50 RV Gift Ideas for Your Beloved RVer (or RV!)

Is there a special RVer in your life who’d appreciate a tool or an appliance or other RV gift for your life on the road — perhaps a memento of your RVing adventures together? Or do you have an RV you love that deserves a little holiday gift wrapped with a bow?

We have our own list of “must have” RV goodies, and we’ve seen some super cute RV related gifts in our travels, and this inspired me to do a little digging online to see if there might be more. Oh my, if you look hard enough there’s a treasure trove out there!

I had a blast “window shopping” — here’s a list of a few things I found.

If something appeals to you, click on the image or the link in the text above it to find out all the details.

For starters, does your beloved RV welcome you home with a cute little mat by the door? Here’s a wonderful RV welcome mat:

Home is where the RV welcome mat is-min

Yes, indeed!

And another fun one:

Just Another Day in Paradise RV Welcome Mat

Welcome home!!

If you’d rather wipe your feet on a super absorbent doormat instead of a decorative welcome mat (we have one), then maybe a little welcome sign would be a gracious way to invite your friends in:

RV Welcome Sign

A warm welcome for your RV guests.

Ya gotta hang your keys up somewhere, and what better place for the RV and car keys than on a fun set of keyhooks?

RV key hooks - The adventure begins

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And now that you’ve got a great place to hang your keys, how about putting your most important keys on a special keyring?!

RV keyring

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If you want to introduce yourself to your neighbors and give your RV patio a little flair, how about a personalized sign for your campsite?

Personalized RV campsite sign

A personalized sign makes introductions easy.

If you’re a bit shy about putting your name out in front of your rig, maybe just let the neighbors know where the party is with a flag that says “It’s 5:00 Somewhere”!

It's 5 o'clock somewhere garden flag-min

Let the neighbors know where the party is!

Speaking of parties, if yours tend to involve a little wine, then you might find a set of picnic wine glass and bottle holders to be just the thing. Simply shove them in the ground near your camp chairs and your wine will be safe from tipping over.

picnic stix wine glass and bottle holders-min

No spills by the campfire!

For some folks, the stems on wine glasses are a little cumbersome in the RVing life. If you want to go stemless, there are some very cute etched wine glasses made especially for those RVers who are wine drinkers with a camping problem or who are just happy campers:

stemless camping wine glass-min

Is this you — or someone you know??

Happy Camper stemless wine glass-min

Describes every RVer, for sure!

If you’re serving munchies too, then you’ll definitely want to bring out some RV cocktail napkins!

RV cocktail napkins

These will make your guests smile!

There’s nothing like waking up to the perfect cup of coffee, especially after an evening partying with friends, and IMHO the BEST way to make it is pour-over style. This is especially true if you like to boondock. It doesn’t require any electricity and delivers a delicious cup in no time.

Simply place the filter holder on the top of your coffee mug, put a paper filter inside, dump in a scoop of finely ground coffee beans and pour boiling water over the grounds. In a minute or two you have the perfect cup.

Pour over coffee filter holder

The EASIEST way to make coffee in an RV!
Especially for boondockers. No electricity needed!.

If you want to make more than one cuppa joe at a time, get a pour-over coffee carafe. They come in smaller and larger sizes. My family made coffee this way from the time I was 12, and the care we took in making, sharing and drinking it is one of my fondest childhood memories.

The pour-over carafes we suggest come in 36 ounce and 52 ounce sizes.

Pour over coffee carafe

The pour over coffee carafes made by Melitta
come in 36 ounce and 52 ounce sizes.

The reason we recommend disposable paper filters is because you don’t have to deal with the mess of wet coffee grounds. The permanent filters are great in a house where you have endless dishwashing water and no concerns about what goes down the drain. But in an RV, especially when boondocking, cleaning a permanent coffee filter is difficult. That’s also why we don’t use a French Press!

If you want to get really fancy, buy whole beans and grind them yourself so they’re as fresh as can be. We like this coffee grinder:

Coffee grinder

Mark always jokes that morning coffee in our RV is a science project!

You can’t travel in an RV without camping chairs, and of course they come in all shapes, colors and sizes. But how about a camp chair with your RV’s name printed on the back rest or with your name there?! This isn’t a bad idea if you’re headed to a big gathering of RVers in the desert in Quartzsite where lots of folks have nearly identical chairs and the chairs often stay in a ring around the campfire for days on end!

personalized camping chair-min

Personalized camping chair — Will you put your name or the rig’s name on it??

This past summer we swapped out the recliners that came with our Genesis Supreme Toy Hauler with these zero gravity chairs from Best Choice. It was a great upgrade!

Zero Gravity Chairs for an RV

We like these better than the chairs that came with our toy hauler.
We use them inside and outside!

We topped them with these cushions which are very comfortable.

Zero Gravity Chair Cushions

Soft and comfy.

RVers frequently camp in places where you can’t have a campfire. So what could be better than bringing a portable campfire with you? This little guy runs on propane and has a nice flame.

Portable RV campfire

Now you can have a campfire anywhere you take your RV!

50 States 5,000 Ideas Travel Book

No shortage of possibilities!

So far, we’ve been coming up with all kinds of great ideas for making that beloved RV a cozy home for living in and sharing with friends. But how about some travel ideas?

If your loved one needs some travel inspiration, here’s a book that offers 5,000 ideas for where to go with your RV and what to see and do once you get there!

For nature lovers, hikers, photographers and anyone dreaming of seeing America’s stunning National Parks, check out this top rated Guide to the National Parks.

Your Guide to the National Parks

Dreaming of a big RV adventure? Here’s a Guide to the National Parks!

Rand McNally Road Atlas

“Let’s hit the road!”

Are you in the special category of “Wanting to Be an RVer?” and, perhaps, the Love of Your Life is a little hesitant about this crazy new dream of yours?

One way to win him/her over might be the trick that pioneering RVer Kay Peterson used on her husband to inspire him to go RVing full-time.

One day, when she put the sandwich she made him in his lunch box, she wrapped it in a US road map!

The gift of a good quality road atlas can drop a broad hint and comes in very handy for planning your itinerary.

Once you’ve been out having fun in your RV for a while, whether you’ve been traveling for a week, a year, or more, you’ll want to keep a record of all your adventures.

I still cherish the journal I hand wrote (and hand decorated with glued-in photos) of our travels in our popup tent trailer.

Here’s a specially made camping journal with categories and prompts to remind you of all the things you’ll want to remember later:

Camping and RV journal-min

A Camping and RV Travel Journal.

Lots of people wear their hearts on their sleeve, and some go so far as to wear their passions on the fronts of their shirts! Here are a few fun t-shirts (available in men’s and women’s sizes and a rainbow of colors).

If telling the world you love the RVing lifestyle on the front of your shirt isn’t really your style, maybe curling up with some lounge pants decorated with vintage trailers would be more like it!!

Happy camper lounge pants-min

Happy camper vintage trailer lounge pants.

Although it’s nice to lounge around in t-shirts and PJ’s, it’s nice to dress up too. An adorable pair of earrings might be just the thing for your sweetie.

RV earrings

She’ll love them!
Check out these many other styles too!

Guys always love flashlights, and Mark owns quite a few. At least four of his are the Lumintop brand (they make many different types), and he says they’re better quality than his others. One of his favorites is the Lumintop SD26 pocket flashlight. It isn’t made any more, but it’s very similar to the newer Lumintop D2 pocket flashlight which is very bright, rechargeable and has four modes.

Lumintop D2 Flashlight

He’ll be all smiles when he sees this super bright Lumintop D2!

