Any stop along the Devil’s Head Trail in Pike National Forest leaves you inspired.
“But the Colorado rocky mountain high, I’ve seen it rainin’ fire in the sky…”
John Denver
Since selling our home and moving into our RV in July 2020, we have tried very hard to TAKE OUR TIME! We kept reading this lesson in the blogs, on the websites, and watching on Youtube, devouring online content in preparation for our own full-time travels, and we have therefore done a decent job of not rushing. But our recent 28 day stay in Larkspur, Colorado has been our longest stop yet.
From Red Rocks Ampitheatre and Park, to Garden of the Gods, to a simple Sunday drive to explore the area, the rock formations and colors were always amazing to see.
It might be somewhat premature to say it, with only 25% of our summer travel complete, and another four or more fabulous states on our itinerary. But I think that I have found my new favorite state! Certainly not an exhaustive list, but here are some of the reasons we have become big fans of the Centennial State:
These Aspen trees on Devils Head Trail in Pike National Forest gave me a new appreciation for the beautiful white bark and towering clusters.
Well, it is frankly, GORGEOUS! From Grays peak, to Red Rocks, to Royal Gorge, to Garden of the Gods, to Breckenridge, to just about any place we have taken a drive in our visits, this area and state is beautiful. The clouds just seem to be larger, puffier and hang lower in the sky than back east. The Cottonwood trees shed their fluffy seeds like a summer snowfall. The vistas are ever changing – green and flat topped buttes, snow capped massive mountains, rushing whitewater rivers, deep gorges and vast open space – the state has impressed our senses.
2. The wildlife is accessible and diverse. We have seen so many animals – bison, marmots, prairie dogs, pika, mule deer, white tail deer, cattle and birds of great variety. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge was an easy start to our animal exploration (and remarkably close to the Denver airport), but there are so many places to hike and get close to wildlife that the options are endless. On a visit to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, we were able to learn a bit about the animals in the habitats of Colorado, and also find a number of different ways to seek some of the harder to find animals (wolf, elk, bear, pronghorn, and mountain goat). Even in our campground and a trip to the local post office produced multiple sightings of deer.
3. There are so many options! The diversity of vistas and wildlife are only the start. There is such a variety of things to do, both indoors and outdoors! We checked off a lot on our to-do list for Colorado, but we still have a far longer list of things left undone! DONE: ride a historic carousel, walk a country road, explore Red Rocks, hike Grays Peak, drive through Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, hike Garden of the Gods, tour Cave of the Winds, shop Manitou Springs, eat at Fogo de Chao restaurant, walk the halls of the Denver Art Museum, dine at Ted ‘s Montana Grill with the best server EVER, visit the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, cheer at a Colorado Rockies baseball game, eat our first Pho, shop fun thrift stores, go to the movies, hike Devils Head Trail, ride a train through the Royal Gorge and much more! YET TO BE DONE: see a concert at Red Rocks, ascend Pikes Peak on a cog train, attend a Denver Broncos vs Ravens game, paint some art, ride on a white water raft, tour some historic buildings, traverse a mountain on a gondola, fly fish on a river, ride an eBike through a beautiful place, tour on a Segway…the list of cool things to do goes on and on and on in Colorado.
4. Coloradans are welcoming, friendly and very proud of their state. Wherever we explored, we ran into some exceedingly friendly residents that were ready and willing to “SELL” us on the merits of Colorado! After all that we had experienced, it certainly wasn’t a difficult pitch, but it was clear that those who live in the state, LOVE living there! We certainly have noted that with each mile westward, the people have become friendlier and more open (sorry. fellow East Coasters, but I don’t think this is any great secret or mis-truth). Coloradans are among the most kind and open Americans we have met along the way. The difference-maker for us, however, is that the pride is expansive in Colorado.
Those that are native, born and bred are especially proud to be so! These folks may be residents by default, but they CHOOSE to remain in Colorado because they believe so strongly in the beauty and wonder of their state. This is a palatable difference than we experience in other states. Then there are those that moved here by choice, years and decades earlier. They arrived, fell in love and remained residents of Colorado. These folks were always so happy to share their story and learn our story as well. Once they heard about our nomadic lifestyle, it was not long before they pitched us all the reasons that we should end up in CO once we decide to slow our travel and plant roots once again.
