by 147 – Paradise on the River. The CG is small, family run. We had a pull-thru. Fished in river next to cabins – caught a rainbow trout and had myself a fresh dinner. Fished at bottom of dam – but it was stormy and windy. RMNP was awesome, drove the backdoor route to Grand Lake on the other side. Grand Lake was very nice. Had drinks and live music in town. Ate at Squeaky B’s and listened to good live music. The area is fairly built up lake resort area. Second day we drove to south side and hiked near the upper lakes. Stormy first and second afternoons. Last day was beautiful when we left. Estes was rather busy due to art show. We went to Boulder to handle errands – Suzanne got a hair cut.
146 – Prairie View. Surprise CG in Lusk. Should have found a CG closer to Estes Park. The building and sites needed TLC but the bathhouse was recently remodeled. Stayed one night.
145 – Palmer Gulch KOA. Fortunate to get back-in site next to creek in the back. Lots of sites, many too close. Lots of amenities for families. Close to all the parks. Listened to live music near the front office twice. Visited Mount Rushmore. Loved Crazy Horse. Liked Badlands NP, but the smoke was pretty bad – got a major star rock hit on Jeep windshield. Really liked Custer SP, especially the rock passes as well as the bison, burros and other wildlife. Got KO2s in Rapid City for the Jeep. Wine and beer visit @ Sick-n-twisted near Hill City. Keystone was nice too – but touristy town.
144 – Devil’s Tower KOA. Nice sites. Bathhouse nice. Our site has a beautiful view of the tower. Very smokey here due to fires in Colorado (and some parts of Wyoming). Got groceries at Smiths in Gillette along the way with the RV. California has many large fires including five in the Santa Cruz mountains – Redwood State Park has been heavily damaged. Good cell coverage.
143 – Deer Creek RV Park. Nice country park – fairly good sized sites. Bathhouse was okay. Nice downtown. Would have been nice to have spent time in the Occidental Hotel and the local western museum. The Big Horn mountains are beautiful. Went back along Hwy 16 to visit Ten Sleep. West is rugged canyons, top is meadows and forest, east is rolling hills. Crazy Woman Canyon was a lot of fun. Local fishing is highly restricted, so you need a local guide. Not a lot of rivers, but several large lakes and many streams and creeks. Fished in the Meadowlark Lake and a creek in the Crazy Woman Canyon. Would like to have visited Kaycee and the Powder River and the Hole in the wall canyon. Visited Sheridan to get stuff and to get oil change for Jeep. Bought local beer and whiskey at Crazy Woman Liquors. Good cell coverage.
142 – Eagle RV park. Nice, but smallish park. Bath house was okay. Local Hot Springs State Park was amazing – largest hot water springs in North America. Took a 8 am plunge in the public bath house – practicing social distancing. Visited the local Petroglyphs site outside of town. Fished in the Big Horn River – needed a special permit from Native American Reservation for the Wind River. Beautiful canyon into Thermopolis. Good cell coverage.
141 – Highline Trail RV Park. Huge sites. Nice views. Nice bathhouse. Windy in the afternoons – several thunderstorms. Many areas on the west and east mountain ranges for hiking. Graham left us after five months to drive to Hood River for his remote job @ NASA in Houston. Fished the Green River. Took a two-hour lesson in Pinedale – Two Rivers Fishing company – Beau was very helpful. Good beer at Wind River Brewing. Bought, later in the state, whiskey from Cowboy Country Distilling (bought in Buffalo). Drove to Mt Wyoming for Graham’s hike – two hours each way thru forestry and logging land. Bad wifi and cell coverage.
140 – Yellowstone Valley Inn and RV Park. Decided to move reservations from KOA east of Cody. Unfortunately, we had to get three sites – split the distance between east entrance and Cody. Very expensive. The front of the building(s) was very western looking. The sites were barren and somewhat close – the sites along the back had a nice river view. Bathhouse was okay. Really nice views from CG. The trip to Yellowstone was fairly long distance and the pass was fairly steep. The Canyon was rugged, arid and beautiful up to the entrance. After the entrance, it was okay with a lot of burned areas. Saw mamma moose and calf crossing river going towards eastern entrance. Loved Yellowstone river along the beautiful Hayden Valley. Caught my first big fish – 18″ cuttroat trout (no picture with lure bought from park store :-(. Fished the Shoshone river between park and Cody. The canyon and falls were gorgeous but very crowded the day we visited. Lake Yellowstone is very large. Cody was okay, not very historic looking, but some of the businesses seem to have a lot of history. It would be fun to be there during the annual rodeo (like Cheyenne). Progressive EMS failed due to water getting into the device – Progressive replaced unit, but it was shipped to Hood River. Bad wifi and cell coverage.
