(tense music) ♫ I'm riding, riding, riding ♫ Riding with my RV, my RV ♫ Wherever I want to be ♫ Because I'm free in my RV, yeah - [Robert] Hello, everybody! In this video, we are
flying to Denver, Colorado, and from there, we are going to explore the Four Corners region
of the United States, also more colloquially
known as The Wild West. We are going to do this
journey on a rental class C motorhome, so let's check it out. So this is the RV we have rented. It's actually bigger than I expected. Although I would have
preferred a smaller rig, this 28-footer has a
nice bedroom in the back, with a queen bed and
pretty decent storage, a separate shower for
which I would rather have a sliding door instead of
a curtain, but whatever. A separate bathroom with
a sink and a toilet, and overall, pretty spacious. Let's see the outside. So here's the outside of the RV. So as you can see overall,
it's a pretty good rig. I would have preferred something smaller, as I said, a 23 or a 25-footer, but it drives great, so
let's get on the road. In order to reach this
stunningly beautiful area of the country, we must cross
the mighty Rocky Mountains. As we advance west, the landscape becomes
increasingly rugged and beautiful, the highest peaks covered
in perpetual snow. Well, we continue on our journey west, slowly climbing the Rocky Mountains. Pretty soon, we'll reach
the Continental Divide, and then, down we go. (upbeat music) Before 1973, you had
to climb all the way up to the Loveland Pass to go
across the Continental Divide, but not anymore. Nowadays, we can take
the Eisenhower Tunnel, opened in 1973 and
fully completed in 1979. It's a much faster route. At over 11,000 feet,
it is the highest point in the US interstate highway system. We might take the scenic route over the Continental
Divide on the way back. We make a quick stop by Lake Dillon to stretch our legs and
admire this beautiful scenery. (upbeat music) A few miles further to the west, we pass by the skiing resort town of Vail. Established in the 1960s, it is the third largest ski
mountain in North America. (upbeat music) We also pass by Avon. As we continue, the terrain
becomes increasingly arid, perhaps a preview of what's to come, a sign that we're getting closer
to the sandstone landscape of the high desert of
the Colorado Plateau, which we'll visit later in our trip. This part of the highway, along
with the Eisenhower Tunnel and the Vail Pass, are
considered engineering marvels of the interstate highway system. (bright pensive music) We also pass by the
picturesque Glenwood Springs, home to the Colorado Mountain College, and named the most fun town in America by Rand McNally back in 2011. We must revisit this nice
town on the way back, but right now, I want to check
out the canyon one more time. I'll be honest with you, one
of the cameras malfunctioned, and I went to get some
footage of Glenwood Canyon and the swelling Colorado River just in case I don't return this way. So let's make a left and take
I-70 back east towards Denver, if only for a few miles. (bright pensive music) Let's get out of this rest area. Apparently, this is called
the Glenwood Canyon Resort. Let's check out the
swelling Colorado River. Actually, the whole area
is under a flood watch. To think, this is the same stream that will later form Lake Powell, the same water that
carved the Grand Canyon and powers Hoover Dam, and created the environmental disaster that is the Salton Sea. To think, it is reduced to a trickle by the time it reaches
the Gulf of California. (bright pensive music) (water roaring) We stop one last time
to check out the river, and west we go! (bright pensive music) In the original plan, I was going to drive all the way to Utah today, and then some, but as you will soon find out, sometimes, I make overly ambitious plans, and this one is one of those times. It turns I'm tired, it is getting late, so we decide to change the
plan and spend the night at the beautiful Island Acres campground, part of the James M. Robb
Colorado River State Park. We are just a few miles
away from Grand Junction. We finally arrive at the campground. (bright pensive music) We park at our designated
site, and first thing's first: let's hook up the RV. I decide to do the sewer first, but now that I think about it, I probably should have done that last, it being the dirtiest
part of the operation. It's here. Boom. And then... This one, all the way. Perfect. Then I proceed to hook up
the city water connection, pretty straightforward, and finally, the electric power. Looks good. Aye! And the three prongs match this, so, here goes nothing. We should have power. That was it, our demonstration
of the connections. Well, looks like we are
fully hooked, so let's relax, and enjoy the sunset. Hello, everybody, we
have driven all the way from Denver, Colorado
to here, this campground at the James M. Robb Colorado State Park. I have to read it because it's a mouthful, but it's very nice, look at the scenery. Look at the scenery all around us. That's the RV back there,
and it's very nice. Tomorrow, we will continue towards Moab. (fire crackling) Brian made fire. Nice. I like this place, we
should stay here longer. Yeah, very nice indeed. (warm pensive music) Good morning! Coming to you from the
Island Acres campground in Western Colorado. By the way, this is the
view from our bedroom. Nice, huh? (warm pensive music) In the morning, we walk
around the campground wishing we had more time to explore, but we're already two
hours behind schedule, and Utah awaits. Time to go. (bright pensive music) We are on the road again. (bright pensive music) An hour later, we are greeted
by this colorful sign. (camera clicks) We have arrived at the state of Utah. (pensive instrumental music) And we are taking the
isolated State Route 128, with no services for 54 miles. It is called the Upper
Colorado River Scenic Byway, not very scenic yet. In fact, it's pretty desolate. We even pass by the ghost town of Cisco, a former typical Old West railroad town. We are crossing this
desert, and to the left, we see the La Sal
Mountains in the distance, getting a glimpse of Fisher Tower, which we'll see up close in a few. As we continue, the terrain
becomes increasingly rugged. We join the north bank
of the Colorado River. (bright pensive music) Right before crossing the
river, if you look to the left of the screen, we'll get a
glimpse of the Dewey Bridge, accidentally burned in
2008, and until then, it was the longest
suspension bridge in Utah. Very sad, it got burned, allegedly, by a child playing with matches. Actually, I'd like to
thank one of my viewers for recommending this route because I might have missed it otherwise. This scenery on our way
to Arches National Park is truly breathtaking. (warm pensive music) Here, we stop a few minutes by the river to admire this view of the Fisher Towers and the mountains in the distance. (warm pensive music) Let's continue driving through the gorge. We are approaching Castle Valley. We see Castleton Tower in the distance, and this place is slightly
reminiscent of Monument Valley, where we're going the day after tomorrow. And, like Monument
Valley, it has been used as the location for many
classic Western movies, such as Wagon Master, Rio Grande. It was around here that
I originally intended to spend the night boondocking. It is called boondocking when
you stay without hook-ups. Actually, it was going to
be through this dirt road. This is all BLM land. BLM stands for Bureau of Land Management, so you are allowed to camp for
the night at certain places. The dirt road is a little
too rough for the RV, so we go back to State Route 128. Besides, we are already a
few hours behind schedule. (bright pensive music) We stop one more time
to take a few pictures. I just can't help myself. Let's continue. (bright pensive music) A couple of miles down
the road, we reach US-191, and we turn right, north
towards Arches national Park. As you can see, there is
already a pretty long line to go into the park. (warm pensive music) As soon as we enter, we are greeted by all these unique rock formations. We stop at this viewpoint to
admire the beauty of this place and to see this view of
the Moab Fault from above. (wind blustering) We continue going deeper into the park, and everywhere you look, you see something worth
pointing the camera at. (bright pensive music) We stop by the La Sal Mountains
Viewpoint, but really, who cares about the La Sal
Mountains at this point? Take a look at this place, this valley. In front of us, the rock
formation called The Organ. To the left, the Three Gossips, part of this collection
of sandstone columns called the Courthouse Towers. (bright pensive music) We continue driving
along the scenic drive, and although we would like to stop at every single viewpoint, we have one main attraction in mind, towards the far side of
the park, towards the east. This is one of those places where the camera just
doesn't do it justice. It is impossible to capture
the grandeur, the magnificence, of these massive rock formations. We pass by the Petrified Dunes, and the Great Wall, (warm pensive music) and the Window Arches. (warm pensive music) Of course, we must make a quick
stop by the Balanced Rock, one of the most well-known
formations of this park. It looks like it is about
to tip over, but trust me, it's been there for a long time. We continue, and eventually make a right. This is the main attraction of the park, so the parking lot is, not
