Colorado

When we last left off we had just entered Colorado.  We had eaten some lunch and were discussing our options.  There was a couple of campsites not too far.  But after some discussion we decided to go the rest of the way to Fort Collins and hit the rest of southern CO another weekend.


We rolled into town just as Marc was finishing up work.  He was surprised to see us so soon.  Einstein gave Boo a warm welcome - he was excited to see his sister.  He made us some spaghetti and meatballs for dinner and we hung out chatting for the night.

Marc at the Fort Collins Ranked Voting Campaign HQ

Saturday Liz and I hit the streets to help out.  Marc is running a campaign for ranked voting in Fort Collins. It's a referendum on the ballot to give FC voters the chance to rank their choices in candidates (1,2,3) rather then just pick one. We spent the morning and some of the afternoon canvassing a neighborhood, dropping off flyers and asking people to put yard signs up.  It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed walking around.  For lunch we went to an all you can eat pizza buffet and met up with Jess and Julia, friends Liz met on the AT.  Another low key evening.  Marc's roommate Shawn made a pork loin for dinner and we all enjoyed it immensely.


Sunday was a light day.  We took a bike ride to the GoLite outdoor store nearby that was having a great sale.  They had lots of cool stuff but it was all still expensive.  I did get a pack at a steal which I also needed.

From there we went to Jess and Julia's place.  Julia made a fresh salad for dinner and we hung out with a few drinks.

Jess and Julia and I at their place

Monday ended up being a lazy day.  We stayed on the couch until the afternoon rolled around.  But then inspiration struck.  We saw a commercial for pizza's made out of crescent rolls.  It looked so tantalizing that we decided to make them for dinner.  They were amazing.

Today Liz has a meeting down by Denver.  I'll be laying around the house again.  Although there is some talk of Frisbee Golf this afternoon.  That's all for now folks.

Boo and Einstein "enjoying" a car ride

National Forests of New Mexico

Wednesday morning we woke up in time to catch some breakfast and a swim.  From there we packed up and headed to meet Liz's friend Viki for lunch.  It was such a beautiful day our we took Boo for a walk at a park.  Then we drove to Old Town Albuquerque and had a stroll around.  There was lots of vendors with amazing handcrafted jewelry.  We stopped at a church that was built in the 1790s.

After that we got back on the road and waved goodbye to 'Querque.  We took a scenic drive through the Carson National Forest to a campsite outside of Jemez Springs.  Watched the sunset over the mountain and called it an early night.

Thursday we continued along the scenic byway until Santa Fe.  Just a short drive through the city and then up to the Santa Fe National Forest.  After a treacherous 16 mile winding road we came to our home for the night.  Just past the cities of Pecos and Terrero we came to the Mora campsite.

After getting settled and eating some sandwiches we took a short walk.  However short it was I still managed to dunk one foot, shoe included, into the river.  That's when it was time to head back and start a fire.

Today we got on the road rather early.  Mostly because we were cold and wanted the heat from the van.  So now it's time to get deeper into Colorado.  At the moment our Picasa album is full.  Until we can shuffle some data we can't upload photos into the blog.  Here is a link to another album.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas

So we didn't get to see the Super Moon on Saturday night in the "Grand Canyon of Texas" like we planned but it was super nonetheless from the motel parking lot in Pratt, KS. But that's the beauty of having no real plan at all.

Sunday we set off from Pratt for long road across southwest Kansas on Rt 54 - with such treasures as the world's largest hand-dug well and not much else - and through the panhandle of Oklahoma on our way to Palo Duro Canyon State Park south of Amarillo. I wanted to be able to claim I visited each state we've been through and since we'd only be in Oklahoma for about 60 miles, that meant we had to stop for lunch in OK.

I'm still not a pro pulling the trailer so after two attempts at pulling over in Hooker, OK, and Optima (they might've had one stop light), I landed us in the only parking lot I could get the trailer through and that we could snag some shade and free wifi - a Holiday Inn. Shade was a commodity - there's really no trees out here. Dave made up some tortillas with cream cheese and jelly that we scored from the motel continental breakfast and we both choked down on a bench in front of the hotel lobby. They were better in theory then practice. Only got the stink eye from the desk clerk one time on my way to the bathroom.

Back on the road we drove straight through to Palo Duro - a windy 150 miles - and got to the gate to check in just 20 minutes after they closed for the night. There was a late arrival parking area with no services but it gave us a place to park and set up the camper for dinner and for our first view of the stunning canyon from the rim.

