Vacation with Midas

When Midas heard that the YoSDs were going on vacation down south with us...

...he decided he would stowaway and come along for the trip!

He made sure to get out at every opportunity. First was our stop in Goblin Valley.

Midas loved all the hide-y holes he found all over that place!

At Natural Bridges Monument, Midas got out again for some photos. First was with some cactus and I'm sure I heard him muttering "don't fall over, don't fall over" while I took the picture. Those cactus look pretty big when you're only 13 inches tall!

Of course, then I had to find an even bigger bunch of cactus for the next picture. "There's no way I'm getting near that!" Midas told me firmly.

I'm not positive, but I think he might've been hiding just a bit.

Are you a man or a mouse? I had to ask. "Neither," Midas replied. "I'm a BJD. And I might chip my face-up if I fall in there."

So I gave the cactus a rest and found an interesting piece of dead wood instead.

"I don't know how much safer I feel up here," Midas worried.

There, solid ground. Feel better now?

"Much, but I'd probably feel even better if we didn't have an audience," Midas retorted sarcastically.

Sure enough, he was right. There was a little European family watching in amusement as the funny American girls got pictures of a doll up on the rocks. I'm not big on having prying eyes when I get photos, but we might never go back to this location so I'm glad I ignored it and got my pictures anyway. Besides, they turned out to be a really nice family. I hope they enjoyed the rest of their trip as much as we enjoyed ours.

The next time Midas got out was in one of our hotels. (We stayed in so many they all sort of ran together...) And of course he had to have his photo by the interesting Native American pottery.

After that Midas rode along quietly and contentedly until we reached white sands. "It looks like snow!" he exclaimed and just had to get out and look closer. Of course, Midas has seen snow before, but he's never gotten the opportunity to be out in it. White Sands was a perfect substitute. That early in the morning it was cold like snow, but not so cold you couldn't stand it; it was white in all directions for miles; and it was soft and beautiful.

He even went so far as to kneel in the sand, ignoring my warning that he was going to get all dirty.

"With my trusty sword, I shall explore these vast wastelands!" Not without me, you won't.

"All right, fine. Then how about I just stare off into the distance and look cool?" Sounds good.

Midas's next stop was Great Sand Dunes National Monument. Of course he never actually made the dunes, as they were a very, very long distance from the road, but we did get on the flat, sandy river bed and he enjoyed that just as much.

"Ooohh, look! Buried treasure." Midas, that's a pinecone...

"Fine, then, forget the treasure."

"I'll just take a closer look at the dunes way, way out there."

"Man, even thinking about all that walking is exhausting,. I think I'll sit down on this drift wood and take a bit of a break."

Midas! You haven't even been walking that long. In fact, you haven't been walking at all. I carry you everywhere!

"Be that as it may, I'm still tired." Ugh!

After a good rest at another hotel, Midas was ready to go again. This time to see Indian cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park.

First Midas needed a pic by the interesting burnt tree outside the restrooms.

Then he pretended he was a medieval spy sneaking up on an enemy fortress on the way down. At least, he did until I told him to knock it off.

Here, sit nicely and take a picture on this ledge.

Standing among the rocks...

Look at the valley below!

Under the cliff dwelling.

"It just feels so big!"

Standing by the dwelling.

Sitting in the window.

Climbing the ladder.

"It's too far!"

At last we were on our way home again and Midas watched the world rolling past out the window. "The sun's not coming in," he noted. "Can I take my hood off?"

Sure, I agreed, and he did, reaching out to touch the sun for a single moment and to dream about the vast expanse he has yet to explore...

"Would you look at that! A rainbow!"

~SilverStar-Burst