Mesa Verde National Park

I've been home from our family vacation for a week and a half, and have been wanting to blog and share our adventure with you, but the two-week trip was so remarkable, so many incredible places and sights and experiences, I've been at a loss to know how to begin. But I DO want to tell you about our trip. So I'll start at the beginning of our enchanting journey through the National Parks of Southern Utah.

After picking up Eric in Dallas, we drove through northwest Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where we spent the night. In Albuquerque, we wanted to ride the Sandia Peak Tramway -- we had a wonderful dinner at Sandiago's Mexican Grill (the cozy cafe at the bottom of the mountain), bought our tram tickets, waited in a long line . . .

And then right before it was our turn, this happened . . .

Disappointing, but we were fortunate. They shut the thing down; we'd have been stuck at the top of the mountain. Instead, we got our money back and found a hotel for the night in the pouring rain.

The next day, we headed north, cut northwest through a corner of Colorado, and into eastern Utah.

Passing the hours in the car.

First stop, Mesa Verde National Park. In addition to breathtaking sweeping landscapes (I could use that phrase for each park we visited), Mesa Verde is best known for these ancient puebloan cliff dwellings.

There are several scattered along the valley walls. This is likely one of the largest. Can you imagine what life might have been like living there?

Here are some examples of those sweeping vistas I told you about.

Next stop . . . Arches National Park.