Roam With Friends

Tag: Colorado

Denver Colorado

There is something about the mile high city. Maybe it is from the years I spend living there. Or the friends that remain their. But I carry a piece of Denver in my heart everywhere I go.

In planning a Colorado vacation, I knew we needed to schedule a few days in Denver. I needed some friend time and there were just so many things I wanted to introduce my daughter to in the Denver metro area.

In 2018 we passed through Denver and stayed at Clear Creek RV Park in Golden. It was a nice park with full hookups right next to Clear Creek allowing us to hear the water all night long. But, we really found the traffic getting in an out of Clear Creek a real challenge. So, we decided to seek lodging elsewhere.

Through social media I knew that Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora came highly recommended. However, there were no openings when we went to book. I also knew of Golden Gate Canyon State Park, due west of Golden Colorado. But in the end, we chose to stay at Chatfield State Park, on the southern end of the metro area in Littleton. We chose this location for a few reasons: 1) we could secure a full hook up site, 2) it was close to our good friends home, and 3) it was virtually in my old stomping grounds.

We found Chatfield to be under a lot of construction but that was really not a problem for us, we used it as a base camp that allowed us to tour the metro area. Chatfield has three different loops: we were in D loop. One of the loops was a group camping loop and they honestly had the best group camping I have ever seen. Four sites were combined forming a square. Each square had a community pad in the middle with picnic tables and a water spigot. I decided if I ever own a campground I am making some of these group camping “pods”.

Our site was a paved pull through. We had a gravel patio with a campfire ring and a picnic table. When we arrived, everything was prestine. The campfire ring had been cleaned (there was no evidence of previous campfires). The gravel had been raked and showed no signs of any previous trash.

What to do in Denver/Metro Area

Really, there is anything and everything to do in the Denver metro area. We had more than enough time to fill our days. Whatever we did, we knew it would be with friends.

Our first activity was heading downtown to check out the new Denver Trolley. The Trolley begins at Confluence Park, right outside REI and takes riders past some of Denver’s highlights: Mile High Stadium, Children’s Museum, Denver Aquarium, and Elitch Gardens. The track is one way, so we had to stop and switch engines for the way back. The cost to ride the Denver Trolley was $5 per adult and children up to 4 to 13 were $2.

After the trolley we went to eat at Brider on Platte Street. We were joined by several of our friends: Leslie and Mark, Jackie, and Harry. Wayne and Mark ate in a hurry and decided to pop into two local breweries while we were in the area. So, while we finished eating and packing up, they checked out Denver Beer Co and Cerveceria Colorado. It was a warm and sunny day in Denver and it was nice just sitting back and enjoying a cold beer with friends., others must have thought that too as both places were very busy! Olivia enjoyed trying a variety of Mexican candy that Cerveceria had out and I tried fried crickets. Yes, I ate a cricket! And to be truthful, I actually ate more than one.

Later, on the second evening in Denver, Leslie and Mark were so gracious and hosted a backyard bbq for us in their new home. We were so luck to have our friends join us and even luckier that my dear cousin Sarah and her son came to visit with us. Leslie treated us to a great meal, Mark kept us all warm with a fire and we all enjoyed each others company. Their company was so food for my soul!

I have been to Red Rocks Amphitheater more times than I can count. I was even lucky enough to catch a Bon Jovi concert there back in my younger years. I am sure Leslie has been there just as many times as I have but we stopped by, on our way to Boulder, to introduce Red Rocks to Olivia. As expected, the crowd was a mix of tourist as well as folks out getting their fitness on. There was also set up for an evening concert so unfortunately for Olivia she could not stand on the stage. But, she got to run the stairs and she was pretty happy with that.

Our next stop was Boulder for the Celestial Seasonings Tea Tour. My girl has grown to love tea. I can’t explain it and I don’t really try. The bottom line is, she loves herself a good cup of tea so taking her to Celestial Seasonings in Boulder seemed like a no brainer. This tour was actually a first for Leslie and I. We struggled to find it but we ended up arriving at the perfect time, the next tour was about to begin. We were treated to samples of tea before the tour which set the stage to learn all about the company that started by hand sewing their muslin bags. We learned that all Celestial Seasoning teas are actually made from herbs so they are all caffeine free. We survived the peppermint room. And we bought more than our fair share of tea from the gift shop!