139 – Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park. Pricey, but really nice campground in the town of West Yellowstone. Spent the first day visiting Big Sky resort – really big ski resort – loved the area. Graham went back to hike to the top of the resort. Ate at Riverside BBQ and Events. Great BBQ at Firehole B Que. Had Huckleberry ice cream in town. West Yellowstone is nice town. Madison River along the western entrance very nice. The geysers were very nice. Loved Lamar valley – saw bald eagle nest – massive herds of Bisons. Madison River is normally good for fishing. Saw black bear near Old Faithful. Fished on river inside NP on road to Big Sky. Saw grizzly bear between Norris and Mammoth Geysers. Lots of recreation areas on route from Victor ID. Lots of public campgrounds outside of west yellowstone. North public CGs were closed due to covid. Road from canyon to lamar valley closed – causes longer routes. Good wifi and cell coverage.
138 – Teton Valley Resort. Near the town of Victor. Lots of improvements in progress. We got a back-in site near the road – gravel sites, but rather short and narrow. Bath house was nice. Fished on river near the town of Driggs a couple of times – many people used the area for launching kayaks, boards and intertubes. Nice fly fishing stores in Victor. Visited Jackson and Teton Village – bike riders down Jackson Hole. Liked Jackson – had late breakfast @ Persephone Bakery. Had bagels and coffee @ Pearl Street Bagels in Wilson. Bought new mask scarves in Jackson. Nice drive over the pass to Jackson, but was a little too much after a week. Loved Grant Teton NP. Jenny Lake was great. Jackson Lake was nice. Will stay at Coulter Bay RV – pricey but very nice – full hookups. Graham went on several hikes on the western side of the Tetons.
137 – 7N Ranch Resort. East of Idaho Falls near Ririe. Campground along the Snake River. The bathhouse was okay. Looked like permanent sites were in the trees but work campers in a big parking lot area – not too nice. We were in a group of seven sites (five had FHUs) with a big gravel lot in front. Great view of canyon across the campground. Lots of campgrounds in this area. Visited the falls and river walk downtown Idaho Falls. Fished in several areas – one in the canyon south of the campground.
136 – Ketchum. Smiley Creek RV. Interesting place. Our neighbor asked to switch sites with us – we got the bigger site, but we had to add an extension for the power cord and stretch to another site’s pedestal. Sites were a mixture of grass, dirt and rocks. The bathhouse was okay – restaurant looked good. They enforced masks. The new manager seems to want to make this a resort. There was a rural airport across the road – people camped next to their planes. Really liked the town of Stanley. Went fishing along the river north of Stanley – there was a thermal area along the river. Lots of boon docking in the sawtooth mountains and valley. Visited Ketchum and the Sun Valley village – was fun to visit again – had lunch @ Konditorei. Would liked to have stayed longer.
135 – Springville. Heyburn RV. Nice city run RV park – near park and river. Very nice FHU sites – enough room for two cars – huge grass space between sites. Nice bathrooms in the park, but showers were private for campers only. Warm but pleasant weather. Visited the Shoshone Falls west of Twin Falls – gorgeous falls and accompanying park – the lake above did not allow dogs. We walked a long way along the Snake River where Evil Knievel tried to jump the river. Only a fraction of visitors wore masks – felt uncomfortable with the crowds on the observation platforms. Then went down to a park at the bottom of the river to let Rio swim – saw lots of kayakers and people base jumping from the Perrine Bridge in town. Amazing to see this river and canyon on the edge of Twin Falls. Visited the City of Rocks south of town near Oakley – lots of huge rock structures that are popular with hikers, rock climbers and campers. Surrounded by many large farms – rolling hills. Did not see alot of people wearing masks – city employees and market only – not even the hosts for our CG.
