Continuing South --- Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico

 

Roger here...  It has been a while.  We have discovered that Verizon coverage and campground internet coverage is definitely lacking in Southeastern Wyoming, Estes Park Colorado, Pueblo Colorado, Northwestern New Mexico, the panhandle of Texas, Abilene Texas, and even Fredericksburg Texas.  It has been frustrating to keep up to date.  We are now outside of Austin, Texas where everything is hunky dory.  We are probably three posts behind.  Oh well!

CASPER, WYOMING 

We were staying at a KOA in a northern suburb of Casper.  It was a two-night stop to replenish provisions and do a little laundry.  

When we checked in at the KOA, the young lady who took our information practically begged us to visit the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center.  We had some extra time, so we did --- a very well-done little museum that documented the western trails during pioneer times.

The museum surrounded a central amphitheater that played continuous (and colorful) programs.  Evidently, Casper was a major crossing point for pioneers crossing the Platte River.

A couple of interesting active displays required visitors to climb into Disney-like pioneer conveyances to be immersed in video and audio scenarios.  

The first "ride" was in a covered wagon.  After Dianne and I sat down, a docent engaged the wagon in a trip across the Platte River.  The wagon tossed and turned when we entered the water.  A wagon in front of us overturned.  Boxes of supplies bumped into our wagon.  Eventually, we made it across.  

The second experience involved a later period of time as we boarded a stage coach.  As before, the visuals gave the effect of actual movement as locals wished us well on our journey.  

There were many interesting displays throughout the museum.  A wire sculpture of a horse greeted us as we exited.

ESTES PARK, COLORADO...

The drive into Estes Park, the eastern entry to Rocky Mountain National Park, was somewhat harrowing as we twisted along the narrow canyon of the Big Thompson River.  We eventually parked our little Airstream at the Spruce Lake RV Park.

The full-hookup dirt sites were pretty basic.  The sites were somewhat crammed together, but they served the purpose.

The surrounding mountain views, though cluttered with RVs,  were great.

There was not a dog park; however there was a great walking area along a stream for us to walk the dogs.

A walk to town....

Since the traffic and parking in Estes Park was difficult, we followed the advice of one of the campground workers and got our daily exercise by walking a 3-mile round trip with the dogs into town. 

 

The town reminded me of Gatlinburg, Tennessee surrounded by bigger mountains.  It was an interesting place.  I wanted ice cream, but the business was closed, but Dianne did find a candy shop that met her liking.

On the way out of town we stopped at the (outdoor) Left Hand brewery for lunch.

The mountain views during the return walk reminded us of why we were there.

It was a bit windy on that day.

Rocky Mountain National Park...

This particular national park now limits the number of visitors per day.  In order to visit the park we had to reserve an entry pass on a particular day and time. It was recommended that we do this the month prior to our visit.  We did.  We picked a Monday, thinking it would be less crowded.  We were not able to get a pass until 2:00 p.m.  Since it snowed the night before, we used the early part of the day admiring the white mountains from the campground.

We arrived at RMNP at our allotted time, but despite our pass, we still waited in a line of cars for 45 minutes to get in.  We went to Bear Lake Road, hoping to take one of the shorter hikes.  Even later in the afternoon, all of the parking spaces were full and park rangers were forcing traffic past the lots.  It was frustrating to be in such a beautiful area and not be able to stop.  We did manage to get a few photos by stopping along the side of the road at pull-outs.

CAPULIN VOLCANIC NATIONAL MONUMENT...

After leaving Estes Park we did a quick over-night stop at the KOA in Pueblo, Colorado.  We were on our way to Capulin Volcanic National Monument in New Mexico.  It turned out to be a much more satisfying stop than Estes Park.  

We stayed two nights at a small, privately-owned RV park in Capulin, New Mexico.  It was nothing fancy, but the quiet atmosphere and the friendly owners made it a great stop.  BTW.  The restrooms were immaculate.  

The photo below shows a view of the Capulin Volcano (extinct) from the park.

You can see how the road to the crater spirals around to the top of the volcano.  During our full free day, we spent most of our time hiking around the rim and taking in the magnificent panoramic views.  Dianne took the video below from the parking area at the rim before we started our trek.

This is a view of the crater from the parking lot.

The well-maintained trip around the crater involved quite a few elevation changes --- none of them severe.  It was a perfect hike for the two of us.

The views were jaw-dropping.

Placards were strategically placed along the pathway.  

Since we both read the Lonesome Dove novels,  this "cash cow" notice was of particular interest....  as was the view of the prairie below.

Another placard spoke of the frequent lightning strikes on the mountain and the unlucky bench that I had been sitting on.

I especially like this photo of the final descent back to the parking lot.  It gives the impression of walking off the edge of the mountain.

The photo below, taken from the Capulin Campground, seems to be a fitting end for this post.

In the next post we will explore the wonders of Caprock Canyon State Park in the Texas Panhandle.  We will also tell the tale of our treacherous and harrowing trip from Caprock to Abilene State Park.

PET PICTURE OF THE DAY...

All dressed up and going to town!

Colorado Springs --- Homeward Bound

The Wine-sipping Patios at Grape Creek Vineyard near Fredericksburg, TX

Roger here...  Ho-o-meward bound.  I wish I was homeward bound.  Actually, we are.  In fact we should be back at Retama Village when you read this.  

