Monday, June 15, we hit the road about 7:30 AM, heading north out of Liberal on US-83, then west on KS-51 and north on Road 20 up to Moscow. Then it was Road Y west over to KS-25 north to Ulysses. We turned west on US-160 to Johnson City (this one actually is west of the Cumberland Gap, as the song says), then north on KS-27 into Syracuse. US-50 west finally got us into Colorado and all the way over to La Junta. There we found lunch at Boss Hogg’s Saloon & Restaurant, which was very good. Back on the road, we continued west on US-50 over to Pueblo, followed by a bit of interstate driving on I-25 (ugh!) up to Colorado Springs and the final turn on US-24 up to Manitou Springs and Garden of the Gods RV Resort.

ODD: Before leaving Boss Hogg’s, I popped into the ladies room. It was a 2-stall setup, BUT…only one door. The handicapped side didn’t have one at all, and it didn’t appear that one was ever there. That is just a little too open for me!!

SIDE NOTE: Part of today’s route was along the old Santa Fe Trail and near where several shortcuts converged, creating an important camping site at the Lower Springs of the Cimarron. Today the area is known as Wagon Bed Springs, thanks to someone setting a wagon bed in the ground to collect the spring water. The 60-mile stretch between the Arkansas and Cimarron rivers, called the Jornada, was very dangerous, both from a water and Indian perspective. Jedediah Smith, a famous explorer and fur trader, was lost and without water for 4 days before he found the river. Unfortunately, that’s also where the Comanches found him and ended his exploring permanently.

Tuesday morning MW started with a good walk, and I followed a little later. On my way back, traffic on the 4-lane came to an abrupt halt just behind me. Mule deer! Two does crossed the busy 4-lane, wandered among the stopped cars, trotted up the sidewalk, and jumped a fence into a motel grass area. After cleaning up back at Priscilla, I headed out for a pedicure at Beez Nails, which was pretty awesome, then did a little writing at McDonald’s. While there, my iPhone did some kind of reset, and when I tried to log in, it wouldn’t let me. It needed verification from another device, but my computer was using the iPhone hotspot, which was now not connected. WHAT THE HECK!! That also meant I couldn’t access the GPS. Thank the good Lord I knew about where I was! Otherwise, I’d have been in a pickle!! This technology is going to be the death of us all!

Wednesday we headed out about 10 AM to find place to drop MW’s dress shirt to be pressed. That took several attempts, and the first two were closed. I guess dry cleaners are becoming more and more scarce as people become less and less formal. Next we stopped by the Visitor Center at Garden of the Gods for a trail map for our planned hiking this weekend. Then it was off to do a little sightseeing. We headed out to check out Rita. (More on that in a minute.) As we were driving over, MW saw what we believe was a wolf in a meadow on US-14. It was too big to be a coyote and grey. We turned around to check him out, but he was not visible when we made it back to the spot. If it was a wolf, and that is what I’m going with, that’s pretty cool in Colorado as the population is very low. First we drove through Victor. This town is west southwest of Colorado Springs, but you have to get there by a pretty circuitous route thanks to those giant mountains. The town was founded in 1891 after gold was discovered nearby, and people came pouring in. Three years later there were around 8,000 residents and two things happened: 1) Victor officially became a town, and 2) Harry, Frank, and Warren Woods struck gold right in the middle of it while they were digging a building foundation. Talk about luck!! That became the Gold Coin Mine. Much of the town burned in 1899, so today you see a lot of buildings that were built that year. Although overshadowed by nearby Cripple Creek, I was surprised at so much great architecture. It is a pretty little town. In its heyday, most of the actual miners working in the area lived in Victor, while Cripple Creek housed the owners and investors.

INTERESTING SIDE NOTE: Before Jack Dempsey became a world renowned fighter, he worked as a mucker in the Portland Mine in Victor.

