We have already spent nearly twenty nights in our camper this year. Nearly all of those trips have been cold. Or wet. Definitely sweatshirt, stocking cap, rain boot kinda trips. Until Memorial Day weekend. The sun came out. It was warm. And the campground…well it came alive.
The sounds of camping started to sing. They are music to my ears. Recently, I found myself just listening to the sounds of camping. And I found my soul exhale.
Birds chirping.
A baseball hitting a leather glove.
An axe hitting a splitting mail.
Bicycle tires crunching on gravel.
The rustle of leaves to an old oak tree as the wind passes through.
The mashing of different beats and tunes from numerous playlist.
Children’s giggles.
The crackle and pop of a campfire.
The campground is full of life. Of relaxation. What are your favorite campground sounds?
To camping fanatics and outdoorsy mom’s there isn’t a much better way to spend Mother’s Day weekend than at the campground. We spent the holiday at Wallace State Park in Cameron, Missouri.
Thanks to a well placed Missouri State holiday (former President Harry S. Truman’s birthday) we got a three day weekend and an extra day of camping. Is there a better Mother’s Day gift than a day off work?
Thursday night was cold but clear. As we sat outside talking our 5 year old points out the most bizarre site. Lights traveling across the sky in a straight line. Very uniform. Very bright. Well after moments of uncertainty we started googling. Have you had the opportunity to see Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites? Well, we can say we have!
We spent Friday traveling to Jamesport, MO to the annual May Days festival. We visited the Amish community for baked treats, spices, and flowers. Then we visited all the venders in town for extra shopping. We found a small town grocery store that makes fresh deli sandwiches for lunch. Try not to judge but I was able to have a childhood favorite: white bread, liver cheese, Mayo, lettuce, and onion! Best sandwich for $3.99!
Saturday, my son and daughter-in-love and his best friend joined us at the campground. The sketchy weather kept changing to our favor and we ended up with a sunny, windy, slightly chilly day. So we made the best of what we were given by playing bags and sharing a few meals.
The forecasted storms found us late Saturday night early Sunday morning. The rain, thunder, cooler temps made for perfect sleeping weather! The only person disturbed by the storm was our dog, Moose. I woke to find he and I nose to nose and he sought comfort from the thunder.
Sunday morning was cold, damp but full of friendships, food, and fellowship. The men made us moms a wonderful camp breakfast with Mimosas and chiliquilas!
The whole gang soaking up sunshine and company.
Beautiful Mommas
Food:
Just sharing some of the yummy food we consumed on this camping trip!
Top left: Elote on the Blackstone. Definitely a do-over! Top middle: what goes better with Elote than homemade guacamole! Top left: Bloody Mary Grilled Cheese with bacon and pickles. A crowd pleaser! Bottom: chiliquilas with a over medium egg and mushrooms
We also enjoyed the heck out of a new cocktail! A Raspberry Mint Smash! We used a 3 ounces of a local Raspberry Liqueur, 1 3/4 ounces of a local Rosemary Mint simple syrup, 3/4 ounce of lime juice, and a splash of tonic water. You may not have access to the local ingredients but I think you should be able to find easy substitutions. Otherwise order online!
Random Photos:
We got the new Yeti colors (Aquifer Blue and Prickly Pear) customized!
Long before we were aware of a virus that would change our world, we made a plan to spend Memorial Day Weekend in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Eureka Springs, located in the northwest corner of Arkansas, is a short 4 hour drive from Kansas City, MO.
Then the virus hit. And we spent so much time inside our houses. Cut off from everyone. And camping reservations were cancelled. One after another. We waited with anticipation as areas started opening back up but that was just one concern. The next concern was could we go camping and stay staff from a virus we could not see and could barely protect ourselves from?
Arkansas opened up right before Memorial Day weekend. We had many discussions and we decided we could keep ourselves safe and address our mental health.
Eureka Springs usually offers something for everyone. Shopping in the historic downtown. Fishing in the White River, historical sites, architecture, theatre, ghost tours, and beautiful nature experiences. Well, pre-COVID it had something for everyone. While our campground was open, many businesses were still closed and those that were open were anxious to be open but were still very much apprehensive about being around humans.
