Chimney Rock and Papa arrives!!!

6-24-16

DAY 6

We woke up in Alamosa, CO and cleaned our car (which needed it badly). Our plans were to just to make our way to Durango, CO, but my mom saw that the Chimney Rock National Monument was on our way so we decided to stop there. We found out that the last tour was at 1pm, so we had to  beat feet to get there on time. The road took us through a long mountain pass and we ended up barely making it in time for the tour (they held the shuttle for us because we called). Driving up to Chimney Rock is really impressive - the rocks on top of the mountain  look supernatural.

At Chimney Rock, we had a really knowledgeable tour guide named Alan. There was also a woman who knew a ton about plants. We learned about the ancient Puebloan People who lived from 800-1100 AD. Some of the ruins had been excavated and some had been reconstructed. The theories that archaeologists have come up with about these people and their way of life fascinating. Lots of connections can be made between celestial events and what happened to these people. Also, descendants of these people have been able to contribute to recreating what has happened based on stories that have been handed down over generations. Here are some pictures of the ruins. Check out the impressive building techniques (note that this was done on top of a mountain!). This tour was super educational and well done - it was definitely worth doing.

Our next destination was Durango, CO. We went swimming in a small river and even saw a moose. There was a really fun playground that even had musical instruments in Durango. We ate in historical downtown at Olde Tymers and then had a treat of some super tasty ice cream. But, the best part of the day is that Papa joined us!!!