Rick and Noreen

You may have seen our post on the "Truck Camper Build". In early June, we made a return trip to Tucson to pick up the truck and canoe. The following week we were off! We camped for three days and two nights exploring the 236 mile San Juan skyway loop.     We had researched several potential camping spots along the route, loaded the truck with food and supplies, and set out for our adventure. One of the first potential campsites was at Alta Lakes near Telluride. We drove the steep and bumpy road (most passenger vehicles can make it) about 4.5 miles to the main lake and free dispersed campground.  Our intent was simply to scope the area, but ended up finding a great, available campsite. We then couldn't think of a good enough reason not to stay the night. Alta Lake is at an elevation of 11,300 feet. It rests in a basin with 13,000' peaks providing magnificent views. The truck camper setup worked out great! We decided to purchase a side mounted awning for the truck whi...

                     Flowers, flowers, flowers!         With numerous seasonal full-timers at the campground, guests are invited to decorate their yards with plants, banners, flags and lawn decor. Below are pictures of the numerous flower beds bursting with beautiful color! This is a common site throughout the San Juan mountain range in southwest Colorado. Though the blue Columbine is the state flower, the grounds display many other colors of this wild species. This is our homemade planter box. We were forced to raise the Petunias as our friendly chipmunk "Cheeks" enjoyed snacking on them. The owners richly invest in beautifying the grounds. Passer-bys know that when the (big 3-D) Ice Cream cone is displayed (lower right), our soft ice cream is available at the store. The bright orange Asian Poppies open 4"- 6" full bloom; their stamen are a deep purple.  This Lily is small but profuse with buds. There ...

Below is your view from the free Gondola ride down into Telluride. From the San Sophia station (the highest point of the Gondola) it's 1790 feet down into Telluride. The views are simply outstanding. Parking can be hard to find in Telluride, so it's recommended to park in Mountain Village above Telluride and take the Gondola into town. We spent a good six hours of our day in Telluride. We enjoyed breakfast, shopping, hanging out at the local park with snacks, and finished the day off with lunch and one more trip on the Gondola circuit before leaving.                                                      Views of the Rockies from the Gondola. You can see the Telluride airport on the left side of the picture next to the pine tree. In the picture below you may be able to make out a waterfall in the center of the picture just below the snow pack. It's Bridal ...

The picture above is the view from the overlook/tour waiting area for the Cliff Palace. One of the overlooks of a cliff dwelling you can pull over to view. The Cliff Palace view from the opposite mesa. Close up look of "Cliff Palace" Mesa Verde is a National Park just outside of Cortez Colorado which features numerous cliff dwellings. We spent seven hours in the park one day; this included a tour (must have reservations) of the "Cliff Palace". The park has multiple large dwellings, some of which can only be viewed via a guided tour however, many can be seen from a pullout and/or a short hike. Most of the cliff dwellings are on a small to medium scale and can only be seen from a distance. We were able to enjoy one half of the park on our one-day trip. From the entrance of the park to the largest cliff dwelling, a 20 mile drive, at approximately 25-30 miles per hour is required which, was quite lovely. There are multiple scenic pullouts along the drive as well. The pa...