As I mentioned in the last post, our final week at Colorado Springs was not the best.  We continually worried about our daughter and granddaughter, who evacuated Ft. Myers, Florida to escape Hurricane Irma.  They weathered the storm with my brother and sister-in-law in The Villages Florida, south of Ocala, where the eye of the storm passed directly overhead.  They are fine.  Their apartment in Ft. Myers is fine, but they are still without electricity six days later and don't know about the status of their jobs.  Our worries have abated.  We now have new, but lesser ones.  Such is life.

We tried to add some interest to our drive back to extreme south Texas.  It helped to take our minds off our kids.

Amarillo, Texas...  We skipped our first scheduled stop in Capulin, New Mexico and drove all the way to Amarillo, Texas.  We knew we would have good Verizon telephone coverage and good cable TV to follow the hurricane.  Our stop was at the Oasis RV Resort.  We had been there before and knew it would be a good nesting spot for three nights to "ride out the hurricane" in spirit with our daughter and granddaughter.

The Cadillac Ranch was just down the street.  We had driven past this iconic spot, but had never stopped.  We thought it would be a good diversion.  It was.

Look at this lady allowing her son to vandalize a Cadillac!

A silly diversion, but a diversion nonetheless.  Most people recognize this series of Cadillacs buried nose-first in a field, known as the Cadillac Ranch.  Onlookers have been carrying cans of spray paint to graffiti-up the cars for years.  Dianne rummaged through a pile of discarded cans to find a can of partially used red paint so that I could join the fun.  

Nothing that I sprayed showed up.  I am obviously not a graffiti artist :-).   My good friend, Greg, saw this picture and said, "Arrest this man!" 

This car has seen better days....

Our other Amarillo diversion involved eating.  Specifically, eating at a "Man v. Food" restaurant serving comfort food. 

Youngblood's Cafe is located next to a stock yard.  We both enjoyed chicken-fried steak with homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, and yeast rolls.  Certainly not a normal food choice for us, but very tasty on this rare occasion.

The green beans tasted like they came straight from my late mom's kitchen.

Leaving Amarillo, we drove four hours to Big Spring, Texas for a nondescript overnight stop, and then four more hours to Kerrville, Texas in the Hill Country.

Kerrville and Fredericksburg Texas...

A frequent stop on our way into or out of south Texas is the Buckhorn Lake RV Resort a few miles outside of Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country.  Our stays here never disappoint. 

We spent two nights here so that we could visit the Fredericksburg area for a full day.  Our first stop was at the gardening wonderland known as Wildseed Unlimited.  Of course, we bought a couple of unique items for our yard --- then we were hungry.

This must be the entrance.

 We had heard nothing but good things about the food at the eclectic Alamo Springs Cafe located in the middle of nowhere, ten miles from Fredericksburg.  We intended to stop here after watching an evening flight of the bats from Tunnel State Park with Jay and Nancy last year, but we were tired.  Not stopping was a mistake.

This is a very different place.  No one greeted us when we walked in, so we walked past the lunchtime diners and found a table outside in a rustic setting --- in reality, the entire place is in a rustic setting.

This walnut tree seems to be growing through the roof.

I went back inside to see if we needed to let anyone know we were there.  A friendly guy who appeared to be the owner saw me in my confused state and greeted me with, "First time here?"  When I said yes, he told me to get a beer from the fridge and find a place to sit.  I like the vibe of this place. I got two Shiner Bocks, took them to our table and decided to enjoy the ambience.  My friend from inside soon appeared telling us that Becky would be right with us.  He piqued my interest by suggesting that the famous Cover Burger (cover of Texas Monthly Magazine) was the best thing on the menu.

As it turns out, it was not only the best thing on the menu, but according to Texas Monthly, it was the best burger in the entire state.  So, I ordered it.  I must say that this burger is the best I have ever had in any state.  Seriously.  It was grilled perfectly and covered with grilled onions, melted cheese, tomato, lettuce and avocado and served on a jalapeno bun.  It melted in my mouth.  It was delicious.  Due to the fact that I was not tempted by all the other fried things on the menu (fries, onion rings, grilled/stuffed avocado, etc.), I actually was able to eat the entire burger without being overly full.  Half-way through the meal Becky dropped by the table and said, "How y'all doin, Angels?"  You can't beat the genuinely friendly people of Texas. 

Dianne had..... (and "had" is the correct verb) a bacon, egg, cheese sandwich on Texas toast with lettuce and tomato.

It was AWESOME!  -- D.

We will be returning to this place.

After lunch we paid a visit to our favorite Hill Country winery, Grape Creek Vineyards, before driving back to the motor home.

Tuscany in Texas

We skipped the tasting that we have done many times before and purchased two glasses of Dianne's favorite wine ---Bellissimo, a red blend.  We sauntered to the garden patios where we sipped wine in an idyllic setting.  We also bought a bottle to take with us and two really cool stemless wine glasses. They remind us of Yeti products in many ways (including the price).  Now, we are all set for the Retama Village happy hours that we have been missing while traveling.

Happy Camper

We will be taking a hiatus from blog writing while we are at our home in Retama Village, but stay tuned.  In a few weeks we are taking the motorhome west for an amazing (to us) event.

Don't have a photograph of this, but imagine this pet picture of the day:   When we drove through Mission and approached our home in Retama Village, Bandido was so excited to be home he started crying!   They have been enjoying our patio no longer having to be tied up while outside.  Charlie the cat is also enjoying the back yard.   Still mighty hot down here, but evenings on our patio are delightful!