US trip -Orlando, Colorado and Utah- Part 3

The next day, we checked out of Best Western and left Alamosa for Moab, our next hotel destination which is 7 hrs drive away.

There was no elevator in the hotel and we had to carry 4 luggages plus a gallon of water and some food up the second floor. *_*

 A quick stop at Mesa Verde National Park.

Din managed to go for any trails as I was feeling too sick.

The visitor center at Mesa Verde NP, where we watched a video, bought some souvenirs and hubby stamped his NP passport.

Overlook from the visitor center

 Spotted a coyote on the road...

 Managed to get  close up pic on it.

 Crossing over from Colorado to Utah

Finally reached the hotel. Unfortunately, we happened to be staying on the 2nd floor and there was no elevator again...

 Entrance to Canyonlands National Park

Reminds me of Grand Canyon somehow...

Looks like a claw print to me...

 A natural bridge at the edge of a cliff

View through the bridge...

View of the salt dome.

Basically, Canyonlands National Park is divided into 3 sections, Island in the sky, The Needles and Maze. We only went to Island in the sky, coz the remaining 2 sections required a 4W drive vehicle as its a rugged terrain. Also, there are no direct roads to link the 3 sections. 

Check in holiday inn express at Green River. Luckily, there was an elevator.

We spent 2 days in Arches National Park. It was an amazing place, alien yet beautiful, like something out of this world. Hubby gets to spend his 34th birthday at Arches, its his birthday gift to himself.

Posing at the visitor center.

Me at the entrance of the park.

Posing together with the balanced rock

The double arch.

Fiery furnace from far

Close up view of fury furnace

Our ranger briefing us before starting the hike at the entrance of fury furnace. We actually signed up for this ranger led hike months ago online and its supposed to be a challenging 3 hr hike which required scaling, jumping over ledge, climbing..etc. I was very reluctant to go coz im still feeling very sick with running nose and cough but Im glad I managed to go through it in the end. Fury furnace is off limits to the public unless with a permit or guided with a ranger. There were a total of 25 people in this hike, some old folks, small kids and some carrying baby on their backs. So, if they can do it, so can I.

Its quite tough as there were no paved road or even a marked trail.

Concentrating hard not to lose my footing or else its a fractured ankle or leg for sure.

Wonder how fat people get through this...

 

 The lady in front of me in white was my motivation to move forward. We briefly bonded during this hike coz we had something in common, our husbands both loved National Parks and we can both understand that....I cant remember her name already but she told me both she and her husband were both architects and she is here doing this becoz of her husband. I am amazed by them and they inspired me to move on when I am on the verge of giving up. When I told her that I wished my parents can be as fit as you, she asked for my parents' age and then she said," I can be your grandparent already" She is a very nice lady and I wished I could get to know her more. I wondered if I can still do this hike when I am her age??

Luckily, the ranger stopped every now and then to point out and explained something to us.

This is called "the skull" It does look like one if you look at it upside down.

Walking back to the entrance. Yes! I completed this 3 hr hike and survived! The feeling afterwards is indescribable :) The saying " there's something magic about this place", feels totally true.