surprisingly, very crowded. (bright pensive music) - [Brian] Is there one here,
or is there a car there? - [Robert] We are the luckiest mother (censored beeping) on Earth. (Brian laughs) (Robert laughing) So lucky to find that
spot, it was meant to be. We are hiking to the Delicate Arch. Yes, we out-of-shape, indoor, flat-landers are about to embark in
this great adventure. First, we pass by the
remains of the Wolfe Ranch, built in 1888 by a Civil War
veteran, John Wesley Wolfe. We will stop again on
the way back to see it, as well as some Ute
petroglyphs that are nearby. The whole hike is a little
over three miles roundtrip, and a sign said moderate to strenuous. Let me tell you, it is really hot. We chose the worst possible
time of the day, noon. We're almost having second
thoughts, but we are prepared. We have plenty of water
and are in good spirits. We have to go all the way up there. This first half mile is not so bad. The terrain can be a little irregular, but there's not too much
elevation gained or lost. (breathing heavily) Here comes the hard
part, the slickrock slab. It is said to be very
slippery in the winter and during rainy season,
but today, it's not too bad. (breathing heavily) This is, perhaps, the most
strenuous part of this hike, a little more than halfway there. We'll make it. (people chattering) We see the La Sal Mountains on the way up. The steep trail is marked
by these stacks of rocks called cairns. We continue. The next part of the trail
is more rocks and sand, and no shade. Rocks and sand. Hard surface. (people chattering) - [Man] Where's Adam? - [Woman] I don't know where Adam is. - [Robert] Eventually,
we reach this section along this ledge with
this wall to the right and the desert to our left. A little scary, but the
trail is wide enough, so as long as we play it safe,
I think we'll be all right. As we pass the Frame Arch,
we know we are almost there. This is not it. (breathing heavily) - [Child] Bye-bye! - [Robert] Bye! And here it is, Delicate Arch, pretty much the symbol of Utah, its most famous rock formation. It was definitely worth the hike. (delicate piano music) At last, we have arrived
at the Delicate Arch, and here it is. Isn't that wonderful? Beautiful place. I laid down under the
arch for a few seconds to cherish the moment, if you will. Okay, it's time to head back. Okay, let's head back down, but let's stop by the Window Arch first. And here I am. Here I am at the Double Arch. This is another great view. I have no idea how I'm
gonna get back down there. We'll see. The good thing about the return trip is that we are going mostly downhill. Down, down we go. Okay, let's check out the petroglyphs now. These are historic Ute images
depicting men on horseback, which were introduced by the Spanish. We cross the creek, and once
again, we see the Wolfe Ranch. We can even see inside the ranch. Not a whole lot to see, though. Let's get back in the RV. (lively music) We continue along the scenic drive towards this area called
the Fiery Furnace, a natural labyrinth of narrow passages between sandstone walls,
and a very difficult hike. (lively music) We continue driving west. On the right, we'll see the Skyline Arch. We are approaching this area
called the Devil's Garden, with more trails and natural arches. They even have a campground, so we know where we're going to stay the next time we come this way. The area is pretty congested,
same as the Delicate Arch, and the campground is full, of course. And honestly, I don't have the stamina, nor the time to do another
serious hike today. I do get off the RV, check out the crows, and what the heck, let's walk a little bit on this Devil's Garden Trail. The whole trail is 7.2 miles, way too long to start right now, but it is only .8 miles
to the Landscape Arch and two miles to the Double O Arch, so I'm torn between my
desire to see these arches and my own exhaustion. And although I know
I'm going to regret it, I decide to go back. Off we go, reluctantly saying goodbye
to Arches National Park. (lively music) We stop for a few minutes by
the Fiery Furnace trail head. This hike is so strenuous and dangerous that a hiking permit is required, and they even recommend
that you take a guided tour on your first time. (lively music) That's it, we're getting out of the park, the Courthouse Towers bidding us farewell. (lively music) I stop one last time by
the Park Avenue Trail head, and off to Moab we go. The small city of Moab
caters to all the tourists, hikers, off-roaders, rafters, bikers, rock climbers, and all the
people who come to visit the two major national parks of the area, Arches, where we just
were, and Canyonlands, which we will visit some
day some other time. (lively music) We buy supplies at the KOA
campground, fill up the tank, and off we go towards Cortez. (lively music) We encounter this arch
on the side of the road, and naturally, we stop for the photo op. (lively music) A little over two hours later, we arrive at the Sundance RV
Resort in Cortez, Colorado. (lively music) We end the day at this Mexican restaurant called El Burro Pancho. The food is great, their
margaritas are perfect, and it feels overall authentic. Good morning! Nothing like a shot of Cuban
coffee to start your day. Yup, I'm awake now! Today, we are visiting
Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez, Colorado. This area was home to the
Ancestral Pueblo people for about 700 years, and
then, in the late 1200s, for reasons that are not entirely clear, they all moved away. The brand new visitor's
center opened in 2012, and it has all these displays depicting how archeologists think the Ancestral Pueblo
people lived daily life, the tools they used, how
they made their pottery, and how they built their
different types of dwellings. Let's go into the park. Oh, by the way, one very
important thing to keep in mind is that in order to visit the main sights, such as the Cliff Palace,
the Balcony House, the Long House, you must
purchase the tickets beforehand at the visitor's center. It would really suck to drive
all the way into the park and not be able to see at
least one of these sights. We have a pretty long uphill drive here to the mesa's top at 8,500 feet. Fantastic panoramic views of the Mancos and Montezuma Valleys. (bright music) We stop here briefly at the
Montezuma Valley Overlook, very nice views of the valley, and it's also where
the old Knife Edge Road used to go through. Sometimes, I leave the
camera on inadvertently and get these nice time lapses. Further along, we have
a fortuitous encounter with a baby black bear, and leave it up to me
to show up with a big RV and scare him away. Sorry to spoil the show, folks. And another great view of the valley. The camera just doesn't do it justice. And another pretty time lapse. You gotta love the clouds. We reach the top of the mesa and stop by a primitive pithouse, one of the many in the area. Because of their partial
underground construction with a roof, they were warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and typically, had a small antechamber and a larger main chamber. Our next stop is the
Navajo Canyon Overlook, where we get this pretty
good view of the canyon. (triumphant music) As the weather begins to deteriorate, we stop by the Sun Temple. From here, we can see the Cliff Palace, which we will visit next. In our excitement, we forgot
to see the actual Sun Temple. Maybe we'll have time later. Let's visit the Cliff Palace. First, we go down these abrupt stairs with these great views of the canyon, and then other dwelling on the other side. Here we are, waiting for the guide. We go up this ladder right
next to the structure. We are treated to this
very thorough exposition by this very enthusiastic
and knowledgeable ranger. We learn about their water source, which apparently seeped through the rocks from snowmelt above. - A seep spring. Pretty much, if you think
about it, it's a leaky faucet. Possibly four generations
just putting this together, and it seems that it
goes up in four cycles. The first is right here, where we find they're probably building in the left-hand corner first because this is going to
capture the most winter sun. And we got a nice source
of easy, free heat. But then the community gets bigger, might have gotten more
popular, and over time, room by room, they add on. As the family expands, the city expands. Archeologists think that
most of these structures, especially in the middle,
probably went up to three stories, if not any more. You had storage in the upper attic there. Only thing we don't find
are Christmas ornaments. But some places, we
did find a couple pots, blankets, tools left up
there, not too much, though. And then down below, all
the square structures, you have your living
rooms, your family rooms, storage and bedrooms. And they had trails very
similar to what we came down, just not very deep steps like
that, they're very shallow, dug into the rock just enough
to get you toe perches, but they're hidden, for the most part. They have to know where it is,
gotta know what to look for. We will see an original
trail as we make our way out. That is an original exit and entrance, the way we're gonna leave today. Maybe a rope system bringin' the pots and water up, down, maybe just bringing all
the materials that you need down into the site, probably
some industrial accidents here. - [Woman] Mm-hmm. - 'Cause all the rope was
made out of yucca plant. Over at Step House, we found 1,300 feet double-ply yucca fiber rope. - [Man] Continuous? - Continuous strand.
