HOME!! Dolores, CO

Saturday, August 11.  Needless to say, we were both up early and ready to hit the road by 8:00 AM this morning.  I think this was record time for us.  Even Jenny was ready!

I was concerned about the motor home overheating going over the Dallas Divide, climbing into and out of Telluride and also Lizard Head Pass.  I was worried for nothing!  The motor home did great, none of those passes are as steep or as high as Monarch Pass.

Here are pictures I took of Lizard Head Pass when we reached the top.  Aww, home...

We pulled into our driveway about lunch time on Saturday.  We'll be here until I leave on Monday the 20th to head to Tucson, Mike will stay with friends until after labor day and then join me in Tucson.

That's it for now.  I hope you have enjoyed our travels as much as we have.  Until next trip...

Salida, CO/Ridgway, CO

Tuesday, August 7.  We left Chatfield State Park and headed towards Salida.  Hwy 285 is a beautiful drive from the Denver area over the mountains and through some very pretty valleys.  The weather was perfect so we didn't have to run the a/c in the coach.  Mike had made us reservations at a Passport America park in the town of Howard about 10 miles east of Salida on Hwy 50.  It is on the Arkansas river but because we waited so late to make our reservation we had to take a site that didn't have a river view.  That's ok, $14 a night is not bad for full hookups and wifi!  Besides, it was an easy walk to the river.  Here are pictures of our site and the river deck where we enjoyed our wine.

Wednesday, August 8.  We both wanted to explore Salida so we drove into town and stopped at the Visitor Center and got some information about local hiking trails.  The town is cute, about the size of Cortez but is on the Arkansas river.  The woman at the V.C. suggested a hike that was on the way back to the campground so we drove to the trail head and had a nice walk with Jenny.

Thursday, August 9.  Today we drove from Salida to Ridgway via Hwy 50 over the Monarch Pass.  I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Monarch Pass but it is one of the longest and highest passes in Colorado at 11,200 +/- feet.  We've been over it before and knew what to expect but even so, it was still a pain.  The diesel engine really does a good job in the mountains but this pass is a real challenge.  About half way up the engine started overheating and then the transmission light started flickering which means the trans. is struggling.  I had to pull over to the side of the road twice to let the engine and transmission cool off.  We finally made it to the top and I thought, whew, the worst is over.  Wrong!  Going down is rough on the brakes and the transmission because of the steep grade and how far you have to go.  This time my brakes started to over heat even though I was using the exhaust brake and also had downshifted as low as I could go without stressing the transmission.  Again, I had to pull over a couple of times to let the brakes and the transmission cool off.  I hope that's the last time we have to go over Monarch Pass for a while!!

We made it to Ridgway State Park, Dutch Charlie Campground and got set up in time for cocktail hour.  Now that we're back in pinon/juniper country I don't have to worry too much about trees blocking the satellite dish.  This campground is on a ridge overlooking a reservoir that is very low because of the drought. It's pretty sad, same thing with the Blue Mesa, we couldn't believe how low it was when we drove by.  Here are a couple pics of our campsite at Dutch Charlie.

We had some pretty good storms while we were here, thankfully we have the drugs for Jenny now so we can keep her calm.

Friday, August 10.  There are some awesome hot springs in Ridgway that we have been to before so that's where we went today.  We had a nice long soak at Orvis and then came back to the RV and chilled out.  We took Jenny for a walk and had a nap.  Such a rough day...  We're both excited about returning home tomorrow, we've been on the road 3 months and 1 week.  That's a long time!  8,500 miles!!  Whew!

Littleton, CO

Saturday, August 4.  Our friend Fred came down from Lone Tree to visit us while we were in the Walmart parking lot at Castle Rock.  We had a great visit and made plans to go to his house on Sunday after we checked in at Chatfield State Park.  Mike took this picture of the sunset we had this evening. 

(Castle Rock sunset)

Sunday, August 5.  We awoke to a beautiful morning in the Walmart parking lot and watched the coming and going of Walmart employees.  Our reservation confirmation said we could check in at noon so we had breakfast and prepared the coach for take-off!  Hmm, how do we get out of the parking lot?  The route out I was going to use was now blocked by a big pickup truck.  The only other option was to try and squeeze through the curb openings and circle around another parking area and then head out.  Whew!  We did it!  That’s one of the issues when you stay in a parking lot, you can’t always depend on having the same empty parking spaces when you are ready to leave. 

We drove over to Chatfield State Park and parked at the High Line Canal trailhead where we had lunch on Saturday.  Since it was only 8:45 in the morning and we can’t check in until noon we took Jenny for a walk.  Mike calculated we walked about 3.5 miles round trip.  Jenny was tired when we got back to the trailhead and took a nap in the shade at the gazebo.  The gazebo is to the left of the port-a-potty. 

(Chatfield, waiting to enter)

We had an early lunch and by 11:45 were ready to go into the park.  A lot of RV’s had already come out and a few had started going in so we figured it would be ok.  We checked in and were set up by 1 PM.  Here is our site, no trees to block the dish!

