Estes Park - Rocky Mountain National Park

Estes Park – Rocky Mountain National Park

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The drive up to Estes Park was very beautiful, through mountain roads and awesome scenery. Prior to the mountain roads, our new GPS took us off the interstate way too soon. Rather than stay on the highway until the last turn towards the mountains, it took us through Boulder Colorado, right on a busy city road near the college and at lunch time! Wow, we could have done without that detour… After that, the drive was nice going up into the mountains. As we got closer to Estes Park, the Rocky Mountains were visible in the distance. As we approached the town, we were able to see the surrounding beauty of this valley. It’s like a big bowl surrounded by rocky hills and mountains. The Thompson River runs through the valley and right down the middle of downtown Estes Park. Gosh, it’s so beautiful and charming. We drove through downtown Estes Park to get to the campground. Estes Park Campground at Marys Lake is about 3 miles south of town and is a Larimer County campground. Upon arrival, we found our site and got setup. The campground was very dusty, due to the dirt roads and very little grass. The sites were mostly dirt and gravel. It was also pretty windy, so we had to take down the awning and pick up the ground rug. Otherwise, it was adequate with full hook ups.

We decided to take a short drive back into Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) to check out the nearby area. We stopped at a couple of pull-offs and saw a black bear along a creek in Beaver Meadow. There were also some elk in the area. After driving just a few miles, we decided to go back to camp and relax for awhile.

The next morning we went for a drive up the Trail Ridge Road which traverses RMNP. This is the road we would be taking on our way westward, towing the RV. We were aware of the road conditions, which are wide two lane with many tight switchbacks. Kurt wanted to be able to get a feel for the drive before we decide to make the drive with the RV. The complete trail is 48 miles long and runs on the mountain ridges, down through mountain valleys, with many steep grades up and down. There are many pull-off overlooks to view the spectacular mountains and valleys. Since we were driving only the truck, we were able to pull off and take pictures and also go on some short hikes up to special overlooks and rocks. This park and mountains are beyond any description. It is so amazing to see mountain peaks with snow on them, beautiful green valleys with creeks/rivers and tundra areas above the tree line. We drove about 30 miles back on the road, until we got to the Continental Divide. There were many wildlife sightings; including yellow-bellied marmots, chipmunks, elk and we even saw a mountain lion. There were also many wild flowers in bloom, which just made it even more spectacular.
At this point, Kurt wanted me to drive on the way back. It was fairly easy and with no problems. We determined that there would be no problem pulling our RV across Trail Ridge Road. There were other RVs traveling the road, which helped us make that decision. After getting out of the park, we drove around Estes Park to check out the large lake and the trails around the town. The city park is huge, with a paved trail around the lake. There was boating access and also a dog park, where they can run off leash. It is such a beautiful town with emphasis on tourist and outdoor activities.
The next day we wanted to go hiking and found a nice trail within RMNP on Deer Mountain. The hike went to a peak on the mountain and was about 3 miles one way. While hiking up the trail, we noticed a wildfire on the back side of a mountain on the other side of the valley. Oh boy, we thought this could mean trouble. After hiking awhile and watching the fire grow larger, we decided to turn around and go back down the trail. The smoke was blowing toward us and we didn’t want to continue to breathe it. After we got back to the truck, we noticed the smoke was dissipating. We were not sure why the fire was slowing down, but it was a good thing. We went back to camp to let the dogs come out for a walk and start Happy Hour!

The next day we spoke with our RV neighbors about hiking and they recommended Gem Lake, an awesome hike up to a mountain lake. We packed a lunch and drove to the trailhead in RMNP. Gem Lake is 4 miles round trip hike with an elevation gain of 1090 feet, up to the lake at elevation 8830. This was an amazing and challenging hike with great views of the Estes Valley. The trail was very well maintained and easy to follow (straight up)! We truly enjoyed this beautiful hike, despite the steep trail. There were so many awesome rock formations to look at and the views were amazing. When we made it to the top, it was a small lake surrounded by huge rock formations. Everyone there was relaxed and having some lunch by the lake. We hung out there for awhile and Kurt was determined to hike up on top of the rocks, but only made it about halfway when his vertigo got the best of him. He decided it wasn’t a smart idea to continue. I did get a picture of him up on the rocks. The hike back down was so much easier and quicker. It was such a great hike and had some spectacular views of Estes Park valley.  What a wonderful hike and a beautiful sunny day!