We could not attend the Passion Play, we couldn’t visit Crystal Bridges Museum of Art, we couldn’t visit haunted hotels. Not only was the tiger rescue closed but so were the caves. We even found fishing difficult to the high amount of rain in the area. We were forced to find off the beaten path things entertain us and occupy our time.
We stayed at Kettle Campground in Eureka Springs. The campground was a little tight but we enjoyed being nestled among the pine trees once again. The campground has a pool (which is one of the reasons we initially booked here) but of course it was also closed due to COVID. The campground also had a large covered patio that ended up being close to our campsites. This patio ended up being important as it rained several days during our stay and we were able to get outside and enjoy the rain without getting wet.
Our original stay was booked from May 21 to 25, 2020 however, the campground just expanded their WiFi and we decided to add a few extra days because we could school and work from the campground. The weather for the first three days was sunny and beautiful! The rain moved in for the last three days but we quickly learned the weather in Arkansas is just about as unpredictable as it is in Missouri and it can change quickly.
I hope your trip to Eureka Springs is not during a worldwide pandemic but since ours was, I will share some of our nontraditional things to do.
Beaver Arkansas
Located on Arkansas 187 off of Arkansas 23, one of the first places we stumbled into was the small town of Beaver. We entered this small town, with a population of 100, by crossing an old one lane suspension bridge, The Beaver Bridge. The Beaver Bridge allows for crossing the White River which was swollen and flooded from all the spring rain. It is the bridge that draws most of the tourist to this small town. We found an RV park right (Beaver RV Park) in the town of Beaver with beautiful views. So, if you have a small camper, camping on the White River in the town of Beaver, might be for you. There was also a hiking path (the scenic Beaver Trail) along the river. We couldn’t hike the trail as it was under water but I would return just for the chance.
Christ of the Ozarks
One of the largest Christ statues stands 67 feet high in the Ozark Mountains. The Christ statue is on the property of the Passion Play and is free to visit. The statue is seven stories, built with nearly 350 tons of concrete and stands high overlooking Eureka Springs. It is at the base of the Christ statue that my daughter enjoyed her last day of sixth grade.
Black Bass Lake
The Husband advocated for Eureka Springs so he could fish and since he could not fish the White River we had to get creative. Black Bass Lake promised to be a great place for hiking and fishing. It rained all morning but then it cleared off and we enjoyed a sunny warm afternoon at Black Bass Lake. We spent a perfect, sunny late afternoon hiking while Wayne fished.
We took Oil Springs Road off of Arkansas 62 to drive several miles down a bumpy narrow dirt road to find the lake. There was a small amount of parking near the trailhead. Hiking trails are plentiful here so as the Husband fished, The Short Chic and I walked the trail around the lake. During our hike we found an old dam built of stone, we saw frogs, we heard all kinds of birds, and we saw a variety of wildflowers. We saw all kinds of fish swimming in the pond but not a single one could be enticed to jump on the line.
Thorncrown Chapel
The Thorncrown Chapel was one of the indoor popular sites that was open for us to visit during COVID. The Thorncrown Chapel was built in 1980 by E. Fay Jones who apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright. Despite previous trips to Eureka Springs, we had never visited this beautiful glass and wooden structure. It was very easy to see why this is a sought after wedding location, it felt like we were engulfed in the Ozark Mountains. Except we had climate control.
If you come to this area to seek out this type of architecture and are a fan of E. Fay Jones’s work there are two other chapels in Arkansas; one in Bella Vista, Arkansas and another in Hot Springs, Arkansas. One of our campground neighbors made sure she hit all three before she continued her journey.
Hogscald Hollow
During our planning, we had hoped to spend a great portion of our stay relaxing by the pool but COVID had other plans for us. One of our neighbors at the campground told us about a place called Hogs Hollow they heard had a swimming area. Hogscald Hollow was easy to find using google maps. High above an arm of Beaver Lake, we found beautiful green water, a waterfall, and rocky overlooks. What we never found was actual water access. We drove around forever, waited through a flash rain storm, and finally gave up. We could see a perfect swim area but we were on the wrong side of the lake.