- Wow. - Coiled up in a basket. Somebody had nothing else better to do, or that was that person's main job. We don't know too much about society when we're looking at these structures. All we find are pots and utility tools. That's it. No writing, very little
pictographs or petroglyphs. Just a ghost town
sitting inside the cliff. So some think maybe the
smaller dwellings up top in the cliffs, they might
have been your potters, your weavers, your rope makers. - [Woman] Well, no, we see across, you see one from up above,
across, just kinda all by itself. - All by itself, and that's
how most of them are. About every 500 feet,
usually, down the canyon, there's some dwelling,
some structure inside, either just hangin' off
on one of the shelves that's maybe two feet wide, or they've got a nice
little alcove right there. This was the center, possibly. So, when we think about
putting this together, you want to take it apart block by block. And if you want, as we make
our way down to the middle in just a minute here,
I'm gonna leave this here. Pick this up. See what a small block feels like, and just imagine coming down the trail or roping this down two, three, five of these pieces, amassing the materials to
put your home together. - [Robert] This was,
perhaps, the aqueduct. Fascinating, the ingenuity
of these ancient dwellers. - What we find is that these
people had to start relearning how to build inside the alcove. For a good 200 years, at least, they're building stone pueblos up on top. They knew how to work on a flat surface, building up from there, but if you look at all these
boulders hanging out around us, you gotta work around that. They're using the original material left, so if you look at this bottom wall here, that is very sad compared to this. And I do have to put a disclaimer on that. That is partial park
service reconstruction. It looks like, from the original
foundation that we found, they're using all those angular pieces, just getting it up in a hurry
so they can start building it, and then the master masons show up. The walls are almost perfectly smooth, or they were at one time originally. But there's a problem. Anybody pick up that
small block up over there? - [Audience] Mm-hmm. - Is that light? (audience murmuring) No, and this mortar is just a basic sand, clay, water mixture. You put that down, let it set up. If your block is too heavy, it might make that ooze
out all over the place. So they figure out a tool. It's all these little tiny stones that either they're chipping away, or they're the remnants
of all these carvings, and they start pressing
them into the mortar from both sides of the wall, forcing that mortar into the middle. Once the chinking stones
reach the outside, they're flush with the wall, they then patch those
gaps with more mortar to smooth it out and to finish. So, you have stabilization
with recycled material. And in some places with original walls, you can still see fingerprints where they pushed that
mortar in and smoothed it out so many years ago. You get high enough,
you need to add a roof, you need to add a floor. - [Robert] They made their roof supports with wood from juniper trees. - [Park Ranger] But the one thing we ask: Where are they finding straight juniper? - [Robert] Apparently,
there are not enough straight juniper trees in this area to build the many rooms in this dwelling. Here, we can see the
other smaller dwelling on the other side of the canyon, and our only chance to
see the Cliff Palace without any tourists in it. A little further along, we learn about these rooms called kivas. The ingenuity involved in
their construction is amazing. Kiva means, literally,
underground in the Hopi language. - And they start building the
roof halfway inside this room, hexagonal ring after hexagonal ring, each one getting smaller and smaller as it made its way higher and higher. Eventually, once it got about
right where I'm standing here, there would be a square hole directly in the center of the roof. All three of these kivas
that we just walked by, this was one large open courtyard. From what we know for this
size kiva here in the park, especially in the cliff
dwellings, this is a family room, this is where they probably
were sleeping in the winter, it's going to be the warmest place. We find anchor points in the floor where they're doing weaving and they're tying their
looms off to the ceiling, probably the classroom for the children while the parents are out farming. Grandparents might take
the little ones in, tell them the stories, the histories. And at certain times of the year, it's also going to be a
ceremonial site as well. This is a prayer room where
they contacted their ancestors to bring the rain, which
almost scared us today, to call for healing, to keep the family alive. This was the center of the family. Each one represents at
least one family group. But when we think about the
functionality of this room, you've got a fire pit in the middle, you've got a chimney,
you need one more thing. You need a lot of air going into that room to keep the fire alive and
to push the smoke up and out. - [Man] That's the problem. - So what we find is that the vent shaft starts just beyond that little
wall there on the planking, goes straight down to that little door. That's the fresh air
intake pulling that air in. And they realized you
get too much of a draft, you're gonna blow your fire out, you're gonna blow ash all
over the inside of the room. So they build that wall to
deflect the air around the fire, push the smoke up and out, and reflect the heat back into the room. And just that little
simple unit right there is ancient technology for these people. The pithouses in the 400s
are built almost identically, just not as deep. And the round tower right in the middle. - [Robert] The round tower, besides being an observation tower to spy
on the neighbors across, was, apparently, also their observatory. The window would frame
solstices and equinoxes, and so they knew when
to plant and harvest. It was their clock tower, if you will. It is incredible to
think that we had no idea this civilization existed until 1888, when these ruins were
discovered by ranchers. That was one great tour, wasn't it? Let me tell you, I have nothing but praise for the National Park Service. I have not met one person
who wasn't pleasant, helpful, or extremely
passionate about their job. (warm pensive music) Before traveling further
west, we stop one last time by the Fire Lookout, the
highest point in the park, at 8,572 feet above sea level. From the Park Point
Overlook, we get to see these spectacular panoramic
views of the Montezuma Valley. We can even see the town
of Cortez in the distance. (bright pensive music) That's it! We are leaving the park for good, with beautiful views as
we descend from the mesa. We pass by the Ute Mountain
Indian Reservation, and yes, they do have a casino. The Chimney Rock to our left. (bright pensive music) We turn to the west, immersing ourselves into
one of the most remote areas of North America. It is our intent to reach the epicenter of the Four Corners region, the very spot where the borders of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and
New Mexico intersect. Two hours later, we arrive
at the Four Corners Monument. (bright pensive music) Here I am at the Four Corners Monument. That's Utah back there, and here, I'm walking, and
now I'm in Colorado. (mumbles) Now I'm in New Mexico. And now I am in Arizona, one hour earlier, or later, I forgot. Recent surveys have determined that the monument is
actually 1,807 feet east of the actual Four Corners point. Still, fairly accurate, considering the instruments available at the turn of the 20th century, when they originally surveyed the area. I do have one complaint. The grounds are not very well-maintained. You would think that with the $15 the Navajo people charge
you to visit the monument, and the revenue from
all the souvenir sales, they could afford a paved parking lot. Just saying. Onward we go! I, of course, take a photo
with the nearby signs for New Mexico and Colorado, and let's include
Arizona and Utah as well. Nice, huh? This is the only time in our trip where we actually step on New Mexico soil. We continue riding into the sunset, now going deep into the Navajo Nation, which is a huge area encompassing
North Eastern Arizona, parts of New Mexico, and Utah. (warm pensive music) After a little over an hour or so, we start seeing the formations of the Valley of the Gods in the horizon. Let me tell you, I would love to do some exploring around this area. The Valley of the Gods,
