Showing posts with label Colorado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colorado. Show all posts
Monday, July 4, 2016
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Brrr...it sure is cold!
We went from the beautiful Colorado aspen forests to the stunning Missouri fall colors. But, all too quickly the leaves fell and now we sit here, in the cold, freezing our traveling rear ends off.
"Move!" You say. I know, our home has wheels so why don't we just up and leave? Head south, go to beaches or deserts. That is what we have done the last three years. Our first winter was spent in Florida, the next in Arizona, and last year in Texas.
We had planned to spend this winter in NM, AZ, and TX but things change all too quickly when you travel. We typically don't make reservations. Sometimes we get somewhere and love it so much we stay much longer than planned, but other times we leave ASAP because of terrible conditions at the campground.
We found one of the worst campgrounds in Kansas this fall. We pulled in and had to jump from the door of the van to the steps of the camper because the spiny stickers were all over the ground. The barbs on them were huge and quite painful. They were long enough to stick through some of the kids sandals!
The kids had cabin fever but I could not let them outside because I knew they would get hurt a lot on these nasty little burrs.
The next morning we loaded up and left as quickly as possible and then checked all of our shoes, carpet, and beds for burrs.
Sometimes we stay at the best campgrounds. My husband and I loved using the hot tub at the campground in Colorado. After the young ones were in bed, my teens watching them, Shae and I would spend time together in the hot waters and relax and talk. Our days were spent kayaking the Rio Grande and four wheeling in the mountains. The scenery was amazing and our time as a family - priceless.
So, here we sit, unexpectedly, in Missouri. It has been wonderful to see our loved ones and a few friends. Hanna had her wisdom teeth out, Cody made knives, and we spent time with my mother. But, now we are freezing and want to head south. Thankfully, our camper is warm as can be. The three electric heaters and our propane furnace keep it nice and warm.
Gas prices going up. What to do? Where to go? Today the temperatures were wonderful and made us want to get south even more, to somewhere we can enjoy nice days all the time!
Still, we learn to enjoy everywhere we go. Whether cold, hot, rainy, dry, high, or low, we try remember that happiness is a choice, not a place to go.
"Move!" You say. I know, our home has wheels so why don't we just up and leave? Head south, go to beaches or deserts. That is what we have done the last three years. Our first winter was spent in Florida, the next in Arizona, and last year in Texas.
We had planned to spend this winter in NM, AZ, and TX but things change all too quickly when you travel. We typically don't make reservations. Sometimes we get somewhere and love it so much we stay much longer than planned, but other times we leave ASAP because of terrible conditions at the campground.
We found one of the worst campgrounds in Kansas this fall. We pulled in and had to jump from the door of the van to the steps of the camper because the spiny stickers were all over the ground. The barbs on them were huge and quite painful. They were long enough to stick through some of the kids sandals!
The kids had cabin fever but I could not let them outside because I knew they would get hurt a lot on these nasty little burrs.
The next morning we loaded up and left as quickly as possible and then checked all of our shoes, carpet, and beds for burrs.
Sometimes we stay at the best campgrounds. My husband and I loved using the hot tub at the campground in Colorado. After the young ones were in bed, my teens watching them, Shae and I would spend time together in the hot waters and relax and talk. Our days were spent kayaking the Rio Grande and four wheeling in the mountains. The scenery was amazing and our time as a family - priceless.
So, here we sit, unexpectedly, in Missouri. It has been wonderful to see our loved ones and a few friends. Hanna had her wisdom teeth out, Cody made knives, and we spent time with my mother. But, now we are freezing and want to head south. Thankfully, our camper is warm as can be. The three electric heaters and our propane furnace keep it nice and warm.
Gas prices going up. What to do? Where to go? Today the temperatures were wonderful and made us want to get south even more, to somewhere we can enjoy nice days all the time!
Still, we learn to enjoy everywhere we go. Whether cold, hot, rainy, dry, high, or low, we try remember that happiness is a choice, not a place to go.
THE FOLLOWING PICTURES ARE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GET CABIN FEVER!
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| Shae taught Gabriel how to feather his hair like he did in the 80's. |
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| Giving kids sugar while cooped up is not a good idea! |
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
4th of July in Oakley Kansas in the middle of the glorious wheat harvest.
After leaving Marysville, Ks, we spent the night in Oakley, Ks. It is a very small town on the way to the border of Colorado. We happened to arrive while the wheat was being harvested. I told the kids how blessed we are to live in a country where there is so much food.
