No Place Like Home

In a few hours we will pull into the driveway of our home and this trip will officially be only a memory. We're already planning our next adventure, but for now...here is our trip by the #s and some lessons learned along the way: 

By the #s:

# of days on the road: 24 

# of miles travelled: 6531

# of campsites: 18

# of hotels: 1

Most $ spent for one night at campsite: $26

Least $ spent for one night at campsite: FREE (5 nights, in fact!)

# of National Parks/Monuments visited: 7

# of State Parks visited: 8 (in 5 different states)

# of Chain Restaurants visited: 1 (Chipotle)

# of Rainy Days: 3 

# of States Travelled Through: 14 

# of States Camped In: 9

Most Nights Spent in One Place: 2

# of Nights without a Campfire: 1

# of Bear Enounters: 0

# of likes Scout's picture with the Scamp in WY got on BeOhioProud's Instagram Page: 164

# of books Lisa read: 9.5

Lessons Learned:

-Never walk backwards on a dock. You are bound to get wet.

-Never walk around in a hotel room without the lights on. You are bound to break something.

-The unplanned stops are often the best ones--like Capitol Reef, Four Corners, and Mesa Verde.

-If you think there is a spider in your shirt, take it off. Immediately. Even if you are in the car on the freeway. 

-Follow the directions on campground signs for registering your site. Otherwise you just make more work for yourself. 

-If a mule deer charges you, move "swiftly away." 

-If caught in a mountain storm and all the hairs on your arms and legs stand up, you are probably about to be struck by lightning. Make a choice. Quickly. Either run. Or crouch down on the balls of your toes. 

-Wave at people who drive by in the campground. It's the nice thing to do. Don't be weird and just stare as they drive by. Wave and smile.

-Strike up conversations. You just might learn something or find out something interesting to do in the area. 

-Rain doesn't always mean a lost day. Sometimes it works in your favor.

-Try to leave each campsite better than you found it. 

-as Kevin says, "Picking a campsite is a lot like picking a urinal. Don't camp right next to someone if you don't have to." I guess what he means is--give each other some space. 

-This planet...this nation...is spectacular. It is massive and grand and powerful. And it doesn't care about the chaos and stress that humans care about. While we focus on the minutiae of our daily lives, the sand dunes keep shifting, the rivers keep flowing, the canyons keep getting deeper. It doesn't care what you look like. How much money you make. What labels are on your clothes. It only cares that you take a few minutes to stop and take it all in and do what you can to preserve and protect it. 

And last but not least...

-Home is where the heart is. 

Until our next adventure...there's no place like home. 

Day 23: Denver, Colorado to Kearney, Nebraska & Day 24: Kearney, Nebraska to Danville, Missouri

After checking out of the hotel on day 23, we  reluctantly started our journey east. We set our sights on making it to Kearney, Nebraska. We decided to stay at Fort Kearney State Park--another campsite we stayed at last year--because we knew the area and that it was reachable in a day. 

After a quick stop at the store to get some brats and veggies to grill for dinner, we pulled in to the familiar campsite, found a secluded spot, and began to enjoy one of our last few nights on the road. The weather was perfect and as dusk settled around us he lightning bugs emerged and we watched the sunset over one of the ponds before calling it a night. 

In the morning of Day 24, we packed up again and got back on 70E with the goal of reaching Mark Twain National Forrest in Missouri. As we drove, however, we realized that we would be going out of our way if we went that route, so after stopping for a quick lunch at LC's Barbecue shack in Kansas City, we decided to drive as far as we could and then pick a campsite along the way. We ended up choosing Graham Cave State Park near Danville, Missouri for our last night on the road. It turned out to be an excellent campground! Each site had plenty of trees and the campsite was virtually empty--which was surprising since it is the 4th of July weekend. 

While at LCs Barbeque, we wisely ordered a rack of ribs to go for dinner. So, our last meal on the road was just a matter of wrapping the ribs in foil and warming them over the fire. Delicious. I must admit--I am very lucky. I didn't cook a single meal on this trip. Kevin cooked every meal and they were spectacular--from tacos, to steak, to shrimp pasta, to stir-fry, to burgers--everything was delicious. Between his willingness to drive 90% of the time to his cooking 100% of the time I've been spoiled on this trip! 