it's like a smaller version of Monument Valley, if you will, where we're going tomorrow, by the way. But, unlike Monument Valley, it's not part of the Navajo Nation. It belongs to the Bureau
of Land Management, which means you can camp in the area and have more freedom to roam around. As night falls, we arrive at the place where we are going to spend
the night boondocking, dry camping, you know,
self-contained, off the grid. We have decided to spend the night at the Goosenecks State Park in Utah, with this beautiful view overlooking a deep meander of the San Juan River. From here, we can see the Alhambra Rock, and Monument Valley in the distance. (peaceful instrumental music) This place has very
little light pollution, being so remote and all,
and after the moon sets, stars we've never seen
before reveal themselves, and I get to see the Milky Way for the first time in my life. I even get to experiment with some long exposure photography. Good morning from Goosenecks State Park! (peaceful instrumental music) (tense music) We get on the way again, passing near the Valley of the Gods. (tense music) A little further down, we encounter this singular rock formation
called the Mexican Hat. See the resemblance? There's a tiny village with
this view of the Alhambra Rock and some lodges and a gas station. (bold pensive music) And finally, it reveals
itself on the horizon, the place we've been coming
to see, Monument Valley. This specific spot is particularly famous for the movie Forrest Gump. (breathing heavily) And this is the very
spot where Forrest Gump decided he was tired of running. I'm tired of running too. Going back to the RV. (breathing heavily) (tense music) Here we are, the price of admission, $20. The three-hour tour is $85, and there's also a two-hour tour for $75. We park at the oversized vehicle area, and it looks like our ride
is already waiting for us. The road around the valley's a not very well-maintained dirt road, so I apologize in advance
for the shaky camera, especially if you're
prone to motion sickness. It is definitely a bumpy ride. Fortunately, we get to stop
at some of these viewpoints. Here, we see the Merrick Butte, and the East and West Mittens. What an exceptionally
beautiful place this is! (dramatic tense music) We continue bouncing up and down. We stop, once again, in order
to give our butts a rest, and to see the Mitchell Mesa and these pinnacles
called the Three Sisters. We also see the Elephant Butte and the Camel Butte on the way. (tense music) This formation is called The Thumb. We stop, once again, by The North Window, framed by Elephant Butte and Cly Butte. We can see the Bear and
Rabbit Spires in the distance. There are several movies that
I want to recommend to you which feature Monument Valley prominently. (flag rustling in wind)
(soft pensive music) Here, we see this formation
called The Rooster, and The Three Healers,
and the famous Totem Pole. One of the movies I was talking
about is The Eiger Sanction by Clint Eastwood, from 1975, in which they were allowed
to climb the Totem Pole with the condition that they would remove all the pitons left by previous climbers. No one has ever been
allowed to climb ever since because the Totem Pole
is considered sacred by the Navajo people,
thus making Clint Eastwood the last person ever to climb the spire. (tense music) We stop for a few minutes
by the side of these 2,000-year-old petroglyphs. This is also the site of
the Eye of the Sun Arch. (tense music) We also pass by the Big Hogan
as part of the extended tour. (tense music) This is very nice, very good tour. (wind blustering) I'm going up to the Ear of the Wind. And here, I get to climb the sand dune to the Ear of the Wind. (bold instrumental music) We stop, once again, by the Indian Head and the Sleeping Dragon. You can kinda see the head over there, and the long body to the right. (bold instrumental music) We pass by the Three Sisters once again on our way to the John Ford Point. John Ford directed a great classic, perhaps the movie that put
Monument Valley on the map, the one that epitomized to
us the look of the Wild West. The movie, Stage Coach from 1939. Ford directed many other
movies, such as The Searchers, a classic VistaVision
masterpiece from 1956. (tense music) We have a traditional Navajo lunch of sheep camp mutton stew, and fried bread with honey
at the appropriately named The View Hotel. The food is nothing to write home about, but the panoramic view is priceless. (dramatic tense music) We stop on the way out
to take one last photo with Monument Valley in the background, and another photo with the Arizona sign. We begin the long 2-1/2-hour
journey towards Page, Arizona, where we will spend the night. Here, we see the Owl Rock,
and the Agathla Peak, perhaps better known by its
Spanish name, El Capitan. (tense music) (upbeat music) The road across this arid
area of Arizona seems endless. The welcome sight of
the Navajo Power Plant tells us we are almost there. Eventually, we make it to our destination, the Wahweap Campground by Lake Powell, part of the Glen Canyon Recreational Area. We park at our designated spot with this partial view of the lake. Very, very nice! In the original plan,
tomorrow, we would continue towards the north rim of the Grand Canyon, but this place is so nice
that we are going to stay an extra night and relax. (upbeat music) Good morning from the Wahweap RV Park, part of the Lake Powell
Resort near Page, Arizona. So many attractions nearby. We walk along this path
a little over a mile to the main resort, where
we are going to take a boat tour of the lake. We're going to see Antelope Canyon, the part that is underwater,
and the Navajo Canyon. (bright relaxing music) And we depart, the Navajo
power station ever-present. And that's the hotel up there. With this view of Castle Rock to the left, we're going to go around Antelope Island, which, due to the marked
fluctuations in water levels, sometimes, it is actually a peninsula. Here is the Wahweap Marina,
with over 500 vessels, worth, as a whole, many,
many millions of dollars. The reason the water level
shifts so dramatically, historically, over 100
feet, is because Lake Powell is actually an artificial
lake, a reservoir, so the water level depends
on the seasonal snow runoff of the Colorado River
coming from the mountains. The lake was created
by flooding Glen Canyon when they constructed the Glen Canyon Dam. Completed in 1963, it took 11 years for the water level to rise
to the high water mark. We continue spinning away on the south side of Antelope Island, towards the Antelope Canyon. (bright relaxing music) Isn't that nice? Your own little crack on
the side of the canyon, in the shade, to take a break. (bright relaxing music) The canyon narrows until the point where we must turn around,
back out into the lake, admiring these astounding
shapes carved in the sandstone by erosion over the course
of thousands of years. (bright relaxing music) And we are back by this
narrow stretch of water with Antelope Island to our left. Our next stop is the Navajo Canyon, but first, we must pass by
the Antelope Point Marina. Look at all these luxurious houseboats. (bright relaxing music) We see the Tower Butte in the distance. (bright relaxing music) Once again, we see the butte
lurking behind the sandstone. We finally start
approaching Navajo Canyon, obviously not the same Navajo Canyon we saw back in Mesa Verde National Park. (bright pensive music) The Navajo Canyon is one of
Lake Powell's 96 canyons, and it's one of the longest ones. Here, we see a great example of why it's called Navajo tapestry. This mix of colors found
on the sandstone, well, it almost looks like a
mural, but made by nature. Iron oxide and manganese
residue from above drapes down the side of the canyon over the course of centuries, and this nature work
of art is what we get. (bright peaceful music) We learn the difference
between a butte and a mesa. It turns a butte is
taller than it is wide, and a mesa, well, wider than it is tall. (bright relaxing music) We head back, with
Castle Rock ahead of us, going back through this narrow
canal only because this year, the water level is high enough. Otherwise, we would
have had to turn around the way we came. (bright relaxing music) And we're back by the Wahweap Marina, and this is the end of our boat tour. Yeah, I know, I'm kind of
obsessed with that butte. What can I say? Time to get on the road again, although we'll be back
