safely there

Finally we pulled up to the gate of Bandelier National park. The Ranger was there to direct us to a camping site among the trees. We were pretty burnt out, so we set up and then just relaxed. The next morning was dedicated to housekeeping chores, but after lunch we got to go out and visit a few cave dwellings and kivas. My sons and I did the Junior Ranger activities and earned a patch apiece. I usually was not a participant, and at 15 years of age, my older son was often not eligible, but here they encouraged everyone to do the activities in the name of education. A thought provoking question was, “How do we convince people not to put graffiti on the cliff walls…” My 12 year old’s answer was “I don’t think you can. It is human nature. You can do what you can to discourage it, but after all, isn’t what the Anasazi were doing in cliff paintings about the same thing?”