Prairie Dog to Mountain Park, CO

Leaving Prairie Dog State Park

Oh my – what a wonderful little prairie dog community!  These guys are really cute!  They didn’t panic when we arrived, though they did scamper in a rather disorganized hurry (I think I heard the mayor tell them to head underground “in an abundance of caution” – typical bureaucrat).  You can tell they are somewhat acclimated to the presence of nearby two-leggers and their various traveling companion(s):  Carlos and Minkie spent a good thirty minutes watching them pop in an out of their little tunnel entrances, and scampering back and forth, neighbor visiting neighbor, largely ignoring the mayor’s advice.  We thought it was a wonderful send off to a long day’s drive ahead.

 

 

 

Mountain Park Campground (USDA/NFS) – Bellevue, CO

Lest you wonder, the drive from KS into CO, along US 6, then CO 14, was very similar to the roads traveled the day before – long rolling hills for the most part,  though it did get really flat for a little while.  We were amazed at how many square miles of agriculture there is.  Once more we saw mostly corn, hay, cattle, and sorghum with a smattering of soybeans.  Here in CO we also saw more fields under irrigation – big center pivots, and occasionally water guns.  We also passed one or two feed lots, as well as some oil rigs once we reached Colorado.  Though some might find a long straight road pretty boring, Carlos and Minkie thought it was quite pleasant.  I think it’s because I pass their time trying to educate them with my vast knowledge of the world.   Toads rule, y’know.

 Anyway, as we approached Fort Collins, we started to see the Rockies, and that’s when I knew things were about to really change.  And boy did they!  Mountains!  Altitude!  Attitude!  We got it all!  Hear the Road Toad ROAR!

HEL-L-L-LO-O-O-O, Rocky Mountains, here we come!

 Mountain Park Campground a US Forest campground, and is situated along the Poudre Canyon River.  It is very busy this time of year (we reserved the last available space more than a month ago), but is amazingly quiet.  The host was very glad to see us, as the message that we would be arriving a day late never got delivered (Bad Girl, Sarah!).  The host held it anyway, turning away a few unhappy folks.  Every site was occupied our first night (Saturday), and there was no loud music, screaming, or other auditory disturbance.  And even though we are close to road (this is a canyon, after all), the river water flowing over rocks and boulders drowns a lot of the noise.

We have electricity, but water is filled by tote, from spigots near the showers.  You can’t attach a hose, so come prepared!  Vault toilets are the norm – and I suspect that those with more delicate sensitivities might not enjoy this type of campground.  There is also no cell service, so I’m not sure when this post will be uploaded….

 Next Day:   Today is Sunday, and many of the campers have left.  This has been our first day to relax, and let me tell you, we are making the best of it!  We had a real breakfast this morning, then entertained fellow campers as they came to see our little Casita.  It’s apparently something of a curiosity – they’ve heard or read about them, but never seen inside one….. So of course, you have to let them have a peek.  After lunch, Carlos and Minkie went looking for a trail the host told them about, but they had no luck finding it.  Instead, they walked the campground loop trail, down along the river, and up behind the campsites.  Then, our good friends Cloudy and Scattered Showers came for a visit.  Showers barely gave us a nod, I guess because he’d been here last night.  Anyway, while all that was going on, I took a little rest, then started on this post.

 Now it’s quiz time.  Can any of you identify this fellow with the feathers? 

And how about this plant with the berries? 

That’s it for now.  Monday we’ll be in Pearl Lake, with no electricity, no water hook up, and no cell service, so my next post may not be til the weekend.  I’m also looking into adding a picture page, so you can see a little more of what’s around us….

 

 

PRAIRIE DOG STATE PARK – Norton, KS

Don’t let anyone convince you that Kansas is flat.  At least where we are, traveling US HWY 36 across the northern part of the state, it’s mostly rolling hills – chock full of corn, soybeans, sorghum, hay fields, and cattle.  It does flatten a bit just after you pass (GET READY for this!) the geographic center of the lower 48 states, which lies a mere two miles north as you sail pass Lebanon, KS.  I think I felt the some crystal power or other psychic signalling, but Carlos and Minkie just rolled their eyes and told me we were out of that particular cone of influence.   Humph.  Anyway, for those who might be interested, here’s an driveby picture of a field of sorghum.  

At one point, the road took us up a long high hill, which crested to a 360 degree view of the fields around us.  As far as you could see, there were fields upon fields.  I didn’t think there was a lot of irrigation out here, but silly me – we saw plenty of traveling irrigation systems with dropped nozzles (which deliver less water than traditional overhead systems).  Wish we had more time to learn about the agriculture here – it’s really different than what we see back east.

