Colorado National Monument

The amazing power of erosion is vividly on display at this, one of the lesser-known of the American National Parks and Monuments.

The colours are vivid, the shapes of the rock forms are breathtaking, and luckily for us (given the heat wave consuming this region) there's an auto-tour that allows you to take the majority of it in from the comfort of your vehicle.

It was completely by happenstance that we entered through the eastern gate and departed through the western but this is definitely the best way to view the monument with all of the best views to the north and then the east of the road.

The visitor centre provided an overview of the nearby major national parks in Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico which are part of the same story of uplift and erosion.

Having visited the parks in Utah and Arizona previously, we felt like we were putting in place a very grand puzzle piece.

The kids had no interest in getting their junior ranger badges this time though and who could blame them, with a hike being one of the requirements and the mercury close to 40 degrees (celcius).