Mark was a Boy Scout, so he likes to be prepared, and his pockets are always full of survival goodies. He actually carries TWO pocket knives, if you can imagine, and he uses them both all the time! One is the tiny Gerber 2 inch folding pocket knife. It has a locking blade and he loves it because the blade is always super sharp. The other is a Victorinox Swiss Army pocket knife. He loves it because of all the tools: scissors, tweezers, toothpick and a file!

Both are tiny — about 2 inches long when folded up!

Gerber LST Pocket Knife

The locking blade on this Gerber LST pocket knife is really sharp and holds its edge.

Victorinox Pocket Swiss Army Knife

Just over 2 inches long, this tiny Swiss Army Knife is full of useful tools!

One more goodie that Mark discovered in the last two years that he asbolutely loves is the Ryobi electric screwdriver. Talk about saving your wrists when you have a lot of screws to deal with!!! I love it to and used it all the time when I was mounting shelves and various things in our new rig. The man in your life — that guy who has everything and is so hard to shop for — will totally love this!

Ryobi electric screwdriver

This little electric screwdriver is the bomb!

Getting back to those special memories that we all create on the road, one fun way to memorialize a particularly special travel moment is to frame a photo of it in a picture frame shaped like an RV. Whether your rolling home requires a motorhome picture frame or a trailer picture frame, there’s a cool one for you:

RV picture frame class C Motorhome-min

A picture frame for that memorable moment from your RV adventures.

RV travel trailer picture frame-min

The trailer version.

Okay, okay, enough of the cutesy RV decorated stuff. How about some practical things that will give your life on the road a little zing and isn’t something you’re likely to find at the local camping store?

First on our list of “must haves” in our RV lifestyle is a set of two-way radios. We use these radios to help us back up and park the trailer, to communicate when hiking in glorious remote locations, and when we get separated in Walmart too. No cell phone reception needed!

Midland 36-mile 50-channel two-way radios-min

We have had Midland 36-mile radios since we started in 2007 and wouldn’t RV without them.

For anyone with a small RV, a top quality set of nesting pots and pans is a joy. We bought a set of Magma nesting pots and pans when we moved onto our sailboat in 2010, and we still use them now in our trailer.

magma nesting cookware for RV travel-min

We bought these pots and pans for our boat and still use them every day.

magma nesting cookware for RV camping-min

The whole set fits into one pot!

Another kitchen item I really loved having with us in our toy hauler’s dollhouse sized kitchen this past summer is my tiny Cuisinart food processor. If you like chopped salads, salsa and guacamole, and your storage space is minimal, this little gadget is a must have.

Cuisinart Elemental 4-Cup Food Processor

Makes guac & salsa in a minute flat and takes up very little space.

There are so many cute things out there to dress up the RV galley. One fun way to give it some color is to hang up pretty hand towels. We saw these hand towels when we visited the La Posada Hotel gift shop in Winslow Arizona and just loved them.

RV and retro travel trailer hand towels-min

Decorative hand towels.

How about a set of RV decorated dishes, each with a unique (and inviting) camping scene?!

Camping dishes with travel trailer RV designs-min

What a great dishware set for your travels!

There’s also a very cool serving bowl (with serving spoons)!

RV bowl and serving set with travel trailer design-min

A serving bowl (and serving spoons) to go with the dishes

Okay, let’s get back to the practical stuff that isn’t decorated with adorable vintage RVs.

Nothing says “love” like power tools, and the two we use most are our cordless drill and cordless impact driver. We use the drill to raise and lower the stabilizer jacks on the back of our trailer (explained in this article), and Mark uses the impact drill every time he changes a tire on either the trailer or the truck (check out how he changes that inner rear wheel on the dually!). I’d like to say that doesn’t happen too often…but unfortunately he’s changed a lot of tires since we started RVing full-time!!

Ryobi Cordless Drill Combo Set

Cordless drill and impact driver set. Mark loves these!

Of course, the way to measure the difficulty of any RV repair job is by how many beers it takes to complete. Whether it’s a one beer job or a two beer job, it goes much better if the beer is cold right to the last drop. Mark LOVES his Yeti koozie.

Yeti beer koozie-min

For the beer drinker with a camping problem!
Cold to the last drop…

If you don’t need your stainless steel beer koozie to say “Yeti” on it, there are other brands that are much cheaper.

Yeti is known for its coolers, but we found that the much cheaper Lifetime coolers are excellent too. We keep one in the back of our Polaris RZR. Lifetime is the right name for that company too. One of the latches on our original Lifetime cooler failed after a few years, and when we contacted the company about it, they swapped out our cooler for a brand new one!

Lifetime Cooler

We love our Lifetime cooler!

One of my favorite parts of the RV lifestyle is kicking back with a leisurely morning cup of tea. My mug (a birthday gift from Mark) says “I love you,” but a pair of “Life is better in a camper” mugs would be pretty cool too!

RV coffee mugs with travel trailer-min

“Life is Better in a Camper” coffee mugs!

Retro trailers are all the rage, but there’s a coffee mug for motorhome lovers too.

RV coffee mug motorhome at night in woods-min

Motorhome camping scene on a coffee mug.

If you’ve got kids or friends over at your campsite, and you’re looking for fun things to do, a party game might fill the bill. Corn Hole and Ring Toss are portable and easy to set up.

Corn Hole Game for RV camping-min

Something fun to do at the campsite besides sit around the campfire!

Ring Toss Camping Game-min

Ring toss game.

For families that get stuck indoors on a rainy day, a fun way for the kids to get some laughs and learn a little at the same time is to play the game Mad Libs. I saw this in a gift shop and remembered loving it as a kid, and I couldn’t resist buying it for my grandkids.

If the kids haven’t learned the difference between a noun and a verb at school yet (and lord knows if the schools are even teaching that these days), this game makes it fun and easy to learn!

RV gift Mad Libs game-min

This is a fun (and funny) indoor rainy day word game.

For RVers who love birds (like me), we’ve seen some beautiful little wooden bird houses shaped like trailers.

We love to hang a hummingbird feeder from our RV, and we have a special one that mounts on our window with a suction cup mount. It’s a blast to sit inside and watch the crazy antics of these tiny birds as they duke it out with each other at the feeder. For anyone who enjoys photography, this kind of feeder is a hoot (blog posts about our humming bird experiences here and here).

Hummingbird Feeder window suction cup mount-min

We hang a hummingbird feeder on our RV window with a suction cup mount.

Window hummingbird feeder

We’ve enjoyed this feeder on our trailer so much we got one for our house too!

Speaking of photography, November and December are the best time of the year to buy a camera. The deals get sweeter and sweeter! If a fancy new camera is on your wish list, now is the time to get one. For us (and many others), Nikon is the brand to buy.

The photography world is a bit split right now between folks on the cutting edge who have new technology mirrorless cameras and those who have a big investment in older technology DSLR lenses that are sticking with DSLR cameras. The mirrorless cameras cost a premium because they are the new technology while the DSLR cameras are a true bargain right now.

At the high end, the camera that has taken the photography world by storm is the mirrorless Nikon Z8 camera. Nikon’s entry level mirrorless camera is the Nikon Z30. Their mid-range full-frame mirrorless camera is the Nikon Z5. If you have an unlimited budget, get the Nikon Z9!

In the older technology DSLR world, at the high end the Nikon D850 rivals the new mirrorless Nikon Z8 in many respects (it has the same sensor) yet it can be purchased for two-thirds or half the price. In the mid-range, the Nikon D780 is an excellent full-frame choice. The entry level Nikon D5600 is a fine camera. We use ours when we’re out on the RZR or driving the truck!

