Rocky Mountain Natl. Park

Again we had great fall weather in October. Having the opportunity I would advise people to visit the USA later in the year. From September until the first weeks of November are ideal for exploring the parks without the busloads of tourists.

You will have no problems finding lodging or a site at the campground. You can enjoy the silence and remoteness. Bright blue skies and little wind, near freezing temperatures during the night and warming up enough in the morning for t-shirts around eleven o'clock.

A few hours driving from Denver you will find Rocky Mountain Natl. Park. Less known to non-US citizens, but very much worth a visit. A lot of trees are already lost their leaves, but some still have their fall foliage.

The park has some fine campgrounds with deer and elk roaming the grounds at night. A single road takes you along the most important features. You have a lot of options for hiking e.g. we made the Bear Lake Nature Trail. A round trip along the borders of Bear Lake followed by another hike to Dream Lake and Emerald Lake.

Climbing up you might get out of breath easily, but understand you have to get accustomed to the altitude. a lot of hikes in both Colorado and Wyoming will take you above 2000 feet.

Driving the road from east to west you will have beautiful views of the mountains. Even during late fall you might find remains of last year's snow.

Badlands Natl. Park

After entering Wyoning we drove from Cheyenne to the north. Wyoming has typical farmland and live stock roaming the wide country.

First we passed Crazy Horse Mountain. A work in progress carving the image of a famous indian chief in rock. After our visit the face was completed.

Later we drove to the Black Hills in South Dakota. Near Rapid City we looked at another monument Mount Rushmore, the four faces of former American presidents (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln).

There were approximately 400 workers that worked at Mount Rushmore during the carving process from October 1927 to October 1941.

The monument was designed and created by the same sculpture (Gutzon Borglum) responsible for Stone Mountain Natl. Park near Atlanta, Georgia depicting the important confederate generals of the American civil war.

Near Rapid City you will find the spectacular rough landscape of the Badlands Natl. Park. Try to imagine the early pioneers with their wagons attempting to go west. Visit the Fossil Exhibit Trail. Take a hike to experience the environment, but be aware for rattle snakes. Don't be afraid, but just careful.

Devil's Tower

Our next stop was Devil's Tower. An enormous basalt rock towering over the nearby farms. Some people will recognize the mountain from the Steven Spielberg film Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977). Look out for the prairie hounds driving to the rock. You can recognize them as small squirrel like animals living in holes in the ground.

You will have to cross the Big Horn Mountains to reach Yellowstone Natl. Park. These mountains are known for the battles with the Indian tribes. The mountains are the location of General Custer's Last Stand (1876). Search the Internet for more details about the events to get a proper perspective. The indians won the battle, but in the end they lost. A lot of indians were killed and were detained in the reservations.

Yellowstone Natl. Park

Yellowstone Natl. Park offers a wide range of geological features. Yellowstone is basically a gigantic volcano and you can view hot mud pools, geysers and hot springs. You smell the sulphur vapors (rotten eggs) and see the yellow coloring on the rocks.

Yellowstone contains approximately one-half of the world's hydrothermal features. There are over 10,000 hydrothermal features, including over 300 geysers, in the park.

Especially during the off-season the wildlife can be seen e.g. elk, bison, coyotes and wolves, sometimes a moose or a bear. Don't let the wild animals scare you and leave your car behind to make a hike.

You probably will see the remains of the big forest fires of 1988, but nature has recovered much since.

Must see:

• Grand Canyon Of Yellowstone & Falls offer the best views of the river and the falls
• The Mammoth Hot Springs are very beautiful, but they are constantly changing. We have seen the springs twice, the first time more colorful and active
• Norris Geyser basin with pools of blueish water, steaming and bubbling
• Old Faihfull at Upper Geyser Basin, the visitor center can tell you the eruption times of the famous geyser

The town of Gardiner near the north entrance offers good lodging opportunities and options for food. We stayed at the Yellowstone River Motel.