You would think that our tea lover would have gone home happy but Leslie had one more surprise for her. An actual visit to a teahouse in Boulder. And not just any teahouse. Leslie took us to Dushanbe Teahouse. Dushanbe Teahouse was built in Tajikistan and shipped to Boulder one piece at a time. The finished product is similar to the many teahouses in Central Asia and stands for peace and friendship. There was really no better place for a couple of longtime friends to enjoy brunch and spoil one little girl.

As we left Dushanbe we noticed a large crowd gathered in front of the teahouse. The extra crowded teahouse or parking lot, or even gated off roads maybe escaped our attention in all of our excitement. But the crowds of people caught our attention. Ending right in front of Dushanbe Teahouse was the Boulder Ironman. So, we were able to watch the winner cross the finish line to the excitement of his family and friends.

While we girls were off chasing tea leaves, the men were wetting line at Eldorado Springs near Eldorado Canyon State Park. The river was running hard and fast with the spring run off making fishing difficult. Mark, the more experienced Colorado trout fishermen, was able to coax a couple of more adventurous and hungry trout from their rocky hideouts where they were seeking shelter from the strong currents.

During the time that I lived in Denver, I worked in Golden, so the little town is one of my favorites. We found the men folk at Mountain Toad Brewery so I took advantage of the time to antique shop in downtown Golden. Several years ago, while visiting Leslie in Leadville Colorado I found beautiful purple glass. I learned that glass use to contain manganese and when exposed to sunlight the glass would turn from clear to purple. I purchased some antique purple glass but a child visiting my home broke my purple glass. So I scoured every antique shop in Golden with no success. (so, do I maybe see a return trip to Leadville in my future?)

The only thing we did not get accomplished that Olivia really wanted to do was visit Voodoo Doughnuts on east Colfax. So after leaving Denver to spend five days in the mountains I convinced my dear husband to stop by Voodoo on our way through Denver heading home. I researched, I found a parking lot a few blocks from Voodoo. We just needed to navigate our camper through the streets of downtown Denver.

All was going so well until the traffic got so heavy. Then the road we wanted to take was blocked off by police officers. So we were diverted to another road. Then the traffic stopped. And we sat in traffic for what seemed like forever. Then I started seeing rainbows. Everywhere. Rainbow balloons. Rainbow tutu’s. Rainbow t-shirts. My mind is racing. I quickly google “gay pride parade Denver”. The result was June 15. The exact date we were trying to visit Voodoo Doughnuts. So, here we were stuck in traffic because the pride parade was staging and starting across the road we were on. Then my mom called. And I explained to her how we were stuck pulling our 35 foot camper in the pride traffic two blocks from Voodoo. Wayne looked at me as he pulled it all together. Two blocks away. He then kicked Olivia and I out of the truck and told us to walk to Voodoo. He joked that of course we would know where to find him.

So, Olivia and I got out of the truck, walked to Voodoo, which was right on the path of the parade. We waited in line, snagged ourselves some Voodoo donuts and Wayne called. Denver Police halted the parade staging to let some of the traffic pass by. Wayne was forced to move forward. He found some random spot to park the camper but not knowing Denver, he had no idea where he was in relation to where we were.

Many blocks later, we found each other. And then we found a 35 foot camper which Wayne had illegally parked along York. We took our pink box full of yummy doughnuts and headed east towards home. Laughing the entire way about how we ended our Rocky Mountain vacation by taking our 35 foot camper to the Denver Pride festival.

January 12, 2020
Rocky Mountain National Park, Part One The West Side

We have visited numerous national parks and I am always left wondering, “can a person ever spend enough time in such a place of wonder?”

We spent five days in Rocky Mountain National Park in June 2019. The second longest amount of time we have spent at any national park (Yellowstone remains the longest time we have spent). And I still walk away knowing that we failed to cover so very much. The only saving grace for me is I know Rocky Mountain National Park is a park we can and will easily re-visit.