here at the campground tonight, once again, to sleep. Right now, we're going to
visit Lower Antelope Canyon, which is nearby, not the part
we just visited by the lake, but the part above water, which is probably the more famous one. It is a slot canyon, which is a canyon which is much narrower than it is tall, and it is formed by the wear of water rushing through the rock. The drive from the
campground is about 14 miles. And here we are. The entrance is by this dirt road near the Navajo power station. The total price for the
one-hour tour is $28 per person, cash only, and that
includes a Navajo permit. We follow our young Navajo guide down to the canyon,
under the scorching sun. We begin our descent into the canyon down these steep stairs. At the bottom, the
temperature is much cooler, thank goodness. (mysterious pensive music) The different colors
on the rock, we learn, are caused by the way it reflects sunlight at different angles, creating
all these surreal effects. All the rock is actually
pretty much the same color. Lower Antelope Canyon
is open to the public seven days a week. It only closes when
rain is in the forecast, because of the high risk of flash floods. We have taken one of
the two tours available. This one is operated by Ken's Tours. Overall, it's a very nice experience. By the way, as I said earlier, this is Lower Antelope Canyon. There is also an Upper Antelope Canyon, which is a little taller,
with flatter terrain and more accessible, but
much more crowded as well, and more expensive. You actually have to book the
tour back at Page, Arizona, and they bring you to the
entrance of the canyon by Jeep. If you have accessibility issues, that one may be the one for you, but we have chosen the lower canyon, and we don't regret it one bit. I mean, look at this
place, this is surreal! (tense music) (people chattering) (bold instrumental music) We continue climbing the
stairs of the Antelope Canyon, the Lower Antelope Canyon. (dramatic tense music) An hour later, we emerge
on the other side. We get back on the road promptly, going towards the Horseshoe Bend. There is this rather
challenging trail to get to it, especially for our exhausted
and out-of-shape bodies, but we keep going anyways. At the end of the trail,
there is this horseshoe-shaped meander of the Colorado
River, which, by the way, it's very well worth the mile-long trail. And here it is in all its glory. Again, one of those
places where the 2D camera just doesn't really do it justice. (warm pensive music) There are numerous photographers
by the edge of the cliff capturing this very photogenic place. (warm pensive music) We start heading back up the trail, looking back one last time for this great look from the distance. Let's return to the RV, shall we? We make one last stop
at the Wahweap Point. From this vantage point, we can see this commanding
view of South Lake Powell, the area we visited by boat earlier. Enjoying this beautiful
view is a fitting end to a wonderful day. There's the marina and the
resort, and campground, and a tour boat, just like
the one we took this morning. (wind blustering) After our very pleasant stay
here at the Wahweap Resort near Page, Arizona, we hit the road again. We are driving further west, and then north on Highway 89,
towards Bryce National Park, a little over 2-1/2 hours in total. And I know, please don't
send me any nasty emails. How can I take this route and not pass by Zion National Park? It is just a 20-minute
detour to the park entrance. Well, I feel Zion deserves a
lot more than just a few hours. Besides, we are racing against the clock. We have to return the RV at
Denver in less than two days. I'll come back this way
some other time, I promise. Even though the drive has
some picturesque areas, sometimes, it seems endless. We drive through the scenic town of Kanab, often called Little Hollywood
because of its history as the filming location
for so many Western films. Here, we take a more northerly route. (upbeat music) If we were going to Zion, we would have turned left right here, right before Mount Carmel and Orderville. But, as I said before, there's
no time, so we keep going. (upbeat music) Yep, we killed a bug
right at the very spot where the lens of the GoPro is. There's a bunch of German
bakeries along the way. (upbeat music) We turn right onto State Route 12, and the jagged rock formations are a sign that we are getting very close to Bryce. (upbeat music) And we have arrived. The fee to enter, $25. The canyon is pretty long, so we are just going to check out some of the main viewpoints,
beginning with Bryce Point. We park at the crowded lot. And here we are, Bryce Point, elevation, 8,300 feet above sea level. We start to see these magnificent views of this place that, frankly,
looks like another planet. (mysterious pensive music) There are some hiking trails on there, which unfortunately, we'll
have to do some other time. (mysterious pensive music) Check out this little fellow. Apparently, it is a
golden-mantled ground squirrel. Isn't this a truly remarkable place? (bright pensive music) We keep on going. Next, we are going to
the Inspiration Point, and I can see how one can get inspired by all this otherworldly landscape. (bright music) We get a little bit of rain here and there as we drive to our last
viewpoint, the Sunset Point. It's raining a little bit. Here, we get to see Thor's Hammer, one of Utah's most famous rocks, standing alone among
all the other hoodoos. Yeah, hoodoo, that's how these
rock formations are called. There is this hiking
trail called Wall Street that, again, we wish we
had the time to take. - [Woman] Selfie. - [Woman] Yeah, selfie. (mystical pensive music) It is time to leave. We decide to take the road less traveled, and we head north on State Route 22, also known as John's Valley Road. It turns out to be a
very, very secondary road, but we didn't come all
the way to Central Utah to drive on the interstate, did we? We barely encounter a soul, except for the occasional herd of cows hangin' out, grazing. Hello (speaking in Spanish). (bright pensive music) After a while, the terrain
becomes a little more rugged along this gorge. We drive by this abandoned
structure, the Osiris Creamery. It is all part of the Osiris Ghost Town. And we get a little bit more rain. About 10 miles further north, we encounter the small town of Antimony, which feels like being in
a different era, seriously. It's like being in the
'70s, pretty surreal. Look at this huge tractor
and the old truck behind. By Otter Creek State Park, we turn right into State Route 62, another straight, somewhat boring road, boring, I mean, in the
context of what we've seen, fascinating when compared
to Florida's Turnpike, for example. We get a quick break by the
junction of State Route 62 with State Route 24, and continue towards
Capitol Reef National Park. (bright pensive music) After the small towns of Loa and Bicknell, we start seeing the first
prominent rock formations leading us to Capitol Reef. (bright pensive music) And here's the Chimney Rock. We even stop for the photo opp. (warm pensive music) We continue on the road
and stop once again by the Fluted Rock. (warm pensive music) Next, on the left, we see The Castle. (bright pensive music) We stop briefly to check out
these ancient petroglyphs of the Fremont, which were contemporaries of the Ancestral Pueblo people. (bright pensive music) There are many hiking
trails around the area, most notably the one to the Cassidy Arch, but today, well, you
know what I'm gonna say. We're just driving through, no time. (bright pensive music) We continue towards Goblin Valley, where we are going to spend the night. And we have arrived right before sunset. Our reserved campsite with my name on it, next to all this natural beauty. Here, we had a great camping experience. Some young fellows from Provo, I think, that were staying at
the campsite next to us saw that we were eating
microwaved frozen pizza and shared the leftovers of
a delicious stew with us. Very nice. (mysterious pensive music) Good night. Good morning from the beautiful
Goblin Valley Campground. No, that is not our motorhome. Today, we are heading
back east towards Denver, but first, let's explore
Goblin Valley, shall we? Oh, by the way, that is our
rental class C motorhome. It is such a beautiful morning right here on the Goblin
Valley Campground. (bright delicate music) The morning light really shows off all the colors of all
