Another early start and another night of interrupted sleep. It's difficult for me to get a solid night's sleep but at least I have coffee to wake me up in the mornings. Last night I went to the toilet (sorry, I mean "restroom") and, on the way back, I noticed that some rubbish was scattered around the communal bin - right underneath the sign warning campers of the very real danger of black bears in the area! I walked very quickly back to the tent in the dark, all the while looking over my shoulder in case something was hungry and following me. Then, as I lay in my tent, I thought I heard heavy breathing nearby (in hindsight, it was probably a neighbour snoring), but my imagination was in overdrive and I had difficulty falling asleep thinking that there was a bear somewhere out there...

We have added yet another camping gadget to our ever-increasing collection of junk in the trunk. In addition to the tent, air mattress, sleeping bags, torch and pillows, we also have a hotplate, pot and frying pan! Our neighbours at the campsite seemed very well equipped with head torches and the like, but most people around here are better equipped than we are! The Americans have HUGE RVs - the size of big band tour buses. You could fit an orchestra into some of those things. Plus, there are any number of additional vehicles in tow, including (but not limited to): ATVs, RUVs, 4x4s, boats, cars, motorbikes and bicycles. The motto seems to be, "If it moves, bring it with!"

Anyways, after smelling our neighbours eggs and bacon (coz they have cooler boxes that keep things cool) and eating our boring cereal, we packed up our tents and went to find the famous Box Canyon. We walked the Nature Trail filled with Ponderosa Pine trees and Rocky Mountain Maples at Box Canyon Park. The path loops around to the Box Canyon where you can see the waterfall gushing through the rocks with immense force - like a tap which is opened too forcefully. The water is heated deep underground and comes out at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Some of this water is then pumped to the town to feed the thermal pools. It's quite impressive and has been attracting tourists here for a hundred years. The 200 foot climb to the bridge which spans across the canyon is quite steep but definitely worth it for the views alone. You can see the whole valley and the town of Ouray below.

So, having seen the Box Canyon, we decided to head towards Telluride en route to Mesa Verde. The lady at the Ouray Visitor's Centre had suggested we stop there for lunch and a free ride on the gondolas. Of course, we're both huge fans of free stuff so thought it would be worth the detour to visit. Telluride is a Swiss-style town on a dead end road full of gastronomic foodie places and hipster shops with chic objets d'art and prices to match. Going by the philosophy that the busiest restaurant is usually the best, we decided to eat lunch at Floradora Saloon. We both ordered burgers: Wendy had Josh's Brie Burger with brie and avocado, whereas I had the Big Bad Wolf Burger - half beef/half bacon - just the way I like it! We both agreed that these were probably the best burgers we've ever had. Ever.

The gondola rides beckoned and so we went onwards and upwards to the peaks above town. The rides are free as part of the town's efforts to reduce road traffic and pollution in the mountains. there are 3 sections which take you to different parts of the mountains. In the winter, this is a prime destination for skiing. In the summer, however, the area is utilised for mountain-biking and hiking and we could see plenty of people taking the opportunity to cycle or walk the trails. Unfortunately, being the scaredy cat that I am, I ended up feeling quite nauseous as we ascended higher into the peaks with rapid, jerky movements and sometimes terrifying speed. The views were terrific but probably more appreciated by those who don't have a fear of heights and hanging by a thin (albeit steel) cable.

We liked the town so much that we decided to stay here the night instead of pushing on through to Mesa Verde. It seemed like a nice enough place to spend more time in and we also found that the town campgrounds were very central and located near a stream (with free wi-fi - always a great bonus when you're on the road and want to stay in touch with friends and family).

After setting up our tent, we wandered into town to The Butcher & the Baker for afternoon tea and a humongous piece of carrot cake followed by a wander through the shops of the village. We bought a few extra things for our camping, like a tarp to waterproof our tent and a coffee filter drip system so I can make proper cups of coffee. Ah, civilisation and comfort!

Towards sunset, we drive down to the valley floor to watch the elk eat their dinner. We also got hungry and headed out for a drink, followed by pizza. The town was buzzing but we were tired from a busy day and a prolonged case of altitude sickness.