Nikon Z8 camera

November / December is the best time to buy a new camera.

And last of all, whether you’re going to celebrate Christmas in your RV living room or in the living room of a stickbuilt home, why not decorate your Christmas tree with a little RV love?! There are lots of RV Christmas ornaments available including these two:

Airstream RV Christmas ornament

Why not hang a little Airstream on your Christmas tree?!

RV Christmas tree ornament

There are lots of RV Christmas ornaments out there!

On a totally different topic, Mark just came in and suggested I add a note to remind you that now is a great time to exercise your onboard generator, if you have one, and if your rig is not going to be used for a while. He’s got ours going with two electric heaters running full blast so it’s got a good load on it…!

Also, if you are in a warmer climate, like we are, where you can avoid fully winterizing your rig but still experience temps below freezing for a few hours every night, make sure the holding tanks are empty and the fresh water tank is either empty or has lots of water in it, and open all the faucets.

For MORE RV gift ideas, see our post: 101 Great RV Gift Ideas for RVers, Campers and Outdoor Lovers!

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Shelter Island – The Heart of San Diego…on the Waterfront!

October 2023 – We recently made a quick weeklong RV trip to San Diego and had an absolute ball. As soon as we got there and set up camp at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park Campground, we made a beeline for Shelter Island, our all-time favorite place in this beautiful city.

It was a foggy morning, but seeing the sailboats bobbing at anchor and hearing the seagulls mournful cries warmed our hearts!

We had been fortunate to live on Shelter Island in our sailboat, Groovy, for two weeks before our sailing cruise of Mexico and for six months afterwards. For us, it is the heart of San Diego, offering truly elegant waterfront living right on the banks of San Diego Harbor.

Flagship passes by Shelter Island San Diego California

A tour boat makes its way through the fog past Shelter Island in San Diego Harbor.

Shelter Island is a manmade barrier island that was created by dredging some marshy flats and piling up the mud to make a long skinny “island” that parallels the shoreline of San Diego Harbor. It isn’t a true island, however, as a road lined with businesses attaches it to the mainland.

Behind the island — in the dredged area on either side of this access road — there are rows upon rows of boats moored at a series of lovely marinas.

Sea of boats on Shelter Island San Diego California

There are more boats in San Diego’s many marinas than we’ve ever seen anywhere else!

So, being on Shelter Island puts you right in the middle of all the waterfront action of a big city harbor. The “front” side of the island faces San Diego Harbor, with the city skyline in the distance, while the sheltered “back” side of the island is filled with marinas and resorts and is very peaceful and tranquil.

Ryobi drill set

As we drove down Shelter Island Drive onto the island, we had to stop at Marvelous Muffins. When we lived on Shelter Island in our sailboat, Groovy, for 6 months at the end of our Mexico cruise, Marvelous Muffins was a frequent morning stop for us, no matter what we had planned for our day!

Marvelous Muffins Shelter Island San Diego California

Marvelous Muffins was a favorite morning haunt for us!

Nothing about it had changed. Sophie, the charming muffin maker and shopkeeper, was still there to greet us, and her muffins were as delicious as we remembered them being. Naturally, we bought a few extras to take back to our trailer!

Marvelous Muffins owner Sophie Shelter Island San Diego California

Sophie has been making muffins here for over 20 years!

The air was still heavy with fog when we got to the waterfront. San Diego Harbor is a very busy harbor with boats heading to and fro all the time, no matter what the weather! As we watched the goings-on, the Flagship tour boat headed past us on an excursion, the deck filled with eager tourists.

Overhead, Navy helicopters buzzed around constantly. Across the harbor, the Navy runway was very busy with jets that were so loud we couldn’t head each other talk when they took off!

Navy Helicopter Shelter Island San Diego California

The whir of Navy helicopter blades fills the air all the time!

Far out at sea, a really unique looking tri-hulled Navy ship approached. What an unusual beast!

Tri-hull Navy Ship Shelter Island San Diego California

A unique Navy ship approaches through the fog.

Gradually, the fog lifted and streaks of blue filled the sky. We could see the San Diego skyline in the distance beyond a string of sailboats that were anchored along the edge of the harbor.

San Diego Skyline from Shelter Island

Ahhh…San Diego!

The side of Shelter Island that faces the harbor is a wonderful long grassy park. A walking path runs between the grass and the shore. It ducks under flower covered trellises and passes by children’s play areas, picnic tables and statuary along the way.

Bougainvillea Trellis Shelter Island San Diego California

Shelter Island has several trellises along the walking path that are covered with vibrant bougainvillea flowers.

Bougainvillia at Shelter Island San Diego CA

We love it here!

Down at our feet, we noticed that when the sidewalk pavement was poured, someone drew a stick figure of a sailboat. How fun!

Stick drawing of sailboat in the sidewalk Shelter Island San Diego California

Someone captured the spirit of this special place before the pavement dried.

Fabulous enormous trees provide shade throughout this grassy park, inviting all visitors to sit for a spell and enjoy the view.

Sitting in the grass on Shelter Island San Diego Harbor

The vast grassy lawns on Shelter Island are very inviting.

Happy dog in the grass Shelter Island San Diego California

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Buddy thought this place was heavenly and promptly took a snooze!

Dog in the grass

“This is my kind of place!”

There are park benches along this walking path too. It is a very romantic waterfront!

Magma Stackable RV Cookware
Sailboats and park bench on Shelter Island in San Diego CA

If you don’t want to sit in the grass, try a park bench!

The romantic air isn’t just for people either. A pair of seagulls was enjoying a quiet moment of togetherness too.

Twin seagulls Shelter Island San Diego California

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One of the more famous statues on Shelter Island is the tuna fishermen. These three guys are straining for all they’re worth, pulling up an enormous tuna together. Their fishing rods are anchored in belts around their waists, and the fish is fighting mightily.

Tuna fishermen Shelter Island San Diego California

Tuna fishermen strain to land their catch.

A few steps away we saw several fishermen casting their lines. They were after smaller prey and they said they were having pretty good luck!

Fishermen Shelter Island San Diego California

Waiting for the big one!

A seagull kept a close eye on them to see if they might start cleaning their catch and throwing out scraps!

Seagull at San Diego Harbor on Shelter Island

“You got anything for me?”

There’s a small beach on the harbor side of Shelter Island, and now that the sun was out, a few sun bathers settled into the sand to catch some rays.

Beach at Shelter Island San Diego California

“Lazing on a sunny afternoon!”

A man came running past with his dog bounding ahead. Leashes are required, of course, but this lucky pooch was given a few minutes of freedom on the beach. He took full advantage, and plunged into the water for a swim. He emerged looking a little bedraggled but very happy!

Happy dog after a swim

“Come on in, the water’s fine!”

RV Log Book Journal

Shelter Island is home to some truly exquisite resorts that are lined up along the back side of the island. Their fronts faced the grassy lawn park and the harbor. One of these resorts is Island Palms. It looked truly regal under the towering palm trees.

Island Palms Hotel Shelter Island San Diego California

Elegant Island Palms Resort.

With fancy resorts comes stunning landscaping, and there were glorious exotic flowers of all kinds in bloom everywhere.

The climate in San Diego is very temperate, never exceedingly hot or cold. While we were there in late October the daily highs were 75 degrees F and the nightly lows were 65 degrees.

