Go East Young Man, Go East - oops that was West,

Anyway, we headed east Thursday, not west, on US 50 out of Pueblo through farm land, pasture and the occasional feed lot. Not familiar with feed lots? That is where the cows are sent from farms and pastures to fatten them up for market. Thousands of head crammed in pens just being fed and fattened. Seeing the process always puts me off beef for awhile. Think about that expensive pasture fed beef you buy that was "finished"mI with corn, in many cases this is how that happens. Guess this is why most of those operations are out of sight on backroads. The visual does not conjure humane to me so no pics.

In Lamar we turned south and drove one of the most boring and desolate roads through SE CO to OK.  Acres and acres of nothing, including the Comanche National Grasslands.  We were such a benevolent nation to give them such a wonderfully verdant area of the country. Yes, I am being sarcastic, this land was exactly what you have seen in movies as Indian country, high plains and desert.

Of course we were driving uphill and against the wind so our mpg took a hit (OK, it has never been great but a head wind and big climb don't help.). Turning east at Boise City helped since just west of there is Oklahoma's highest point, Black Mesa at  4973', so east meant we were going downhill.  We dropped 2000' as we drove towards Ft. Supply. And, based on the ever present wind and spinning dervishes encountered, we learned first hand how easy it would be for this whole area to become a giant dust bowl again without irrigation.

We pulled in to Supply Lake after a long driving day. Cat ran into Tempy, ate and passed out on the couch. The next day he spent the whole time inside, sacked out in the AC, never once even asking to come out.  Guess 8 hrs is too much for him in the truck on bumpy (Did I say before OK has the worst roads?) roads and he needed recovery time. Those 8+ hours  very nearly did both of us in too so I guess it was understandable, although Bruce would not let me sleep all the next day recovering.  Seems a little unfair don't you think?

Setting up was a breeze, thank goodness.  We have gotten pretty good with Tempy unless there is alot of time required jockeying to get level.  Site this time only needed plywood on one side so we were finished in 15 min. That meant we could cook hotdogs, eat outside and still enjoy the sunset before hitting the hay. Yea!!

Yesterday was a late morning, a semi-OK Mexican food lunch, grocery shopping on a full stomach (thank goodness I had made a list) and then sitting in the breezy (right! in my view it was down right windy) late afternoon sun watching all the weekend campers show. I think I mentioned in my earlier Supply blog that this park caters to the oil field crowd. I have never been in any campground, let alone a COE campground, where the entrance gate hours are 1pm - 11pm, check-out is 4pm and check-in is 6pm. Talk about getting a late check-out time. And everyone here double tows, e.g. truck pulling camper pulling boat, motorhome pulling truck with 4Wheeler in back pulling a trailer with another 4Wheeler. Lots of boys with toys in this part of country. Quite an entertaining process watching them get all those toys set up. And... are you ready...we even braved the breeze (wind) and grilled steak, vegetables, potatoes in foil and garlic bread. Took both of us to keep things from blowing away, off the grill and the table, but we managed. Best meal we have had outside in awhile. Yeah, I know you are thinking it's probably the only one too, but it still counts.

Today we actually got to visit the historic Ft. Supply since it is only open Th - Sat.  We were the only ones there for 2 hours. We were initially followed in by the DOC van (Remember I had previously mentioned there was a prison on part of the grounds as well as a mental hospital? I am thinking they don't trust visitors.) Guess we were lucky the historical society man came out when we pulled up and parked or who knows, we might have been searched for drugs or contraband. Anyway, we had a wonderful history lesson, learned about the supplies here, the troops stationed, visited the one real building that has been saved with original furniture, visited the stockade that had been reconstructed using the original plans with wood from same location as original and more.  The docent, if you could call him that, was a retired correctional officer from that prison facility as well as a history professor at the local college and the president of the historical society here so we really enjoyed his stories. All in all a good morning.

Now I am getting ready to go back outside and doze in the sun, cooled by that ever present breeze (wind I tell you, wind!) Later...

Liar Liar Pants on Fire...

