Going Home

All good things must come to an end. Time to pack up and go home. Good by Colorado and Hello Texas.

We had a great time!!

Colorado 2

On July 4th (Steve's Mom's 87th birthday) we went two Creede Colorado which is a wonderful small town with a population of about 300. We arrived early to have breakfast. Steve let us out so we would not have to walked to far. What a gentleman (Ha ha). You know when you are in a small town and you say "it is my moms 87th birthday," and they give you a hug and congratulation like they have known you all your life. Trying to get breakfast for 4 is a challenge in a small town that normally has 300 people but this day they added a 1000 all showing up at one time. Having 90 minutes before the parade starts should be no problem? We were lucky enough and found a place and waited only 15 minutes to get a table. They gave us a place for 8 and we are only 4. While waiting outside, we met a family that was also were waiting for a table, so Steve invited the couple with two boys to join us. After waiting a long long time for our food, it finally arrived. Stacy and Grandma ordered pancakes; wow I hope they are hungry. When it was parade time we were not finished eating but they let us move to a window table so we could see. After we finished breakfast we went outside and the parade was still going. The longest parade I have seen in a long time! I think on July 4th all the other parades in the area ended  in this town. It seemed that every citizen in this town has more then one float. It was great. Creede is an old mining town so after the parade we drove up to see the old mining area. We also found out that last week Johnny Depp was here shooting a movie.  Johnny Depp is playing Tonto in the Lone Ranger (Tonto's view). After a long day back to camp it was cold so we thought it would be a good day for gumbo. Yeah!! It was a hit and felt good all the way down. Tomorrow is rest before we go white water rafting. We will end the day with a birthday dinner for Grandma; Steak and corn with potatoes and salad. Our friends Woody and Judy next to us caught  some trout. They breaded and fried the trout and we had this with the steak, corn, potatoes and salad.                                                                                                                 

 





Mining competition





Time for gumbo



Must be good!!



Happy Birthday!!

                                                                                      



Time for Rafting

 One more evening left to see some Elk. We did it going up to Sumit hill one more time.























Cooking Gumbo

Grilling Steak with B.B. onions

Cheesburger Sliders



Cooking breakfast



Colorado 1

 Ahhh.. sleeping with the windows open covered in a feather blanket waking up to 45 to 50 degree heaven. I love Texas nights but sometimes I miss these cool morning. Time for breakfast. Steve cooked out a couple times at camp and there is nothing like cooking in the fresh air and smelling bacon.  Another  thing I like at Fun Valley is if you don't want to cook, they serve breakfast lunch and dinner. Great food and you meet a lot of people from all over. Lot of things to do for kids. Over all I really liked the Camp ground.  I wish we could have had our grand kids with us here.

Time to check out the area here. We went to look for Bears, Moose and Elks. Just another 3000ft up the hill and this time in the Jeep. Back windows off so the back seat passengers could see and take pictures while driving. Of course we have to look for the Bear and Moose first since none of us has ever seen one in the wild. Up to Summit Hill 18 miles high.  No Bear, no Moose or Elk. Scenery was just amazing! Every turn we took was just a view that took you breath away. The higher we went the lower the temperature. I had on shorts but was smart enough to bring a jacket. Grandma sitting in the front with windows up and heater  and jacket on was freezing. A true Texan; anything below 70 degrees is to cold for a Texan.
That was our first trip up. We went back to camp to find out when and where to go to see Bears and Moose. We were told to go up to Hunter Lake in the evening. Next evening we went to the highest point on the trip. 11700 ft. Wow, just beautiful  to over look valleys, lakes or reservoir's.  On the way up we saw a few rabbits and we think Bear poop (Ha ,after we saw the poop I had to buy a wild animal book to see if it was bear skat). We finally made it to the top and waited and waited nothing. After we waited a while, another car pulled up and two couples came out with cameras talking loud and making noises. We thought no wild animals going to show up with all that noise. After a while they left. They had no patience's which was good for us. So we are still waiting as the sun sets just right in time for a Moose to come down and graze in the Valley in front of us.  Then we hear something in the distance. We are straining to listen or see something.  We finally hear someone talking in front of us and sure enough, two guys came out of the woods in front of us in the valley with fishing polls in there hand. Oh well, no Moose today. Those two men were wood cutters and took a break to go fishing and then back to cutting  dead trees down with loud  chain saws. There was no way a Moose would come now. Another day tomorrow.
As beautiful as everything is in this area it was so very sad to see so many dead trees. We were told that it is pine beetle and it kills the pine trees. There is a spray that would kill the beetles but EPA will not allow the forest service to spray. Sad to see a big forest like this dying off.






Picnic just before the sleet came down



Colorado

Going to Colorado with Grandma and Stacy

On July 2nd we left for Colorado to cool off a little from the hot summer heat in Texas. The motor home was packed and ready to go. First stop was Amarillo Texas at the Overnight RV Park. Good place to stay with  full hook ups and free internet. If you don't want to unhook your car they even have a limousine that will take you to the Big Texan. So we did where we had a good steak that for dinner. If you can eat a 72 ounce steak at the Big Texan , the dinner is free. We were lucky enough to see a young man eat a whole steak in less then 40 minutes. Wow I don't think that happens very often . Now it is time to go back to camp in the Limo with long horns in front and then off to Colorado in the morning!


It is 450 miles to Fun Valley Colorado from Amarillo. Amarillo's elevation  is 3605 ft.   Fun Valley Colorado is 8100ft. 450 miles up hill. No problem so far for our Winnebago pulling the Jeep. We slowed down a bit as we going over Raton Pass. We were singing "yes I can, yes I can".Topping the last hill before we arrived at Fun Valley, I saw the camp ground from above (never being there before) I thought to my self  "oh no, 100s of campers like the Winnebago rally". Camper after camper just crammed. Arriving at the front desk we founf very friendly staff. No reservations taken at this camp and this was the July 4th holiday weekend. Glad we had a friend that has been going to Fun Vally for many years and he reserved a spot for us. It was a great spot in front of the river.

Time to park and hook everything up; we made it! Oh no only 20 amps; that cant be. Living in Texas we must have air conditioner and 20 amp will not work for me! So after a small fit I realized it is not hot here, I do not need the ac, so, I can handle 20 amp. Let the fun begin.


Time for dinner!!   ( New camera did not set the date correctly)

 

Stacy and Grandma enjoying the evening.



Almost finished eating a 72once stake.



Leaving Texas Welcome to New Mexico.



Made it to Colorado!

                                                                                                                                                               

                            

Even the drive was beautiful.



This is what we saw when we open the door in the morning.