Arkansas to Colorado

Day 8 - Thursday July 12th

 Another overcast day, perfect for driving and making some distance. So we drove like crazy. It started to get late and we didn't have a place to stay, so we called ahead to a KOA and found one a few hours away. We would be cutting it close and may have to set up the tent in the dark, not fun. But as we were driving there through Ouachita  National Forest we spotted a ranger station and stopped in to ask about camping in the area.  We were surprised when he said that we could camp nearby in Oden, Arkansas at the Shirley Creek Recreation area. We asked how much it would cost and he turned his head to one side and said, "what do you mean?"    Needless to say we stayed for free down by the river. Only one catch, it was a flash flood area.

                                  

Good news was that they haven't had a drop of rain in weeks. Bad news was a storm was building up nearby. We decided to pick a campsite higher up on the slopes and set up the tent for the storm, rain fly, extra tent pegs, etc. Luckily, the storm passed right by us, all we saw was the ominous thunderhead as it rolled by.  As for the rest of the night, that was another story. We were all alone, I mean alone, as in no one around for miles. Then we realized we were not alone as the creatures of the night began to sing and call out to each other. The sounds of the crickets and other creatures was almost deafening, like a wall of white noise rising into the night drowning the rest of the outside world out. Eventually we fell asleep, but the grown ups slept with one eye open.  Sometimes being alone is scarier that being surrounded by other campers. 

                                      

Day 9 - Friday July 13th

Drove rte 270 all day. I mean all day. Not a lot to see. Pretty desolate on the road. Can't imagine it being a true representation of what Oklahoma is really like. Very dry and very hot. Temperatures got above 100 degrees most of the day.  Spent the night at cherokee KOA, in Geary, Oklahoma, for $19 with hookups.

                                       

                                    

After setting up we went swimming to cool off.  Jorge was watching the dog while we went swimming, but when he attached the leash to the collar he attached it to the wrong loop. So the dog broke free and Jorge and the kids started running after the dog all over the play area. We did catch her in the end but realized after that, that we had lost all her tags except one. Still, we can make do. 

Cool town name: Kickapoo spur.

                                 

                                 

Day 10 - Saturday July 14th

Driving rte 270 from Geary, Ok. Nothing but dry lands, dried up lakes, rivers & creeks. Nothing for miles. All the small towns we drove through were vacant, and run down. We were trying to avoid Texas (only because it's so big and hot) but somehow we missed a turn somewhere and ended up in Texas for about 20 miles then back into Oklahoma, before finally crossing into Colorado. The scenery immediately turned more rugged and a little more green but still very dry dessert. Not many houses, just open fields as far as the eye could see, with a few cows here and there. Spent the night at Sportsman's RV resort & horse motel in Lamar, Colorado. Only $15 to camp but the nice lady offered us a cabin with A/C for the same price. It was pretty late but we gained another hour. Weather here is still very warm, but it got pretty breezy at night. Once we were settled we all went swimming & took showers.  Had a good nights sleep. Except for Jorge who spent the night jumping from one bed to another and couldn't get comfortable.

Cool sign: a Town called Gobblers nobb

Day 11 Sunday July 15th

I was up early, and was happy to learn they have laundry facilities since we were out of clean clothes. Met a group of kids bicycling from Georgia to California.

                                

Didn't drive very far today! But finally we get to see Mountains. Beautiful views. Spent the night at Camp Echo in Canon City, Clorado, near the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park. The campsite was primitive (which means no electric or water) and located on a hill with a great view overlooking the mountains. 

                                

 

                                 

                                

 

                                

Day 12 Monday July 16th

After waking up and having a nice breakfast we decided to head over to Canon City's Royal Gorge. Where unfortunately it's a real tourist trap and a very expensive one. So we didn't go inside but we did discover a path we could go down with the dog and see the Gorge a little better.

                                    

                                                  

                                               

We drove along the Arkansas River, with spectacular views of the river & mountains. We spotted some mountain sheep on the mountainside. Gas has been super expensive in Colorado at $3.65. Today we paid $7.00 for a 20lb bag of ice!!!