One similarity we noticed with our home state of Maryland is that state pride flies clearly in the extensive use of the state flag. While Colorado’s flag is not as unique or beautiful as Maryland’s, it is equally ubiquitous – displayed throughout the state, not only on flag poles, but on hats, shirts, housewares and more.
Throughout Colorado, and especially in the Castle Rock area outside of Denver, there has been record-breaking population growth for many years. Economic prosperity was evident in the areas of larger population, but we did also witness some of the inevitable challenges of such growth and success. Housing clearly was in short supply and expensive, we witnessed homelessness in Denver, and we saw traffic problems due to overcrowded roads and construction that seemed to not be able to catch up to demand. We clearly could see that water shortages are becoming an issue as a result of the state’s tremendous population growth and the impact of global warming.
No state is free of problems. The difference in Colorado? Not one single person spoke a single negative word about their state. Whatever difficulties and challenges the great state of Colorado is facing, we didn’t hear about it from the residents. Instead, they wanted to share all that they love about their state, and welcome us – as visitors or perhaps even future residents.
A view from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
It seems that 28 days was a great way to fully explore the eastern half of the state, including Denver and the surrounding regions. We explored some of the highest elevations of a Colorado “fourteener” in Grays Peak and the lowest elevations of the Arkansas River in the Royal Gorge. We enjoyed our peek into the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountain regions. But there is so much more we have yet to see, having not even touched upon the beautiful Colorado Plateau, which lies to the west of the Rocky Mountains and the Intermontane Basin, found in the far northwest corner of the state.
Yes Colorado, we have enjoyed exploring you tremendously. We will be back to finish the job someday. And maybe, just maybe, we will find that perfect little house on a lake, with a mountain view that we are seeking to settle upon again someday – and maybe that little house sits in Colorado.
Devil’s Half Acre at the end of the trail in Pike National Forest
“Colorado has always been a good place to find what you’re made of.”
John Hickenlooper
“Our peace shall stand as firm as Rocky Mountain.”
John 7:38 ESV “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
The Schmidt Party of Nine – L to R – Jonathan, Ellie, Sarah, Andrew, Tina, Abby, Patrick, Christy and Ben
Several months ago as we were planning our visit to some of the western states in our RV, my husband, Andrew, talked about a couple of bucket list items of his brother’s that were in the area where we would be traveling. Included on Patrick’s list was seeing Brit Floyd (a Pink Floyd cover band) in concert at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Colorado. He also wanted to attempt to climb Grays Peak, the “easiest” of the state’s “14-ers” (fourteen-ers), which is any mountain at least 14,000 feet tall.
We checked out the event schedule at Red Rocks. Lo and behold, Patrick’s bucket list band was playing this summer! Seeing it as a great opportunity to visit with his brother, Andrew asked Patrick, “Are you in”? The beginning of an unexpected lifetime adventure was suddenly evolving and we didn’t even realize it.
Patrick and his family bought concert tickets and airline tickets. We bought concert tickets and booked a campground nearby. Andrew’s three children heard about what we were doing for that leg of the trip and decided to come along as well. More plane tickets, more concert tickets!
Bucket List – A panoramic view of Red Rocks Ampitheatre, Morrison, Colorado
Bucket List – Grays Peak, Colorado
The phrase “going with the flow”, infers change and flexibility. Of the “Schmidt Party of Nine”, none of us except Patrick had ever seen or knew much of anything about Red Rocks or Grays Peak, but for some reason, we were all excited and ALL IN! As trip planning proceeded, we devoured videos of climbers and concert-goers. We became very excited and immediately realized that we might also be a bit unprepared! We purchased bear spray, trekking poles and began shopping for very outdoorsy backpacks that were capable of holding hydration packs. We crafted emails to the kids, helping to prepare them for what was ahead for us. We heard more and more information from Patrick and learned about things we might encounter such as altitude sickness and the legalities of marijuana. We ventured further into our excitement and completely became fans of Patrick’s bucket list items!
