I’m typing this in the cafeteria on top of Mesa Verde on Saturday morning.

I had originally thought that by the time we were 5 days into the trip; I would be worn out. Instead, with each passing day, the incredible scenery and places seem to keep me energized. I feel better this morning than the first couple of days of the trip.

Yesterday, we saw just about every type of landscape imaginable. From the colorful sandstone Northern New Mexico, to the huge ranges of Southern Colorado with the snowcapped Rockies in the background, and finally the incredible Mesa Verde canyons and Pueblo Dwellings.

This national park is truly a hidden treasure. It’s not crowded. The food is outstanding, and the scenery is breathtaking. Our waitress told us you can see four states and over 120 miles from where we stayed last night…Ben

This is my second stay at a national park. The first was last year at Yellowstone. The best things about that place were the coyote that Ben saw through the window in the middle of the night and the sweet employee who delivered the camping equipment we had forgotten to a pick-up place 3 hours closer to us. The people here are just as charming, many of them from outside the US and all of them smiling and helpful. We’ve especially enjoyed viewing the wonders of Mesa Verde without crowds.

We took a pretty challenging hike yesterday over rocks, beside canyons, through fissures in the rock, and on steps carved hundreds of years ago. It was easy to imagine the Cliff Dwellers making their way home or to their fields on these same paths. I must admit that I freaked out once, when I got off the trail and realized that I had to return over a narrow, slippery place with a steep drop off. I’m also glad Ben will be making the 15 mile drive down to Highway 106: a steep drive with lots of drop offs. Star

Here goes another funny video with Star giving "shout outs" at Echo Ampitheatre in New Mexico.