SE COLORADO, ZAPATA FALLS

We spend most of the day composing the blog at the BLM campground.  In the afternoon we hike up to Zapata Falls.  All 5 of us are panting after the first 50 yards.  We're at about 7,000 feet and the air is much thinner.  After the hike we return to the same campground.

Sky, Dixie and Peg taking an altitude break.

Peg at entrance to Zapata Falls.

Peg, Sky and Dixie

Peg, Dixie and Sky getting ready to enter the crevice to see Zapata Falls.

Flowering cactus on the trail to Zapata Falls.

SE COLORADO-WHITE MOUNTAIN TRADING POST, FORT GARLAND, GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK

We continue west and breakfast in Fort Garland.  We visit the White Mountain Trading Post and spend the morning going through the reconstructed frontier town all staffed by the Robertson family.  We descend into a sub-terrain hogan and hear about how they were made.

We spend the afternoon going through Fort Garland (1858-1883) which was built to protect the settlers mostly Hispanos, coming up from the south.  Christopher 'Kit' Carson was commander from 1866 to 1867.

We visit the Great Sand Dunes National Park, the tallest dunes in North America (700').  This 600 acre park rises from the San Luis Valley.  We take off our shoes and hike out onto them.  When we return to the truck, the dogs are thirsty and exhausted.  We ascend the side of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains to a primitive campsite in the Rio Grande National Forest.

White Trading Post, Fort Garland, Colorado_Buffalo Joe

Mitch Entering a Traditional Navajo Hogan

There he goes.

Mitch inside the Hogan.

Columbine at the entrance to Fort Garland

Christopher 'Kit' Carson, 1868

Fort Garland Military Outpost_1858 to 1883

Little Bear Peak, Blanca Peak, Lindsey Mountain_View from Fort Garland, Colorado

Blanca Peak,_View from Fort Garland, Colorado

View on the way to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, NE of Alamosa, CO

Great Sand Dunes_Tallest Dunes in North America (700')

Mitch playing at the dunes.

Sunset at Zapata Falls, San Luis Valley of Colorado

SE COLORADO, OLD FORT BENT & KOSHARE INDIAN MUSEUM AND KIVA

After a short hike to take the dogs for a swim in the reservoir. We visit the Lake Hasty campground and use the facilities.  We follow the Arkansas River and the Santa Fe trail west.  At noon we note the temperature is 98 degrees.  At 4:00PM it's 102 degrees.  We stop at Old Fort Bent (1833-1849) which was a large trading post on the Santa Fe Trail.  It catered to the French, Indians, Mexicans and Americans that were flooding into the country.  It has been reconstructed exactly as it was using the same materials and techniques.  It is staffed by people in period dress.

We stop at the Koshare Indian Museum and Kiva.  The Koshare are a troop of Boy Scouts who perform dances throughout the world. As soon as the sun goes down it cools off quickly.

Old Fort Bent

Mitch inside Old Fort Bent

Barn Swallows found inside the kitchen area.

Bread Ovens

Reenactor making cookies using dutch ovens.

Animal skin drawings depicting the life of a Native American.

Peacock guarding the fort.

Scene of Rocky Mountains leaving the fort.

Koshare Indian Museum and Kiva

Kiva Round Room where dances are held.

Koshare (Pueblo Clowns or Sacred Clowns)

Koshare Dancers in full regalia.

NW KANSAS TO SE COLORADO

The next morning we are surrounded by a herd of black Angus cattle.  One decides to scratch his head on our bicycles and Poudre starts barking frantically.  They all run off.  We now call him Poudre, the cattle dog.

We finally cross into Colorado (yipee!).  We are glad to have crossed Kansas, all 420 miles of it.  We have burned 180 gallons of gas to get here.  The price ranged from $3.19 to $3.79 a gallon.

We visit the Colorado welcome center and come away with a lot of stuff. There is so much to do here.  That's why they call it the vacation state.  We head south through more of the 'bread basket.'  The corn is only knee high and none of the wheat has been cut yet.  It looks like waves of golden grain when the wind blows.  We take a primitive campsite at John Martin Reservoir State Park.  We are the only ones in camp.

Poudre, the cattle dogs, cattle.

FORT HAYS AND MONUMENT ROCKS, NW KANSAS

We zip through Kansas City and then head across the state.  We stop at Fort Hays which was the post for the 3rd Calvary Buffalo Soldiers (Negro).

We visit Monument Rocks, 70' tall chalk formations created 80 million years ago when Kansas was a vast inland sea.  We find sea shells amongst the rubble.  We decide to stay here for the night and watch as a thunderstorm approaches.  We are pelted with a little rain and 35mph winds with gusts up to 55mph.  We are rockin' and rollin' as we take in a lighting show like no other.

Fort Hays, Kansas_1867 to 1889

Officers Quarters

Guardhouse

Mitch, Sky 'jawing' with a soldier.

Soldiers would carve into the limestone.  This one is for you Tex.

Blockhouse

Monument Rocks (Chalk Pyramids)

Beginning of Storm at Monument Rocks

Motor home in relation to Monument Rocks.

Hard to believe this was once part of a vast inland sea.

Cliff Swallow nests at Monument Rocks

The arch at Monument Rocks

Beautiful Grasshopper

Butterfield Overland Trail Monument

OHIO, INDIANA, ILLINOIS & MISSOURI

We traverse Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and most of Missouri.  The truck traffic is heavy but we're able to keep up.  We are crossing the bread basket of America.  The corn looks good and the wheat has already been harvested.  We park at a Loves truck stop for the night.

Bread Basket of America

VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, PENNSYLVANIA & OHIO

It seems like we can't seem to get started until 4:20.  We're headed to the Rocky Mountains and on this trip we have 2 mountain bikes hanging off the back of the motor home.  Not that we need mountain bikes to go to the mountains.  I would just as soon ride where it's flat.

We are taking the northern route (I70) so we can try to stay cooler.  We cruise through Maryland, Pennsylvania and stop for the night at the welcome center in Ohio.