Joe and I are sitting here in a cafe in beautiful Aspen, CO with bloody mary's and coffee thinking back on our time in the desert.  Temperatures have cooled tremendously and we have even experienced quite a bit of rain.  Which, is much needed right now in Colorado as much of the state is consumed with fire and drought.  And of course it poured down rain yesterday, being the Fourth of July, with clear and sunny skies today.  But lets back track a bit...

Arches and Canyonlands National Parks ended our tour across Utah.  Utah is vast, beautiful and mysterious.  Arches proved exactly that.  Of course it was hot (100's) and packed with travelers.  But like other crowded national parks, as mentioned in previously posts, we slowed down, embraced the crowds and discovered our own trail.  We hiked to a few famous arches, including Landscape Arch, Double O Arch, Windows Arches, Double Arches, etc.  Naturally, given the time of year, campsites in the park were booked.  We found a great spot along the Colorado River for two nights.  However, although on the river, the desert won and it was damn hot.  Including at night!  For the first time we slept without blankets.  Not even a sheet.  It was near impossible to find relief from the brutal heat.  But, we managed to survive!  

Notice Joe on top of the above arch! 

After Arches we made our way through high desert to Canyonlands National Park, about thirty miles from Moab.  There was absolutely no one around and temperatures dropped about twelve degrees.  Canyonlands has four distinct regions:  Island in the Sky, the Maze, the Needles and the Rivers.  We explored the Island in the Sky, and as the name reveals it is a high desert plateau.  

We enjoyed the silence and uniqueness that surrounded us.  And not to mention the somewhat cooler temperatures (90s instead of 100s).

Before leaving the area, we took advantage of Moab's famous slick rock mountain bike trails!  Joe and I took different routes and after about an hour we met back up.  What a blast!  And certainly a challenge.  

After a great morning of riding we left Moab and headed south.  We made our way through Monument Valley, along the Utah/Arizona border, Four Corners and eventually crossed the Colorado border to Mesa Verde National Park.  

We really enjoyed exploring Mesa Verde National Park.  Ancestral Pueblo people made this area their home for over 700 years.  There are roughly 600 original cliff dwellings that are still in tact today.  It was truly amazing!  We were able to explore the inside of two dwellings and see from a distance many others.  The most spectacular one that we explored is called Balcony House.  We took a tour that led us up steep ladders, through narrow walkways and tunnels.  

After Mesa Verde, we made our way east and then north through some great small towns of Colorado including Durango, Silverton, Ouray and Telluride.  I must add here that Colorado is a breath of fresh air coming from Utah.  Yes, Utah is gorgeous but damn the rules are weird.  It's nice to be able to enter a bar and order a beer without a lecture on how you must order food with purchase of drink.   

But I will save these small town treats for a future post.  Until next time...