POSTSCRIPT....TRIP HOME

St Louis, USA



It's so hard to do this......it has been such a fantastic trip.....how can we be calling this the postscript?  But, it is....I'm so anxious to be getting home; 2200 miles to go....

Wakeeney, Kansas...Lawrence, Kansas...our ST. LOUIS STOP:   We so enjoyed this stop; it's been the first one since we started our travels HOME!!!!  Stopped here to visit the St. Louis Arch....



 

 

What a beautiful city....mixing the old with the new...





And, lunch at the local Brewery!!!  We really do like those breweries!













Back on the road again:

Arrive: Louisville Metro KOA, Clarksville, Indiana...this is the UGLIEST park ever.....we are at the end of a row, next to an RV that has it's small awnings out which makes our awnings nil; and if anyone doesn't make the corner; we're in trouble!!! Wow, why am I here??? To see Churchill Downs and the Louisville Slugger Museum; our last stop on our return home!

We arrive in the parking lot to see it full of Thunderbirds!!! This is exciting....mine is down the row!

This is pretty exciting...I'm here where all those ladies in those spectacular hats just were...

Is this our latest Kentucky Derby winner?
 

 

I have to say, it was a spectacular sight; however a lot less dramatic than what is shown on television!  My biggest impression is the T-bird Club....did you know my car (you can just see it there....third one in) was only made in 2004?  I didn't know that; but the woman who owned the "aqua" t-bird knew that....we were invited many times to join this club; have to say, I'm not that pretentious; but it's nice to know I "belong" somewhere!!!

 

 

 

Next stop....the Louisville Slugger factory.... wow; this is a factory?  This is where they manufacture tens of thousands of bats every year??

Of

 



 

 








I stopped writing the blog so many, many weeks ago. and now I'm here writing the postscript.......

 

What a wonderful, wonderful trip....over 8500 miles, 40 stay-overs; some good...some not as good, but always, always an adventure.  Have to report no more grandkids; but we are now great-grandparents....welcoming Aubrey on January 15th...how blessed are we???

 

How blessed are we....

 

This is a beautiful country; we are blessed....

 

We come home to wonderful children and the greatest grandkids EVER; we are blessed...

 

We come home to a beautiful home; we are blessed...

 

We come home to old friends; we are blessed....

 

We come home to really old friends (not Old...just old) friends; we are blessed...

 

We come home with the memory of new friends....and continuing those friendships; we are blessed...

 

I am absolutely overwhelmed with where I have been; what I have experienced.  Thank you, God, for my world.  I AM TRULY BLESSED.....and I still have more living to do.  Who could ask for anything more!!!

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Garden of the Gods RV Park
Colorado Springs, Colorado

June 7 - 11, 2014

You may not be able to see it, but we so love concrete sites!!!  Beautiful site looking onto the Midland Trail Bike Path.  Remember always to request an executive site!!!

 

Pike's Peak...our destination here...what do we have to look forward to:

 

Our last trip on a cog railroad was up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire.  The only three cog railroads in the world:  Mount Washington in New Hampshire (done that; got the t-shirt!!); Pike's Peak, Colorado (done that; got the oxygen!) and Switzerland...(never gonna happen!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you notice the 14,110 feet elevation?  Now, combine that with 9 degree weather and 50 mph wind....talk about needing oxygen!  Have to say they offered "aerosol" cans of oxygen when we boarded....and we bought one:  50 puffs of mint-flavored oxygen for only $8.  I think it was a bunch of bull; Ken thought it worked!!  You knew the oxygen was gone when there was no further feeling of mint!!!!!!

The views were outstanding.....

Katherine Lee Bates, born in Falmouth, originally wrote the lyrics of America the Beautiful as a poem,  and the music was composed by church organist and choirmaster, Samuel A. Ward.  Bates originally wrote the words as a poem, Pikes Peak, first published  in 1895.  At that time, the poem was titled America for publication.  Ward had originally written the music, Materna.  Ward's music, combined with the Bates poem, was first published in 1910 and titled America the Beautiful.  The song is one of the most popular of the many American patriotic songs.

Let me tell you....it was damn cold out there.  9 degrees and the wind.....I saw a small piece of ice that could have been a projectile to hurt anyone in its path!  I do have to say, I question that big hulk of a man who hung onto the railing on the right not to let me pass...no matter what!!!

 

 

Comfortably back in the rail car for our trip back.....

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Then a jaunt through Manitou Springs:

 

Miramont Castle (who wouldn't want to live here?)



 

Lunch at Manitou Springs Brewery!

 

 

 

 

Next stop:  Garden of the Gods; a city park....wow, I don't think you can say that about a lot of city parks!!!  We enjoyed the Ridge Trail, (thank you Lord), a somewhat level, concrete trail.  Unfortunately, you will find a lot of novice hikers (like us) and little kids (not like us) on this type of trail; but enjoyable nonetheless!

Balanced Rock
 

 

This "city" park gave us as much enjoyment as a lot of the majestic national parks; however, you can't really compare the two.....let's just say, there's a lot to enjoy in the exploration of this beautiful, what-may-be-around-the-corner country!!!

We leave here, the real last stop on our southern country tour....we leave here with conflicting feelings; our explorative trip is over, one we had so looked forward to and so very much enjoyed...Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona; Vegas; five National Parks in Utah; three mega stops in Colorado; yet we still have a cross country trip home; seeing states we have never seen before.  And the end result:  HOME!!!  Can't wait!!

