From Mesa Verde on the way to Moab

A good day starts with a good night. Even if the wind has passed through the wooden hut and there was no air conditioning (the lodges are situated at 2,200 meters high), I slept till 7.00 clock. The sun is shining and I can sit with a book on the terrace. Just like on holiday.

Breakfast is then - just as the dinner the day before - the result of a monopoly position in the National Park. Very expensive, but rather badly. Yesterday I ate my penne tortured with pickled cherries only half, and today the children deny to drink the coffee, even though Starbucks is on the cup. This time the farewell is easy for us.

First the route goes back first to Cortez (we visit Wal-Mart, because somewhere you have to even save money) and then we have a lot of time for the way to Moab. Therefore, we turn about 30 miles before Moab to the Needles Overview, where we can have a picnic before a grand canyon backdrop. The Needles - small sandstone columns - do not grab your attention as there is a more spectacular 180-degree panoramic canyon view. Even though it rained just before (yes, our presence works), the sun shines again and the sandstone is lit. Again, the Colorado River together with a second river has cut a spectacular canyon landscape, but interested in seeing are only two other car loads and not thousands like at Grand Canyon. Which in turn makes our picnic even more attractive.

On the way back we make the mistake to trust the navigation device, contrary to our instincts and are damend to go on a 15 mile stretch of sandy and rocky slopes. Two large monoliths - one even called Looking Glass hole - make a little reparation.

Our hotel, the Aarchway Inn, is located almost outside of Moab, but is equipped with microwave and refrigerator, and we munch on at the City Market. Fresh Crispy, BBQ ribs, burritos, fresh pizza pockets, salads and chocolate cookie ice cream and lemon sorbet forming the dinner. Just for the wine shelf we look in vain in the Mormon state of Utah. A bottle of Miller beer in a handy 0.95 liter bottle is available at least. Saturated we withdraw from the second room and leave the children with 72 US-TV channels. Yesterday in the lodge, they were even on withdrawal. But we take the rest of the ice cream with us and put it in the freezer - otherwise this will become to American in the other room.