Next Exit, Salida!

“Let’s go camping…”

~ Me.

Way back in December when we planned our route, we strategically planned a few stops within a short drive of Denver for mid-June. Mom was planning to workcamp at Cherry Creek State Park there. We would make the drive in to see her or she could come to us in Salida, Dillon, or Granby. Fast forward to May when I get the amazing news that kiddo and his girlfriend, (Jordan and Katie) were MOVING to Denver in June! Holy cow. My closest family all in one place that isn’t the Southeast. All the stars aligned and they each chose the same weekend to visit us at our campsite in Coaldale, Colorado, just outside of Salida.

Most of our stops, we set up the RV to suit whatever adventures or touristing we plan to do. Just because we live in a camper, doesn’t mean we are always camping. We don’t always unload everything, or set up the chairs and fire pit, sometimes we don’t even unhitch the truck. But this was a camping trip, and family was coming and they were sleeping over, so we pulled out all the stuff. And of course, this campsite was one of the most …compact…ones we’ve stayed at in a while. But we managed.

We got there a few days before family arrived, so we took a trip to The Royal Gorge where Vic couldn’t resist the pull of flying through the air at unreasonable heights. While he ziplined, I sat in the airconditioned comfort of the cafe. It was a fun day though. Sometimes you just have to do the touristy things! Oh, and we saw Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep!

Throughout our stay, we marveled at the brave (crazy?) souls rafting the frigid Arkansas River. It was fun to watch them from near the bridge downtown while we enjoyed a beer and slice of pizza. Wanting to be part of the culture, without all the getting cold and wet stuff, we opted to visit a nearby river rest stop called “Drift In.” It isn’t quite the same as “The Gulf” in Orange Beach, Florida, but it was a nice way to pass an hour or two at the river.

Family all arrived within about five minutes of each other and we had a great time squished around the campsite catching up. The following 24 hours were filled with more of the same, sprinkled with scampering inside to avoid the rain, folding and unfolding the chairs, moving into the shade or sun – depending on the temperature, Vic grilling while holding an umbrella, and just watching the cows go home. Lazing about on Sunday morning with coffee and donuts and a smorgasbord of reheatable breakfast goodies was perfect. We were sad to see them all go, but excited to know that kiddo would likely be in Denver for the foreseeable future and we can’t wait to come back to see him again!

Our next stop, Dillon, was nothing to write home about. Literally. I have nothing really to say about it. We spent most of our two days there relaxing and resting up for the holiday weekend. We considered driving into Denver, but between the rain and the Stanley Cup championship parade, we decided to stay put! Besides, our campsite was beautiful!

That about catches us up to our current digs in Granby, Colorado at a fancy-shmancy RV Resort. The jury is still out, but I think we might like the change of pace.