That night we celebrated the 4th of July. The fireworks were so short and so small but we thought it was great the town still held them. I loved it just as much as a big show. So many towns don't have the money for a show but somehow this little town found a way to spend some money to remember our freedoms and how special they are.
As I stepped out of our camper to watch the fireworks with my family and numerous wheat harvesters, I was taken back by the thick smell of cow poo! Wow! It was so smelly! I don't think we have ever camped anywhere it stunk so bad.
We all laughed and thought it would make for a memorable 4th of July!
It was very surprising as we pulled into Colorado. The landscape was extremely dry with almost no trees. This type of terrain stretches for miles and miles. There weren't many crops because of dry conditions. Slowly, we made our way to the Rocky Mountains and finally saw Pikes Peak. It was very exciting to see the famous mountain and our soon to be home for a month.
That night we celebrated the 4th of July. The fireworks were so short and so small but we thought it was great the town still held them. I loved it just as much as a big show. So many towns don't have the money for a show but somehow this little town found a way to spend some money to remember our freedoms and how special they are.
As I stepped out of our camper to watch the fireworks with my family and numerous wheat harvesters, I was taken back by the thick smell of cow poo! Wow! It was so smelly! I don't think we have ever camped anywhere it stunk so bad.
We all laughed and thought it would make for a memorable 4th of July!
It was very surprising as we pulled into Colorado. The landscape was extremely dry with almost no trees. This type of terrain stretches for miles and miles. There weren't many crops because of dry conditions. Slowly, we made our way to the Rocky Mountains and finally saw Pikes Peak. It was very exciting to see the famous mountain and our soon to be home for a month.
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| Pike's Peak is in our sights! |
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| Pike's Peak in the distance. |
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Colorado or South Dakota? Where to go? ...On to Colorado!
Sometimes choosing where to go next is very difficult. It is not just about what we want to see or where we haven't been; we have many things to take into consideration and that can take a lot of time.
This summer we had to chose between Colorado and South Dakota. Shae, my hubby, had talked about going to Colorado all winter. He had never been there and really wanted to go. So, after our time was up in Texas and then Missouri, we were ready to head to Colorado.
Sadly, the area we were planning on going to had wildfires. I had lung problems when I was pregnant and we try to stay in clean air environments. Smoke is not one of them. Also, with the wildfires in Arizona, the wind was bringing the smoke north and into Colorado. With all of these complications, we decided to give it two weeks to clear up and if not we would head to South Dakota and the Black Hills.
With the hot weather fast approaching Missouri we decided to head to Marysville, Kansas for a week and then make our final decision there.
Thankfully, the fires were almost gone and that put Colorado on the agenda for the summer. We love South Dakota and were a little sad to not go back, but we had heard so much about Colorado we thought we better go.
There were two campgrounds we were considering staying at for a month. The first one was in Canon City on Hwy 50. It is called Starlite Campground. The rates were extremely affordable and it has a pool so we were a little excited. The only down side is that it is in high desert. We really wanted to see the forests in Colorado.
At the last minute we found the Krystal Kangaroo Campground in Manitou Springs, Colorado. Some friends of ours were doing some volunteer work at a Nazarene Camp in Divide, CO. and told us about the Krystal Kangaroo. We would have gone to the Nazarene campground for volunteer work, but it does not have full hook ups and is over 9000' up. Our friends had us up for dinner and it is a lovely camp that I do recommend.
On to the Krystal Kangaroo.... Well, we were told it is nothing fancy and that is the truth. I even found an opinion on line about the place that was not favorable. But, the price was great and it was in an area we wanted to see. The ride up to the campground made me a little nervous -though, Shae had no problems with our huge camper. He maneuvered it like a pro up the hills and corners to the campground. Pulling in, we found the end spot that we requested. I try to get a site on the end so we don't have neighbors on both sides. The kids can get a little loud so it is better to have some privacy. As we were deciding if the spot would work, the camp host came down. She looked a little nervous as she saw both vehicles, camper, flat bed, four ATVs, four kayaks, seven bikes, and then six kids hiking around. I reassured her we were respectful and good neighbors. Someone had told us the camp hosts were not nice but I must disagree whole heartily. She was such a nice lady. We hit it off right away and felt at home almost immediately. I find that if you just give a person a chance to shine, they will. She was very welcoming and friendly. The campground does have rules which we tried to obey. I think as long as campers obey the rules and try to be respectful to the owners and neighbors, we can leave having a great time - for everyone. Also, the campground was clean and well maintained. It is not a fancy campground, but for people who are there to see the sites and just need a good place to come back to, this is great. We prefer not to park in towns so this campground was perfect. It had beautiful views, privacy, quiet, and adventures with wild life.
