Blog, Volusia

Right Coast Wahine: Summer Travels

This summer I had the chance to switch things up a bit. Instead of staying in my hometown, I traveled out west to New Mexico to see my best friend, Mianda, who recently moved there and to have an adventure in a place I’ve never been. 

Colorado was by far my favorite state we went through! I was lucky enough to visit Mesa Verde National Park while I was there. You’re so high up in the mountains that everything below looks like little pebbles.

 

I took a tour that guided us down the side of a mountain and got to see what ancient people lived in. The cliff dwelling I got to tour was called the Balcony House and had a total of 40 rooms carved into it. Any guesses as to why it was called the Balcony House? It was carved into the side of a mountain, hundreds of feet in the air. It was absolutely amazing! 

When I finally made it to New Mexico after three days of driving (well, for me it was three days of sleeping), we rented a pontoon boat and set sail on the Navajo Dam. The water was super clear and surrounded by incredible mountains. The view was just epic and we had a blast. My bestie and I climbed up the rocks and went cliff jumping. 

The water in New Mexico is nothing like the ocean. It’s all fresh water, no salt, which was a little different for me. It actually makes it a little harder to swim! The air is also much lighter there as opposed to Florida. Instead of being 6.562 feet above sea level, New Mexico was 5,700 above sea level. So, when I ran or worked out, I was out of breathe quicker than normal since my lungs hadn’t adapted to the higher altitude. 

This summer was insanely fun and I’m so happy and thankful I had the chance to go out west. I made so many new memories and can cross a few more states off my list of places to explore. However, I’m looking forward to being back home and spending some time in the ocean. 

Shakka Shakka Brahda!

~ Marley Scott

Marley Scott AKA the Right Coast Wahine. She is 14 years old and this is her 4th year writing for ECC. Her hobbies include surfing, skating, drawing, dancing, writing, singing, gymnastics and acting.

Read more from East Coast Current’s youngest columnist here!

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