Wild West Road Trip Part 2
A (mostly) solo road trip through some public lands and National Parks in Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico
November 2016
Table of Contents
But First, A Little Ramble...
Searching for warmer climes during our Thanksgiving Break, my teacher friend Shannon and I hit the road. We fled school right at the bell and after driving for 50 minutes… we finally passed our houses.
Ok, so we were looking for warmth and an escape from our daily commute in traffic.
Colorado National Monument- Colorado
We didn’t quite find warmth yet at our first stop and in fact pitched our tent in a balmy 23 degrees. I’ve never set up a tent so fast! Thankfully we had plenty of extra blankets in addition to our sleeping bags. I even had my Kelty 0 Degree Bag. We constructed a layered bed that would have rivaled that of the Princess and the Pea. We were toasty warm all night. We set out on Monument Canyon Trail and passed amazing stone structures like the Kissing Couple to get an up close look at the Monument itself. I particularly loved watching a couple of rock climbers, reliving when I had climbed the Monument myself just a couple of months prior.
Going up Otto's Route was my first ever multi-pitch climb and I still break into a huge smile when I see that beautiful structure rising from the floor of the canyon and think "I've been up there".
The only climbing we had planned for this particular trip was the trek back up out of the canyon to the car. It certainly felt like a quad work out so make sure you save energy for the way home. At the trail registry at the top, we read an entry from a couple who had exited just ahead of us and had gotten engaged down there. I like to think it was in front of the Kissing Couple, because why not?! Congratulations you two and best of luck! We set off on our way to our next stop at Lake Mead.
Valley of Fire State Park- Nevada
Wait, didn’t you just read we were going to Lake Mead? Yes, but when we got there the hiking didn’t seem very interesting or accessible. If anyone has any suggestions for where to go for a walk or some time on a beach that doesn’t require a boat, please let me know. Maybe I’ll try again another time. Shannon took us instead to Valley of Fire. Beautiful sandstone and lots of petroglyphs.
And it was awesome, a perfect example of remaining flexible with your plans during travel.
And we finally got a chance to hike in t-shirts for a little before the clouds rolled in and I threw on some layers. My Marmot Rain Jacket also doubles as a nice wind break and was just what I needed.
Pit Stop in L.A.- California
After sneaking into a gym for a shower, we were ready to go out on the town. We wound up at Skinny Lounge for dancing to great music and a fun, eclectic group of people. After sleeping in and blue velvet chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, we visited the La Brea Tar Pits. I let my nerd flag fly, totally blown away by the displays of all the creatures already uncovered in the pits and the scientists continuing the excavation to this day.
I learned that things as tiny as the perfectly preserved eyeball OF A FLY have been found, in addition to an entire wall of dire wolf skulls.
Later, we borrowed bikes for a ride along the beach past runners, volleyball players, and body builders. Shannon and I split paths after this, as she was on her way to spend Thanksgiving with family and I was choosing to be on my own for the holiday.
Cerbat Foothill Recreation Area- Arizona
I really loved this hidden gem, hiking 7 miles on the Monolith Garden Trail. Excellent variety of desert plant life and (as the name implies) cool rock formations. Didn’t run into a single other person, although I must admit it was Thanksgiving Day. Still, I know I’ve run into plenty of outdoor enthusiasts on holidays in more popular areas.
Coconino National Forest- Arizona
I managed to squeeze in another 8.6 miles that same day on the Oak Creek Canyon trail near Sedona before the sun set. Another great spot off the beaten path of other hikes in Sedona proper.
I had a lot of fun playing around with my Sony camera and the changing lighting and the reflections of the canyon in some still pools in the creek. The camera I had on this trip needed replaced when I dunked it in a waterfall in Belize. I ended up with the Sony A7 III after that.
I enjoyed my Thanksgiving dinner at a nearby Denny’s, which had all the fixings I was craving.
Petrified Forest National Park- Arizona
It is high on my list to come back here again for another visit. (I did later come back with my toddler in 2023. I haven’t written that article yet, but subscribe to get an update when new content is released.)
It was awesome to have some freedom to just wander all over the park, and soooo hard to resist the urge to pick up a petrified piece as a momento.
I may have in fact had a piece with me when I saw a sign that said "thank you for doing the right thing" and put it back with a sigh.
The Painted Desert and Blue Mesa were great areas to check out.
There is a designated trail at Blue Mesa to walk, or easy access to create your own adventure off trail at The Tepees pull offs.
While not a hike that got my heart pumping, I loved the stroll at the Crystal Forest.
It's a great place to get up close to some amazing colors and (duh) crystal formations in the petrified wood.
There were also some really awesome petroglyphs here at Newspaper Rock (you will appreciate the free binoculars installed at the viewing spot) and Puerco Pueblo. I brought a pair of Vortex Razor Binoculars that I borrowed from my new boyfriend and was able to see everything super clearly.
Some petroglyphs are at least easy to understand the physical depiction, although the contextual meaning may be lost to time. But this beautifully detailed pattern had me completely scratching my head. It seemed like the creator spent a lot more time on it than some nearby carvings. What did it mean?!
Petroglyph National Monument- New Mexico
I kept the petroglyph train rolling as I continued my gradual journey home.
This little gem is right off the highway with the city of Albuquerque offering a variety of food and lodging, making it a "must" if you are passing through.
Piedras Marcadas Canyon trail offers big bang for the buck, taking hikers past literally hundreds of petroglyphs in a short distance. There were hunters going after (what looked to me like) a giant anteater or armadillo, pin wheels, hand prints, rabbits, grouse (with antlers??), as well as human figures.
My favorite was a very detailed human face wearing a head dress or hat with an arrow stuck through its nose.
Bandelier National Monument- New Mexico
While small in area, this National Monument is awe inspiring.
Visitors are able to climb around and even IN lots of the structures there, built both on the ground and into the cliffside in a marvel of engineering.
It was like spalunking with the added spice of history, I was in heaven.
There are even sections that still bear the decorative paintings of the Ancestral Pueblo who lived there.
Petroglyphs give further insight into their lives. I saw one of an ostrich and one of a parrot which led researchers to hypothesize that the folks who lived here traded with civilizations much further south to acquire such an oddity.
One petroglyph of man’s (and woman’s!) best friend made me a little homesick and eager to get home to my fur baby, Lucy.
So I wrapped it up and headed home in time for school to resume the next day, tan and replenished and ready to get back to work.
Additional Reading
- Wild West Road Trip Pt. 1
- Wild West Road Trip Pt. 3- Coming soon! Subscribe to get the updates when new content is released!
- Wild West Road Trip Pt. 4- Coming soon! Subscribe to get the updates when new content is released!
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