After we returned back to camp, we decided to take the boys to the dog park in Estes Park. They had been cooped up in the trailer every day we were in the area. Dogs are not allowed on trails within the National Park, so we had no option but to leave them in the RV. However, they don’t mind it too much and it allows them to get some extra sleep! The dog park was wonderful, with fenced areas to run. They also had access to play in the lake if they wanted to. Kirby and Kody had so much fun playing and running with the other dogs. It was so good for them to run off leash. We took them back to camp for their dinner. Later, we drove into downtown Estes Park. It was after dark, but most of the shops and restaurants were open for Saturday night. It was a nice experience to walk around this quaint mountain town. We did a little shopping and I purchased a T-shirt with the Estes Park and RNMP graphics. It was also amazing to see the Thompson River running through the town. There were several beautiful little parks by the river, with places to relax and enjoy the rushing waters.

After returning to camp, we had happy hour and dinner, then began prepping for our departure the next day. We will be heading toward northwestern Colorado to Yampa River State Park. This is over the mountains and down in the rolling hills area, just past Steamboat Springs. Hopefully we will be able to get in a paddle on the Yampa River.

Cheyenne Mountain State Park - Colorado Springs

Cheyenne Mountain State Park - Colorado Springs

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Our drive to Dodge City was on a country highway with great views of farmlands. As we were heading west, we noticed menacing black clouds and thunderheads in the distance. I pulled up the radar on my Droid and found a very large front moving toward us. At that time, the storm was right over Dodge City and there were alerts for severe thunderstorms, with wind gusts up to 60 mph. Also, there was a possibility of moth ball sized hail. Oh boy, this made us very nervous. As we got closer to Dodge City, the storm hit us hard. The wind and rain was driving at us in a broadside direction. This was very scary as we were concerned that the wind might blow over our trailer. Kurt started to pull over on the side of the road, which made us both very nervous. Then we noticed a sign for a small town just a couple of miles ahead and I was able to look at a satellite view of the area. We made it to the town and pulled off the road and parked parallel to some kind of industrial building. We stayed there about 15 minutes, when the wind and rain began to lighten up. We were then able to go forward past the front and the weather was quite nice and cool. We located the Walmart and found two other RVs and some semi-trucks parked. We picked our spot, parked and opened our slides. We then went into Walmart and did some shopping. The evening there was not too bad, we expected it to be noisier. We slept pretty good and got up early to get back on the road. 

We then headed toward Colorado Springs. The drive was very uneventful and actually quite enjoyable. Kurt let me drive as the road was a nice highway and the traffic was minimal. We crossed through the western side of Kansas and were able to view miles and miles of fertile farmlands. The plains of Kansas are amazing with wheat fields as far as you could see. There were many fields of windmills across this part of the state. It was incredible to see some of the wind farms that seemed to go on forever. Wind energy is a no-brainer for this part of the country. We crossed the border into Colorado and after a few hours, we arrived at Cheyenne Mountain S.P. This area is so beautiful; the campground is in the foothills with Cheyenne Mountain behind us and Fort Carson just below us. The campground is one of the nicest we have ever been in. Everything is very neat, clean and organized, with the campsites very well planned. We got setup with full hookups and relaxed for the evening. The weather was beautiful and the skies were cloudless. After dark, we had an awesome view of the city lights. We discussed our plans for the next day. Garden of the Gods was our plan, as it is very close to Colorado Springs.

