My MIL was here for a visit this weekend, and so, you know... we do what you do when out of town guests arrive - you take them to things in your backyard you never go to.
We do live close to Bandelier National Monument, but we live even closer to the Tsankawi site which is part of Bandelier, housing Ancestral Pueblo people ruins. We drove the 5 minutes from our house to the site, and enjoyed the 1-1/2-mile walk on Sunday with my MIL. The site is beautiful - really breathtaking views of the cliffs and the fall foliage, even from the parking lot.
The hike through the site is not super easily accessible - there are 3 wooden ladders you have to climb up and/or down, and a lot of the footpaths are cut into the rock with drop-offs on one side, and some of the footing is a little tough. It was well worth it though. You climb up the first ladder to get up onto the middle "step" that runs along the side of the mesa. From there you have to scramble up some narrow passageways to reach the mesa top.
Once you do that, tho, you are awarded glimpses into hewn-out cave dwelling areas.
There are tons - TONS - of pottery sherds all along the pathway. These were my favorites. (Seriously. These are next to the trail. I don't have a telephoto lens. There are signs asking you to respect the artifacts, and we didn't pick up anything or take them with us, but you can squat down next to these and LOOK at them at arms' length. Very cool.)
There are also a lot of petroglyphs in the rock walls along the mesa face. You can see the spiral/whirlwind-shaped one in this picture pretty easily. (Click to embiggen - there are others on that wall if you do).
Several human figure ones, serpents, and what looked like some kind of horse (my camera had a hard time with this one as it was farther away). The entire area is filled with all kinds of evidence of the people who lived here. A stunningly beautiful place.
We were moving along as there was an incoming storm and we didn't want to get caught up on the mesa top with bad weather, but D and I are planning to go back and take a little more time and some more pictures with his good camera this fall.
I think my MIL really enjoyed the weekend - she and D also went to Bandelier while I worked on Friday and we went up to Georgia O'Keefe's Ghost Ranch on Saturday, but you know... pony rides are always fun too.
All for now......
Anne, that is one of my dream walks. I've always wished I had a place to walk that had petrogylphs. Go back soon and take those pics! Sounds like your MIL must have had a great time.
Posted by: Judy | October 18, 2010 at 06:08 AM
Great photos and I love all the pottery that is around.
Posted by: Christina Scovel | October 18, 2010 at 06:23 AM
You live in such a rich area. You will tell us about Ghost Ranch, right?
Posted by: margene | October 18, 2010 at 08:20 AM
Lovely! Another place I'd like to visit.
I love the photo of Pam on Bhen - wonderful!!
Posted by: Cathy | October 18, 2010 at 08:55 AM
It's so easy to overlook the things that are right in our own backyards. Mainly, I think, we know we could go there anytime so we don't! Love the photos - your environment is so completely opposite of the northwest.
Posted by: Toby | October 18, 2010 at 08:57 AM
Wow! Some pretty historic sights there. The rock paintings are awesome. Thanks for the look-see from my desk!
Posted by: Nancy | October 18, 2010 at 01:56 PM
Oh, those ladders! We didn't hit that part of Bandelier, well, it might have been closed when we were there in February, but we did go up and down a few of those and it freaked me out, LOL!
I wish we would have gotten to the Ghost Ranch, but alas it had to wait for another trip.
I still can't believe we were so close to you and didn't meet up. Next time!
Posted by: Kristi aka FiberFool | October 18, 2010 at 03:18 PM
We loved Bandelier when we were out your way two years ago (before you moved there!), and by the way, the gift shop has GREAT jewelry. Just saying.
Posted by: Marcia | October 18, 2010 at 03:26 PM
I do not wish to contradict you, professional horsewoman that you are, but PONY rides are not fun. I once cohabited with a Pinto. Angry, spiteful beast. HORSES, on the other hand, are generally quite civilized.
Posted by: Marji | October 18, 2010 at 06:29 PM
That looks like an awesome place to explore.
I don't think Bhen is going to appreciate being called a pony. He may not speak to you. Until you come with food.
Posted by: Cheryl S. | October 19, 2010 at 09:04 AM