Next we rode right up the road to see Rita the Rock Planter by Thomas Dambo. This guy creates giant sculptures out of recycled materials all over the world. There are many in the United States, and I have long wanted to get a gander at one up close and personal. It was pretty cool. She is a short but steep walk from the Little Grouse Mountain Trail trailhead. Alternately, you can drive to the upper parking lot at the defunct American Eagles Mine, which is still a little walk, but takes out the hard part. Plus, the scenery is gorgeous! Rita is made entirely of repurposed wood and is slowly planting rocks to fill in the holes from previous mines and remind us to take care of the earth. I loved it, and am now going to have to find more Dambo pieces! We checked her out, then took a look at the mine stuff.

Back in the truck we headed over to Cripple Creek (are you hearing a song) for lunch. After circling around a bit to find a place to park Big Jake, we walked up the street to The Creek Restaurant. The food was pretty delicious, and the waitress was spot on, even though it was just her third day! Before heading out we popped into a couple of shops, too. Cripple Creek is another big mining town and was the site of the last great Colorado gold rush in late 1890. The town was incorporated a couple of years later and had a population of around 800. Prospectors began to flock to the area, and within 3 years, that number was around 10,000. As with most gold mines, that fizzled out over a few years, and by 1905 the population began to decline as some mines closed. Although never totally deserted, the town became a popular “ghost town” for lookie-loos in the later 20th century. Today, however, it is a big tourist destination with quite a few casinos, restaurants, and shops. Plus, the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company (SSR Mining) is still pulling about $1.2 million worth of gold out of the Cresson Mine every day. It is the richest mine in Colorado’s history and the only one of significance still producing.

It was finally time to head back to Priscilla. On the way up the mountain there was a sign to watch out for bighorn sheep. On the way down, we actually saw a baby along the edge of the road, but curiously, there were no others around. We also saw several Yaks. On the way in we picked up the brake parts for the permanent fix to the issues from the last post. We were happy to be out of the HEAT, but it had been a beautiful day.

Thursday we headed out at 8:00 AM taking a circuitous route to check out a few things. First up…Royal Gorge Park and Bridge. How cool! The world’s highest suspension bridge when it was completed in 1929, I confess to being a little tense walking the 1260′ across at more than 956′ up (or down as the case may be), especially since there were 2″ gaps between the boards so you could see to the bottom. On the other side of the bridge we saw a movie about the gorge and bridge construction, and I learned that each board is only 3″ thick. Does that seem thick enough to you? Me neither!! The park has a gondola and zip line across the gorge, a Skycoaster that swings you out over it, and opportunities to hike and climb up the rock walls. Since we were gearing up for more than a week of serious activity, we didn’t partake of any of that. We have been to the gorge before, though. That time we took the Royal Gorge Route Railroad from Cañon City, so there were no heights involved. It was a gorgeous ride, and totally worth it.

We continued toward our objective, passing 3 pronghorns and LOTS of prairie dogs. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument has been offering up fossils since study began here in the 1870s. They’ve found lots of bugs, flowers, leaves, and other small fossils, and you can see examples in the displays at the Visitor Center. However, the biggest thing to see today are the petrified giant redwood stumps. There are also 14 miles of hiking trails in the park. We checked out the movie, then walked the 1-mile loop trail to take a gander. By the time we were done, it was after 1 PM, and my stomach was gnawing at my backbone. We headed over to Divide, Colorado, and stopped at McGinty’s Wood Oven Pub for sandwiches. Then it was back to Priscilla to relax for a bit.

Later we headed over to Cracker Barrel in Colorado Springs to meet someone who holds a sweet spot in my heart…A. J. Ring. He is the youngest son of my BFF Tina Ring, who happened to be born at just about the same time his Mom and I met. Now all grown up, he is in the Army and stationed in Colorado Springs. We haven’t seen him since Tina and Keith’s wedding a few years back, and it was really nice to spend time hearing about his life and seeing how he has grown into such a fine young man. It’s amazing how time just keeps flying on.

