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
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