                                            


                                  

Wow, green grass, in Salida, Colorado! It's been 4 or more days since we've seen lush green. Everything has been so dry and desert like. Where we started in Canon City the temperature was 100F and we ended up in Gunnison, where the temperature went down to 57F. We stumbled upon the Mesa RV resort in Gunnison,CO. It is owned and run by a really nice South African Family. They have a pretty big park, and it was pretty full too. We were going to set up the tent until we saw the TeePee, Jorge wasn't keen but with 5 chicks ruling the nest he was out voted on this one. We've never stayed in one before and thought it would be fun. I was surprised to find that it actually had a bed and and futon. It also had electricity inside!

                                    



                                              

Later that evening before the sun went down the local RVers started to play a game called Pickle ball, a mix of tennis and ping pong played on a smaller court with wooden paddles and a hard plastic ball. The girls went over to watch after dinner and managed to get Jorge to play a game as well.  He caught on pretty quickly and they won their match. Now the girls want to learn how to play pickle ball too.

 It was getting quite chilly after the sun went down, so we had to dig out some jackets. It was supposed to go down to the 40's during the night.  It was surprisingly warm inside the teepee, although we had to pull out the winter pajamas, and had the fleece blankets at the ready. The girls seemed pretty snug. Jorge was a little cold, but only because we were unable to find his long johns. I highly recommend this park, it has a little creek that meanders through the whole park, it is well taken care of and everyone is very friendly.

                                   

Day 13 Tuesday July 17th

We really liked the Mesa RV park and thought about staying another night, but in the end decided to move on.  We instead managed to travel a whole 20 miles! The reason we stopped was so we could hike and explore the Black Canyon Of Gunnison National Park.

                              

While there we also purchased the National Park annual pass that will get us into all the national parks across the country as well as national monuments and BLM lands.  It is well worth it for the small price of $80 and you can even share it with your friends.  

                                  

Our first hike was the Rim Rock trail, which we hiked with the Dog.  She was great, as were the the kids. It was really hot though and we were glad that it was only 3/4 of a mile long each way.

                                       

                                          

After the hike some of us took the car to the Visitor Center while Jorge, Emily and Jessica decided to hike the rest of the way along the rim trail. The girls picked up their junior ranger books and did their best to finish them while we drove the rest of the park stopping off at most of the view points and smaller hikes.

                                               


                                               

                                                 


                               

It was some of the most spectacular vistas we have seen on the trip yet. Especially, the painted canyons themselves.

                                      

From there we headed to the town of  Montrose, CO. Where we desperately tried to get a hotel or even a cabin for the night, but it was not to be, everyone was sold out. Then one of the hotel owners suggested the local KOA, duh!  Sure enough, they gave us a camping spot that was sweet, and we also had wifi, a pool, and laundry facilities for the night. I foolishly locked the car keys in the car, not one set but two! !  I just wanted to know how good our AAA membership was, if I'm honest (lol).  Surprisingly they were there in less than 20 minutes! We also met a lovely family from San Diego who gave us some great RV tips for when we actually buy our RV.  The kids had fun playing at the playground and swimming after dinner. Quiet night after that, but I guess as long as no one is trying to kill anyone in the camp ground it will be a quiet night from now on. The standards have definitely changed.

Day 14 Wednesday July 18th

We stopped in Montrose on the way out of town for supplies and to pay some bills, ugh! Still have to pay the mortgage and the utilities while we are gone. So while Michelle and the girls went shopping I paid the bills and checked out the Public Land office for some info.  Turns out that they have lots of spots for camping in the area. So the girls restocked and we headed out and started exploring.

                                            

The night before the AAA guy who got the keys out of the car told us that although the ride through Telluride would be great, the one road not to miss was the Million Dollar Highway through Ouray. And let me tell you he was not kidding.

                                                            


                                            

                                            

                                                     

                                             
                                            

It is spectacular and should not be missed if you come through this area. Along with the breathtaking views the other bonus was that along the 550 their are dozens of pull outs that lead to trails and campsites, and best of all...the camp sites are all primitive, in the back country, and free!