Grand Teton Natl. Park

South of Yellowstone you will find one of our favorite locations. The town of Jackson Hole with Grand Teton Natl. Park nearby. The small town has town center with nice square. A lot of shops with traditional western fronts and wooden boardwalks. We went to the local cinema and visited the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. For a healthy and tasty breakfast goto the Shades Cafe.

To explore the Teton mountains you should make a hike. We would advise to drive to Jenny Lake, park your car and take the day to walk to the Cascade Canyon. If possible take your camping gear and make it a multiple day hike e.g. walk the Cascade Canyon, camp at the backcountry campgrounds and return following the Paintbrush Canyon.

Capitol Reef Natl. Park

After the Rocky Mountains we travelled south to Salt Lake City. We didn't particularly like the city, but the church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints is noteworthy. Guide tours for the visiting the Mormon temple are possible.

Capitol Reef Natl. Park is primarily for hikers. The park is stretched from north to south, the road goes from east to west. As a result only a small part is accessible for cars, but even small hikes guide you to remote places with beautiful vistas.

If possible drive the scenic road from the visitor's center. Along the road you will find opportunities for hikes. We hiked up to the Golden Throne near Capitol Gorge.

Less than ¼ inch of rain can produce Flash Floods. Flash Floods are caused by run-off from intense, localized thunderstorms that drop a large amount of rain over a short period of time. They are most common in Capitol Reef in July, August and September, but can occur at any time of the year.

The walk to Hickman's Bridge is another nice hike taking you to a natural bridge. Furthermore watch for the petroglyphs along the main road. These pictures show men and animals carved in the red rocks.

Monument Valley

We continued east to Hanksville and taking highway 95. After crossing the Colorado river you get to a ridge and spectacular sights of the surrounding Canyonlands.

Using a steep gravel road you decent to the valley floor. Take highway 163 south after passing Mexican Hat.

Near Monument Valley you are driving in a famous landscape known from many western movies. Several movies starring John wayne were shot here e.g. Stagecoach (1938). In particular the Elephant Butte can be recognized easily in the background.

The park is managed by the Navajo tribe. You can visit the park, but you are requested to respect the privacy of the people living in the park. Be sure to drive the unpaved and dust road starting near the visitor's center and taking you near the big rock formations.

Arches Natl. Park

The Arches Natl. Park is probably one of our favorite destinations. The park displays the impact of wind. Erosion removes the soft parts of the red rocks leaving holes and creating natural bridges.

We stayed in nearby Moab with enough motels and restaurants. Staying in the park is more preferable if you can get a campsite.

Visit the park in the morning or afternoon. During these periods you will have nicer light for photography and fewer visitors. In summer you should avoid the hottest noon hours.

Absolutely must do:

• Hike from Wolfe Ranch to Delicate Arch and have a lunch break
• Explore the Double Arch
• Hike the narrow gorges of Devil's Garden
• Balancing rock (you never know how long the rock will be there)

This park has also been the background of numerous movies. Most recently the opening scenes of the Indiana Jones movie The Last Crusade are filmed in Seven Mile Canyon and near the Double Arch.

There are over 2,000 cataloged arches in Arches National Park. In order to be considered an arch, an opening must measure at least three feet (in any direction)

From the park we followed the Colorado river north and drove to Grand Junction. From Grand Junction to the Black Canyon near Gunnison. The canyon has steep walls showing the layers of different types of rock. The river flows deep below.

Cripple Creek & Colorado Springs

Following the road over Independence Pass (12095 feet) through Leadville. Finally we arrived in Aspen, Colorado. There we stayed a few days in and hiked a bit. Aspen and Breckenridge are important winter sport centers. Therefore the towns are nice, but with typical tourist developments have lost much of their authenticity.

A much nicer town is Cripple Creek near Pikes Peak. Cripple Creek has a history as gold mining town. You need to drive the scenic road with traditional main street. We liked the Imperial Hotel.

In Colorado Springs we went to the Garden Of The Gods. The nature park has steep rocks and is a climbing paradise. You will be able to meet and see climbers at work.

We completed our journey in Denver. Although Denver is a large city with suburbs, the city center is small and compact.

Typically Denver is a the state capitol and has expanded as such, but it remains small town and moderate your expectations.