Okay, so I'm posting earlier than usual. I can't wait to tell you where we went this week. So I met some other moms that home school and they invited me to go with them to Chimney Rock! I hadn't heard of Chimney rock unitl recently and had been asking Ian to take me there. We drove past it last weekend and I was so excited to see that there was another adventure so close to us (it's only 30 mins away.) So when the other moms invited me, I jumped at the opportunity. We worked our tails off on Monday to get ahead with our work and Tueday we set out for Chimney Rock. We took a self guided tour with our new friends and were able to see some of the remnants of what use to be a large Native American Settlement. They estimate that there was about 2,000 Native Americans living in the area at it's peak, which is a really large settlement. The trail was pathed which was great for the stroller and the views were breath taking, but I really wanted to get closer to the "Chimney" The boys we're just happy to be with other kids and they ran ahead, as the moms were huddled around each plaque, trying to figure out what we were looking at. Classic!
It was decided that our group had too many little ones to go to the top but our guide had activites planned for us such as; grinding corn, pounding yucca into threads and spear throwing. Pounding yucca was a huge hit with the kids. So if you're looking to keep your kids busy, you can give them some yucca plant, wet it, hand them a rock and tell them to get their aggression out. Who knew? Wrex of course loved the spear throwing. Even I tried it. It's not called a spear, it has some strange name, that I completely forgot. There's a leather strap that you put the spear into and then throw it like you would a baseball. Good times.
Anyway, it was time to go and the guide had offered if anyone wanted to go to the top. At first I thought, I'll just come back with Ian. As it turns out, they close for the season on September 30th. So it seemed like it was now or never and this is one of the main reasons I wanted to come on the road. To experience with the kids, things we normally would not be able to. So up we went! (The only downside, was I had to wear Waylon in the front pack, which did my back no favors) It was amazing! We we're lucky enough to have a private tour and she was so patient with the kids and stopped to show us ant hills and show us where past structures had been. When you climb up, you get to pass the "Great House" that is still standing. It's a massive structure made of rocks and adobe. It is amazing to see and walk on these rock walls that have been there so long. So we made it to the top and made a memory. I was so tickled to find out they made this site a National Monument yesterday. What a special opportunity the kids and I have to explore this part of the country. That same day, Ian brought home a cup full of arrowhead pieces. We're headed somewhere else pretty special this week. In the words of a great Pixar movie "Adventure is out there!"
http://www.chimneyrockco.org/mainnew.htm
Resting on our way to the top!
Standing in what use to be the "Great House"
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