A Scouting Trip

Our time at the Mesa Verde RV Resort is getting short.  We leave Monday.  Looking ahead, to our next destination, we haven't quite got enough of Colorado, so we scouted north of Dolores for camping spots.  We first checked in with the Forestry Office in Dolores and got tips on a campground with electric sites plus disbursed camping locations.  Cayton Campground was the recommendation for sites with electric, and the furthest north.  When we got there, it was pretty much full, or reservations made.  Plus, it was at 11,000 feet and in a dark pine forest.  There were two first come first served sites open, and one looked nice, but who knows if it would still be free come Monday.  We were already inside the four day booking window for making reservations, so with the altitude and darkness, plus a lack of hiking trails from the campground, we decided no to that.  We got cold feet checking out the disbursed campsites, as first one has to drive up out of the Dolores river valley on extremely narrow gravel mountain roads.  I would drive the roads, but not pulling the trailer, as there absolutely is no way to turn around.  Meeting a vehicle driving the opposite direction would be a nightmare.

So, we've given up on our Colorado ambitions, as more and more families are coming out making the campgrounds harder to get in to.

Tonight is a prime example as a pop up from Utah is next to us.  There are at least three adults and two extremely active young boys.  The kids aren't a problem, but the adults were up and outside their camper having a conversation until after midnight.  They woke me up.  After about 45 minutes of this I used the remote for my truck to sound my horn.  Not the emergency blast, but the single toot that says "I'm locked"  Thee toots and they didn't get the hint.  This morning I notice that a second car is there.  I sure hope they leave today.

We've decided to head for northern New Mexico on Monday.  I've picked out a New Mexico State Park where depending on the setting we will stay a couple of days before moving on to Taos.  Then Santa Fe and following that, homeward bound.

We stopped at a tasting room and bought a couple of bottles of wine yesterday, plus picked up some more pork chops from the little "gourmet" grocery in Dolores.  We grilled those and opened a can of green beans with potatoes.  A glass of Pino Gris accompanied the chops.  Life is good.