Navajo Lake and Chimney Rock National Monument

 Bucket list check.  Got to Chimney Rock NM yesterday.  But first went to Navajo Lake - what were we thinking? If Vallecito Lake is low, we should have realized that Navajo would also.  Nice camp grounds around Navajo Lake but so sad that so many boats on land and not in the water. Colorado had very little snow this past winter - which relates to snow melt filling up the reservoirs.  Extremely dry, fire bans for everything.

Looked around a bit at the campground and then decided to head to Chimney Rock NM.  About 20 minutes more north and west.  We have driven past this monument and said, some day we will stop and look.  Glad we did.  Tells the story of the Ancient Peoples and how experts THINK that the two large rock chimney-like were used for celestial navigation.  Every 18.6 years the moon rise is exactly in the middle of the two spires.  The experts also believe that people did not live there full time, but came up to the place for ceremonial activities.  Other peoples in the area are Navajo, Utes, Hopi.

Was a tidge rough walking up to the settlement, and very warm. We got there at 11:30 and we were one of the last ones to make it to the top.  Impressive.  When we left and headed back to Bayfield/Vallecito, we again saw the two spires and said - finally we know what that's about.  Worth the stop for those that like history and reading/studying the Ancestral Peoples.

How low the water is on Navajo Lake

See how steep the bank is on left

What we saw for years - finally visited it

Gotta climb to the top of that mesa

Everyone stopping to get their breathe

Looks like ants coming up path

Almost there

Made it. Phew

Impressive - can't go any closer

Vallecito Lake Vacation

We finally got away from Tucson's heat.  We left Saturday, July 25, at 7am and the temp was reading 86.  Already.  Drove north thru ShowLow and on to Holbrook and picked up I40 east.  In Gallup, NM we headed north towards Shiprock and the Navajo Nation.  Then we moved east bound towards Durango and got groceries before final destination of a small town called Bayfield - actually we are in Vallecito.  Pronounced Vie-ah-sea-toe.  Spanish for little valley.  The Ancestral peoples - Anasazi - were in the area for at least a thousand years.  These same people are noted for Mesa Verde National Park and for the Four Corners region with the Ute Nation.  One of the places we want to FINALLY visit is Chimney Rock National Monument which we have driven past at least 6 times over the 20 some years as we visited Colorado.  Never stopped.  On our bucket list this time.   

The Spanish came through, then the miners for gold/silver/whatever and settled in this southwest area of Colorado.  Many Spanish naming of things.  Hence Vallecito.  Hard to remember to pronounce it correctly.  Due to flooding from the Vallecito Creek, and the need to collect and conserve water, Vallecito Dam was built in 1940.  And you can see that this past winter was not kind to this and many areas southwest.  The water level is so low.   Many places are for sale - hard to get to the lake.  And the marina has more boats up on land or moored way out - have to take a canoe or jet ski to it.

After getting in Saturday we spend the evening gawking at the views.  And we even strolled down to the water where we have a stand-up-paddle board and a canoe at our disposal.  We hope to try it out.  Saw some Bambi's and lots of chipmunks around.  Very quiet here, the smell of the pines, hearing birds chirp - lovely. Temps in the low 80s and night about 66.

View looking down to the water

Small boat moored - SUP going by

Our view from the living room

Our deck looking out over the lake

Steep climb down to the water

Water's edge

The SUP and canoe await us

Last Day In Brookings OR

 We are sad that our little vacation is coming to an end, but glad we got our water 'fix'.  We had lived in a home right on Lake Erie what we called our beach home, and it was a lovely home, then went full-time in an RV with no home for 12 years, then going back into a home in a super arid HOT desert climate in Oro Valley Arizona - well, sometimes you just have to go back to what you knew. Nothing compares to living right by the water.  So very peaceful.

Fog coming in

Lots of fog coming in!!!

Yep, got here

We both went crazy taking pictures, I know it will take Dave probably a year to go through his.  I saved mine for future - I see a couple of quilts with sea stars and crashing waves and sunsets on them.  We did go to the local quilt store and she was wiped out of fabric and patterns, a shop-hop had just happened and she had not restocked.  Gives me time now to think about what I want to do, and design it.

I fell in love with sea stars.  And was on the hunt for sand dollars, only broken ones.  Sea stars - oh my - I had never seen them before.  I talked with a local shop owner about finding sea star trinkets, and she told me that if we had come last year, we would not have sea stars out on the beach.  About 10 years ago a mysterious die off happened and she said 95% of the sea stars died by 2023.  She said that dead ones lined the beaches.  People were told not to pick them up - unsure as to bacteria or what caused the die off and warned people it could be a health problem.  She said there were so many - and huge - it was so sad to see.  People went crazy buying anything they could trinket wise and house accessories while this was going on, she cannot keep any trinkets even now.

Last night a very dense fog rolled in about dinner time.  It looked like it was going to rain.  Almost lost sight of the stacks to the right where Harris Beach is.  A commercial fishing vessel anchored off shore and it was there all night.  We think it had crab pots.  We think.  About 7:15 this morning it pulled anchor and left.  

Lights on all night - cool

And we will miss seeing bathing beauties on the rocks in front.  Every evening sea lions come up on the rocks and stay the night.  By mid morning, when the sun gets higher, they slide back into the water.

Small rock in front of large -
look at white stuff on it - sea lions

Hydrangeas are in full bloom.  So many different colors.  So pretty.

Beautiful lovely time here.  Not looking forward to the drive back - got about 1400 miles to home.

Visit to Harris Beach State Park

One half mile from where we are staying is a state beach called Harris Beach.  This beach and state park was named for George Harris, a native of Scotland who settled on the property in 1871.  He raised sheep and cattle and his descendants donated the land to the Curry County in 1925.  Since then state of Oregon acquired the land and is now part of the Samuel H Boardman State Scenic Corridor.  Many beaches, sites to view sea stacks, points of interest are part of the 12 mile corridor along the coast. 

View from the entrance

Since the park is so close, we decided to see what the draw was, and because we can see people from our balcony in that direction, let's see what it looks like from the beach to us.

Lots of driftwood

Dropped down to the water' edge and walked north taking pictures as we went.  We could see how busy this particular park would be on weekends - there's camping with full hookup, day use, picnicking.  And very close to town.  Not too busy.  Many families with small children.

Fatty

This one was about an inch big (or small)

Of course, I got my sea star fix.  Tide was low so we were able to wade in closer to the sea stacks. Saw a group of children with live crabs - an older brother was catching them and bringing it to them - sorta a hands on training session for children.  Nice to see that.

Brrr - someone snorkeling

Sea stars everywhere

So peaceful on the beach

Found some redwood driftwood, lots of shells and rocks, but no sand dollar.  This beach is known for that, but I guess I'll just have to keep looking. After awhile we turned back and walked more south and we could see our place from the beach.  How cool is that! Look where point of arrow ends - that's where we are staying.

When we left the sun had burned the fog away so we drove back to Natural Bridge to see that.  When we were there the sun was not up high enough to show both arches.  Very cool.  Glad we went back.

View from other day

Much better