Friday morning started with MW replacing the hub, drum and brake assembly that we had issues with in the last post. As with nearly every job, it can’t go too smoothly…one bolt wasn’t threaded properly, so MW would need to find a fix. While he took care of that, I got the laundry out of the way. Then we headed up to Denver to pick up Cadence aka Cutie Booger. MW dropped me at the airport, then went to solve the bolt issue. Both check-in to pick up my pass and security had almost no wait, so I was at the gate at least 1-1/2 hours before her scheduled arrival. I spent the time doing a little writing, then finally, a little after 3 PM, the kid arrived. I was so excited to get Cadence’s Great Adventure underway. After picking up her bag, MW scooped us up and we were headed back south. For supper we popped in at Freddy’s in Castle Rock, then hit the grocery store before making our way back to Priscilla in Colorado Springs. By then it was relaxation time!

Saturday morning we were up and out at 7:30 AM to beat the crowds at Garden of the Gods. The attempt was unsuccessful…apparently everyone had the same idea. We enjoyed hiking for a couple of hours anyway, and the weather was perfect. This park has spectacular views and rock formations. Nearly 500 acres of the park once belonged to Charles Elliott Perkins. A railroad man, he purchased the land with the thought of building a summer home. He later added more acreage, but never built the house. Upon his death, his children donated the land to the City of Colorado Springs with strings: 1) it would forever be known as the Garden of the Gods, 2) it would remain free to the public, 3) no intoxicating liquors would be manufactured, sold, or dispensed on the property, and 4) no building or structure would be erected except those necessary to care for, protect, and maintain the park. At one point there was a large bird up on one of the rocks pitching a fit. We watched for a bit and found out later it was a Lanner Falcon. Never saw what was upsetting him, but he was gone when we circled back around.

By the time we were finished there, we were starving. We popped over to Adam’s Mountain Cafe in Manitou Springs, which had a fairly limited menu. Next we parked down the road at a public lot and caught the free bus into Manitou Springs, which I highly recommend if you have a large vehicle. Parking there can definitely be hard to find. We got off at the Pikes Peak Cog Railway station, and before long, were headed to the top. This train is one of only three left in the United States still running that operates on a rack and cog system. A toothed rail runs up the mountain, and a cog wheel on the train pulls it up the rail. (Think of a gear meshing along a flat, toothed rail, kind of like my old Spirograph round piece with the long, tongue-depressor-shaped piece. Man…I used to LOVE that thing!) Other types of trains could not handle the steep grades, but this one has been doing it for 136 years!! It took about an hour to make it to the top, and when we stepped off of the train, it was COLD!! While 65 or so at the bottom, it was 45 with a 20 mph wind at the top. Brisk!! We went inside to try the “Famous Pikes Peak Donuts” in both cinnamon and a chocolate covered variety. Our consensus…definitely calorie-worthy. After taking a few view pics, we were back on the train for the ride down. Cadence was surprised at how sleepy she felt, but the lack of oxygen at 14,115′ will definitely wipe you out. There are quite a few “fourteeners” in the United States, but Pikes Peak is the furthest east.

In making reservations for this day several months ago, I forgot how long the train takes to go up and return from the peak. On the way down, I thought we were crunched for time. As it turned out, we stepped off of the train and a bus was waiting without a crowd, so we had no delay. Well, except when the driver stopped at a pull off and said he was taking a 5-minute mandatory break. It all worked out, though, and we had time to pop by Priscilla and get cleaned up. As we were heading back out to the truck, a deer was milling around right at the trailer. She didn’t even flinch when we came out, either. It is a fenced property, so she must be a good jumper! Supper was at the Flying W Ranch, which is a pretty cool setup. One of the original ranches in the state of Colorado and once owned by Senator Robert Douglas, the property was purchased by the Wilson family in 1947 who moved their operations from Kansas. About 6 years later the dinner started as a simple meal after the city folks finished their horseback rides and included western music afterwards. The first year they served 1,650 people, just opening 2 nights a week. In 1957 they introduced the Flying W Wranglers, their house band. By 1963, they were serving 125,000 people a year, 7 nights a week. Wow! today the same family still runs the place and the Wranglers still play, albeit with different singers (more than 70 have passed through so far). They have hiking trails, a rock you can climb up on for a view, wagon and train rides, various animals, and demonstrations. Cadence and MW went off to climb the rock, which ended up being closed, so they rode a train instead. I waited for the Native American dance demonstration, which was neat. Dinner is dipped out for you in a buffet-type line and included brisket, roasted chicken, baked potato with toppings, Flying W beans, homemade roll, apple sauce, and spice cake plus tea, coffee, or lemonade. Yum! After stuffing ourselves, we watched the hour-long Flying W Wranglers show, which is five guys that sing a lot of western songs in 4- or 5-part harmony and tell a few stories and jokes. We all had a great time, but I think we were all exhausted by the time we made it back to Priscilla.

