We eagerly headed out on our first hike, conveniently just metres from our camp. We were headed for Sand Dune Arch and were all excited to be out on such a beautiful day.
Yasemin and Max were on the lookout for treasures. Yasemin proudly discovered a small animal bone and while Max was hunting for Lizards he had his first mishap with a cactus.
But even Max's upset could not ruin the magic of the surroundings. He quickly forgot his injury with the discovery of the first arrowhead. But the real delight was the amazing Arch.
After a quick lunch we headed down to check out the visitors centre so the kids could collect their Junior Ranger booklets and we could get some advice from the Rangers regarding some of the more challenging hikes as it was starting to get late and the sun started setting by 4.30pm.
I was fascinated by the books and artwork for sale. I was particularly interested in a box of greeting cards featuring posters from the Works Progress Administration circa 1939. Between 1935 and 1943 the WPA project printed over 2 million posters in 35,000 different designs to stir the public's imagination for theatre, education, health safety and travel. Due to their fragile nature only 2,000 have survived. The National Park Posters shown below are examples of 4 such designs.
With the light fading fast we headed to visit Balancing Rock with a few photo detours along the way.
We were chasing the light and not winning.
And then - magic happened! The light was amazing and in the perfect position to photograph the enormous boulder precariously balanced.
We headed back to camp to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings - Turkey, Ham, Stuffing, Roast Potatoes, Snow Peas and even Cranberry Jelly! This lavish spread was made complete with Pumpkin and Pecan Pie.
Today I was very thankful for family, friends and the wonderful opportunities we have had this year.
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