The first of the parks was lovely El Morro. Within the park are a couple of sites that would interest any student of history.
A stroll down Inscription trail takes you back in time with numerous petroglyphs from ancestral people who first resided in the area. Next are fancy scrolls carved by Spanish explorers. Then autographs of pioneers who came through to access the pond at the base of the rock. Last you see U.S. military graffiti left from an expedition to survey the land. An ancient timeline of average people, a craggy visitor's log.
In the opposite direction is a trail, which like most everything else you find in National Parks, were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (a group of young men working in the 1930's ) who made a natural staircase out of the rock. We made it to the top and found an ancient ruin scene. It is believed that Ancestral Puebloans lived here in the late 1200's and left behind them a now crumbling legacy.
The second park on our list encompassed a large swathe of land. We drove through a section of it and it was nice, but the visitor center was not where our GPS claimed, so we were unable to get any details about it. We then found, but couldn't access, the last park on our adventurous schedule- Sky City pueblo homes perched atop a cliff. On the way there we passed a group of frantic looking Native Americans. We assumed they were selling their art. When a group of people waves wildly for you to stop, you might consider listening. We didn't.
We continued the drive and finally pulled into the visitor's center. It was there and only then that we learned that visitors can only come on the weekends. We managed a quick view of the homes above us and returned to the highway.
Our adaptation of Thanksgiving meant we didn't have to wait as long as most do to eat. An instant Thanksgiving breakfast buffet! This also meant naps by noon. A full day of strictly lounging. Of course nothing was open anyway. Our feast had to be tailored to present circumstances, but we creatively ensured we weren't missing anything. This meant substitutions like Jojo's for mashed potatoes, cranberry juice for sauce and green bean surprise (the surprise being it was cold and clearly not a casserole).
In the evening we watched the delightful Moonrise Kingdom, the sweetest of love stories, especially considering the lovers are twelve and awkward and in Wes Anderson's twee, custom wardrobed universe. Apparently Black "Friday" now begins on Thursday evening and many people are serious about it. There was something very strange and wrong seeming about being in a Walmart filled to capacity with thousands of Native Americans on Thanksgiving having the same consumer lust as everyone else.
Inscription trail at El Morro
Inscription trail at El Morro
Ruins at El Morro
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