Week 822-823 - Colorado Cruising - 05-22-2022

Colorado Cruising

In 2008, fuel prices were high. Our friends asked if we would stop traveling. Our answer was "No", we have a MotorHome! So we'll eat less and stay at Walmarts, which we did. In 2008, fuel in Canada (always the highest), was $6.00 a gallon.

This year it is almost that high and is going up. But, we live in a MotorHome! so we will continue to travel. To compensate, we are trying to find the least-cost but enjoyable stays. We are hunting for Harvest Host (HH) stays, Passport-America (PA) parks, the Elks and boondocking. So far, we are doing well.

This is Northwest New Mexico. It looks like the moon. In short order, it starts to look great.

We landed at Wines of the San Juan, a Harvest Host stay. There is no cost for HH stays. This one has 50/30 amp electric and water, good water! We compensated them with wine tasting and buying a couple bottles of their wine, very good.

1) Our pull-thru buddy sites. 2) The tasting room by the pond.

1) Gorgeous trees and 2) a giant swing.

Lots of animals at the winery, our favorite was the male peacock.

The pond was pleasing and made for nice photos.

1) Goes without saying. 2) Pulling into Sky Ute Casino, a PA park ($25) in Ignacio, Colorado.

All sites are pull-thrus on solid surface. The RV stay gives access to an indoor pool and spa.

Help us out here. They are building a tunnel over the highway. Do they then put a mountain over it?

Pagosa Country, Northeast of Pagosa Springs.

1) Hwy 160 between Pagosa Springs and Salida, Colorado.
2) The tasting room at the Winery of the Holy Cross Abbey (HH) in Canon City.

Our free parking stop. We show two photos. The first is typical of a photo from an RV park taken to give you the best impression. The second is often what the site really looks like when you get there!

Our visit with nephew Dr. Keith Stampher in Colorado Springs.

His 288 ft circular driveway easily fit our rig and Donnalee's. We met his wife Lori for the first time. They honored us with great hospitality, BBQ steak dinner and breakfast pizza.

Our next stop was in the Denver area.
1) Nephew Eric (Keith's younger brother) came to the MotherShip for the afternoon. An amazing inquiring man. He should have his own talk show to showcase his rapid fire questions.
2) We visited with Jeff and Linda. Jeff was a college friend from 1970 (do the math!). They prepared an exquisite happy hour and dinner.

Both of these photos are from our archive as we forgot to take current snapshots. However, Eric and Jeff/Linda haven't aged.

Our next stop was to Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins. Last October we met instant friends Jim and LaRae. They are summertime RV hosts at the lake. We pulled in for two days and stayed for four. Most sites like ours are pull-thrus, some on the water, others with water views.

The sites are very large with grass between. Ellen took lots of pictures of the geese. The baby geese photos always came out looking blurry. As it turns out goslings are fuzzy!

Jim and LaRae outfitted us with ISUPs, Inflatable Stand Up Paddle boards. Ellen, Pete and Jim.

Mandy wanted to try. You can stand, kneel or sit on the boards.

Other RV friends, Dave and Linda, proposed an RV friends dinner. We met Jim/LaRae's son Mike and grandkids Jaislyn (sp?) and Cheyenne, playing the Golf card game. Family pooches Milo and Lexi enjoyed the company.

Mike graciously got the group photo after dinner. Pete, Donnalee, Ellen, Jim, LaRae, Dave, Linda, Cheyenne, Jaislyn, Issac (sp?) and Milo. Where is Lexi?

Horsetooth is a beautiful lake, day or night.

Our next destination is mountain highway 14 with high temperatures of 35. We delayed two days to let the temps rise into the 50's The Fort Collins Elks Lodge provided us with electric power to warm us with electric heat. ($25)

On our last night our RV buddies came to the Elks to celebrate Jim's 62nd birthday (you baby!). We'll miss these friends until we meet again in October at Palm Creek Resort.

Colorado is a beautiful state. But, its the people that make it great. Next week we'll continue west through Colorado and into Utah.

With love, Pete, Ellen and Mandy

Photos from May 2022