Niki’s no-no
One item on Jalene’s bucket list was a ride on the steam train from Durango to Silverton. We were both excited to see the spectacular scenery on the 45 mile ride. I called ahead to ask if Niki could ride along with us and was told only service dogs were allowed on the train. We considered leaving Niki with Ann for the day. I decided that it would be too traumatic for Niki to be left alone all day based on her past behavior. I wish we had more time to try and leave her alone with Ann for awhile and observe how she behaved because I could see Jalene was very disappointed. Chuck suggested a plan B for us. We would spend the day visiting some sites that most tourists don’t take the time to visit.
Our first stop was the Sand Island petroglyphs near Bluff, Utah. Do you know the difference between a petroglyph and a pictograph? Of course you knew that petroglyphs are created by carving, engraving, or scratching the rock’s surface in order to reveal the lighter layers beneath and pictographs are images and designs made by painting on rocks or in caves. From the parking lot there is a short, easy climb up a sloping trail, I made my way up slowly while Jalene and Niki scurried to the top.
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The next stop on our list was Mexican Hat Rock. Can you tell how it got its name? Driving there was through spectacular views of rock formations. The road ended for us at the base of the rock formation because of a steep grade that I determined only a four wheel drive vehicle could negotiate. It is one of Utah’s most unusual rock formations.
A short drive from Mexican Hat Rock is Goosenecks State Park, a winding River canyon formed by the San Juan River. Be sure to corral your little ones when getting out of the car because of the minimum number of safety rails at the edge. It’s a sheer drop off! Chuck was gracious enough to let me use the composite picture that he created in my blog. Thanks Chuck.
It’s getting late and the Sun is lower in the sky, ideal to view the many rock formations in the Valley Of The Gods, formerly part of Bears Ears National Monument but was excluded in 2017 by then President Trump. I’m sure there are names for all the rock formations we saw. Get ready to drive off the pavement, we didn’t need a four wheel drive but I would not recommend going down this steep and winding road after a rainstorm. The road was bumpy but there was no need to drive fast because every turn revealed magnificent views.
