Category: Drives

Ojibwa Campground, Quetico Provincial Park, Quetico Provincial Park, Thunder Bay to Quetico Provincial Park

Drive to Quetico Provincial Park

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September 5, 2025 at 5:46 AM

41 deg at 6:00

Martha had learned about a special sweet roll while she was waiting on a bench at the shower house back in Rabbit Blanket campground, Lake Superior Provincial Park.  “If you go to Thunder Bay you must try a Persian!” said the young lady who was also waiting for a shower.

So we went to the Bennett Brothers’ Persian Man for a “Persian”, which is sweet bun with a unique pink icing that uses fruit for coloring and flavor. It is a happening place, selling Persians and coffee, but they have other interesting things, like egg salad sandwiches, soups, chili and more. We shared one and Martha got one to go for tomorrow morning.

OK, we are cold, having brought lots of short sleeved shirts and shorts for our August trip. I bought a nice hooded sweat shirt in Wawa, but we need another layer. We could have walked to the sporting goods store, but we drove one block. Our lucky day, there was a going out of business sale. Spending more than an hour in there, we came out with long johns, socks and a nice shirt. I bought a new pair of Keens.

Around the corner, we went to Laura’s recommended coffee roaster, Rose N Crantz Roasting Company and bought two pounds of coffee and two good-looking oatmeal raisin cookies. We asked the nice girl, who gave us a cup of the coffee we bought, where we would find good granola. She referred us to The Bulk Zone, another two blocks away. She said she loves going there. It was truly a cool, unique place. They had everything! No frills, but isle after isle of useful things. From 10 granola bins, I chose 4 and will mix them.

From their website

We made a quick stop at Safeway to buy milk and shaving cream. We were happy to have supported the economy in Thunder Bay, but I was ready to hit the road. We hooked up and pulled out at 11:30. It was very windy, and cold enough that it cut right through you.

On our way west, we stopped at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, the highest falls in Ontario. It is an impressive site, like a smaller Niagara with a solid granite island in the middle. It is also a beautiful river above and below the falls. We thought we would have lunch at a picnic table, but it was too windy and cold, so we ate in the trailer.

The Trans Canada Highway splits in two for a while, 17 going north then west to Winnipeg. 11 goes west, bumping into the border before turning north through Sioux Narrows and rejoining 17 at Kenora. 

Not that 17 is terribly busy, but 11 is much less busy. It winds through hills and forest. There is serious construction of a big power line following the same route. Otherwise I felt I was taking Martha into the middle of nowhere. We passed huge lakes, a few rivers and streams. The conversation was quiet. It was cold, windy, and I wondered if I had made the wrong choice of choosing Quetico. I couldn’t even remember why I chose it, other than the fact that I love Canadian Provincial Parks.

Finally, we made the turn into the park and went into the Visitor’s Center. It was raining and raw. Opening the door, we saw in front of us a big fireplace in the center of the large room. It was warm and a young lady stoking the fire greeted us with a smile. We already felt better.

Registering, Martha felt we needed an electric site, because we were going to have to run the heat pump maybe night and day. I had booked site 21 that backs up to the lake, but we traded that for a pull through with electric. 

It was a tight turn pulling into the site, and I had to pull as close as I could to the left side to get close to the electric post. In a drizzling, cold rain it was still a stretch to connect to power. Martha went inside to get the heat going. 

We enjoyed the warm trailer, observing little movement outside. French Lake was in front of us, about 200 yards away. Martha fixed a nice salad with smoked trout in it for dinner.

The thing about a heat pump is it works very hard to convert 40 degrees to 65 degrees. Every not and then we turned on the heat pump, which runs on propane, to get the floor warm. Again I wondered about this choice. The good news was we had four bars of cell service. No radio or TV stations, but four bars! At least we could get weather reports, and there was a warming trend over the next five days.

Salad with smoked trout
Lake Superior, Ontario, Pukaskwa to Nipigon, Ontario, Terrace Bay

Move to Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

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August 29, 2025 

39 degrees at 5:00 am

We both have the cold now, and it’s one of those that stay with your for a while. After six days here, we are about out of fresh water, although you can refill in front of the shower house. 

