The Four Corners

Remember the movie A Walk to Remember? And you know the part where Landon takes Jamie to the state line so that she could cross being in two places at once off her bucket list? Well when I was a kid I thought that was the coolest thing ever. My mind was completely blown when my mom told me about four corners, where four state lines come together and you can be in four states at once! So when mapping out our western road trip we had to make it one of our stops. So after Mesa Verde we headed to the state lines. We were hungry but wanted to get there before sundown, so trail mix and beef jerky were our sustenance as we rushed off to our destination. It was a good thing we did too, because the place closes at 5!! We pulled in at 4:45, I'm still amazed we made it in time. This is like a total road time stopping point and they close?? I was not expecting that. But we made it, and we had the place to ourselves. So we took our pictures then were rushed off the grounds by workers wanting to go home. As we were pulling out a car with California license plates pulled up. I felt sorry for those guys. But really, they close?

Mesa Verde

Don't mind me over here. I'm still talking about our summer vacation. But to be fair, while the rest of you are enjoying fall I still have my ac on full blast. 

 

^^Balcony House^^

^^Cliff Palace^^

In the middle of July my Mom and I started the drive from Florida to her home state of Colorado. We got there just in time for the Manassa Pioneer day Celebration. We spent time with family and traditions I remember from my childhood summers. After the Celebration we had a week before our Thomas family reunion in Moab, so we made a western road trip out of it. So once Adam and Blake joined us we hit the road to Mesa Verde. I'm sure you have seen pictures of these amazing ruins of the ancestral puebloans (a new word I learned on our trip) who built their homes on the side of cliffs. Well it is not a disappointing view. You are able drive around and see lots of ruins. But a must stop is the Cliff Palace, you can take a tour but we just looked out in amazement at the largest cliff dwelling in the park. Then we got back in the car for our Balcony House tour, because you actually get to walk into the dwelling. My mom took a field trip to mesa verde in the second grade and all she would remember was climbing the "big ladder". We had a guide the whole way and if you are like me you will love all the interesting facts about these ancient people. 

Manassa

At 8,000 feet in the Rocky Mt. is where you can find the San Luis Valley, and there lies a little town called Manassa. 

Every year on the 3rd weekend of July you can find the population of my Mom's little home town of Manassa grow from 1,000 to 3,000(+/-). Family from all over return home for what is called the The Manassa Pioneer Days Celebration. Yes, they celebrate the pilgramage of the Mormon pioneer more then just one day. They Celebrate two, one for the Utah pioneers and one for the Colorado pioneers. Plus celebrating two days is always better then one. Growing up we would make it back to the valley almost every year. Playing with cousins, doing crafts with Nana, riding horses, carnival rides, and the three wheeler, jumping or spending the night on the tram, kick the can, swimming in the hot spring or the canal by Nana's house, misquote bites, M Mountain Video, running the Pioneer Day 5k, going to the cabin, living off of otter pops, candy we caught at the parade and hamburger stand hamburgers (not just any old hamburger). I have not been able to make it out to the Celebration for a few years now, so I was really excited to go back to see family and show Blake my Mom's home town.

Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Part I

Pioneer Day Parade and Celebration.

8:00am Pioneer Day 5k at the Dempsey Park

Fun fact: Manassa's clam to fame is Jack Dempsey was born there.

Yes, that is a little middle school age boy beating me... lets just say we were a little tired coming from Florida and running at 8,000 feet. But I did pass him right before the finish line and had a headache for most of the day to prove it. 

Before the parade we stopped by the amish bake sale for some fresh amish donuts. 

10:00am Parade on Main Street

Homemade apple and rhubarb pie.
Thanks Sami!!!

6:00pm Demolition Derby at the Fairgrounds

10:00pm Carnival, Fireworks, and our last chance to stop by the Hamburger stand.

The Hamburger Stand:

Maybe this needs a little more explanation. My whole life when we got to Manassa during the Celebration my mom would be so excited to get "hamburger stand hamburgers". We would wait in line for what seemed like hours to a little kid, all along the way my mom would be introducing me to people that I was some how related to and old friends she went to High School with. She would always say, "If you want to see everyone in town just work at the hamburger stand". You see it used to be that all the farmers would donate a cow to the hamburger stand and that would be how they made the hamburgers patties. Lets just say it was top quality stuff. Things have changed a little now because of the FDA. But they still have a yummy familiar taste you can only get in the valley. 

Part II

The Cabin

There are a few things I love most about the cabin some of which are, sitting on the old wooden fence talking, humming birds, the beautiful old red piano, paint ball, murderer in the dark, hikes, exploring, laying out on the back porch looking for falling stars and being away from everything... everything except family.

I really want to have a piano like this in my house.

Blake and Robert (my 7 year old cousin) had the idea of catching a chipmunk. So after rigging up this little trap, and waiting...

they caught one.

After catching the chipmunk Robert took Blake out to shot some water bottles. 

Then we drove up the mountain with Mom, Aunt Char and Uncle Nathan for a tour of the Platoro Dam. After we got a bite to eat at this cute high mountain restaurant.

Later that night we had smores by the fire place and made our oreo's extra double stuffed. 

Nothing can compare to sleeping out on the front porch with the cool clean air and almost a defining silence.

We only got to spend the weekend with our wonderful family in Manassa Colorado but we hope to go back soon. Maybe in the winter to see some snow, or for another Manassa Pioneer Day Celebration.