Jason and I have gotten in the habit of taking trips with my parents and sister every summer. I guess we like each other enough not to seek a cure for this habit. My sister suggested we visit Durango this year and that’s how we found ourselves there a few months later.

Jason and I have a different vacation style than many members of my family; we are ever ready to discover new places and try new things while others prefer just chilling. Fortunately, we rented a lovely home that made relaxation and exploration simultaneously possible.

The Durango fire, known officially as the 416 Fire, started just days before our excursion. It made the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad inoperable and tourist destinations like Purgatory inaccessible. We didn’t waste time crying over spilled embers though.

Our first day in Durango, we shopped on its adorable Main Ave and squeezed in a trip to Aztec Ruins National Monument in New Mexico. Aztec Ruins, despite its name, has nothing to do with the Aztecs. (Those silly Spaniards thought every native was an Aztec.) Instead of Aztecs, Ancestral Puebloans were the monument’s former inhabitants. Over a thousand years ago, these people created this sophisticated community near the Animas River. I was surprised by the refined design elements incorporated into their structures. At Aztec, unlike other ruins, you can actually go through a number of the site’s 400+ rooms. It definitely merits the drive from Durango and is different than what you see at Mesa Verde.

No trip to Durango would be complete without investigating Mesa Verde National Park. We spent a day there; we could have easily spent a couple more. We did the Cliff Palace and Balcony House tours. Cliff Palace was physically difficult for some members of our group and Balcony House was a heights challenge for others; I’m A-OK with adrenaline spikes and muscle contractions when timeless curiosities are involved. We also drove along the Mesa Top Loop to sift through hundreds of years of the Ancestral Pueblo civilization’s evolving architecture.

After our packed day in Mesa Verde, some members of our group needed a breather. That breather came in the form of escaping from a room at Conundrum, painting nails, and binge-watching Stranger Things.

Our last day in Durango began with a hike in the San Juan Mountains on the Colorado Trail. The Colorado Trail crosses 500 miles of the state’s rugged terrain. We took it long enough to cross the Junction Creek bridge, about 5.5 miles. It was a bit muggy that morning, but the creek provided some toe-dipping diversions.

Although the ride home would have been wearing enough on its own, Jason and I made several not-entirely-on the-way stops in route that extended our travel time further and resulted in a return after 2:00 AM. We checked out Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, a stretching preserve that contains the highest concentration of archeological sites in the U.S. Over 6,000 have been recorded within its borders and a total of over 30,000 has been estimated. We visited its Anasazi Heritage Center, along with the Dominguez, Escalante, and Lowry Pueblos. Lowry Pueblo was our favorite of these. On Lowry’s windy plateau, we ate a peaceful picnic of salsa and chips while the stones of a remote civilization hummed a quiet history.

Our last stop was Hovenweep National Monument. Although a bit isolated, Hovenweep was both a curious and astonishing marvel! There, tall towers of remarkable complexity pack the rim of a small canyon like a prehistoric city block. These structures look almost medieval with their turrets and defensive positions along the ravine’s brim. Many were constructed so close to the canyon’s cliffs that chunks of them have crumbled into that gully over time.

Durango was a historic trip with many historic moments. We witnessed the remains of some remarkable cultures, got my sister hooked on Stranger Things, and got my mom to play a board game. (Say what?) We also got a hint of the power behind the 416 Fire as smoke infiltrated the air and ash drifted down on our heads. Dang Durango!

Ever since Jason and I explored Escalante last year, we’ve been eager to hike through Coyote Gulch, which is located in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. I convinced a surprisingly-large share of my family to join us for a journey into that scenic gully this spring.

Coyote Gulch is a slim 25-mile canyon with walls up to 900 feet high that eventually unites with the Escalante River as it flows toward Lake Powell. Coyote Gulch’s verdant ribbon of cottonwoods and willows is hidden beneath scorched sandstone cliffs; the presence of desert pixies and imps feels almost certain amongst its secret streams and curious alcoves.

My family was spread out between Escalante’s limited hotels, cabins, yurts, and camping spots as we prepared for our trek. Jason and I stayed at Escalante Yurts again because we adore that place. Out of the sixteen family members that came to Escalante, fourteen convened early the morning of our hike ready, or not so ready, to commence our adventure.

There are multiple spots from which to enter Coyote Gulch. Since we were not camping overnight, we opted to start at Fortymile Ridge and take the Sneaker Route. The Sneaker Route dives over 100 feet into the canyon at about a 45-degree angle in a location close to Jacob Hamblin Arch and other notable features. Ropes are not essential for this class-5 drop, but they are essential for those that would prefer not to tumble down what is essentially a cliff. We used ropes.

Once inside Coyote Gulch, we wandered to both Jacob Hamblin Arch and Coyote Natural Bridge. Then, we split up, and some of us pursued ancient ruins while the rest of us searched for a pictograph panel, the Black Lagoon, and various waterfalls. Jason and I were among the three members of the latter group. We didn’t find any lagoons, black or otherwise, but we had a great time investigating.

After hiking ten miles, many of those through a few inches of water, the blisters on our feet were as inevitable as the boisterous retellings of our victory. Yet, all our trekkers had a splendid time, including the ten-year-old.

The next day, Jason and I hiked through Escalante Petrified Forest State Park with my sister’s family. The Trail of Sleeping Rainbows was just as cool and colorful as we remembered and fun to share with our enthusiastic nieces and nephews.

We departed ways with my sister after that and did two short hikes amidst lightening-streaked skies and cloudbursts. The first went past some ancient granaries and only required a little over half a mile of walking. The second, the 100 Hands Pictograph Trail, led to four petroglyph and pictograph sites, 100 Hands being the most well-known of these.

For those searching for the petroglyphs and pictographs sites along the 100 Hands Trail, the 100 Hands Panel can be found high on a sandstone wall just west of the Bighorn Panel. You should see it within a few minutes of passing Bighorn; it’s easy to miss. The Shaman and the Hunter Panel can be reached by taking the left spur when the trail hits a T. The right spur goes to an alcove where more petroglyphs can be seen; these ones, however, are fairly faint.

On the way home, we didn’t miss out on the chance to eat at Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder. If you are passing through Boulder, I highly recommend stopping at this joint. Don’t let the town’s scant 225 residents mislead you, Hell’s Backbone Grill is consistently rated one of the best restaurants in the state or THE best. Hello brisket and creamy habanero enchiladas! Yum!

Exploring Coyote Gulch would have been ample reason for us to amble down to Escalante. The petrified wood and pictographed stone we encountered were just ancient icing on the cake, but you don’t have to take my word for it.