these rock formations. (bright pensive music) Let's drive to the dump station first so we can do our business. And now, let's check the
actual Goblin Valley. There is a trail, but
let's just take the car and get there faster. It is a pretty unique place. According to geologists,
in the Jurassic Era, this was at the edge of an inland sea, and apparently, the tidal
sediments of sand, silt, and clay became all these sandstone formations, which are continually changing,
by the way, even today. Pretty cool place, huh? (warm pensive music) Back to the RV, way up there. (bright pensive music) And here, we see more goblins. Doesn't that look like a Hershey Kiss? (bright pensive music) We go north on State Route
24, and then east on I-70. Once again, we pass near Moab, and later, into the
great state of Colorado. We also pass Grand Junction, with this view of Mount Garfield and the Colorado River State Park. Pretty soon, we start seeing the foothills of the Rockies in the distance. See how the landscape
slowly starts to change? We are driving along the north
bank of the Colorado River towards Glenwood Canyon. (upbeat music) Our next stop is Glenwood Springs. (upbeat music) We passed by here briefly on the way west, and we liked it a lot. It's contained in a valley, at the confluence of the
Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers. We are getting hungry, so
let's have a nice lunch, some craft beer, at this
place called The Pullman. And we'll be on our way, not
before walking off our lunch along this charming little town. (bright pensive music) Time to go. We continue heading east, with the Colorado River to our right. (bright pensive music) We start going into the
Glenwood Canyon region. Isn't this a magnificently beautiful area? It is considered an engineering marvel of the United States
interstate highway system. I mean, they had some help
from the Colorado River, which carved the canyon, but
it still is truly amazing. Anyhow, enjoy the ride. (bright pensive music) Isn't this kind of hypnotizing? (bright pensive music) At some point, there is an
exit to the Hanging Lake Trail, a hike we ought to do some other time. (bright pensive music) And we continue driving along I-70. (bright pensive music) We encounter the skiing
resort of Vail once again. We are almost at 10,000 feet, over 3,000 meters above sea level, getting close to some
of the highest points in the interstate highway system, but we plan to go even higher. We are stopped here at Shrine Pass, kinda close to the Continental Divide. And it's pretty chilly outside, actually. (bright pensive music) We're going to take the
older scenic route, US-6, at the town of Silverthorne. Unlike I-70, which crosses
through the Eisenhower Tunnel, US-6 goes even higher over
the Continental Divide at the Loveland Pass. This road is used, mainly, by trucks carrying hazardous materials, which are prohibited
from using the tunnel, and also cyclists, hikers, or people like us, who
want to enjoy the scenery. Remember that beer I had
back at Glenwood Springs? Big mistake! As we climb above 11,000
feet, or almost 3,400 meters, I start feeling the symptoms
of mild altitude sickness. You know, I start feeling
lightheaded, short of breath, with nowhere to pull over, by the way. Wish me luck. (bright pensive music) Eventually, we find a place to pull out, and I drink copious amounts of water and start feeling better. (bright pensive music) We finally make it to the top. We are here at the Continental Divide, with a little bit of altitude sickness, 11,990 feet above sea level. It's kind of cold. Yep, it's pretty cold
up here at 11,990 feet, or 3,655 meters above sea level, the feeling, perhaps, intensified by my mild altitude sickness. I'm feeling better, though. (lively music) Down and down we go. I'm actually kind of cool with the fact that I got altitude sickness. I was always kind of
intrigued, curious by it, and wanted to know how it felt like. Not the best idea while
driving, but (grunts). At least now I know. (lively music) We rejoin I-70 and continue heading east, but we are not quite going to Denver yet. We have until tomorrow
morning to return the RV, so let's spend the night
in the mountains, shall we? (lively music) By Idaho Springs, we take State
Route 103 up to Echo Lake, which is about halfway up to Mount Evans, which is the highest
paved road in the USA. (lively music) And here we are, Echo Lake. Pretty, isn't it? (pensive instrumental music) To the right, we see the lodge, and we arrive to our primitive campground. I really wanted to go all the way up to Mount Evans tomorrow,
but that will be impossible with the big motorhome. We will go back to Denver tomorrow, explore the city a little, and then come back with a smaller vehicle. (relaxing pensive music) Take a look at this beautiful sunset. (relaxing pensive music) We make some fire, and call it a night. (relaxing pensive music) (soft jazz music) Well, hello, everybody, and
greetings from Denver, Colorado. This is our view from our
hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn, which is conveniently
located in a shopping mall. Let's explore a little bit
of Colorado's capital city, where it seems like everybody's
either jogging or cycling. Very healthy people. You are looking at Smith
Lake in Washington Park, which is over 100 years old, and one of the largest
parks in the Mile-High City. Its design was partially influenced by the famous philanthropist
and Titanic survivor, The Unsinkable Molly Brown. The snowcapped Rockies are, as always, ever-present throughout the city, this place being no exception, of course. (warm upbeat music) We continue towards Capitol Hill, and we park right here, next
to the Colorado Supreme Court. And here it is, the Colorado
State Capitol building. Its gold-plated dome was added in 1908 to commemorate the Gold Rush. There is some kind of
demonstration in front, some folks advocating for father's rights, or something like that. And there is this statue depicting a Civil War Union soldier. On the steps of the capitol building, and as you can see, we are exactly one mile above sea level. The building was constructed
from white Colorado granite. There's the City and County Building across the Civic Center Park. Here we have a replica
of the Liberty Bell. The original is in
Philadelphia, of course. And we walk back towards the car, passing by the Supreme Court, in order to see the unique architecture of Denver's Art Museum, especially the new
Frederic C. Hamilton wing. The whole complex is quite nice, actually, with a bunch of street art and nice cafes under pretty buildings, and
the Guardian of Forever. No wait, I'm just kidding. It's just another piece of
contemporary street art. It's all very nice, very
agreeable, but we must go on. There's a lot more stuff to see. Passing by the Supreme Court, once again, we go east on 14th Street, the
capitol building to our left. And to our right, we see the first home of the Colorado State Museum, and the First Baptist Church of Denver. Its congregation dates back to 1864, before Colorado was even a state. (upbeat music) And we are going to turn right on Pennsylvania Street right here, and to our left, there's
St. Mary's Academy building, which now houses The Salvation Army. And behind those trees, that's the house of the
notorious Unsinkable Molly Brown. By the corner, she used
to park her electric car. Yes, you heard right,
electric, over 100 years ago. Take that, Tesla! We continue driving south
along this very nice, albeit narrow, tree-covered
street, Pennsylvania Street. This mansion in the corner
is rumored to be haunted. We are approaching the downtown
area from the east now, and we are going to spend the
good part of the day here. And we make a wrong turn, actually, and end up by Capitol Hill once again. (warm upbeat music) We are actually trying to reach an area called LoDo, or Lower Downtown. And here we are at Larimer Square, which is a trendy street block with many shops and restaurants. Let's try to find parking. (warm upbeat music) Many of these buildings
date back to the 1800s. General William Larimer
named this site Denver City after Kansas governor James Denver, hoping that this city would become part of the Kansas territory. No such luck. Nowadays, many of these historic buildings have been converted into condominiums and restaurants, and such. After The Great Fire of 1863, which pretty much burned
the city to the ground, wood was prohibited in
building construction. That's why we have all this
