Billmeyer Family Vacation - Part one

We've been gone on a family vacation! The Billmeyers (Gramma, Grampa, Jess, Erin, Emma, Ginny, and the three of us) headed out to Durango, CO for a week of fun and adventure. I've got a boatload of photos to go through and I'm trying to whittle them down so as not to bore anyone too much. Even still, I think I'll break them up into a few parts.
Part one - Mesa Verde
Just a short drive from Durango is Mesa Verde National Park. We spent a day exploring the cliff dwellings and hiking the Petroglyph trail. Gramma was an excellent trail guide, spying neat rock formations and tiny lizards. She led the way on the hike (mostly to keep the kids from arguing over who goes first) and had us all spotting the yucca plants and cactus flowers.

Walter climbs down into a 'kiva' in the cliff dwellings.


Gramma, the trail guide.



The rocky terrain didn't slow the kids down.

The Petroglyphs.

The view from the top of a Mesa.

At the end of the day the kids handed in their completed Mesa Verde booklets and were sworn in as Junior Rangers. It was a tough test to pass, but they all came out proudly wearing their badges.

What a great family of hikers! (Please excuse Walter's grump face. He'd like no more pictures. Ever.)