The 3.5 hour drive from Pukaskwa and Nipigon is one of the prettiest in America. Winding through small mountains of green forest with lakes on one side and spectacular views of Lake Superior on the other. Islands break up the expanse of the great lake with mountains bordering it. The Trans-Canada Highway crosses many beautiful creeks, streams and rivers.

In Terrace Bay, we stopped in what I thought was Costa’s Grocery, but it was around the corner. Asking about Tony Costa, who was so nice to us 12 years ago, the young cashier said he had passed away, and the family has moved to Thunder Bay.

Looking for a nice spot to eat lunch, we cautiously drove down a winding road to the beach. You never know when pulling the Airstream if you will be stuck, not able to turn around. Luckily it was a large parking lot. We made sandwiches and walked out to Adirondack chairs along a boardwalk overlooking a lovely beach.

A retired policeman struck up a conversation telling us about the history of Terrace Bay and how the main industry has suffered. Then on to telling us about the shooting in Minneapolis, which we hadn’t heard about. A lady stopped behind us as she heard the conversation. That is her home town, so she added to the news.

We walked out to the beach and heard someone calling, “Is that your Airstream?” Four people at a picnic table waved, so we walked over. Glancing at the parking lot, there were now three 25’ Airstreams. We exchanged travel stories, and they highly recommended seeing Fort William in Thunder Bay. We said we had best get on the road and said our goodbyes.

At Nipigon, we stopped at an overlook just past the iconic Nipigon Bridge. There was a tall tower to see the river. A bench commemorated the largest Brook Trout caught in the river. I didn’t measure, but it was well over 30″

After Nipigon, the road became more busy. It is four lanes in some places, and there is serious construction to extend it. It’s Labor Day Weekend, so many are on the road. 

We turned at the top of Thunder Bay on 587south for 30 minutes on a bumpy road to the campground. It is a huge campground as there are lots of things to do here, but at first we missed our site in Pukaskwa.

Candle lighter, Chipmunk, Gear, Lake superior Provincial Park, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Pancake Bay to Rabbit Blanket Lake, Trans-Canada Highway

Lake Superior Provincial Park

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Checkout wasn’t until 2:00, so we took an “easy” hike from the campground through a forest, then across a fen. Martha explained to me the difference between a bog and a fen. Water doesn’t move in a bog, but does in a fen. I wore my bug shirt this time, and the mosquitoes were sure trying to get in. The problem is you get hotter. It would be much more comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt, but that is not an option. 

Back at camp we fixed lunch. I watched two guys across from us pull their big all-one-unit camper out of their site and run into a tree and the post marking the site. It was hard to watch. Then they backed up and did it again! I moved my truck so they could pull across, back up and have a straight shot out. They knocked off a tool box on the side, and I’m sure scratched up the shell. The site was at a 45 degree angle the wrong direction for a one-way road, but still…! It made me very nervous to hook up and get out safely, but thankfully, we made it. 

The drive from Pancake Bay to Rabbit Blanket in Lake Superior Provincial Park is only an hour and 15 minutes, but there are beautiful views of the biggest fresh water lake in the world. We stopped at two overlooks to see such clear water, we could see all the different colored rocks on the bottom.

I talked to a man in a big, old Class A camper – the kind you drive. It looked like it had been around the block a few times. He said it was a 1991, and they were just coming back from a trip into the Yukon. When he started the big diesel, it sounded great! I gave him the thumbs up as he pulled out.

At the next overlook we met a man who was riding a bike across Canada all dressed in pink. It has taken him 10 years, but this trip will take him to Toronto, which is a bit less than 900 miles from here! He had his campsite reserved, and was ready to get to it on his new Trek bike. To do this and carry clothes for all kinds of conditions and camping gear and food and water adds up to a lot of weight. You might guess this is flat land, but it is very hilly with small mountains. 

