This was a massive detour undertaken with the big risk that we were unsure if any of the ruins were actually open due to the snow. Thankfully Spruce Tree, the third largest ancestral puebloan dwelling was open, and we arrived in time to take a tour. The site was very interesting, although we did have to wait a long time to get a clear photo, without a whole throng of brightly coloured American tourists! After our visit to the park, we drove almost all the way to monument valley (well Alex did the actual driving!), stopping for the night in Mexican [View Full Entry]

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The entrance to the park hides the phenominal and bizzare array of rock arches from view. There are hundreds of arches ranging in size shape and form across the miles of open canyon and desert. We took a couple of walks through and around the park totalling to 5miles or there abouts and saw some truly amazing natural features. You honestly would not understand the scale or strangeness of the rock forms in this place! [View Full Entry]

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A quick 180mile jaunt to Canyonlands and we managed to get to see this park the same day as Capitol Reef. The drive-able part of the park is viewed from 6000ft up on top of a Mesa called 'Island in the Sky'. The light was to our favour and we could see miles into the canyons and beyond to the La Sal mountains of Colorado far in the distance. [View Full Entry]

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Understated but worth the small offroad detour through the 'scenic drive'. Anne was in her element having a geological discussion with a park ranger while I stood by nodding appropriately hoping not to let her down by looking stupid! Park consists of a 100mile long rock wall rising out of the desert and literally stopped migrants crossing the states, therefore it has now become famous for being one of the oldest inhabited places in the USA. (ps. courteney, I don't need a haircut and the reference to looking stupid was in an educational sense!) Please when adding comments leave a name [View Full Entry]

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Well today we hit the wonder of Bryce and the 'hoodoos'. I remember as a child thinking that the rock towers looked liked people's faces, and this impression still sticks after visiting the park today. It has to be one of the most beautiful places I have visited, and I even bought a poster (and sadly a geological cross-section poster too!). Alex and I spent ages sitting overlooking the 'amphitheater', he drawing and me writing my journal. It was lovely and warm in the sun, and so peaceful. We only saw 2 other people the whole time. The colours are wonderful, [View Full Entry]

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Surprisingly small yet incredibly attractive! We drove through the whole of Zion, explored, hiked, took photos to our hearts content and even left the afternoon of the day we arrived. Unfortunately due to winter weather conditions alot of the park was closed off. Rock faces had icicles (sp?) falling onto the ground beside paths which were open. Casually walking through the walkways in and around gorges, we were accompanied by the infrequent sound of snow thumping as it hit the floor. A truly beautiful small NP. [View Full Entry]

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So you have a rental car 'eh... If you have never driven an automatic may i recommend you never bother, and left hand drive is also slightly overrated too- not quite as avant garde as having one in the UK. Our two tone (white and filth) KIA is putting the miles behind us but does quite simply emphasise the inefficiency and appalling status of American Cars. Simply a few notes for anyone planning a driving visit to the USA: * If you don't have a truck you suck * Less than a V8- 'what? they come in less than 5 litres?' [View Full Entry]

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3 minutes of internet left so a quick blast to say all's well apart from anne's broken bum! a fractured a coxcycs (tail bone) from some extreme snowboarding action in South Lake Tahoe- thanks to Mike and Evan for puting us up, you guys are LEGENDS! seen Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Death Valley and now in Las Vegas, NO INTERNET ANYWHERE (real expensive here!) so pics to follow as time running out! love to all will update soon. Thanks for all the messages. lots of love a and a xxx [View Full Entry]

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About two weeks in we thought we were about ready to try camping- In the the middle of Death Valley NP. Finding out too late to do anything else, we began to pitch the tent, only to realise that the pegs wouldn't go into the ground. In the end, we had to anchor the tent down with rocks and ourselves (on what turned out to be a single air mattress!), to stop us blowing away. It was an interesting nights sleep. We got up at 5.30am to watch the sun rise, and struck camp in the dark. However the moon was [View Full Entry]

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So onwards we drove, further and further along the hairpin bends and icy cracked tarmac until we reached Kings Canyon. We started by General Grant, the 3rd largest tree in the world, followed by a trip through a forest of some of the largest and orangest trees we have ever seen. Snow was still on the ground, and a coyote padded right up to our car, but seemed rather surprised when I wound down my window to take a photo! We also saw Sherman Tree, this time the largest tree in the world, way too big to take a photo of [View Full Entry]

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