We made it to Prairie Dog around 5 pm.  The Park has several campgrounds, and this one, “Branded Cedar”,  is the smallest, and farthest from the center of action – which gravitate towards water activities – boating, swimming, fishing and such.  There are only 6 RV sites in this “loop”, and no one is next to us.  Here’s a view of the lake, taken from our picnic table.  As you can see, it’s not too shabby!  Ours is the only concrete pad, but all the sites are fairly level, and all are pull throughs.  The humidity is quite low, not so great for delicate toadish skin, but the two-legs are ecstatic – go figure.  Anyway, there was a stiff breeze blowing across the water, which died down as the evening wore on.  There are some significant mosquitoes, and Carlos had to run from the showers to keep from getting carried away.  As you might imagine, I’ve done my part to try to help him out, but I’m full now, and can do no more for him.  And speaking of showers, the facilities are more than adequate, but very hot – little air flow, and even with low humidity outside, the room feels akin to a sauna – at least, that’s Minkie’s opinion.  She also prefers a bench to set her toiletries on, and a few hooks to hang towels and clothes – but those are minor deficiencies.  They were new, and most importantly – very clean!

We’re hoping to visit the Parks namesakes in the morning.  Rumor has it there’s a prairie dog village under development on the way out.  (So does that mean they have a little Walmart coming?  Or perhaps a clubhouse, pool and little prairie dog golf course?)

Next stop: Colorado

The Adventures Begin!

The way I see it, you can’t have a real adventure without a little adversity.  So, while the two-leggers have been dealing with their little “adversity”, I haven’t been able to blog.  Hence, this will be a little longer post, but I have some catching up to do…

We left Tombigbee two days ago on a cloudy morning, early enough to catch a little wildlife along the way. First we saw a couple of gobbler turkeys, then, about a half mile later, a hen turkey with a couple of youngsters in tow.  We’ve been avoiding interstates as much as possible, and as a consequence have seen a lot more of what someone calls “rural America”.   As the morning wore on, we watched fields of cotton with a little soybeans and corn give way to fields of mostly corn and soybeans.  Long rolling hills, lots of green, and good roads can’t help but lift your spirits.

Making things even better, the weather started to change to mostly sunshine.  Clouds a-plenty, but more sun than shade.  Then, late afternoon we caught a glimpse of the Great Muddy!  I really begged the two-legs to stop and let me dip a webbed foot in, but they would have none of it.  Illinois and our next campsite were only an hour further down the road.

Then, not more than a couple miles further, just south of where we were supposed to cross the Ohio River (nice, but no Big Muddy!), we hit (figuratively speaking) a little road block.  “Bridge is out” the trouper told us.  But he also gave us some good advice on where to cross and how to get back on track for Giant City.  

Crossing the Ohio

The delay wasn’t terrible, but it did mean we got to Giant City an hour or so later than we’d expected.  We headed for the campground office, only to find the gate closed.  Minkie had called ahead, so we knew we could go directly to the campground, (which, was of course, in the opposite direction) and check in directly with the host, so we started to back up and turn around.

And that my friends is where the adventure began.  Think of the very loud grating, crunch and groan of concrete and metal having a major argument over which direction each should be going.  It wasn’t pretty.  Carlos and Minkie were not amused.  Lucky for them, there was no harm to either the truck or trailer proper, but that little frame piece that holds the two propane tanks looked like it had tipped one two many the night before.  And the sway bar?  It’s toast.

We were able to patch things up enough to get to the campground safely, but needless to say, there was a heavy cloud (and I don’t mean a rain cloud) hanging over the Casita-mobile that night.  

The next day, though, wasn’t so bad.  We met lots of really nice people who helped identify places to go to get the piece parts we needed, and folks who could assist with repairs.  NOTE fellow travelers – if you ever find yourself near Carbondale, IL in need of some welding, give Jerry Kauffman at MacWeld a call.  He’s one really nice guy, and though he couldn’t help us that day, gave us another name to call call, and told us if they couldn’t help, he’d take care of us first thing the following morning.  Which is exactly what happened.  

So with only a single day’s delay, how depressed can a Road Toad be?  

Now, about Giant City State Park.  We actually spent very little time in the campground, but it was certainly pleasant enough.  It’s a large campground, with multiple loops, with all gravel sites fairly close together.  Many are not very level, and some would be very difficult, if not impossible to level your trailer.  Ours wasn’t bad, and there were very few campers there, so we had no immediate neighbors.  There are lots of trees and shade, and no mosquitoes!

 

PERSHING STATE PARK – Laclede, MO

 We got here at the fairly decent hour of 4:30 pm.  This is a small campground, only a couple dozen campsites.  The campground has a manicured appearance, but not of the Disney World variety, just very well maintained.  The sites are fairly close together, but 10, 12, 14, 18 (which is an interior site) and 20 all offer a little more privacy than others.  Which isn’t a whole lot, but once again, there’s hardly anyone here, so a crowded neighborhood isn’t much of an issue.  We’re in site 5 – an open, interior site, with no shade.  For the life of him, Carlos can’t figure out exactly why we picked this site.  Perhaps it was the Ranger’s favorite?   No matter.  It’s quiet, it isn’t raining, and we’re happy campers.   Literally.