We passed so many beautiful rivers and lakes beckoning us to come float and explore. We stopped at the Lake Superior Provincial Park Visitor’s center, taking in all the exhibits. Then on to Rabbit Blanket, a very nice campground on a very pretty lake. We walked around to explore before returning to our site, which by the way had fresh bear poop and black fur right behind where we parked the trailer. 

Gear: Candle lighter. I love this thing. It is a rechargeable candle lighter. I love sitting by candle light, writing in the early hours. I also light the stove with it so I don’t wake Martha with the loud stove clicker. Disclaimer: I make no money from this blog.

Cheyenne Mountain State Park, Colorado, Colorado Springs, Pike's National Forest, Pike's Peak Toll Road

Garden of The Gods & Pike’s Peak

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Tuesday, September 6, 2022

It is about a 5.5 hour drive from Durango to Colorado Springs, which is northeast of Durango. It takes us about an hour or so longer by the time we stop for lunch, gas and whatever else happens. Pulling the Airstream makes us a little slower, but not that much. We arrived yesterday, staying at lovely Cheyenne Mountain State Park, a perfect location for visiting the area, yet you feel you are away from it all. It’s a great spot with great views.

We had a list of things to do thanks to Carlotta at the sheepskin store in Durango. We wanted to do two of them today. First up was Garden of The Gods National Natural Area. Located in the city, It is a busy place that attracts visitors like us as well as a great place for locals for hiking, biking or walking dogs. There is an excellent Visitor’s Center with a great porch overlooking the park. It would be much nicer early in the morning when not so crowded, It is also easiest to walk through. We drove and found it difficult to park. Everyone wanted to have their pictures taken sitting or climbing on the rock formations. After a few pictures, I had enough. A very nice guide at the visitor’s center told us about a restaurant at the other end of the park, so we went for a nice lunch.

  • Pike’s Peak behind

Next up was driving up Pike’s Peak, a 14,115′ mountain on the front range of the Rockies. Colorado has 53 fourteeners and the US has 96. I had read about this treacherous drive and was preparing myself. You have to reserve a time to go so the little road isn’t too crowded. The other way to go is by taking the cog train, quite an engineering feat to get a train up a steep mountain. Of course gold was the first call to Pike’s Peak, but it didn’t really pan out.

It was named many things by different people, the first known name was a Ute name meaning Long Mountain. Its current name came from explorer General Zebulon Pike. At the same time as the Lewis and Clark expedition, President Jefferson commissioned him to explore through the Louisiana Purchase territory in 1805-1806. A second expedition took him to the southwest – Texas and New Mexico (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebulon_Pike). I had never heard of him until writing this article, but he is quite an explorer and Brigadier General, killed in the War of 1812. Like Lewis, he kept a journal and later wrote a book that was very popular around the world. I ordered a second-hand copy. You can also read it at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43774/43774-h/43774-h.htm.

The base of the mountain took us to the very cute, little town of Manitou Springs. The road first climbs through Pike National Forest on a normal road. You purchase a ticket @ $10 per adult. Then we passed a small guard house. Thereafter the road becomes steep, narrow and winding. A nice ranger gave some good tips: go slow; downshift coming down into first or second gear – mostly first! I hate this kind of road, on the precipice, with sharp curves and switchbacks and areas with no guardrails. On some of the turns I couldn’t see if anyone was coming or not. Driving on the inside is OK, but when on the outside I’m a wreck. Well a wreck is one thing, but one mistake here and it’s Goodbye! Or what if someone else makes a mistake, texting or videoing while driving? All kinds of thoughts crept through my head as Martha urged me on, totally unaffected. She offered to drive, which makes me even more afraid. Later I asked her what she would do if I fainted or had a heart attack. She said she would reach over and put it in first gear and take control. Pretty cool!

Once at the top, there is a nice visitor’s center and great views all around the top. Some rain came through, obstructing the views a bit. The ravens met us again, making me feel better. I watched with amazement as they sailed through the air with ease at this altitude. Of course they are attracted to areas like this where humans always leave something to eat, or something to take home as a prize.