If cliff jumping is a thing you have always wanted to do, this spot is a good one. To the best I can tell, this is even called Lover’s Leap. We were able to watch a young man jump and swim to a boat below. I prefer not to jump off cliffs. In case you were wondering.
If you would like to explore this area and want to cliff jump, take Arkansas 23 out of Eureka Springs until you get to County Road 108 (the turn will be before you reach Turpentine Creek Wildlife Rescue) then veer onto 148. Keep your eyes peeled as you cross over a low water crossing. That is where the waterfall is.
Now, if you would like to have water access to swim in this location you are going to need to drive a bit further. You still take Arkansas 23 out of Eureka seventeen miles to County Road 127. From there you will take county roads several miles: Madison Road 8455 to Madison Road 8465, then turning onto Fromme Road. From our best guess this should put you at a public area right across the river from Lover’s Leap.
One last thing, we did not stop but did notice on Arkansas 62 east of Eureka Springs on the way to Berryville we crossed The Kings River and saw many locals accessed the river below the bridge. They sure seemed to be enjoying the warm water. This may be another option for you water seekers.
Fishing
Fishing is a huge draw for this area. Beaver Lake is great for Stripped Bass, Kentucky Bass, and Black Bass. Below the Beaver Lake Dam is the tailwaters that start the White River. The water is cold and the trout flourish here. For us, unfortunately, the rain caused Beaver Lake to be swollen, which meant more water being released into the White River, which meant poor fishing conditions for those who do not have a boat.
I am happy to report that our men successfully found fishing at River State Park. Roaring River State Park in Cassville MO is one of the best trout fishing parks and is a short half an hour drive from Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The drive to/from Eureka Springs proved to be worth the time. Everyone managed to catch a few fish; which made the trip to Arkansas a complete success. Well that and we found Yuengling beer for sale and purchased cases of it to bring home!
Thank goodness!
Other Activities
I am not sure a trip to Eureka is complete without visiting the historic downtown. Shopping had just opened back up when we were there so we did enjoy a day of walking around outside. Despite wearing masks and staying distant, we were heckled for a huge portion of the day as people drove by yelling at us to stop spreading the virus.
We enjoyed local breweries, restaurants, and ice cream shops during our stay.
We did enjoy an afternoon of hiking at Pivot Rock and Natural Bridge. We paid a minimal fee to hike the property and see the namesake rock. We were also warned of wild hogs but we never even caught a glimpse of one. The drive out to Pivot Rock is scenic and we caught a second glimpse of The Christ of the Ozark statue from afar.
Arkansas has a lot of great places to visit. I hope you consider adding Eureka Springs to your destination stops.
For the past several years Mother’s Day has afforded us the opportunity to gather with other families and enjoy a weekend of camping while honoring the mother’s day. Our original plan for Mother’s Day was to visit a local state park. However, COVID restrictions were extended and ultimately we were cancelled as our state parks are not allowing camping.
So, we moved our reservations to a full hook-up campground in the small town of Carrollton, MO, La Bella Vista & RV Park. Carrollton is a small town with a population of 3,500 people. We are familiar with Carrollton as it is where we deer hunt and close to my hometown.
La Bella Vista & RV Park is beautiful piece of land with thick green grass, a boundary line of mature trees and across the street from the city park and soon to be aquatic center. Occasionally pipeline workers check in and call La Bella home while working near Carrollton. During Mother’s Day Weekend 2020, there were no other guest except for the one rental house and one full time RV’er on property.
We spent the weekend resting, relaxing, playing, and even shopping. Naps were taken. The kids played nonstop. It was a welcome treat to not worry about vehicles speeding through the campground. Even the littlest of the littles could toddle along minding their own business. The kids were not the only ones who enjoyed their best life; the dogs ran off leash all weekend.
Our Mother’s Day trip came during Phase 1 of life post COVID quarantine. We really just hoped to find a place that would allow us to camp. However, we found a small town open for business. We visited the local downtown square and found hand dipped ice cream at the Mercantile. (Ya’ll that Black Raspberry Truffle made me forget that I am lactose intolerant!) We visited the Amish store and even were gifted free firewood from the Amish sawmill. We made nightly runs to the local brewery, River Bottom Brewery, for to go growlers and to go Beer Margaritas.
