This morning I was encouraged to model the owl hat that Trish made for B:

Trish made a yummy breakfast:

Another owl hat:

I think it looks better on B:

After homeschool, we drove south and east to Pecos National Historical Park:

We were given an overview of the park:

After watching the park video, we went through the visitor center’s exhibit space:

Out on the trail, we could see the church that was built here by the Spanish.  Like at Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, an Indian pueblo stood here for centuries before the Spanish came and built a mission here to “civilize” the natives:

Out on the trail, NPS has built a simulated kiva:

Down we go:

Most of the pueblo remains unexcavated, but this portion has been revealed by archeologists.  This pueblo, built in the 1400s, housed over 2,000 people and was four stories high:

The first church was built here by the Spanish in 1625.  It was destroyed by the Indians in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.  By the time the Spanish crushed the revolt in the early 1690s, the pueblo had fewer residents, so the second church, completed in 1717, was smaller than the first:

On our way back to the visitor center, we walked over the faint outline of the once well-travelled Santa Fe Trail:

Back at the visitor center, the kids completed their Junior Ranger workbooks and received their badges:

From Pecos, we continued east to overnight at the Walmart of Las Vegas, New Mexico.  See the trip map for today’s drive and our current location.

This morning we drove out to the location of the concrete arrow I spotted from the sky on Day 946.  Unfortunately, when we arrived at the road that would take us to the arrow, there was a sign indicating that the road entered Laguna Pueblo land, and that a permit would be needed to enter.  Disappointed, we returned to the RV.  I love the street sign leading to our host, Paramotor City Glider Shop:

B said goodbye to Cowboy (pictured), and Hobo:

We said goodbye to Michelle.  Thanks for hosting us and fixing my wing!

We drove east for ten miles or so to the next concrete arrow site, LA-A #69.  We parked the RV and walked south between an RV park and a truck repair business:

We skirted the southern edge of the RV park and crossed the fence on the left:

Where the “road” turned, we went straight:

Found it!  This is our fourth concrete arrow site!

The tower supports are still attached to the center of the arrow, with the arrow extending into the distance:

Retracing our steps, we returned to the RV and continued east and north to Petroglyph National Monument:

The kids completed their Junior Ranger workbooks and received their badges and patches:

We hiked one of the many trails that pass by the over 10,000 petroglyphs in the park, most of which were carved between 1300 and 1600:

The Macaw depicted in this petroglyph is not native to the area, but Indians in this area were part of a trade network that extended all the way to South America, so Macaws did find their way here:

After getting gas (only $1.59 for diesel!) and replenishing our meat supply at Trader Joe’s, we drove north towards Santa Fe.  During the drive, Trish made this owl hat for B to match her owl-themed pajamas:

We continued north and east to overnight at the Walmart of Santa Fe.  See the trip map for today’s drive and our current location.

This morning we left the Walmart of Gallup and drive south and east to El Morro National Monument:

We hiked out to Inscription Rock, where travellers have been carving names and images since the 13th century:

Travellers came this way because of the rainwater catchment, which when filled to capacity by summer rainstorms holds 200,000 gallons:

Ancient petroglyphs:

E. Penn Long of the Rose-Baley Party, 1859:

Ramon Garcia Jurado, Mexican colonist, 1709:

Juan de Arechuleta and Diego Martin Barba. colonists in the Juan de Oñate expedition to settle New Mexico, 1636:

Juan de Oñate, 1604.  This inscription predates the landing at Plymouth Rock by over a decade:

On the shaded side of Inscription Rock, we encountered a bit of snow:

Governor Don Francisco Manuel de Silva Nieto, 1629:

Governor Eulate, 1620:

Behold!

In 1849, Army artists spent two days copying the inscriptions here, then left their own signature:

The kids completed their Junior Ranger workbooks and received their badges:

We continued east and north to overnight at the Walmart of Grants, New Mexico.  See the trip map for today’s drive and our current location.

This morning we visited the Canyon de Chelly National Monument visitor center:

We left the RV at the visitor center and drove out along the South Rim Drive, stopping first at the White House trailhead:

Across the canyon, the White House ruins are visible.  Like the other cliff dwellings in the park, this site was built and occupied by the Anasazi between 1100 and 1300:

The White House ruins are along the canyon floor on the left side of this photo:

We started our hike down to the canyon floor.  In places where the canyon wall is too steep for a trail, the trail was carved through the canyon wall:

Another man-made tunnel:

Down of the canyon floor:

White House ruins from ground level:

Heading back up:

Our next stop was a trail to an overlook of Spider Rock.  The taller of the two spires is 750 feet tall:

We stopped at a number of other overlooks where cliff dwellings could be seen in the distance:

Navajo tribal members still farm and ranch the canyon floor today:

We returned to the visitor center and hitched up the RV.  The kids handed in their Junior Ranger workbooks and received their badges:

We left the park by way of the North Rim Drive, stopping along the way to view the park’s northern canyon and the cliff dwellings therein:

The Mummy Cave complex is the largest cliff dwelling in the Park:

Our Canyon de Chelly parting shot:

We drove south.  Since we left the Phoenix area, we’ve been above 6,000 feet, and this afternoon we passed this frozen lake at over 7,000 feet:

We continued on to overnight at the Walmart of Gallup, New Mexico, where we last slept on Day 383.

See the trip map for today’s drive and our current location.