I was shocked in the Visitor’s Center to learn there is an annual car race up the mountain called Pikes Peak International Hillclimb. This ain’t no hill! It is 12.42 miles, 156 turns and 14,115 ft elevation. It used to include motorcycles, but after four deaths, they quit having motorcycles. I cannot comprehend racing up this mountain!

There is also THE BROADMOOR CYCLE TO THE SUMMIT for those who would rather bike 12 miles with a 4,725 ft elevation gain!

I did as the ranger told me going down. I put it in first or second gear and took it slow, stopping a couple of times at overlooks. I started breathing again when I saw the little guardhouse. I stopped next to it wondering why. A man checked the heat of my brakes and said I was borderline, but recommended stopping to let them cool down for about 10 minutes. There is a small souvenir/restaurant, so we checked that out while I and the brakes cooled down. The rest of the way was a normal mountain road.

Durango, CO, Million Dollar Highway, Durango, Colorado

The Million Dollar Highway

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Friday, September 2, 2022

42 degrees at 6:00, high of 90.

First we went to a Durango fruit and vegetable stand and bought a few things. All the locals seemed to be stopping by. Roaster green chilis are in season.

The Million Dollar Highway is the section of the San Juan Skyway from Silverton to Ouray. Several reasons for the name are 1. The cost to build it. 2. The amount of gold and silver in the fill dirt and gravel. 3. The breath-taking views.

It is listed on Dangerous Roads website (https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/635-million-dollar-highway-usa.html). It is a narrow, mountain road at high elevations with 1,000 foot drop offs with no guardrails. There are also some very tight turns. “The road climbs up to 3 very high mountain passes. Coal Bank Pass (10,640 ft /3,240 m); Molas Pass (10,970 ft /3,340 m) and Red Mountain Pass (11,018 ft /3,358 m). The stretch between Silverton and Ouray, the part everyone goes on about, is only 25 miles in length but takes about 42 minutes. Large RVs travel in both directions often.”

We thought about driving the San Juan Skyway loop, but it is 255 miles, and we have been to the southwestern part of the loop, so we went to Ouray and back. We drove through Silverton again, not wanting to miss anything.

  • Ouray
  • Ouray

On the way back to Durango, we stopped at Pinkerton Spring, right next to the road. It’s pretty cool with hot mineral water percolating from the ground, leaving its mineral deposits all the way down the mountain. A better chance to get in a hot spring was in Ouray, which directs hot, clear spring water into and out of a swimming pool. I’m sure that would be quite nice in November.

Next up was Honeyville, where they have all things honey, and ship all over the country. We bought some honey-flavored bourbon which was good, and of course some honey and some cinnamon-flavored honey.

Arroyo Seco, NM, Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, New Mexico, Questa, NM, Red River, NM, Wildcat's Den, Questa, NM

The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway

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August 29, 2022 

42 deg at 6:00, high 79

Listed as one of the top things to do in Taos is to drive The Enchanted Circle. It is a 2.5 hour drive if you don’t stop, or an all-day trip if you take your time and enjoy the sites, which is what we did. 

Heading east, we crossed into the Sangre De Cristo Mountains and down into beautiful Moreno Valley, stopping at Eagle’s Nest State Park along Eagle’s Nest Lake, fed by the Cimarron River. At 8,200’ it is an alpine lake that is stocked with rainbow and brown trout, Kokanee salmon, smallmouth bass and northern pike.

We poked around in the little town of Eagle’s Nest, but it was early. There were some cute, little shops and a coffee place, all of which weren’t open yet. Eye of The Jewelry was open, so we checked it out. A very nice, gregarious lady greeted us and showed us around. They had some interesting things, including a whole wall of cast iron cookware, both new and old. There was an interesting assortment of baskets. Martha bought some soap that looked like mineral rocks.

This is a ski area in winter and a place to escape the heat in summer. We continued north through this beautiful valley on 38, but had we continued east on 64 across the Sangre De Cristo mountains, it would have also been beautiful. This follows an alternate of the Santa Fe Trail. 