(Chatfield, site #182)

After showers and drugging the dog we headed to Fred’s house.  It looked like it might rain so we gave Jenny her meds to keep her calm in the coach.  Fred had purchased tickets for the show, “Jersey Boys” for this evening as an anniversary/wedding gift for us.  We treated him to dinner at Pasta Jay’s, one of our favorite places to eat, and then went to the theater.  The show was absolutely incredible!  It is the story of how the Four Seasons came together and how Frankie Valli started with them when he was just 16 years old.  Here is a picture of Fred and Mike in the theater lobby. 

(Fred & Mike at Jersey Boys, I took the picture)

The actors did a great job of singing almost all of the Four Seasons hits.  I can’t think of any songs they missed.  Here is a list of the songs from the show. 

(Jersey Boys music)

During the show it was explained how some of the songs developed from events that took place in one or more of their lives.  It was quite moving and funny, too.  I won’t give away too much, but the song “Oh What A Night!” does have significant meaning to Bob Gaudio, the songwriting member of the group. 

Monday, August 6.  There were threats of storms this afternoon and we wanted to be at the RV with Jenny if they happened so we went to Fred’s house late morning.   He took us downtown again to have lunch at Steuben’s Restaurant which was featured on “Diner’s, Drive-in’s & Dive’s.”   Steuben’s building was once a gas station and garage I believe.  It was busy when we got there at 11:55 so we had to sit outside in the patio area.  Thankfully, they had fans but it was still hot.  The food was delicious, I had an iceberg lettuce wedge with blue cheese dressing and bacon bits, Mike had a Greek salad and we shared an order of chicken wings and Fred had a green chili burger.  It was a wonderful dining experience! 

(Steuben’s restaurant)

On the way into the Denver area on Saturday the interstate passed under a road by the name of “Downing” which made me think of our friend Carol in St. Petersburg.  On the way to Steuben’s on Monday we drove on Downing Street for a while.  I miss you, Carol!!

(Downing Street)

A new museum recently opened in Denver called the History Colorado Museum and is just what it says, a museum of the history of Colorado.  We walked over to it after having lunch at Steuben's.  The museum is very interactive, a great place for kids and adults, too!  It is two floors and takes a while to see all of the exhibits.  You can step into a mine elevator and get the "feel" of being lowered into the ground or you can stand in a pair of ski's and "experience" a ski jump.  These are just a couple of the interactive exhibits.  

After the museum Fred treated us to ice cream at a place near his home and then we had to say our goodbyes.  Thank you, Fred, for making our anniversary one of the best ever!!  

Castle Rock, CO

Saturday, August 4.  The saga continues...   When we got to Chatfield State Park the lady at the front gate said they were full so we turned around and drove out to a trail head about 6 blocks from their main entrance.  Mike made sandwiches and we had lunch under a gazebo at the picnic tables.  Even though it was 80 degrees outside because of the breeze and the lack of humidity it was quite comfortable.  We did leave the generator running with the a/c on for the animals.  After lunch we drove south on Hwy 85 to I-25 south and took the Larkspur exit.  I stopped at a little store to ask about any RV parks in the area and the girl behind the counter (with a pierced nose) said there was nothing but that we could stay at the Walmart in Castle Rock.  Hmm.  Mike had called all the Walmart's in Denver and all said the same thing, no overnight parking.  So we headed back north on I-25, I needed fuel and I remembered seeing a station advertising diesel for $3.46 a gallon.  I pulled into the station and while Mike was pumping fuel I asked the girl behind the counter if there was anywhere we could "park" our rig for the night.  She said the same thing, the Walmart in Castle Rock.  She even gave me directions.  OK, it was meant to be so off we went.  The directions she gave me were perfect and the parking lot had one RV in it already.  We parked and went into to the store to "register."  Easy as could be, all you have to do is go to the customer service desk and fill out a line in a book.  So here we are, in our second Walmart parking lot of this trip.  It's way more comfortable than the one in ND, not near as hot and we have a lot of other stores around us to satisfy all of our needs.  In a short walk we bought wine (necessities for us) and cat food at a Petsmart.  Who could ask for more?   We are truly happy campers.  Only down side is no satellite dish tonight.  Don't want to run the generator all night, it's too pretty an evening.  So we'll entertain ourselves by watching the people who frequent Walmart.  Our friend Fred did stop by for a visit and we made plans for tomorrow and Monday.  Here are pics of us at Walmart...

We were even put the awnings out and the jacks down.  There was even shade for the little car and grass for Jenny.  And all this for FREE!!  Gotta love a bargain...

