Posted at 2:21 pm by NativeNM, on October 20, 2026
If you are ever visiting Michigan, stop by the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids. You could spend all day walking through the park where the exhibits change with every season and there is always something new to see. Michigan is where Joe grew up and most of his family still reside there. Last year we visited on a gorgeous day in late May; the flowers were in bloom, it was sunny with the perfect temperature for a walk around the park. We had a tight schedule so we didn’t get through all the sculptures and exhibits on that trip. We enjoyed it so much we hoped we would have the chance to go again one day. In late September this year we were fortunate to be in Michigan and visit the gardens and sculptures once again. The exhibits were in true fall fashion with pumpkins of every size, shape and color with Halloween themed sculptures. This year there was a Chihuly exhibit with beautifully blown glass sculptures throughout the park. The Japanese garden pictured above was one of our favorite parts of our walk around the pond with waterfalls along the way. Let me show you some of the highlights of this beautiful park. Maybe I can inspire you to visit one day yourself!
My journey in blogging began 15 years ago today, back when we were living in Olathe, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. In the early years my focus was all about food and recipes. This anniversary I want to reminisce on the travel adventures that Joe and I have shared over the last 8 years. I had always dreamed of going home to New Mexico but there would be a lot of bingo balls to juggle in order for that to happen. I dreamed of traveling the state and taking pictures of the places I remembered growing up and the new places I had yet to explore. In 2018 an opportunity came about for Joe to work remotely within his company. It would allow us to move without Joe having to start all over. Cameron decided to remain in Kansas City and Josh was on a year long visa in Australia traveling and working at an observatory giving stargazing tours. Our boys were clearly starting their own lives so we jumped at the chance to start a new adventure of our own. It was scary leaving behind 25 years worth of memories in KC, but there hasn’t been a single regret and honestly Joe and I are happier than ever. We made an agreement that we wouldn’t waste a minute and we would never become complacent to stay at home. We created a bucket list and have pretty much checked off that list one by one. We have traveled all over the state with a hiking folder of over 75 destinations checked off and counting. I’ve only posted a fraction of the places we’ve traveled to, but today I would like to share a few of our favorite destinations that are historic, interesting and beautiful. If I had to pick one place that calls to me it would be Ghost Ranch. The picture above is from the Kitchen Mesa Trail, it’s the hardest trail I’ve ever hiked and the most rewarding. The views from up high on the mesa are about as majestic and beautiful as it gets. Don’t stop now, there’s a lot more to see!
Chaco Canyon located in the Four Corners area of New Mexico is the remains of an ancient civilization that began in the mid 800’s. Over the next 300 years, ancestral Puebloans aka Anasazi constructed several communities including single story and multi story stone buildings using techniques that were unique for the times. Every construction was like a community, some having hundreds of rooms. The architecture alone is amazing, oriented to solar, lunar and cardinal directions. By the early 1100’s, Chaco Canyon was a ceremonial and economic hub. It was considered a central place binding regional tribes together for ceremonial get togethers as well as trade. By the late 1100’s the Chacoans shifted in focus to other regional areas such as Aztec, Mesa Verde and beyond. There is evidence that water once flowed through the arroyo near Pueblo del Arroyo which may indicate that climate change could also be a factor why they dispersed to other areas. It’s amazing to see these villages that were built so long ago still standing and here for all of us to witness. Within Chaco Canyon there are many communities with ruins spread out across the canyon. Some are built with such sophistication it makes one wonder how they gained the knowledge to design and construct such precise curved walls, round kivas and multiple stories of rooms. Where did they learn the masonry techniques which still stand today? Chaco has been on my bucket list for the longest time. Our first visit was in May of 2021 touring the many ruins, walking within the walls learning the history and getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Now we’ve returned a year later to hike along the Pueblo Alto trail which overlooks the canyon to get a birds eye view of the ruins below as well as the landscape of the canyon. The architecture is stunning and takes you back in time wondering how they did it.
