Thursday, August 04, 2011

Last week of the Sisters 2011 Adventure

The Judy and Claud Mary RV Resort and B&B

Give this place a 10-Star rating! After a short driving day, we arrived at the Mary’s driveway of their huge, beautiful home. Jeremiah was parked alongside the house for Cat and I; Linda moved into the guest bedroom.

During our stay here, we spend part of a day at the famous Garden of the Gods. At one of the scenic stops, we found another tourist to take our photo.

That day we also walked around the historic town of Manitou Springs. Of course we shopped and did lots of people-watching. It was Sunday and the town was busy. As we meandered down the main street, I was surprised to see two colorful birds – unattached to their owners – perched on a bicycle rack. Here’s the photo of them: Sammy on the right and Lolita.

One evening we spent at the Flying W Ranch – dinner and music in a barn-like setting since it had been raining and threatened more of the same. The five guys – guitars and fiddle – kept things lively making for a super evening.

Judy and Claud are super hosts and made our stay there extra special. With two outdoor patios, we spent plenty of time overlooking their large property and enjoying the squirrels and birds.

Cat got lots of napping time since she was basically left alone except for evenings, nights, and mornings. She says she enjoyed watching the critters.

Last night – the NRA’s Whittington Center RV Park

After a stormy drive south on I-25 – including a down-pour as we crossed the Raton Pass – we settled in for our last night on the road here. I barely got Jeremiah plugged in before more rain hit. We are here because Sugarite State Park (New Mexico) our original stop, was closed due to wildfire damage.

This NRA Center, at elevations from 6,100 to 8,000 feet, offers a variety of family recreational activities such as hiking, bird watching, wildlife viewing and camping. The Center hosts many competitive shooting events at a variety of shooting ranges.

Next Stop – Rio Rancho, New Mexico – the end of the road for this adventure.

Linda flies back to her home on Sunday afternoon and after three days of appointments – hair cut, motorhome service – and visits with friends and family, I’ll leave on Thursday for my volunteer time at Navajo Lake State Park in northwestern New Mexico. I’ll be there from Aug. 12 through the first week of October.

This is the end of this adventure, but as I once read:

What the caterpillar thinks is the end of the world; the butterfly knows is only the beginning.

So just like the butterfly, I know this is just the beginning of many more adventures.

Thanks for traveling with us.