While it still doesn't have a lot of trees, it does have a lot of history. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Bandelier is beautiful.
The thing about out West is due to their lack of trees, you can see for miles and miles (well, at least to the mountains, anyway!). 
I hear thunderstorms are amazing there. :)So the thing about Bandelier is it's history. There are a number of preserved Pueblo homes, kivas (ceremonial structures), rock paintings, and rock engravings. So cool! Can you pick out some structures below?
No? How about a close up? 
I think one of my favorite parts was being able to climb the ladders into the homes. 
There's just something about being in a place that's over 450 years old. 
Did you know that the Pueblos men were on average only 5'6''? And that women were 5'? And I thought I was short!Yeah, I wouldn't mind seeing this out my front door:
Of course though, I'd want an actual door.It's amazing to think of the things they had to just to survive. Like using stone tools to make your house, or burning the top of the homes to make the volcanic tuff more stable. Things like making the homes face the south to catch the evening sun, warming the homes. Raising and catching turkeys, not so much for the meat (although they did eat it - they were very resourceful), but more for the feathers - clothes, blankets, beds.
Can you find the engravings?
(Hint: it's not the rock stack.)Check out this pictograph!
It was uncovered under a layer of plaster. Experts say it was created for a very specific purpose (although they don't know what that purpose is exactly) and then covered over. The Pueblos were illiterate, but they used pictures to move info from generation to generation, so some experts think this pictograph was a part of that. Cool, huh?And of course there's wildlife in the park. The mule deer are so quiet and not afraid of people or cars at all!
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