About Me

The mountains are calling and I must go...Got the t shirt in Georgia one year and this is our calling! We'll see y'all down the road!

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Deerfield, KS to Wellington, KS

Set the alarm this am for 0600...that way we would get an early start right....wrong...1000 we pulled out of the campground..oh well...good intentions..Had a really nice drive along highway 50 and then in Dodge City highway 400/56...nice road to Wichita...decided on back roads so we could end up in Wellington, KS and the KOA we've stayed at quite a few times.  

Same people own it as when we were here before (we came on our anniversary and rented a cabin...so we could see Uncle Lester before he passed away ...and so glad we did)...same trip we saw my cousin Maryann, her daughters Mandie and Becky and kids...along with my cousin Susan, Uncle Odus and Aunt Ola...also saw family with Uncle Lester....so am very glad we were able to make the trip then...this time we are on a pretty tight schedule so we have to move on...still like the back roads though.

Tomorrow we are headed to Pawhuska Ok...about 110 miles and see Pioneer Woman's town...love that show and the way she cooks..so figure we are so close so why not?!...there are state parks in the area so thinking we'll be at one of them tomorrow night....Halloween...hard to believe!!

Few weeks and it 's Thanksgiving!!  So we are on a mission (kind of)...Tennessee and then homeward bound...Love this life!!

Pictures tomorrow as I guess I left camera in truck...and too tired to go get ....

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Toto...we are in Kansas!!

Had a beautiful drive to Salida, Colorado..about 250 miles or so...Love that state!  About 1600 hours we found our campsite along the Arkansas river..it was state run...$16.00 for the night, no hookups but we were able to have a fire and Ken bar b qued some chicken thighs for him...they looked awesome and I don't like chicken thighs...had a cold night in the camper...would not have wanted to be a tent camper! 

Leaving Colorado National Monument...Balanced Rock

Balanced rock...!!

More of the monument!


Driving through Colorado...Highway 50...

Blue Mesa Lake...highway 50!

Just because I like this red barn!

Going up Monarch Crest...thought of Eric Kay...and Alex Real!


Our first snow sighting...going up Monarch Crest....

Our Campsite outside Salida, CO...along the Arkansas River

from the campsite!


Side view of the campsite...nice...really nice tent pads..

Our ride this am....


Kansas!

Pulling into the campground...Deerfield, KS

Our site...nothing to write home about..but full hookups,
nice owner who came by to see us..and only 1 other person here...

Look Bryan...Bonsai..still alive and in KS...

Our sunset!!!

Set the alarm for 0600 this am..and it was so cold!  We started the generator as we were the only ones camped there!  Left about 0900 and headed out..beautiful drive along the river and the mountains are something else...dieseled up in La Junta Co where we stayed at the KOA and Ken got his America the Beautiful pass ....(senior pass)...and headed on to Kansas ...about 50 miles in we are at a Passport America campground ...no one else here in Deerfield except someone who stays year round..the owner of the campground came by and we had a nice visit...Tomorrow we drive...we are going through Pawhuska OK where the show I love is based out of .....Pioneer Woman...so looking forward to that..because "I'm a stalker".....hahaha...

Monday, October 27, 2014

Fillmore UT to Colorado National Monument....awesome!






October 26th...We set the alarm so we could get up and out at a fairly decent hour..so we hit the road about 0830..headed for Colorado National Monument. It's not too far inside the Colorado border, we had been here before a few years ago and spent the night then.  The weather was rainy and cold so we didn't do any of the walks they have.


There we are with the big boys! 


We had a beautiful drive from Fillmore to Colorado National Monument!  Love the highway it's just breathtaking!  


The highway out of Fillmore UT so nice not hardly any
cars except lots of RV's ...

I love Utah!





Overlook...


Ghost rock





So pretty...and downhill!


Spotted wolf canyon overlook...
Utah does a beautiful job with their
rest areas and overlooks..

And there we are, ready for the tractor!

Spotted wolf canyon..


Got here to the Monument in the afternoon. Not alot of people camping so we were able to get the same spot we had a few years ago!  It's right near the edge of the mesa and we have awesome views of the city of Fruita right below!  
No fires allowed (only charcoal fires)..so that's the only drawback as a fire would have been nice!  Ken bar b qued an awesome pork roast for dinner and we just enjoyed our night.  Decided to stay one more night to get in a few walks..



The drive takes us to the top of that mesa!

We're climbing

The road...don't think my sister Linda would like this!



1 of 2 tunnels

We're still climbing





Like this Linda?


Or this one?

Where we're still climbing.....



Our campsite...Bryan..dad brought the bonsai tree..on the table.

From our campsite...

Near the visitor center....



Our nighttime view!

October 27th...Set the alarm for 0600 so we could take our time this morning, computer, breakfast etc.  We set out for our first hike (well walk really) called Otto's trail..It's a little trail that take you out to the furtherest point out on top of a mountain and you can see so many of the monoliths in the park!  Just an incredible view!  

Independence Monument...Every fourth of July someone
climbs this and plants a flag at the top!

Can't really tell with the picture..but Ken at the edge of the cliff
because boys will be boys...

John Otto and his wife..only for a few weeks..she didn't like the
living conditions...

John Otto is the person who rallied for the monument to be
made a national park or monument...

A view from the viewpoint


Looking down into the valley below

The viewpoint..


After dropping the truck off at camp we walked through the tent campground and out to Bookshelf viewpoint and then took the trail to Window Rock viewpoint...after that we walked the rim trail that takes you over to the visitor center and back to camp...Lunch and now we're inside the camper as the winds are up and it's cold outisde!  Right now we are the only ones in this loop but that's ok, looking forward to another great evening here.  Tomorrow we drive on..not sure how far, but so looking forward to the drive along the river!  

Ken at Bookshelf viewpoint

Looking down into Fruita and the Colorado River


Window Rock...

A view on the rim trail...

Another view from the rim trail ....

And a last picture from the rim trail walk...totally awesome!! 

We got in for free (normally $20.00 for a 7 day pass) to the monument because of Ken's America the Beautiful Pass..(senior pass) ...Camping is $20.00 a night but because of the pass 1/2 price...where else can you camp in such a beautiful place for $10.00 a night??
Well, except another National Park or monument! 

To quote one of my favorite people (Irene Real )....."Now THIS  is America!"....so so true!!