Left Grand Junction Tuesday morning and headed east on I-70 as originally planned. Problem is we threw that plan away, concerned with all the weather unrest in mid-country. So, after about 7 mi we  jumped off on US 50 that connects the western range of Colorado with the Arkansas Valley and the Front Range, but is a more southern route than I-70. So we drove kinda south and then east through the wonderful Rockies, over Monarch Pass at 11312' and ended up in Pueblo, Co. We stayed at Pueblo Lake State Park last night and again tonight, making our revised (again) plans. You have to have plans so you have something to change - at least that's our motto.

From here it will be east to Lamar, Co and south back to Fort Supply, OK tomorrow. Then on to Sulphur, OK again, and then pretty much on to I-20 and a straight shot towards Jackson where we will probably angle down towards I-10.  We have decided to just get home so we can move on with other plans, thus the interstate driving.  All this screwy weather has made me wonder what our hurricane season will be and whether we should be home for it anyway.

Today we drove all around Lake Pueblo State Park.  The main feature is the Pueblo Dam built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as part of a massive water diversion program called the Frying Pan/Arkansas Project, or Fry-Ark. (Don't you just love acronyms? This one makes  me think of cooking.) This project diverts water from high on the western slopes of the Rockies, under the continental divide to the Arkansas River Basin through 9 tunnels that total over 26 miles to supplement the water poor eastern side of the state. It involves 5 dams, including Pueblo Dam and its terminal reservoir. Water from Pueblo Dam Reservoir continues to feed the Arkansas River that flows downstream to Kansas, the Colorado Fish Hatchery located at the park and at least two aquaduct type ditches that serve multiple municipalities on the eastern side.

The Colorado Parks & Wildlife has leased 5912 acres of land and the 4611 surface acres of water around the dam from the Bureau of Reclamation since 1975 that, along with the adjacent lands owned by them , make up the 12885 acre Pueblo Lake State Park.

Within the park there are 2 marinas, several large boat ramps, 4 campgrounds, group facilities, multiple picnic areas with individual shelters (we are  pretty much in the desert here) and a swim beach that is like a giant swimming hole. (It must be very popular as there were multiple parking lots surrounding it.) There is a paved trail, the Pueblo Reservoir Trail, that connects everthing, as well as the paved Pueblo River Trail that connects the park to the city.

We are camped at Arkansas Point campground, right by the south Marina, and the road to the boat ramp was getting high use, even in the middle of the week. The idea of boats in the high desert have always made me smile, but based on the number we have seen in and out here, there are plenty around. Lots to do here and at only 4600' or so, I would guess we will be back.

Just had a very windy front pass over. Winds were rocking the camper and that always gives me concern, but it is gone now and all seems still outside.  We are supposed to wake to 48° in the morning, but this area will warm quickly. Enough for tonight. Later...

Decision Made - Homeward Bound, Slowly

We have finally made our Alaska vs no Alaska decision and will move SE from here on a slow route back to Crestview, FL and then on to Jacksonville.  Apparently this just wasn't the right time or circumstances for a trip to the big A right now. We are both OK with the decision, in fact Bruce is already planning what project to tackle first when we get home, AFTER we unload this whole traveling ensemble.

We will be leaving Grand Junction early tomorrow morning. Last visits with family this afternoon as they will soon be off back to Breckenridge. Everyone enjoying the afternoon, Bruce & Larry communing over a beer in the garage, Janet taking a short nap after their(Janet & Larry) 35mi morning bike ride on the Monument Loop, Merrick visiting with a friend and I gave my poor, dry cracked feet a spa day and am wandering around in the red dirt in sock covered lotioned feet. Makes for an oriental picture opportunity.

Trip home begins with us driving EAST on I-70 to spend night tomorrow in Seibert, CO and then on to stay at a COE Park outside Junction City, KS. We intend to meander east by southeast over next 6 weeks staying in mostly new locations so will still be updating blog. Trip home will be more like we enjoy, leisurely stays in fewer locations.

This sojourn in Grand Junction, especially these last few days at my sister's, has been wonderful. We have eaten well, relaxed, played, toured the area, enjoyed the vistas from the monument and valued the time wth family. This trip has included probably my best visits with each of my sisters respectively. Well worth any route change!!

I leave you with one last picture from the Monument. Later...