The next morning, we packed our cooler with lunch and headed out to Garden of the Gods. This is a city owned park which was donated by the original owner’s family to be used for free public access. This park has enormous red limestone formations and boulders. There are paved walking trails throughout the park, with many other hiking and mountain biking trails. We walked the main park trail and took many pictures of the amazing rock formations. The temperature had climbed up in the upper 90’s and was very hot, despite the low humidity. We found the picnic area and a little shade for a nice place to eat our lunch and cool down. Kurt wanted to do some mountain biking, so we drove over to the parking lot by that trailhead. Kurt rode some trails for awhile, and decided not to overdo it. The altitude was affecting our breathing and stamina. We knew this was going to happen, but when you actually experience it, you have to be careful. We decided to head back to camp, cool off and let the dogs come outside. We checked out the trails in the park, but unfortunately dogs are not allowed on any hiking trails in this park. Kurt found some mountain bike trails and decided to ride some. He was having a great time, but the altitude did make him stop sooner than he wanted. After that, we relaxed the rest of the evening and had some dinner. We discussed our plans for the next day and we wanted to go up to Pikes Peak, but the forecast was for very high winds. So we decided to do that the following day. The next day we would go down to Royal Gorge Bridge & Park.

The next morning we got up early, as the drive to Royal Gorge was about 60 miles south. The drive  was through some very lovely farmland and rural communities. The last town before the bridge is Canon (canyon) City. It’s a neat little farming/tourist town. The park was just 12 miles past Canon City. We finally arrived at the park entrance and found a place to park. The entrance fee was kind of steep, $26 per person. But, if you want to play you have to pay the man! This is a privately owned and maintained park. We entered the park and walked across the bridge first. Wow, the winds were very strong and could almost blow you over. I had to hold on to the bridge railings. The bridge is 986 feet above the canyon floor, which is very narrow. The Arkansas River flows through the canyon, with white water rapids. There were rafts below; it looked like it would be fun. We hung out on the bridge, taking our time going across. There were flags from all the 50 states along the bridge. The park had rides that included a tram and zipline that went over the canyon. Those rides cost extra $$. We had no interest in those anyway. The south side of the bridge had a little mock up of a western town. It was kind of cool, with various buildings you might see in an old western town.  After visiting that, we walked back across the bridge and took more pictures. I decided to go back across and Kurt wanted to stay on the bridge with binoculars to look around. I was standing near the north end of the bridge when I noticed a small black plume of smoke on the south side; it looked a few miles away. However, knowing the dry, low humidity and high temp conditions, I knew it couldn’t be good. I waved at Kurt to come off the bridge. We had not yet taken the incline tram down to the bottom of the gorge. We stood at an overlook area and watched the fire expand quickly. At this point, the rangers were running sirens and heading to the south side of the bridge. They were evacuating all the visitors on that side.  We got in line to board the incline. The tram headed down into the gorge.  By the time the tram got to the bottom, they announced that the whole park was being evacuated! Darn, we then had to head back up to the top. It was disappointing that we didn’t get a chance to walk around at the bottom. However, it was quickly becoming a dangerous situation. When we got off the incline car, they were rushing to get everyone out of the park. We were advised to leave in an orderly and quick manner. Many people continued to linger in pull off areas along the road to watch and take more pictures. Kurt did the same once we got about 5 miles away from the park at a tourist business. We took some more pictures and then decided to get out of there since everyone was trying to leave. We made it to Canon City and felt a little more relaxed, even though the smoke was building very fast and moving towards Canon City. We then got back on the highway and headed back to Cheyenne Mountain. By the time we got back to camp, the smoke from Royal Gorge filled the sky in that whole area. The wind was blowing it in that direction. Our eyes and throats were burning from the thick smoke. Unbelievable, as the fire was more than 60 miles away. We turned on the local TV channel and discovered that there was another fire burning just northeast of Colorado Springs, in a rural neighborhood. This neighborhood is called Black Forest and has very large nice homes on about 5 acre lots. We watched the news reports on both fires. The Royal Gorge fire was spreading extremely fast and by the next day, over 3000 acres had been burned. The fire had jumped the gorge and had burned three building structures within the park. Also, the incline rail had been damaged.  We’re so glad that we saw this awesome canyon and bridge when we did. It may be awhile before the park may reopen. The last report was that the bridge did have some minor damage, but not structural.