The hand scooped ice cream from the Mercantile. I think we each hit this place several times during our weekend stay.
On Mother’s Day we were gifted the most amazing tour by the La Bella Villas & RV Park owner, Linda. She also co-owns La Bella Casa Mansion and offered us a tour of the home. La Bella Casa Mansion is an event center and a beautiful place for a wedding or party. Linda showed us the grounds and the home. The home was built by a banker in 1912. The woodwork throughout the house was amazing. Linda even pointed out the resident critters (bats!) that call the shutters home.
All the mothers with their children/grandchildren outside of La Bella Casa.
The grounds and first floor of the mansion can be rented for one price. If you would like access to other parts of the house, you add them on. I am pretty sure I got lost in counting bedrooms but I think there are approximately 8 bedrooms and the house can sleep nearly 30 people. The entire third flood is a giant bar/billiards room with a lot of space for entertaining. Linda and her business partner have done an amazing job of turning an old house into something very beautiful! Thank you, Linda, once again for a wonderful Mother’s Day treat!
Bar/Billiards room on the third floor of the mansion.
Foyer/Entryway
One interior fireplaces. The door off to the left goes to the kitchen. All of the floors are original as is all the other wood work.
Beautiful stained glass hanging in the window from the first to second floor. Linda reported the original owner obtained this from an old church.
What do you need to know if you are considering visiting La Bella Villas & RV Park?
Only some of the sites have concrete. Most are on grass.
All sites have water, electricity, and sewer.
The rate is $25 a night.
There are no fire pits but you are able to bring your own fire ring.
There are no public shared spaces. So no bathhouse, no public restrooms.
The sites were originally set up for mobile homes. So you may need to maneuver around the site to make your electric cords and sewer connections work. Otherwise be prepared and bring extensions.
Contact Linda and let her know you are coming. She will swing by and pick up the rent.
The weather was fickle. Cold, windy, sunny, warm. Our evening campfire was a welcome treat.
Cowboy Stir fry for dinner for large group on the Blackstone.
Carrollton is not exactly urban setting. It is the epitome of a small rural town. It is located at the intersection of highway 65 and 10 highway. It is one and half hours east of Kansas City MO. It is 50 miles north of the highway 65 and I-70 intersection. However, there is enough cute shops and soon to be the inclusion of a aquatic center right across the street from La Bella RV Park that makes this a nice, change of pace location.
Is anyone else struggling with the fact that they can’t camp? Our stay at home order was just extended to mid-May. So far I have had two camping trips cancelled. The new deadline means another one will be refunded soon.
I found myself shopping on Amazon. Not that I am purchasing but I found a few things that I thought I would share them here. Maybe these things can help bring camping to your quarantined household!
Look at how cute this camping set is. I just wish I had a young person in my life to gift this to!
Board games has become our go-to entertainment during quarentine. Our favorite games right now is, Ticket to Ride. The game TREKKING is a similar concept but with National Parks. If this game is half as fun as ticket to ride, it’s a winner!
A classic game for the whole family. Monopoly. I know there are multiple versions of this available but we love the National Park Monopoly. Each member of my family fights to buy the national parks we have visited over the years.
Another classic game for the whole family. I am sure you already have a deck of UNO cards in the home or camper but this Wilderness version is just cute!
This Estes Park poster is just adorable! If you are planning a trip to Colorado or Estes Park, this puzzle would get the entire family into the excitement.
As I am stuck in my house keeping myself, my family and everyone else that I interact with safe from the COVID 19 virus, this is the image that gets me through the blurried days and nights. From the Moose in the river to the shooting stars. This is mentally the place I visit each night.
Life has certainly given us our fair share of lemons lately. I know my story sounds just like your story. There is the virus, people are getting very sick, even dying. We are all trying to flatten the curve so we stay home. There is panic and hoarding. There is no sports. COVID-19 swiftly refined March Madness. Restaurants are closing. Small businesses are in peril. Our schools have closed. Everyone who can has found a way to work from home.
