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.

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.

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.

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.)

Wild, Dangerous Beasts are Everywhere!

One of my bigger problems is all of the dangerous animals we encounter in our travels.  I have kids of all ages and it seems that most places we go they are like bait.

Last year we spent the winter in central and south Florida.  I couldn't believe all of the alligators!  They were everywhere.  One campground had a pond in it, and guess who lived there?  Yes, an alligator!

The parks we walked in and playgrounds we played in had signs everywhere that said to beware of alligators!  Why in the world have they not killed them or at least relocated them?  Kids run right by those ponds every day!

This sign is found on the way into the Florida Keys!

Then, of course, there were the sharks in the ocean.  I have never let my kids watch Jaws, and never will.  We had a lot of fun playing in the surf and kayaking the waves.  Cody got a little freaked once when he saw something swim by him in a wave, while he was on the kayak. 

Cody on his kayak at Playa Linda, Florida

I actually paid to hold an alligator!  I rested it on by pregnant belly.  The kids thought I was crazy!
 But then they did it, too!

We can't seem to get away from snakes.  I grew up in the northwoods of Wisconsin.  Nothing deadly can live up there, except bears, lymes disease carring wood ticks, and millions of mosquitos.  But, when I was a kids I didn't even really notice them.  Up there, though, no poisonous snakes.  I could walk through a swamp and not even worry about it. 

Living in Missouri, I have had to get used to copperheads.  We had 13 on our property one year!  We saw one in northeast Kansas, in Marysville.  It got real close to Shae and Josie.  Shae was so mad at it, he chased it down the hill with a tree branch, trying to kill it!

There was one, huge rattlesnake at Superstition Mt. near Phoenix.  He was right on the side of the trail, all coiled up.  Nasty thing. 

Heading into South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana brought a whole nother' level of beast.  Mountain Lions are down right evil.  I hate the way they watch us at the zoo.  Then the black bears, grizzlys, and moose, sure keep us on our toes.  I remember hiking in Glacier National Park.  We all sang, "This is the Day", clapped our hands, rang bells, carried bear spray, and stayed together as we walked to see an amazing water fall.

While at Yosemite, we giggled that the sign said to not even leave food in the open because bears will break into our cars! 

We did see a grizzly and two black bears at Glacier National Park.  I was thankful we were in our van, but just in awe of those magnificent creatures.  Now, if I had been on foot, it would have been another story!

A grizzly at Glacier National Park

A black bear at a bear encounter in Bozeman Montana.

 A black bear at Glacier National Park eating huckleberries.

Black bear in Glacier National Park

Yummy huckleberries

Grizzly at bear encounter

Since being in Missouri, we have killed 3 rattlesnakes and two or three copperheads!  I can't believe it!  I have decided there is nowhere safe, no place is free of its beasts, I just have to learn to live with them, or at least in the same forest as them.  Now, if they come after me or my kids, well, that is another story.  I have hunted my whole life and am not afraid to kill an animal of any sort.

I remember in Key West, there was a scorpion.  It was on my kid's toys.  I took their play hammer and beat it so badly that the only thing that was left was a claw!

I unloaded a whole clip on a copperhead, just to make sure it was dead.  I didn't want to get close to check, so I just kept shooting.

Now, I did check the law, and it is illegal to kill poisonous snakes in Missouri unless they are a threat to people.  Well, all of these were in our yard and where the kids play.  We had to kill them.

Speaking of scorpions, there was a very poisonous one sitting on our atv tire when we were in Arizona.  Cody kept it in a cage for a while until it climbed out.  It was a good thing he didn't have it in the camper! 

Lastly, Cody was riding his atv this afternoon and came across a huge tarantula.  I am thankful they aren't very harmful.  He wanted to catch it of course.

We try to read up on what are the dangers in a particular area or state.  Education is the one of the best deterrents to fear.  We try to learn all we can, and then do all we can to not be a victim.  Beyond that, it is out of our control. 

We pray and trust and have a lot of fun!

There is always something, everywhere.  We enjoy our trip and deal with what each day brings.