Road trip USA

Lots to catch up on blogging but we haven't had time :(

We have a good reason :) We've been driving the last few days across several states with daily stops at one particular sight. We left Dixon on Monday (19-Dec) and headed towards Colorado to visit the Mesa Verde National Park. A little unplanned was our stopover and overnight at Pagosa Springs for hot spring bath - it was awesome! Imagine taking a bath out in the open when it's just a couple of degrees outside; the feeling is just refreshingly good!

The next day (Tuesday), we headed to Mesa Verde, which was the former home of an ancient group of people called Ancestral Puebloans who lived at Mesa 1400 years ago. They built elaborate homes with kivas (specific space for ceremonial rituals) under the cliffs. The weather was pretty cold on Tuesday when we arrived at the park and the drive up the mountains while beautiful was also slightly dangerous due to the slippery and icey roads. The view from the peaks was gorgeous!

The person at the visitor centre informed us that only one loop was opened for visit due to winter so we went and drive towards the Mesa Loop. We saw the various cliff dwellings that gradually improved over the decades. Jarmo asked out loud how did the people live on the cliffs when it's so freaking cold in winter? :) The Ancestral Puebloans are farmers; mostly squash and corn. The men hunted and brought back the meat. They traded with other Indian groups from Arizona and Utah, as seen by the different pots and crafts found at the areas. It's a world of discovery for us as we get to know the American Indians in this country. Brings some perspective to what we've seen on tv. (p/s: The pix are coming, watch this space for updates)

From Mesa Verde, we drove to Blanding, Utah to stay the night. The idea is to visit the Natural Bridges National Monument the next morning. When we woke up, we found a gloomy, grey day. Surprisingly as we drove towards the Natural Bridges, the area opened up to clear, blue skies, just the perfect day to visit the bridges! And boy, we're pleased by our adventure :) There are three bridges - Sipapu, Kachina and Owachomo - and they each have distinctive features. We had a jolly good time walking along the trails and climbing on the different cliffs to get a better view of the area.

Check out the pix, as they speak a thousand words :) Our verdict, don't miss this place if you're in the area, it's well worth the drive and effort.