East vs. West

We stayed on the west side of the park at Winding River Resort so the majority of our activities seemed to be on that side. I have no scientific research but it feels to me that the majority of visitors to Rocky Mountain Park enter from the east side, through Estes Park. I know when we went over to the east side it seemed more crowded. I can say that the west side of the park is home to moose and that is the primary reason for our visit. Today’s post is about our experiences on the west side.

West Side

We started our time on the west side at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center where we were given advice on hiking trails and fishing. We selected an easy hike, the North Inlet Trail. Wildlife sightings is what we sought and what we sought advice from the rangers on. Well, wildlife sightings is what we found. We saw marmot, deer, snakes, and even moose. We hiked the North Inlet Trail about 1 1/2 miles when we noticed how late it was getting to be. Afternoon had left and we were approaching evening when we turned around to hike towards home. We never made it to Cascade Falls (it was another 2 miles further). Our most memorable moment on this trail was when we noticed three bull moose staring down on us from above the trail. We attempted to pass them by walking softly forward. However, the moose had other plans as they started running down the hill straight for the trail. So, we decided to quietly but quickly back up just trying to create as much space as possible. The moose crossed the trail and started feasting on the marsh side of the trail and then the three moose started getting aggressive with each other! We were treated to such an amazing show on our first night but we did decide we had seen too much excitement and quickly maximized the diversion to get out of that area!

Our second hike on the west side was the East Inlet Trail. My dear friend Harry came to visit us from Denver and after we enjoyed a great lunch at the local Snack Shack we took off hiking to Adams Falls and beyond. The trail to Adams Falls was a bit crowded. A lot of people turned around and returned after the falls but we kept going. We ran into a group of artist painting in a clearing. I have never been an artistic type but those women on that day inspired me to come home and purchase watercolors. I have yet to take them hiking with me but I still think that is in my future.

We headed to Coyote Valley Trailhead for dual purpose. Wayne and Jackie (who joined us for part of our trip) set out to flyfish while Olivia and I hiked from Coyote Valley Trailhead to Bowen/Baker Trailhead. Olivia and I started off on a defined trail and them we ended up on a different type of trail. Maybe it was a social trail or a game trail? I am not sure but we soon found ourselves wondering through trees, meadows, and crossing the Colorado River four or five different times. As we hiked, the fisherman were working their own way up and down the Colorado River. Olivia and I spied more moose and Wayne and Jackie did catch wild trout.

Bowen Gulch to Never Summer Wilderness was our final hike on the west side of the park. Never Summer Wilderness is actually not in the national park but it is in the Arapaho National Forest. We hiked the trail toward Parika Lake for a few miles before turning around and heading back. While the environment seemed likely for wild animal sightings we did not have any on this trail.

Overall, the river was full from spring thaw. The water was running swiftly. Jackie, Wayne, and eventually my cousin Dennis had a great time attempting to catch trout. They had enough luck to consider it a successful trip.

We started completing and collecting Junior Ranger Badges years ago when we first started visiting national parks. This visit was no different. Olivia completed her program and visited the Kawuneeche Visitor Center to get sworn in. These visits are always fun, the rangers take valuable time away from their other duties to make each child feel special. They each vary slightly based on the rangers individual personality. At Rocky Mountain National Park, the ranger took her own hat off and put it on Olivia’s head! It was a wonderful moment. But as different as each one is, they also share something very similar. They inspire the kids and adults alike to be better, to do better, and to protect more. I am thankful she has not grown out of this.

The west side of the park met every expectation that we had. We had more moose sightings than I could ever write about. We went hoping to see one moose and came home seeing dozens of moose. In fact, in our feature photo, the one of us in front of the Rocky Mountain National Park sign, a moose was walking out of the trees and walking directly to us. We had one eye on the camera and one on the moose just to see what his next steps were going to be.

Come back later and check out our east side activities.

