We made it here around 3 PM. We are in site #106. It is not a bad campground all things considered. Close to town and about five miles from the interstate. Easy to get to.

Drive was good today. We only went about 270 miles so it is like every other day. Short. The campground is a Corp of Engineers campground. Typical in that it is similar to all the others. Sites are on a lake and spaced out well. Some shade which is nice on an above 90 degree day.

As I already knew, the roads across Louisiana are terrible. Seems like they could do something to improve them just a little. Easily the worst roads we have been on since we began these adventures last spring. And we have covered a bunch of states.

Early Tuesday morning we saw several deer.

We drove a little further today trying to figure out how to get around the incoming weather. It is very windy and cold ahead of us so we wanted to get as far as we could today. As it turned out everything worked out perfectly. We stopped in Vernon, Texas about 3 PM and it started raining shortly after we got setup.

Seems it is snowing in Canon City today and tonight. We have reservations there for Friday night. Much of the snow will not stick but it should make the mountain tops white with the powder when we do arrive. We just have three short driving days to get there so no real problem at all as long as we can dodge the 30-40 mph winds in North Texas. I think I have a plan. Hope it is a good one.

The campground is okay for an overnight stop. Right off the main highway and next door to WalMart. We do not need anything so we will just hang out here tonight. It is a small town and nothing else to do which is fine with me.

We did see about 6-7 deer this morning shortly after daybreak near our campsite last night. There were too skiddish to approach so we just watched them for a while. The roads were great getting around Dallas using Hwy. 82. Much better route than going through Dallas. Good to be off the intestate.

The weather is terrible to say the least today so we are going to stay put until tomorrow. It is nasty with high winds and rain north of us toward New Mexico so it is best we stay another night here in Vernon Texas.

It is snowing all over Colorado where we will be arriving Friday. But the weather man is calling for much better conditions by Friday. We will be fine. It did rain all night and all day but not very hard.

There is nothing to do in this very small town so we did not disconnect the car to go sightseeing. Just hung out and watched TV mostly to pass the time.

We took off early this morning. Not that we need to leave early but I suppose we were tired of this place. We drove up to Dalhart Texas. It is a bigger town but nothing to do here either. Just a place on the map between our home in Alabama and where we wish to be in Colorado.

The campground is very nice and clean. Easy to find and get into. The wifi is terrible and the mifi is not much better but fortunately the AT&T service is pretty good so far. No over the air TV stations here.

The weather was fine. Cloudy but no rain and the wind had died down to almost nothing. The temperature stayed in the 40s all day so it was a little chilly after the 90s at home.

There is just not much to see in Northwest Texas. We will cross over into New Mexico early in the morning and then into Colorado before noon. Destination is Canon City for at least five nights. No photos yet but that should change over the next few days.

We made it to Colorado finally. The weather has turned out great and looks to remain the same for the next week or more. It is always a great drive across the northwest corner of New Mexico as the mountains begin to appear on the horizon.

The temperature is in the 50s today with clear skies. We made our way to Canon City slowly to savor the scenery along the route.

We arrived at Mountain View RV Park shortly after 1 PM local time. We did enter Mountain time zone earlier today so we are officially one hour behind everyone at home. The park is very nice with snow covered mountains in the background.

We did drive to town and get a car wash since the jeep was mighty dirty after the 1,200 mile trip behind the Tiffin. We also drove over to the Royal Gorge which is only a few miles away. Like everything else it has become so commercialized over the past couple of decades. They do not allow anyone to get as near the edge as I remember from past trips. I first came here in 1973 and have been several times since.

It is just good to be in Colorado.

This morning we drove up to Victor and Cripple Creek by way of Phantom Canyon Road. We made this trip once before in the mid 1990s and loved it so we really wanted to do it again. It is a dirt road that winds through a canyon for over twenty miles.

Unbelievable scenery along the way and since the road is rough we only average about 15-20 miles an hour. That way we both can see everything. The tunnels are narrow and a little but spooky to drive through hoping we do not meet another tourist in the middle.

