Last weekend I took a little road trip up to the Jemez Mountains, which are north west of Albuquerque. I hadn't been up there and there is a ton of stuff to do in this area, so I thought I'd take a little trip through and see the sights. I didn't venture too far off the road since I was by myself (and I forgot to bring a leash for Frazier. I'm a bad dog owner.). The mountains are beautiful, though; lots of hiking possibilities. I checked out a couple campgrounds and went on a couple short hikes. The wildflowers were in full bloom with all the monsoon rains we've been getting. It really was beautiful and I can't wait to get back up there sometime soon and do some real hiking. I'm excited for winter too; there are lots of places for cross-country skiing, and also lots of hot springs - a great combination, in my opinon! I didn't make it to Bandelier National Monument, which supposedly has a lot of really interesting Native American ruins. I definatley want to check it out another time. I drove through Santa Fe, but didn't really stop. That will be another trip, too.

I did stop at the Tent Rocks National Monument, though. Very very cool. All kinds of weird rock formations. I wish I had a geologist around to explain all this stuff to me... oh yeah, she'll be here in two days!