That's a Wrap!

Goodbye 2017, Hello 2018!  When you camp in an area that doesn't have any WiFi service (or cable) the two pretty much merge together!  ;-)  So this "end of year blog" is a little late getting out...

Looking over our "goals" for 2017, which was pretty much to "complete our US map" and to take things a bit slower, spending more time during our travels, exploring...I think we were successful.  We checked off our last state, which was Ohio! by thoroughly enjoying that state.  We visited 6 cities/towns in Ohio, sampling their food (chili!), their attractions, and their beauty.  We never guessed Ohio could be so much fun!  We ended up spending 19 days there.

After 5 years on the road, and always visiting Texas (because it's there, and because it's where one of my son's lives) it's always a fun challenge to find a new place and/or a new route to take.  This year we managed to do both.  We also checked off another National Park to boot!  Visiting Big Bend in Texas was quite an experience, and like all of Texas, you can only get a taste of it because it's so very large!  Then later, after visiting my son, going through the Piney Woods area of Texas was such a lovely surprise.

Another state we were able to enjoy and spend some time exploring this year was Colorado.  In the past, it has only been for a few days, and only to visit our friends around the Denver area.  This time they met us in Colorado Springs for a week, but we camped several weeks before and after throughout the state as well and really got a great sense of what a beautiful state it is.  Having the opportunity to visit it in August was ideal for us, since their mountains are so high, most of the time one takes a chance of getting hit with snow or ice or road closures...but not so in August!  Yea!

I was also able to knock off a long time item off my "bucket list" this year, and that was to walk into and photograph a slot canyon in Utah.  What a wonderful experience that was!  Oftentimes something you've wished for, for years, doesn't always live up to your expectations, but this time, it exceeded it.  We ended up with a private tour because no one else had signed up for it that day, and the guide knowing my feelings, stayed longer, and took extra time showing me photo shots to take.  It was the highlight of our summer and one I will never forget!

With all that, we still managed to be at the birth of my last grandson, to get in (very) quick trips back east with family, and then the fast trip back to the west for a friend's wedding (phew!).  So no "vacation" out of the RV this year.  A longer than usual family visit in Washington...then to Arizona to "dry out".

Looking over our stats, they aren't to much different than last year actually...

We stayed at 62 campgrounds, for a total of 295 nights
Total campground fees: $10,758.63
(That averages about $36.47 a night, which is a little less than last year...maybe because we didn't stay in California very long this time)

Mileage for the RV: 12,945
Mileage for the toad: 11,823
Gasoline for the RV: $4,800
Gasoline for the toad: $1,130
Propane: $143
Maintenance & Repairs RV: 5,800(4 tires on toad, 6 tires on RV, generator exhaust, etc)

When you have a 10 year old RV, she needs a little TLC once a decade, then she's "good to go" again for awhile.  Now that that is done, we can relax a bit and see what 2018 brings us!

...kicking back in sunny Arizona,  Marie

If you wish to view the rest of the photos from this trip, you can at my Flickr account at:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/74905158@N04/

A Salute to the Future and a Peek at the Past...

Our last day spent with our friends we started our day off visiting the  United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.  What a beautiful campus, set in a gorgeous location!  The first thing you see as you drive along the freeway to get to it, is their very large Falcon Stadium, with it's back against the large rocky mountains that Colorado is so famous for.  Impressive.

Once inside the Visitor Center, you are welcomed with a large mural showing cadets throwing their hats in the air in celebration of graduation, a bronze plaque blazoned with their motto "We will not lie, steal, or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does".  They show a great film about the life and training of a cadet, and have exhibits displaying the history, uniforms, a model of a cadet's room, etc.  Then, of course a very large gift shop!

A map is given (and needed!) for you to take a tour of the campus.  Luckily, most areas of interest are in a central area.  The most visited is the Cadet Chapel.  Completed in 1962, originally controversial in its design, the Cadet Chapel has become a classic and highly regarded example of modernist architecture and was named a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 2004.  The first thing you see is it's row of 17 spires.  There are gaps between them that are filled with colored glass that create an incredible experience inside.

Besides it's beauty, what makes it really unique, is that it was designed to house three distinct worship areas under a single roof!  The Protestant nave is located on the upper level, while the Catholic and Jewish chapels and a Buddhist room are located beneath it.  Beneath this level is a larger room used for Islamic services and two meeting rooms.  Each chapel has its own entrance, and services may be held simultaneously without interfering with one another.  How is that for "co-existing"?  They haven't left anyone out, having an Earth-Centered Spirituality area for Wicca, Paganism and Druidism and an All-Faiths Rooms for worship for smaller religious groups.  I think the designer Walter Netsch did an outstanding job with this task!

The Protestant Nave

Catholic Chapel

Jewish Temple

 Buddhist Vast Refuge Dharma Hall

Being a weekend, there were not many cadets on grounds, but we did see a few practicing here and there, which was nice.  Another enjoyable stop was at their Honor Court where they had various replicas of airplanes, statues and sculptures honoring members and squadrons.

