Our next adventure:  Mexico and Guatemala!  After flying into Cancun, we took an ADO bus to Tulum, and then a taxi to our first lodging in Mexico: Dos Ceibas, a beautiful and affordable Mayan Holistic boutique hotel right on the beach. We thoroughly enjoyed our rustic yet luxurious stay.  Sand paths led to various accommodations, the pool, the restaurant, and to the beach.  We had an upstairs room with a gorgeous patio (and a wonderful neighbor!  Shout out to our new friend from North Carolina, Lisa).

While in Tulum, we visited two Mayan ruin sites:

Zona Arqueológica de Tulum: A coastal site used by the Mayans for trade and commerce (notably trading in obsidian and cocoa).  Tulum is considered a "contemporary" or modern site dating from 1000-1200 A.D. as it is a later development.

Muyil: Nestled in the jungle, Muyil is far less touristy than Tulum. We walked through the jungle of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve to discover ancient structures, including the impressive El Castillo.  A boardwalk path through the wetlands led us to a lagoon.  Along the path we spotted an anteater and a fox and lots of mosquitos.  

To move between the city of Tulum and the Hotel Zone where our hotel was located, we selected Colectivos as our mode of transportation.  A Colectivo is a shared van used by locals to get around Tulum and the Riviera Maya. While Colectivos take slightly longer than taxis, they are far less expensive and a great part of the travel experience.  The door on the van in the photo wouldn't close so it swung open and shut on the very bumpy roads! The broken door also helped provide a breeze, which may be why no one really cares if it slides back and forth during the ride.  We didn't.

After a comfortable and affordable 4.5-hour bus journey from Tulum, we arrived in Merida, the cultural heart of the Yucatan. Merida is also the capital and the largest city in the Mexican state of Yucatan.  It was founded in 1542 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco De Montejo and built on the site of the ancient Mayan city of Tho’. The city boasts a rich blend of Maya and Spanish heritage, evident in its beautiful colonial architecture.  The Cathedral de San IIdefonso is one of the oldest cathedrals in North America, constructed between 1561 and 1598.  The Spanish used the stone from the Mayan city to build the cathedral.  

Our visit coincided with the Festival De Las Ánimas and the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). The historic Gran Plaza, a convenient 5 minute walk from our hotel, was bustling with events and markets, celebrating the occasion. Each night, the streets came alive with music, street dances, and the tantalizing aroma of traditional Mayan cuisine.

We attended a demonstration of an ancient Mayan ball game called Pok-ta-Pok, an ancestral Mesoamerican ballgame that the ancient Maya played for over 3,000 years. Beyond being a sport, it held profound religious significance, symbolizing the cosmic battle between light and darkness.  The announcing was entirely in Spanish, so we had to look that part up!  The game itself is a mixture of soccer and basketball.  The players use their hips to hit the ball through the hoop and the crowd goes wild when a team scores just like any ballgame.

 

For our last day in Merida, we embarked on a day trip to Uxmal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Uxmal, a Mayan site dating from 800 A.D. was, at its peak, home to 25,000 inhabitants.  It was like exploring an ancient city with distinctly different neighborhoods.  Although climbing the Pyramid of the Magician or the Great Pyramid is not allowed, we could climb the stairs of the Governor's Palace.  The intimidating but short climb was worth the effort for the amazing views!

 Before embarking on our international travels, we had a special mission: to take our three-year-old grandson, Teddy, on his special trip with Pappy and RuRu, no parents allowed.  After collecting Teddy and his suitcase, the three of us left for a four-night adventure in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Our first destination was the St. Genevieve National Historic Site. Nestled along the Mississippi River, this city holds the distinction of being the first permanent European settlement west of the river. Teddy diligently worked and earned his Junior Ranger badge, which he proudly displayed on his Junior Ranger vest, which was already adorned with numerous badges from various National Park sites.