The campground sounded like a safe place. Each site is more than six feet apart. Wide open spaces. The CDC continues to encourage us to get outside. I really thought I would be able to weather this storm as long as I had camping.
And then they closed the campgrounds.
And then our WiFi crashed.
Everything in our home seems to connect to WiFi. We can’t school or work without it. Our TV doesn’t work without it. Even our smart lights are not smart without it.
The WiFi repair folks can’t come out till Monday. What to do till then?
We make lemonade with all those lemons!
We found a private campground 90 minutes from our house. We called and found they were open. They have WiFi. Done! We loaded Ruby Lou and took off.
As I write this my privilege is staring me straight in the face. I can’t and won’t deny it. But I am happy that we can continue to meet our obligations and have an incredible view of a beautiful lake while doing so.
We are still socially distancing and washing our hands. We are just doing it from the campground at Mozingo Lake.
Thanksgiving has come and went. We cancelled our holiday camping trip due to projected poor weather. It was really disappointing but we opted for safety over entertainment.
Instead of camping and hiking over the holiday weekend, we found ourselves at home with our extended family members. We cooked together, shared meals, watched hours and hours of Disney +, we even did a little bit of shopping and when the weather broke, we even raked a ton of leaves from the yard.
One of our most favorite camping memories has everything and yet nothing to do with Thanksgiving. We are guaranteed it will come up at least once during the long weekend. Many years ago, when I was planning our first family camp-out, I had encouraged everyone to bring hobo meals for dinner.
You experienced campers will know that a hobo meal is usually a mixture of potatoes, meat (typically ground beef) and veggies and maybe even some cheese wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked over a campfire.
I was so excited because that year I decided to treat my family to something “special”. I made them a thanksgiving dinner hobo meal. I used turkey cutlets, instant dressing, green beans, gravy, and even cranberries. I thought for sure they were going to love it.
At the campout, which was attended by a lot of first time campers, I was impressed with the creativity of the hobo meals: polish sausages, peppers, and potatoes, the traditional hamburger, cheese, and potatoes, even a leftover fried rice, chicken, and veggies!
I was even impressed with how my hobo meals turned out. All the goodness of Thanksgiving dinner at a late fall camp-out. That is, until my son and husband spoke up. They hated it. They sat there watching everyone else eat their hobo meals, angry with me for making them a turkey dinner. Unfortunately, dissatisfied and hungry campers just turn around and snack more. A very valuable lesson learned from my first ever camping experience.
To this date, they scuff at hobo meals. And while they love eating a traditional Thanksgiving meal, I know they would rather have a good ole hot dog than anything creative at the campsite!
Here are some recipes for Hobo Packets. And yes, you can find the Thanksgiving Dinner!
The Classic: Hamburger and Vegg-All
½ lb ground hamburger meat
½ can of Veg-all or other mixed vegetables
½ can can of cream of mushroom soup
spices and seasonings
Mix together the above ingredients with spices and condiments to your heart’s content. Place the mixture on the center of a sheet of foil, wrap in a tent pack, and place on hot coals for 25 minutes.
Chicken Potato Packets
– 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
– 4 medium red potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
– 2 cups frozen green peas
– 1 jar (12 oz.) chicken gravy
– 1 teaspoon salt
– ½ teaspoon dried thyme
– 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Thanksgiving Dinner
1 turkey cutlet
1 cup of prepared stuffing
½ cup of turkey gravy
½ cup of green beans
¼ dried cranberries
salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram
Place turkey cutlet on sheet of foil. Put the stuffing on top and the green beans around the cutlet. Pour gravy over everything and sprinkle with the dried cranberries and seasonings. Wrap in a tent pack and place on hot coals for 20 minutes.
I love the idea of staying in a National Park. I love the idea of waking up before the park gets busy, grabbing that moment of solitude inside a national treasure, or staying up late to hear the animals and see the dark skies long after the crowds move on for the day. But if I am honest with you; I am spoiled. I love my electrical sites and I love my life more when I have easy access to water. There I said it. So, because of this, I find taking my camper to national parks somewhat challenging. I have a large camper and it does not always fit in the spaces available.
