Colonel Alexander-Fritz

What a WONDERFUL occasion!  Matthew and I were very fortunate and proud to be part of the happy crowd celebrating Jen's promotion/pinning-on of colonel.

We were able to meet parents, siblings, grandparents, friends... It was definitely a day of joy!
I was not able to get photos of everyone, but these awesome characters are a few of those who were involved in the ceremony.

Brother Mark and sister-in-law, Sass
Mark was recognizing the people who came to the ceremony.

Tom (Jen's Husband) and Ed (Jen's Father)

The pinning-on--
Ed, Tom, Jen, Sass, and Mark
Chloe, the young girl in front of Jen, sang the National Anthem--WOW!

The two Colonels--Ed and Jen

Jen, Matthew and I are two of your greatest admirers!!!  We love you, Tom, and both of your families and family friends!  Thank you for all you have contributed to the US Air Force and for all you've sacrificed to maintain our country's safety and positive international reputation.

Sedona, AZ

We were only able to stay one night in Sedona, so Matt and I decided to do two activities.
1.  A tour over the Sedona area in a helicopter--

Matt got a front seat!!!

Trying to see around Matt's "big head" in the front seat!  SMILES!

Outside the side window

Bell Rock, Sedona, AZ

AND
2.  A visit to the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park--

Smaller Buddha on the path to the Stupa

Top of the Stupa 

Buddha above the Stupa

Prayer flags at the top of the Stupa.
It was becoming cloudy and windy...

Sedona is GORGEOUS!  This will definitely be a town/city we visit again.  There are so many hiking paths and spiritual opportunities...

Drive to Sedona

Katie, you were oh-so-right!  It was a beautiful drive from Flagstaff to Sedona—Hwy 89A.  
Nothing more needs to be said...Matt and I were both transfixed.

Flagstaff, AZ

We stayed at Fort Tuthill—nice campground with some good hiking trails…

First trail

The dude at the information desk said that it was an easy to moderate 5.5 mile trail.  So, Matt and I left without water bottles, phone, money, and map.  Yep, DUMB!

The first 4 miles were fun.

The next 2 miles, we followed the wrong path...Matt somehow realized that we weren't going in the right direction and wanted to ask the next person we saw. (Personally, I think he was just tired and wanted to finish the walk.)  Two very friendly women told us that we were indeed headed in the opposite direction of the campground.  So, we turned around and retraced the 2 miles.  In total, we hiked about 9 miles.  

Matt trekking ahead

Mountain Bluebird?

Cool long-earred squirrel

Second trail--

Matt refused to go, so we left for Sedona.  SMILES!

Mimbres NM, Glenwood NM, and Eagar AZ

These are all wonderful small towns (west central NM;  east central AZ)

Mimbres NM—GREAT restaurant--Mimbres Café (the restaurant with an outside courtyard).  Our waitress made the desserts--Cajun Bread Pudding, Triple Chocolate Cake…and about 6 others.  (My mind stopped taking in information at “triple chocolate”!)  She the cake was glutten-free; it was168 calories per slice.  No, it wasn’t just a sliver of cake with a finger-lick of icing.   It was a large wedge of cake smothered in deep chocolate frosting.  It was amazing and tasted decadent!  Her story (and I tend to believe her) is that she is working with Betty Crocker.  She has a number of recipes they would like to incorporate.  This 70-year-old woman has had her own local cooking show.  She has taken cooking and baking courses around the globe.  I know, too good to be true.  But if you get there, and you eat one of her deserts, let me know if you too think her yarn must be true.  

We stayed at the Mountain Spirit Campground in Mimbres…this place had the cleanest and nicest campground bathroom I have EVER used!!!  For me, that was enough to “circle the town on my map!”

Santa Rita Copper Mine near Silver City, Hwy 152

Glenwood NM—We didn’t stop, but I was intrigued as we drove by.  The little town had trees!  The post office was attached to a small market that was also the office for a quaint hotel/motel.  There were other similar multi-purpose buildings in the town and a 3-site city campground just north of the Glenwood “bustle”.  The place deserved a day.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have one.