We arrived at Red River and walked both sides of the street. Once a gold and silver boom town, its income is now derived from tourists, with skiing and cool summer weather. 

Next stop on the tour, now heading back west, was Questa. We expected a town similar to Red Rock, but it was much smaller. Googling a good place to have lunch, Wildcat’s Den came up. It’s a small diner where four highway crew workers were waiting for their orders. A cute, young girl took our orders. The Bobcat Burger seemed to be the highlighted choice. I was disappointed to hear it was a hamburger. With fries and a soda, it was $6.95.

We wondered about our choice as more locals came in, many placing take-out orders. For a while there was only one guy cooking and the girl taking orders and calling names when it was ready. Fortunately, another cook came in as the line got a bit longer. It was probably 15-20 minutes before our order was ready. It was good, and it was great people watching – a happening for sure.

We turned south on 522, crossing the Red River. About 20 miles later, we turned northeast to Arroyo Seco. The little mountain town is only about a block square, but it is very cute, with nice, little shops and a great ice cream place with chairs and tables out back by a small stream. A big storm loomed in the background as we enjoyed our ice cream. We got rained out before we had a chance to really explore. Maybe we’ll come back tomorrow. 

Arizona, I40, Rt. 66, Winslow, Arizona

Sedona, AZ to Santa Fe, NM

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Friday, August 19, 2022 

It’s a convoluted drive out of Sedona. You have to drive south, then east to I17, then north to I40 east. On Monday I had taken my truck to Flagstaff for an oil change. I drove north on 89A, which is a beautiful road, but it is a winding, narrow mountain road up and out of the canyon. There are tourist destinations all along this road, and it is also busy with local traffic. Workers and people are going to and from Flagstaff. It was a tough drive in the truck and NO place to pull a trailer! Going this way makes the drive about 8 hours if you don’t stop, and we stopped.

I40 in most places is Rt. 66. I had bought a book about Rt. 66, thinking we might drive parts of it. When Winslow, Arizona came up on a mileage sign, we had to make the turn! Martha was not familiar with the Eagles classic, “Take it Easy.”  I was ready for a cup of coffee anyway, so we took the exit.

Well, two blocks of Winslow make the best of the famous spot. I will never forget the place I first heard the song. I was in graduate school at Ohio State, working in the lab one evening. Mike Majchrowicz, standing on a lab bench against the wall, said, “Hey Dude, listen to this song!” He played it, emphasizing the lyrics, ‘Take it Easy’”. I guess I was being too intense.

The story of the song was also pretty cool. It would be the Eagle’s first hit. From https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-song-the-eagles-take-it-easy/

“Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne began writing the breezy traveling tune in 1971 but couldn’t quite finish it. Then living at 1020 Laguna Avenue in Echo Park, Los Angeles, along with Glen Frey and J.D. Souther, he had been plucking away on his piano. Frey, who was sharing a one-room apartment for $60/mo, heard Jackson in the basement directly beneath him working on an early version.

“He had his piano and guitars down there. I didn’t really know how to sit down and work on a song until I heard him playing underneath us in the basement,” Frey noted in album liner notes. “I had never really witnessed that sort of focus – someone being that fastidious – and it gave me a different idea about how to write songs; that maybe it wasn’t all just going to be a flood of inspiration. That’s when I first heard [this song].”

“Take It Easy” was originally intended for Browne’s own self-titled debut album (1972), but he shelved the piece. “It was Glenn who remembered the song from some time earlier and asked Jackson about it one day,” said band member Don Henley.

Frey continued, “I told him that I really liked it. ‘What was that, man? What a cool tune that is.’ He started playing it for me and said, ‘Yeah, but I don’t know – I’m stuck.’ So, he played the second unfinished verse and I said, ‘It’s a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford, slowin’ down to take a look at me.’ That was my contribution to [the song], really, just finishing the second verse.”