134 – Provo. Provo KOA Journey. Suzanne and I drove separately – for reasons not documented. Long drive, got a glimpse of Utah landscape as we got to the mountain overpass leading into Provo and Salt Lake City. The KOA was packed tightly – neighbors Tiffin could not extend their awning completely without our slides hitting. Staff did not wear masks. Bathrooms had paint chipping. The valley seemed polluted or was very smokey or both.
133 – Carbondale. Carbondale Crystal River KOA Holiday. Two sites, both pull-thru. W&E only – dump station. Fortunately, the bath house opened up just as we got there. They started opening up tent sites. Carbondale is a nice town. Downtown Glenwood as also nice, saw the hot springs pool – had beer @ Caseys and lunch @ Slope and Hatch. We visited Redstone and Marble twice – had great BBQ @ Slow Groovin BBQ in Marble. Fished at a lake near Marble – decided to turn around on the jeep trail going towards Crested Butte due to tires and single lane road – its reputation is quite dangerous. Fished on the crystal river at marker 48 as well as by the bridge near the CG. Visited Independence Pass east of Aspen – it was gorgeous and Rio got to play in the snow. stopped by the Grotto and Cascades coming back into town – missed the Devils Punchbowl where people jump. Visited Maroon Bells – quite beautiful – Rio stayed @ RV because of scenic loop trail – I hiked alone up to Crystal Lake – quite difficult and rocky. We needed reservations and had to take a shuttle from the ski resort. We walked around Aspen, lots of expensive shops and restaurants – pretty and lots of social areas – not many people wearing masks. Graham’s friends from Boulder came over to hike Maroon Belles for five nights – they hiked four nights and stayed with us and took showers and had 3rd of July celebration. Missed really good fly fishing near Basalt – Frying Pan and North Fork between Basalt and Carbondale – seems more challenging and crowded during popular days. Met a lot of other fly fishermen who gave me advice. Could have spent more time there.
132 – Palisade. Palisade Basecamp. Great views of canyon walls. Peach orchards and Vineyards across the river. Spartan sites. Nice facilities. Nice town. Hot this week and windy. T&L plus hail our first night. The area as several national forests that would require more time to explore – McInnes & Escalante National Conservation Areas. Purchased wine @ De Beque and Colterris wineries. Purchased local peaches, peach preserves and washington cherries @ Carlson Fruit stand. Visited Grand Mesa bluffs east of town – the drive through the canyons as well as the views from the bluffs over the valley were very nice. Visited the Colorado National Monument Recreational Area west of Clifton and Grand Junction – the canyon and the spheres were very impressive – different structures and colors than Black Canyon NP.
131 – Montrose. KOA Journey. Shaded sites with lots of grass space. Nice facilities. Not the nicest part of town. We decided to stay two nights after heat wave hit western Colorado. Downtown was nice, but didn’t have time to explore. Graham did another day trip to bottom of the Black Canyon National Park – we drove to the east portal down to the river and the dam. Saw a brown bear across the river. Graham took us to the city park where they had built six surfing venues – really cool – one of the nicest dog parks too. Went fishing near the dam on the river of the BCNP our last day – saw river otters and ducks on the river – really serene and peaceful fishing.
130 – Gunnison. KOA Journey. Nice owner and staff. They had a couple of donkeys including Ginny, several goats and Norman the 2nd largest bull in the rockies. Buddy sites with grass – shared pedestal. Shaded spots but windy in the afternoon. Nice facilities. The airport was loud at times. Extended two days after heat wave hit western Colorado. Downtown seemed nice, but did not spend time there. Replaced Vista’s chassis battery. Visited Black Canyon NP – lots of pull-outs to see the park – Graham went back and got a day permit to climb down and up in one day. Visited Hartman rocks – great for mountain biking and boondocking. Visited Crested Butte and the surrounding area to the west – hiked Lost Lake – enjoyed gyros at Pitas in Paradise – one of our favorite small towns. Visited Lake City to the south where there was a mining town as well as lake. Visited the Old Monarch trail east on the Continental Divide – started trail at 11,500′. Fished Butte Mesa Reservoir, Gunnison River (2 spots) and the fishing hole by the airport – bought flies at Dragonfly Anglers (Crested Butte) – bought wading boots at Gene Taylors Sporting Goods. The area is quite diversified in climate zones – many things to see within an hours drive. COVID-19 pandemic has really gotten worse again – this time it is FL, TX, AZ and SoCal – a lot of problems getting people to wear masks and practice social distancing.
