Bandelier Hiking Adventure

A few days ago Maria and I went to the Bandelier National Monument (http://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm) with some friends. It was an excellent adventure! They had a junior ranger program for the kids, which is an activity book they give for the kids to complete. It contains relevant information for the park and teaches them about the forest. It also keeps them occupied so a 3 hour hike turns into playtime! After completing the activities they got to recite the junior ranger pledge and got a sew-on "badge".

Here are a bunch of pictures from our hike! (Don't forget, you can click on the images and see the big version of it)

Maria, Ainsley & Keira

If you look closely you can see a petroglyph of a sun 

Inside one of the 'caves'

Junior rangers in progress

Maria had to go in almost
every single one she could
fit in

We climbed several of these.... 

Maria... she looks so grown up... *sigh*

Looking into one house that went further back
(we couldn't go in this one)

Inside a house, looking at its windows

Petroglyphs that have been preserved with glass

We didn't climb this one, too high for the little ones! 

Learning about tree rings

Picnic lunch