Even with such a small contribution, Browne was immediately awe-struck, saying, “Okay! We co-wrote this,” as Frey recounted it. “But it’s certainly more of him. Sometimes, you know, it’s the package without the ribbon. He already had the lines about Winslow, Arizona. He’d had car trouble and broken down there on one of his trips to Sedona. He spent a long day in Winslow… I don’t know that we could have ever had a better opening song on our first album. Just those open chords felt like an announcement, ‘And now … the Eagles.’”

“Browne, a boyish and mournful young songwriter, started the song with an account of his woman problems. Out of the seven on his mind, he said, only one was a friend. The rest wanted to own him, or stone him. Never mind; take it easy.”

But it is Glenn Frey’s statue on the corner of Winslow, AZ. Next to the statue is a red, flatbed Ford truck with a pretty girl sitting in the driver’s seat. A nice shop across the street sells all kinds of Rt. 66 memorabilia, and a TV shows the Eagles singing the song in their early years.

A friendly black man sat on a bench across the street talking and waving to everyone while eating a sandwich. Behind him was a very cool vintage Airstream and truck. The man and I exchanged greetings before walking across the street to get an espresso. After a little more wandering, we decided we had best get back on the road. We pulled out beside the man, who had now settled behind an electric guitar. It would have been nice to sit down with a coffee and listen. He waved and shouted, “Hey man! You travel in style!” I smiled and waved back.

  • Jackson Brown?
  • Glenn Frey?
Rt 89, The Narrows, Zion NP, Utah, Watchman Campground, Zion National Park, Zion National Park

The Narrows, Zion National Park

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July 11/12, 2022

Featured picture by Karen Human

We drove north from Cannonville, through Tropic and Bryce on Rt. 12 and turned south on 89. I read an article called “Everything’s Fine on 89”, which I can’t find now. From https://usroute89.com: “Tour seven National parks, fourteen National Monuments and three Heritage Areas all on one road. It runs north/south from Canada to Mexico, named #1 Drivers’ Drive in the World by National Geographic.” There is a Road Trip Map Book on US Route 89. We have driven it several times on this trip, but I may have to make a point of driving all of it.

We stopped at the Zion Mt. Carmel Tunnel so the tunnel could be cleared for us to drive the 1-mile tunnel right down the middle. Having ripped off the air conditioner from my trailer on a covered bridge, I am a bit sensitive about tunnels and bridges. This one is pretty cool though, and an incredible engineering feat. Zion’s mountains are breath-taking. 

  • Zion, Mt. Carmel Tunnel
  • Overlook for lunch
  • Ford Bronko
  • Watchman Campground
  • Pa’rus Trail
  • Watchman Campground
  • Virgin River
  • Visitor’s Center

We stopped for lunch at an overlook, taking pictures on both sides of the road. I talked to a man who parked his brand new Bronco behind us. It’s a pretty car with some great features. He said he had waited seven months to get it, but it was worth it. He loves it!

We wound our way down the valley walled by incredible, towering mountains on both sides. We turned into Watchman Campground and backed into a nice site, B20 and set up. It was hot, very hot, so we walked down to the Virgin River, a beautiful, clear stream and stepped in. There is a toxic Cyanobacterium Bloom in the river, so we are warned not to submerge your head or drink the water. 

Upstream, people sat in chairs in the water while their dogs romped up and down stream. Too bad because the stream is a great relief from the heat, and we want to hike The Narrows, which follows the river up a narrow canyon.

Our air conditioner can’t keep up with this heat. It trips the 30 amp breaker to the Inverter, which gets very hot. I have to let it rest a while before trying it again. Between cell phone reception and heat, our guests’ nerves are getting tested. The kids have been on a number of trips with us, so they are pretty familiar with the Airstream. This is the first extended trip for Karen, so she has a lot more to get used to. I admire her resolve. Our routine is to do a hike in the morning, come back, have lunch, take a nap and another hike in the evening.

We set out the next morning to hike The Narrows. I went in my fishing boots, while Martha and Josh rented wading boots. We all rented walking sticks. It’s a cool hike, not unlike trout fishing where you wade from one side to the other, or along a path on the side as you navigate upstream. The man at the rental center said it gets up to your chest in places, so I didn’t bring my camera. It never got up to my waist. especially coming back down, Melissa happily walked right down the middle of the stream, enjoying the cool waters.