Golden , Colorado

Dakota Ridge RV Park
Golden Colorado

June 3-7, 2014

Great park...maybe a little tight when maneuvering the rig around, but who can complain when you have concrete drives and some grass!!!

 

 

We came to Golden hoping to meet up with our former neighbor and great friend, Diana Hayes...unfortunately, that was not to be.  So we spent a couple of days enjoying the company of our neighbors, Linda and Bob, and wandering around Golden...the home of the Coors Brewer

 

 

 

 

We arrived to what we thought would be an immediate walk-through, self-guided tour of the brewery....wrong!  We waited at least 30 minutes to board a bus to take us into the brewery.  But, for my sake, as a past-long-time Coors Light drinker, and for my daughter, Sarah, we would do this, no matter how long it took!!!

 

 

Tasting room....yeah, I really didn't need this....
 

Then, our free 8 oz. taste.....I chose Killians...."I'm A Believer"...my new lager of choice!!!

 



Spent a day enjoying Golden....

And its bulls!!!
 

The Colorado River is feeling its oats....overflowing its banks and making walkways around the area off-limits to pedestrians!!

What a difference from our stops in Arizona and Texas where they were praying for water and every "creek" or "river" was dry and here we are, with each creek or river, exploding!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now to our last "stop" on this wonderful trek: Colorado Springs....Pikes Peak, Colorado.  See you there!

 

 

 

 

Rocky Mountain National Park

Elk Meadow RV Resort
Estes Park, Colorado

May 30- June 3, 2014

We have conquered the Rockies!!!! To be safe, I drove the car behind Ken to save the Beave having to haul or brake those additional 5,000 pounds up or down those steep grades we were expecting.  Piece of cake!!!  Have to say, it was a beautiful drive! 

 

One concern was, when leaving Glenwood Canyon, they were bracing the shores of the Colorado with sandbags, expecting the banks to overflow anytime!!  On the way, we saw signs that cautioned watching for water on the road shoulders...and yes, there were a few areas overflowing, but not yet dangerous.

I haven't taken a lot of time to critique campgrounds; but, I have to say, here we are in a beautiful setting; a great log cabin lodge for entertainment, an impressive office/store area, a humongous fenced-in dog park, beautiful heated pool and spa.....and crappy sites.  Long enough for sure but, muddy, weeded  and certainly unlevel.  Too bad; instead of $53/night (with the Good Sam discount), they could charge $100 and I would be a happy camper!!!!

By the way, these are our views from our campsite (worth the crappy site):

 

 

You may remember this is an area where last spring they had devastating flooding.  On our way to Estes Park on Route 34 we saw many cabins and homes that were just hanging over the banks that had been washed away last year.  The road was still in a clean-up mode with a lot of new construction, meaning stops and starts along the way.  After arriving, and with Ken being as diligent as he is about watching weather and roadways, we found our planned trip to our next destination could cause us a wait of at least an hour...so we've changed our plans to backtrack the way we came and find the highway, once again!!

 

 

2013
 

We spent a day walking the streets of Estes Park.  I have to say, as the time has come closer to spring, the number of people out and about in any of these tourist towns has grown.  This town is developed along the Big Thompson River (which is the same river that caused so much damage last year).  Thank goodness this is not what we saw this year; but as the river's banks grow, we have seen many sandbags waiting at the doors of so many stores, readying for what may come.

 

2014

Getting kind of high here!

And moving a lot faster than normal!

 

 

This is what happened on Route 36 and why we're heading to our next destination via Route 34!!

Let's get back to what brought us here:  Rocky Mountain National Park.  I would have to check to be sure; I think Capital Reef was probably a bigger park, but we cover a lot of ground here.  And more than ground, we cover altitude!!!  Up and up, and up, and up. 

First stop, Bear Lake, 9,450 feet elevation.  Beautiful, crystal clear water...no bear!!  We're following the path as the rangers are trying to clear it of snow.  Have to say, this is where the air felt the clearest....beautiful!

Flathead Peak on the left

Wow, that didn't take long...let's head to Trail Ridge Road, which had just opened.  Trail Ridge Road is the highest, continuous paved road in the U.S.  It climbs from 7,800 feet to more than 12,000 feet.

One of Ken's complaints along this stretch of road was that they couldn't put the scenic pullouts where they would have made the most sense....however, maybe not the most "secure"!!  We did manage to get some good pictures though!

And then, I think, the best:

Those roads on the right are the ones we climbed to get here....I hope that gives you the magnificence of this sight!!!  Taken at Many Parks Curve.

And yet, we were not finished....we have reached the clouds!!!  We're at 11,000+ elevation here.  This isn't a place for skiing; this is a place for admiring!!

 

 

 

Now, we have to start downward!!!  I have to say, I am now truly an expert on the Acadia's five LOW speeds...thank goodness, we shouldn't need new brakes when we get home!!!  However, my white knuckles are another story!

 

 

Haven't seen too many wildlife this trip.  Here's a female elk we met along our way.

 

Headed home to enjoy ribs at Smokin' Dave's Ribs, recommended by Jean and Jim Frye (thanks, guys) and a glass of wine to wind down another day of wondrous sights!!!

Took a nice ride to Mary's Lake;  

 

 

and then to Lily Lake, where we took a short hike around the lake.  Believe me, at 8,940 feet up, an 0.8 mile walk can still wind you!!

 



 

Look...wildlife!!



We're heading out of Estes Park in the morning, heading to Golden, Colorado (near Denver).  See you there.