The entire road is one lane so each time we meet another vehicle coming in the opposite direction someone has to stop and yield the right of way. No problem except it is very curvy and difficult to see very far ahead of the car.

We came back from Cripple Creek, an old mining town from the 1800s, by way of Shelf Road. It was given that name because it looks much like a shelf just hanging on the side of a mountain. It was another dirt road most of the way down the mountain. Great drive up and back to our campsite for the next four nights.

This afternoon we will just relax and take it easy.

This morning we drove up to Florissant to check out some fossils and the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. Along the way we stopped by Guffey which is a ghost town of sorts. A few people still reside there but for the most part it is deserted.

We drove on through the mountains unto the town of Florissant where we dropped by the Florissant Fossil Quarry. It is a unique place where they allow you to search for fossils in the slate sandstone. They are digging through the side of a hill where long ago fossils of marine life, leaves and insects are deposited in the rock.

We were given a box filled with chunks of rocks that are soft enough to break apart with the basic tools they provide for a $20 fee. We managed to find quite a few leaves and a few other things. It was not about finding anything. It was more about enjoying the search in nature. It was well worth the fee and the lady was very helpful.

We drove back a different route and saw a bunch of deer along the way several times. We also came upon several prairie dog colonies which are always nice to see the critters as the scurry along the ground to their homes. We did spot a coyote walking through the snow alongside the road.

A drive along the Arkansas River down to Westcliffe was great just to get a closer look at the really high mountains while they are still covered with snow. I am sure it will melt over the next week or so but it is certain to snow again before we head home next month.

This morning we left fairly early to drive back to the Royal Gorge to try and see some wildlife. The trip was very successful as we saw a couple dozen deer very near the road. One group were all buck with huge antlers who just stared at us as we watched them. We took our time and drove around the area to get some good views of the gorge.

After lunch we rode uptown to visit the city park which was a pleasant treat. Seems they have some resident ducks and geese but they were mostly resting in the afternoon shade. We did return near sunset and they were very active searching for food. I think they hoped we had bought them dinner but we did not.

We drove the Temple Canyon Park road which is a dirt road south of here that went back to town. Nice winding drive through the mountains. We had hoped to see more wildlife but all we saw was a single goat and a tarantula crossing the road. That was a gigantic spider.

Still watching the weather at home as the hurricane approaches the area. Hope all is well. We talked to Lisa and she is watching everything and keeping us informed. We bought a couple of souvenirs and mailed some postcards to the grandkids.

This morning we decided to drive a dirt road called Oak Creek Grade south toward Westcliffe. It was a great winding drive through the mountains. We actually had to go through Canon City to get to the road and spotted four deer in the middle of town just strolling along the sidewalk.

We saw several other deer along the routes as well as some pronghorn. The pronghorn are difficult to photograph as they always seem to be a little far off the road in the fields. They pretty much are the American version of antelope. We also had a chance to see a few magpies along the road.

The snow is melting fast on the mountains now. But I am sure it will snow again before we leave Colorado in a few weeks. Our last encounter with wildlife today was to see a group of about a dozen big horn sheep as they made their way up the steep cliffs of a mountain. There were a couple of bucks and females in the group.

After dinner we drove Skyline Drive back to Canon City to pick up a few groceries. It is absolutely the scariest drive I have ever taken. Fortunately it is one-way but still very narrow with drop offs on both sides for a thousand feet or more straight down.

Tomorrow we move west about 85 miles to Buena Vista. It is a small town a little further into the mountains. We have been watching the Mobile news following the hurricane. Not much we can do about it from here but fingers crossed all will remain safe at home.

Despite the horrible news from home about Hurricane Sally we drove further away from home to Buena Vista. About an 85 mile trip. Not much we can do at home so we are going to try and stay in Colorado a few more days.

We are staying at Mt. Pleasant RV Park near downtown. Not a very big town at all but nice parks. After settling in we drove up to Cottonwood Lake. The road is paved most of the way with the last three miles being a dirt road. Very nice lake area with a few people fishing. We see a lot of people fishing not many catching anything I think.

We did stop at a picnic area to take in the views of the lake and there was still some snow around from last week. The only wildlife we saw was a pheasant and some chipmunks.