As our post-Covid world began to open, we were disappointed to discover that the concert date was postponed (the band was likely moving on to a larger venue for our June visit) and in that instant, Brit Floyd at Red Rocks was yanked out of reach for us. The great part about this bad news? Everyone still wanted to make the trip to Colorado! We pivoted and decided that we should still go to Red Rocks, as our research and Patrick had by now told us all that the fabulous venue had to offer – museum, a hall of fame, miles of trails, yoga, movies and more.
So this week, the idea sparked by Patrick came to be. The spark that was further fanned by his generous sharing of information and enthusiasm absolutely CHANGED THE LIVES of all nine of us, aged 19 to 54. We saw and experienced beauty and inspiration like we have never before seen and felt.
This experience of a lifetime began with Patrick’s enthusiasm for two very specific goals.
It is safe to say that we are all so grateful that we decided to go with the flow and jump on the new experiences that Patrick wanted to experience. His goals became our shared goals.
At Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Park, we hiked a challenging 1.5 mile trail that helped reality set in for what we were to experience the following day on Grays Peak. The beauty was overwhelming. The merging of natural rock formations with man-made architecture was incredible. The altitude affected our breathing. Our muscles burned in the hot Colorado sun even at only 6,500 feet. We felt first-hand how conscious hydration and calorie replacement is a real thing. We toured the museum and music hall of fame, bought souvenirs in the gift shop and every one of us vowed that we would return some day to see a concert here (and Patrick ended up seeing the replacement band at the venue the next night).
We went to bed early that night, each of us feeling some anxiety for the mountain ahead of us. We awoke at 1 am to make the drive to meet Patrick and his family at the base of the mountain parking area at 4 am. The stars shone like never before. We all could feel the nerves in our guts and the chill of the suddenly 40 degree mountain air.
4:04 am, June 11, 2021 – before dawn, adrenaline pumping in the cold air and darkness. feeling underprepared but thrilled.
As the sun was just starting to rise, we hiked the bridge over the river of melting snow and began our ascent, ready or not. The trip to the top of Grays Peak is 4.5 miles and is one of the most popular mountain hikes in the state. The youngest in our group quickly were able to pull out ahead of us, not affected as much by the thin air and having the advantage of less weight and more fitness in their bodies.
Arms outstretched, Abby strikes a pose that many of us struck over two days – an attempt to show appreciation for the overwhelming vastness of beauty we were encountering as the sun rose.
At times I had to stop and catch my breath every 10 steps. This first third of our ascent was the most difficult for me, and I grew angry at how difficult it was (I had lost 15 pounds in anticipation of the hike, but grumbled at myself for having not lost 30!). “What on earth had Patrick gotten us into!?” I thought to myself. This was where the battle was mental as much as physical.
We slowly stepped toward the approaching sunshine, step-by-painful-step.
Mercifully, after about a mile or so into the hike, as we entered the valley between two mountains, the ascent became more gradual and the views more glorious than could even be imagined. My lungs began to acclimate to the lack of oxygen and as I watched the time and distance progress on my Fitbit, I could sense my progress and my attitude improving.
Our group of nine began thinning out, and Patrick, Sarah, Andrew and I gave the kids their desired “go-ahead” to move on at their own pace and said a silent prayer that they would make good choices in what truly could be a dangerous place. After that point, we didn’t see Patrick and his wife Sarah again, who had settled into a location slightly behind us as they adjusted to perhaps more-than-expected altitude nausea and unbeknownst to us at the time, a catastrophic boot failure that forced their return to our vehicles.
Go ahead – go as far as you can go! We will do the same.
At some point, Christy, Andrew’s oldest, had decided to reverse direction and left the “youngsters” and turned back to the “old folks”, worried both about her next steps on the snow-covered and increasingly difficult trail they had encountered, and about her parents lagging behind. As we met each other, she was both surprised and pleased to see us, not really believing that we were still attempting the difficult climb. Renewed in spirit, she joined Andrew and me for the rest of our hike, and passed that spot that had caused her initial retreat, conquering fears and growing in personal strength at the same time.
