Spring Branch to Palo Duro to Creede to Caprock Canyon and Back Again

We just came back from an interesting RV trip on which I learned a few good lessons.

One lesson is when big rigs pass you they create a bow wave. This wave will push you to one side and then suck you back to the other—that is, towards the big rig. It is a pretty scary experience at seventy miles per hour.

Another lesson is that it always seems to be windy in West Texas. There is a section of I-27 that is about 100 miles long where the wind never stops. Some wind gusts are enough to give you a good push. We saw one guy in a Class A motorhome getting pushed around and he, correctly I think, decided to pull over for a while.

Our Toy Hauler

We traded in our small trailer for a Forest River Shockwave Toy Hauler. We needed a toy hauler because we like to bring kayaks on our trips and stuffing them into the back of a pickup was a pain in the butt.

This is how the kayaks look inside the trailer.

This is the front of the trailer.

When you take the kayaks out you have a lot of space. In my opinion, a toy hauler is the way to go even if you don’t use it to take along your “toys.” They are very roomy.

Tyler State Park

We started in Texas at the Tyler State Park. This is a very nice park with a small lake that seems family friendly. We stayed in the Big Pine Trailer Area because it had full hookups and “pull-around” areas. The first night we stayed in campsite 62 and noticed that campsite 61 was unoccupied. We checked out then next day but had to return that evening. This time we stayed in campsite 61. We understood then why 61 had been unoccupied – it was very narrow with a big tree at one end. It took a lot of maneuvering to get our trailer out without damaging it.

We walked the road in the park and noticed another trailer camping section called Cedar Point. It does not have full hookups but does have water and electric. It was practically empty and heavily treed. If we go back to Tyler State Park this is where we will stay.

Palo Duro State Park

It had been out intention to stay at Palo Duro for two nights, but when we arrived it was 104 degrees out and I was exhausted from driving nine hours. Since we were going to Creede, CO next, another nine-hour trip, we made a change in plans, deciding to stop at Trinidad Lake State Park in Trinidad, Colorado, for one night.

The little we saw of Palo Duro was very pretty. I was not thrilled with the steep twisting road you have to take to get into the park, but it did provide some great photo opportunities.

This is the view going into Palo Duro.

This is another view.

Trinidad Lake State Park

Trinidad Lake State Park has very few full hookup sites and we were lucky to get one. I will say, though, that all the sites seem very nice. This was ours.

Trinidad Lake State Park has an interesting way of letting you shower. If you want hot water, you have to pay for it by pumping quarters into slots. I think one dollar got you six minutes. So, for the first time, we fired up our own hot water and showered in the trailer. The park also had a decent laundry facility.

Mountain Views RV Park, Creede, Colorado

If you like RV parks then you will like this one. It has full hookups, hot showers, a huge laundry room, a game room, an on-site store that carries RV supplies and a few other features. Below is a picture of me walking one dog and carrying another (I will get into why I am doing that later). As you can see, the RV park is surrounded by mountains that are very beautiful, especially in the early morning and at dusk. The sky at night is just incredible.

It was interesting coming from 100-degree heat to a place that got down into the thirties at night. We actually had to turn on the trailer furnace in the morning. In fact, it got so cold that we had to put a jacket on one of our dogs. Below is a picture of our Coton de Tulear, Lucy, looking down at our Jack Russell/Rat Terrier, Mama.

Then, of course, it got up into the eighties in the afternoon and off came the jacket.

On the first full day, we were in Creede we went hiking with our two dogs in the Rio Grande National Forest. Our white fluffy dog, Lucy, stormed up the path, stopping every once in a while to sniff around. Because of the altitude my heart was pounding after just a couple of hundred yards and I had to wonder how the dogs were being affected.

They did not seem bothered and had no fear of anything. At one place, I stood on a wooden bridge over a raging creek while the dogs decided to stick their heads over the side to see what was below them. It made my very nervous.

There was an interesting rock feature by this bridge—a face of sorts. It’s had to see but look inside the box and you might pick it out.

Here is another view.

Anyway, Lucy stormed up the path for about a mile or so and then decided to go no further. I thought that she was perhaps winded but she was limping. Her feet, not used to the rocky trail, were pretty much cut up. So I, huffing and puffing, had to carry her down. This is Lucy after I let her wade in the Rio Grande to cool her feet.

Needless to say, both dogs slept late into the morning. Getting up late is a rare treat for us so we enjoyed it.

The next day we went into Creede to shop a bit. It is a picturesque little town geared towards tourists. The entrance to the town is quite spectacular.

We did not know that it was the 125th anniversary of the town and, because of that, they were giving away free BBQ and burgers. A highlight of our trip!

After eating we drove up a twisty, steep dirt road to an abandoned mine. I will admit it here—I DO NOT like driving on twisty, bumpy dirt roads that have severe drop-offs. Here is a picture of what the road typically looks like.

When I say “severe drop-off” I mean it. It was white knuckle driving all the way. However, there were interesting sights along the way, such as abandoned mines.

When you see buildings like this you just have to marvel at the fact that miners lugged all the material they needed up the same trails that we drove. How did they do it?

The next day we walked a 2 ½ mile path into Creede, taking the dogs along with us. We had seen signs for a marathon but were unaware that it was happening that day. While we were walking we heard someone shout, “Runner coming!” It was a guy on a bike with a runner alongside of him. The runner was the first-place person and finished in three hours and four minutes. The second-place person finished in four hours and nineteen minutes. And here I was huffing and puffing just from walking.

This is the path.

Yes, I am carrying Lucy and have a little wagon in case either of the dogs wanted to ride. While Donna shopped in town I let them sit in the wagon. They enjoyed it.

The path has some nice artwork lining it. Here are a couple of pictures.

The bench says, “Namaste.”

The carrier for Lucy came in quite handy. She tried to walk but limped a lot so we felt that we had no choice but to carry her along. She did not seem to object.

Trinidad Lake State Park – Second Visit

After leaving Creede we stopped once again at Trinidad Lake State Park. This time we had some time to do some hiking. It was hot and dry (just as every place else in Colorado was) but there were some great views from the paths. Here is one of them.

The next picture gives you an idea of the size of the lake.

We also got to see a horned lizard or, more likely, a short-horned lizard. This is only the second one I have ever seen. They are on the endangered species list so we were happy to encounter one.

Trinidad Lake State Park is a nice place. I recommend it if you are headed towards Colorado and need a break.

Caprock Canyons State Park

After leaving Trinidad Lake State Park we stopped at Caprock Canyons State Park. We got there late so I don’t have much to say about it except that there are herds of bison that roam free. We got lucky and were able to see a few. I can tell you—they are BIG!

Home Again – Home Again

Nine hours after leaving Caprock Canyons State Park we were home. We were able to take back roads (in Texas the speed limit on “back roads” is 75). We arrived just in time for the 100-degree heat.

Colorado and its thirty degree mornings seem quite attractive right now.

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