Part 1 - What I did on my Summer Vacation

With late July's oppressive humidity/heat here on the gulf coast, we took a two week hiatus with Joe and the grandkids to re-acquaint ourselves with the bliss that is southern Colorado in high summer.  Of course, for us in Louisiana we have to pay the price...a long drive across Texas.  Some of us passed the time more productively than others.  You be the judge who did the better job.

It was all worthwhile when we pulled into the Amarillo KOA, which was trying real hard to be a destination resort in the "Jewel of the Panhandle".  Although Jack was intrigued by the idea of a 72 oz steak at the Big Texan steak ranch, we passed on the free limousine shuttle from the campsite...and though it was hard to resist, we likewise passed on the "scenic" hayride.  However, the facilities were fine and everyone got a good night's rest for the next day's push into the promised land.

We took the traditional route to CO through Raton Pass, but at Walsenburg we cut between the Sangre de Christos and the Wet Mountains on CO 69.  It was very scenic with some beautiful views and a lot of appealing property (but a long ways from anything else).  We did see buffalo grazing in an open area.  It also cut off quite a few miles to Cotopaxi and passed through the interestingly quaint town of Westcliffe, so the route worked really well.  If we weren't so close to Cotopaxi and so road-weary, it would have been worth poking around there for a few hours.

We were glad to get our spot in the Cotopaxi KOA on the banks of the Arkansas river.  We had all been there before at different times (Audrey didn't remember because she was only one yr old at the time), and we found it pretty much the same...a nice first spot in which to begin a Colorado vacation.

Naturally, very soon after we set up camp, Jack and I had to test the waters (even though it was a little high and discolored from the monsoon rains).

We spent the next day on a drive up Chalk Creek to the old mining town of St Elmo.  The trout fishermen in the bunch were eyeing Chalk Creek with piscatorial lust in our hearts, but we forged on to the ghost town.

Even though there were once restroom faclities in the town, they were unavailable to tourists, and we had to trek back down the creek to Chalk Lake, the site of Joe and Chris' very first trout catches long ago.  The lake was the same but the fishing wasn't quite as hot.  Jack caught a small cutt-bow stocker and I caught a few small browns in the nearby creek.  It was a good spot for a restroom break and picnic, though.

The next day was scheduled for whitewater rafting (except for me, who drove up and down the river in search of a nostalgic dose of Arkansas river brown trout...successfully, I may add...but we didn't get pictures of either activity).  I did get a few pictures of Joe re-creating an experience he had a couple of times - climbing the rocky hill across from the KOA.  I took him and Chris on that climb when they were 6 & 7, and Joe took Jack when they lived in Colorado many years ago.  Audrey wasn't feeling so hot after a day at high altitude, so it was Alcice and Jack who made the trek (I put on the zoom lens and took pictures from the comfort of the campground...who says you don't acquire wisdom with age?)

And here's a backed-off view to give a little perspective of scale.  If you look closely, you might be able to spot Joe's orange shirt to the right near the summit.

Finally, we ate like kings for the most part on this trip; however, I'm not sure these two would agree for the particular choices they made on that morning...and though I've gotten that reaction from some of the things I tried to cook on campouts (in the distant past), I can't take credit for this one.  Glad I didn't partake.

 After the aforementioned river time the next day, we headed over Wolf Creek Pass to the Durango Riverside resort (former KOA north of town).  Details of our time there will come in installment two in the next post.