Sunday morning we headed over to the Colorado Cowboys for Jesus Church for some good music and a great Father’s Day sermon. (Cadence was a little melancholy at being away from her Dad for the day, but they had a good conversation later.) After going back to the campground to change and drop MW off, she and I went on a necessary shoe shopping run. Well, after stopping at Arceos Mexican Restaurant for a taco lunch.

OOPS: When Cadence and I were leaving the Mexican restaurant, I didn’t cut the wheel far enough and clipped a car behind me. DANG!! I really did look in the backup camera and saw the guy, but then turned my attention to what the GPS was telling me. Me: “Did I just hit that car?” Cadence: “I think you did!” I got out to make sure everyone was okay, and the woman immediately apologized for being grumpy, but her husband had just bought her the car. (Apparently she said or did something that I didn’t hear or see.) I felt so bad, hugged her, and apologized profusely! I clipped her right front with my right rear, and thankfully, the damage to her vehicle wasn’t too bad. Big Jake has some surface scratches that will probably come out with rubbing compound. I let them know I was from out-of-state and asked if we needed to have a police report. Her husband, who was actually driving the car, happened to be a Progressive agent, so he knew we just needed to trade information. After doing that, taking pics of both vehicles, and me apologizing again, we said our goodbyes. Then I called MW and let him know I scratched up Big Jake. You know, I’ve been driving for 47 years and have had 3 speeding tickets and two minor fender benders that were my fault. What are the odds that I would do something like that with one of my Boogers in the car??!! I wonder if it is going to turn into a massive accident in the retelling? They may start talking about taking away Yaya’s license!!! Just in case, here is the proof.

The sandal hunt took a few stops, but we got the job done and made it back in time to get dressed. Our evening began with dinner at The Melting Pot. Fondue was a new experience for Cadence, and she said she liked the cheese. (Definitely like mother, like daughter! LOL) Then it was on to something pretty special. She is into chorus and music, and when planning this trip, we got really lucky; Broadway at Pikes Peak was doing Mamma Mia! We had front row center seats with the orchestra pit right in front of us. IT. WAS. AWESOME!! I was really impressed that Cadence actually knew the words to most of the ABBA songs, too! What an evening!!

Monday we were up and out early to head into the mountains at Woodland Park where we spent several hours on an off-road UTV tour courtesy of Great Outdoors Adventures. It was cool, and very dusty. We were hoping to see some animals, and were happy with a bull snake, a bunch of chipmunks, a beautiful elk doe, and a mule deer. I was surprised at how beat up I felt when we finished and also a little shocked at the amount of dirt all over my face except where my glasses blocked the dust. (Wish I had thought to get a pic of that.) We stopped in at Peak View BBQ & Taproom for sandwiches. The food was delicious, and even more memorable was the little bird that was trapped inside the dining room. Poor little thing just wanted out, but was still stuck indoors when we left. We were all tired when we made it back to the campground.

Tuesday was our last day in Colorado Springs, and we had big plans. First thing in the morning we headed over to Broadmoor Outfitters to suit up for some serious ziplining. This is the one activity that I expected a little push back on from Cadence, but amazingly, she jumped right in and even wanted to go first on the zips. These are not your normal little ziplines, either; they are billed as one of the top ziplines in the world. There were eight lines, with the first two being easy peasy…50′ long and maybe 20′ above the ground. After that it was ON! The highest line was ~580′ above the ground crossing a canyon, and the longest was ~1,750′ and ~180′ above the ground. In the middle of that we had to hike for about 25 minutes total with 14 lbs. of gear hanging off of our shoulders and cross two long suspension bridges high above the canyon. It certainly was a test in overcoming fear of heights!! Then the final blow was to step off of a platform 180′ in the air and do a controlled rappel to the ground. Guides Derek and Abbi were amazing and made us feel comfortable even when we were dangling HUNDREDS of feet in the air. I think we all really enjoyed it, and would do it again. I’ll willingly admit, though, that I was totally exhausted by the time we made it back to the truck about 4 hours after we started.

