New Mexico

 
  Spanish missions dot the countryside in New Mexico just as they do in other southwestern states which were once part of Mexico. Some of them are still in use today. Others , like this one , are in various degrees of ruin. The Indians here left because of a drought and raids by hungry Apache Indians. Other missions were destroyed after the Indians grew tired of forced labor and suppression of their traditional religions and rebelled in 1680, killing some of the Franciscan friars and settlers and forcing all of the others to flee to El Paso , Texas.  The Spanish reconquered New Mexico in 1692.

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Petrified Forest , Arizona

This place is really cool. The length ,diameter and number of logs scattered over such a large area makes it a unique treasure. Until 1906, when President Roosevelt set aside some of the land as a national monument , people were carting off so many rocks that it was in danger of disappearing. Now all the rock in the park is protected and some people think that there’s a curse on it! Every week the rangers receive a few packages in the mail with returned rocks and sometimes letters apologizing and explaining that nothing had gone right since the rock had been taken! We didn’t take any  – .  

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Grand Canyon

 
After we left Vegas we stopped at the Grand Canyon for a few days to spend some time with my sister and her family. Every year for the kids’ spring break they go on a trip and sometimes we are able to join them – a lot of fun! As you can see in the picture above ,  snow was still on the ground. Fortunately we had a couple of beautiful days but with snow back in the forecast , we decided to get off the mountain. Next stop-Petrified Forest!

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