This morning was another beautiful day. Our first stop was The Telacote Cafe for breakfast, WOW! Pictures and details tomorrow. After breakfast we took off for Bandelier National Monument, Jemez Mountains and Los Alamos. Los Alamos is the home of the "Manhattan Project" and the continuing development of nuclear weapons and power.
On the way back to Santa Fe we stopped at another pueblo, "Pueblo de San Ildefonso", Po-Who-Ge-Oweenge (Where the Water Cuts Through). Around 1280 to 1500 AD, the ancestors of the Pueblo people migrated from Mesa Verde to occupy the mesas and cliffs of Pajarito Plateau. The present day pueblo has a community of 1500 residents. It is known for it's pottery. The Martinez family developed the world-renowned black on black pottery with black matte designs. We saw some beautiful pottery work and we both found jewelry we liked. I found a ring and Carol found some earrings, both pieces were made by the same family. This pueblo also charges for a "photography permit", $10.00, we decided against the permit since the pueblo was only open to the public for one more hour. We stopped at one of the Indian owned casinos to get diesel at their store, it was $3.85 a gallon.
Back in Santa Fe we stopped at a knitting store for more beads or buttons and for Carol to check it out. Then a quick stop at the grocery store and dinner at the Creek and a relaxing evening. We were both tired after a busy day of touring and hiking.
Pictures of a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake we found I'll post in another day or so.
Looking down into "Frijoles Canyon" were ancient Pueblo people built villages and cliff dwellings. Archaeological surveys show at least 3000 sites in Bandelier.
The village of Tyounyi in Frijoles Canyon. Continuing excavation was being done during our visit. 
An artists rendition of what the village looked like in the late 1400's.
A few of the 600 rooms estimated in the Tyuonyi village.
More of Tyounyi village
One of the 3 great kivas in the village. In the artist print you can see the locations of the 3 kivas with roofs intact and ladders going down through openings.
The cliff dwellings incorporated caves, called cavates that were partially made by nature and also dug out. Most "cavates" had a stone dwelling built in front of it. Smoking the ceilings or blackening the ceiling in the cavates harden the stone causing less crumbling.
Another cliff dwelling with original support beams and built directly into the face of the cliffs.
Carol climbing up a ladder to look inside dwelling with cave.
Ancient art work back inside one of the caves.
This is the "Macaw Petroglyph".
Carol going down the narrow steep stairway leading to the valley floor.
Through this narrow canyon was the original entrance and exit to the canyon and trail to the crops on the mesa.
This is the lush valley floor only a few hundred feet from the dry sand and rock of the dwellings.
Standing close to the year 'round creek and looking through the trees toward the cliffs and dwellings.
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