Unlike the vast southwestern desert that stretches for hundreds of miles right up to the coastal mountains that separate San Diego from its arid inland neighbors, this city sees very minimal temperature swings from day to night.

Bird of Paradise flower Shelter Island San Diego California

A tropical Bird of Paradise flower.

Morning glories

Flowers were in bloom everywhere.

Unusual flower

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On the backside of the island there are several marinas, and this is the area we called home for six months. It is incredible that you can live in the heart of San Diego, right on the water, wedged between top flight resort hotels, for the price of a boat and a slip.

When we were there, the country was in the throes of the financial crisis that began in 2008, and although it took several years to make its way into the boating community, when it did, it hit hard.

Before the crisis there was a waiting list for boat slips in the marinas, and the price per month was sky high. However, by the time we lived there, open slips were in abundance and the price was very reasonable. We were blessed with really fortunate timing!

Gate to Kona Kai Marina docks Shelter Island San Diego California

Behind this gate to the boat docks lies a vast field of dreams.

Lots of sailboats at Shelter Island San Diego California

Boats, boats and more boats.

Taking a walk down memory lane, we strolled along the shore and admired the hundreds of boats. We didn’t see any Hunter 44DS sailboats (Groovy’s model), but we did see a Hunter 41DS, the same layout but a little shorter. Then we strolled along the small beach that is opposite the boats. What a place to live!

Resort hotel Shelter Island San Diego California

The back side of the resorts have a view of the boats in the marinas,
and there’s a thin strip of very calm beach too.

Kona Kai Resort & Spa is a gorgeous property, and the fire pits just begged for groups of friends to gather around. Meanwhile, the swimming pool looked sooooo inviting!

Kona Kai Resort Hotel Shelter Island San Diego California

Grab some friends and enjoy a sundowner and a campfire on the beach!

Fire pits on the beach Shelter Island San Diego California

The Mega Yacht Dock is opposite the Kona Kai beach — Nice!

Resort swimming pool Shelter Island San Diego California

Where day-to-day stress melts away.

Down on the beach there were some shade ramadas with cushy seating for intimate gatherings. There was no shortage of places to relax around here!

Picnic ramada Kona Kai Resort Shelter Island San Diego

Buddy got a great taste of tropical resort life.

What a place to call home for a while. While we lived at Kona Kai Marina, we were allowed to use the gym facilities at the resort. Needless to say, the minutes passed a lot faster on the elliptical machine when you were staring out the enormous plate glass windows at all the activity in and around the marina and resort!

Beach chairs at the Mega Yacht Dock Shelter Island San Diego California

Shelter Island, San Diego.

RV vent insulator

If your RV travels take you to San Diego, be sure to swing by Shelter Island. There isn’t an RV park there, but even if you visit for just a few hours, you’ll find that it is a wonderful community unto itself. And for us, it is the true heart of San Diego!

Where to Stay in an RV in San Diego?

On this trip, we stayed at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park, a pleasant park on the southeastern side of the city. The advantage is that it is fairly reasonably priced for San Diego. The disadvantage is that downtown San Diego is a 30 minute drive away via several freeways.

Some of the campground loops were under construction during our stay (October 2023), making it quite noisy during the day. The construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023.

Also, they have a very serious problem with minuscule sugar ants. The ants have been there for years, and they know all the tricks for how to get into your rig. Diatomaceous Earth and Amdro ant granules help, but when you shut down one spot they’ve been getting in, they promptly find another! We had the exact same issue with sugar ants at the KOA in Chula Vista in 2009, so it may be a common problem with many RV parks on the south side of San Diego.

There are lots of other RV park options in San Diego. We enjoyed staying at Campland on the Bay in our popup tent trailer in 2005. It’s family oriented and full of lively activity and kids. Next door, Mission Bay RV Resort is popular with full-timers and snowbirds.

A new RV park that is closer to downtown was very tempting for this trip — Sun Outdoors RV Park. If you look at the rates now, in November 2023, your eyes will pop out of your head. But last summer they were running a special for wintertime advance booking that was right in line with the other RV parks in the area, about 35% more than Sweetwater County Park. Many people seem to have been very happy staying there and we might try it next time if we can snag a good advance booking deal.

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RV hose Water Bandit

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Hartman Rocks – A Different View of Colorado near Gunnison

July 2023 – During our stay in Gunnison, Colorado (our jumping off point to see the incredible wildflowers in nearby Crested Butte!) we visited Hartman Rocks Recreation Area just south of town. Hartman Rocks is a 22 square mile recreation area managed by the Bureau of Land management. It is filled with 4×4 roads, hiking and biking trails, camping areas and exotic outcroppings of rocks. And it’s a very different kind of landscape than the soaring mountain peaks of the Rockies.

Hartman Rocks Colorado RV trip

Hartman Rocks shows off a different side of Colorado — no towering snowcapped peaks here!

We drove our RZR side-by-side on some of the many 4×4 roads and stopped frequently to crawl around on the various rock formations.

Side-by-side at Hartman Rocks Colorado

Hartman Rocks Recreation Area is filled with 4×4 trails and roads.

View at Hartman Rocks Colorado

Huge boulders poke up out of the earth here and there.

There are some golf course communities just beyond the edge of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area that made a wonderful lush green contrast to the arid desert rocks.

Hartman Rocks Colorado

From our arid vantage point at Hartman Rocks, the lush golf course communities looked very inviting!

Golf course view from Hartman Rocks Colorado

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There are 50 dry campsites scattered throughout Hartman Rocks. The most picturesque spots are tucked between the rock formations and are a good size for tent camping.

Tent camping at Hartman Rocks Colorado

Some of the most scenic campsites at Hartman Rocks are set between the boulders, ideal for tent camping.

We did find two or three campsites that would have been big enough for our trailer, but it was way too hot for boondocking in the dusty high desert in July!!

Even though Gunnison, Colorado, is at 7,700’ elevation, we were surprised by just how HOT it was in the summertime. After all, Gunnison’s record high for the month of July is 95 degrees Fahrenheit! For August it’s 105!! Temps hovered in the low 90s during our stay.

But of course, every summer is different. The record lows in this area are the mid-30s…brrr! So, be prepared for any kind of weather!

The bottom line for us, though, is that Hartman Rocks would be better for boondocking in the spring and fall, especially since there’s no shade in the bigger campsites we saw.

Hartman Rocks Colorado

We had fun climbing around on the boulders.

View between the trees at Hartman Rocks Colorado

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Regardless of the heat, mountain bikers were having fun out on the trails…

Mountain biking at Hartman Rocks Colorado

There are 45 miles of single track mountain biking trails at Hartman Rocks!

And Buddy found a shady spot by a rock to take in the view.

Happy puppy at Hartman Rocks Colorado

Buddy found a bit of shade that was just his size.

Happy Camper Holding Tank Treatment

We returned at the end of the day as the sun was beginning to set and the rocks were beginning to glow. Buddy still kept to the shady spots.

Puppy explores Hartman Rocks Colorado

The rock formations took on a beautiful golden hue at the end of the day.

We loved seeing the rocks light up in the late afternoon sun.

Golden hour at Hartman Rocks Colorado

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There were rolling hills in the distance and mountains further on. The main 4×4 road through the recreation area squiggled off into the distance while flowers poked their heads out from between the cracks.

Rolling hills at Hartman Rocks Colorado

The views from within Hartman Rocks range from lush green grass to rolling hills to neighborhoods in the distance.

View from Hartman Rocks Colorado

Good evening, Gunnison!

