CHERRY CREEK STATE PARK - COLORADO

CHERRY CREEK STATE PARK, DENVER, COLORADO

One of our favorite “just gotta getaway” spots, Cherry Creek State Park is located just off of I-225 and Parker Road in south Metro Denver, very close to our home base. Operated by the State of Colorado and the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, Cherry Creek State Park is a dam and water storage facility.

We like Cherry Creek because of its proximity to the house, but also because of the beach areas and the camping loops. It a favorite place to take the grandkids for just an afternoon or for the weekend. There are approximately 150 sites at Cherry Creek, full hookups for trailers, and multiple tents and group camping spots, ranging in price from $11 to $22.50 for full hook ups. Because it is so close to the city, grocery stores and supply stops are only minutes away. Sites and camping loops are secluded, some are wooded, all are close to the water and are very quiet . . . we also find that Cherry Creek is very well kept and clean. Because of the easy access from anywhere in the Metro area, Cherry Creek is a hot spot for bicyclers, hikers, water craft and of course, fishing. Last year my son caught a 5 pound rainbow trout in the lake. Yummy!





We’ll get back to Cherry Creek at least once if not twice before the season is over. Colorado’s spectacular State Parks system, as well as our abundancy of national parks forest land, the Colorado Rockies and all our 14ers make great camping and visiting spots – year around!!!

ROYAL GORGE, LEADVILLE, TWIN LAKES, COLORADO

The Royal Gorge, Leadville and Twin Lakes - Colorado

LEADVILLE, COLORADO
Set in the central Rockies at 10,400 feet, Leadville, Colorado is a historic mining town and was quite the hot spot during the mining boom in 1860 through 1880’s. Leadville is touted as the nation’s highest incorporated city at 10,400 feet. There are magnificent views of the central Rocky Mountains from the town and surrounding area. On the road to Leadville and near Leadville itself, you can view some of Colorado’s highest peaks – the “14ers” (elevations over 14,000 feet). Mt. Shavano – 14,229 ft., Mt. Antero – 14,269 ft., Mt. Yale - 14,196 ft., Mt. Harvard – 14,420 ft., and the two largest peaks in Colorado, Mt. Elbert at 14,433 ft and Mt. Massive at 14,421. All nicely lined up in a row on the south or north route to Leadville via Colorado Highway 24, through Poncha Springs and Buena Vista. Leadville, even at over 10,000 feet, offers a fairly mild climate for the elevation. The temp rarely gets over 80 degrees, but be assured the nights can get quite cool. During our trip to Leadville and the Twin Lakes area, the temperature topped out a 67 during the day, and a low of 35 at night. Not bad for the Rockies in September! Even though we dry-camped this round, an extra blanket in the evening was all that was needed. We were a couple of weeks ahead of the Aspen’s turning – but the views were breathtaking nonetheless.

History buffs must make a stop at the National Mining Museum in Leadville, which gives a complete history of mining activities and the fortunes made in Leadville in gold and silver – notables such as the Tabors, Guggenheims, Molly Brown and Marshall Field. Scenery buffs and railroad enthusiasts can take a train ride on the infamous Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad (LC&S) which winds through the old Denver and South Park rail lines through the Arkansas River Valley. The cost is $33/adult and $20/children for a 2 ½ hour ride.

ROYAL GORGE (Canon City, CO)






On our way to Leadville, we decided to take the longer way around out of Denver to make at stop at the Royal Gorge, just outside of Canon City, Colorado. The Royal Gorge Bridge is the highest suspension bridge in the world at 1,053 feet high and a quarter mile long. We have been to the Royal Gorge area many times – it is so beautiful and so many things to do in the area:
• Walk or drive the bridge (walking is better – fantastic photography opportunities)
• Petty Zoo and Elk Wildlife Park
• Royal Rush Skycoaster – for thrill seekers! (not for the faint-hearted . . it goes out over the edge of the Gorge – you couldn’t get me on that thing for a million dollars!)
• Trolley and Aerial Tram Ridges
• Incline Railway
• Horseback and burro rides
• Pavilion and Plaza Theaters
• River rafting . . . . . . . and much more!

