Crossing the Mississippi

Welcome back. This third post will take us across the Mississippi, the heartland and into the Rocky Mountains. I will also cover some of the RV amenities discussed earlier for those who may be even remotely considering such a journey. This posting is rather in-depth so sit back, open a cold one and come along for the ride.

My last post ended at Sleeping Bear Dunes in northern Michigan and again I’d just like to encourage all to visit this remarkably scenic and enchanting corner of northwest Michigan.

The next two stops were visiting family and friends and I’ll just briefly mention these next two areas and post a few photos. Bloomington, Indiana was the first stop south of Michigan to see family. While there we toured the magnificent Indiana University. Established in 1820, this campus has the feel and look of an Ivy League school. It has an abundance of historic trees, gorgeous classical style buildings and a park like setting with green space and a beautiful stream running through the center of the campus. Bloomington is also the birthplace of Tin Pan Alley composer Hoagy Carmichael, author of such classics as “Stardust”, Georgia on My Mind”, and “Heart and Soul,” and the University features the engaging and whimsical sculpture below.

After a few lovely days in Bloomington, we continued traveling south to visit an old college friend in Nashville where we took in a country swing show at the legendary nightclub, 3rd and Lindsley. Great show, though not exactly what us old rock and rollers generally listen to, but we saw the fantastic The Time Jumpers, a group of session musicians who play in this configuration regularly and generally include Vince Gill, though he was absent that night. They did feature singer Wendy Moten that night and that’s a voice I wholeheartedly recommend.

We also toured the amazing Cheekwood Estate and Gardens while in Nashville, a 55 acre botanical garden and art museum that is not to be missed. The grounds, gardens and historic home are all a wonder to behold and the photos below hardly do it justice. The estate features acres of hiking trails as well as an enormous children’s area, a huge working exterior model train exhibit, and a tribute to the Maurice Sendak book “Where the Wild Things Are.”

Leaving Nashville, finally heading in a westerly direction after more north- south traversing, we crossed the mighty Mississippi at St. Louis. Do take notice of the trees in the water in the Mississippi below. The constant rain this spring in the midwest has pushed all of the rivers way beyond their banks and caused extensive flooding. We encountered many rivers out of their banks; not only the Mississippi, but also the Missouri and the Arkansas rivers.

We happened to pass through St. Louis on the very night that the Blues won the Stanley Cup. Congrats to all the fans and condolences to the Bruins fans!!

Heading west on I-70 we stopped just for the night in a convenient campground as it was close to the highway. DO NOT GO TO Kan-Do Kampground. Since this blog is for informational purposes, please heed this warning. The water was foul, the bathrooms were dirty and the host was an unhappy old curmudgeon who genuinely seemed annoyed that we bothered him when we checked in.

After this fiasco, we did a little further research on the next campground that we had booked and realized that the reviews were not terribly encouraging. (Avoid TripleJ RV Park) So after some research, we found Wilson State Park in Russel County, Kansas. Wilson Lake is a 9000 acre man- made reservoir that was created by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for flood control of the Saline River. Due to all of the recent rain, at least half of this park was underwater so many campsites were closed. However, we found this park to be a gem in the flat country of Central Kansas. It is only 5 miles off of the interstate, but features rolling hills, a pristine lake, boating, swimming and both primitive camping (no hook-ups) or full hook-up camping. (This is often referred to as FHU in the literature and includes electric, water and sewer connections) We found this park to be so beautiful and relaxing that we stayed an extra night. During the second night, however, we were hit with an incredible lightning, rain and wind storm that quite frankly kept us up till after 2 a.m. until it calmed enough that we were able to sleep. We spoke with several tent campers in the morning who ended up with broken tent poles and huddled in their cars during the storms that raged for hours. The winds in that region of the country can spawn tornadoes and being aware of the conditions and location of storm shelters is advised!!! Note: Tall RV’s rock in the wind.

The dawn brought a clear and wind-free morning at Wilson Lake as we packed up heading for southern Colorado. We chose to visit southern Colorado as we have visited Northern Colorado in the past and we have some dear friends in Canon City, Co. where we were to base our operation for the next 4 days.

Note: If you travel to Northern Colorado, don’t miss Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, Co. The camp sites are gorgeous and you can drive to the top of the mountain at 12,183′ above sea level. Be aware of altitude sickness at that elevation. Dizziness, shortness of breath and even fainting can occur if you do not have time to acclimate to the elevation.

Canon City,Colorado is famous for the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park. Though this is a definite tourist destination, it is well worth the visit. The park is located on Rt. 50, about 25 minutes west of Canon City. The famous bridge is the highest suspension bridge in the US over a gorge some 1200 feet above the Arkansas River. The general admission ($26/senior) includes the walking bridge as well as a gondola ride across the gorge and a wonderful 22 minute film about the entire attraction including the bridge, park, construction and re-construction after a devastating forest fire. For the true thrill seeker, there is also a zip line across the gorge, a ride called the Skycoaster that is essentially a huge swing, a children’s area, a stage with live music and rock climbing.

All of the pictures below are from the Royal Gorge.

The landscape surrounding Canon City is majestic mountains and canyons. Most roads that veer off the main highways wind their way into the canyons. Phantom Canyon, just outside of town is one such road. As we head north on Phantom Canyon Road, we begin to climb from the city elevation (5400′ above sea level). The asphalt quickly gives way to dirt and gravel. The road narrows, though it is two way traffic and a surprising number of cars are traveling what we assumed was a quiet, lonely canyon drive. All along the canyon, which is land managed by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) people are camped in vehicles, tents and lean to’s. On BLM land, you are allowed to set-up camp as you see fit. There are signs requesting that people carry out their trash and bury their own waste. Of course, all primitive camping expects that people will respect the land, though in actuality, there seems to be a preponderance of people who thumb their nose at our amazing planet as evidenced by trash, carved names in trees and railings and a general inconsiderate nature. Please do your part. Ok, sorry for the political interlude.

Pictures below are from Phantom Canyon.

Heading west from here into the interior of the Rockies. Hope to post again in about another week, though we undoubtedly will not have wifi or cell service for a while in the high country.

Note: Photos posted are by Jay & Ellen both.

Until then, peace.

Jay