A Narrative Journey Into the U.S. National Parks and Around the Globe
The second largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park, Long House is also one of the most isolated: Reaching the complex requires a lengthy drive from the park’s visitor’s center, a tram ride, and, finally, a mile-long hike through the backcountry. So, when our tram puttered to a stop beside the trailhead, I hopped …
Fluted vases proudly positioned themselves beside short pots with geometric designs. Starlight radiated from bowls with glossy finishes, and horse hair burned into the glaze of an ostentatious amphora slithered across its surface. Everywhere I looked, pottery crowded wooden tables and glass shelves, each piece vying for my attention. Heather and I had just finished …
In the heat of the early morning sun, Heather and I made our way down a narrow gravel path to an outlook already clogged with hiking boots and dusty tennis shoes. After checking the time, I milled over to a wooden fence to look out over the valley below. This was our second day in …
Less than a mile after we had pulled out of Four Corners Monument, we crossed into Colorado, the only state of the southwestern quartet we hadn’t yet visited. As we drove, the land rippled in anticipation of the Rockies, and grass appeared where only sand and stone had for most of our travels. Tucked into …
The Barefooted Soul 