The rest of the evening we continued to watch news reports on the fires. The Black Forest fire was also spreading very fast and they had not yet been able to contain any of the fire. By the time we left on Thursday, the reports had stated over 300 homes were completely destroyed, but there were no injuries or loss of life. It’s so sad to see people’s homes go up in flames.

The next morning was scheduled for the day to go up to Pikes Peak. The wind was still pretty strong, but not as bad as the previous day. We left the camp around 10 am and headed to Manitou Springs, where the Pikes Peak Cog Railway station is based. The train takes the rail up a slow grade to the peak of the mountain. The ride takes 1.5 hours one way. It was a beautiful view all the way up, with waterfalls, wildlife, views of other mountain peaks and some historical landmarks. The ride was very comfortable and when we got to the top, we were able to exit the train car and walk around for about 40 minutes. They will not allow anyone to stay up at 14,110’ altitude, as it makes some people sick. We even felt a little wiggy if we moved around too fast or bent over and stood up quickly. It was also quite chilly up at the top, we had brought jackets and they were used. Kurt and I took many pictures from the peak and the view was amazing, even though the distance was smoky from the local fires. The ride back down the mountain was about the same, with great views. After returning to the train station, we headed into Manitou Springs to walk around the quaint little old town. There were many shops, restaurants and art galleries. It was a cool little place with a history of gold mining.

We headed back to camp and stopped for a few groceries. That evening we began prepping for the next day’s move on up the road. Our next stop is in Estes Park, Colorado. The drive up there should be awesome through the mountains. We sat outside again and watched the city lights down below the park.

Independence, Kansas

 Independence, Kansas

After a about a seven hour trip, which included our visit to Outdoor World, we arrived in Independence. Kurt’s old buddy, Rob, had called us the day  before and told us about an ACOE campground that is about 3 miles from his house. The campground is on Card Creek, which flows into Elk City Reservoir, where the state park is located. We drove into the campground and found it to be very nice and no one was there other than the camp host. We picked our site, backed up to the creek. The sites were $16 per night, with electric and a water hydrant within hose distance of our site.  We filled the fresh water tank and got all hooked up. We were pleasantly surprised and glad that Rob had reminded Kurt about this place. We unhooked the truck and decided to go into town to Walmart and get food and provisions. We also picked up pizza to take back for dinner, as we didn’t want to cook that night. While in town, Kurt talked to Rob on the phone and arranged for him to come out to our camp when we got back. Rusty had also called and he and Debbie were coming out also. So, our first night was a fun evening of chatting, sharing stories of the good old days in Independence. And of course, we had pizza and adult beverages. The evening ended very late and we crawled into bed after midnight.

The next day we had made plans to go to Rusty and Debbie’s property, where they live in their fifth wheel, when they are not working on the road. Rusty’s family owns quite a few acres back in this lovely valley with a creek running through it, Kurt calls it Woodville, as Wood is their last name. Rusty and Debbie have their piece of land up on a hill that they excavated and built out for their RV. It’s so awesome, with beautiful trees and rocky outcroppings all around. We took a tour of their amazing fifth wheel that they recently had custom built. Man, we would love to someday have an RV like that! Since they live and work from their RV, they have all the comforts of a beautiful home. Rusty drove us down to his parent’s home on the property and we sat around the table telling more stories of the old days. Rusty’s mom, Myrna, is an amazing woman, a regular hard working, caring country woman. It was a hoot listening to all the trouble these boys ran into during their young adult lives! Rusty wanted to drive around the area, go back to Kurt’s farm where he lived as a teenager. They also visited some other friends that Kurt had worked with on the farm. It was so much fun running around the rural area and seeing sights that Kurt grew up around. It is very pretty in this part of Kansas. There are green rolling hills, rivers, creeks and farmland. Rusty and Debbie were going to a grandson’s baseball game, so we headed back to the camper. Rob then came over to visit for the evening. We grilled some chicken and had a fun time hanging out and talking. Another late night, but we enjoyed every minute of it.