My most favorite attraction is the Royal Gorge Dinner Train. Very pricey at $80 to $120 per person – but well worth the money and the time. . . and the food is pretty good. You’ll need to MAKE RESERVATIONS early – the train is almost always at full capacity especially in the summer and early fall months. The train departs from the Canon City Depot – right off Main Street (Highway 50) in the center of town. Follow the signs – it’s very easy to find.

TWIN LAKES, COLORADO

At the base of Mt. Elbert, Twin Lakes area in the San Isabel National Forest is a pair of natural spring lakes. Breathtaking scenery and multiple hiking trails to choose from. Our dry camping spot was just about 300 yards up from the lake, $12 a night. After our adventures to Royal Gorge and Leadville, we found Twin Lakes the perfect place to sit back, take in the scenery and relax with the grandkids for the remainder of the long weekend. Perfect!


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DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA

DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA
Located about 70 miles from our site at Big Pine in Custer, Deadwood was quite the bustling place the day we visited. There’s plenty of gambling halls, saloons and old time hotels . . . but if you’re not a gambler, then shopping and eating is the way to go. I came across this fabulous leather shop – obviously sporting all sorts of Harley Davidson wearable’s and leather gear for the biker girls – but I couldn’t believe the price on this large lambskin leather overnight bag . . . $25 bucks. Sweet deal.

We stopped at Hickok’s Iron Horse Inn & Ugly Horse Pub (the catchy name attracted us) for lunch and a few refreshing beverages – and of course, people watching. There were a ton of motorcyclists in town – cool to watch, but extremely noisy – especially if you’re outside for dining.

The visit to the Wild Bill Hickok Museum was interesting. It highlight’s the exact spot where Hickok was shot – and a photo of the famous Aces & Eight’s dead man’s hand. It was sort of “corny”, but informational on the history of Deadwood . . and it was a Free tour. Free is always inviting!

Of course, there are plenty of other spots to visit – we just couldn’t pack them all in to our short time in South Dakota. We allowed ourselves some down time at the campground, read a couple of books, waded through a few more cocktails than is normal for us . . . hung around the campfire and stared at the stars. Every RVing trip should include some down time – time to reconnect with your traveling partner . . and make some plans for your next RVing adventure!
On our next trip up to the Black Hills in South Dakota (and WE WILL go again), we want to make sure we hit a few more sites:
• Custer State Park
• Caves of the Black Hills, Wind Caves
• Mammoth Site
• The Flintstones “Bedrock” Park (sure, why not, we’ll take the grandkids )
• National Woodcarving Museum
• Spearfish
• Devil’s Tower, Wyoming
• And a return visit to the “Red Garter Saloon” in Keystone, where there’s “no workin’ during drinkin’ hours!”

BEAR COUNTRY USA - RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA

BEAR COUNTRY USA – RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA
Eight miles south of Rapid City on Highway 16 is Bear Country USA. If you are RVing with the kids, you must take them on the ride through this amazing wildlife park. It’s a real treat for all ages, wildlife enthusiasts, and photography buffs. The bears were amazing, and there were plenty of them roaming around the entire park area. I stopped counting at 40 . . . but there were many more. We ventured there on a somewhat cloudy and drizzling day . . I think the animals preferred the weather – they were out in abundance. The Rocky Mountain Elk were spectacular – and huge. We were able to drive up fairly close to the Mountain Lions, Reindeer, Arctic Wolves and Big Horn Sheep. My favorites were the miniature donkeys.

There is a petting zoo and “BabyLand” area, but by the time we made it through the park the rain was getting heavier – so we skipped it. It’s a bit on the pricey side at $15 a person (adults), and the traffic was a little heavy for my tastes (bumper to bumper in some spots). There were so many animals out and about, I could understand why it was crowded . . . everyone wanted to see and photograph them.