Cell service had long ago disappeared before we even reached the parking lot, but as we entered the second mile of our ascent, we rose above the tree line and suddenly our phones could “see” the cell towers and began to allow all the texts and pent up phone data to come through. We received a text from one of the kids – “If you can see this – we are almost to the top!”. We were inspired to do our best and push our personal limits.
Another hour or so into our uphill battle, we saw the approaching image of Ben and Abby, Andrew’s middle and youngest children, returning down the mountain and amazed to see us. We discovered that they had not quite made it to the top. Their obstacle was a ledge of ice in what was becoming increasingly high winds that began just as the most challenging mountainside switchback section of the trail began. They made an attempt and decided that safety would be their choice this time. Patrick and Sarah’s children, Jonathan and continued on, eventually becoming the only two of our group that would complete the full ascent.
Abby and Ben returning toward us – excited about their accomplishments.
Seemingly in disbelief when they see Andrew, Christy and me – still making our ascent.
Andrew and I (along with Ben) eventually arrived at the same location where Ben and Abby had decided to turn around an hour earlier. We took our first sit-down rest of the day and watched as other hikers slowly moved across the narrow trail of ice, now melting into a sometimes more treacherous slushy snow. Grown adults, some trying to hug the wall of snow above them or crouch low to the ground to avoid slipping into the long slope below them slowly and methodically crept across the part of the path we could see before the first switchback.
The photos don’t effectively show the challenge these hikers had traversing the beginning of the switchbacks.
The slope, the ice, the snow, the loose rocks – the factors that helped us make a decision as to when our ascent was completed for the day.
We seriously contemplated whether or not we might make an attempt, but witnessed (and photographed) too much struggle with more prepared, fit and younger hikers than us. It was ultimately a very satisfying and easy decision. The mountain had not actually defeated our aging bodies. Our fear had not won out over our desire to make it to the summit. We simply decided that this was how far we should go today. We had achieved something far beyond what we had expected and were proud of all of us.
Andrew attempted a phone call to our nephew, Jonathan who we expected might be at the top by now and the call went through! He and his sister had made it to the top, all 14,278 feet, representing a victory that our entire group felt and shared with them. Jonathan is an experienced and savvy outdoorsman, and he volunteered that this trek was “hardcore” for him. At one point, he even helped in the rescue of a man that was stuck on the mountainside.
We were thrilled for Jonathan and Ellie and even more satisfied that we had made the right decision to turn back down the mountain. At this point, three miles and 11,111 steps in, perhaps at about 13,000 feet, we realized that our adventure on this mountain was only half over.
With the decision made to start our decent, we were able to savor the journey that much more. Ben was often able to “get ahead” of us, and then take a seat for a while to enjoy the views of this peaceful place until we caught up with him.
As the adrenaline finally began to ease, our muscles began to ache. The use of our muscles changed as well, and the need for agility on a downward hike became mission critical. The sun was now shining on our hard working bodies and we continued to shed our layers. We stopped more frequently to simply stand and savor the views. The three of us, Ben, Andrew and I, caught up with others – first Christy and then Abby, and not a mile from the end of our day, even Jonathan and Elie caught up with us and passed us, no doubt happy to return to their mom and dad to tell them of their incredible feat.
All smiles as we savor our accomplishment – and only halfway through our day’s adventure!
Christy smiles at a day well lived.
Our group once again growing, we carefully made our way back down the mountain.
Exactly 7 ½ hours from the beginning of our adventure, all nine of us were finally all together again, with smiles and cheers and hugs all around. It was just after noon. We had crammed quite a bit of adventure into our morning. Along the way, we touched lives with some amazing people. Two young boys, perhaps 8 and 10, with their dad, passed us on the way up and on the way down the mountain. Several hikers with large backpacks that included skis and poles passed us, then skied down from the summit, and when the snow ended, hiked the rest of the way, passing us once again. Young adults in the best shape of their lives zipped past us, wished us “Good Morning” and gave us words of encouragement. Dogs of all varieties were living a great dog’s life and looking incredibly happy, one even carrying his own backpack, no doubt filled with his food and water. We were even passed along our descent by an ultra-marathoner and his dog that were literally running down the mountain.