Update: We visited Chaco Canyon on 3/29/26; I took some additional pictures and have updated this post. The news of today is that the Indigenous Leaders and New Mexico Political leaders are trying to stop the current federal administration from reversing an order to ban all oil and gas developments within 10 miles of the Chaco site. The decision may come within the next 7 days in which the public can come together to make their case to save Chaco. I have made my comments known on the matter and hope that a lot of other people will do so as well. It would be a disgrace to the history and culture of this sacred site if the ban is overturned.
Posted at 1:16 pm by NativeNM, on October 24, 2025
The White Ridge Bike Trails and Dragons Back is one of New Mexico’s natural wonders. The area is full of white gypsum which is visible all along the trails. We hiked the White Ridge Loop in March which is approximately 5 miles. And just recently we hiked Dragons back. Both trailheads are gorgeous with colorful landscapes to see along the way. It’s one of those places that we never tire of, it calls me back over and over again. The trails are wide open with little shade so we avoid going in the heat of the summer, but as soon as the weather turns cool we are ready to go back. The gypsum rocks you find along the way are like a snowflake, no one rock formation is the same, they are all unique. And those artistic dead trees that have so much character; it’s as if they are sitting there waiting to be photographed in front of a beautiful backdrop. Dragons Back is a long ridge that spans over 7 miles out and back. We hiked along the spine in early October under a partly cloudy sky which made for some amazing photos as the sun peeked through here and there. Enjoy nature and get outside for a walk, it can lift your spirits in so many ways!
If you ever feel like taking a trip back in time, El Morro National Monument and Inscription Rock is the place to visit. There are 700 years of history starting with the Puebloan Ancestors who built dwellings on top of the Mesa. According to NPS History, Atsinna Pueblo is the largest of the pueblos atop El Morro, dating back to 1275. The Spanish Conquistadors arrived in the 1500’s and in 1598 Don Juan de Oñate officially colonized New Mexico. He is believed to be the first to inscribe his name in the rock dated April 16, 1605. The Mexican-American War (1846-48) made New Mexico a territory of the United States. The US Army surveyed the area for a route west as a new wave of Americans ventured westward. As they traveled through, they added their names and sometimes a message to the rock which became “Inscription Rock”. There are more than 2000 inscriptions and petroglyphs that are visible today. I have to say that this is one of my favorite places to visit. It leaves me in awe to see the beautiful landscape with all the natural formations as well as the historic Inscription Rock. I hope you enjoy taking the hike with us!
Posted at 9:33 am by NativeNM, on October 18, 2024
It’s been 6 years since Joe and I moved back to New Mexico. It’s been my dream to explore all the natural wonders of our state, creating a diary of our travels through photographs. Many of those places have hidden treasures that can only be found by hiking to them. Along the way we’ve been compiling photos of all the wildflowers. After the monsoon rains in the summer, the wildflowers begin to bloom and we’ve been fortunate to find many of them. We routinely find a variety of flowers at the Valle Caldera, the Sandia Crest trails, El Morro National Monument and even the trails close to home. Truthfully, Joe and I spend hours and get lost in thought while taking pictures of flowers when we go hiking. He keeps track of our miles and how fast we are walking which slows to a snails pace when we reach a valley of flowers. I particularly love cactus flowers. Those colors are my colors, from the sunshine yellows, to the peach colored orange to the vivid pinks. The cactus above is located on the Riverside trail in Rio Rancho. The trail from Riverside heading north is covered in Prickly Pear Cactus and when they begin to bloom there is nothing more beautiful. You can hear the bumblebees buzzing from flower to flower until their legs are heavy with pollen. If you are into wildflowers or any flowers for that matter, you will love the unique wildflowers of New Mexico.