red brick all over the place. All these buildings along Wynkoop Street used to be warehouses, and these were the elevated loading docks. (warm upbeat music) Coming up next, we see
the famous Union Station, which dates back to the 1880s. We continue walking along
all these former warehouses, and this is the IceHouse, for example, a former creamery, and the
Cold Foods Storage warehouse. Now it's a condominium, of course. Eventually, Wynkoop Street turns into this pedestrian plaza, right
here, in front of Coors Field, which is the baseball stadium
home of the Colorado Rockies. And now we're walking on Blake Street, which has many sports bars. Of course, there's no action
at this time of the day, so let's continue exploring, walking towards the 16th Street Mall. This is the most pedestrian-friendly area in downtown Denver, full of restaurants, shops, and hotels. This tall structure is the D&F Tower. In 1910, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi. The 2014 World Cup is going on, so they are broadcasting some of the games right here at Skyline
Park behind the tower. Lots and lots of family fun, very nice. (crowd cheering on TV) At the end of the park,
they have this funky-looking geometrically-shaped
fountain from the 1970s. The bottom floor of the tower, nowadays, hosts Lannie's Cabaret, and also, street musicians as well. They're everywhere. (muffled construction rumbling) Let's take a quick detour towards Denver Center for Performing
Arts and the convention center. This tall building is The Curtis Hotel. Here's also the Qwest
Corporation building, the Bell Operating Company, formerly The Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company. You'll see all these people in
costume because this weekend, the Colorado Convention Center is holding the Denver Comic Con, which,
in case you don't know, it's a fan convention about
comic books and video games, science fiction, and many other genres. Fans get into costume
to share in the spirit of the convention, depicting
their favorite characters. Very cool. We've heard that this year, the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation is holding a panel here. Too bad the event is sold out. This big blue bear sculpture is Denver's most popular and most
recognized piece of public art. Although its official name
is I See What You Mean, everybody calls it the
Big Blue Bear, naturally. Yeah, this Comic Con
looks like a lot of fun. Maybe we'll plan ahead
next time so we can attend. (people chattering) That dude needs tickets, and so do we. Moving right along. Let's go back to the 16th Street Mall, among all these people in costume. (bell ringing) (romantic instrumental music) This 1930s art deco building
is the Paramount Theatre. (wind blustering) (lively piano music) And I feel compelled to join
the Denver street musicians by playing this salsa-tumbao on one of these colorful pianos which are along the street
and anybody can play them. The only vehicular traffic on the mall is this shuttle bus,
which is very convenient, and we are gonna take it
back to the Larimer Square, where we are parked. And back by Larimer Square we are, with all its historic architecture. Our curiosity, it takes
us into this French quaint little market right
next to the Bistro Vendome, which is a French restaurant. This bell is the only existing relic of Denver's old City Hall
built on this site in 1883. We continue driving around
Denver on this beautiful day, and all of a sudden, the
weather begins to deteriorate. One lesson we've learned
is to take advantage of the mornings here in Denver,
because in the afternoon, the weather can change
suddenly for the worse, especially near the mountains. We are on our way towards
the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which is a unique concert venue with, supposedly, superb acoustics. I was actually even pondering the idea of going to a concert here tonight, but we have decided against it. Let's just check out the place if the weather cooperates, of course. No such luck, though. The rain is relentless. Regardless, since there is a concert happening in a couple of hours, we are not going to be
allowed to go inside and check out the venue. By the way, all these rock formations around the stage are responsible
for the unique acoustics, which make the Red Rocks
Amphitheatre so famous. Let's get out of here. We will come back again if, and when, the weather is more appropriate. We decided to continue
towards Golden, Colorado, home of Coors beer, and lo and behold, the weather starts picking up. And we have arrived, turning
here into Washington Avenue, which seems to be the main drag. (bright upbeat music) We are getting kinda hungry,
so let's find something to eat, and this place looks nice enough. There are plenty of restaurants
along these streets, and one thing I have noticed is the abundance of good
craft beer everywhere. Why would you ever have a
Coors beer in this town? Maybe because Coors was
founded here in 1873 by German-American brewer Adolph Coors. Yeah, they even have a statue of the guy. They also have a sculpture of a buffalo. (people chattering) You know, I'm really
starting to like this place. Speaking of buffaloes,
let's take this road up to Lookout Mountain, where they have the Buffalo Bill memorial. Yeah, this guy, William Frederick Cody, also known as Buffalo Bill, was one of the most colorful figures of the American Old West. By the way, we get some
commanding views of Golden from the side of the road right here, and we also see Denver in the distance. At age 14, Buffalo Bill became
a rider for the Pony Express, and later, he served during the Civil War, and the Indian Wars. In 1883, he founded the
Buffalo Bill's Wild West, which was like a circus
kind of attraction, and they traveled throughout
the United States, and even Europe. In 1917, he was buried at
the place of his choice, right here at Lookout Mountain. They have a small museum
and visitor's center. After a short hike up the hill, we encounter the Masonic tomb, the final resting place
of the great Buffalo Bill. The views are grand in every direction. That is downtown Denver
far away in the distance. (bright upbeat music) They also have a delicious fudge shop. Delicious. (bright pensive music) Okay, let's go back down. (bright pensive music) We make one last stop along
the way to see, one more time, this view of Golden, Colorado, and Denver. (bright pensive music) We continue going around
all these hairpin turns. Since the weather is decent now, we are going to explore
one last part of the city. We have heard great things
about the Highland neighborhood, just west of LoDo,
across the Platte River. It is supposed to be one of
the trendier areas nowadays. Let's park and explore
a little bit on foot. We stumble upon Confluence Park. Actually, we didn't stumble upon it. We actually wanted to come here. The park marks the area where
gold was discovered in 1858, and this discovery led to
the founding of Denver. So, you could say that this
is the actual birthplace of the city, if you will. At this spot, Cherry Creek
joins the Platte River, hence the name Confluence Park. Even though there are signs everywhere warning about the
contamination and the pollution and dangerous chemicals, some
people just don't seem to care and they dip their feet
in the putrid waters. (groans disgustedly) And that's all, folks. That's all the time we
have at the Mile-High City, a city which, by the
way, we have liked a lot. It is, perhaps, the dry
weather or the mountains, or the healthy people, the
lack of oxygen, I don't know. It is a place we would return to for sure, and why not, perhaps, spend
the summertime in the future? (upbeat music) We are driving back to our hotel. Tomorrow, we are going to make a day trip around the Rocky Mountains west of Denver, mainly to Mount Evans, which
is the highest paved road in the United States, and the fact that marijuana is legal here actually has nothing to do with it. Highest, get it? (upbeat music) Good morning, once again, from Denver. Today, we are driving west
into the Rocky Mountains. It is our intention to
drive up, higher and higher, as high as one can safely
drive in the United States. We get off Interstate 70 by Idaho Springs, where we begin the ascent to Mount Evans. First, we take State
Route 103 up to Echo Lake. We are having breakfast
right here at the lodge, right next to this bird feeder with this view of the mountains. Since I suffered from altitude sickness a couple of days ago at the Loveland Pass, I get this oxygen canister, just in case. There is a $10 fee to use this
