Our drive to Mesa Verde took us past more mountain ranges but, this time, we went downhill most of the way. The further we went, the more arid the landscape became. We stopped in Cortez to stock up on supplies in the Walmart and we continued on to the National Park afterwards. We hadn't quite realised just how huge the park is! It takes at least 30minutes from the entrance gate to get to the campsite, after which it's at least another 30 minutes to the Visitor's...

Another early start and another night of interrupted sleep. It's difficult for me to get a solid night's sleep but at least I have coffee to wake me up in the mornings. Last night I went to the toilet (sorry, I mean "restroom") and, on the way back, I noticed that some rubbish was scattered around the communal bin - right underneath the sign warning campers of the very real danger of black bears in the area! I walked very quickly back to the tent in the dark, all...

We woke up early to get to the National Parks ranger-led Morrow Point Boat Tour of the Black Canyon. Our tour was led by Tim Turner and Captain Orvil. The topics ranged from the geology and geography of the area to the railroad and the water. The rocks on either side of the canyon is 1.4billion years old - so old that you won't find any fossils there as it was created before living animals. The area has many mesas which were create from old volcanic debris but t...

I woke up at the crack of dawn and watched the sunrise over the mountains. There were rabbits and Blue Jays going about their business in the early morning. It was freezing cold but the air smelt of crisp pine trees and earth. This is nothing like the fake "pine air freshener" scents you get from the supermarket, nor is it the dry, astringent aroma from the Mediterranean pine that I am used to. It is something else and it is intoxicating! I am not normally a moun...

So, we arrived in Colorado in the USA yesterday and are both extremely excited to be here! We got some brochures and a map at the tourism office in Denver Airport, got a bite to eat @ a Mexican takeaway and then picked up the rental car and off we went! We've decided to camp for most of the trip through the Southwest as it'll be cheaper than staying in motels and we'll end up paying $10-$15 a night each, instead of $50! Also, we'll be able to see and stay in pla...