We arrived in St. Louis and settled into a family-friendly hotel in Fenton, Missouri. Our next stop was Gateway Arch National Park. Teddy was captivated by the “funny” elevator that whisked us to the top of the arch, where he spent a delightful time gazing out the windows at the cityscape and the river below. Afterward, we embarked on a relaxing paddle boat tour on the Mississippi River. While Teddy mostly slept in his stroller, the hour-long tour provided a peaceful respite.

The following day, we visited the City Museum, a place that defies description and demands to be experienced firsthand. It’s a massive, whimsical architectural playground and museum, constructed entirely from repurposed industrial and architectural salvage. We spent the entire day, from open to close, exploring its nooks and crannies, and everyone, including Teddy, thoroughly enjoyed the architectural marvel.

Our final stop was Grant’s Farm and the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. Grant’s Farm, an historic 281-acre family park and animal reserve, was once farmed by President Grant and is now owned by the Busch family. Teddy delighted in feeding the animals and admiring the majestic Clydesdale horses housed in the stables.

After an exhausting but very, very fun time, we returned Teddy to his parents in Tennessee.

 After returning from the Alaskan cruise, we spent a few days in Texas with family and friends before heading north to spend a week in Oklahoma. All the years we lived in North Texas, we paid little attention to Oklahoma.  What a surprise!  There are many fascinating things to see and do!

Our first stop was the Chickasaw National Recreation Area near Sulphur, Oklahoma. This area is so significant in its natural beauty and resources that it was first designated as Platt National Park in 1906. Nestled in the Arbuckle Mountains, numerous natural springs with crystal-clear waterfalls flow into Rock Creek, which feeds into Lake Arbuckle. The area was eventually re-designated as a National Recreation Area, encompassing the lake. We saw many families escaping the heat and enjoying several swimming holes along the creek.

Our next stop was Oklahoma City—or as the Okies call it, "The City."  We booked a guided tour of the Oklahoma City National Stockyards, which is the largest stocker and feeder cattle market in the world and actually the last of its kind in the US.  Every Monday and Tuesday, thousands of cattle are sold and millions of dollars change hands in the auction arena. Our tour group included two cowboys from Ireland, and it was fascinating to hear them exchange experiences with our guide, who has worked at the stockyards for 47 years.

After the tour, we had lunch at Cattlemen's 1910 Cafe, which has been serving lunch to cowboys since, well, 1910.

Our next stop in Oklahoma City is the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. It is a vast museum dedicated to Western art and the story of the cowboy, covering everything from real-life cattle drivers on the range to the history of the rodeo to western frontier towns to Native American history to Westerns on the big (and little) screen.

On our way to Ponca City, we stopped in Guthrie, OK, and toured the Scottish Rite Temple. Built in the early 1900s, it is one of the 3 largest in the US and absolutely beautiful.  It is massive at 400,000 square feet.  Yes, four hundred thousand square feet!  

Ponca City was the home of E.W. Marland, founder of Marland Oil Co. (the precursor to Conoco Oil). We toured both of his homes: his 10,000-square-foot Grand Home and the magnificent 40,000-square-foot Marland Mansion, built in 1921. The Mansion is truly amazing and well worth a visit.

On the way to Bartlesville, we drove through the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. The drive was beautiful, and we were lucky to see the bison herd up close. They crossed the road right in front of and behind our car, so we parked and enjoyed the quiet moment while watching them.

Woolaroc is the remote hideaway of Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips 66. The estate features a drive-through exotic animal park (a zebra, an ostrich or two, and an African deer),  a museum, a restaurant, and a historic lodge. The museum houses an eclectic collection of Western and Native American art and artifacts.  We really enjoyed walking the grounds and having lunch at the cafe.

On to Bartlesville and something truly surprising.  A skyscraper!  And not just a skyscraper but the only skyscraper designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Price tower was built in 1956 for the H.C. Price Company.  It's not open for touring but we did tour the founder of Phillips 66, Frank Phillips, house.  It is beautiful, but we got so involved with the stories on the tour that we failed to get a single pic. 😒

From natural beauty, cattle, bison, art, oil barons homes, and a Frank Lloyd Wright skyscraper we left Oklahoma with a new respect for Texas' neighbor to the north. Oklahoma, we are sorry we neglected you!