The facilities are primo.  Very, clean, very well maintained.  The showers each have a dressing area separate from the shower itself, with a bench, and at least one hook for clothes.  Very roomy.  Nice hot water.  

I think we’ll all sleep well tonight!

 

Tombigbee State Park – Tupelo, MS

We awoke this morning to an unpleasant surprise: a mini-forest of mildew along the lower cabinet edges.  Even for this amphibian it wasn’t a pretty site.  We had slept with the fan on and windows open, which made for a cool, but very damp night, with the unintended consequence just mentioned.  Minkie wiped everything down, and it’s drier today.  We’re also running the AC tonight, and with just a little luck, all will be normal again and stay that way.   (Well, normal for this crowd, anyway)

That was the start to a long day’s journey, but we made it here safe and sound.  Ah, Tupelo – great honey, and the birthplace of Elvis.  What more could a body want?  Well this toad would have preferred a day less sprinkled with little worry-beads.  A wheel hub that wanted to over-heat (but changed its little mind, thankfully),  a few misdirections from the navigator (Minkie, you got some ‘splainin’ to do!), and a detour due to road work that took us well off our route, all provided little frustrations that the two-legs had not planned for.  Lucky for me, they managed to soldier on, and even remembered to get my hat out for the 3 minutes of sunshine we had!

And the drive itself took us through some pretty countryside:

(that’s me in the hat)

As for the road to Tombigbee proper, it’s a long, rather tortuous drive into the park – narrow, winding roads, that aren’t signed particularly well.  Fortunately, we had cell service most of the time, and were able to make most of the correct turns (hint, hint, Navigator – if this keeps up, I might insist on GPS).   The campground is small – 20 sites, with not a gracious lot of space between them.  Even though there is a fair amount of open space, it doesn’t feel overly crowded.  Perhaps it’s because the trees are large, and everything is so green…..  We’re in site 15 – with full hookups, though the sewer port is back behind the site, and not an easy reach for our equipment.  No complaints, though!  All the sites are paved, and are relatively level.

This is an older park, and the bathhouse is dated, but very clean.   There are two shower stalls in each of the restrooms, and all have a small bench for necessities.  There’s also a washer and dryer for those who need them.  

If we had time, the park offers boating, fishing, a nature trail, and even a frisbee golf course.  

Hopefully, we’ll be off for another early start in the morning, with more cooperative wheel hubs, and fewer missed turns!  And if we’re really lucky, we might even have a day with no rain!

Cheers for now!

Welcome

Welcome to my blog!  I’m Smuchi, and there’s something you need to know about me right up front. I’m a toad.  Not just any toad, I’m a road toad – Smuchi, the American Road Toad.  That’s just in case you have strong feelings about associating with someone of my persuasion.  I travel with a pair of two-leggers (Carlos and Minkie) who happen to own a Casita.  It’s a good life – I get to ride up front where I can see what’s coming up, and where I can hear all the conversation or the music playing.  And they take me just about everywhere, hiking, boating, fine restaurants – you name it, so you’ll get a full picture of our adventures over the next couple of months.  Though if I miss a few things here and there, it’s only because my toadal recall isn’t quite what it used to be.

Anyway, I hope you’ll find the blog interesting enough to visit on occasion, and feel free to leave comments and questions.  We’re not the fanciest travelers on the road, so this won’t be the most elegant blog you’ll ever encounter, but we will try to share some pictures of some of the more exciting things we come across along the way.

Now – ON with the Show!

 

CHATTAHOOCHEE BEND STATE PARK – Newnan, GA

Yep, we’re in the southeast, alright.  We had a reasonably pleasant drive, with clouds keeping the temperature moderate, and the humidity high.  This is one of Georgia’s newer parks, filling some 2900 acres in Coweta County, stretching along 7 miles of the Chattahoochee River. There are only 26 RV sites, all with water and electricity.  Because it’s newer, there isn’t a whole lot of vegetation around the sites, but it’s starting to fill in, and in another couple of years, I think they’ll all have a more private feel.  They’re large, long sites, and well spaced, though it doesn’t matter tonight – as we’re the only ones here, other than the host, who is at the other end of the campground. Not too bad.

Tenters have their own campground in another area, but we haven’t been over there, so I can’t tell you anything about it.

Did I mention the weather? Tonight, the clouds turned more active and delivered rain.  Oh, and a tornado warning.  But it’s quieted down now, without actually implementing the evacuation plan to the restrooms.  Good thing – that’s just no place to spend a Sunday evening, especially since we’ll be on the road again early in the morning.

We’re on our way to Colorado and Utah to spend a month or so hiking – but for the next 4 days it’s drive, drive, drive.

More ribeting news tomorrow.  – Smuchi