This is going to be a quick blog post. I hate to post quick ones, but it was a quick hike/adventure also. All of our camera's were non working this day, so I apologize for the picture quality. We were using our I-Pod. A fun toy indeed, but maybe not the best device to snap far away shots with. I can tell you that this was a beautiful journey and the pictures do not begin to do it justice.
So many trails so little time.
A few weekends back the kiddos and I ventured to the out skirts of the big city of Benson, Arizona. Benson has three exits off the highway, so it can not be all that small-right? Benson is also our family's new home, so it will be the starting point of many a future adventure. I have an entire blog post of just pictures from this great town coming. And sadly it is going to be longer than today's post. This fine evening we drove to Kartchner Caverns state park to go on a ranger lead hike by the glow of the moon light! At $6.00 for a car load of people, this is a great, affordable place to explore. We had hoped to arrive early enough to check out the huge visitors center. But it was already closed. This gave us lots of time to check out the surrounding dessert. Almost too much time. This was not just any moon lit hike, it was during a Super Moon. Were the Earth is super close to the moon, in retrospect, and it appears full and in all of it's shinning glory. That is as scientific as I am going to get today. We had plenty of water, flash lights, and a snake bite kit.
Above is a great statue you pass on the way to the caves.
I have never before seen so many handicap spaces.
I have to add here--that before the hike, I tried to tell the kids about an older magazine, and Ranger Rick. They of course had never heard of any of this, and if you reading this, have not either, I will feel even older. Thanks. Anyways I jokingly tried to explain that our tour guide, might very well be Ranger Rick. As we waited in the Amphitheatre for the hike to start, a park ranger appeared. Our oldest ran up to him and to my embarrassment/amusement asked if his name was Rick. It was not. Above is the poor ranger. His actual name is Mike.
Also not Ranger Rick.
Almost though ;)
Still waiting for the hike to start...
Fake cactus are safer than others.
Close up of our youngest. It is almost as if he is in 3-D!!
Less safe cactus than the one above
Our oldest lost his footing at one point and tried to fall into a cactus is the only reason I bring all this up. He is fine, but we did learn that if you encounter a cactus with small needles, to not pull them out, but to use a razor. It supposedly is way less painful.
We had several expert tour guides on this hike.
And a large group of explorers of all ages.
There was about 100 people on this trek.
To many for my tastes, but the kids seemed to have fun, and the views were nice.
It was also nice to have a park ranger trying to answer the kids questions, for a change.
Many other kids were along on the hike, and each soon had someone to hang with.
The full moon much earlier in the day.
Back to the hike.
The moon rose early.
And just kept getting better and better.
Again I am sorry it is so hard to see in these pictures.
At one point those that wanted to could explore further up the trail.
We chose not to--it was already a 2.5 mile loop tour as it was. And this way we could stay with much of the group.
Visitors center at dusk
We returned down most of the trail before it got fully dark.
But it was plenty dark enough to get use out of our flash lights/ might light sabers!
And now to start a new feature----
Can you guess were I was exploring/job hunting last Friday?
Again the date stamps are screwed up on these pictures.
Put your answers in the comment section for this very blog page, on my Facebook page, or e mail me dirrectly with guesses or complaints at pontos62or@yahoo.com
Answer in my next exploring blog post!
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