For Friday evening, we had made plans for them all to come over for a gathering that night. Rusty called and wanted to meet us for lunch in town at a Mexican restaurant. Rob went into town with us and we all had a nice lunch, then headed back to the campground. Rusty was driving his TBucket, his big toy. Check out the pictures on my Picasa web album. It’s a model T converted to a street rod. It’s beautiful and draws lots of attention from everyone that sees it. Rusty and Debbie were going to run home, then come back to the campground for the rest of the day. When they did return, they were towing the trailer (his rolling garage) with the TBucket. We were all treated to a ride and to drive the car. It was a lot of fun, driving around on the country roads. I’ve never even had a ride in a car like this, let alone drive it! Too much fun. Rob went home to get Gigi, after she got off work. We had so much fun preparing food and drinks! We had a meat feast, with steaks, burgers and pork chops. Everyone brought some food to share. There was so much food that we couldn’t eat it all, so we won’t have to cook for a week! The guys built a huge campfire after dinner and we all hung out telling more stories and having so much fun. Again, another late night, but it was so worth the time that we spent with long-time friends. Now, if we can just get them to visit us in Florida, they will be able to see how we live in the warm winters. (hint, hint)

Before dinner time, someone noticed a snake swimming on the creek toward our campsite! After looking at it, Kurt determined it was a small water moccasin. It came near the shore, then slithered up on a floating log right next to the water’s edge. Luckily, there was a brave Floridian to take care of business, while the local boys sat cowering in their chairs (Kurt’s words). He went closer to inspect it, and decided that we didn’t want that creature sitting there waiting until dark so he could slither up into the camp site. He began throwing large stones to scare it away. Instead, he swam off the log and headed for the shore! Kurt then picked up a huge fire log and smashed the evil creature to death. We were all relieved that he was gone, especially Debbie! Kurt picked up the dead snake and we thought Debbie would pass out. We were able to enjoy the rest of the evening snake free.

We slept in a little the next morning, but we weren’t really in a hurry. We broke down camp and got ready to leave. Rob came by to say farewell, we all had such a great time. Next we’re heading for an overnight flop at a Walmart in Dodge City, Kansas. It is half way to our next stop in Colorado Springs.

Table Rock State Park - Branson, Missouri

Table Rock State Park – Branson, Missouri

As a last minute change of plans, we decided to head to Table Rock S.P. near Branson for three nights. On Sunday, we drove into the park and were allowed to pick the site we wanted. Our site backs up to the lake with a beautiful view and the site is very spacious. The park is beautiful with many amenities and the lake is beautiful. Our view also includes the State Park Marina, which is huge and has a variety of rental boats, from jet skis to 2 story pontoon boats. They have other excursions, like a catamaran cruise and parasailing. It’s quite extensive, with a huge marina store and a restaurant. We soon decided that we  would stay four nights, so we contacted the ranger office and setup that last night’s stay.

We quickly setup the trailer and got settled into place. Both of us immediately loved the camp site and the whole package. It’s hard to explain, but we both felt “at home” here. The park has a paved lake shore trail, with one end at the dam and the other end at the second campground in the park; it’s 2.5 miles one way. Also, within the park there are over 20 miles of biking and hiking trails, which includes 7 miles of mountain biking trails. The Army Corps of Engineers manage the dam and a few lakeshore campgrounds. At the dam is the ACOE Visitors Center, which has dam tours and other educational exhibits. It’s quite a nice building, mostly run by volunteers. We would someday like to volunteer here and spend some more time in the Branson area. We rode our bikes around the park that evening just to check everything out. The dogs also got to go on a short hike on the lake shore trail.

The next morning, we decided to drive into Branson to look around and go to the Bass Pro Shop on the downtown riverfront. We had some items we needed to purchase for our trip. We always love shopping at Bass Pro, all that outdoorsy stuff! We love the hills of this area. Branson city itself is very touristy; it reminds us of International Drive in Orlando. There are many music theatres, restaurants, shopping centers, souvenir shops and other tourist traps; like water parks, mini-golf, go-carts, etc. That part of Branson is not our cup of tea… However, the surrounding area and the lake are the main attractions for us.

We looked into outfitters that could shuttle our kayaks on the river, that they call Lake Taneycomo, which is actually part of the White River basin. We contacted two outfitters and found one that would pick us up at the take-out, then shuttle our kayaks to the put-in, near the dam. This was perfect as we can take our time paddling and arrive on our schedule at the end.