After dinner, we both sat by the campfire and talked about the favorite parts of our trip. I read while Kevin organized the bed of the truck for the last leg of our journey and we both stayed out by the campfire as long as we could--knowing that it was the last night of an amazing trip. 

Eventually, though, we went to bed to get some rest before our final drive home. As I type this, we are a few hours from home. We stopped for breakfast at Lu-Bob's Family a Restaurant in Illinois and I've got a homemade piece of blackberry pie waiting for me in a to-go container in my lap. The dogs are sleeping in the backseat of the truck, and we will be in Ohio in a matter of miles. It will be nice to be home--where water runs out of the faucets, the toilets flush, there is always air conditioning if wanted, etc, but I'll miss the spontaneity of being on the road, cuddling with Kev and the pups in the cocoon of our trailer, being disconnected from news/media/electronics, the quiet of nature, the calm, the stillness. There will be more road trips for sure, but it's still bittersweet to say goodbye to this one. 

Day 22: Blackhawk, CO to Denver, CO

With the unexpected win at Video Poker we decided to splurge for one last day in Colorado before we start making our way back east. 

We booked a room at the pet-friendly Hyatt hotel in Denver, Colorado, so after packing up camp we made our way to Colorado's State Capitol to start re-joining civilization! 

Colorado as a whole is very dog friendly. Bringfido.com lists 77 restaurants in the city that allow dogs. We opted for the Denver Beer Company. I'm glad we did! They have a nice patio, tasty brews, dog treats, and a food truck. Today's food truck was called "Amazeballs"--and their meatball certainly was amazing. 

After an hour or so on the patio it was time to check in at the hotel, so we walked back to our parking spot (with a minor pit-stop when Kevin got Scout's stuffed duck and four subsequent sticks stuck in a tree on an unfortunate toss before knocking it loose from the branches) and checked in at our hotel a little after 3 pm. 

After cranking up the air conditioning, taking nice hot showers, watching a bit of TV for the first time in 3 weeks, using a hair dryer for the first time in 3 weeks, and sprawling out on a giant king sized bed as opposed to the double bed in the Scamp, we decided to leave the hotel and actually go out and explore the city for a bit. We put the dogs in the Scamp and set out for Cherry Creek North--sort of like Columbus's Short North area--and decided to find a spot for dinner. We decided to go where there was a crowd...and are we glad we did. We chose a restaurant called "Machete" that serves Mexican food and specializes in tacos that you order a la carte. We each ordered three tacos, and I accidentally ordered a lobster taco with a squid ink tortilla shell instead of a shrimp taco, but am I glad I did. Kevin and I wish we each just ordered that taco! It was delicious. (The veggie taco with a purple Hibiscus tortilla was pretty amazing too...)

Will full stomachs, we headed back to the hotel where we thought we would enjoy the best night of sleep of the trip, but unfortunately Scout's stomach did not agree with that idea so Kevin had to take him outside four times during the night. Oh...and let's not forget that Kevin smashed into the light on his side of the bed after returning from a trip outside. He hit the lamp with his face, shattered the lightbulb, and destroyed the lampshade in one fell swoop. Notice how in the picture below one of the lamps is missing...  So we got to spend some time cleaning up tiny shards of glass from the bed and floor at 4 am. You'd think a night in a hotel would have meant more rest than a night in a Scamp. You'd be wrong. 

It was nice having breakfast included at the hotel--not having to worry about making food, washing dishes, etc. this morning was a nice perk! After one more hot shower, we checkout out of our indulgent hotel and reluctantly started our drive east. As I type this, the majestic mountains and rolling hills have already faded to flat fields as far as the eye can see. 

Next stop--somewhere in Nebraska. 

Day 21: Chatfield State Park to BlackHawk, Colorado

Keeping up with the idea of revisiting a few locations and not quite ready to head back home just yet, we decided to spend the day in Blackhawk, Colorado.

We visited the mining-town-turned-gambling-town two years ago and wanted to check it out again. We drove a few hours from Chatfield State Park to Golden Gate Canyon State Park. This park is very popular, and I can see why. The sites are all nestled under my favorite Aspen trees and pine trees and there are modern bathrooms and showers. Thankfully we were able to get a site without a reservation.