January 9, 2020
Winding River Resort, Grand Lake Colorado
Colorado has so many amazing options for camping that selecting the right spot can be a challenge. To help us whittle it down we started listing the non-negotiable we wanted in a Colorado vacation:
- mountain views
- mountain lakes
- hiking
- fishing
- moose
Moose? Yes, moose. We knew the first four items on our list would be easy low hanging fruit to grab but moose; in Colorado? Everyone we talked to told us about elk in Colorado. Even some big horned sheep. But, not so much chatter about moose.

As we started our research. I found an article online that talked about the increase in moose population in Colorado specifically in an area near Grand County. The Kawuneeche Valley is suppose to be home to a significant moose population. So that lead me to brainstorming with my dear friend, Leslie, who lives in Colorado. I asked her if she felt I could see moose in Colorado and she clued me into Winding River Resort in Grand Lake Colorado. Leslie told me that she had a friend who visits Winding River regularly and she always has photos of moose encounters.

We learned that Winding River Resort is a few short feet away from Rocky Mountain National Park (you can literally walk into the park from the resort) and equally close to the Arapaho National Forrest. On the grounds of the resort is a ATV rental shop. Within a few short miles away are three mountain lakes: Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Lake and Lake Granby. There are other smaller alpine lakes in the national park as well. The icing on the cake for us, was Winding River Resort offered us full hook-ups.

Booking:

Booking at Winding River Resort was easy as a phone call to the resort. I explained to the reservation taker that my goal of seeing a moose. She explained that the moose enter the resort in the back by the staff area so she was going to put me as close to them as she could. A quick look at the campground map also showed that we were right next to a lily pond. Perfect!

Our dates:

We planned to spend an entire week at Winding River Resort; June 10th to June 16, 2019. We were in spot 93. Our rate was $60/night but we did have to pay an extra $10 child fee.

Getting There:

To arrive at Winding River Resort from Denver, we had two options. Option 1: Travel north in I25 and take our 35 foot camper through Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. Option 2: Take I-70 west 40 Highway north through Berthoud Pass and Winter Park. Trail Ridge Road is a 48 miles stretch of road from the east side to the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. It reaches elevations near 11,500 with a grade between 5% and 7%. Trail Ridge Road is narrow, with minimal shoulder and pullouts. Weather conditions on Trail Ridge Road change quickly.

Berthoud Pass is also a mountain pass that reaches elevations near 11,300 and steep grades (6%). We also found wide lanes, with well established shoulders. The biggest difference between the two passes is the traffic. Trail Ridge Road is in the park and is a huge tourist draw. So, we opted to take Option 2 and travel Berthoud Pass while pulling our camper.

Finding Winding River Resort was actually very easy. Just north of Grand Lake, Colorado a quaint mountain town with a population under 500 residents. Almost directly across from the Kawuneeche Visitor Center of Rocky Mountain National Park right off highway 34 was county road 491. A mile down the road, across a little bridge, was Winding River Resort, right on the banks of the Colorado River.

Upon arrival, we found a cute sprawling resort. We were welcomed to the ranch by the horses that call the stables their home, just to the left of the entrance. We checked in a the general store/office just to the right of the entrance. We were surrounded by evergreen trees and mountains. Our first impression of the resort; we had found a piece of Colorado heaven. We easily found our site, which was a dirt site that backed up to the Wapiti Lilly Pond (which we were so excited to find actually had water and lilly pads during our visit). We were a little disappointed to find out that our neighbors had parked their RV a little caddywhompus which caused us to be a little askew. Thankfully the resort staff, problem solved and helped us get into our site.

Our first Moose sighting happened after we had been on the property less than 10 minutes. We checked in, drove to our site, quickly assessed that our site was odd (thanks to said neighbors mentioned above), drove back up front to request help, and as we drove back to our site to wait for assistance, we passed by the lilly pond a second time in a matter of minutes. There, in the Lilly Pond was a yearling female moose munching away. We quickly named her Lilly and we would learn that she visited the Lilly Pond every single day during our visit. Gosh, and I was worried about seeing a moose. Goal met in less than an hour!

After setting up our camp, we headed to the Kawuneeche Visitor Center. We have found that asking Park Rangers for hiking and fishing recommendations usually pays off. The Rangers recommended a hike called the North Inlet Trail which actually started in Grand Lake. The Rangers told us that moose sightings had been reported around dusk on this trail.

