Last Friday we made a trip to the Sierra Chincua Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary outside of Angangueo, Michoacan, Mexico. From Morelia, it is about two hours driving time. The small town of Angangueo is a special little place all by itself, so it made the trip even better. Many I talk with think of Mexico as a dry, dusty desert. There may be desert here but there is also mountains, flowers, trees, and grassy plains. The Sanctuary was a beautiful natural park. Horseback-riding was an extra treat. You can see Rojo, our horse, in the last image. Sawyer kept saying “Yeehaw!” and “Giddy-up!” Needless to say, he loved it and so did the girls. I did too, till the next day when my inner thighs were screaming, “What have you done to us?” Tristan rode daddy-back all day and even managed to fall asleep, swinging left and right.
When the sun came out from behind the clouds, the Monarchs came alive, flying and flitting through the air. Some of the trees had huge, clumps of orange but I could not take a really good photo because they were some distance from the viewing area. The viewing area was roped off so that none of us would disturb the butterflies like by accidentally stepping on them. Or stepping on them for fun, like Sawyer tried unsuccessfully to do. Some of the Monarchs came to us and one of them landed on Alexis’s hand. We were also cautioned by the guides to whisper but that was pretty much impossible with four kids running around. The sad part is that the Monarchs are on a decline. Here is an article from MSN News that you can take minute to read. It explains how the butterflies are disappearing.
I did not take my professional camera though I suppose I should have. Maybe next time. I did take a couple Instagram videos. My favorite is below. I highly recommend visiting the Monarchs if you ever travel to Southern Mexico. It was an awesome adventure in many different ways. It is even worth the carsickness both Sawyer and I experienced on the curvy roads going up and down the mountains. Sawyer was kind enough to share his lunch with us on the way home. He did manage to fall asleep after barfing three times. Ahhh, the joys of parenthood… Signing off, Tina
I have always wanted to visit there so thank you sharing you visit and as always beautifully written and beautiful pictures.