Kurt decided to go “check out” the mountain bike trails. He left the campsite around 3:30. After about two hours, I called him to find out what was taking so long. Well, he took off without a trail map, his hiking GPS or water. All he had was his cell phone, and since the trail goes down into valleys, he didn’t have such a great signal. When I called him he was totally lost and exhausted after riding all the trails. He couldn’t find his way back to the trailhead. I took out a map and was able to explain some trail points to him. About 30 minutes later, he called and said he had found his way out. I had already left to drive to the trail head to “rescue” him.  He got in a lot of trouble from me, regarding going off on a bike ride with nothing that he really needed. Sometimes I wonder if his anxious obsession gets in his own way! Well, he settled down and had some beers! After dinner, Kurt built a nice campfire and we enjoyed that for the evening.

So the next day, Monday, we were able to do the paddle. We put our kayaks in the water at 11:30 and headed downstream. The Corps was releasing water for hydro power, so the current was really whipping. It was really a “float” with steering. The water was crystal clear, ice cold (about 45 degrees) so we couldn’t go swimming or even put our feet in the water. We were able to stop once at a public boat ramp to get out and stretch our legs. Along the river, there were high and low bluffs, many with mansion homes and others just regular houses. Most homes and resorts had floating docks with boats. This river is all about the trout fishing. It was a sunny day and the paddle was very enjoyable. We arrived back at the take-out in about 3 hours. We returned to the campground to hang out and get the dogs out on a hike.

The next day, Tuesday, we hung out around the campsite. I got some housekeeping taken care of and relaxed a little. Kurt went on another mountain bike trail ride and this time he took the map, GPS and water! He was able to ride all the trails in about one hour. So much better when you’re prepared…  Later on, we rode the entire lake shore trail and rode it end to end. It was good exercise. Before dinner, we began prepping for our departure the next morning. When we awoke, it was beginning to sprinkle rain, we were able to get everything packed up before the  heavier rain began. But, here we were again, at the dump station in the pouring rain. We bugged out fast and got on the road to Springfield.

We had a planned stop in Springfield, to visit Bass Pro Shop/Outdoor World. This is the original store and is massive! Going in this store is like Disney World for us. The décor and exhibits are amazing and huge! We took many pictures in the store, it was amazing! After that, we stopped for lunch and then headed toward Independence, Kansas. We will be camping on Elk City Lake, near the home of one of Kurt’s old buddies. We will be hanging out with Rob & Gigi. Also, another old friend will be in town, so we can see Rusty & Debbie also.

Buffalo National River

Buffalo National River

After a long five hour drive through some Interstate roads and then miles of winding mountain roads, we arrived at Buffalo Point campground. Wow, is this out in the boonies! We had made a Walmart provision stop in a small Arkansas town. Driving into the campground we found that it was pretty much self-serve. There was a closed ranger station, good thing we had a reserved campsite. We found our site and got the camper in place. This campsite is really cool, on a sloping hill, terraced with other campsites. Our whole rig just fit in the space, but we got it in okay. Our site had a rock wall around our front patio living space and was perfect for our needs. We quickly found out that down in this river valley there are no cell phone signals, no TV, no radio… basically, disconnected in every way. At least our trusty weather radio worked if we held it in our hands; guess we were the antenna booster! We rode our bikes around the park to get our bearings and find out where everything was, we were able to find park maps at an unattended information station. This is a national park and reduced staff, closed bathhouses, closed camping looks, etc. are being blamed on the “sequester”. Really???  Closed bathrooms? Campground host volunteers are the ones that actually clean and maintain bathrooms… damn federal government.

Later, we took the dogs down to the river to play on one of the swimming beach “gravel bars”. They had fun running in the shallow water and playing retrieve the stick (at least Kody was retrieving). Kurt also got in the water to cool off; it was a great end to busy driving day.

