Moab to Mesa Verde

Yesterday morning was spent at Arches. Bob hiked, K and I drove. Then, last night we had a cowboy dinner and then a nighttime boat trip down the Colorado River. There was a sound and light show that complemented the "cruise." The sky was just beaming with stars as we floated along the quiet river. This morning we drove to Mesa Verde. The last time we tried to come here the park was closed and we could see the fires from miles away. Today was a sunny, clear day and I had the opportunity to take a 3.5 hr ranger led tour through the park. It was fabulous - even squeezing through tight rock stairs, climbing up and down vetical ladders and hiking up and down steep hills. In this canyon of the park there have been more than 600 "shelter" discovered. How these socalled "primitive" people ever constructed and lived in these cliff dwellings is astonishing.