Road trip across America… daily reflections by Ema and Elle.
By Ema ~ I awoke at a rest stop near Meteor Crater, Arizona, but already passed it by a mile and to get back the other way on the freeway and drive the 10 miles out from there would take to long to do unfortunately. I realized it existed last night while looking for a place to stop, yet Elle was already asleep and I had no way to research where to exit, so we passed the Meteor Crater. The rest stop was named the same and I had hoped we could somehow see it today, but after calculating it was too far, we started our day with a little hike right there at the rest stop. The land look like a moonscape, red and curvy. We collected rocks and a few photos.
While driving we past signs for the Petrified National Park and decided we had to at least make a quick stop, as we both love trees and rocks, and this was both in one.
We started at the Visitors Center and got our Junior Ranger book. I was still feeling a little rough and knew we did not have enough time to drive the entire park and to the other visitors center at the other end, so we stayed there to complete our book requirements and would do the rest of the book in the park as we could.
We always try to complete our books fully, but sometimes we have to get our badges at the Centers and then complete them as we explore. We were lucky that the lab for the paleontologists was open and we got to meet them and learn about what they do in the park and what they have discovered here.
After we earned our badges we entered the park and drove to where the old Route 66 once merged with the park, but now does not connect, and then turned around to get back on route. We stopped and checked out a few views along the way.
After we left the park we stopped at a place called Indian city. Elle disappeared to the restroom and returned with news that her first moon had come. We went out to the van to get what she would need, but in the few minute we were away the shop closed. I could see the women still inside and knocked. When she came to the door I explained the situation and she let us in. She was so kind and shared with us a book about the young women in the Navajo tradition and how they celebrate this time in their life. It was really a magic place to have such happen. There was even a red teepee outside and the earth was red too. I got Elle and my Mom each a copper bracelet to remember this day and place. We are now planning a kinaalda for Elle, like what the young women do in the Navajo Tribe. We shall take inspiration from them, and create our own tradition to pass through the generations.
I continued to drive and we reached New Mexico at sunset.
By Elle ~ Today I woke up to the flies… buzz buzzzzzz. We got ready and collected a bunch of rocks from this little mountain no taller than me. We put them in our Uhaul and headed out. We drove until we found a Loves. I got really excited when I saw they had the Love Home Arizona magnet, because we wanted it. Anyways because we saw it yesterday and missed the store before they closed. We got our magnets and a veggie delight from subway and drove until sissy saw a sign telling us about a National Park. That was a Petrified Forest and it was on our route, so we decided to go there for Jr Ranger. We met a paleontologist. We were there for like 3 mins and continued our book, but went back later to learn some things for our Jr. Ranger book because we could not visit a spot. While doing so we met another one that worked in the field and got the bones from the ground, along with Nicole the one that cleaned the bones. After that we went through the park some more. We went to the gift shop and got this necklace for sissy, Stella, Luke, Eli and I. The Navajo made them for the kids to keep away bad dreams and evil. It basically does what a dream catcher does. I found this amazing bracelet which made me feel really weird, but a good weird. I had connected with it like no other thing and I had to try it on. It was a really magic bracelet. Sissy decided to get it for me. After more of the park we and finally left to drive some more. After a few minutes of driving we were coming up to a Indian village and I told sissy I had to poop. We pulled over and went to the bathrooms. Sissy went to look around in the shop while I did my business. I started and everything was normal until when I wiped there was blood on the paper. I knew what this meant and hurried up and told sissy what happened. She said this was a magic thing and got all excited. We ran out to the car to get supplies and went back in. But it was closed. We told the Navajo lady what was going on. She let us in and told us we should close the door and closed it. Even though there were stalls in the bathroom. After sissy wanted to get me something to remember this moment. We chose a copper bracelet that’s adjustable, so it should fit me for awhile. The Navajo lady told us how her culture celebrates this and showed us a book telling how there culture does it. We got these things and went out side. There was a red tepee and sissy told me about how in biblical times the women had a red tent and would moon together, the girls who haven’t yet started would care for them, and how it was magic that there was one. Now we are driving into the night. I’m sitting here nervous, with the stars gazing around me.
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