There is nothing like a little mountain hike to reconnect with siblings.
Through all of it, we learned that hikers are an incredibly supportive and positive group. They taught us that the victory isn’t necessarily at the top of the mountain, but in your own personal challenges and hard work, and your arrival at that place where you can say to yourself “I am so blessed to be able to do this and so proud of what I achieved today,” THAT is when you celebrate great victories.
We made it – no injuries – and only tears of happiness.
To say the photos don’t do the views justice would be a gross understatement. These are views that will make you cry (some of us did). These are places that if you stand quietly, you can hear God speak to you, simply because you are that much closer to heaven. These are experiences of places and people and animals and plants that will inspire you and become a part of your soul – changing your DNA while fully absorbing the experience.
Thanks so much Patrick, from all of us. I aim to go with the flow more often because I have been reminded that joining an adventure with others that I never even knew I wanted can bring inspiration, achievement and love of life into my world better than anything already on my bucket list.
Isaiah 40:3-4 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
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Bonus photos: We explored Morrison, Colorado in the afternoon of our visit to Red Rocks, where Schmidt Party of Nine enjoyed a meal together. It is also at a nearby wings shop where Christy and Ben tried “Rocky Mountain Oysters”, a unique “delicacy” of bull testicles. An acquired taste, for sure.
Boulder Beer Shake (chocolately), in Morrison, Colorado
Down the hatch – Rocky Mountain Oysters
A last minute addition to Ben and Christy’s bucket lists – check and check!
More Bonus Photos: Straight from the Denver airport, we wasted no time discovering Colorado, with a stop at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, where we spotted, Mule Deer, White Tail Deer, Prarie Dogs, Bison and one VERY large rabbit!
Train tracks seem to run through many of the small towns and sounds train whistles are a common lullaby when you lay down your head at night. This track ran through downtown Hays, Kansas.
We have begun our first big “trip” since launching full time RVing in July 2020! Covid, state-based health insurance requirements and family needs caused us to tailor our early travels solely on the east coast between Maryland and Florida. But finally we are vaccinated, we visited our families, and we are heading west!
Annnndddd, we’re off! Westward ho on the midwest express!
The plan for this summer is Colorado, Wyoming, a sliver of Idaho, Montana and South Dakota – all squeezed in between early June and the end of September. We are hitting all the “big” items – national parks and some of the most popular tourist sites in the US, including Pikes Peak, Yellowston and Glacier National Park. We know it will not be the peaceful, easy-going pace to which we have become accustomed, but we also know that these are big bucket list items.
We passed through only a sliver of West Virginia, without so much as a potty break…but we will be back, for sure!
But first, we have to get there! We left Lancaster, Pennsylvania on May 25th and are not expected to arrive in Larkspur, Colorado until June 8th. That gives us time for a leisurely pace to explore the path to “getting there”.
Our initial goal? Make no advanced reservations. Well, we blew that plan, but with good reason. Less than a week before our departure, I was reminded that we were facing Memorial Day weekend! Ugh! I scrambled to make reservations for at least two or three nights, and estimated where and when we might hit those locations. In the end, it was a blessing, because it created some shorter travel days when we might otherwise have felt rushed to “get there”! For the remainder of “getting there”, we made no advanced reservations, allowing us to drive at whatever pace we desired, stop as many times as needed for breaks, and really try to enjoy the journey!
Our secondary goals? The Rule of Threes: Travel no more than 300 miles in a day, end our driving day by 3:00 pm and stay at least three days in any location. We knew we would not hit every goal on the mark, but we wanted to try to benchmark our travels against these guidelines to ensure our pace was more relaxing. It is an RVing “rule” we learned early on while preparing for full-time RVing, and it has served us well. The trick is to not get caught up in “hurry up and get there”!
