Chinese New Year Parade

The last stop on my trip was San Francisco and I went to the Chinese New Year Parade. The Chinese New Year Parade started in 1860. They started because the Chinese immigrants felt like they needed to bring their culture home. I saw the big dragons and I liked them a lot.

Art Show

This is my cousin Elsie

My cousin had an art piece in an art show at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. My cousin is also in 4th grade. There were some really good self portraits that high schoolers made that I really liked. I also liked my cousin's piece which was cut paper or "papel picado".

There was a really big picture in Jasper Johns style of art that was of Abraham Lincoln. The art show was very crazy because there were a lot of people at the art show. The was music and I think there were some dancers.

Grand Canyon

We drove into a snowstorm to get to the Grand Canyon. We made it. It was snowy at the Grand Canyon and it was a little scary because we were on the edge of a 7,000 foot drop.

The Colorado River cut the canyon and it took 6 million years. At the bottom there are rocks 1,700,000,000 old. The river is very crazy and people ride canoes on the crazy river.

My family and I hiked on the edge of the canyon and me and my dad through snowballs off the rim. My brother would throw snowballs at branches with snow on them and then the snow falls off and when I walked under the branch the snowfalls on me.

Snowstorm

My family hit a big  snow storm when we left Sedona. It was scary but we made it.

When it started

Sinagua People

Montezuma castle, cliff house

The Sinagua people lived in the Verde Valley in Arizona. They lived there around 500-1425 A.D. We visited two place where they lived. One place was in a cliff next to a river. They built houses into the cliff because the river flooded and it was safe from the water. They could keep an eye over the fields from the top of their houses in the cliff.

The Sinaguas were farmers and hunters. They hunted deer, antelope, rabbit, muskrats and duck.They grew corn, squash and cotton.

We also went to the petroglyphs. It was a bunch of carvings on a rock wall. The carvings represented spirits and shamans and gods. There were a bunch of sun symbols. The art was basic but cool looking.

No one knows exactly where the Sinagua people went. The Hopi are the only living people that are related to the Sinagua people.

Mountain Biking

We are in Sedona and like to mountain bike here. I haven't mountain biked a lot. The first day we went it was hard and we only went for a little bit. It was hard because we were on the edge of a steep hill and there was a lot of big rocks in the path.

The next day it was hard but I made it. It was hard because there were big rocks and the path was skinny and on the edge of a cliff and big drop. It was fun too.

Today we went on a long ride and it was very fun. There were not a lot of big rocks and cliffs. We rode to Bell Rock.

Poseidon: God of the Sea

My dad, brother and I are reading “The Titan’s Curse” by Rick Riordan. One of the characters is Poseidon and I wanted to learn more about him. Poseidon is the Greek god of the sea. He is one of the most powerful gods.

Poseidon’s family are the gods and goddesses. One of his brothers is Zeus and his dad is Kronus. Kronus  was a Titan and he ate Poseidon and his brothers and sisters. Zeus saved them by giving Kronus a potion. Then there was a big war between the gods and Kronus that almost destroyed the world. The gods won and became the rulers of the universe.

Poseidon had a lot of wives and kids. One of his main wives was Amphitrite. Some of his kids were Cyclops, sea monsters and half-bloods. He sometimes turns into a horse. Once he was a horse and had a love affair with Medusa.

As the god of the sea, Poseidon is very powerful. Poseidon has a trident. When he puts his trident in the ground it splits open and starts to rumble. If he puts his trident in the sea it rumbles and there are crashing waves that drowns people and sinks ships. He can be nice. Sometimes he puts his hand out and makes islands and nice calm waves.

I think it would be scary to meet Poseidon but I like reading books about him.

DEATH VALLEY

Death Valley is a big desert and the hottest place on Earth. It is called Death Valley because a long time ago there was a group of wagons that tried to cut through the valley. Only one wagon got through and someone said "GOODBYE DEATH VALLEY." My family camped here for 3 nights.

Me on the dunes

Going on a Road Trip

We are taking a road trip through California to Arizona. Here are some photos on the road.

Orchards on Highway 5