When we decided to visit Mesa Verde National Park I was most excited to see that they have a small number of full hookup RV sites at Morefield Campground. With early planning, we were able to secure three of the 15 full hookup sites for our visit.
We arrived at Mesa Verde after a short (less than 4 hour) drive along Colorado Highway 160 from Alamosa. Upon arriving at Mesa Verde our daughter had the experience of actually using her Every Child in the Park pass and taking us to a National Park.
We spent two nights and roughly three jammed packed days inside the park. We had a nice balance of some relaxing time, some hiking, and some exploring of ancient communities.
Morefield Campground:
Staying at Morefield Campground was everything I had always knew staying inside the park would be. It was peaceful, there were breathtaking views, and intimate animal encounters. I felt like we were some place special from the moment we arrived. The sites were spacious and had grass, shrubs, and trees, the exact opposite of what we experienced in Yellowstone at Fishing Bridge.
One funny thing about our site at Mesa Verde, the sewer connection was uphill from our camper. We were a little “worried” because we all know stuff rolls down hill and not uphill. We established a back up plan: use the holding tanks and the dump station at the bottom of the campground. But since we were only there for two nights, we managed.
Nightly there were Ranger Lead Programs in the campgrounds although we never attended any of these. By the time we reached our campers at the end of the evening, we were worn out and ready for bed.
Hiking:
One of my favorite vacation activities is hiking. Mesa Verde National Park has several different hiking options. Their hiking trails seem to be batched by area and there are three different areas: Morefield Campground has three trailheads, Chapin Mesa has four trailheads, and Wetherill Mesa has two trailheads. We elected to hike the Petroglyph Point Trail from the Chapin Mesa area.
The Petroglyph Point Trail is a 2.4 mile loop that takes you past a large petroglyph panel as well as evidence of ancient Pueblo homes. We found the trail challenging, which was a level of fun for everyone in our group. The age ranges of our group varied from 7 to 65 years old.
Tours:
Mesa Verde is most known for their Ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings so if you are visiting this national park, planning to visit the dwellings is a very important part of the experience. There are two ways to see the cliff dwellings: a ranger led tour and the self-guided tour. We did a combination of both. We were able to do self-guided tour to see Spruce House, the third largest cliff dwelling and best preserved, from the Chapin Mesa Visitor Center. Currently there are not any tours to Spruce House so seeing it from afar will have to suffice.
We purchased tickets to tour both the Balcony House and Cliff Palace. Tickets were $5 per person and we purchased our tickets the night before at the ranger station by Morefield Campground.
I, personally, had a lot of anxiety about taking the two tours and visiting Balcony House and Cliff Palace. The park brochure gave fair warning to visit the dwelling you would climb multiple ladders, of various sizes (8 to 10 feet long, 32 foot long, and up to 60 feet long) making a verticle ascent of 100 feetup exposed cliff face, crawling through a tiny tunnel, and using a series of stone steps.
I do not like ladders! Can I even fit into a tiny tunnel? And… what was it about exposed cliff faces? OH MY GOODNESS! I tried very hard not to show it, but these were the questions running through my head all day long.
We toured Balcony House first and as I stood at the base of that large 60 foot ladder my heart pounded. We had to ascend it two by two and I found myself with Meeghan’s husband, Mr. Calm Cool and Collected. The guide told us that we just needed to keep three points of contact with the ladder at all times, which I repeated over and over all the way up the ladder. Maybe I even said it outloud. This is probably why Mr. Calm kept looking at me like “I can’t believe I got paired up with this crazy lady!”
As freaked out as I was, with as much anxiety as I entered touring these dwellings with, it all melted away. I challenged myself and I felt the growth because of it. Isn’t that what a vacation is about? Stepping outside your normal routine and doing something new. For me, it is and I find that I return from my travels a little stronger than I was before.
