On the Road Again

The next leg of our road trip was Santa Fe to Aspen.  I think this has to be one of the most beautiful drives in the country and not one you would make unless you happened to be driving from Santa Fe to Aspen.  There are 2 small towns along the way and lots of wide open space.  It is so peaceful.  We left early in the morning which made the drive even more spectacular.  We love to stop and hike in the Sand Dune National  Park.  These are the tallest sand dunes in North America.  I was glad that we got there before it got too hot, it can be a very challenging hike.  We didn't make it to the top-maybe when K is a little older and I am not in flip flops.

Dramatic contrast of the sand dunes against the alpine peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains

A couple of llamas along the way

Continental Divide at the top of Independence Pass

Santa Fe

Our next stop was a couple of nights in Santa Fe.  It felt like heaven when we got out of the car, the air was cool and had the wonderful smell of pinons and sage brush.  We relaxed in Santa Fe and hiked, biked, swam  and K went horse back riding.  

K's Big Summer Adventure

K and I took a very ambitious road trip this summer.  We drove from Atlanta to Dallas where we spent 5 nights.  Then we drove from Dallas to Santa Fe for a few nights and then to Aspen for a week.  Our trip back home took us through Colby, Kansas, Kansas City and St. Louis.

We had a wonderful time in Dallas visiting old and new friends and spent a day at Hurricane Harbor to get out of the heat.  It was around 105 every day that we were.  I didn't take any photos in Dallas.  This is the first photo I took on the trip when we were in Amarillo on our way from Dallas to Santa Fe.

K at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo

Traditional Summer Fun

Summer isn't complete without at least one outing to a baseball game.  K isn't a big baseball fan but she loves all the junk food as evidenced by her orange lips and teeth from too much orange drink and and too many Doritos.

Michigan

Fourth of July weekend.  Tons of fun with Bev, Peter, Mackie, Allison, Lila and new baby Maxine.

Mackie teaching K to skim board

Taking a car ferry across Lake Michigan

Happy 4th!!!!

We are off on a road trip to visit many cousins.  Our road trip includes crossing Lake Michigan on a car ferry.  Will post a lot of pictures when we return.  This picture was taken during K's first week in America.  The picture was taken at a party that celebrated Winston (our Jamaican) becoming an American citizen.  K and Winston became citizens the same week.  When K traveled to the United States from Kazakhstan she came here on a visa but became a citizen as soon as she entered the country.  I had an envelope of paperwork that I got at the American embassy in Kazakhstan that said "DO NOT OPEN".  In customs in Atlanta there is a special area where we went and handed over the paperwork and after a short wait they gave me back some papers and said "Welcome to America" to K.  A few weeks later K got a letter from George Bush welcoming her to America.  This letter is one of her prized possessions.  She loves to read the letter and says "George Bush, JUNIOR!" and giggles after the Junior.  Happy 4th!

Decatur Beach Festival

Sand. Food. Games. Bands. Very hot. And a giant gorilla. The end.