It was past lunch time when we finished up there, and I, for one, was starving! We stopped in at Snarf’s Sandwiches in Colorado Springs, which was really good. Then it was on to our final activity in Colorado Springs. We have two requirements for the Boogers on these trips, and one is to go to a military and/or aviation museum. (We are trying to groom little pilots, air traffic controllers, or veterans.) This time it was the National Museum of WWII Aviation at the Colorado Springs airport. It was a pretty cool collection spread out in several hangers. The most awesome thing is that all of the planes are air-worthy and flown enough to keep them that way. Cadence has apparently had a few good history teachers (including her Dad who is a walking history encyclopedia), because she was able to give us bits of the stories we were seeing in the displays. We love that, because knowing our history is so important. I’ve shown you a lot of plane pics in the past, so this time I stuck to a couple of interesting bits. On the way back to Priscilla we popped into a couple of shops in Old Colorado City, then just beat the rain back.

This was our second stay at Garden of the Gods RV Resort. Last time I wrote a review, but didn’t give any pics, so here are pics. For this visit in June 2026, we paid a little more than $114 per night for 9 nights in a deluxe site, which we didn’t feel was worth the extra expense. They make it sound like it is a lot more space, but it is just a slightly wider pad with a picnic table. The length was too short to park our truck without maneuvering it in sideways.

Wednesday was moving day, but we didn’t have to hit the road until about 10:30 AM. Cadence learned all about buttoning everything up for transport and helped me with my part. Then we took CO-94 and US-24 east over to Peyton, where we turned north on CO-79. This road skirted the east side of Denver all the way up to Prospect Valley, which was a beautiful drive through flat farm/ranch lands. Cadence got her first look at pronghorns and prairie dogs, both of which we saw in abundance. A quick zig-zag west to Keenesburg got us to lunch at The 1919 Cafe. Then CR-49 north, followed by US-34 west got us to Greeley. There we made a quick stop to check on an old friend. Captain Scott D. Largent is buried in the Linn Grove Cemetery there. He was MW’s best buddy back in his USMC days, and died in 1993 just a few months before our wedding. (Sadly, he took his own life, and it sure tore MW out of the frame. The fact that no one saw any signs left a lot of questions and a hole in the hearts of his friends.) Cadence and I checked out the swan pond while MW visited for a minute, then we got back on the road due west over to Loveland where we ended our drive at Boyd Lake State Park. After setting up, MW and I relaxed. Cadence took a nice walk around the park before bedtime, checking out the beach area.

Thursday it was time to explore the first national park I ever fell in love with…Rocky Mountain National Park. They require entry passes, and we went for an early one (6-8 AM entry) in the hopes of seeing animals. That meant heading out about 5 AM for the hour-long drive. Bear Lake Road is one of the most popular areas, so after entering the park on US-36 out of Estes Park, we headed there first to beat the crowds, stopping at several overlooks and taking short hikes. The weather was grey and drizzly, but didn’t rain too much and the park was still beautiful. After returning to US-36, we headed northwest to US-34, then took that all the way up to the Alpine Visitor Center at 11,796′. That got our girl above the tree line and into the tundra. The last part of that drive had us in the clouds with limited visibility, though, something Cadence wasn’t a fan of on mountain roads. At the top we did a little shopping and had a snack. The clouds started to break up a bit, but then closed back in for the first part of the return drive. We retraced our steps back to Deer Ridge Junction, then followed US-34 back through Estes Park to Loveland. Along the way we caught sight of a handful of bighorn sheep up on the rocks. I wasn’t fast enough with the camera, though.

