Chama, NM and Cumbres & Toltec Railroad

After exploring 3 of our favorite Colorado State Parks, we spent 5 nights in an abbreviated stay in Cheyenne for Frontier Days.  We attended only 1 concert (compared to up to 6 in previous years) enjoyed the brews at the Accomplice Brewery, and wonderful dinner at the Rib and Chop house.  After Cheyenne we spend 3 nights at Boyd Lake State Park outside of Loveland visiting family in northern Colorado.

Old Dominion at Frontier Nights, Cheyenne Frontier Days

It’s been 4 years since we last visited Chama, and once again we’re parked at the Rio Chama RV part on the north side of town.  This park was recently sold, and from the looks of it – the new owners have a lot of deferred maintenance to deal with.  On the good side, this is a beautiful location along the Chama River, just next to the trestle bridge where the trains rumble in and out of town.  On the downside, many of the cottonwood trees have died or are dying and need to come out before one falls on an RV.  And, the old, possibly trusty back in the day WiFi, isn’t usable in it’s current state.

Cumbres & Toltec Historic Railroad, Chama, NM

Cumbres & Toltec Historic Railroad, Chama, NM

We’re parked in site N3, a very tight site that sits right next to highway 17, the main highway.  Last time we stayed in site #40, a huge long pull through site very close to the river.  We’d prefer to be back in that part of the park.

Rio Chama RV Park, Chama, NM

Our railway trip is everything you can imagine from the gorgeous scenery across Cumbres Pass, to stories and highlights from our guides and docents onboard.  The food hall at Osier station left a bit to be desired, but all in all a great day!  After returning to Chama we opt for some local BBQ at the Outlaw BBQ company.  We’d highly recommend the Outlaw.  The following evening we opt for “Local”, a pizza parlor that was in the middle of construction during our last visit.  If all you are looking for is pizza, Local does an good job.  All other items on their menu were out of stock, even the “Chef’s Specials” that were shown on the blackboard.

Following Chama we’re off to another favorite Colorado State Park, Golden Gate Canyon State Park near Golden, CO.  More from Golden Gate…

It’s A Wrap!

Winterizing took place this weekend, and along with it – the bit of sadness that always come at the end of a great RV season.  This was our longest ever “season”, having begun back in February of 2018!  After our Spring Road trip to Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, we returned to Colorado to break ground for a new home in Southern Colorado. While the RV was our only residence after that, we kept up a busy schedule of campground and park hopping during the summer of 2018 and again in 2019.

Fall Colors over the Spanish Peaks

• Perhaps one of the most dramatic events was the Spring Fire in June of 2018.
• As in years past, we attended Cheyenne Frontier Days both in 2018 and 2019.
• We learned alot about camping in a Colorado Winter as we celebrated the holidays and ushered in the New Year.
• After moving into the new house in late March, we made an abbreviated trip to South Texas and enjoyed great friends and family for a impromptu House Warming.

Since we last winterized, we spent 480 nights in the camper and traveled just under 11,000 miles.  It took two tow vehicles to keep up with our journeys, the F-150 was traded in for an F-350 in September 2019.  And, we’re now starting to look at new 5th wheels.  Colorado RV Show, here we come!

And, planning is already underway for a grand Spring Road Trip beginning in early February 2020.  Stay tuned…

Spring Road Trip 2020

Cheyenne Frontier Days, 2018

Welcome to Cheyenne and the 122nd edition of the “Daddy of ‘em All”, Cheyenne Frontier Days.  Just as last year, we’re parked at AB Camping for the full 10 day run of CFD.  We’ll attend 5 concerts this year, starting with Cole Swindell on Saturday night, followed by The Charlie Daniel’s Band, Eric Church, Toby Keith and Dierks Bentley to wrap things up on the following Saturday.  We’re also hoping to see the Air Force Thunderbirds that were rained out last year, attend a Pancake Breakfast, eat some carnival food on the mid-way, drink a cold beer (or two) at the Buckin’ A Saloon and see more of Cheyenne and surrounding areas.  We are also looking forward to a VIP Chuckwagon experience where we’ll enjoy an authentic chuckwagon style dinner.

Cheyenne Frontier Nights

5 Nights of Concerts

Air Force Thunderbirds

Air Force Thunderbirds

On Tuesday we decided to check out Curt Gowdy State Park about 25 miles west of Cheyenne.  About 7 different camping areas are set around Granite Springs Reservoir.  Many of the entrances and exits into the camping areas are steep and narrow – and not all of the sites will accommodate much more than a tent.  Pick your site carefully!  Continuing west to I-80, we stopped at Vedauwoo Campground in the Medicine Bow National Forest.  28 sites set among pine trees and rock outcroppings make for some attractive spots.  Several non-operational water taps and vault toilets are about all provided in this primitive area.  But, it’s close to I-80 and would easily provide a nice overnight spot on the way across southern Wyoming.

Vedauwoo Campground, site #9

Vedauwoo Campground

Vedauwoo Campground, site #2

After Cheyenne, we’re off to Chatfield for a quick overnight, then back to Walsenburg to drop the trailer off before a flight to London.  More after our return from London and a Norwegian Fjords cruise aboard the Azamara Pursuit…