The hike to Delicate Arch is the highlight of our trip. The hike is 3 miles and 3 hours (r/t) long. The only thing that got me a little worried was the wind. On the last leg of the hike, there is a narrow curve that you must turn to and it got really windy that day. Also, imagine this, the arch is like, in the middle of the bowl and you have to climb the rim of the bowl (it's about 3 feet high) but it slopes down after you climb the rim. My daughter got a bit scared whenever the wind blows. I was fine until we went under the arch and there is nothing to hold on to when the wind blew hard. Thankfully, it was only a short gust of wind. Regardless, this is one of the best hikes we took. It took my breath away. I didn't imagine it so big. It was all worth it.

Day 5 Mesa Verde

The drive from the entrance of the park to the visitor's center is about 40 min. The park is isolated with lots of winding road. The first dwelling we visited was the Spruce Tree House which is a self guided tour. It is the best preserved cliff dwelling. It is nice that we're able to go inside the "kiva" or underground chamber. The hike is pretty steep but also easy. There's only 2 dwellings that are open during this time of the year. As we drove around the park, we could see the other dwellings as well.

Second stop is the largest dwelling called the Cliff Palace which is a ranger led tour. You have to buy a ticket in advance. The hike to this place is really not bad. The vertical ladder is not that steep although it looks deceiving from afar. My girls naturally love the climbs. The ranger gave a good information about the Native Americans and also answered lots of questions.

Watch out for our "deer" friends crossing! They looked really cute and friendly but I am terrified of them. I hit one 3 years ago on my way to work and I still remember the damage it caused on my van. It jumped right in front of me. Luckily I swerved and it didn't land on my windshield onto my lap or I wouldn't be here blogging. We also saw horses and a coyote.

Day 6 Durango, Colorado

We did the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad excursion today. It was a 5 hr. (r/t) tour. Our final destination was Cascade Canyon since this is still considered a winter season. During the summertime, the train ride continue to Silverton which is a cute mining town. Of course it is a longer trip and doesn't stop at Cascade. Since it is not crowded, after the conductor checked our tickets, we were allowed to move to any vacant spot. The weather was beautiful so we decided to stay in the open air gondola. I was worried about the soot and the cold weather at first but turned out to be the best seat. The tail of the train gives the best view esp. when the train turns to the cliffs. The whistling sound of the old time train made me travel back in time during the 1800's. What an awesome experience we had (and no soot in my nose and clothes..ha!)

The train ride was truly an adventure. The train going through the breathtaking cliffs and the rocky mountain is enough to give you me an adrenaline rush or it's just that I have such a wild imagination. Even my daughter got nervous when everyone went on the right side of the train where the sight is most scenic (on the way to the canyon). She thought the train might tipped over so she refused to move when we were calling her.

We got to Cascade Canyon at 12 noon and had lunch. The only people there are the passengers. There were picnic tables and it is nice to walk around the isolated area. The Animas River looked refreshing. I can see my kids swimming here on summertime. They love throwing rocks.