After walking our legs off this very large campus, we headed "back to the past"... to check out the Wild West Ghost Town Museum!

Jack and I have visited a number of Ghost Towns across the country, but this was nice in that it was inside, clean, and all in one spot.  It was well preserved, located within one of of the last remaining Colorado Midland buildings.  The structures were abandoned after the gold rush era in the 1800s and included a general store, saloon, blacksmith shop, jail, livery stable, rooming house and a beautiful Victorian house along with a ton of artifacts.  There were hardly anyone else there when we visited, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

You could put a quarter in the player pianos and have a dance with your partner, or hop on a saddle and pretend you were a cowgirl, or even pet one of the last remaining bisons!

It was a great way to end our week together.  We had so much fun, saw so many new things and once again renewed our friendship with these wonderful people!  What more can two people ask for?

Life is good...

...kicking back in Colorado, Marie

If you wish to view the rest of the photos from this trip, you can at my Flickr account at:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/74905158@N04/

Color Colorado Beautiful!

I’ve been to Colorado a number of times, with and without Jack.  When one of my sons lived there, I used to visit the Denver area where he and his family lived, and always enjoyed it.  The trips that Jack and I made together had been car trips, enjoying such fun things like taking the train from Durango to Silverton & back. 

There is something about Colorado that pulls at me in a way that few states do.  Every time we come here it’s like being submerged into a book filled with brilliant colored pictures on every page.  It’s hard for me to describe, but no matter how many times I see this state, and it doesn’t seem to matter where in the state, I am in awe of it.  I am mixed with anticipation to see more and the desire to stay still and keep looking at what is in front of me. 

This trip was no different, and one filled with wonderful surprises and enjoyment.  Last year while we were in Lexington KY we met another couple who also owned an Allegro just like ours (if you have been reading my blog all along, you will remember the story of Jack running out our door to catch them when they drove by us!).  We have kept in touch and they were gracious enough to invite us to visit them in their “sticks & bricks” home in Littleton CO.  Having enjoyed their company so much when we first met them, we were delighted to have the opportunity to spend some time with them again and spend a few days seeing that area of Colorado. 

En route there, from our stay in Texas, we spent just a couple of days in a great state park in Trinidad CO.  We had a site overlooking the lake that was just beautiful!  So quiet and peaceful, you couldn’t ask for anything nicer, a true gem.  Trinidad is just over the state border, and a darling little town.  We took a day and spent all of it visiting every nook & cranny and I had a ball snapping lots of pictures!  The whole town dates back to the turn of the century and many of the old buildings still had some great “ghost ads” on them, and many were well cared for and still being used.  They were a coal mining town, and proud of it.  They even kept the last coal burning steam engine, and have it on display.  Nice stop and worth the visit. 

We needed one more stop before we could make it into Denver, so we chose Colorado Springs.  The campground I chose was one of “convenience & price” over “looks”.  Prices here are “sky high” and all you get for it is a place to park, basically.  Very windy here too.  Seems it just kept following us from Texas no matter where we went!  We only had the rest of that day to see anything because we wanted to pull out early the next morning to get to Littleton at a decent time.  I was hungry by the time we got settled, and having read up on the area, I chose not to go into the Springs, but to go another direction instead, to a town nearby called Manitou Springs.  There was a “castle” there that served lunch and did tours, so I thought, yea, two things in one trip! Ha!  So off we went to the Miramont Castle.  What a great choice I had made!  Lunch was superb and the tour was great...but best of all...I fell in love with the town.  I mean I really fell in love with this town.  This is the first place that I have been to that I have turned to Jack and said (the magic words) “I think I could live here”.  I talked with the delightful gentleman who served us, and asked him tons of questions about living there.  Weather being one of my big concerns, he explained that Manitou Springs being down in this little valley, gets missed by all the big storms...they just seem to “go over the top and sprinkle down instead of getting the full force”.  Snow is minimal and melts quickly, etc.  Hmmm..
We drove around a bit, but really didn’t have the time to get out and walk it much, or to do much “investigating” - this time - but there will be a next time, for sure! 

The following day we finally arrived at our friend’s with open arms and not only “hook-ups” but a guest bedroom and bath all our own!  We were treated like a queen & king the whole visit!  They were wonderful “tour guides” taking us all around, showing us such beautiful places like Chatfield Lake State Park (camping!) and Red Rocks where they have a beautiful, huge outdoor amphitheater where well-known artists come to entertain.  We spent one day visiting a darling little town, antiquing, eating great burgers & sweet potato fries topping it all off with fresh made ice cream afterwards.  Such a beautiful place, great visit and wonderful friends.  With reservations in the Grand Tetons, we had to say our “goodbyes” but with promises to get together again soon, and hopefully meeting up on a camping trip up ahead!

Colorado...we WILL be back!

...on the road in Wyoming,  Marie


If you wish to view the rest of the photos from this trip, you can at my Flickr account at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/74905158@N04/