We managed to find two moose on our first hike, both were a field and a river away but we were able to respectfully visit them. As we were hiking back to our vehicle, I was leaving our first day very happy. Three moose sightings in one afternoon! This vacation, this location, was better than I ever could have imagined. As we walked back, a tad after dusk I suddenly became weary of predators watching us. Moose were not the only animals in the area and my husband, who was hiking behind me, kept stopping which kept putting me up front alone. Just as I turned to “school” him on proper mountain lion safety, I looked up and found a large bull moose staring down at me. Seriously, I about peed myself! But there was no time for such things because as soon as I caught my breath at stumbling onto a bull moose, I realized he was not alone. There was not one but three bulls directly above us!

The rest of our time at Winding River Resort, was just as idealistic as our first day. Every day we experienced moose. And elk. My favorite experience was waking up early to find our campground full of moose. My cousin had gotten up early to walk his dog and found a huge surprise, moose everywhere. Thankfully he came and immediately woke me up so I too could experience it. We learned during our vacation that moose strongly dislike dogs. It is in their DNA from years of fighting off the cousin of the dog; the wolf. That morning as the moose were running free around camp, I just kept thinking our being there all started with my cousin out walking his dog and coming up on a random moose out grabbing a morning bite to eat. Our week at Winding River Resort was nothing short of perfect. It was the best balance of activity and relaxation. We enjoyed quiet time and we also had moments where we were joined by friends. Besides my cousin, who moved to Riverton Wyoming joining us, we were also visited by our dearest friends Jackie and Harry. Harry loves Grand Lake and loved driving up from Denver to spend the day having lunch at the Snack Shack on the lake and hiking to Adams Falls.

We rented a Razor from On The Trail Rentals, which we were very satisfied with. We got lucky as On The Trail opened for summer rental on June 15, which happened to fall on our last full day at the Resort. We took the Razor and spent an afternoon exploring Arapaho National Forrest which is adjacent to the resort. During our rental time, we learned a lot from my cousin about dry camping on public land and we were able to see numerous camping sites full of boondockers.

We spent a great deal of time wondering around the town of Grand Lake. Whether you are visiting in the summer or winter, this town is a mecca of outdoor activities. We enjoyed ice cream at one of the ice cream shops. We found the locals to be friendly, engaging, and so willing to share their beautiful home with us. We enjoyed shopping in all of the downtown shops. We were even able to find a pizza restaurant/bar (The White Buffalo) to watch The St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup.

The Short Chic and her daddy even braved the frigid cold water of Grand Lake to SUP. We warned The Short Chic over and over again about how cold the water was but she was convinced she was not going to fall in. Wayne, on the other hand, was positive he was going to fall in. I am happy to say he never fell in and unfortunately, after 50 some minutes of perfect SUPing, The Short Chic did fall into that water. I have never seen someone fall in and jump out of the water faster than she did!

After consulting with Park Rangers and the owners of Kirks Flyshop, Wayne spent several days wetting fly line in streams and lakes in the area. Unfortunately, we were on vacation and visiting during the summer run-off so the rivers were running high and fast and the alpine lakes were still pretty frozen. Thankfully, he learned how to manage the water and was still successful at catching fish. This is a huge accomplishment for him as we come from an area that mostly has stocked rivers and catching a wild trout is something to send a post card home to Dad about!

Winding River Resort had several amenities that deserve to be highlighted even if we did not partake in them. First of all, this is a campground that allows campers and non-campers to spend time together. They have cabins for rent as well as pioneer covered wagon! They have equestrian sites; full hook up sites that come with a small corral for your horse. Many of the other campers we saw, bring their fun with them to Winding River Resort, that “fun” maybe ATVs or they may be horses, or fishing rods in our case.