We decided to do things a bit differently this time around. Instead of setting up the Scamp we set up the hammock and campfire chairs and relaxed for a bit before towing the Scamp into the town of Blackhawk. We found an open parking lot and parked the truck/Scamp, got the dogs settled in the Scamp, and set out to wander through the casinos--including my personal favorite--The Sasquatch Casino. 

We watched the USA Women Soccer Team defeat Germany in the World Cup Semifinal Match and then played a little video poker. Kevin won $250 with a Straight Flush, so we decided to call it a night and headed back to the campsite with money in our pockets and made chili to warm up a little in the crisp mountain air. We even saw a rainbow on the drive back "home."

Today it was fun revisiting some familiar places. As our trip starts winding to a close, I find myself wondering which locations that we visited this year we will return to in the future. 

Day 20: Great Sand Dunes National Park to Chatfield State Park

We woke up around sunrise, geared up, and headed back out to the dunes for one last visit before getting on the road to our next destination. 

We explored the dunes and the creek, ran down the sides of the hills, and sat and watched the surroundings change as the sun climbed into the sky. 

Eventually we headed back to camp and packed up our site. I highly recommend this park if you ever find yourself in Colorado! The campsite is nice and the dunes provide hours of opportunity for exploration. Some kids were sled riding down the dunes on cardboard, people were riding horses across the dunes, and the chance to try to fathom the creation of these giant mounds of sand is worth the trip. It is my understanding that the park can get very crowded in early June when Medano Creek is flowing, and the Mosquitos can by annoying, but overall it is a great park! It is in bear country, but each campsite has its own bear box for food storage! 

Once we got back on the road we only had an hour and half drive to our next planned destination. We made the decision to stay at a campsite we stayed at last year because of its amazing dog park. It is very rare for us to stay at the same place twice, but we thought  the park was worth it. Vegas loved it last year and we wanted to let Scout explore it too! 

We arrived at Chatfield State Park just outside of Denver in the early afternoon, so after setting up at our first modern campground of the trip--with electrical hook up and water AT our site--we set out to the dog park. The park was flooded from heavy rains and snow melt, so we lucked out with our timing because the dog park had just reopened on the day of our visit. 

The dogs enjoyed an hour or so of running on trails and Scout enjoyed swimming in the pond (Reno opted out of the swimming), and Scout played nicely with the other dogs at the park. We are trying to get Scout as socialized as possible on this trip while he is so young so that we can take him more places in the future. He has been doing great! From kids, to bicyclists, to other dogs, to patios, he has been cool, calm, and collected through it all. It was a little bittersweet being there without Vegas since he loved that park so much, but I'm so glad we decided to get a new pup for this trip! He certainly has made this trip memorable! 

Once the pups were thoroughly worn out, we headed back to camp for dinner and to shower at the nice shower facilities. The entire campsite seemed to head to bed early. It was a calm and quiet night and after reading a few chapters in my book we headed to bed for a solid night of sleep. 

Day 19: Black Canyon of the Gunnison to the Great Sand Dunes

We said our goodbyes to the campsite at the Black Canyon and set out to our next destination--the Great Sand Dunes National Park also in Colorado. 

As we drove on the winding roads we commented about how amazing it is that with the open skies out west it is possible to see an entire rainstorm from a distance. You can see where the sunshine ends and the rain begins. You can see each bolt of lightning extend from the clouds all the way down to the ground. 

Soon, however, we realized that we were driving directly into the storm. The dunes were not visible through the rain and dark skies, and our awe of the storm quickly turned to disappointment because we were so excited to at least see the dunes! And there was no way we were going to climb on them in such a storm. 

We decided to choose a spot at the campsite in spite of the rain, and we sat in the truck and waited for the storm to let up a bit before setting up the Scamp and moving inside to stay dry and relax until Mother Nature eased up on the area. 

Before long the rain gradually slowed to a stop and we emerged from the Scamp ready to check out the dunes. We quickly realized that the storm was actually a blessing for a few reasons: 1) it cleared out the park; the dunes were empty, 2) it cooled off and packed down the sand for easier climbing, and 3) the rain resulted in the seasonal Medano Creek to flow around the base of the sand dunes.

