Carlsbad Caverns National Park
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This is the Big Room in Carlsbad Caverns. Limestone was dissolved by the sulfuric acid-laden water. This created the Big Room. Later, minerals in dripping water created beautiful formations. |
Roswell, New Mexico
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The UFO Museum and Research Center is a great place to visit for any UFO enthusist. If we had known they allowed cameras inside, we would have taken them in and gotten some pictures. Maybe next time we go visit. Also, we might take the tour to the crash site that they offer next time we go visit |
Hyland Hills Water World
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Water World is the largest family water park in the United States. We had lots of fun there, went to both big wave pools and one of the slides. They had so much to do there, we just didn't have time to do it all. We were there for 4 hours. |
Heritage Square Alpine Slides
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We had alot of fun going down the slides at Heritage Square as well as doing some shopping for things we did not need but we did want. Other words, souvenirs and gifts. ;-) |
Yellowstone National Park
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This is the Mammoth Hotsprings in Yellowstone. We didn't get a chance to visit them. They are at the N. gate of Yellowstone. We did visit the West Thumb gyser basin, Old Faithful, and another gyser basin. |
Craters of the Moon National Monument
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The two splatter cones. These where formed when the lava would come up and splatter all over. We also went into two lava tubes, one called Boyscout Cave and the other Beauty Cave. The Boyscout cave had ice in it, and the Beauty Cave was just one huge cave with ceilings going to around 13 feet high. |
Shoshone Ice Cave
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This is the first room in the Shosone Indian Ice Cave. The ice block is 1000 feet long and varies from 8 to 30 feet deep. This cave is a guided tour. We took the tour in and really enjoyed walking through. I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt and was a little cold. Once we came out tho, I was hot. Sorry, but the pictures we took came out very blurry, so I have decided not to place them here. |
Arches National Park
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This is Turret Arch looking through the North Window Arch. turret Arch is named for the tower that ascends from one end. We visited the Windows Section of the park, where the North Window Arch, South Window Arch and Turret Arch are located. We hiked around there, but for the rest of the park, we drove through. |
Four Corners
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The Four Corners area of the United States. Only place in the whole continental United States where four state touch each other at the corners. Also the only place where you can literally stand in four states at one time. The four states are Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. There was also alot of little shops the Indians put up where you can buy geniune indian made jewerly or pottery. Everything you can buy is hand made. |
Petrified Forest National Park
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You can see different hues of gold, red, blue, and other colors in the rocks. The Petrified Forest was once a great forest, like the National Forest of Pikes Peak. I think this great forest fell and all the trees became rocks is from when the meteor hit just a few miles south at the Meteor Crater. Just my opinion. But it is interesting to see all these rocks that were once trees, some you can even make out a few rings. |
Meteor Crater Natural Landmark
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A nickel-iron meteorite crashed into Earth almost 50,000 years ago. It splashed over 175 million tons of rock into the surrounding area. It resuilted in a crater that is about 4150 feet in diameter, about 550 feet deep, and around 2.4 miles in circumference. We didn't have time to walk all the way around, but we did walk in about 20 feet. |
Grand Canyon National Park
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Over time, the Colorado River has formed the walls of the Canyon. And to this day, the Colorado River continues to carve the walls of the canyon. The Grand Canyon isn't one single canyon, but a multitude of several canyons. Other smaller rivers that join the Colorado River have also aided in the formation of the Grand Canyon. |
Watpatki National Monument
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Watpatki Pueblo near Flagstaff, AZ. It had about 100 rooms. There is also a large variety of artifacts and architecture included in one of the northern rooms and in the large community room. The ancestral pueblo people lived her less than a hundred years during the 12th century. They then moved on to the Hopi Mesas to the east. Today, both Hopi and Zuni have ancient clan ties to these ruins. |
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
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Iron oxides and sulphur provided the distinctive red color on the summit of the Sunset Crater. We didn't get any pictures here because we didn't stay long enough. Also, there wasn't a trail that led up to the Volcano. |