Eagar AZ—We did stay here.   Again, small town, but unique.  It had this odd new-age feel.  Strange given that this is cowboy country.  Matt and I had the BEST coffee on our trip—Java Blues.  I highly recommend a stop here.  We did not get to explore Eagar as much as I would have liked, but the coffee alone made the stop and the town memorable.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, NM

This too was an amazing day. The drive on Hwy 15—breathtaking.  Now, mind you, it is not for the weak-of-stomach.  If I hadn’t been driving, I would have been “visiting the side of the road”--often!  I tried taking some pictures, but the splendor and vastness refused capture. 

The Cliff Dwellings were built by ancient Puebloan people from the Mogollon area.  (Different from the Puebloan people further north.)  There were originally about 40 rooms built inside five natural caves.

This area was later home to the Apache who migrated to the upper Gila River in the 1500s.  The legendary leader, Geronimo (Goyahkla), was born near the headwaters in the 1820s.

Okay, I know, enough history.  It is just fun to read and see how everything ties together--places and names from early social studies classes come roaring back and facts connect with other knowns.  I think it is nice that some things we were taught in grade school are worth remembering.

Gila Cliff Dwelling
The photo below--looking out the cave

Looking back across the largest cave

Structures in the smaller second cave--notable "T" window/door shape

Gorgeous, but like I said, it doesn't touch the reality of the view

I was standing in the same spot, just focusing in a different area.

Rock Hound State Park, NM

I was so excited to get here!!!  Matt and I immediately hit the trails.  Although the flies were obnoxious, we both enjoyed hunting for rocks—thunder eggs, jasper, agates, etc.  We won’t get to stay long…might be a good thing.  I already have about 10 lbs. of rocks to mail. 

Seriously one of my favorite NM state parks!

On our way out of the park, we navigated around a Catholic procession.  There must have been between 200-300 Hispanic people (young and old) walking on ½ of the road following a beautifully decorated float with a life-sized statue of _____(Sorry, I was more interested in looking at the people and their faces…I think it was the Virgin Mary, but Matt thinks it was Jesus.)  I got the chills; both Matt and I cried… It was a very reverent touching procession.  It was a gift.

Climbing the trail

Looking back at the campground (high-center of the photo)

Matt holding part of our treasure

We found some great rocks in this area

desert sunset

White Sands Missile Range, NM

Matt’s “ultimate” museum—military!  The White Sands Museum and Missile Park were well done—informative and visual. 

Patriot Missile

Various missiles in the park at White Sands

Matt's favorite missile...it comes with a tank!

The mountains and area around White Sands--beautiful and dry!

Roswell, NM

What can I say, it was within 80 miles…Matt and I enjoyed the UFO Museum in downtown Roswell—he liked the pictures and the sci-fi movies being shown in one of the rooms.  I enjoyed reading the affidavits of witnesses and the “evidences” of a cover-up.  Makes you wonder…

 

Now this...this was a bit bizarre 

Matt enjoyed looking at the pictures of UFOs

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

The system of caves—IMPRESSIVE!  I had been here as a child, but remember being more enthusiastic about the huge number of bats flying out of a cave for their evening feast of insects.  This trip, no bats (they won’t migrate here for another month or so), but the formations in the cavern and size of it—oh-my-gosh!  Even Matt was overwhelmed and excited.  We were able to do a self-guided tour of the Big Room and a guided tour of the Kings Palace.

Stalagmite (huge!)

Matt taking a break

Draperies and a column

draperies (my favorite formation)

Drapery and soda straws

A pool of water

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX

Gorgeous mountains!  Matt and I mostly hiked in this park.  We stayed only one night because the campground was just a parking lot.  The host was great, but sleeping so closely to your neighbor, not so much.

Driving up to the Guadalupe Mountains

Hiking on the Devil's Hall trail

In a wash along side the trail--cool tree with red markings.

Monahans Sandhills State Park, TX

We found heat!  (Never mind that the wind followed us.)  The first day in the park, we walked around the campground and picnic areas, visited the nature center, and picked-up roadside trash.  The second day, we PLAYED!  Matt used a saucer to sled down the dunes.  We were both a bit disappointed that the experience wasn’t more of a thrill.  The saucer had no speed, and finding steeper dunes within walking distance was a challenge.  (Yes, both--walking in the sand AND finding a worthy sandhill.)

Sandhills just outside our RV

   

Plants and flowers in the dunes.

Matt prepping for the slide

Matt was tenacious!  He wanted to find the perfect dune!