The first stately stop was in the great state of Ohio.
May 25, 2021 – 327 miles – Our first day on the road would be our longest, with our first stop at Spring Valley Campground, a private RV park in Cambridge, Ohio. We called for reservations an hour or two before we arrived, got a 50 amp full hook-up site ($34, a free upgrade from 30 amp because of an electrical problem that required we change sites upon arrival). The campground was conveniently JUST off the I-70 highway, but felt more isolated than that, with less traffic noise than you would expect. The staff and other campers were friendly and helpful. There was plenty of open space, a big lake and a pretty setting. The next morning we enjoyed breakfast at the nearby Cracker Barrel and I got my fix of sausage gravy and biscuits! So far, so good – Ohio was lovely, and there was much we could have visited and seen, but now we had those holiday weekend reservations that gave us a deadline.
Fishing was available, and because the campground was hidden behind a ridge and many trees, the highway noise was virtually unnoticable toward the middle and back of the park.
With neat and shaded sites, Spring Valley Campground was a great stopover.
A large lake and open space gave us pretty walks and space for the dogs to run.
May 26, 2021 – 215 miles – Our next stop was Cornerstone Retreat and Campground in New Castle, Indiana, yet another stop on the I-70 trail we were forging for ourselves. A private, Christian campground, it was an immaculate campground with well maintained and decorated grounds. You could tell that this would be a huge summer escape for families and was also host to seasonal campers. The highway noise seems louder here than at some of our previous stops, but it was fine for an overnight stop. We didn’t even unhook the truck from the camper and instead, took a stroll around the grounds, with Andy ordering pizza that was delivered to our site from their campground cafe!
May 27, 2021 – 154 miles – Our third stop was a pre-planned visit to Newton, Illinois, where we would visit the first two full time RVing friends we ever made. We originally met Janine and Matt in a camper on the sales lot at Beckley’s RV Sales in 2017. They had just listed their house for sale and were buying a new fifth wheel for their full-time travels. We were also buying our rig, with plans to launch our full-time travels in 2020.
Another state inwhich we rest our heads for a night means a new sticker on our travel map!
Here we sat, two couples chatting in a fifth wheel that we BOTH intended to buy! It worked out well – neither of us ended up buying that specific rig on that day, but from that day, an online friendship evolved and we caught up with them by happenstance again in January 2021 in Sarasota, Florida. So when they invited us to stop by in Illinois on this trip, we were excited to do so! They were spending a month “moochdocking” at their son and daughter-in-law’s home (for those that don’t know, that is when you pull up and camp in a friend or relatives driveway or property).
Our reservation was at Casey KOA Journey, again, just off of I-70, but this time, for two nights. The campground was exactly what you might expect from a rural KOA campground and while it was perfectly fine for an overnight stay, it was just as pricey as we have come to expect KOAs to be and still included that I-70 traffic noise (but it was a holiday weekend, so we took what we could get!).
The feelings evoked by these midwest country roads are that of peace, beauty and the simplicity of life.
Classic KOA cabins on the edge of a field after an evening rainstorm.
One of the coolest vintage camping setups we have seen in a while, complete with matching cooler, shower/bath tent and chair.
A KOA Memorial Day weekend stop in Newton, IL, hummingbird sighting included!
On our “free day” we drove over to the town of Casey, Illinois (pronounced Kay’-Zee by the locals). This little town’s claim to fame is being home to more than a dozen “World’s Largest” items and even a larger number of “really big things”. What a day! I am a sucker for many of these little roadside attractions. We walked, shopped and photographed our way through this adorable town. The town is special – the restoration of old buildings is well done and there is enough there that we could have spent an entire day, with lovely restaurants, stores and sights.
But it was an evening visit with Janine and Matt that was our reason for arriving to the area instead of just passing through. Any home cooked dinner when traveling is a special treat, but we also enjoyed great conversation and even did a little shopping of Janine’s gorgeous hand designed and created jewelry. Janine is multi-talented – a jewelry maker, rug hooker and blogger (Visit her at https://www.etsy.com/shop/JanineBroscious or https://joyfulwonder.wordpress.com/).
