Summer Vacay

Summer Vacation

So this is the year of the educational summer vacation. Every year we try to alternate between educational and just fun. Last year was disney, with a few museums thrown in around florida and alabama because lets face it people.. It's me. If there is a museum in the 100 mile radius we will goto it.

So this year we decided to check out New Mexico. Lukas is very interested in astronomy and loves looking at stars. So we decided to add a stop at McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Texas to our trip. It was awesome , amazing, breathtaking. WE got there for the twighlight party and then stayed for the star party. We almost didnt stay for the star party because it didnt start until 9:30 at night. BUt the bys begged and pleaded so we did. You could see the whole Milky Way. It was Amazing ! Then they set up 9 telescopes , the boys saw saturn, and a star formation ,a  star explotion and tons  more.

We also went to the original Fort davis to see how seetlers lived.. Not so impressed but it was a museum with in 100 miles. :)

Next stop... Carlsbad Caverns.. Jason and I were leary of this hoping we had not just driven 14 hours for a cave.  We were not diaspointed. We had heard it was huge but that did not do it justice. We took a tour the first day and then watched the bats fly. That was really pretty cool. Then went back the next day for another tour.

waiting on the bats

Very cool place..

This was white sands national monutment. This was WAY cool!!! THe sadn was bright white and in every direction. IT looked like you were on the top of a snow covered hill. IT was amazing!!!

Tubing down the hill.. Our first try..
We found bigger hills and you guys loved it. We thought we would only be there like an hour but we were there for like 5 hours. It was a ton of fun!

Sandia Peak!!! WE took the Tram all the way to the top and had lunch at the top of the mountain. IT took 20 minutes in the tram, It was 10,000 feet above the ground, We saw a black bear climbing arounf the mountain fromt he tram.

We hiked and hiked for about 3 hours.. It was amazing I loved loved loved it and so did the boys..

probably shouldnt be goofin around 10,000 ft above sea level but meh..

This is the Bandaria National monument.. It is a bunch of cliff dweeling, that you can actually climb in and  hang out. You can see Hieroglyphics on the walls and you can see where the walls are burned from them having fires inside.. IT was very cool.

On the way home we stopped at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Cadillac ranch is where you get to paint on old cadillac . There are 10 of them dug into the dirt halfway in some old ranchers land.