We made it out of the park a little after lunch time. Since the grey, rainy weather had not cleared up, we decided on an indoor plan for the afternoon. Papa had been wanting to see Sheep Detectives, and it was still playing at one of the local theaters. Both Cadence and I were a little skeptical, but it ended up being a very funny movie. Aside from snacks at the theater, we carted ourselves back to Priscilla to eat some of the leftovers building up. Cadence went for a little walkabout after supper. About 20 minutes after she left, I had a little heart-racing moment. It had been fairly nice by the time we got back to the park, but as I was checking email, the wind started picking up. Out the window we saw REALLY dark skies with lightning coming in our direction. I called and texted Cadence, but she didn’t respond, so I grabbed the keys and headed for the truck. Just as I was about to pull out, she texted that she was almost back. She had apparently been preoccupied digging around at the beach when she looked up and saw the clouds, then ran most of the way back. It took a few minutes for my heart rate to slow down!! Whew!

I mentioned the two requirements we have for the Booger trips, and this beautiful Friday was the day to fulfill Cadence’s second…an adventure in the air. Previous Boogers have been in a helicopter, a hot air balloon, and a Citabria tail-dragger, and we work hard to make each one different. Cadence was scared to death that we were doing the hot air balloon thing again, but I have no idea why. Hot air balloons are awesome!! We kept her in the dark until our arrival at Mile High Gliding in Boulder, Colorado. Thankfully, she was fine with that, and after a little briefing, spent nearly an hour in the air with an experienced glider pilot riding the thermals, which were terrific that day, and enjoying crystal clear views of the Rocky Mountains. MW has been on a glider, but I have not. (It’s on my list.) He says it is the most amazing way to fly and very peaceful. That’s high praise coming from someone who has flown 500 mph at 100′ off of the ground! While waiting for her, there was a teenage girl doing her check ride a glider pilot license and another young man waiting to do his. Cadence was grinning ear-to-ear when she got back, and her pilot was working on convincing her to become a glider pilot, too! NOTE: You might have seen NAVY on the side of the glider. We had nothing to do with that. While I was waiting for Cadence’s return, I also found several nice flower specimens along the fence. After a quick lunch at Raising Canes, we headed back to the RV to relax during the heat of the day.

Later in the evening we headed over to Greeley. Cadence is a taco nut, and we thought she should try Del Taco since you can’t get that in Georgia. I don’t think she was convinced that it is better than that Taco Bell junk, but I definitely am. Next we headed back over to Keenesburg to take a 3-mile walk through The Wild Animal Sanctuary. MW and I are usually settled in for the night by late afternoon, but this place promised more activity in the animals later in the day. It is a rescue place for bears, big cats, wolves, and quite a few other animals. They even have some of the Tiger King tigers. The animals are mostly in large, open enclosures, and the path you walk is elevated about 20′ above. Supposedly the height gets rid of the stress the animals feel when humans walk around the outside at the same level. We were all pretty impressed with the setup. This is only one of their facilities, and they have over 40,000 acres dedicated to saving these animals. Sadly, most of the rescues they get come from crazy people who think it would be cool to own a tiger or a bear cub, or a wolf. Then, when the animals get big enough to be dangerous, they either stick them in cages and neglect them or turn them over. Humans can be so stupid! Here are a few of the pics:

SIDE NOTE: While we were on our way back to the Visitor Center at The Wild Animal Sanctuary a bird was going nuts in a nearby tree. MW figured out the reason. Nestled at the edge of a post on the walkway was her nest. We found another one a little further down, too. Seems like a bad choice in locations with so many people walking through.

Saturday we were up and out at 6:30 AM heading back to Estes Park for our last day of adventure. On the way through town, we were pleasantly surprised by an entire herd of elk milling about. Cadence got to see them close up, so it was great. We made it over to Jackson Stables to saddle up. Our guide, Josie, was great and clearly is a horsewoman. She works here in the summers and attends Iowa State during the school year studying veterinary medicine to become a large animal vet. Ours was a small group of Josie, the three of us, and a family of four. We started out about 8 AM with Cadence riding Houston, MW on Tornado, and me on Flint. The 2-hour ride went into the National Park on trails through the woods in the mountains and fields. Unlike the day before, the weather was spectacular, so we got good visibility and gorgeous views. You might remember our last horseback riding adventure in Kansas. I hurt the ENTIRE time, thanks to my bum hip and could barely walk when we dismounted. In fact, I needed help to get off of the darned thing. This time I had zero pain, and we even did a bit of trotting! It was awesome!

