Night 4/ Day 5 Mesa Verde National Park

After Arches we made our way over to Mesa Verde National Park. It was sad to leave Utah and all of the amazing rocks! We put the top down on the convertible so we could enjoy the beautiful alpine terrain. It had been a while since we saw trees and they were a welcome sight. The highway ran parallel to beautiful streams and rivers. Everything seemed so refreshing.




We arrived at the park around 6:00 and started the long drive up to the top of the mesa. It's a pretty windy, steep road to the top. The views from the top were amazing. You could see so far!



We were staying in the Far View Lodge inside the park which was a neat experience. We were able to go to dinner at the lodge dining room- Metate Room. This was pretty much the National Park's version of the Top of the Hub. The panoramic views were beautiful and the food was absolutely delicious! Since we had to wait for a table we went upstairs to the Spruce Tree Terrace Cafe to enjoy a drink on the roof deck patio. We had so much fun that after dinner we returned to the lounge to enjoy the fresh air and great atmosphere.



We walked back to our room. It felt cool to be in the park at night. Luckily we didn't run into any bears :-) In the morning we pulled back the curtains to see the view and ended up coming face to face with a huge mule deer buck. Wow!



After grabbing breakfast, and coffee from the Mesa Mocha Espresso Bar, we went to tour our first cliff dwelling. Our first tour was of the Long House.







It's incredible that these structures are still standing. Mike Holmes would be proud!

Then we went on a self-guided tour of the Steep House before visiting the largest of the dwellings, Cliff Palace. Part of the fun of this park is the hikes in and out of the dwellings. You walk down a steep path to the dwelling and then climb up ladders to get out. It felt good to be a bit adventurous.








As we were leaving the park I just couldn't get over how many amazing sights I had seen in the past five days, and how each park was so different!

Night 3/ Day 4- Arches National Park

After leaving Capitol Reef National Park we headed to Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. We had about a three hour drive and were hoping to make it in time for the sunset.

We drove through the Utah desert which I enjoyed a lot more than the Nevada desert. It wasn't as devoid of life as the Nevada desert was. Luckily, we made it to Moab with about two hours to spare.

Entering Arches is a really neat experience because you drive up a windy road surrounded by lots of rock features. Immediately I was struck by the feeling of being in another world. The only way I can describe it is that it's a giant rock sculpture park...except that the sculptor is Mother Nature.



We drove through the park, stopping at the Delicate Arch viewpoint. This is the most amazing of all the arches, in my opinion, because it is free standing. I would love to come back to the park again to hike to the arch itself. That hike was a bit longer then I could do in the desert heat. If you look closely you can see a hiker standing under the arch.



After seeing the Delicate Arch we drove back around the park looking for the best place to see the sunset. We finally settled on the Cove of Caves viewpoint. If you look in the other direction, you have a great view that overlooks Balanced Rock and other features. We climbed onto a boulder and watched the change in colors that the setting sun created. The view was amazing and the sun was gorgeous. Towards the end, the sun was so bright that the only way to look at it was to use the camera. While we were sitting there I had the moment I can only describe as my John Muir moment. I just felt so calm and peaceful...except for the desert bugs :-) The National Parks are an amazing part of our country. The Parks are for us. I've never felt that way in nature before.







After the sunset we drove out of the park at dusk which was a neat experience. There was still a little light so it made the rock features feel a little eerie without being scary.

The next morning we headed over to the park as early as we could to try to get some hiking in before the heat came in. We stopped at the Park sign, which was becoming a tradition for us, and the Visitor Center to fill up on the free water provided at the entrance of the park.


We spent the morning and afternoon hiking to the Windows....




After I took this picture...

I started to wonder why I was sitting where I was sitting. Those rocks were wedged in the crack or the arch.

and the Double Arch.


I had a blast scrambling on the rocks!


We also hiked around the Balanced Rock. The pictures do not do this justice.




We finished the day by hiking to the Sky Arch.



I would love to go back to Arches to do more hiking and scrambling. Arches is really a park to go to in April when the temps are in the 70s. It was just amazing to look at the features in the rocks. I know how these arches and rock features were created, erosion, but it's overwhelming to see. Some of the neatest features were the small rocks balancing on other huge rocks and walls. How did this happen?




After visiting the park we had lunch at a restaurant in Moab. Moab was a really neat town with a great energy. You could definitely spend a few days in the town and have a great time!

Capitol Reef National Park

Day 3 found us traveling through Capitol Reef National Park. This was the park we knew the least about so we weren't quite sure what was waiting for us.

We drove to the park via Scenic Rt. 12 which lives up to its name and then some! Every few minutes we were greeted with majestic views filled with beautifully colored rock formations. After a while we entered the Dixie National Forest and the scenery became much more alpine in nature. Not having seen "real" trees in a while we were a bit surprised.




Once we arrived at Capitol Reef the trees were replaced by massive rock walls and canyons. Capitol Reef got it's name from the settlers who came upon it and likened it to a impassible coral reef in the ocean. The sheer size of the rocks, mountains, and canyons does not translate in pictures.










We drove along the scenic route which basically takes you along the dry river bed through the canyons and walls. The only problem with this is that there is yet another risk of flash flooding


on this route. At one point JO and I both felt a bit nervous when we realized how narrow the road was and how high the walls were. The rocks were just incredible.




After the drive we visited the orchards inside the park. It's kind of funny to think that among all of the rocks beautiful fruit orchards thrive. Usually you can pick the fruit for free but the orchards were closed for a few days. We were able to pick up some fresh apricots at the visitor center.






We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking on some paths and looking at the petroglyphs.

After we had had our fill we headed out to drive through the Utah desert in hopes of catching the sunset at Arches National Park.

Day 2- Bryce Canyon National Park

We woke up early on day 2 to grab breakfast at our bed and breakfast before heading out to Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce Canyon is actually not a canyon at all. The hoodoos and spires are formed by a freeze thaw pattern of erosion.

We had a quick drive to the park which allowed us some time to explore the "Mossy Cave" just outside the park entrance. Zion National Park had set a high standard and I wasn't sure anything could outdo the views of the huge canyon walls. I was wrong. The entrance to the park area is breathtaking and unreal.


Unfortunately, we spent much of the morning outracing a storm which meant we didn't get to spend a lot of time at each of the places on the scenic drive. You can see the storm in the distance here.


We drove up to the top of the canyon, where the elevation was close to 9,000 feet. We were blown away by the views.


One of the great things about this park is the visibility. It has the second highest visibility of any location in North America.



Along the way we met this huge black bird...we think it's a raven. He was rather intimidating.



We drove back down to the Bryce Canyon Lodge where we had lunch and drinks in the dining room. It was such a fun experience to relax like that in the park.

After lunch the weather had cleared so we walked around the rim trail of the amphitheater. I cannot get over the fact that these hoodoos are naturally forming.


We had hoped to do some hiking in Bryce Canyon. There are various trails you can take to walk down into the canyons but it was just too hot. We also weren't able to see the sunset because more storms were rolling in. As a result, we're going to need to go back :-)

After we left the park we headed to the Circle D Motel in Escalante, UT. I have to say that I loved this place. Escalante is a small town with a population around 1,000 surrounded by the rock formations of the Grand Staircase National Monument. Our motel was really nice, considering the remote location, and it even had a restaurant attached. The menu featured local beef which was delicious! The restaurant was actually really modern, with a covered patio and outdoor patio. We were able to catch some of the World Cup finals highlights on the flat screen tvs. In the morning we got breakfast here and it was delicious...as was the coffee!