This morning we took off for adventures unknown. We first drove toward Taylor Park Reservoir just to see what we could get into today. The drive is mostly west through the San Isabel National Forest. We saw a group of ducks at Rainbow Lake before crossing the continental divide at Cottonwood pass. The altitude is 12,126 which is one of the highest passes in the state.

Shortly afterwards we spotted a marmot on the edge of the road but he scurried into his hole as soon as I got out of the car. The next thing was totally unexpected. A huge male moose with a full rack was trotting down the road as we rounded a curve. Rare to see moose in Colorado and I think this is only the second time for us in the state.

We drove on to Taylor Park Reservoir and drove around the lake and on to Historic Tincup, Colorado. It is an old ghost town from the 1800s. We made the return trip via the same route because I just could not find another road we were able to travel back.

We were not ready to go back the camp so we ventured to Clear Creek road and drove about 10 miles down a rough rocky road past Vicksburg, Rockdale and Winfield which are all old mining towns deserted many decades ago. The buildings still stand but not many people around anymore. The aspen trees are beginning to turn yellow now as we can see the change every day.

We made it back to camp and spent the rest of the day relaxing and planning tomorrow's adventures.

This morning we drove across Independence Pass, altitude 12,095, just to see the mountains from the top. As always we are on the lookout for any wildlife we are able to spot along the way. We did see a few deer, four marmots, ducks and geese. The drive skirts Twin Lakes which is a beautiful place with several nice campgrounds in the area.

We drove north to Leadville. It is a very famous silver mining town from about 140 years ago. We stopped by the visitors center and had lunch at Subway. It was our first time eating out the entire trip. We actually drove a short distance to Turquoise Lake to have our sandwiches near the water.

We drove east of Leadville after lunch down some dirt roads to take a look at the old mining district of the town. The roads got a little too rough for us before we could complete the loop. Still a nice drive.

The return trip back to the RV Park was uneventful but as usual the mountains make any route seem shorter in Colorado.

We took off this morning for another ghost town called St. Elmo. I had seen some interesting things about the area and it did not disappoint.

The town still has more than a dozen buildings standing just as they did when they were built some 130 years ago. The town has not really been occupied since 1952 except for a general store which is open just for thee tourists during the summer season.

The real treat were the chipmunks. There seem to be hundreds of them in an area set aside to feed the small critters. The store sold a small bag of sunflower seeds for fifty cents and once you sat down the chipmunks would flock to your open hand to get their treat. As many as three at a time would be up there cracking the seeds open and storing them in their cheeks for later. Best fifty cents I ever spent.

We saw a few stellar jays in town as we strolled the streets wondering what it was like 100 years ago here. After leaving we drove over Monarch Pass since we knew we would be going that way later in our trip. We stopped off at the Visitors center there to pick up a few souvenirs. On the way there we saw a few pronghorn in a nearby field.

Later in the afternoon we drove over Cottonwood pass again just to see the views before leaving Buena Vista. Along the way we saw a few more deer and a porcupine. I believe it is the first one I have ever seen in the wild. He was just off the road but began to scurry off before I could get a good picture.

It is moving day so we drove south after altering our long term plans due to the hurricane and our need to cut this trip short to get home to make the necessary repairs. We are headed to South Fork today which is about a 120 mile drive.

We stopped at Shaw Creek Rest Area for a lunch before arriving at South Fork Campground. It is a nice older park along the Rio Grande River.

Later in the afternoon we drove to Big Meadows Reservoir where we once again spotted a few marmots near the lake. Very pretty drive. We drove on to Wolf Creek Pass, altitude 10,856, and turned around. We just had to check out a few dirt roads on our return trip and drove by Pass Creek Lake and Tucker Ponds where we spotted ducks, chipmunks, ground squirrels and a few unique birds.

Then it was back to the campground for a relaxing evening and a great dinner.

This was likely the best day of our trip. We drove up to Creede to check out the old mining town. The town is much like it was 100 years ago but not very big at all. From there we drove north to take in the Bachelor Loop. It is a 25 mile drive past old silver and gold mines, buildings and what was once small towns and communities. The drive started out very steep and rough but got better as we drove on.