Cheyenne, WY

Friday, August 3.  We left Custer, SD just after Dick & Barbara did and as they headed east we headed west.  Our next stop is Cheyenne, WY to stay overnight then drive into Denver on Saturday.  On this trip we have tried to stay off the interstate as much as possible, preferring the back roads and seeing small towns.  We took Hwy 85 south most of the way to Cheyenne then got on I-25 for about 10 miles.  The RV Park is on the south side of Cheyenne about 4 miles from the Colorado line.  It was windy as all get out when we arrived but I still put the satellite dish up.  The park itself is not much to speak of, it's located right on the interstate so it's very noisy, there are no trees (great for the satellite dish!!) and lots of dirt.  Since we got here so early in the day and it was so windy outside we opted to stay inside and catch up on the Olympics.  It was an uneventful night... until about 11 PM.  I was awakened by Jenny pacing around the motor home, her nails on the linoleum always wake me up.  The wind was really howling now almost as bad as when we were in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada last month.  The more the motor home rocked the more Jenny paced. Mike had given her half a Xanax and 1/4 of the Acepromazine in the afternoon because it looked like a storm was brewing.  When Jenny climbed up on the toilet and tried to get into the medicine cabinet I woke Mike up and said he better give Jenny another pill.  He gave  her another 1/4 of the Acepromazine and within 15 minutes she had calmed down.  Better living through chemistry...

Saturday, August 4.  It was a calm and beautiful morning, no wind and lots of blue sky.  Mike gave me a much needed haircut and we caught up on chores around the motor home.  The drive to Denver is only about 2.5 hours and since we don't have a reservation anywhere for tonight there is no hurry.  We're going to try Chatfield State Park first because we have a reservation there starting tomorrow.  They sometimes have sites available on a first come first served basis.  If they don't have anything we'll find a Walmart and "camp" there for the night.

Taken Saturday morning about 8:30 AM.  Lots of dirt, no trees and right next to the interstate.  But hey, it is a Passport America park so what do you want for $19 a night for full hookups and great wifi!?!  Notice the dish is down, I had to bring it down last night when Jenny was freaking out.  I was afraid the wind would rip it off the top of the motor home.  We did not get to record the Olympics last night, dang!!

Custer, SD

Wednesday, August 1.  We left De Smet, SD and drove to Custer, SD today.  Along the way we went through Pierre, SD (the capitol) and encountered our first "over-height warning."  The overpass for the railroad tracks through town is only 11'3" high, our coach is 11'4" tall.  Hmm.  As we approached the overpass a sign began flashing saying we were too tall and to use the detour.  It routed us around the overpass and back onto the highway on the other side.  Cool!  There must've been some kind of sensor for the sign to recognize we were not gonna fit.

After we left Pierre the temperature began rising.  When it reached 94 outside and 85 inside we needed to do something to keep us and the animals cool.  I pulled over and turned on the generator and then turned on the front a/c in the coach.  Ahhh, within a few minutes we were cooling off.  The cats and Jenny were most appreciative.  I've only had to run the coach a/c one other time and that was when I was driving to Tucson last year in August.  I called Sam at the park in Tucson and told him I was hot and he suggested I turn on the generator and run the coach a/c.  Thank you, Sam!!  When we stopped for fuel I noticed the coach in the lane next to us was running their generator as well.

We arrived at Big Pine Campground in Custer about 4:15, just a few minutes after our friends Dick & Barbara from Denver arrived.  Our site was one site over from theirs.  When I checked us in I asked about satellite reception and the husband and wife who own the park said we were lucky because the only site in the park with the chance an opening facing south was the site they were putting us in.  They don't call this campground "Big Pine" for nothing, it is full of huge pine trees!  As we neared our site we came into a slight clearing and lo and behold there was a south-facing break in the trees!  Mike connected the electric and I immediately turned on the dish and within a matter of minutes it had locked in on all of the satellites!  Yay, we would be able to see the Olympics!!

I had already put the dish back down this since we are leaving today but you can see the break in the trees in front of the coach.  Whew!!

Look at all of those huge pine trees!  It's really a beautiful campground.

We would not have gotten satellite reception at Dick & Barbara's site.

It was great to see Dick & Barbara again.  They live outside of Denver and winter in Tucson, that's how we met them.  They are just starting a two month trip to visit friends in WI, MI, Canada and other points to the east.  Coincidence allowed us to meet up with them in Custer, SD.

Thursday, August 2.  D&B wanted to go to Wind Cave Nat'l Park today for cave tour.  We had never been so we went along.  Wind Cave was discovered around 1890 when  cowboy heard a whistling noise and saw the bushes moving.  As he investigated the wind coming out of the small cave opening blew his hat off, hence the name Wind Cave.  The tour was about an hour and a half beginning with an elevator ride 200' down to a starting point.  It is a beautiful cave with miles and miles of tunnels.  Scientists claim that only about 5-10% of the cave has been discovered!

Mike, Dick & Barbara just before heading into the cave.

Quite a bit of the ceiling in the cave is made of Boxworks formations.  Something about the limestone forming the box like formations.  I've slept since the ranger told us the story.  Sorry.

Here we are below ground!

Friday, August 3.  We are leaving today for Denver and Dick & Barbara are heading east.  We'll probably overnight near Cheyenne, WY this evening then drive into Denver tomorrow.  Wish us luck finding a place to stay, we waited to late to make reservations and may have to stay in a Walmart parking lot.  Se la vie!