While the guys were getting the camper pulled in, the kids and I were at the van. Suddenly, a deer just walked out of the woods and right up to our van! It wanted food! Later we were told the deer there only like potato chips and popcorn. The kids were hilarious as they stood in shock at the deer approaching our van. I know that all wild animals can be dangerous so I told the kids to get to the other side of the van and I politely shooed the deer away. It went around the van and to Cody who loved the visitor.
We were so close to them, but in the safety of our van. Mama decided to walk closer to us and the camp host walked to the van quickly. We all know very well the dangers of a mother bear.
Mama bear didn't get too close and went back to her cute baby. The kids loved seeing the bears. What an amazing experience. It was great because we were in the safety of our vehicle with a can of bear spray in a bag in the middle. Otherwise, I would have had a heart attack.
This summer we had to chose between Colorado and South Dakota. Shae, my hubby, had talked about going to Colorado all winter. He had never been there and really wanted to go. So, after our time was up in Texas and then Missouri, we were ready to head to Colorado.
Sadly, the area we were planning on going to had wildfires. I had lung problems when I was pregnant and we try to stay in clean air environments. Smoke is not one of them. Also, with the wildfires in Arizona, the wind was bringing the smoke north and into Colorado. With all of these complications, we decided to give it two weeks to clear up and if not we would head to South Dakota and the Black Hills.
With the hot weather fast approaching Missouri we decided to head to Marysville, Kansas for a week and then make our final decision there.
Thankfully, the fires were almost gone and that put Colorado on the agenda for the summer. We love South Dakota and were a little sad to not go back, but we had heard so much about Colorado we thought we better go.
There were two campgrounds we were considering staying at for a month. The first one was in Canon City on Hwy 50. It is called Starlite Campground. The rates were extremely affordable and it has a pool so we were a little excited. The only down side is that it is in high desert. We really wanted to see the forests in Colorado.
At the last minute we found the Krystal Kangaroo Campground in Manitou Springs, Colorado. Some friends of ours were doing some volunteer work at a Nazarene Camp in Divide, CO. and told us about the Krystal Kangaroo. We would have gone to the Nazarene campground for volunteer work, but it does not have full hook ups and is over 9000' up. Our friends had us up for dinner and it is a lovely camp that I do recommend.
On to the Krystal Kangaroo.... Well, we were told it is nothing fancy and that is the truth. I even found an opinion on line about the place that was not favorable. But, the price was great and it was in an area we wanted to see. The ride up to the campground made me a little nervous -though, Shae had no problems with our huge camper. He maneuvered it like a pro up the hills and corners to the campground. Pulling in, we found the end spot that we requested. I try to get a site on the end so we don't have neighbors on both sides. The kids can get a little loud so it is better to have some privacy. As we were deciding if the spot would work, the camp host came down. She looked a little nervous as she saw both vehicles, camper, flat bed, four ATVs, four kayaks, seven bikes, and then six kids hiking around. I reassured her we were respectful and good neighbors. Someone had told us the camp hosts were not nice but I must disagree whole heartily. She was such a nice lady. We hit it off right away and felt at home almost immediately. I find that if you just give a person a chance to shine, they will. She was very welcoming and friendly. The campground does have rules which we tried to obey. I think as long as campers obey the rules and try to be respectful to the owners and neighbors, we can leave having a great time - for everyone. Also, the campground was clean and well maintained. It is not a fancy campground, but for people who are there to see the sites and just need a good place to come back to, this is great. We prefer not to park in towns so this campground was perfect. It had beautiful views, privacy, quiet, and adventures with wild life.
While the guys were getting the camper pulled in, the kids and I were at the van. Suddenly, a deer just walked out of the woods and right up to our van! It wanted food! Later we were told the deer there only like potato chips and popcorn. The kids were hilarious as they stood in shock at the deer approaching our van. I know that all wild animals can be dangerous so I told the kids to get to the other side of the van and I politely shooed the deer away. It went around the van and to Cody who loved the visitor.