I found out the ladders were super sturdy. They were no were near as wobbly at the ladders we use at home to hang Christmas lights. You know the ones you threaten your children with their lives if they leave the bottom rung while you are on it. (Oh wait, maybe that is just me?) As far as the tunnel, well it was tight, but we all made it, and maybe had fun doing so. The tour guides (park rangers) are pretty specific about not touching the walls of the dwellings as it will leave oils on the rock. So, we did a great job of balancing and I am happy to say, no one fell off the cliff face.
The tours are well attended. They are quick, you only spend about an hour on each tour, but we learned a lot about kiva’s, corn, and the Puebloan people. It is amazing to see dwellings that have been around for centuries still standing (yes, some of them may have had a little help being rehabbed but who does not need a face lift after a few hundred years).
As we would soon learn, this National Park is alive and exciting but most of that excitement is below the canyon. If you are willing to take a walk, descend down the canyon you are going to see some amazing things.
Mesa Verde was a joy to visit. We crammed a lot into the three days and two nights we were there. To recap our trip we:
Stayed at Morefield campground
Toured Balcony and Cliff Palace
Obtained Junior Ranger Badges
Hiked the Petroglyph Trail
Learned a lot about Puebloan history and the plants they harvested.
In case you have been following along, this stop was the third stop on the Betty and Roxy Desert Vacation of 2018.
The Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado was our first real stop on the Desert Vacation of 2018. I had be*en to this park once before, twenty some years ago and in reflection, it seemed as if I missed something. So, back we went for one night, a pit stop, a stretch break on our way to some other place.
We had desired to stay at Great Sand Dunes Oasis, a full hookup campground, just a few feet from the entrance. Even though our travel dates seemed inconspicuous, last year we juggled Memorial Day Weekend, we soon learned about Medano Creek. Once a year, Medano Creek swells from the spring thaw. Locals and tourist love to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park during this time to play in the water and see firsthand how those amazing sand dunes exist in the middle of Colorado.
So, with Great Sand Dune Oasis full, we began searching for another campground. We ended up landing at Base Camp Family Campground outside of Alamosa and 27 miles to The Great Sand Dune National Park.
The Great Sand Dune National Park
After dropping the campers off at the campground, we drove over to the national park. booklets ahead of time but we were not able to do that for this park. So, the first thing we did was obtain our Junior Ranger badges. Next we set about to do some sand hiking.
I learned a few things during my time at Great Sand Dunes National Park. First of all, I learned that hiking in the sand is hard work! The ground moves, the sand gets in your shoes making walking difficult, if you take your shoes off, the sand is hot and prickly making walking difficult. So basically walking is difficult in the sand.
Second thing I learned, when the wind blows and the sand is being blown all over you are get pelted. Imagine a full body microderm abrasion facial. And, the wind does blow at The Great Sand Dune National Park. Like, it blows a lot, Which is another key factor in why there is sand dunes in the middle of Colorado.
Third thing I learned, sandsledding is a popular sport in the Dunes. But you must have a special type off board and it is important to rent a board before you find yourself standing on a dune wondering where everyone got their boards.
Fourth, I decided I was too out of shape to be walking around the dunes. We hiked to a nearby “hill” and played around. I thought for a few minutes about trying to hike more hills but I called uncle and my dear husband and I started heading back to the truck.
During our time on the dunes we did notice haze all around us. We later learned that wild fires were blazing around us. To our south, areas of New Mexico were on fire as well as to the west of us, areas north of Durango were on fire. We are accustom to watching for thunderstorms, tornado’s, and hail storms but wildfires was new to us. You can see the haze in the photo below.
San Luis Lakes State Parks And Wildlife Area
On our way back to Base Camp Family Campground we noticed signs for a state park so we took a detour and did some extra exploring. The water seemed low to us but we have no comparison.
Base Camp Family Campground
We arrived early in the afternoon, shortly after check in at 1:00 p.m. We were assigned three spaces in a row, sites 11, 12, and 13, all of which were giant pull through sites. Ya’ll, when I say giant I am telling you for a private campground these sites were unbelievable.