The aspen trees are in full color now here and unbelievably beautiful. I just could not stop taking pictures and Ellen took a few videos as I drove slowly down the road. Indescribable to say the least as we made our way back to Creede. We did stop off at the cemetery where the infamous Bob Ford is buried. If you do not know, he is the man that shot and killed Jesse James in Missouri before fleeing to Colorado.

As we drove toward Lake City we stopped off at North Clear Creek Falls, the largest falls in Colorado. I have lost count on how many times we crossed a pass but we can add Slumgullion Pass (11,530) and Spring Creek Pass (10,898) to the list. We stopped off briefly at Windy Creek Overlook to get a view of the mountains and mainly Red Mountain from the east side.

We drove on to Lake City before turning around. Nearby we drove a little of the Alpine Loop going by Lake San Cristobal to Sherman. Also on our return trip we drove by Browns Lakes for a quick look.

We moved about three miles down the road in South Fork only because the place we were staying did not have a vacancy for the next two night. So, we are at Peacock Meadows RV Park. A bear got in the dumpster across from our motorhome last night and left a big mess for someone to clean up this morning.

We drove Beaver Meadows Road this morning stopping by the reservoir by the same name along the way. Our next stop was at a very nice lake called Poage Lake which was only a short hike from the dirt road. The road winds through the Rio Grande National Forest across a couple of mountains with great views.

We did not see much wildlife except for many birds and a couple of hawks or eagles. Not sure which. We did come across a cowboy driving a few cattle down the road. He rode a horse while a couple of dogs did all the work in keeping the cows moving in the correct direction. It was cool to watch them work. The dogs ran all over barking and pushing the cows down the road.

We drove just north of Del Norte to see the Bison on a ranch nearby.

Late in the afternoon we drove up to Pool Table Road and saw some big horn sheep way up on the hillside. Less than a mile down the road we once again spotted three female big horn sheep just beside the road. They seemed to enjoy being photographed and knew we were not going to disturb them. We drove on seeing a few deer just along the roadside before turning around at Hansen's Sawmill. The Mill is long gone but the drive was very nice through the forest.

We drove the jeep back past Creede to take a dirt road to the Rio Grande Reservoir area. It is the headwaters for the Rio Grande River. The drive was nice. We saw geese, ducks, hawks, deer and even cows near the road. Of course there were just miles of aspen trees which were golden yellow now.

Next we took off down Middle Creek Road and drove to Love Lake where we took a short hike to the water. A very quiet area with only a few people most of which were fishing in the lake waters. As we made our way back to the highway we spotted an eagle soaring above the treetops.

Our next stop was downtown Creede for a walk around the town and a visit to a few gift shops. Afterwards we took the Bachelor's Loop again just to get one last look at the beautiful views and aspens. Many of the trees were already past their prime and shedding leaves.

That evening we enjoyed some local take-out Bar-b-que and took the jeep for one last car wash before heading home tomorrow.

This is our last morning to awaken in the great state of Colorado. We tried to get an early start toward home but were delayed for about an hour with a slide that refused to cooperate.

Ellen spotted a lone coyote along the road as well as more deer, pronghorn and a hawk. We crossed La Veta and Raton Passes before leaving Colorado for good. Near Amarillo we slowed down to view a prairie dog colony just off the road. I just love to watch those critters.

We stopped for lunch at a New Mexico rest area before arriving in Childress at the City Park around dark.

We had another long day of driving before arriving at the KOA in Shreveprt LA. I believe it is actually our first time to camp in a KOA if you can imagine. We have stayed in the cabins but I do not recall every camping.

The day was uneventful which is always a good thing. Not much to see along the interstate but we have found a great way to get through Texas without the need to go through Dallas. The roads were great almost the entire day but I know the Louisiana roads will be terrible for the final leg of our journey to Foley.

We drove from Shreveport to Foley and arrived home to see all the destruction around 5 pm. It was a great trip and like the other trips this year way too short. Now all that is left to do is clean up the yard, get the roof replaced and plan our next vacation.