On the ride back through Estes Park we got some more close-up elk views as they wandered along the sidewalks. There was even one in the middle of the road sticking her head into a car! Too cool. We stopped for lunch at Culvers in Loveland, on the way back to Priscilla.

After a quick change of clothes, we headed north up through Fort Collins to Poudre Canyon to meet the Rapid Transit Rafting crew for a little white water fun. Our guide, Kumar, was awesome. He is 50 years old and has been guiding for his entire life. (Incidentally, he is from Nepal and guides vacations there, too! Hmmmmm. We may meet again!) Although the afternoon was very hot, the water was very cold, so it balanced out. Colorado has been in a bit of a drought, so we didn’t get the primo white water, but did get plenty of level 3 rapids. Our raft was the only one with another 13-year-old girl, and she and Cadence jumped in together at the deep part. Overall it was a great afternoon. Sadly, there was a camera malfunction, and we didn’t receive pics of us on the water. On the way back we ran through the Chick-fil-A drive through, then it was back to the campground to SIT! Honestly, I was totally pooped, but amazingly, my body didn’t feel too bad. After cleaning up, we relaxed a little before bed, and Cadence took a last walk around the campground.

Sunday was a little sad for Papa and me…we had to take Cadence to the airport. Papa dropped us off where, once again, the line at the Delta counter to get her checked in was easy peasy. The security line, however, was not. Where last time I walked right to the doors to the actual security area, this time lines began way around at ticketing and zig-zagged all over the place. (Construction has the whole process a bit discombobulated.) Thankfully it all moved quickly, and we were able to pick up a little McDonald’s breakfast and get to the gate with time to spare. We said our goodbyes, and I waited until her plane was taxiing out before heading back to meet MW. Her flight was uneventful, and I know she was happy to get back home to Mom and Dad. With a travel day coming up and a giant laundry pile, I took care of that chore when we got back to Loveland. Then it was back to Priscilla to collapse!! We both enjoy having the kids with us and doing all kinds of fun stuff for their Great Adventures, but we sure are worn out by the time they leave. Nonetheless, I think it will be a little sad when we complete the last one in a couple of years. Until then, I’m just praying God lets me stay healthy enough for the fun!!

Boyd Lake State Park is located right in Loveland, Colorado, with access to Denver and points north, including Estes Park, Boulder, Greeley, and Fort Collins. Boyd Lake is about 1,700 acres when full, but when we were there, they had to close it to boating due to low water levels. Most park activities center around the lake with plenty of boating, water-skiing, swimming, fishing, paddlesports, and waterfowl hunting. Visitors can also walk and bike on miles of trails that are connected to the City of Loveland Trail and Park System. Facilities include a Visitor Center, marina and store, picnic areas, pavilions, snack bar, swim beach, nature trail, playgrounds, fishing pier, volleyball court, horseshoe pits, and boat ramps. The campground offers 140 paved sites, both pull-thru and back-in, with 20/30/50-amp electric. Many also have sewer, and all come with a picnic table and grill, and there are three bathhouses spread throughout. We found it to be a pleasant park with good views and were surprised at how quiet it was, given the proximity to neighborhoods and downtown Loveland. The bathhouse was kept very clean, but was not air-conditioned. It is definitely a nice place to stay to access this area without being right in the chaos of Estes Park or Denver, and we would return. For this visit in June 2026, we paid just over $57.50 per night for 5 nights, which included a $15 daily entrance fee for out-of-staters.

Well, that’s a lot to digest, so it must be time to take a break. Next up…Big Wind, Animals, and a Cave. See you on the path!!

Talisa

Sources: Historical markers, park documentation, websites, wikipedia.

P.S. Thank you so much for reading!  Use the buttons at the top right or bottom to be notified of new posts, and please SHARE, SHARE, SHARE on social media!