  • picture by Karen
  • picture by Karen
  • picture by Karen
  • picture by Karen Human

Karen and I commented on the crowds not being so bad, but as these things go, around the next corner, the hoards came upstream, carrying dogs and babies. 

It’s a cool hike to where the stream splits. Going further would eliminate 96% of the crowd, but we turned around at the fork.

by Karen Human
Great Sand Dunes NP to Moab, Uttah, Moab, Uttah

Great Sand Dunes to Moab

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June 27, 2022 

It rained all night, which I would think is unusual for this area. Yesterday we were able to book another night in Capitol Reef National Park. We had one night in site 28. Now we have a second night in site 29. They have had some terrible flooding. Hopefully it will be OK when we get there in 9 days.

We hooked up and got on the road a little after 8:00. The rains subsided as we drove south on 150 and turned west on 160 again. 160 has proven to be a great and beautiful road to travel. Driving through the cute little town of Alamosa, I spotted a Starbucks, the first we have seen in quite a while. I put on my blinker looking for a place to park and started to turn when I noticed a car coming behind me in the left lane. I really had not realized we were on a four lane road separated by stores. When the car passed, I turned into a vacant lot. the car was a state policeman, and he pulled in too.

Aren’t I an idiot? All for a cup of coffee I really didn’t need. Sergeant Noga, of the State Police, approached the car with what I thought was a very slight smile. “You were trying to make a left turn from the right lane.” “I know it. I was trying to get a cup of coffee”, I said. “You almost hit me. I had to swerve to avoid you.” “I know it. I’m sorry”, I said as I handed him my license and registration. He went to his car to check me out while I just shook my head. “When did this turn into a four lane?” I asked Martha. 

After about five minutes, he walked back to the truck and handed my license, registration and his card to me. With a little smirk, he said, “You can go get your coffee now. Be careful driving.” I smiled, thanked him and gave him a fist bump. Whew! What a nice guy! I walked back and got a cup of coffee, even though I didn’t need one now.

As I am writing this up, I read the card he gave me. “Officer Noga of the Colorado State Patrol has contacted you as a result of a traffic stop. If you have comments (positive or negative) about this traffic stop, you should contact the office on the front of this card using the information provided.”

We are living in a time where some want to defund the police. Here is what the other side of the card says:

“The mission of the Colorado State Patrol is to ensure a safe and secure environment for all persons by utilizing the strengths of our members to provide professional law enforcement services that reflect our core values of Honor, Duty and Respect.”

I sent a $100 Starbucks card to the Alamosa Patrol with gratitude and respect.

We crossed the very pretty Rio Grande River at Monte Vista, then followed it for a while.160 climbs through the San Juan Mountains surrounded by beautiful, green scenery and through Wolf Creek Pass at 10,856’. Headed down the west side, we missed a crowded parking lot for Treasure Falls, but we had a full day of travel, so on we went. 

160 then follows the beautiful San Juan River. We took a drive through very busy Durango, filled up with gas and stopped for lunch on the other side of town. You know you are in the west when I noticed a moss-covered elk antler next to the trailer. 

We drove past places we will return to in a few weeks, Canyons of the Ancients and Mesa Verde.  We got a pretty good look at National Monument, Chimney Rock. At Monticello (pronounced Cello), we turned north on 191. Soon we began to see rocks and cliffs. 

We arrived at Portal RV Resort in Moab, Utah at about 3:30. As we were unhooking and setting up, a man stopped to talk with Martha. Bob Dombrowe lives in Crozet and used to live in Glenmore (our development)! 

We ended up going to dinner with him. He loves this area and came to ride motorcycles through back roads and canyons of the area. He told us all the best places to go, gave us brochures, then took us for a drive along the Colorado River where a bike/running trail winds its way through a beautiful canyon. You can get to this from the campground, and it will be a great place for Karen to run. 

