Even in the middle of winter, a hike through the canyon at Bandelier National Monument, located near Los Alamos – a manageable hour ride from Santa Fe and less than two from Taos – is comfortable thanks to the shining sun. Girlawhirl can only imagine how hot it must be in the middle of the summer. Miles of cleared trails gave Girlawhirl and her Pal lots of fresh air and scenery to take in as they made their way around the marked loop.

But this park isn't just about trails and nature. There are artifacts to explore, ruins to discover and even cave homes dug into the canyon walls to explore. So when Girlawhirl and her Super Pal took off from the Visitor Center – with trail map in hand and tips from the very helpful park rangers fresh in their minds – they were completely ready to take on Frijoles Canyon and get a firsthand look at the lifestyle of the Native American Pueblo people that occupied the area. Ancestral Pueblo people made the canyon their home from 1150CE through the 1500s when they moved to pueblos on the Rio Grande because of a drought and because the land could no longer support their community.

As they climbed the reproduction ladders into the cave rooms high above the canyon floor, her Super Pal remarked she felt as if she were running around a jungle gym for adults. Girlawhirl completely agreed. She felt a bit of a strain while climbing and then remembered that she was at 6,000 feet elevation, much higher than her home. But it was well worth it to take a hike back through time and see ancient cave drawings up close and personal.

Back in the Visitor Center, they were able to warm up and get a look at many of the personal artifacts recovered from the canyon. And Girlawhirl couldn't resist picking up a few vintage postcards in the gift shop to send to friends who were unable to join her on the trip.

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