Flowers at Hartman Rocks Colorado

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This whole area is definitely a dog paradise. Buddy was happy to meet several new furry friends. In between tail wags and sniffs with these new companions, he kept a close eye out for mice and chipmunks in the rocks!

Puppy sees the view at Hartman Rocks Colorado

“I know there’s a mouse out there!”

Suddenly, the sun sank behind the horizon.

Sunset glow at Hartman Rocks Colorado

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The colors and patterns of the sunset were a little different in each direction.

Sunset at Hartman Rocks Colorado

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Views at Hartman Rocks Colorado

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Hking Trail at Hartman Rocks Colorado

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Sunset at Hartman Rocks Colorado

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We headed back to the trailer for dinner. We were staying at Palisade Senior RV Park (55+). It is a very quiet park in a quiet corner of town, and most of the guests were staying for at least a month. Many were there for the whole season. We even met groups of friends who had been spending summers together at the park for the last 10 or 15 years!

Moon RV USA Routes

We appreciated the lush grassy lawn and big shade trees at this RV park as well as the proximity to downtown Gunnison.

We were fortunate to be visiting the area during the new moon, so after dinner, we headed back to Hartman Rocks to see the Milky Way. We stumbled around a little on the uneven terrain, but the night was clear and the Milky Way was easy to see.

Millky Way at Hartman Rocks Colorado

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On our way home, Mark noticed a very cool old motel sign, a throwback to another era.

Cool hotel sign at night Gunnison Colorado

They just don’t put signs like this on motels any more. We have expected the lower electric sign to say, “Color TV!”

While we were in this area, we spent as much time a possible among the wildflowers up in Crested Butte where the temps are cooler (Crested Butte is at 8.900’ elevation).

On our way, we often stopped at Mochas Coffeehouse & Bakery to get a muffin to go. They make absolutely scrumptious muffins!

Gunnison Sign in the IOOF Park in Gunnison Colorado

We really liked this small park in the middle of Gunnison.

There is a lot to see at Hartman Rocks Recreation Area (in addition to the 45 miles of single track trails, there’s 45 miles of 4×4 roads too!). We hope to get back there when it’s not so hot to explore it a bit more in depth!

RV hose Water Bandit

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Lost & Found – An Unexpected Guest Visits Us in our RV!

Spring 2020 – We were walking across a huge, empty gravel parking lot in Camp Verde, Arizona, one day when we noticed something white fluttering around on the ground. It was midday and incredibly hot out, probably 95 degrees or more.

At first we thought it was a piece of tissue paper and paid little attention. As we got closer, though, we saw it was some kind of animal. When we were a few steps away, we realized it was a white parakeet!

What the heck?!

Lost & Found Parakeet - An unexpected guest in our RV

An unexpected guest came to visit!

The bird was struggling to stand and trying desperately to fly. It kept flopping away from us as best it could. But it could barely hold itself up and kept falling over.

In a different life, long ago, I used to raise budgies and I had several breeding pairs. So, I instinctively scooped up this poor bedraggled little thing in my hands to comfort it and have a better look.

It had a brown “cere” — the little nose area with nostrils that’s just above the beak, so it was a female (males have a blue cere). I looked at Mark as I held this dear but pathetic little creature to my cheek and shrugged — what do we do now??!!

A lost budgie is found and we entertain her in our RV

Our new little friend was a female.

The whole area around us was industrial, dusty, dry, and baking in the sun. There was one house a ways off. We knocked on the door but they said they weren’t missing a parakeet.

We noticed a Veterinary Supply store down the street and poked our heads in the door. They shook their heads and said there were no escaped parakeets that they knew of.

We realized we could walk all the streets of town for days and still not find the owner. People were at work, and even though our little friend was exhausted right now, she could have flown a long distance before she got here.

We decided to take her back to our trailer where it was cool and we could give her some much needed food and water. We put her in a bucket (with a top!) in the back seat of the truck. On our way home, we passed a veterinarian’s office and asked if they’d heard any reports of a missing white budgie. No, but they suggested we call Bill Harvey of Wild Birds.

We left a message with Bill and then made a stop at the Feed Store to get some bird seed. Even better, they had millet spray! This is a “finger” of dried millet seeds that are still clustered on the stalk. Budgies love it!

Once home, we put her on the table. She promptly flew up to a shelf high up on the wall. Mark found a nice twig and secured it on the edge of the shelf. She liked the looks of this new perch, so she slowly sidled out onto it, contentedly fluffed up her feathers and closed her eyes.

Ahh…rest at last!

Lost parakeet is found and cared for in an RV

She was so exhausted she started dozing as soon as she was comfortable on her new perch.

After a few minutes she put her head under her wing for a good long snooze. She was down for the count for the next 12 hours!

Tired lost & found parakeet

Goodnight!

We were pleased that although Buddy was curious about her, he was very polite. He seemed to know not to frighten her. So, he left her alone and took a nap too.

Napping puppy in an RV

Buddy likes naps too!

Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

The next morning we were thrilled to find that she was still alive. She hadn’t moved from her perch, but her eyes were open.

Lost parakeet still alive in the morning

She was still alive the next morning!

Mark tied the millet spray onto her perch, and boy, did her face light up! She dove right in and had a feast.

Happy parakeet with millet spray

Yum…

Parakeet eats millet spray after being lost & found

Don’t mind if I do!

Then she went over to the corner and took another nap. Her little “crop” was bulging. The “crop” is a small pouch below a bird’s neck and above their breast bone where the food they swallow is stored for later digestion. That way they can quickly bolt their food while they’re on the ground and then fly up to the safety of a tree.

Lost & found parakeet in an RV

Crop full and perched high up out of harms way — this was a very happy little bird.

A little while later she began grooming herself. She was coming around quickly!

Lost & found parakeet in an RV grooming

She began getting her feathers back in place.

Over the next two days she got stronger and stronger. She loved her little perch and the shelf Mark had attached it to. That was now her corner of the trailer.

Lost & found parakeet in an RV

Peek-a-boo!

We were all getting used to being together. But then we got a call back from Bill at Wild Bird. He hadn’t heard about an escaped budgie, but he suggested we call Roxanne at the pet store “Feathers and Friends” in the Village of Oak Creek near Sedona.

So, we called, and Roxanne said she’d be more than happy to take care of our little friend until she could find a good home for her.

The timing was perfect. Our sweet guest had gotten all her energy back and she was starting to go exploring around our trailer!

A lost & found parakeet was an unexpected guest in our RV

“Hmmmm…I wonder what’s over here?!”

When we arrived at the pet shop, Roxanne had already set up a cage for her, complete with food, water, some natural branch perches, a swing, a bell and a mirror! We put the little bird in her new cage and she settled right in.

We were sad to leave her behind, but we’ll remember our few days with our little house guest forever. As I turned to say goodbye, she didn’t even notice. She was busy playing with her bell, and she was surrounded by happy birds of all different kinds in nearby cages.

A few days later, we called to see how our feathered friend was doing. She’d already been adopted and taken to her new home!

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Winged Migration

Info about the pet store that found our friend a new home:

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News & Tidbits from the Roads Less Traveled

Even when we’re not out traveling, our photos and memories swirl around us all the time. We have 100 framed 8×10 glossy photos from our travels hanging on our walls at home.

Travel photos from a life of RVing and Sailing

Our memories come alive for us in our photos.
A friend once joked that a walk down our hallway is like a walk down Memory Lane!

Even better, every so often we’re able to share our experiences and the beauty of what we’ve seen with the rest of the world in formats beyond this blog! Happily, that has happened a few times in recent weeks.

