Sunday September 14 and Monday September 15, 2014
On The Road Traveling East
Colorado to Kansas
There’s not much to report about two days of nothing but driving.
SUNDAY
Long drive today for us of 210 miles over the last of the Rocky Mountains and into flat Eastern Colorado mostly on CO 160 and US 50. We stop in Lamar at Country Acres RV Park. It’s $21 for FHU with Passport America and is a fine overnight stop. Stopped on the way for gas at $3.619, at least a little bit less than last time.
The smell of the stockyards as we came into Lamar made me put a cloth over my nose and mouth. Thank goodness the RV park was on the other side of town or I’d have had to drive on. I don’t understand how people can live in this town with that smell and seeing how those animals are treated. It just makes you want to cry.
We have nice color in the sky to close out the day.
MONDAY
After breakfast at the Hickory House in Lamar we set out for another 200+ mile day. 229 miles through eastern Colorado and into Kansas. The drive is split about 50/50. The first half is on US Highways in Colorado and the second half is on Kansas RT 156.
Sorghum grows all along the roads. For miles and miles. It’s pretty color does give at least some variety to the drive.
The small towns along the way look like they are dead and I wonder how the people live here. What do they do with their one precious life?
We end up in Great Bend Kansas at All Seasons Mobile Home Park which is 4 miles outside of town. An 8 mile detour. The manager is extremely nice. Apparently they use vacant spaces for overnighters. Had we known it would be $20 to have to drive over a curb to get into and out of the site, we would have skipped it all together. I would definitely NOT recommend towing a car over a curb. Not to mention that we were right by the main road which amazingly had busy truck traffic all night long. Not much sleep for the weary.
The site had FHU but the sewer was so far in the back it would have required backing up to get to it. Obviously not while towing a car. There was no patio, no picnic table, no tree, no nothing. Grass of a sort. Skip this place.
Notice the sidewalk in front of the Duckies, in front of Winnona.
There’s no driveway.
It’s over the sidewalk and over the curb to turn right in front of that gray single wide.
Tomorrow we’ll stop at the reason for this out of the way dip down through Kansas – The Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve. I have always wanted to see a restored tall grass prairie of a decent size ever since we spent a night in a sod house in North Dakota just over the Minnesota Line on a Great Lakes trip with Carrie in the 90’s. They had a “section of prairie” that you walked through to get to the house. But I’m dreaming of seeing miles and miles of tall grass as far as the eye can see.
We're crossing the country going in the opposite direction and we're near Tall Grass Prairie tonight, too. We bought gas in Missouri this morning for $2.88 so you have that to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your tales of the Tall Grass Prairie NP, it is on my bucket list and we plan to visit it next year. I think it used to be called The Flint Hills.
ReplyDeletewE STOPPED THERE! iT WAS NEAT TO SEE, TOURED THE HOUSE AND BARN AND THOSE WERE ENLIGHTENING. It was SO very hot!! Don't know how people survived with no ac in that weather and then they wore all of those clothes too, long skirts.... geez....
ReplyDeleteSkies as big as you can see, so to speak, in these shots!
ReplyDeleteSometimes we wonder why people have those kind of RV parks. Glad at least it was only one night.
ReplyDeleteBet you're really glad that drive is over. Hoping all is well.
ReplyDeleteIn our travels, I often find myself contemplating how many different ways there are to live this precious life. We're so fortunate to realize that we have choices, and to have the courage and the resources to follow our dreams. Looking forward to your tales of the tall grass prairie!
ReplyDeleteThose kind of RV parks are here to reminds us just how wonderful our National and State park campgrounds really are;o))
ReplyDeleteAlthough you had to experience the downsides to staying in a park like that, it's great that RVers can find out from bloggers about places to stay and not to stay. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLong drives! I often wonder about the stories behind the sleepy towns in the flat middle country. There must be some draw. Cheaper? Glad you got to see some flowers and a decent sunset...over the curb for $20? My goodness.
ReplyDeleteDon't know how you do those long days. We made it to full timing, day 51 on the road so I won't have to be a run away this winter. Dan is doing great and we are enjoying TN, heading to the Natchez Trace this week. Maybe our paths will cross again. Kris
ReplyDeleteFor every great campground you find, it seems there is it's direct opposite that you will have to stay in. Glad you made the best of it and I'm looking forward to hearing about the tall grass prairie.
ReplyDeleteCount your blessings on two long drive days, it gave your feet time to cool off from all that hiking! :c)
ReplyDeletePPA parks are hit and miss, we also factor in how far off our path the CG is, because if it's too far, any saving we might have can be eaten up by fuel costs.
Just can’t do the long drives any longer and as much as I love these here United States of America … when you go through stretches of same … I fall asleep and that’s not good.
ReplyDeleteCatching up with ya! AND it’s all pretty in its own way … I’m not a country person for sure but I do love to visit … then skedaddle on back to some semblance at least of a city …
Geez, what a campground. Thanks for the warning.
ReplyDeleteHow nice that you and David checked out these little RV parks along your route home - so the rest of us know which ones to avoid :-) In addition to the "where do they work?" question when we come across tiny towns, we also ask "where do they live?" when stopping at roadside stations with three employees and no town in sight for miles and miles. I lived that life as a youngster, in a company town in the middle of the desert, and it still puzzles me in other places!! Look forward to the tall grasses - probably taller for you than David :-)
ReplyDeleteSpent the last week driving back and forth through the IL country side through a few small towns. I've wondered how a town of 500 can afford to have their own school in town, also wonder what all these folks do for a living. By the way, don't think your original comment showed on my blog, I did see your comment about approving which I'm not doing.
ReplyDeleteWe hiked in the grass prairie when we came through Kansas. It was all original undisturbed prairie...very interesting!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a very strange "park!"
I felt the same way about the little towns in Indiana that surrounded the oil refinery and power plant. How do they live there looking at and smelling that? It made me want to give up electricity and driving my car...or at least find ways to stop wasting it! (I keep threatening to get a Prius)
ReplyDelete