travel tales for family and friends. . .

wild horses. . .Theodore Roosevelt NP - North Dakota

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Conquering the Royal Gorge Bridge

In 1988 we took our boys on a
Colorado Rocky Mountain vacation
#105 On the bridge_thumb[2]

the Royal Gorge Bridge was one of our stops. . .
just about the time we got a third of the way out on the bridge,
a vehicle started over behind us. . .which caused the bridge to
feel like we were walking across a trampoline. . .hellooooo. . .
that was it for me. . .I headed back to solid ground,
while Dave and the boys, much braver than their Mom
headed on across. I have always regretted that decision. . .so. . .

Royal Gorge Colorado 2012 (140)_thumb[2]

24 years and lots of pounds later here we are. . .
I’m bound and determined to conquer my fear

Royal Gorge Colorado 2012 (143)_thumb[2]

and do just as this billboard says. . .Walk across this crazy hanging in the air
with no supports bridge. . .as it bounces and sways with every footstep. . .
I can do it. . .I can do it. . .I even gave myself the pep talk. . .
“Every day, hundreds of people and vehicles cross this bridge. . .
and you’ve yet to read a news report about a collapse.”
Right! . . .here we go. . .

Royal Gorge Colorado 2012 (28)_thumb[2]

all was going well until I discovered there is only
a fastener about every fourth plank. . .WHAT?
Are they crazy. . .every single board should be
screwed and bolted down. . .

Royal Gorge Colorado 2012 (29)_thumb[4]

then Dave took great delight in pointing out the cracks
that were big enough to lose a small child through. . .
with the Arkansas River roaring by a thousand feet below. . .

Royal Gorge Colorado 2012 (57)_thumb[3]

okay, okay. . .stop looking down. . .just keep your
head up and look forward. . .OH LORD! OH LORD!
not helping. . .good grief. . 
.
Royal Gorge Colorado 2012 (56)_thumb[1]

My son required proof that I actually made it. . .so I took
this pic of his Dad in the very center of the bridge. . .
seriously. . .I really took it!

Royal Gorge Colorado 2012 (30)_thumb[1]

and please. ..wouldn’t you love to hear the story
behind the need for this sign. . .really?

Royal Gorge Colorado 2012 (3)_thumb[1]

We finally made it all the way across. . .and was taking a break on one of the
restaurant patios with a great view of the bridge when I had this bright idea. . .
I told Dave. . .I’ll go back up on the bridge. . .and you take my pic. . .

Royal Gorge Colorado 2012 (39)_thumb[1]

THAT was going very well. . .until. . .

Royal Gorge Colorado 2012 (48)_thumb[1]

this stupid car came across behind me. . .too late to do anything but hold on and pray!

Royal Gorge Colorado 2012 (45)_thumb[1]

Dave laughing at my moment of sheer terror. . .thanks honey!

Royal Gorge Colorado 2012 (12)_thumb[1]

So glad to have conquered my fear. . .
will I ever walk across it again. . .NO!


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Travel Days

We’ve traveled a lot of miles since we last spoke. . .
2012-04-13 2012-04-13 Granbury TX Daves Aunt Barbaras 013
First, we stopped by Granbury TX for a wonderful weekend visit
with Dave’s Aunt Barbara and Uncle Wendell. . .

His brother Curtis and wife Brenda met us there
for a great visit, and delicious eats.
2012-04-17 Butterflies at Lake Texoma TX Thousand Trails
next stop. . .
Lake Texoma Thousand Trails in Gordonville TX.
This butterfly picture is the only pretty thing we have to show
from our visit there. . .way off the beaten path. . .
internet and phone service. . .nonexistent.

We had scheduled a week there, thinking it would
be right on Lake Texoma, the way the other parks are on
Lake Conroe, and Medina Lake. . .not so.

The lake was a long ways away. . .too far to walk to,
but we had a project that needed to be done, so we stuck it out,
and got some water damaged flooring repaired and replaced.
Never a good idea to go bouncing down the highway
with damaged wood in strategic places. . .
IMGP1561

Leaving Lake Texoma, we drove 437 miles. . .

2012-04-23 Oklahoma Ranches & Farms Country
past beautiful Oklahoma farms. . .

2012-04-23 Oklahoma Ranches and Farms Country

and ranches. . .

Jonathan - Kansas - Dodge City Kansas

to Dodge City Kansas. . .where we had stopped on a vacation
25 years earlier. . .aren’t those Evans boys adorable?