Wholesale Warranties Interviews RLT!

This past week we were interviewed by Jim Hoffman, VP of Wholesale Warranties. Not far into the interview, we learned that the owner of the company, Jeff Shelton, founded Wholesale Warranties after he was unhappily stranded in broken down RV, dealing with the stress of a huge and unexpected repair bill! Oh my, that sounds familiar!

So, he started a company to broker RV warranties to help other RVers minimize the stress that comes with a disaster like that. They helped us immensely with a series of calamitous breakdowns on our fifth wheel trailer a few years back.

Jim wanted to hear what we thought of both the truck camper and the toy hauler we’ve purchased since we moved out of our full-timing fifth wheel. And he was eager to hear about our latest adventures in Colorado.

Wholesale Warranties interviews Mark & Emily of Roads Less Traveled

We had a lot of fun with this interview! Watch it here on Facebook or here on YouTube

We also described some of the mishaps and breakdowns we had this year. (It was ugly out there for a while!)

When we faced our massive truck repair bill, we sure wished we had an extended warranty for it. One of the things that was most reassuring with the trailer warranty we’d had was that we could call Wholesale Warranties and talk to a friendly person that was on our side and wanted to help us get the repair done under warranty. However, we’d assumed that a new diesel truck would make it to at least 100,000 miles before having a major malfunction, so we never considered an extended warranty for it… Sigh.

You can watch the interview here on Facebook (higher res) or here on YouTube (lower res).

Turbo Diesel Register Calendar

During our intensive research into our diesel truck problems, Mark spent a lot of time perusing the Turbo Diesel Register Forum.

While he was hanging there, he noticed they were having a photo contest, so he entered it. Lo and behold, his photo is going to appear in the 2024 Turbo Diesel Register wall calendar! It will be the month of October.

Dodge Ram diesel pickup with a fifth wheel trailer

Turbo Diesel Register Wall Calendar – Month of October – Mark Fagan

Reese Goosebox

Souvenir Wall Calendars

Quite a few of our photos have appeared on souvenir wall calendars over the years. Last year, four of our photos were selected for 2024. Then, a few weeks ago, we learned that six more of our photos will appear on decorative wall calendars in 2025!

These calendars can be found for sale at gift shops, boutique stores and even supermarkets in tourist towns. When I know more about how to obtain them online, I’ll let you know!

In the meantime, here are the pics that were chosen. We’re thrilled!

2024 Wall Calendar Photos

EmilyFagan15 Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon National Park in the snow
2024 Utah Mighty 5 National Parks Calendar – Month of February – Emily Fagan

MarkFagan30 for 2024 Northern Arizona

Spider Rock at Canyon de Chelly National Park Arizona
2024 Arizona Calendar Cover and Month of July – Mark Fagan

EmilyFagan10 Sedona

West Fork Trail, Sedona Arizona
2024 Sedona Calendar – Month of August – Emily Fagan

MarkFagan10 for 2024 Sedona

Bell Rock Pathway in Sedona Arizona in the snow
2024 Sedona Arizona Calendar – Month of December – Mark Fagan

2025 Wall Calendar Photos

The specific months have not been assigned to our photos yet, but they will be!

Sedona Arizona Winter Scene

Sedona Arizona Winter Scene – 2025 Sedona Arizona Calendar – Emily Fagan

Petrified Forest National Park – Arizona Calendar – Mark Fagan

Idaho Bow Bridge at Draper Wood Preserve

Bow Bridge – 2025 Idaho Calendar – Emily Fagan

Granite Dells Prescott Arizona

Granite Dells – 2025 Northern Arizona Calendar – Mark Fagan

Selway River Idaho at sunset

Selway River – 2025 Idaho Calendar – Emily Fagan

Mormon Temple in Idaho Falls

Idaho Falls Mormon Temple – 2025 Idaho Calendar – Mark Fagan

RV hose Water Bandit

Escapees Magazine Covers

We’ve been members of Escapees RV Club almost as long as we’ve been RVing. In our first winter of full-time RVing, new friends we met in the desert around Quartzsite Arizona recommended the club highly. We were skeptical at first — why join a club when you’ve just left the conventional world to go live an exotic life? But we have really enjoyed our membership over the years and highly recommend it to you too if you’re an RVer.

It is an unusual club founded by full-time RVers Kay and Joe Peterson back in 1978. It has a top notch bi-monthly magazine, an excellent online forum, a variety of RV parks with reasonable rates (and cheaper rates for dry camping…a rarity in any RV park), a mail forwarding facility that is so big it has its own Zip code, and an incredible headquarters campus in Livingston, Texas, that even includes an assisted living home base for RVers. Plus webinars, rallies, bootcamps and more.

A few months ago, and then again a month from now, our photos were featured on the cover of Escapees Magazine. These are our 43rd and 44th magazine covers (see more here). It is always a magical feeling when we see one of our photos on a cover!

Escapees Magazine Cover

A cover with Buddy in it! – March/April 2023 – Mark Fagan

RV in the Canadian Rockies

Canadian Rockies – Upcoming issue – Emily Fagan

That’s it for our extra-curricular news for now. Thanks for reading and happy trails!

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  • Our photography gear – This page needs to be updated, but if you want to get into photography, you can buy any of the cameras/lenses described there used for pennies on the dollar via Craigslist or MPB.

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Creede, CO – Mining History & Championships + 4th of July!

July 2023 – Creede, Colorado, is a very small town that is tucked into a canyon at the end of the road in a remote part of Colorado. With just 257 residents (2020 census), it is the most populated place in Mineral County. What’s more, it’s the only incorporated municipality in all of Mineral County to boot!

Despite its small size and remote location, Creede hosted the Colorado State Mining Championships for three days and was our choice this year to celebrate the 4th of July.

Creede Colorado RV Trip

Looking up Main Street.
Creede, Colorado, backs right into a canyon.


Like many Colorado towns, Creede has its roots in mining. Silver was discovered in the area around Willow Creek in 1869.

20 years after that initial silver discovery, Nicolas Creede yelled “Holy Moses” when he hit the “Holy Moses” silver vein on East Willow Creek. The town’s name was soon changed from “Willow” (for the creek) to “Creede” (for Mr. Creede)!

The town quickly became a silver boom town. Within three years it grew from 600 residents to 15,000, and its name was changed to Creede!

Colorado Ghost Towns

Nicolas Creede wasn’t done with his discoveries yet, though. He also found an amethyst vein along West Willow Creek which turned out to be the richest in US history.

In no time, not only were there silver mines, but there were amethyst mines with names like “Happy Thought Mine” and “Last Chance Mine.”

A plaque out along Willow Creek shows a photo of Creede in 1892 when the town was booming. There were buildings under construction, piles of lumber, people milling around, and a horse drawn buggy all filling the dirt street and wooden sidewalk.

Main Street Creede Colorado 1892

Creede as it looked in the midst of the silver boom in 1892.

At the peak of the boom, Creede was growing by 300 people a day. Every inch of flat ground in the area was built upon.

A photo of a line of mules loaded down with lumber shows just how challenging it was to build the mines, the homes and all the commercial establishments at such a fast rate back in those days. The mountains were steep and the trails were narrow!

Mules carry building supplies in Creede Colorado late 1800s

It wasn’t so easy to haul building materials back in 1892!

Unfortunately, silver prices plummeted with the passage of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893. Amethyst mining alone wasn’t enough to sustain the crowds, and Creede’s population quickly plummeted to just 1,000 people!