road to go up to Mount Evans, and the sign says 24 degrees
Fahrenheit at the summit. (groans) This is the highest paved road in the United States,
going up to a staggering 14,130 feet above sea level, and the summit is about 100 feet higher. As we gain altitude, we start
seeing less and less trees, and patches of snow here and there. We are now above the tree
line, tundra climate, and there are no guard rails. Any distraction could be fatal here as the car could plunge hundreds of feet down the side of the mountain. It is 14 miles from the
checkpoint to the top, but we are going to make a quick stop about nine miles up, at Summit Lake. (lively music) Here, we get our first
views of Mount Evans. Yes, it is that tall mountain to the left, now to the front of us. Here, the road gets a little rougher as we arrive at Summit Lake, where we're going to take a quick break from the white knuckle drive. (lively music) The lake is still frozen in mid-June. (wind blustering)
(people chattering) (lively music) We continue going up,
relentlessly into the thin air, now at around 13,000 feet above sea level, about 4,000 meters. (lively music) At some point, I have to stop. I mean, look at this view. My goodness! (wind blustering) That's our car. (lively music) And we continue going up. We are almost at the top. (lively music) And here we are. These ruins belong to the
Mount Evans Crest House, which had a restaurant and a gift shop, but burned down in 1979, so there it is. (wind blustering) Now, we'll attempt to climb
to the summit of Mount Evans. Let me tell you, it is
not the easiest of hikes, and I am freezing, by the way. Definitely came under-dressed. That structure down there
next to the Crest House is the Meyer-Womble Observatory. At one point, it was the world's highest optical observatory. Now it's just the third highest. Still pretty good, though. There's a lot of very slippery
ice, so I must be careful. At one point, after slipping and falling, I almost chickened out and turned around, but eventually, made it. Here's a 360-degree view from the top. My hand is shaky because
of the cold and high winds. The best reward for the climbing effort is this view from the top of the Rockies, 14,271 feet, about 4,350 meters above sea level. By the way, I did use the oxygen spray a couple of times on the
way up, and very useful. (wind blustering) That's a summit, all right. Now, (panting) gotta go all the way down there (panting) through this primitive trail. (wind blustering) It's wonderful. Well, mission accomplished. (panting) (wind blustering) On the way down, I lose the
trail a couple of times, but eventually, I find it. (wind blustering) Everest is next. (panting) I was just up there a few minutes ago. Can see Denver in the distance, right here at Mount Evans, elevation, 14,130 feet. Going down now. (peaceful music) Down and down we go, and I feel like stopping
at every single viewpoint. (energetic peaceful music) Ooh, the hairpin turns! (energetic peaceful music) Let's stop here for a minute. Check it out. I'm in awe looking at this view. (wind blustering) Back to the car. (energetic peaceful music) (energetic electronic music) We pass, again, by Summit
Lake, not stopping this time. (energetic electronic music) (warm upbeat music) Here, we stop again for a moment to see this great view of Echo Lake. (lively music) And we are, once again,
below the timberline. (lively music) We pass by Echo Lake one more time. (lively music) Eventually, we make it
down to Idaho Springs and the junction with I-70. Idaho Springs was founded in 1859 during the early days of
the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. This is the very touristy downtown area. (lively music) (bright pensive music) Next, we are going to
visit the Phoenix Mine. The way to the mine is
through this dirt road. They have an area along this creek where visitors can try
their luck at gold panning, a time-honored tradition, while they wait or after the tour. And they have some of these artifacts from the good old mining days. These tiny rodents are
running all over the place, very friendly folks, not
afraid at all of humans. The mine is owned by the oldest continuous gold mining family in Colorado, and the tour is very nice, actually, and the guide, a very
charismatic and friendly guy. It is a great tour,
especially for the children. For the kids, he goes out of
the way to get them interested. Watch out! (laughing) (tour guide mumbling) - [Tour Guide] They were
all minted back in the day. Malnutrition keeps you
under five-foot-seven. This old drill right here is
called a widowmaker drill. It was invented back in 1878. This is called the
lucky bucket right here. Always brought up more
gold in the buckets, so they're called lucky bucket. Since then, we put it in here,
people are rubbin' this thing from all over the world for luck. - [Robert] Ooh, that's cool. - [Tour Guide] Now, do you
folks see that ugly gray stuff in the rocks? The dull ugly gray is silver, the little sparkles are pyrite crystals. The brown above your head
is sand and mud, no good. It turns a weird green color, buddy, but our green stuff's god gold in it. You can touch this stuff. Come up there and look at
the pretty yellow stuff in the rocks. That's all gold in the rocks. (mumbles) Gold vein on any
tour anywhere in the world, we checked. Now, we used to let you
touch it right here. Do you see the vein of
gold in there, buddy? See that yellow in the rock? If you go up to the
creek and you find a rock as big as a golf ball that's
stickin' out of the side, that's worth between six and 10,000. Any kinda rock from uranium on down has got little bits of gold in it. We call it gold ore, there's
lots of rocks with gold in it. We chuck it all inside the drum
and turn a machine on here. This machine makes that
drum go round and around. All those steel balls
in there... (clapping) And bring that sand with all
the gold in it down here, and we throw it in the little
box over there in the corner. The box has little holes on the bottom, let's the sand drip out
real slow when you put a water hose in there with it. Next, we start up that
machine in the corner. It grabs a leg of the table, and the whole table starts shaking when you turn the machine on. That's why they're called
shaker table, really shakes. The shaking helps the sand and the mud move across the table, buddy, 'cause the table leans downhill that way, and downhill this way, just
a little bit past (mumbles). Sand comes out of the bottom of the box and vibrates across those ribs
down there, headin' downhill. Gold, silver, copper, all
that good stuff we got in here is really heavy. It's so heavy, it gets
stuck behind the ribs. Then the heavy stuff follows
the ribs all the way down here and falls in a concentrate bucket. Please leave your helmet (mumbling). - [Robert] And that's it in a nutshell. I think it was time and
money very well spent. (bright pensive music) Moving right along, let's take
this newly-opened expressway to Central City called
the Central City Parkway. Central City, along with
neighboring Black Hawk, it was, originally, a Gold Rush town. In the 1990s, casino
gambling was introduced, and even though Central City
built the nice expressway, Black Hawk is still more popular. You know why? They have more casinos. The whole place is kind of depressing, like most gambling towns,
in my opinion, anyways. I was hoping to find a more
authentic frontier town, but it is what it is. A little bit to the east,
and without really noticing, we are now in Black Hawk. Same thing, casinos and more casinos. They even have shuttle buses. Our next and last destination
today is Boulder, Colorado, a college town. To get there, we are taking
the Clear Creek Canyon Road. (warm pensive music) To the left, we see these mountains called the Flatirons, very famous. Boulder is home to the
University of Colorado Boulder, which we can see right here to our right. (bright pensive music) We are going to have a late lunch, or perhaps, early dinner by
this nice pedestrian area called the Pearl Street Mall. Very lively with all the street
musicians and performers. (upbeat music with woman singing) Well, all good things come to an end, and our time here is up. We do have a plane to catch. I hope you have enjoyed
our unforgettable adventure along the Four Corners region,
also known as the Wild West, and also Denver and the Rocky Mountains. (upbeat music) ♫ I'm riding ♫ Riding with my RV ♫ Wherever I want to be ♫ Because I'm free in my RV ♫ Yeah, I'm riding, riding