129 – Ouray. Ouray KOA Holiday. Site near pond with partial view of the opposite canyon. The sites near the meadow look interesting. The new owners are making a lot of improvements. BBQ was good. They had live music. Nice staff and owners (Troy and Penny). Might try the CG downtown Ouray. Loved the town of Ouray and Telluride. Need to visit True Grit next time in Ridgway (saw the re-make with Graham). The Million Dollar Highway was beautiful and treacherous – thankfully we disconnected the jeep this time. Snowed the first night – we invited Graham’s friends to stay in the RV during the night since they were tent camping. Graham went on many hikes in the area with his two friends. Took jeep to Yankee Boy – stopped at the meadow – fairly challenging road. Had a hard time trying to keep from stalling in 1st gear on some of the steep and rocky sections. Next visit, need to go on Last Dollar road (near Noel) on the way to Telluride. Visited bridal veil falls in Telluride – we were very tired – had great pizza with Graham and his friends at Brown Dog Pizza. Bought beer @ Telluride Brewing Company. Visited and fished at Trout Lake. Bought lures and flies @ Rigs Fly Fishing in Ridgway. Visited the waterfalls @ South Fork Mineral Creek (near Silverton) – they had a recent flash flood which heavily damage some of the road and the trails nearby – might dry-camp there in the future (USFS) – fished nearby, but casting was not a good idea. Will visit the state park (lake and river) next visit. Went to Montrose to remove a screw in Graham’s car, shop at Harbor Freight and Big 5 Shopping.
128 – Durango. Alpen Rose RV Campground. In nice valley. Partner sites – 30 amp sites small but had shade. Upgraded to 50-amps. Staff mostly friendly. Charged $16 per day for Graham and car. Nice historical downtown. Sampled Wine Mead and Beer at Steamworks Brewing Co. Bought fly rod and pole at Duranglers Flies and Supplies. Visited Silverton – nice mining town. Went on a couple of local hikes. Went back to Wolf Pass to see the view and waterfall we missed as we drove from Alamosa. Walked around Pagosa Springs – springs quite nice. Drove to Potatoe Lake (Spud trail) – quite an interesting off-road – probably the toughest off road we have driven. Spent the day @ Mesa Verde National Park. Fixed rock chip with Jeep. Rock chip in Vista grew to about 18″ – will need to fix later. Heard that fly fishing @ San Juan river in Northern New Mexico is incredible. Durango and local towns have mask requirements for indoors – not many people wore masks outdoors. Canceled the remainder of the New England and Canada reservations. Quite windy for a couple of days – first major direcho in Colorado this year!
127 – Alamosa. Base Camp Family Campground. Simple campground, but long sites. Nice bathrooms and showers. Friendly staff. Great Sand Dunes National Park opened three days after we left. Took pictures from outside park. Visited Zapata Waterfall outside park – road was really off-road. Visited several wildlife refuges. The town of Alamosa was nice. Fished for first time at a lake – mostly practice.
126 – Colorado Springs. Mountaindale RV. CG SW from town in the hills. Warned about black bears. Nice country CG with trees. Large sites. CG is opened up with somewhat social distancing. Neighbor gave me a bottle of CBD oil. Went to Phil Long’s Ford to get Vista oil change. Would like to visit Red Rock near Denver next trip.
125 – Estes Park. Manor RV. Amenities closed including bathhouse and laundry. Must wear masks in all public spaces including walking areas. Nice hosts – gave us masks. Outer sites were broken up due to maintenance. Elk around site morning and afternoon. Took a while to get accustomed to the elevation of 7500′. Beautiful valley. Nice downtown – nice local lake near town. Bought face masks, rye whiskey (Elkins Distillery), craft beer (Rockcut Brewery) and fishing license. Neighbor gave me freshly caught trout. Felix got over a bad headcold that started after we left Nashville. Graham visited friends from NASA (they came to us as well). Visited Boulder to hike (Flat Irons, local lake and water falls) – tacos take-out (T/aco). Pick-up groceries at Sprouts and Safeway.
Summer plan includes Colorado, stop-over in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Arizona and Utah.