After short walk to the dunes and through Medano Creek, we started exploring the dunes. This park allows dogs on the dunes, and they seemed to love running through the shallow creek and running up and down the mounds of sand. We virtually had the entire dunes to ourselves; it felt like we were on the moon! 

These dunes are the largest in North America and are created by unique wind direction at the base of two mountain ranges. 

After exploring for a while, we decided to head back to camp to make dinner and clean up a bit. The mosquitoes in the area can be a little bothersome, but some bug spray and long sleeved shirts helped! 

We went to bed early with plans to wake up around sunrise to explore the dunes one more time before continuing on our way. I never thought I'd be happy to have a rainy day on the road, but this one definitely worked out in our favor! 

Day 17 & 18: The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Montrose, Colorado)

We woke up in the San Juan National Forest and quickly packed up to get on the road for one of the main planned destinations of our trip--the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. 

We were on the road before 8 am with our sights set on getting to the park in time to get a good campsite before all the weekenders got to the park. The winding roads through the San Juan Mountains were both awe-inspiring and gut-wrenching (although the Black Canyon would prove to be a thousand times worse/better). 

This best surprise of the day was the town of Silverton, Colorado. We saw it from the top of a nearby mountain before we actually set foot in it, and we quickly decided to park the truck/Scamp in the shade, put the dogs in the trailer, and set out to explore the town that a popular train stop for tourists. We strolled through the shops and got some lunch at a BBQ shack that has been featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives and were on our way to get one of the funnel cakes we smelled when we first started exploring the town when we were diverted by the sounds of a girl playing ragtime music on a piano in a place known as Grumpy's. We decided to grab a quick drink at the bar where the friendly bartender answered our questions about the establishment. The building was built in 1887 and the bar was original--shipped in three pieces from England in 1903. We felt like we had walked back in time as the music played and the conversation flowed, and I tried to imagine all of the people who have sat in that same spot over all the years. 

After finishing our drinks and then getting our funnel cake at the shop next door, we headed back to the Scamp to continue our journey to the Black Canyon. 

After a few hours on a rather winding road, we finally arrived at the park. We quickly set up our campsite and jumped back into the truck to explore the South Rim of the Canyon. 

Unlike the Grand Canyon which is made of sandstone and was formed via water and wind erosion, the Black Canyon is made of granite carved solely by the power of the Gunnison River. In all of human history, the Gunnison River--considered nearly unnavigable for white water rafting--has only carved 5 feet of the canyon. The rest was done before humans ever appeared on this planet.  The rocks at the bottom of the canyon are 2 billion years old (Precambrian). The canyon is 2700 feet deep. That is double the height of the Empire State Building! I suppose that is why I couldn't get my heart out of my throat at each overlook. What we especially like about this park is that it is very dog friendly. Leashed dogs are allowed on the overlooks--which is a rarity in most parks. 

After a few hours of breathtaking views, we decided to call it a night and headed back to our campsite to make dinner and relax. 

In the morning of our 18th day on the road, we got up and piled into the truck to drive around to the north rim of the canyon. It was a two hour drive to get there, but the views and seclusion were well worth it. We even got stuck in a Cattle Drive of 300 cows being guided to new pastures by real Cowboys. As the herd surrounded our truck all we could do was watch in amusement. 

Once we got to the north side, we explored the rim of the canyon for awhile, saw a few more dams, ate a picnic lunch, and headed back to our "home" to relax and make plans for the final leg of our trip.

I can't believe it has almost been three weeks on the road. We have met some amazing people and have seen some amazing sites. Seeing how much is out there in our world only makes me realize how much there is to see...I know we will never see it all, but it sure is fun trying. As of right now I have only four more states to see before I have seen them all--Oregon, Texas, Vermont, and Hawaii. Kevin has a few more than that to see, but we are certainly getting there! As tonight's neighbors--a group of ladies out for "Ladies' Camping Night"--just exclaimed when they saw our campsite--"Oh my gosh! They're doing it right!" We think so, too, ladies. We think so too. ;)