Ouray

Before I get started on Ouray (which we discovered is pronounced "ewe-ray"), here are some shots I took in Bryce Canyon National Park.

We arrived in Ouray around 6:30 p.m., with, again, just enough energy to have dinner and crash.  We stayed in a charming Victorian B&B that was built in 1898, which has been owned and run for many years by Mr. and Mrs. Bates.  (Yes, Tod joked that we were staying at the Bates Motel...)  We stayed there 2 nights, and each morning found ourselves chatting over breakfast with our hosts for an hour or more. 

They're called Box Canyon Falls for a reason.

Ouray is a charming little town nestled between mountains.  It's often used as a film location (the Ouray Courthouse was used in the original version of True Grit). Sunday morning, we  just wandered around the town.  The internet service at 1898 House had been down fora few days before we got there, and still wasn't back up when we left.  So after we visited Box Canyon Falls, we had lunch at a bistro on that had wi-fi, and spent an hour or so catching up on email, etc. 

After returning to our room for a nap, we had dinner at a beautifully restored old hotel called The Beaumont, which was celebrating its 126th anniversary.

Photo by Tod Beebe

Monday morning, after dawdling over breakfast, we hit the road again, heading for Mesa Verde National Park, which is known for its well-preserved native cliff dwellings.  Touring the dwellings, which are at 7700 feet high, is not recommended for those with heart or respiratory problems (i.e., me).  I stayed in the cafe and read, while Tod did a tour of Balcony House, which was quite daunting, involving climbing up and down ladders perched on cliffs and crawling through small tunnels. 

His reward for this was a t-shirt emblazoned with "I survived Balcony House".  He seemed surprised that I purchased it before he got back...

After Mesa Verde, we drove to Farmington, New Mexico, where we are spending a couple of nights.  We are staying in a lovely B&B called Casa Blanca.  We were shown to a lovely room with a king-sized bed, a couch & chair and a kitchenette with a big wooden table and a tiny stove and dishwasher, which we discovered was a suite that we'd been upgraded to. 

Dishwasher on left, stove & oven on right.

Someone is smiling upon us this trip!

My Summer Vacation

I really meant to begin my travelogue at the beginning of our trip, but the internet wasn't working at the first couple of places we stayed.  Apart from not being able to blog, I went through serious communications withdrawal.

We left home on the morning of July 4th and headed to Las Vegas.  When we arrived, we were thrilled to be upgraded to a mini-suite.  I opened a door and found the bathroom; assuming the door across from it was a closet, I opened it, and discovered another bathroom! How very civilized.

That evening, we grabbed a quick dinner at the hotel buffet, and then slowly wandered over to the Bellagio to see O, the Cirque du Soleil show that takes place mostly in a pool.  I loved the show, but was really tired and looking forward to getting back to our room to do some reading, but we got caught up in a sea of people as we tried to exit the building.

Apparently, when the fireworks began, everyone tried to crowd into the same spot to watch them.  This was made difficult by the fact that there were approximately 5 gazillion people on the Strip.  It took us nearly 45 minutes to get back to Treasure Island, where we were staying.  Since it was still close to 100 degrees at 10:30 p.m., I was completely wilted.  I didn't get anything done except showering and sleeping.

Photo by Tod Beebe

Friday morning, we headed towards Utah, where we planned to do a tour of Zion National Park before continuing to Bryce Canyon NP, where we planned to stay the night.  There are few private vehicles allowed in Zion; visitors are encouraged to park in Springdale and take a shuttle down to the  entrance, where one can then board a shuttle that circles through the park. 

We got off the shuttle at a couple of places. At one, the Weeping Rock, I actually hiked 1/4 mile (mostly uphill). I was very proud of myself -- I only complained a little bit. 

Red Canyon

On the way to Bryce, we stopped at Red Canyon, and took a few photos.  By the time we left there, it was raining, and we didn't get into Bryce Canyon City till around 7:00 p.m.  When we tried to check into the hotel, we discovered that the reservation had been messed up, so we didn't have a room.  The only one left was a suite, which we decided to take (despite the fact that it wasn't free).



On Saturday morning, we did a quick drive around Bryce Canyon to see the hoodoos, and then headed for our next stop:  Ouray, Colorado.