Petroglyphs

When we were kids, visiting the Petroglyph National Monument was a big deal.  It felt like a long drive and a tough hike to see the petroglyphs which we did once a year or so.  Now, the city has grown so much that it is a 10 minute drive from Mom's home.  We hadn't gone in years and decided it was wroth a trip out there.  It was a beautiful day and we were just minutes away.

We swung into the visitors center and discovered the parking lot was packed due to a special event with a Senator visiting to publicly announce his support of a conservation initiative.  Lyn was able to find a seat on a bench despite the crowd to watch the Eagle Dancer who was the final agenda item for the event.  We were then able to access the Visitor's Center where we learned that the best path for someone with a cane was the Boca Negra loop, two miles up the road.  So back in the car and up to Boca Negra it was!

Looking up the bluff at Boca Negra

Boca Negra

We all started up the path a Boca Negra.  It was steeper than we realized, rising a couple of hundred feet in a short distance.  Lyn made it about 100 feet up the path before she panicked and had to be helped down.  At the base of the hill, there was a shade shelter with seating.  Mom led here there and told the rest of us to take our time.  It turned out to be the best decision.  The path is narrow and rough.  There's no way Lyn could have successfully managed the ascent to the top and the descent would have been a dangerous venture.  I'm not sure Mom's knees would have made it either.

A Boca Negra petroglymp

 While my family and I continued to the top and back down, Mom and Lyn rested in the shade and chatted with a family visiting from out of state.  There were two more paths at Boca Negra, but Lyn was done for the day.