Dave cooked up some mac n cheese and green beans on the camper stove and we ate as the sun set over the canyon and the cold set in. We went for a short walk to find more info about the park (couldn't) and for a close up of the Texas long horn state cattle herd housed just beyond the park entrance, before turning in. We threw the dvd Accepted in the laptop and had a comfy night above the canyon.

Got up early on Monday to make the most of the morning before it was expected to become 86 degrees. Had no trouble getting in and getting some good advice about places to see from the front office and unhitched the camper to leave at the gate. Good thing we did: the first two miles of the park road are a 10 percent grade straight down the canyon wall to the base.

We stopped in the visitor center just as they opened and the woman working there was looking out the window down the canyon -- she pointed us to the herd of Aoudads (they look like big horn sheep) that had made part of the canyon their home. It had a great little muesum too about how the canyon was formed - by water and wind erosion less then a million years ago - and how men of the CCC helped build the roads, trails and shelters in the park.

A far kinda blurry picture of the Aoudads

The drive to the campsite was stunning. The canyon walls rise all around you with layers and layers of colors and rock. We pulled over to see a wild turkey trying to win a mate of one of the 5 or so lady turkeys ignoring him.

Our campsite was in the shadow of Fortress Rock, a long squarish, intimidating wall of the canyon.  We parked the van at our site, chowed on some breakfast, and then hit the trail for the park's big feature: Lighthouse Rock. It was about an 8 mile round trip hike so we packed a gallon of water for each of us and Boo and lunch. The wind was blowing hard, it was overcast, and still pretty chilly. We hoped it'd stay like that all day (it did for a good part) and because the sun wasn't shining, it didn't occur to me to apply sun screen. Foreshadowing.

It was fairly flat at the canyon base so the 3 or so miles out to the Lighthouse aren't so bad. The winds whipped hard and the red dust blew in our faces and just covered Boo all over. We took our time for our sake and hers with plenty of stops. After an hour or so, the sun came out and it was blazing. Hot. Very. In March! We couldn't fathom visiting this canyon in the summer - or anywhere in Texas.

Almost to the lighthouse 360 view

We got to the base of the Lighthouse area - a steep climb straight up the canyon - and took turns heading up so one of us could stay with Boo. She was already roughing it in the heat and we didn't want her to get hurt.

The views were spectacular. Hard to imagine that Palo Duro isn't a national park, it's so magestic.

The Lighthouse

We got back to camp utterly exhausted, dirty, and sunburned. When we collected ourselves and it got slightly cooler as the sun set, we cooked up some Ramen, hit the showers, and called it in early. The sky was clear and the wind calmed a bit. Sure, it wasn't the Super Moon, but the waning moon was beautiful the night after, and made up for missing it on Saturday night.

This morning (Tuesday), we packed it in and headed for Albuquerque, NM. My third new state to visit! OK, TX, NM. Nothing too remarkable today except that it was tough to drive for both of us with the cross winds, we took our first nap at a rest stop in the van (Boo loved it), and we opted to cash in some of Dave's points for a free room at the Holiday Inn.

More soon! Love to everyone at home.

That's why they call it an adventure

Woke up to a cold, bleak, rainy day.  And maybe we should have gone back to bed.  We drove for about an hour to get to Wichita where we stopped at a panera for some free internet.  After an hour or so there we mounted back up and were on the open road again.  We made it to Pratt, KS on what gas we had, about an hour from Wichita.  Filled up, changed drivers, and back on the road in no time.  Then the fun began.

The first time the trailer was in front of us

It was ten miles outside of Pratt.  Started with a strange noise.  Slowed down a little.  Everything felt fine. Noise dissipated.  Decided to pull over and inspect.  First open spot we see we turned off and that's when the tire came all the way off.  All four of the lug studs were gone (Don't worry dad I found the bearing buddy in the road).  While waiting for the tow-truck we had a nice chat with the sheriff.  He said it's actually the second time in two weeks that someone has lost a tire in the same spot.

We got towed back into Pratt to an auto parts store.  The driver starts telling us about how he and his wife were in their RV and got stuck with a flat.  He said almost instantly another RV stopped to help.  After that he promised himself that the next time he saw another RV that needed help he would do it free of charge.  The next people who needed to be helped happened to be us.  A silver lining after all.

Turns out we couldn't find any replacement studs.  With the final business hours of Saturday coming to a close we were beginning to accept that we would be here til Monday.  As we drove back and forth across town looking for this and that on a whim I pulled into a Pennzoil.  I popped in to ask them if we could leave it there until it could be fixed.  They told me it would not be a problem but they wouldn't be able to do anything until after the weekend.  So we rigged up some makeshift studs and hauled the trailer over.  After I parked the van I stepped inside to give them my info.  The mechanic was already starting to work on it.  I had seen a new hub kit in one of my earlier store runs.  I went and got it and within 30 minutes we were pulling a working trailer out of the shop.