The next morning, we drove up the road to check with an outfitter about shuttling our kayaks upriver. We found a small, family run business and they were extra nice (southern style). We setup a shuttle for that afternoon. The plan was that we would paddle out of the park downstream to the last take-out point for the lower part of the Buffalo River. The outfitter simply picked up our truck and drove it to the take out so we could arrive there on our own schedule. It was perfect. This section was a 7.5 mile paddle (float) downstream, was calm and absolutely beautiful. The water in the river was crystal clear, as much of the river is fed by springs and creeks. There were many turns in the river with most of them consisting of a gravel bar. So there were many places to stop to relax, swim or have a picnic. We took our time and stopped a few times, to cool off and swim or simply enjoy the amazing scenery. Many parts of the river were lined with high, rocky bluffs. Other areas were just hills and many birds. We saw some wildlife; many turtles (sliders), some water moccasins, otters and birds everywhere. It took us about 4 hours to get to the take out, it was so much fun. It was a very enjoyable paddle and is one of the prettiest rivers we have ever paddled.

We had so much fun we decided to go ahead and book a different float for the next day. The outfitter’s plan was to pick us up at our campsite (wow!) and take us to the put-in at a different part of the river that was above the previous paddle. This section was a 11.5 mile float, which was supposed to have more small rapids and more current. It was still a wonderful paddle, with many gravel bars along the way. We truly enjoyed this river and the surrounding area.

The next day the weather forecast was for severe thunderstorms, which turned out to be true, along with tornado warnings in the area. (This was the same weather system that went through Oklahoma City and caused damage.) The weather kept us off the river, so went drove down to Blanchard Caverns to take the cave tour. It was spectacular, the first level caverns tour was 216 feet down! It was very impressive, as the two “rooms” we went through were massive. The first one was as long as 6 football fields. I posted some pics of the most amazing formations in this cave. It was well worth the 45 minute drive through the mountains to get there. After returning to the camp, most of the bad weather had passed by, so we took the dogs down to the river gravel bar to play. Again, we all had a fun time.

Later in the middle of the night, the storms came back with heavy rains and lightning. It woke us up a few times. All was well; I guess being down in the river valley was a good thing at that point. The next morning it was still raining somewhat, but was clearing up. Later in the morning we decided to hike a trail in the park that goes back to an ancient rock cave where native Indians had resided since around 700 AD. There were some other highlights along the trail, like an old abandoned zinc mine. The hike was beautiful and most along a lovely creek. It was very humid and hot, with a big elevation change. I hate it when you hike downhill first, then have to go back uphill to the trailhead. Anyway, we had a great time and really enjoyed the artifacts along the way.

In the afternoon, we began prepping for the next day departure. We met our camping neighbors who were very friendly. After we ate dinner, Kurt started a nice campfire (despite the wet wood) and our neighbors came over to share the fire. We all sit around the fire until almost 11pm, then we had to get some sleep. It was a fun evening.

The next morning, we were breaking down camp during rain. We just had to put on our rain gear and get it ready to bug out. Everything was wet, so it was not a lot of fun. The next stop is near Branson, Missouri, at Table Rock Lake. Kurt and his friends in Kansas used to hang out at this lake over 30 years ago. Also, we want to see what Branson is like.

Oak Mountain State Park, Alabama

Oak Mountain State Park

This is a wonderful state park near Birmingham. The 9,940-acre park has over 50 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails; and something for all outdoor enthusiasts to appreciate and enjoy. Campground for tents and RVs, cabins, picnic areas, two fishing lakes, one recreational lake with canoe rentals, a sandy beach swimming area, a boat launch and a 18 hole golf course with pro shop & driving range, mountain bike trails, demonstration farm, treetop nature trail and rental horseback riding facilities. We enjoyed most of these activities; particularly the mountain biking, hiking and kayaking on the lakes. We spent one whole day at the big lake, setup with our picnic, kayak and bikes. The boys enjoyed the day, as they just simply hung out at our lakeside spot. Kody did go on a kayak paddle with me around the lake. We also took the boys hiking on several trails and they really enjoyed it when we let them off leash. Kirby is beginning to slow down and is not able to hike as much as he used to. As he ages, the heat is too much for him when hiking. He will probably spend more alone time in the trailer when we want to go on extended hikes. He won’t mind too much, as he sleeps much of the day anyway.

