Matthew's News and Gossip

Last June I went on a ten-day driving trip to Telluride where Sarah's brother and sister-in-law live (and where her parents would be visiting when we got there). This took us through a great driving trip across the best of the south-west's national parks.  As many of you know I think this is the most beautiful part of the world, with the possible exception of New Zealand's south island, and I have an extensive web site on a previous trip I did across the southwest 2 years ago. As a driving and hiking trip is mostly concerned with driving, hiking and bad fast food, I won't tell you too much about what we did other than to show some more great photos of where we went. (Click on the highlighted links for the full photo sets which can be quite long).  I would reccomend Telluride as a nice place to hang out.

We started by going to Yosemite.


Yosemite Valley (yes I know you've seen this shot before, but it's sooo pweetty)

And then over the back of the Sierras into Nevada, via a hairaising drive past Deep Springs College and this rather interesting bar and entertainment center, and on down to Vegas


Your friendly, local and legal neighborhood brothel

After a quick night in Vegas where I turned $60 into $120 and then back into $60, we went (past a huge fire) off to Zion and had a quick hike up the Narrows.


Zion Narrows

Then out of Zion to the very wonderful Bryce national park.


Sarah posing in Bryce

After a night desperately trying to find an open motel, we skipped through the Grand Staircase Escalente national monument, across Capitol Reef and Lake Powell.  Sarah's Beemer coped very well with the off roading through Capitol Reef. Next stop was Mesa Verde in south-west Colorado.



Mesa Verde ruins

We spent the day at Mesa Verde, site of some of the most advanced Anasazi ruins (although not quite as spectacular a natural setting as Canyon de Chelly a few hundred miles away), and then it was on into the Rockies and Telluride


Telluride approach


That night we made it to Telluride. David and Theresa live on a ranch that they are in the process of turning into the Colorado Mountain School for Wayward Young Ladies (or something similar but more complicated and less fun sounding!)

Sarah, David and Theresa  on a hike on the foundation ranch

After a few fun days in Telluride (including going to the Wine Festival with Sarah's parents and drinking far too much wine and Dutch beaver cheese), we left--but not before sitting in the rain in the hot tub and seeing this amazing rainbow.


Telluride Rainbows

First stop on the trip back was a visit to the Navajo Nation and to see Canyon de Chelly.  (where we stayed in a very nice Holiday Inn) Canyon de Chelly was amazing!


Canyon De Chelley

Clint Eastwood climbed the Spider Rock bute in The Eiger Sanction, and it's one of the highlights of the very beautiful Canyon de Chelley.  You can hear your echo come back from the other side 5 seconds later.


Spider Rock (where's Clint?)

We next headed to the Grand Canyon after a brief stop at  the wierd but amusing dinosaur tracks, and the necessary silly photos at Four Corners. When we got to the Grand Canyon a helpful rainstorm produced some beautiful rainbows in the canyon.


Grand Canyon Rainbow 

After a long, long drive that night, it was a quick snooze in Vegas and a bright drive through the length of a cool 110 degrees Death Valley, before catching a few weird clouds on the lake in Yosemite and heading back to San Francisco.


Death Valley roads are straight