We didn’t even unhook the truck. . .just pulled in to
Water Sports RV Park and Campground. . .
got the electric only hooked up. . .ordered a pizza
and kicked back for the evening.

IMGP1571

Bright and early Tuesday morning (read 9:30). . .
we rolled out of Dodge. . .City, that is. . .

2012-04-24 Kansas Feed Lots

past the feed lots Kansas is famous for. . .

2012-04-24 Traveling across Kansas. . .the bread basket of America
and the beautiful Kansas prairies. . .
it’s easy to see why it’s called the breadbasket of America.  
You would drive past miles of just fields and prairies,
and then, in the distance you would see a copse of trees, 
which told you the farm and ranch buildings were coming up. 

All the buildings had windbreaks of trees 
planted on at least three sides.  
I’m sure it’s the only way to survive the winds 
that must whip across there in the winter.

In Garden City KS. . .we paid $4.15 (gulp) for diesel. . .
we had known we would find, and had prepared for
higher fuel prices. . .we just didn’t think we would
find them ‘til we got to Colorado. . .ouch already!

2012-04-24 Colorado State Line Highway 50

Speaking of which. . .we crossed the State Line
about noonish Mountain Time. . .which meant
we had gained back the hour we had lost
a couple of weeks ago to DST. . .

isn’t that great?

2012-04-24

About an hour into Colorado. . .
we started to see the mountains to the south. . .

2012-04-24 Storm over Pike's Peak

and about a hundred miles out of Colorado Springs. . .
we saw what we think is Pike’s Peak. . .
still covered in snow. . .and definitely under a cloud cover.
 
Although rain was promising on all sides,
it held off until we got set up in the most beautiful
RV Park we’ve ever stayed in. . .

2012-04-24

Canon City and Colorado Springs.

Today, we re-visited Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge
after 25 years. . .more about that later!

Until then. . .safe travels!

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Off to the Texas Hill Country

Leaving Lake Conroe, we headed due west to Medina Lake

just out of San Antonio. ..which is still showing

the devastating effects of the Texas drought. . .

2011-03-31 Medina Lake - view of the lake just out of Bandera TX

We took this pic exactly one year ago. ..at the beginning of April 2011

2012-04-01 Medina Lake in drought

and exactly one year later, April 2012. . .

2012-03-29 Cows grazing on the lake bed - Medina Lake TX

the previous pics were taken on the south end of the lake near the dam.

Six miles north, where the Thousand Trails RV Park is in Lakehills, TX

the lake bed is so dry. . .the cows are grazing on it. 

That’s the Medina River you see in the center of the pic. . .

last year,  Dave caught about a 3 lb catfish,

from the bluff where he is now standing to take this pic. . .

It’s gonna take a lot of rain north of here to fill all this back up. . .

2012-04-05 Medina Lake Thousand Trails TX

The fabulous thing about this park is the wildlife. . .

2012-04-04 Medina Lake Thousand Trails TX Texas Jack Rabbit in Motion

Texas jack rabbit in motion. . .

2012-03-31 Female Black Chinned Hummingbird sitting on nest - Peterson Field Guide - page 245 -Medina Lake - Lakehills TX

a mama hummingbird on her nest. . .the nest was about the size of a ping pong ball. . .

this pic is taken with an 800 zoom lens. . .could never have gotten it without that lens.

2012-04-08 Scissor Tailed Flycatcher - Medina Lake Thousand Trails - TX

the aerial acrobatics of the scissor tailed flycatchers were amazing. . .

2012-04-09 Scissor Tailed Flycatcher

and so was Mama flycatchers nest building abilities. . .

2012-04-08 Hope Center - A Portrait of Love - Easter Sermon by Nathan Scoggins - with artist depiction

Both weekends that we were at San Antonio,

we attended services at Hope Center,

where Nathan Scoggins is doing an incredible job as the pastor. . .

2012-04-08 Hope Center - A Portrait of Love - Easter Sermon by Nathan Scoggins - with artist depiction

on Easter Sunday, the artist rendered this painting

as Rev. Scoggins brought the message

“A Portrait of Love”

2012-04-12 Glen Rose TX - finally got the rig waxed

While we were at Lake Medina, we also managed

to get our RV washed and waxed. . .

which makes me a very happy camper!

Next we are off to visit Dave’s Aunt and Uncle in Granbury TX. . .


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