2016 Year in Review

We left Mesa in April and spent two gorgeous weeks in Sedona where we enjoyed several hikes.  My perennial favorite is the Teacup trail with its view of Coffee Pot Rock. 

Continuing north, we stopped at several national parks, beginning with the Grand Canyon. 

Then we joined up with sister Diana for visits to Zion,

 Bryce Canyon,

 Capitol Reef,

 Grand Teton,

 And Yellowstone.

We said good-bye to Diana and moved into Idaho where we saw a marriage proposal at pretty Upper Mesa Falls.

 We spent awhile in central Idaho, loving the beauty of Redfish Lake and the Sawtooth Mountains,

Then moved on to western Montana’s Bitterroot Valley.  The Blodgett Canyon Overlook view reminded me of Yosemite Valley.

 After crossing Lolo Pass back into Idaho, we stopped to admire the giant Western Red Cedars in DeVoto Memorial Grove.

Then we continued north through Idaho.  After stops in Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint, we hit our northernmost point in Bonners Ferry where we hiked to pretty Pyramid Lake.

 We traveled southwest across Montana to Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.  Straddling Montana and Wyoming, it’s a spectacular place.

 On our way south, we drove through Wind River Canyon and stopped in Poudre Canyon.   We spent two weeks in the Denver area to celebrate Ron’s birthday with his family.  We enjoyed several nice hikes including the Fountain Valley trail among the red rocks in Roxborough State Park.

 Bishop Castle, located southwest of Pueblo, Colorado, is a very unique roadside attraction and one man’s lifelong project.

 After stops in perfect Salida and Pagosa Springs, we hit New Mexico, where our highlights included Abiquiu Lake . . .

 And nearby Ghost Ranch where we hiked the Chimney Rock trail.

 We made a stop in historic Santa Fe, and then moved on to Cochiti Lake where we visited Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks NM.

 One of the highlights of our summer travels was the spectacular Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.

We finally made it to the interesting Cat Walk in southwest New Mexico, which just reopened in May after a disastrous flood in 2013.

 From Silver City, it was a fairly long day trip to Gila Cliff Dwellings NM, but we had never been there so off we went.

 And our last high point before returning to Mesa in late October was a return trip to awe-inspiring Chiricahua NM.  What a place!