dog from the back of my auto into the trailer, gave him breakfast, water, and cracked a few windows and headed into the ranger station to see what there was to come across.

The reply, in short, is a lot.

Who knew? Not me. I mean, I didn't learn nearly this place in schoolhouse. It's just not super-well known to anyone outside of the Southwest, or outside of the Paleontology world.

At that place is so much history hither- so much meaning history- that I can't peradventure go over information technology all. At that place is a 30-minute video at the company center that we watched, and I couldn't even retain it all to tell you. Here are a few highlights of what I remember:

This park is historically, archaeologically, geologically, and palentologically pregnant:

• Historically significant sites include The Painted Desert Inn (where we stopped and spent a skilful hr and a half) and the Route 66 Alignment (where I also insisted on stopping).
• Archaeologically significant sites inside the park include: the Agate House, which was built by Ancestral Puebloan people, made entirely of petrified wood; Newspaper Rock, which is a giant rock with more than 650 petroglyphs carved into it; and Puerco Pueblo, which are partially excavated aboriginal ruins.
• Geologically significant sites in the park include Blue Mesa; the Painted Desert; and Rainbow, Jasper, and Crystal Forests. We only had time to encounter the Painted Desert and Blue Mesa.
• Palentologically, the park has a collection of over 300,000 specimens of fossils and prehistoric tools and pottery. It's one of the biggest sections of Triassic-aged rock anywhere. They joke that the park should have been named "Triassic Park." This is one of the only National Parks that is open to continued inquiry from palentology departments of colleges and universities from across the land. Fossils are even so actively existence uncovered twelvemonth-round in the park.

A giant fossil- a slice of petrified wood. There used to be thousands and thousands of these throughout the park, but sadly, tourists over the final century take been taking them home equally souvenirs, leaving only a handful scattered effectually the park. Considering of this, the National Park System has started the Vanishing Treasures Initiative, making it illegal to remove items (like petrified forest) from National Parks. And they're serious, too. We had our automobile checked by a ranger on out way out of the park.

The ranger gave united states a map (a verybigmap), and pointed out the highlights. In that location were like xv "Not To Be Missed" highlights, out of 20+ Points of Interest. Because of time restraints, we had to settle on 3 or 4. Sad face.

Seriously, guys, make certain y'all have PLENTY of time hither.

We hopped in the automobile and drove to the outset viewpoint, Tiponi Bespeak.

Painted Desert from Tiponi Indicate.

I couldn't help myself; I immediately started comparing PFNP to Chiliad Canyon National Park. Plain, it'due south like comparing apples to oranges. You tin can't compare anything to the G Canyon because there is nothing else similar it.

But, there is also nada else like the Painted Desert.

And in terms of breathtaking views and a feeling of wonder at this vast, various, and beautiful country nosotros live in?

Same.

The same feeling. The same thoughts.

Next stop on the docket: Painted Desert Inn. In the 1920's, it was a tourist destination. The entire inn was made of petrified wood. In the 1930's the CCC renovated it using adobe. It is a museum now, but it is definitely worth information technology to terminate by.

(I really really like to photo architecture. And for some reason WordPress wont let me caption a collage. Hence the parenthesis.)

Handmade stained glass skylight from the 1920'southward by Hopi artists. Beautiful.

Once nosotros had explored the Inn, we hopped back into the car and continued on to our adjacent point, the Route 66 Alignment. This was a must-see for me, because I have a huge fascination with Road 66. I have Road 66 memorabilia and artwork that I had displayed in my business firm before we downsized to a fifth wheel. To me, the Mother Route is just so representative of classic Americana.

While historic Route 66 is however bulldoze-able in some areas, there are other spots, like in PFNP, where it is zero but clues of what used to exist:

Testify that at that place was one time a route there…

And this rusted-out vanquish of a Studebaker. Watch out for rattlesnakes. 😉

At this point we were running short on time and starting to get anxious to go back on the road. The goal was to brand it to Albuquerque that 24-hour interval, and then we nonetheless had a few more hours of driving ahead of us. Had I known how awesome this place was, I would have definitely fabricated this information technology'due south ain destination for at least a full day, merely probably ii or 3.

We looked at the map and the remaining twenty points of interest we had to choose from, and we settled on Blue Mesa.

I took this photo out of the machine window equally we were heading into Blueish Mesa. Our start sighting of the iconic blue rock.

The Blue Mesa badlands, as they are called, are between 220-225 million years old, and the rocks are a mix of blue, regal, gray and green mudstone. There is a paved trail that takes you down into the badlands so you can exist immersed in the rock formations. This was the virtually visually stunning hike I take ever been on, and I tried and so hard to capture information technology in photos, but at that place are some things (okay, most things) that are just better experienced in person.

We made the mistake of not bringing the hiking haversack for Caleb. Since there were some steep cliffs, he rode about of the fashion on Dad'south shoulders. Nosotros didn't conceptualize hiking that day, but information technology was not something we were willing to miss.

Jaid checking out the views.

Stunning backdrop. I don't even know how to convey what information technology was similar to be inside the Blue Mesa.

Looking down into the badlands, you can encounter some hikers ahead of united states of america on the trail.

It was like being on another planet. Definitely an "otherworldly" experience. I then badly want to go again. I desire to spend a few full days exploring the entire park.

While I am a laic that the best way to experience a location is on foot, this park is very attainable past vehicle. You tin can drive to every single viewpoint and attraction. I would strongly recommend packing a dejeuner, drinks, and snacks. There were plenty of places to picnic just no restaurants that we saw.

Even though nosotros have technically already visited this park, Kevin and I take added a echo visit to our Bucket List, just to run into the park in it'due south entirety. Visiting the Petrified Forest National Park really ought to be oneveryone'southBucket Listing. Information technology's just then freaking various that 1 area is zilch at all like another area.

Of course, Jaidyn got her Inferior Ranger Badge at this park, too.

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