Moving a short distance
This was Sunday. August 6, 2017, a moving day for our next RV Park, which was the Colorado Springs KOA, located in Fountain, CO. The relocation would only take about a half-hour drive. Our stay at the Fountain Creek RV Park was necessary until a spot was open at the KOA.
We were going to take our time before leaving the Park until I talked to our neighbor, who had family coming for a big breakfast cookout. So, we left about 10 a.m. to make room for their family from OK to park next to their RV.
About ten miles south on I-25, we pulled into a Walmart parking lot to do some needed shopping. We took our time. We even thought about walking to a nearby Starbucks but changed our minds.
The exit for the KOA was only another five miles away. As we exited and took the overpass to the outer road on the east side of the highway, we noted three big motorhomes were waiting to get into the KOA. We pulled up and parked on the road behind them, waiting our turn to check in. We only had to wait about 30 minutes to get to the office and our orientation.
We were entertained by the activity at the water park next to the pool. It was a pretty cool area for kids, the best we had seen on the road. As we settled into our site, the older couple next door, noted that they were long-term guests. And, we later learned that the wife was working at the concession stand at the pool.
I had to try out the pool area. I found the pool water was warm, the hot tub was hot, and the water at the kid pool area was cold. After swimming, I stood under a “shower” position to cool off before going back to the RV.
Rain tries to interfere with supper
That evening, I was to cook supper on the grill. Rain was coming. So, I set up under the pinion area which hooks into the fifth wheel. It provided enough cover to stay fairly dry while cooking!
After a supper of hot dogs and hamburgers, we were able to get the Grit Channel on TV and watched Walker Texas Ranger and, then, John Wayne in McClintock. It was macho TV night!
First, a selfie at Pueblo
It was Monday and we had plans to see the Royal Gorge. However, due to family ties, we wanted to get our selfie with the City Limit sign for Pueblo, CO.
My oldest daughter, Victoria, married into the family of one of the two civilian crew members aboard the USS Pueblo, which was captured by North Korea, January, 1968. The crew were held prisoner in North Korea for 11 months. The ship has yet to be returned. This was a traumatic event for all involved. It is worth reading about if for no other reason than to understand the mistreatment and constant harassment that these men endured.
And, we are happy that Richard Dunnie Tuck, affectionately known as “Friar” Tuck, was able to marry soon after his return to the USA and had a son to whom my daughter is happily married!
The Big Canyon near Canon City
I had often heard of the Royal Gorge. So, we decided to make it one of our destination spots while visiting the area south of Denver. US Hwy 50 goes through both Pueblo and Canon City, which is near the Royal Gorge.
As we drove US Hwy 50 to Canon City, the area became more tourist centered with various gifts shops and museums related to dinosaur digs, etc. The Gorge offered many fossil hunting opportunities, as far as what we could see. We stopped at one gift shop on the way into the Gorge and one on the way out. Both were fun stops.
From Canon to the Canyon
The drive from Canon City to the Royal Gorge is scenic and the road is narrow. It ends in the Visitor Center parking lot. The Center is fairly new due to a forest fire that jumped the canyon and burned down the old structure and surrounding buildings, in 2014. The suspension bridge was salvaged. And, there is a new cable car, gondola, system.
We started our tour at the water clock. Then, we walked across the bridge. The various pillars of the bridge are named after the states. And, the view to the bottom is over a thousand feet down. The Arkansas River, with occasional blue rafts, has obvious rapids. The railroad runs along side of the river and offers more motion to follow down below.
We stopped at a theatre on the opposite side of the Gorge to learn the history of how it became a tourist attraction, along with how the bridge was constructed, etc.
The gondola ride was nearby but about 200 feet higher in elevation. It was hard on my knees but the walk back across the bridge was going to be difficult, too. The sky was cloudy, with occasional mist, and as we loaded into our gondola, the clouds were thick around us at that moment. As we left the station, the gondola dropped several feet due to the slack in the cable. That worked in our favor as we dropped below the clouds and could see the bottom through the glass sides! We got some good pictures on the ride over.
Next time, I think that I would do things in reverse. I would be rested when I reached the other side. Then, I would walk down the hill to the theatre. I would rest during the movie for the walk back across the bridge. Those thoughts are for those of you who might plan to visit the Royal Gorge. I should also mention that there is a zip line for the more adventuresome!
A Free Dinner and a Scenic Route Home
We were tired and it was getting late. So, we decided to eat in Canon (pronounced “canyon”) City. We had a gift card for IHOP. Yea, a free dinner!
We surveyed our road map and determined the shortest route back to the RV was on CO Hwy 115. The highway borders Fort Carson most of the way and meets I-25 just north of the KOA. The low cloud bank made for some eerie scenes against the mountains to our west.
One More Sight to See
We had two more days at this KOA before moving to the KOA at Ft. Collins, CO. There was one more sight of interest that was left on our list to visit. I will share that story in my next post. Until then, safe travels!