Chaco Canyon NHP

Last weekend we took a trip down south to Chaco Culture National Historic Park.  What an amazing place!  The canyon was littered with Chaco Culture ruins that dated back as late as 850 A.D.  The best part was that you could actually walk through the ruins into several of the rooms within the buildings.  There were also numerous backcountry trails that we are gonna go back for as well as biking trails.  Check out some pics:

The Pueblo Bonito. 

Emily, investigating the ruins. 

A Kiva in the Pueblo Bonito.

Brasstown Bald

On Memorial Day weekend in 2005 we took off for our second highpointing trip.  On May 29th we arrived in northwest Georgia to knock off Brasstown Bald (4,784 feet).  It was only a .5 mile walk up to the highpoint from the parking area, but well worth the views.  If memory serves, I believe we had to pay a parking fee. Three bucks maybe?

The Drive:  From Blairsville, GA, drive 8 miles south on US 19.  Turn left onto State Highway 180 and drive another 9 miles.  Turn left onto State Highway 180 Spur and continue 3 miles to the parking area. (a bike race that Lance Armstrong was in was held there just a few days before us. people had written "Go Lance Go" all over the road)

The Hike:  You can locate the paved trail next to the gift shop and hike the short .5 mile to the tower on top of the mountain.  Return to your car the same way.

 Emily stops along the trail for a picture.

JD, as high as he can get on the tower.