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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