With the trailer back in shape, we decided we had enough excitement for one day so we got a hotel room and went out for a nice dinner.  The best part of dinner was the chocolate fountain at the salad bar.  We joked to the waitress about drinking the chocolate.  But then she brought us little cups and we did indeed drink it!

Tomorrow, as they say, is another day.

The Road to El Dorado

Tried to get an early start when we left Sheila's.  The plan was to take the scenic byway through the Flint Hills of Kansas.  Our first stop of the day was at the Alma creamery.  The lady working was very friendly and told us about the cheese making process while we gorged ourselves on the free samples.

It was sooo good that we bought some cheese and milk.

From there our next stop was the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.  It stretches out over a vast area with more than 41 miles of trails.  We didn't hike any but we did walk up and look at the historic house and barn that were built out of limestone.

It was a short drive from there to El Dorado State Park.  The park sticks out into the lake like a multi armed peninsula.  We picked a nice spot on the tip of one of the arms.  Close to the lake with a beautiful view when the sun set and the almost full moon rose.  And since it is winter in Kansas we were the only ones camping in the park.

We cooked some dinner and then sat by the fire.  As the fire died and the moon rose we ran around the park some in awe of the brightness from our lunar friend.  Then we called it a night.  It's a long drive to Amarillo in the morning.

Lit entirely by moonlight

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Paddy's day, everyone out there in internet land.

Woke up this morning and went to the store.  We needed the fixins for waffles and corned beef and cabbage, and of course Guinness.  So after Sheila made choice waffles we tossed the corned beef and veggies in a pot and headed off to the KC parade.

After we got back from the parade Sheila took Liz for her first ride on a Harley!

Then we sat down to our slow cooked dinner.  And washed it all down with a frosty pint o Guinness.

Tomorrow we set off for the Flint Hills of Kansas.

Fishing in Foster

Toasty warm all night in Sheila's heated bed covers! What a treat.

The day only got better from there. Sheila's friend has a private lot on a lake about an hour south of KC in Foster, MO, right on the stateline that she and Glen could take us down to learn how to catch and clean fish.

After delicious eggs, bacon, toast and grapefruit breakfast, we gathered up our poles and tackle (oh we brought some!), Sheila picked up hot dogs, brats, s'more stuff and we hopped in her RV for the ride down.

Perfect day for it. Sunny, 70 degrees and a nice breeze. We pulled up to Dale's bait shop in this tiny town of Rt. 69 to pick up a couple dozen minnows and got to the lot around noon. it was a small lake cut out from an old mine with private access through a locked gate.

But the fish we not biting. Shiela said NOBOBY comes away from this spot without catching one but not us. So we gathered wood for a fire to roast the brats and dogs on sticks and chowed down on fire roasted dogs smothered in a can of chili Shiela threw in the fire.

Spent the rest of the day moving from chatting and feeding the fire to casting a few lines and back again. The dock and the afternoon was relaxing and beautiful.


We started to wrap up around 5 when the clouds started to block the sun and it was getting chilly. Still no fish bites so we gave in.

Then just as we were putting out the fire to leave, Sheila's line got a tug. She'd left it hanging out in the water off a chair on the dock. Glen noticed and she rushed over to see. We all held our breathe and then she pulled it up! A couple pound crappie.  Shiela was right - nobody comes outta this spot without sumptin!

Then after a relaxing drive home (relaxing for everyone but Boo) Dave and I cooked up some spaghetti for us all.  So with full bellies and tired minds we all turned in for the night.

Iowa to Kansas; Cities and States

It was a perfect day to get back on the road.  This morning we said our goodbyes to Lindsey and the girls - Mark had already gone off to the hospital before we woke up - and left Iowa City for Kansas City.  We had a great time with the Krohe's for the past few days.  Their daughter P is a charmer and entertained us endlessly and Mark and Lindsey both cook up some delicious dinners!

Baby P

We set off around 10am, loaded a full tank and set off for the 5-6 hour drive.  The sun was shining as we headed down 80 (yaaawwnn).  It was beautiful on 35 south headed toward KC - long, rolling hills with cattle roaming.  We saw a couple of guys riding horseback on a ranch and made me wish we could get to the farm on Montana sooner.

A little after noon, we stopped off at a rest area for a lunch in the sunshine. We (finally) cut into the giant loaf of rye bread we were looking forward to and smothered it in peanut butter with little jelly packets we picked up at the Bob Evans in Springfield and crumbled gold fish, all served up on the roof of the camper.  First meal of many at a rest stop: success! 