Kurt was able to ride almost all the 25+ miles of mountain biking trails. He claims this is the best mountain bike trails he’s ever been on, as they are really in mountains! The IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) has added Oak Mountain as one of their top 50 epic rides! I was able to ride a couple of the easy mountain bike trails and made it without any crashes or injuries. The hiking trails were very nice and mostly shaded. One hike we went on without the dogs was a steep climb up to the ridge, with an elevation from 620 feet to 1100 feet. We were headed to a eagle lookout where, but just as we got up on the ridge, we saw the black skies and then heard lighting. Wow, we had to quickly head down the trail and was able to cross over to a different trail that was not as steep and shorter. The skies opened up as we rushed down the trail. When we connected to the second trail we saw a trailhead marker that had a little roof over it. We huddled under that protection for about 20 minutes, as the storm passed and then we were able to make it the rest of the way to the trailhead. It was kind of scary as the lightning was cracking all around. That will teach us to frequently check the weather radar on my Droid, as long as we have a cell signal, which is not always available in the mountains or down in the valleys. Anyway, we made it safely back to the trailer, wondering if Kirby had freaked out, as he is very afraid of thunder. All was okay; it looked like he may have gone into our bedroom, as he does that when he’s scared.

We also did a few hikes around the lake near the campground. The dogs did go with us on these hikes and they had fun and was able to get in the water to cool off and get a drink. Overall, this was a very nice park with many amenities. We will put this on our “go back” list, mainly for the biking and maybe next time we’ll have our golf clubs (if I can convince Kurt). We need to practice first.

We will be packing up to leave in the morning (Sunday). Heading to Memphis to spend one night on the Mississippi River at a nice RV campground. We want to just sit and watch the tugs and barges go up and down the river. After that, we head to the Ozarks, Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas.

On Our Way - Heading West

On Our Way!

Picture link: 

Western Trip Summer 2013 - Google Photos

After days of packing and preparing, we finally drove out of our driveway at noon on Sunday, May 19^th.  Heading north on I-95, we made our way to Camping World in Cocoa, Florida. We had a scheduled service appointment on Monday morning at 8 am to replace our shattered shower door. After arriving at Camping World, they placed our camper in a parking space where we would spend the night. It was a good surprise that the spot had electricity! We were able to run the AC which was necessary as it was hot and muggy outside. After getting settled and getting the dogs (Kirby and Kody) setup to spend some quality alone time. We had made plans to go out for something to eat and drive around our old stomping grounds of the Cocoa area.

First, we headed out to Lone Cabbage Fish Camp on the St. Johns River. Years ago, we would go there on Sunday afternoons for great food and country music. This day was no exception. The beer was cold and there was a full liquor bar! The band was very good and everyone there enjoyed the music. We had the fried catfish special to go with our drinks. After finishing that food, we decided to get a gator bites snack, had to get gator while we were there! After almost two hours, we decided to head into town and walk around Cocoa Village, where we used to hang out. The area had not changed much in the last 20 years; the “village” downtown was still quaint with artsy shops and great restaurants. We also walked around the historic “Porcher House”, where we held our wedding and reception. It also looked the same, such a lovely home formerly belonging to the Porchers, who were founders in the area. After that, we decided to drive over to Cocoa Beach to see how that area had evolved. There were many changes, especially more touristy attractions. Oh well, the beach is still there!

We decided to head back to the camper and let the dogs out for a walk. The remainder of the evening, we relaxed, watched TV and had another bite to eat. We were tired and headed to bed early, as we had the 8am appointment.

The next morning, the service department replaced the shower door and we were out of there by 10 am. We then headed north towards Orlando and the turnpike to take us to our first camping night. Three Rivers State Park is west of Tallahassee, just south of the Alabama border. We parked the RV in an awesome lakefront site on Lake Seminole. Since we were just overnighting there, we didn’t even unhitch the truck. We wanted to get out early and hit the road. Our next stop was in Alabama at Oak Mountain State Park, just south of Birmingham.