A few statistics...

We spent 42 days in the USA, visited 11 states and covered 8,000 miles (which is the equivalent of the flight from the capital city of Alaska to Punta Arenas by the Strait of Magellan); six times we went over the continental divide, every day we covered (on average) 190 miles. It is a little less than we expected, which means that mileage computed by Google Maps is pretty accurate. With average gas mileage about 23.6 mpg we used 340 gallons of regular unleaded gas. Counting also the flights, we covered some 18,500 miles, which is about 3/4 of the Earth's perimeter.

We covered the biggest portion of the mileage in California (3,100 miles), which is the equivalent of the flight from Seattle to San Francisco and from San Francisco to New York, combined). We also spent most of the nights in California -- 18; followed by Colorado with 8 and Arizona with 5. We visited 18 national parks, 10 national monuments, 6 state parks and other monuments, and 7 big cities. We experienced 125 F in Death Valley and snowing in Rocky Mountain; we made it 12,000 feet above see level and 280 below; we survived violent storms in Badlands and dry deserts of California.

Our total cost reached 10,500 USD, from which the price for air tickets (4,700 USD) constitutes almost an half. Another big item was the auto rental (2,500 USD). We spent 970 USD for gas, 980 USD for food, 760 USD for accommodation, 200 USD for admissions, 170 USD for souvenirs, and 280 USD for other items (like camping gear). So the trip was less costly than I estimated in Fall, even though we payed twice as much for the SUV than I originally planned and also gas mileage was somehow worse. Total costs per day and person therefore averaged at 63.35 USD, air tickets included.

Should we choose our favorite park, it would probably be Great Sand Dunes because it is so unique (I wouldn't believe if I didn't see it) but also because it was far not crowded. Other highlights were Bryce Canyon, Badlands, Yosemite... there was no disappointment. The most pleasant surprise, however, was the American society, the way how people treated us (even strange people we met). I can hardly imagine such a trip in Europe.

Thank you!

We'd never be able to experience what we have experienced in 6 weeks if we didn't get so much help from our friends in the USA. You helped us with reservations, auto rental, planning (and much more); we could sleep in a real bed (after weeks of tenting), wash our sweaty shirts, you gave us excellent food (after so many burgers in fast-foods), guided us through big cities, we could try fishing in the ocean, shooting (plus much more), we had always someone to talk to and experienced and learned many new things. It's me (Tom) who writes this post but the others were loudly reminding me to thank you on their behalf. So here we all say: Ken & Betty, Edie & Norm, Moki & Garry, Don & Joyce, Vickie, Hanns, & Thorsten, Delene & Barry, Chuck & Denise, THANK YOU! I hope I didn't miss anyone and that we'll be able to welcome you in the CR or Slovakia one day.

Last Moments

After an excellent dinner, we spent the last night at Ken's and Betty's place. We got up around 9, had a similarly excellent breakfast, and went for the last (but very short) trip with our red Grand Vitara -- to buy some candies and shirts for our family back home. We say bye to Betty and Ken at 2 pm (we spent altogether 4 nights at their place and enjoyed being with them a lot), stop at a fast-food for the last time (Burger King, our favorite) and return the car at the Radisson Hotel. After that, we took a bus to the airport. The flight to London takes some 9 hours, but this time it didn't seem to be so long (despite the British Airways stewardess). We have 3 hours in Heathrow which we sleep through, and finally get to Prague at 18:00 after a much shorter flight. It's time to say bye for now. Michal stays in Prague, Zuzka's mom drives her to Bratislava, and me with Petr drive to Litomysl.

Thursday 13.8. (Great Sand Dunes)

We slept pretty well on the sand, without matraces, and in the morning we get up pretty fresh. We did not hear any bear or puma at night (and the food on the tree is still there, hanging). At 8 it is already warmer, we have a quick breakfast and hike the way back to the campsite we arrived yeasterday. It is more pleasant walk than yesterday since the sun is not scorching in the morning, the sand is colder and most importantly -- we walk almost all the way down the hill. We arrive at the campground, with 23 kilometrers at Great Sand Dunes in our feet, which is after Yosemite the most. We are pretty hungry, so that we leave the park and drive on the highway to Denver, with a stop at Carl's Jr. Fastfood meal, but still very good after 2 days of cookies and cold canned beans. In the evening, we arrive to Ken and Betty at Westminster, Denver and finish the trip in the same way we started.

Wednesday 12.8. (Great Sand Dunes)

This park is probably the most extraordinary and interesting place we have seen in the last 6 weaks in America. The highest sand dunes in Northern America (300 meters), which the sand "desert" consists of, 10 miles long and right next to it peaks of the mountains, the forest, meadows, marshes and a creek full of trouts -- completely amazing view (and each time of the day unique in different way), which we have to share only with a small amount of other tourists, the smallest from all the other parks which we visited till now. In the morning, we climb at one of the highest dunes. From the camp it looks so easy but the dunes are higher as it seems and the moving sand does not ease the climbing. Even if it is not so hot yet (about 30 degrees in the shadow), the sand was pretty hot and we agree that this is one of the most challenging hikes in the USA, so far. At last all of us climb to the top, we enjoy the nice view (and the way down as well). Before the noon we drive to Visitors Center for the backcountry permit and at about 1 o'clock we set off for the 10 kilometers long walk along the dunes. We walk constantly on the sand, often through smaller hills and dunes, so that we arrive to the end of the hike (primitive camp on the other side of the dunes, where is nobody else just we) only after 4 hours. During the hike we make a stop at the Medano Creek and freshen ourselves a little. We set the tent, hang all the food 3 meters from the surface on one of the tree branches (because of bears and mountauin lions who live there in large amounts) and enjoy the wilderness. After the sunset we look at the meteoric fall from Perseid constallation, the sky is almost perfect, without the light pollution.

Tuesday 11.8. (Mesa Verde)

We get up early to be at the reasonable time in the Visitors Center at Mesa Verde Park and buy the tickets for a tour to rock pueblo. We choose Cliff Palace, it is the largest pueblo in Northern America -- impressively biult in the window of a rocky wall, from the distance looks like a birds nest. We climb down with ranger and walk along the pueblo. The rest of the afternoon we spend by sightseeing of other archeological interesting sights of the park (several other rock pueblos and an older pithouses on the lands above the canyon). In Mesa Verde one can find a number of things and can spend much more time than a single afternoon which we have at disposal. We leave the park, driving east to Great Sand Dunes, to the more humid areas (looks more like in Alpes) and drive through the continental divide again, getting in the 11 ths. feet elevation (about 3 and half kilometers). In the evening, we get to to park and take one of the last empty sites in the campground (camp is pretty small).

Monday 10.8. (Navajo, Monument Valley)

In the morning we leave Grand Canyon and heand east along the cliff, the same way we took on Friday and make make a stop for the overlook. We have a long jurney before us, almost 600 kilometers, whole way in Indian reservation. Approximately half-way we stop at Navajo National Monument (pueblo built undre the cliff), take a short walk and continue toward the Monument Valley. Originally, we wanted to take the main road, but we decided to pay Indians for the entrance on a very bad dirt, winding road between the rocks (we have SUV so we finally managed to use this advantage). 20 dollars is definitely worth the fun, even if these 15 miles only cost about quarter of our gas. In the evening, we arrive to campground at Mesa Verde, swim for a while in the pool and rest till dark in the hot spa.