Posted at 10:46 am by NativeNM, on September 24, 2024
Red and Yellow Dahlia
Our day at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens was one I will never forget. We arrived early to find the flowers still dotted with dew. The dew on the plants and flowers made them so vivid and bright, it was like an added texture on top of their natural beauty. The gardens are part of a 47 acre area with 4 miles of trails, with trickling streams running through it along with a path that leads to the ocean. We spent hours walking the trails and taking pictures of the colorful flowers. There were many garden collections but the Dahlia Garden was my favorite with every color of dahlia imaginable. I wish I had a knack for gardening, I would fill my yard with so many colorful flowers. It’s just not in my skillset, Joe will tell you that I kill every plant I touch. But for me, the next best thing is visiting a botanical garden and taking photos so that I can revisit them. After looking through all of them the red and yellow dahlia was the one I kept going back to. There are so many to choose from, take a look and find your favorite!
Posted at 1:01 pm by NativeNM, on September 16, 2024
September has always been our favorite time to get away. After Labor Day, traveling is less expensive, less tourists, and cooler weather. It’s the perfect time for a coastal vacation. Joe and I have been longing for a relaxing few days near the water and after many considerations we decided on Northern California about 3.5 hours north of San Francisco along the Mendocino Coast. We stayed in a vacation rental located in Westport along scenic Hwy 1 on the California Coast. The rugged ocean cliffs, sea glass beaches and beautiful flowers were the main attraction on this holiday. We spent a week taking in the beauty of the rugged ocean seaside, exploring the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens and Muir Woods. And on our last day we spent a day in San Francisco retracing some of our favorite spots from our last visit in 2014. We so enjoyed this magical place where we could explore a little piece of the California coast away from the most populated tourist areas and still be wowed! Tag along on our journey and you too might be persuaded to visit the Coast of Northern California.
Tsankawi Prehistoric Site is a separate part of Bandelier National Monument; located approximately 12 miles from Bandelier off of State Hwy 4. Tsankawi is a 1.5 mile loop that literally follows the footsteps of the ancestral Puebloans. It is believed that they first occupied the area around 1400 A.D. The trail loop is a path that has been worn into the rock as the natives traveled from the mesa tops to their farms in the canyons below. There was a village built on top of the mesa out of tuff stone and mud. It was roughly rectangular in shape, with about 350 rooms and an enclosed central courtyard. The trail leading to this area is closed at this time, however we were able to see the homes that were built along the base of the cliffs. They dug cavates out of the soft tuff stone known as talus pueblos. Taking photos from within the caves are quite beautiful; you can see the landscape and sky through the holes they created. There is definitely a door like opening with smaller holes that appear to be windows to let in light and the blue skies above. The most amazing part of the loop is the centuries old footpath that has been worn though the soft stone which look like footsteps or a smooth narrow trench. When on top of the mesa, you can see the vast landscape for miles with Los Alamos in the distance. Following the path of the native ancestors left us with a feeling of being transported in time.
See header photo in color as I take in the landscape.
This post is a bit different from my usual travel posts. I thought these photos would be worthwhile in black and white, but I had no idea the dramatic effect they would have. While traveling and hiking across New Mexico, I try to showcase the colors, textures and landscapes that I find quite beautiful. On this day we attempted to find the elusive Talus Slot Canyon. This was our second attempt and both times we’ve failed, however it was one of the most beautiful days I’ve ever experienced. The summer monsoon had drenched the thirst of our arid landscape turning it from a wheat color to vivid green. The clouds were abundant in every shape and size giving the landscape a moody atmosphere. As we headed out we were aware that it might rain at any moment, so we took caution as the Talus Canyon Trail is an unmarked trail through a dry creek bed and rocky areas. On Hwy 84 just a mile or so past the turnoff to Abiquiu Lake there will be a picnic/parking area on the south side of the highway. Park here, then walk across the highway to find the trailhead. There is a visible footpath but if there has been any recent rainfall, the footprints are likely to be washed away so be aware and use your trail app. Once you head back into the Talus Canyon the view is breathtaking. Whether in color or black and white, the Talus Canyon Trail is one of my most treasured places to hike.