After exploring, we returned to find the campground had filled up. Several families we saw on the dunes were now camping by us. Funny story, as we waited in the parking lot for all our group to finish exploring the dunes, this family walked by our parked truck and one of the kids randomly hit their head on our tow mirrors. Their momma, reached up and swatted her head for not paying attention. As a social worker it caught my eye. As a mother it caught my eye, there was not a moment that the momma asked if her child was okay before swatting them for not paying attention. As the owner of the truck, I just snickered. When we arrived back at camp, what would be the odds that this family was now tent camping just a few feet from our RV!
The afternoon winds settled and we enjoyed chicken tacos for dinner. We built a fire and settled in to experience a night under a dark sky. We were recommended to catch the sunset behind the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The name translated to English means Blood of Christ, and it is commonly believed the name originates from the alpenglow that occurs at sunset. We only had one night in this location, and we had already experienced the impact of wildfire, so I am not sure if it was the best sunset the area had to offer. But, for a girl from the Midwest, who was camping in sand for the first time ever, it was a memorable night!
My very first camper was a 1972 Argosy camper. She was yellow and we called her “The Twinkie.” I purchased her from my first cousin. She was stationary in a field being used as a storage unit when we bought her. She was a mess but I am not going to lie, I loved her. Her door was broken. We had to bungee cord it shut. The heater was broken. The refrigerator was rusted. She had dings and bruises. She had orange shag carpet and the floor under the carpet was super soft in places.
She was my first camper and really opened the idea of RV camping to us. I introduced camping to two children in that camper. The Boy was in elementary school when I brought The Twinkie home the day before Easter in 2006. The Short Chic was in preschool when we sold her (was that in 2013?) I loved the idea of a restoring a vintage Airstream to it’s glory. The reality was, she needed a lot of work. Work that I could not provide. Neither could my husband. We lacked the skill. The know-how. The resources. We did make several attempts at making her better but in the end, we recognized our short comings and made the decision to sell her. We sold her to a coworker of mine whose husband had those skills. I was so hopeful for The Twinkie’s new life.
Then in May 2017, out of the blue, my former coworker sent me a text to say that they had sold The Twinkie and she was moving to the east coast. I found myself overcome with regret and maybe even some grief. Silly I know because my skill level had not changed. Logically I knew I would never be able to provide the care the camper needed. Emotionally, I just wanted to be near her.
As the months have past, selling her has often weighed heavy on my heart. Then this past weekend, my former coworker sent me a recommendation to a facebook page called, Zola The Airstream Arogosy. I opened the page and my heart started doing cartwheels, Zola is The Twinkie! Just like the mythological Phoenix, this camper is being given a new life and is rising from the ashes.
I read every post and looked at every photo. Twice. Three times. My heart was so happy to see that she was getting her rehab. And OMG, it is not a little cosmetic rehab; her new owner has taken her down to the beams and and rebuilt her! She was purchased by a member of Sisters On The Fly, a women’s outdoor adventure group. What irony!! I am fan of Janine Pettit’s podcast, Girl Camper, from which I learned about Sisters On The Fly. My entire retirement plan is wrapped around owning a girl camper and traveling with Sisters On The Fly.
Facebook stalking was not nearly enough for me. I felt compelled to reach out to Zola’s new owner and say hi. I sent a message Saturday morning and immediately heard back. We chatted back and forth me sharing my history with The Twinkie and her new owner sharing Zola’s rehab stories. Any and all regret I have had since I sold her or since I found out she was moving to Vermont faded away. Zola aka The Twinkie was being well cared for and not put back out to pasture.
Faith is a funny thing. You never know what will actually happen but in order for something to happen you have to make a step. Yes, I still wish I had the skill to do something great with the camper but I do not. Selling her gave that camper the best chance at a new life. I am so thankful to my former coworker and her husband for picking such a great new owner for my first camper love. And who knows what faith still has in store for us. Soon I will be retired and maybe, just maybe Zola and I will find ourselves on the same adventure together. Weirder things have happened in life!
If you would like to follow Zola’s amazing transformation, you can. Just head over to Facebook and follow her page: Zola The Airstream Argosy Make sure you say hi from us!
We purchased tickets to tour both the Balcony House and Cliff Palace. Tickets were $5 per person and we purchased our tickets the night before at the ranger station by Morefield Campground.
Roam With Friends 