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It's been now more than a year since we got back from our trip to Ireland, and sometimes I just think about going back there. I don't know really how to describe it, but I feel like the country is a part of me now. I've been to most of western Europe but Ireland, and particularly the Donegal region, has affected me than any other country I have been to. You can read about our trip here, if you want to.

During March and April of 2006 we toured Switzerland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. On the trip we managed to capture some amazing pictures and logged our first experience hosteling. Read on for more info.

Here is a collection of trip reports on trips that we have made.

After leaving the Black Canyon we made our way towards Silverton for our first night's stay. The drive up to Ouray, which is on the way, was amazing.

But the drive from Ouray to Silverton was quite possibly the most beautiful drive I have ever made. The pictures can't do it justice, but here's a shot.

Silverton

From Durango we drove east across the state to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. (National Park #3 for this trip.) The Great Sand Dunes, like so many things in Colorado, are massive. It's impossible to try and describe the scale of these things. The tallest dune is 750 feet above the surrounding landscape. There is a very shallow, very wide creek that runs through the dunes that many people treat like a beach.

We made the mistake of wearing our hiking shoes to climb the dunes - the water is no more than a foot or two at its deepest, so it is easy to cross, but wear shoes that you don't mind getting wet and sandy.

From Silverton we drove south through Durango, took a right and headed further west out to Mesa Verde National Park. (National Park #2 for this trip.)

(If you would like to buy products with pictures that I took of Mesa Verde click here.)

Mesa Verde National Park is a series of mesas in southwestern Colorado which contain many ancient cliff dwellings. Many Native American tribes have stories that point back to times when their ancestors lived in the area.

The dwellings are very impressive to see. This national park was easily the highlight of our trip.