2002 West Camping Vacation Travel Log - page 1 of 5
Week 1 ~ Monday July 22 to Sunday July 28
Monday July 22 - We are on our way. Our first camping night was spent at Starved Rock State Park, Ill - good, strong, roomy, hot showers - good for one night. This is a very big park along the river and the campsites are very nice. The van is running very well with the new radiator and hoses that I installed before we left.
Tuesday July 23 - We hit the road heading west on I-80 across Illinois and into Iowa, the land of corn and soybeans. We toured Amana, IA, where they make the appliances. The town founded by disgruntled Lutherans.
Back on the road, we made it a ways into Nebraska and stopped for the night at Mormon Island State Recreation Area. They offered us good, strong, roomy, hot showers and a nice campsite, but too close to I-80 - too much road noise. We met some nice people from Lincoln, Nebraska.
and soybeans. This stuff is about 8 ft tall.
Wednesday July 24 - We continued our drive west on I-80 and entered Mountain Time today, drove thru Big Thompson Canyon on the way to Estes Park and then to Rocky Mountain National Park where we spent four nights at Glacier Basin campground. It's a bit rustic here with no hookups, no showers, but it is so quiet here and the scenery is worth every penny and then some.
Thursday July 25 - Happy Birthday, Lindsay! We walked around Bear Lake, Moraine Park Museum and Estes Park - saw Mule Deer, Elk and ground squirrels - Elk walking the streets right in town.
Yes, I took this picture... I did not buy it.
Friday July 26 - Alan flew his kite in an alpine meadow - beautiful sight! The meadow, not Alan. Went over the top on Trail Ridge Road - God's country - saw a Moose! The once very large Lake Granby is 54 feet low - draining due to the four-year drought - looks like a puddle now. So sad. I have some 20 year old pictures that I will have to get out for a memory refresh.
Saturday July 27 - This was a Wildlife day! We went to Alberta Falls, Endovalley, Alluvial Fan (there's a real story here), Horseshoe Park, Moraine Park. We saw ground squirrels, a marmot, Mule deer, a coyote, hummingbirds and 2 bears!
Sunday July 28 - We attended a non-denom church service in the campground and thanked God for giving us this beautiful country. We left Rocky Mountain National Park and drove south through Denver and Colorado Springs to land in Woodland Park (city northwest of Colorado Springs) - civilization means showers and electricity! Our host was Diamond Campground, very nice place to call home for three days/nights while we toured the area.
And this is the end of Week 1 of our vacation. Go to the Index Page -- Go to Week 2