Mesa Verde National Park, Arizona

What happened here is one of those stories you don’t tell because people won’t believe it anyway. I will save this memory for myself.

I will say it is hands down the most magical place I have been in the US. I’m not sure how to explain it, there is something in this place that tells your soul to smile and be still. The old gods of the Pueblo and Hopi people must still be living here to watch over their people.

While no one really knows why this place was suddenly abandoned, even the petroglyphs seem to be telling a story of happiness.

Vermilion Cliffs, Arizona

An unplanned stop on the roadtrip turned out to be one of my favorite finds. We saw a sign that read “cliff dwellers” and we had to go.

Cautionary camping tales…

I let my daughter wander a bit while I took some photos. Ummm… don’t do that. I found her chasing this bright orange fuzzy ant thing. Fortunately she did not touch it before I got there. Bright colors are a bad sign in nature, so I told her to stay clear. I Googled later. This GIANT insect of doom and destruction is called a “Cow Killer” ant. It is not an ant at all. It is a wingless wasp which is named after its powerful sting. So yeah. Pretty guy. Big nope.