Estes Park, CO

This turned out to be the final camping trip of the season. The days are getting shorter and colder, but the Fall colors are peaking, and the aspens are ablaze across the mountainsides. It is my very favorite time of the year. The air is crisp, and the sky seems to turn an even more brilliant blue than normal. It is also the time that the bull elk begin to bugle during their Fall rut. Their eerie calls echo across the valleys at dusk, and the bulls can often be seen fighting each other and competing for mates. It is a great time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and take in these sights and more.

Pawnee Campground at Brainard Lake, CO

We camped at the Pawnee Campground (10,345') in the Brainard Lake Recreational Area. This is a favorite destination only an hour's drive from Boulder, CO, in the Roosevelt National Forest. It is popular with hikers because it offers a large number of trails at a variety of difficulty levels. One afternoon we took a moderate, 3-mile hike up to Lake Isabelle and had lunch in the shadow of Shoshoni Peak. The scenery is spectacular in this area, so be sure to bring your camera and hiking shoes if you come.

Buena Vista, Colorado

We traveled to beautiful Buena Vista, CO, on this late summer trip, about 130 scenic miles southwest of Denver. There are many RV campgrounds in the area, but we chose a KOA campground just outside the edge of town. This was one of the nicer KOA's we have stayed at. It sits atop a hill overlooking a broad valley with stunning views of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness as a backdrop.

Molly Brown Campground - Leadville, CO

Leadville, Colorado, and the Turquoise Lake area draw many tourists for summer festivals, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and mountain biking. During our stay, Leadville was putting on its annual "Boom Days" celebration, which features a variety of fun events for all ages, including a car show, a street fair, races, and colorful townsfolk, many of whom are dressed period costumes. We had almost as much fun watching the people as we did sampling the food and shopping at the many festival booths.

Mountaindale Campground - second visit

We enjoyed the Mountaindale Campground near Colorado Springs so much last time that we came back for a second visit in mid-July.

This trip was a comedy of minor mishaps and bad luck beginning with a rainy drive through thunderous downpours.

Grand Lake, Colorado, Revisited

We towed the Airstream back up to the Stillwater Campground for the second visit this season. The weather was much warmer on this trip, and, fortunately we did not have to deal with snow this time.  We also tried something new and rented a pontoon boat at Shadow Mountain Lake. We had a great time boating across the water until the sky clouded up like the Apocalypse.

Central City, Colorado

We rolled into the Columbine Campground at dusk on Friday evening, only to find that our reserved site had been taken, and no other empty spots were available.  The campground host was unbelievably reluctant to refund our deposit.  We were in a pickle.

Spruce Lake RV Campground in Estes Park, CO

This weekend we traveled to Estes Park and stayed at the Spruce Lake RV Campground on the edge of town with a Denver based RV club. Spruce Lake is a fine campground with many amenities such as a fish pond, RV store, pool, hot tub, and activity center - none of which we used. It is a very family friendly though, and close to downtown for shopping and dining.

Lake Granby, Colorado

We returned to one of our favorite campgrounds, Stillwater, between the towns of Grand Lake and Granby, Colorado, near the west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. This campground sits right on the edge of beautiful Lake Granby and offers stunning views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains all around.

Peaceful Valley, Colorado

This weekend we stayed close to home and camped just outside of Peaceful Valley, CO, at Camp Dick Campground over Memorial Day weekend. This is a National Forest campground at 8650' in elevation with limited amenities and no individual power, water, or sewer hookups.

Great Sand Dunes National Monument

Great Sand Dunes National Monument is one of south central Colorado's most intriguing geological features. The area boasts North America's tallest natural sand dunes that rise over 750'. They are situated in the San Luis Valley at the base of snow capped peaks, which soar high into the clear blue Colorado sky.

Cherry Creek State Park - second visit

We visited Cherry Creek State Park just outside of Denver, CO, again this season, but this time we camped with a local RV group. We had a great time meeting new friends and all their dogs. The canines literally outnumbered the humans on this trip - that took some getting used to :-).

Estes Park

Estes Park is a favorite destination for many reasons. The drive takes you through a scenic canyon with high, rocky walls and rugged landscape that fringe the Big Thompson River that cuts through it. Estes Park marks the eastern entrance into Rocky Mountain National Park which affords endless hiking, picnicking, photo, and sightseeing opportunities.

Royal Gorge

This weekend we traveled to an area southwest of Colorado Springs and camped at the Mountaindale Campground . This is a great little campground with friendly staff that is in the foothills away from the highway, but very easy to get to.

Cherry Creek State Park - Denver, CO

After acquiring the Bambi, we took our first camping trip to Cherry Creek State Park, just outside Denver, CO. It was mid March and weather that weekend was a bit rainy, but not bad. It may have dampened the outside of the camper, but not our spirits.

2006 Airstream Quiksilver Bambi

Here we are on the way home from picking up the trailer in Albuquerque heading over Raton Pass. The tow vehicle, a Nissan Frontier, had no problem pulling the Bambi.

Maiden Voyage

I remember as a young boy, looking out the back seat window of our family car as we zoomed down the highway through the rolling Iowa countryside. I was always curiously enamored by those shiny silver trailers that I would sometimes see sitting in the back yards of farm houses.