The excitement didn't stop there!
The camp host told us that there are two mother bears and cubs that frequent the campground. There is also a mountain lion that comes in that area. At this point I was thinking about leaving, with all of the kids, I don't like to be in the "wild animal" situation. But, we decided to stay and give it a try.
About 30 minutes after arriving we hear the camp host calling to us to come to her home. I put the kids in the van and drove the 100' to the front of her house.
There they were....mama and baby.
We were so close to them, but in the safety of our van. Mama decided to walk closer to us and the camp host walked to the van quickly. We all know very well the dangers of a mother bear.
And so begins our adventures at
Krystal Kangeroo
Manitou Springs
and
Colorado.
(sad update - the mama bear and cub had to be put down. She was getting into homes and becoming a danger to those in the area.)
(sad update - the mama bear and cub had to be put down. She was getting into homes and becoming a danger to those in the area.)
Friday, September 2, 2011
UTV in the Mountains of Colorado - Home School Fun!
We had a great time today taking my new Kawasaki Mule UTV up the mountains of Colorado to study beavers. There is no better way than to actually see what you are learning and no better way of getting there but in an off road vehicle.
We didn’t see any live beavers, but we did see the aspens they had chopped down with their huge teeth. The kids made their own beaver dam in a branch off the main stream. Cody helped them build it while I kept watch for poop, cows, bears, and mountain lions. Thankfully we were by ourselves for a while!
The trip to the dam was stunning. All the kids were in seat belts, talking, laughing, and having a great time. We have a roof on the top to keep the sun off the kiddos, so there were no complaints about the heat. It was so relaxing for me – the mom. During the day, life in the camper can get quite crazy, so those moments where all the kids are safe, happy, and hooked-in bring such a peace to my heart. It is refreshing for my soul to take the kids up into the stunning Rocky Mountains for an afternoon of adventure and learning.
While driving we talked about the Aspen trees, mountains, logging, and anything else we saw on the way to our destination, over 9000' up the mountain.
The Beaver Dam made a small pond that all the cows seemed to like to drink at. As we jumped from the UTV, we had to dodge cow patties randomly dropped by the huge beasts. At one point the cows seemed to
think they could run us off. I told the kids, “No way! We drove all the way up this mountain to come here, it is our turn!” The cows didn't seem to listen to me and continued to push us away from the pond. Needless to say, I am not quite brave enough to run a herd of cows off of what is actually their home, so the kids and I climbed in the UTV to wait them out.
think they could run us off. I told the kids, “No way! We drove all the way up this mountain to come here, it is our turn!” The cows didn't seem to listen to me and continued to push us away from the pond. Needless to say, I am not quite brave enough to run a herd of cows off of what is actually their home, so the kids and I climbed in the UTV to wait them out.
Tytus honked our horn a couple of times, hoping to scare the cows, but they didn't even look up.
After the cows moved on, we hiked up stream to play in the water, so we weren’t playing where the cows pooped.
We didn’t see any live beavers, but we did see the aspens they had chopped down with their huge teeth. The kids made their own beaver dam in a branch off the main stream. Cody helped them build it while I kept watch for poop, cows, bears, and mountain lions. Thankfully we were by ourselves for a while!
Cody and kids were soaked building the beaver dam. It lasted a little while before it fell apart. I guess we don't make very good beavers!
Our time in the mountains, exploring as a family, is one of my fondest memories of our trip. As I write this my heart returns to those mountains…
Hanna enjoys reading our books on the natural, edible, and medicinal uses for the plants around us. Here she is studying how we can use Aspen trees and Ponderosa Pines.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Colorado Springs, CO
We all enjoyed our tour of the Air Force Academy
The campground had resident bears with cubs...a little scary!
The deer hung out by the campers.
We enjoyed three different trips to Garden of the Gods. I don't care for the name - it should be Garden of Our God - so that is what we called it.I love the fact that there is no charge to get into the park. The property was donated to the city with the condition that it would always be free to enter.
It is definitely not a secluded place to reflect on life; there are people everywhere! Most parking lots are full to the brim.
But, it is worth the visit - really beautiful formations.
Of course the kids loved Focus on the Family's headquarters. There is a huge kids area that is free to go to. There are slides, activities, and more fun than a day can hold. We went back 3 times!
Off-roading was a must while in this part of the country. The dust was terrible, but the views awesome.
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