After a great dinner and conversation in their 2018 Grand Design 310GK that is JUST LIKE OURS (it is always easy to find your way to the bathroom that way!). We walked next door to share dessert and meet some of their beautiful family! It was yet another great evening of meeting kind, fun, welcoming and interesting people as part of this way of life.
We learned about their son and daughter-in-law’s adventures in their fixer upper home, with their busy children and foster child, a sister that also lives with them and their role in the community as a pastor’s family. By the end of the evening, and the end of our visit to this part of Illinois, we learned that it was certainly a place beautiful enough and enjoyable enough that we should come back again and do some further exploration (after all, we didn’t have time to visit the home of Burl Ives!).
May 29, 2021 – 241 miles – As we added another state sticker to our travel map of the United States, we headed to Columbia, Missouri for our next night’s rest. It was another planned visit – this time a welcomed invitation from a college friend that I haven’t seen in more than 30 years! Another drive under our 300 mile limit and three three o’clock “curfew” found us stopping at Cedar Creek Resort not far off the same I-70 interstate we would be taking all the way to Colorado.
Headed from Illinois to Missouri on I-70.
Show me, Missouri!
The campground was newer, and we were able to snag a pull-thru site. We were greeted by the camp hosts, took the dogs for a walk around the loop, admiring the nearby fishing lake along the way. Had we stayed longer, it was clear that there were miles of pretty country scenes to explore. After a restful afternoon, we got into our “camping best dressed” (for me, that simply means nicer jeans, wedge shoes, a pretty blouse and some makeup, as well as my new necklace purchased from Janine!). The visit with Lee and her wife Stacey was terrific and it was a treat to catch up in person after perhaps two decades of no contact and another decade of only a social media connection. Laughter and joy seemed abounding, and the visit was comfortable despite Lee and I being the only two that had ever known each other before. It was an evening that reinforced for me why this lifestyle is such a gift – to be able to “swing by” Missouri for a little visit on a cross country road trip! These are opportunities that I treasure.
It is having the opportunity for visits like these that are a terrific opportunities presented by full-time RVing.
May 30, 2021 – 171 miles – With our holiday-restricted-visiting-with-friends stops behind us, it was time to move on. Feeling excited, we knew that our next stop would put us somewhere in Kansas, which somehow felt like we were in the “midst of the middle”. We opted for another short travel day so that we could boondock overnight at a Harvest Host location – Z&M Twisted Vines Winery and Vineyard near Leavenworth. For those that do not know, Harvest Host is a membership website we joined where we can camp (usually boondocking) overnight at no cost at any of thousands of various businesses in North America. They ask that we patronize the business in some way as a thanks for the night’s rest. We had a great experience, meeting a couple of resident chickens in addition to one of the owners, parking our rig in the middle of a 40 acre field and tasting food and wines, while relaxing and watching the sun set. We settled on a couple of bottles to go home” with us, including a Jalapeno Wine named Hellfire!
Toto, we’re not in Oz anymore (but we can visit the Oz Museum when in Kansas)!
May 31, 2021 – 230 miles – Having anticipated straight roads and corn fields throughout the state, we actually saw many beautiful scenes in Kansas with nary a corn field to be found! With enough days to be able to slow down our pace even more, our next day’s travel took us only as far as Minooka Park COE Campground in Dorrance, Kansas. Set on Wilson Lake, said to be the state’s clearest waters, we loved the views so much that we immediately extended to a three night stay!
We saw hundreds of wind turbines all across the state of Kansas.
We saw many of these along I-70.
With a pull-through site, expertly maintained grounds and views among the best we have camped this trip so far, our first Army Corp of Engineers campground did not disappoint! We had cell service and shared our entire loop with only one or two other campers (and only $24 per night!) Our first day was misty and raining much of the day, so we used the time to relax, read, catch up on bills and business and sit by the campfire with a blanket and a nice drink in the evening.