Today, Creede’s Main Street is once again a lively and colorful place. It’s full of tourist boutique stores and eateries, and in the summertime the tourists outnumber the locals by many to one. Most of the roads in town are paved these days, and the sidewalk on Main Street is concrete!

Love Rings in Creede Colorado

Creede is a colorful town.

Holy Moses...Spare a Keg in Creede Colorado

Holy Moses, it’s a spare keg!

Reese Goosebox

The miner’s pick-axe and shovel are icons for this area, and we spotted them on signs and in artwork around town.

Moose and miners in Creede Colorado

We saw the miner’s pick-axe and shovel in a lot of unusual places!

As we had found in most of Colorado, except for Rocky Mountain National Park, dogs are welcome in Creede! Their owners, however…well, they can come too, I guess…

Dogs welcome (people tolerated) in Creede Colorado

Four legged visitors are fine…but the folks at the other end of the leash? Not so much!

Being snow and ski country, it was only fitting that a row of chairs outside a store were made of old skis. Even better, the cup holders were ski bindings!

Chairs made with skis in Creede Colorado

Reminders of what Colorado is like in the OTHER season!

Ski chair cupholder is a ski binding

What a perfect cup holder!

We visited Creede in early July, and flowers were blooming everywhere.

Flower baskets in Creede Colorado

A beautiful hanging basket of flowers.

Columbine - Colorado state flower

The delicate columbine is Colorado’s state flower.

Bleeding hearts in Creede Colorado

Dainty bleeding hearts.

Evening primrose Creede Colorado

An evening primrose.

After window shopping for a while, we wandered to the far north end of town where the pavement ends and Main Street becomes Forest Road 503, a gravel road.

This was a really scenic spot and we returned several times during our stay.

Beautiful Willow Creek in Creede Colorado

Just steps north of the last buildings in town, we found a lovely oasis.

Dawn at Willow Creek Creede Colorado

Willow Creek.

Willow Creek Creede Colorado

Reflections.

If you continue beyond this pretty spot, you are on the Bachelor Loop, a dirt road loop that goes past several old mines. It is an interesting drive that can be done in a passenger car or a Jeep or side-by-side, and that’s where we saw the plaque with old photos of Creede and the mules.

Renogy 200 watt solar panel

As we travel around with our RZR, we’re finding that the issue of side-by-sides and ATVs being allowed to drive around on the streets is handled differently in every town and state.

Creede has a very good system. The town is long and narrow (it fits into the mouth of a canyon) and the streets form a grid pattern. So, there’s a long Main Street down the middle and a few other long streets that run parallel to it on either side. Then there are a bunch of short cross streets that connect these roads.

Side-by-sides are not allowed on Main Street, but they’re allowed on two outer dirt roads that run parallel to it. They’re also allowed on a few of the cross streets.

So, if you’re driving a side-by-side, you can get close to where you want to go, park, and walk the remaining little bit.

Creede Colorado Main Street

Side-by-sides and ATVs can’t drive on Main Street, but they are allowed on two parallel streets on either side of it. “OHV” signs made it clear where we could take our RZR.

We found Creede’s Main Street was really crowded with cars all day long, largely because the southern portion of it is also the major “highway” in the area. Keeping the side-by-sides to the smaller outer streets works out really well for everyone.

We visited Creede during the 4th of July week, and when we came into town on the big day, we found a fantastic chalk drawing of the Statue of Liberty on the sidewalk.

Statue of Liberty sidewalk chalk drawing in Creede Colorado

Happy 4th of July!

Buddy was dressed in his Independence Day finest, ready to watch the parade.

Handsome pup on 4th of July in Creede Colorado

Dapper Dog.

There was a lot of excitement as the town geared up for the parade. Buddy wasn’t the only one who dressed for the occasion. We saw lots of wild and creative outfits!

Dressed up dog 4th of July parade Creede, Colorado

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Costume for 4th of July in Creede Colorado

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Dressed for 4th of July Creede Colorado

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Little kids decorated the pavement with chalk while some very buff looking bigger kids posed for us as they waited on their float for the parade to begin.

Decorating the street with chalk before the 4th of July parade in Creede Colorado

Kids had fun drawing in the middle of Main Street.

Buff people on a float in the 4th of July parade in Creede, Colorado

Lookin’ good!

Creede’s 4th of July parade was unique, probably due to the commmunity’s small size. There was no American flag carried by proud military veterans. There were no high school bands to play the Star Spangled Banner. And there weren’t any dance teams or rodeo queens.

However, there was still a lot of spirit. After the Grand Marshal drove by sitting on the trunk of a convertible Austin Healey, a solo bagpipe player appeared.

Bagpipe player 4th of July parade Creede Colorado

The parade begins.

Lots of vehicles were decorated to the hilt, and there were literally dozens of side-by-sides too!

4th of July parade in Creede Colorado

Going all out!

Side-by-sides in 4th of July parade Creede Colorado

The side-by-sides kept coming and coming, and they were all decked out for the parade too!

Every single vehicle that went by threw out candy (or bead necklaces) for the kids. Many would stop for a minute to pass the candy directly into the kids’ outstretched hands.

Candy handouts in the 4th of July parade in Creede Colorado

A little girl gets some goodies while a camera in the truck captures the moment.

Most kids came well prepared for collecting candy and brought large bags for their loot. A few adults also handed out bags to ensure no child went without!

It was like Halloween. But the candy came to the kids rather than the kids going door to door to ask for it. Afterwards, the street was littered with candy that hadn’t been snatched up!

Kids get candy in the Creede Colorado 4th of July parade

“I’ll trade ya!”

A beautiful display of handmade quilts went by, and then a toddler wobbled down the street driving her own wee side-by-side. It turned out that her mother was at the controls behind her. So cute!

Quilt display 4th of July parade Creede Colorado

Beautiful quilt — and a cool truck too!

Remote controlled side-by-side 4th of July parade Creede, Colorado

Before we realized Mom was at the controls, we wondered how and when this toddler got her driver’s license!

Buddy loved it all, and at the end he suddenly threw his head back and let out a howl!

Howling dog

“Ow-oooooooh! That was great!”

RV hose Water Bandit

Throughout the 4th of July festivities, the three day long Colorado State Mining Championships were going on in town too!

Miners showed off all kinds of unusual skills as they tried to best each other. One competition was a race to see who could drill into a huge boulder to a certain depth fastest. It was incredible to watch these men handle that drill. It takes a huge amount of strength and coordination to keep it under control!

Mining Competition Creede Colorado

Miners competed with each other in all kinds of mining skills at the Colorado State Mining Championships.

On the evening of the 4th of July, there was a fireworks display right over the big new RV park just south of town. (The park is Mountain Views at River’s Edge RV Resort — excellent and popular, book early!).

We decided to head up onto a hillside to watch the show from a distance. It was a cool vantage point that was slightly higher than the fireworks.

Lights in the neighboring homes were lit up, which added a special intimacy to the show.

Creede Colorado fireworks

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Creede Colorado 4th of July Fireworks

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Creede is a little bit out of the way. However, if you find yourself on the Silver Byway Scenic Drive, it’s a natural place to stop and a great place to hang around in an RV for a while!

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Buena Vista Colorado – What a Place for an RV Breakdown!

August 2023 – Buena Vista, Colorado, is a wonderful destination for an RV trip and a great place to spend a few weeks in the summertime. When our truck was suddenly unable to tow our trailer over Colorado’s mountain passes, we stranded near Buena Vista for several weeks as we waited for parts to arrive. As it turned out, Buena Vista was a great place to be “stuck!”