Bob is like a tour guide, knowing the area well. He is on the Crozet Tunnel board and told us the history. I didn’t know there were five tunnels, some of which have been “unroofed”. I was also interested in the history of Claudius Crozet, who designed the tunnels. He taught at VMI, where there is a building in his name.

Colorado, Drives, Driving, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Gunsmoke RV Park, Kansas

Dodge City to Great Sand Dunes National Park

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Friday, June 24, 2022

There are three routes to Great Sand Dunes National Park. We took 56 southwest to 160 because I had never traveled it. This was the last big travel day getting to the southwest for our extended tour.

As we drove through working communities of Ensign, Montezuma, Hickok and Ulysses, we drove through serious farm land, land that had to be watered to make it work. Huge windmills covered the area for miles. As we drove on, there was also oil production. A train line went between the towns, loading grain from gigantic silos. The road was also busy with tractor trailers. The communities were more like corporate work areas.

The further west we went, the drier it got. We saw abandoned homesteads, small, stone structures. If Rt. 50 through Arizona and Nevada is appropriately named The Loneliest Road, Rt. 160 to Trinidad might come in second. As the land became drier, even if land was given to people, they couldn’t make it work.

We stopped in the rather abandoned town for a bathroom break. Fortunately, I checked the refrigerator temperature. It was 44 degrees. The gas was not lit, so I turned the refrigerator off, switched propane tanks and turned it back on with no effect. I turned on the gas stove, but the flame was very weak. I know the tanks have propane, but now all kinds of thoughts ran through my head. Did the mice chew up my gas line?

In the small town of Kim, we spotted a big propane tank. Stopping to ask if they did refills, a gentleman said no, but the man across the street sometimes does. Looking across the road, I saw a small, house-type propane tank. I went across and knocked on the door. A gentleman with hearing aids came to the door. “No”, he said, “We used to run the propane business across the street for 30 years, but the new owners don’t do refills.” I told him I thought we had propane, but the flame is weak. He said, “Drive the rig over here. You can turn around in the yard, and I’ll fill it for you.”

Bud was his name, and he is the epitome of a midwest or western gentleman. He also has a camper and appreciates the travel and issues you can have. As he filled the not-so-empty tank, we talked about Kim. There was a pretty stone building across the street that was built by the WPA and is now used by Colorado Highway people.

We thanked Bud profusely, and offered $30 for propane and peace of mind. He took the $10 and refused the $20. 

I loved driving 160 and all it’s changing scenery. I almost hit a big, strong antelope that jumped in front of us, but then jumped back to the side of the road. The speed limit is 65 and I was going 70, so it wouldn’t have been good. I just got a glimpse of him, but I have a vivid picture of him. Best to have a full tank of gas, water and snacks when driving this road. However, if you get in trouble, there are good people to help. 

We stopped for lunch in Trinidad, then turned north on I-25 for 35 minutes to Walsenburg and turned west on 160 again. Pulling into Great Sand Dunes Oasis RV Park, I was a little nervous. When I called to make a reservation, a young man seemed a bit detached. There was no credit card transaction, and they don’t send confirmation emails. We did have a confirmation number. Thankfully, all was well and we proceeded to our campsite. 

It was 3:00, so I had two or three hours to work on our plumbing issue. I am now pretty familiar with taking it all apart, so I removed the faucet with the attached water lines and tried to blow them out with our air compressor. No dice. I tried flushing with water with no luck. I then pushed a wire up the hose, but it wouldn’t go through the faucet. Maybe I’ll just buy a new faucet in Moab, but we still don’t know if the problem is in the faucet or further down the line. Maybe I’ll connect a hose to the cold water line, run it out the door and turn on the water pump. If that runs strong, I’ll put it on the hot water line. If that runs strong, I’ll go buy a new faucet or get someone to take the lines off of this one.

We sat watching the views and the sun go down from our plateau campground overlooking the valley and Great Sand Dunes. It’s so unique to see huge sand dunes up against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the southern section of the Rockies.

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