When the sun shone the next day, we had by then discovered that in nearby Hays, Kansas, we would be able to lay eyes on our first bison, another key bucket list item for Andrew (nicknamed “Brave Buffalo” as a child). The town of Hays has its own little herd of ten bison, including four babies, four females, including one that is a rare white in color, and one apparently busy bull! While not the wild bison we aim to see later this summer, this little herd in Hays was a great way to whet our whistles and visit a town we really enjoyed!
This little herd included a rare white bison named Ghostbuster.
Baby bison! Not wild, but wildly exciting to see!
Across from the bison herd is Fort Hays – a Kansas state historic site where there is great history of some difficult times in our nation’s history following the Civil War, including massacres, broken treaties with Native Americans and the birth and growth of a nation in the plains of Kansas. There is a small museum and gift shop and a self guided tour of the grounds and buildings that remain from the 1800s.
We then made our way a short drive into town, enjoyed some great BBQ at Blue Smoke BBQ and wandered through a few of the best little stores we have seen in a while. Thanks, Hays! Your brick streets, restored 1800s buildings, the train running through the center of town, your historic sites and yes, especially your bison were a great way to spend the day! On the way back home, we made another stop at Cathedral of the Prarie, AKA St. Fidelis Church. It was beautiful and a great moment to say a prayer of thanks and light a candle, acknowledging that Saint Christopher has been protecting us and to ask for his continued blessings.
On to Colorado!
June 3, 2021 – 240 miles – This was the final stop of our westward travels, and the first sticker from our list of targeted states, on the very eastern edge of Colorado. Five nights in what really is beautifully in the middle of just about nowhere. Painted Rock Park is a campground with full hookup but really no other frills. We are one of only four campers in the perhaps 35 site campground. But if you want an affordable place to settle ($38.50 per night), rest and have few responsibilities, this place is worth a visit. We’ve only seen the owner once – a day after we arrived. He stopped by to say hello and see if we needed anything. He is a rancher about an hour away who had purchased this land on a whim at auction, putting in the campsites two years ago, but also renting out a nearby community room and hosting hunting events.
This most eastern part of Colorado really looks a lot like Kansas!
We have used this time as our last restful respite before the hustle and bustle of a crammed summer of being tourists and hosts, as we will also have some visits from family members along the way (three kids, a kid’s significant other, and a brother and his family at least). So this time and location is perfect for walks down country lanes, a stroll to see a sunset, time to pay bills, do laundry, stock up on groceries and do a little writing about our life adventures past, present and future. We’ve seen a friendly snake in our path, watched the crop dusters fly in the distant fields and smelled the pungent odor of manure spread on the fields at night (thank goodness for air-tight windows and A/C!). On a 30 minute trip down the road, we visited the Kit Carson Fairgrounds and rode their historic carousel before heading to the circa 1970s Safeway. We also attended our first in-person Catholic Mass since before the pandemic, a promising sign of the world opening up to all of us. This truly is a wonderful place with a very different look and feel from many other places.
As each day passed on this westward drive across Interstate 70, the scenery was ever changing and beautiful, from state-to-state-to-state. It was clear that the midwest is named the “bible belt” for a reason – the faith, strength and kindness of the communities we visited were evident. I can see a world in which the midwest might feel a little out of place in the middle, with the notable differences in values, culture and lifestyle from those that are generally seen on the east coast or the west coast of this country.
Each town we drove through and visited had its own special reasons to stop. There were many things we would love to stop by and visit “next time”. We were reminded that our “rules” to make few reservations and our “rule of threes” are good guidelines for us, as we kept finding ourselves feeling rushed to “get there”. Slowing down a bit was a way to remind us that we are already there – wherever we are at this moment. It only takes some billboard reading, map scanning or some Google searching to see that the midwest has a lot to offer – and certainly shouldn’t be for just passing through! We will be back!
Look carefully at this “tramp art” left on our picnic table – it is a bison made of found items.
These are the moments in camping that you savor – Minooka Park COE Campground, Durrance, KS