  

                                            

So after getting yelled at for going along a few tough roads, we found an area that had some great adventures for the kids. We explored and took pictures but we just couldn't find a spot to camp in.  We decided to leave the area and continue through to the town of Silverton. Not much there and what there was was expensive.

                                                           


                                             

We decided to continue on with the worst case scenario being that we would just gun it for 100 miles to Durango and let the kids sleep in the car. Then we saw it, the most gorgeous lake (Big Lake Molas) off to the left and it was in an RV park. I quickly got out of the car and ran into the proprietor of the facility. It took me less than 30 seconds to not like this guy at all. He was rude and obnoxious and if anyone knows me I get along with just about anybody. So after a few minutes I came out and Michelle gave it a try, not that it went any better, she got the same vibe. We saw the spot he wanted us to rent and we passed. It was small, crowded, and pricey and we didn't get a good feeling from this guy, so we left. Too bad it was a beautiful location. 

                                   

Now we were on our way to Durango. But only 2 minutes down the road we spotted another camping area, only this one is a Forestry Service area.

                                  

It was called Little lake Molas and it was just as nice as the big one and better yet it was FREE! So after much searching we found a spot at the top of a hill with a partial view of the lake and great views of the mountains, and settled in. We set up pretty quick, had dinner, settled in, and read "A Game of Thrones" to the kids as a bedtime story. I know. I know. Totally inappropriate, but they totally dig it and are really into the story and characters. I try my best to dilute the heavier material but they figure it out none the less. A thunder storm hit us around 3 am but it was light and the tent held up well. The temp dropped below 35 degrees, but Michelle is the queen of improvisation and we were all warm and toasty for the night.

Day 15 Thursday July 19th

After a hearty egg breakfast made on our trusty propane stove we decided to do something we rarely do...chill out. Michelle and I just popped our chairs under a tree and the kids proceeded to do what they do best, play and entertain themselves with whatever they have around them. It was no time at all before the had claimed the two pine trees in our area as theirs and we're climbing around them like monkeys. They were also setting up all kinds of camps and hospitals to care for injured woodland creatures! Abigail even set up a few snares to catch any intruders that might enter the camp, but after seeing that she had rigged a large rock to fall on whomever or whatever entered the area, we decided to cancel that little apparatus in exchange for something a little less dangerous.

                                       

Our neighbors came over and introduced themselves to us, which was nice. Two sweet ladies with their dogs from Farmington, New Mexico. They ended up moving locations, but we saw them several more times to chat.

Later that after noon we walked down to the lake, and the girls played while I did the dishes. See even when we are out camping I still do the dishes, even if it's in a lake, and we have to boil the water so we don't catch some deadly parasite that will cause us to have horrible uncontrollable digestive problems...but I digress. 

When we got back to camp Michelle wasn't feeling very good and was having a bad head ache and nausea (think it was altitude sickness) so she took a little nap and the kids went on playing. I started to get dinner ready only there was one catch, it seems that when you are in the mountains, especially as high as we are (over 10,000 feet)  storms tend to gather in the late afternoon and sometimes they pour down on you in the early evening and night. This was one of those days. So while the girls and Shelly chilled out in the tent, I proceeded to make dinner in the rain using the propane stove. Needless to say by the time I got in I was the one chilling, literally. Then it got really interesting. The storm got worse and there was thunder and lightning throughout most of the night. We got off with a few leaks towards the back of the tent. Easy fix with a little seam sealer and a lot of patience. Over all a good day.

                                        

Day 16 Friday July 20th

Dawn broke and we were all still in bed. For the first time in a long while we really had nothing to do so we took our time getting up and eating. Michelle was a lot better and she was eager to go on the trail as was I. It turned out that the Colorado Trail went through Molas Pass and had a trailhead right beside our camp. So we loaded up with water, lunch, snacks, cameras, and headed out with 5 chicks a dude and a dog. 