Horses are a big deal at Winding River. You can bring yours or rent one of theirs. They have organized trail rides, pony rides, hay rides, and even sleigh rides in the winter. They have chuck wagon dinners and chuck wagon pancake breakfast, ice cream socials, square dancing, and even Cowboy Church. We spent time walking around the Animal Farm playing with all the baby farm animals. If organized activities are not your thing, there is pickleball, basketball, frisbee golf, volleyball, horseshoes are all available on the property for your enjoyment. Oh yeah, let’s not forget that the Colorado River is right behind the Animal Farm.

Every minute we were in Colorado at Winding River Resort and every minute we spent driving home from our Colorado we just kept saying to ourselves, “wow, that was amazing.” We selected this place in hopes of seeing a moose. I had no idea or expectation that we would see as many moose as we did.

I hope if you are looking for a Colorado adventure that is a little bit quieter and a little (a lot) less crowded than say…Estes Park…we hope you will consider booking a stay at Winding River Resort.
December 20, 2019
Mesa Verde National Park
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:
1. Stayed at Morefield campground
2. Toured Balcony and Cliff Palace
3. Obtained Junior Ranger Badges
4. Hiked the Petroglyph Trail
5. 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.
July 20, 2019
The Adventures of Betty and Roxie: A Desert Vacation

It all started with a photo on Pinterest of Zion National Park. It morphed into an epic seventeen day road trip that would cross four states, make eight stops, travel three thousand mile road trip. We were nervous about visiting the desert in the summer, so we went early in the summer. We were excited to see so many national parks and places we had been visiting on Pinterest for years; Monument Valley, Four Corners, Mesa Verde, Zion, The Grand Canyon. I was nervous because it was a lot of moving, a lot of exploring, and even though it did not seem like it, a lot of editing.

Betty and Roxie, as you may recall, went on another grand adventure together to Wyoming in 2017. Our friends the Rockwood’s decided to decline this adventure because they were saving up days for a 2019 adventure east to Gettysburg. Roxie’s owners invited their extended family to join us so Papa Gary signed up to be our third camper on the Desert Vacation.

We decided to meet at the Paxico Rest Stop just west of Topeka at Mile Marker 336 on I-70 as we were all coming from different places. Together we continued traveling west. We had no reservation for this first day, but landing where we could. We wanted to push ourselves to get a full six hours in so we could make the driving on Day 2 as comfortable as possible.

We ended up making it six and half hours the first day and landed in Seibert, Colorado, approximately 50 miles west of the Kansas/Colorado border. We checked into Shady Grove campground.

Meeghan and I had researched every campground from Wakeeney Kansas to Colorado Springs as part of preparation for this trip. We had “hoped” to reach Shady Grove because it had a wonderful pool and thought it would be a treat to the kids after a long first day of traveling. Well, sadly the lady who checked us in told us there was no pool at Shady Grove. Meeghan and I jumped on our phones and realized we made an error in planning: the Shady Grove Campground in Seibert Colorado does not have a pool but Sandy Grove Campground in Pennsylvania has a pool (and a nice website that we apparently looked at instead of the one in Colorado)!. So lesson learned, when researching on the internet make sure you are in the correct state.

We secured three camping spots for the night and settled in. We pre-planned for a quick dinner of BLT sandwiches and made ahead side salads then we set out walking the small town of Seibert. As we walked around town, we speculated about living in such a small out-of-the-way place. We found a city park where the kids could burn some pent up energy. Meeghan’s youngest decided to jump off the slide and literally caught himself by the throat and gave himself a clothes-line injury. Poor little man spent the rest of the vacation with a massive friction mark on his neck!

Shady Acres had a variety of tenants. Some bikers on their way west tent camping, a girl camper on an adventure, and a few others stopping for the night. It was comfortable and quiet.

The next morning we left Shady Grove and Seibert to head towards Colorado Springs. Our goal for Day 2 was to reach Base Camp Family Campground in Alamosa, Colorado. Before we reached Alamosa, we stopped for a road side lunch just past Colorado Springs and met up with Meeghan’s sister, her husband, and their baby. They joined us for part of our Colorado visit.

Our newly expanded group continued south on I-25 turning west once again on Highway 160. The drive from Walsenburg to Alamosa was scenic and wonderful. We checked into Base Camp late in the afternoon ready for some adventure and exploring…..

March 30, 2019