We got to my friend Sheila's house just as she got home from work and let Boo, her dog Trixie and her boyfriend Glen's dog Josie run around the yard to stretch their legs. Sheila is a great friend I met while hiking the AT - she's an incredible adventurer! - and looked forward to a chance to spend some more time with her.  Her trail name was N'da'Wind because she's a Harley driving woman.  She and Glen had a few errands to run so Dave and I popped a squat in the backyard to read our books and enjoy the rest of the sunshine.

Sheila's Backyard

All four of us had dinner at a great Mexican place nearby with killer margaritas (top shelf!) and stuffed ourselves silly. It was great.

We wrapped up the night with a perfect campfire under the stars and a bright moon.  First campfire of 2011! It's supposed to be a Super Moon this week with the brightest full moon in 20 years.  I'm hoping for a clear night.

Now we're back to sleeping inside in Sheila's guest bedroom tonight.  The van is surprisingly comfy but it's been brisk so I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

No agenda yet for tomorrow.  Sheila doesn't have to work and offered to take us hiking on a great trail that she used to train for the AT.  She said it'll kick our asses so I'm looking forward to it. 

Sunday with the Krohes

With the help of daylight savings we were able to sleep in until 10.  Then after a tasty breakfast we headed out.

Our first stop was the dam at lake Coralville.  We watched the water rushing out the bottom in awe of its power.  Then just up the road we stopped at the Devonian Fossil Gorge.  We were able to spot a few fossils in the riverbed.  And one frozen frog.

After that we headed to the Amana Colonies.  There was a lot to check out in the quaint village.  First we stopped at the winery.  We sampled many of their fruity wines and took a self guided tour.  The wine was so good we even bought a couple bottles.  From there we walked to the toy store.  It was fun to play with a bunch of them.  After Mark, Lindsey, and the kids left he had to come back to pull Liz and I out.  

At the gemstone store I bought an uncracked geode.  And this one actually had some crystals in it.  I've not been so lucky in the past.

Broken Geode

Our last stop in the Amanas was the Millstream Brewery.  Iowa's oldest microbrewery has some delectable libations.  And it put smiles on all our faces.

Cheers!!

On the road to Iowa

Rollerskating was a blast the other night.  Although we were twice as old as anyone there.  We still had a great time.  Yesterday we got all our stuff packed back up and then had a nice breakfast with our friends before we left town.

Our first stop from there was the Villa Katherine.  It's a beautiful castle in Quincy Illinois overlooking the Mississippi river.  It was designed with influence from the Islamic world.  It was quite breathtaking.  Then we went down the road just a bit to a nice little park so we could walk Boo.

Villa Katherine

We kept down the Great River Road for a while but didn't make another stop until we got to our destination of Iowa City.  We arrived at the Krohe's just in time for dinner last night.  And then it was our first night sleeping in the van.  It got cold outside but we had enough blankets to keep us toasty.

Off to see some sites in Iowa City now.  I'll get more pictures online when I can.  Here is the Picasa album where they will be  https://picasaweb.google.com/102362877173286307539

Happy Daylight Savings everyone!!!

Last day in Springfield

Well our first bike ride last night was a major failure.  We set off from Christine's apartment downtown for Brewhaus about 8pm.  We made it almost a half mile before I broke one of the bikes.  So the first order of business today was to bring the bike to a repair shop.  Then we worked for a few hours arranging our crap.  It looks much better now.

Before

After

As a reward for our hard work we celebrated with some delicious Head West sandwiches.  Picked up the newly fixed bike.  We're ready to get on the open road again.  For our final night in town it's off to the roller rink to boogie down like it's 1999.

Day Two

Still in Springfield.  Planned to reorganize our stuff today.  After standing outside for five minutes we decided it could wait until warmer weather tomorrow.  So instead we watched some tv and took a nap.  It is Liz's first day of vacation after all.

Off to have a few drinks at the brewhaus.  It'll be our first bike ride together :)  Another low key evening and we couldn't ask for more.

Day One

We started out on our trip today.  Just a short drive to begin with.  Our first stop is Springfield Illinois.  What a day to begin.  It was raining when we left Chicago early this morning.  We made it down to Springfield in time for the historic signing of the law abolishing the death penalty.  Liz is official done with work.

The trailer had no problems with the drive.  In our rush to get on the road all of our stuff is haphazardly strewn in the van.  Looks like we'll have some work to do tomorrow.

Here are some pics I took last week when we first popped up the camper.  https://picasaweb.google.com/102362877173286307539/FirstPicsOfTrailer#