theboondork's RV blog

A mini-vacation is hopefully in my future.

8/12/2020

Click the pic, click the pic, click the pic.... If you say something three times people remember it. they also get sick of hearing it.

Hibiscus flowers. I was rather disappointed they weren't Watermelons but you can't win em all.

I've been giving some thought to my upcoming mini-vacation, and my first thought is... I wonder when it will be? I'm thinking it should be late this month or early September, leaning more towards later this month.

My grandson's birthday is September 13, so I don't want to miss that. So if I go early in September, It might be too limiting as to how long my mini-vacation can last. But if I go late this month, that should give me plenty of time to see the things I want to see and still get back to Denver in time for the birthday.

As for where I'm going, I've got that pretty much figured out. First, I'm going to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park near Montrose, Colorado. I've been there before, but since I've got to drive right past it, why not stop for the night?

I want to go to Ridgway, Colorado. And yes, that's the weird way it's spelled, just to see some of the places where the John Wayne movie "True Grit" was filmed. The Southern version was named "True Grits."

John Wayne has always been one of my favorite actors, and not for his acting abilities. It's because no matter what movie he was in, he only played one character... John Wayne. It didn't matter if he was a cowboy, a cop, in the Navy, or in the Army, he was always John Wayne.

I would like to visit Telluride Colorado or as the motorcycle guys call it... To-hell-you-ride. I haven't been there in decades, and I was just passing through and didn't see much. Telluride is a beautiful area, but it's not my kind of place. The people there are kind of high class and I'm a couple steps under low class, bouncing around between there and no class.

When Aspen Colorado became a big deal for the Hollywood elites, some of them built homes in Telluride, I guess, just to be different. Oprah Winfrey has a house there. And Tom Cruise has a 60 million dollar shack he visits every once in a while. It's said that Aspen is where the stars go to see and be seen, and Telluride is where they go to blend in and relax. Although I really can't see Tom Cruise blending in with anything taller than a yard gnome.

I'm going to Silverton Colorado for sure because it's a beautiful place in a beautiful area and deserves a visit.

Ever since I camped on the bank of the Rio Grande River in New Mexico I wanted to visit the headwaters of the Rio Grande in southern Colorado. So I think I will go to the Creede Colorado area and see if I can go up the river until it turns into a Creek.

If I have time, I want to go a little further south and visit Mesa Verde National Park. I know the cliff dwelling tours are closed because of the Bat flu, but I've been there many times before, so that's no great loss. This time I would like to stay at the campground in the park so I could get some sunrise and sunset pictures of the cliff dwellings.

So that's what I'm thinking of doing now, but none of it is written in stone. But somehow or another I do need to get up in the mountains... I can hear them calling.

theboondork

Close-up of the Hibiscus flower.

Small white flower

8 Comments

OFM

8/12/2020 05:12:54 pm

You have convinced me. I need to take a mini-trip too. Maybe up into the west Texas mountains for a week or so.

Tom

8/12/2020 06:32:29 pm

There you go! As they said back in your day.... "Now you're cooking with gas". I think that's a great idea, there's nothing like a road trip to clear the mind, activate the senses and you might even stumble on a picture or two. And getting into some cooler weather is definitely beneficial.

If you do decide to hit the road would you take the Arctic Fox? Or sleep in the back of the truck like we've all done at one time or another. It sure feels good to travel light sometimes and enjoy the speed and mobility you get when you're not pulling a few thousand pounds behind you.

I hope that works out for you because it sounds like a lot of fun. And there's nothing that will put a spring in your step like a new view.... Or stepping on a rattlesnake.

Tom

8/12/2020 07:01:36 pm

I would be taking the Castle. After sitting for 5.5 months I would like a short make sure everything works trip. When I had a truck with a camper top on it camping in the back of the truck was a good deal. This truck does not have a camper top. I really liked the travel light and did a lot of it when I lived in Washington State. I used a pickup bed tent for short term camping then. It worked really well.

8/12/2020 08:17:29 pm

Yeah I'm the same way. When I sit here at my daughter's house for months it takes me a while to trust the trailer on the road again.

I wasn't sure if you had a topper on the truck or not, they are handy for a weekend camping trip.

I hope it all comes together for you because you're probably due for a break from Del Rio.

What I'm seeing as I run around Colorado is most tourist things are open and about the only things that are closed that affects tourists are things that require people to get close together like a tour, or a bus ride in a national Park, gift shops in a park, in other words anything that's not essential to the enjoyment of the Park and requires people to get close together is usually closed. But other than that everyplace I go has been open.

Tom.... Been semi-isolating for toooo long.

Judith

8/12/2020 08:27:33 pm

Wow. That's quite an itinerary. Yea for you. I will be interested if you go to Telluride. I was there only in the late 70's. And now, it seems to be a very very different place. But perhaps the waterfall will still be as stunning to see. Weather surely will be good. Won't it? And Creede might be an adventure....Hm. Sounds like I think you should get on the road. I guess because I don't, Vicarious sort of thing. Best wishes, even if you decide to do only a bit of the trip...

8/12/2020 09:17:18 pm

It does sound like a lot of traveling but its actually not. most of those things are within 75 miles of each other so there's less driving involved than it appears. But most of its mountain driving so I won't be going anywhere very fast.

Yes Telluride is very different now, but so is everything else, the only thing that stays the same is change.

When I lived in Woodland Park Colorado my family Doctor had a two-bedroom log cabin in Telluride where he would take a break from his doctoring every once in a while. And he used to tell me how much things changed their especially when Oprah built a house right down the road from his property, and his property tax went skyhigh. Then some of her Hollywood friends bought property in Telluride and now his yearly property tax is almost what he paid for the whole property back in the 70s

I don't expect any weather problems. Normally in the Fall the weather is beautiful but in the high country it will get pretty cold at night.

I think I'll be able to pack it all in considering the length of time I've got. I plan on being gone for 10 days maybe two weeks after all I need a break from all the stuff I do.... Like....ahhhh relaxing...... and ahhhh eating.... and all the other stuff I do.

Tom

8/13/2020 05:09:47 pm

I am laughing again. Things seemed so far in Colorado where there was so much to see......I'm from Texas, and you can go hours and hours and yup, pretty much looks the same. Colorado made it seem like more miles!!!
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8/13/2020 05:42:33 pm

Yeah that works as long as you're in the mountains. But if you get turned around and accidentally end up out on the Colorado plains you will think you're back in Western Texas, or worse, in Kansas.

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A mini-vacation is hopefully in my future.

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