                                           

The views from the trail were awesome. We were surrounded by mountains on every side and it seemed the higher we climbed the more we saw and the prettier it got. Then it happened. Sophia had the first of a few meltdowns. She is 4 after all and although she tries her best to keep up with her sisters she wore down sooner than we thought. But we wre prepared for such a situation and we tossed her into my child carrying back pack. Now let me tell you there was time when I could hike the AT(Appalacian Trail) with a 90 lb pack and keep a 20 mile a day pace without blinking but those days are long behind me. Her little frame felt like I was carrying a tank, and at that altitude you don't breath the same as you do at sea level. So let's just say I was huffing and puffing up the hill trying to keep up with my kids who were doing great.

                                        

Michelle took  the lead with Bella, it's the only way, she likes to be in the lead. Personally I think the dog kind of sets the pace and keeps you moving better than you would alone,  so it is not as much of a burden as you would think. And overall, Bella has been amazing this whole trip. We met some llamas on the trail, they use them to carry gear up for groups camping up the mountain. After a few hours of hiking and having lunch on the mountain trail we headed back and relaxed for a short while as the kids played around the camp.

Short while later we went splashing around at the lake and had the whole lake to ourselves. It was magical to watch the girls catching shrimp and trying to fish with their makeshift fishing poles. Mind you they had no hooks so Abigail, Emily, and Jessica decided to milk the sap from the pine trees at the camp and attach small shrimp to the sap. Their theory was that if the sap could hold the bait perhaps it would also be sticky enough to catch the fish. It was a good idea and definetly worth a try. Sadly the only one who managed to catch something was Sophia who caught her first tiny shrimp all by herself. She was so proud of herself as were we. Emily did have a close call with the sap fly fishing rig and did manage to attract the attention of a trout who found the concept worth a look but didn't go for the prize. Oh well. 

After a great dinner by Michelle the girls insisted we make a camp fire and roast marshmallows. Now remember what I said yesterday about the gathering storms, well they were coming. Still after many failures we persevered and finally got a fire going with the odd mixture of dryer lint and paper for kindling.  After our tasty treat I gave the girls a condensed version of all the character and families in the book that we are reading so that they would not be lost during our evening reads. The questions flew like arrows at me and I did my best to answer them without getting too gross or adult. Then we read, but in the end the only ones who managed to stay awake long enough to finish the chapter were Abigail and Emily the rest would have to be filled in tomorrow. 

A few hours later we were all sound asleep that is until the biggest freaking thunder storm we have ever been in decided to unleash it's fury on the camp. Shelly and I woke up and looked at each other in a fright. The storm must have lasted a few hours. The wind was wild. The thunder and lightning unrelenting. And the fear ever present. The thunder was so loud and lightening so bright it was hard to sleep. I can't tell you how many times I got up to check the rain fly and the tent to see if we had any kind of leak. But I was assured that the hour or so I spent sealing it that morning was well worth it. And although we doubted the sturdiness of the tent in a real storm, our concerns were eliminated by the reliable behavior of the tent during this deluge.

That morning the we told the kids about what happened and they hadn't even noticed the storm. Ah, to be young and sleep like a rock. I miss those days. Now I get up 3 times a night just to pee. Nuff' said. 

Day 17 Saturday July 21

We packed up all our stuff which took a little longer since it was still a little wet. But it dried quickly in the sun. We had breakfast and said our goodbyes. What a  little treasure we stumbled upon, everything happens for a reason. We weren't meant to stay at the big lake. It was nice to spend a few days in the same spot, and the views were spectacular. We were heading down to Durango, only 50 miles away, time to stay in a hotel. We needed showers, laundry, cell signal, wifi, and stock up on supplies. When driving across country like this you really have to take advantage when you get the chance to stock up on things because you never know how long it's going to be till the next stop. Since we were in one spot for 3 days, we were all out of drinking water and we carry a 5 gallon container. We could've drove 10 miles down to the nearest town to get a few things but it was the opposite direction to where we were heading and it meant going down the mountain and then back up. You might not think it's a big deal but when your climbing at 13.9% grade slope up to 11,000ft it's not for the faint at heart.