Buena Vista Colorado - Great RV trip destination

Choo choo!

Buena Vista, affectionately known as “BV,” is a small town of less than 3,000 people that sits in a mountain valley at an elevation of 8,000′.

Back in the 1880s, it was the hub for three major railroads, as commemorated in a mural on a building in town. Settlers had been drawn to the area because its plentiful water was good for farming, and agriculture has been an important part of the community ever since.

Buena Vista means “Good View” in Spanish, and good views are in abundance! The Collegiate Mountain Range stands to the west of town and several peaks are named for the most prestigious colleges in England and America, including Mt. Oxford, Mt. Harvard, Mt. Yale and Mt. Princeton. Many of the mountains in the range are fourteeners, that is, their summits are over 14,000’ in height!

Collegiate Mountains Buena Vista Colorado_

An Airstream and two Ferraris pass each other in front of the Collegiate Mountain Range.

Colorado Scenic Drives

The downtown area in Buena Vista is a pleasant place for a stroll, and there are quite a few eateries and coffee bistros that were always very busy when we went by.

Downtown Buena Vista Colorado

Historic downtown Buena Vista.

Buena Vista has a sense of whimsy, and there’s a mastodon statue outside of the courthouse!

Buena Vista Colorado courthouse and mastadon statue

A mastodon in front of the courhouse ?!

On the east side of town there’s a new neighborhood called South Main Street that we found absolutely delightful. The architecture is very pretty and the area is quiet.

South Main Street Buena Vista Colorado

Quaint buildings along South Main Street.

The homes resemble houses you might find in a city in the eastern states with covered porches right on the sidewalk. We saw families gathering on these porches in the late afternoons. I’m not sure if these were residents of Buena Vista or if they had rented these lovely homes for a vacation. Either way, the whole neighborhood was very inviting.

Houses on South Main Street Buena Vista Colorado

The tree lined streets and covered porches are reminiscent of homes back east.

Tree lined South Main Street Buena Vista Colorado

We loved walking along these sidewalks.

There’s a small grassy park at the end of the street that hosts outdoor summer concerts. The stately and rather grand Surf Hotel overlooks the park.

South Main Street Buena Vista Colorado

The Surf Hotel is next to a park that hosts outdoor concerts.

Surf Hotel? Where would you ever find surf around here? This hotel belonged on a beach somewhere!

Well, it didn’t take us long to discover that Buena Vista has both SURF and BEACHES!

The Arkansas River runs through the eastern edge of the town, and there are many access points to the river. One river access is a boat ramp, and at the end we saw people enjoying the water

Swimming in the Arkansas River at Buena Vista Colorado

The Arkansas River is a great place to play in the water.

The whole area around the Arkansas River is called River Park, and there is a fun hiking trail that goes along both sides of the river. It crosses two bridges that take you from one side of the river to the other and back.

Bridge at Buena Vista River Park Colorado

The Town Bridge (pictured here) and the Beaver Falls Bridge make the two riverbank hiking trails into a loop.

Buddy noticed a very inviting sign posted at the trailhead, and he promptly gave the whole trail system a huge Two Paws Up.

Trail sign at Buena Vista River Park Colorado

Dogs are not just welcome on the River Park trail, they’re recommended!

Needless to say, during our stay in the area, we hiked this trail loop many times!

Trail at Buena Vista River Park Colorado

The River Trail’s rugged side.

The trail that runs between the bridges on the town side of the river is wide and easy to walk. The trail on the opposite side of the river is more challenging, and in some places there are scrambles up and down rock outcroppings. We loved it all!

River Park at Buena Vista Colorado

Buena Vista’s River Park was the highlight of our stay!

Best Colorado Wildflower Hikes

The town of Buena Vista has done a great job creating their beautiful River Park. Not only are there trails on both sides of the river, but there are several human-enhanced rock formations in the river itself that make cool standing waves!

Relaxing at the Wave at Buena Vista River Park Colorado

Here’s a nice spot to catch up on some summer reading while lounging in front of a standing wave!

The biggest wave is in the middle and it’s called the Pocket Wave. People were playing in the Pocket Wave all day long. They used boogie boards and tested their skills standing in place on the wave or lying on their stomachs. They were having a total blast!

The Wave at Buena Vista River Park Colorado

This kid rode the Pocket Wave in place like that for at least 5 minutes!

No wonder the hotel next to the river is called the Surf Hotel!

Other folks love to tackle the whitewater sections of the river with short inflatable kayaks. These fantastic little boats are light enough to carry around and easy to pack in the back of a car and inflate by the water’s edge.

Happy rafter at Buena Vista River Park Colorado

Out for a joy ride.

Whitewater rafting at Buena Vista River Park Colorado

What a blast!

The two bridges at either end of the park were favorite spots for people to stop and grab a photo of the river. We did too!

Arkansas River Buena Vista Colorado

Arkansas River seen from the Beaver Falls Bridge.

There are also lots of mini beaches and rocky spots on both sides the river that are just big enough for a couple of people and a happy dog to enjoy the water. We’d always pause to enjoy the view, and we often met other people doing the same.

Rocks in the Arkansas River in Buena Vista Colorado

We loved the big rocks in the middle of the river.

Rocks in the Arkansas River in Buena Vista Colorado

Silky smooth!

Happy camper at Buena Vista River Park Colorado

Taking a breather under the bridge.

US-24 runs right through the town of Buena Vista. On the west side of the highway there’s a big city park with a pond called McPhelmy Park. McPhelmy Park holds free outdoor concerts at their Legacy Stage. There are also outdoor music concerts in the South Main Street neighborhood in front of the Surf Hotel. So, if you like outdoor music, Buena Vista is a good place to visit!

Concert at Legacy Stage Buena Vista Colorado

There were free concerts at the Legacy Stage every week.

Buena Vista had a train depot in the late 1800s, and although it wasn’t open during our visit, an old train was parked outside for kids to climb on. It is remarkable to imagine a rickety wooden box like this rolling across the rough American countryside nearly 150 years ago!

Train at Buena Vista Train Depot Colorado

Long ago, passengers were excited to see this train arrive at the depot.

We peeked inside the train, and the accommodations were quite simple. I’m not sure exactly how this particular train was used, but traveling any kind of distance in it would have been very uncomfortable. Yet, it was probably much better than a stagecoach and a whole lot faster too!

Inside the Train at Buena Vista Train Depot Colorado

Spacious bench seats with space for luggage underneath, opening double-hung windows, and a woodstove in the back. At one time these were hailed as modern comforts!

B&W Gooseneck Ball for Ram Trucks

There’s a pretty manmade waterfall just beyond the train depot, and upstream in the center of the park the pond was loaded with kids.

Waterfall at the City Park in Buena Vista Colorado

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We discovered that while half the town was on the banks of the Arkansas River at the River Park on the other side of town, the rest of them were here at this pond! The small beach is ideal for toddlers, and the placid water is perfect for paddling.

Pond in Buena Vista Colorado city park

Kids were enjoying a summer afternoon at the beach.

Paddleboarding in the city park pond in Buena Vista Colorado

A woman took her dog out for a spin on a paddleboard.

Kids kayaking in the pond at Buena Vista Colorado

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Buena Vista was originally called Mahonville after its founders, James and Martha Mahon. However, in 1879, the citizens changed it to Buena Vista.

Interestingly, the woman who recommended the new name wanted the pronunciation to be an Americanized form: “Byoona Vista” (“byoo” as in “beautiful”) rather than the proper Spanish pronunciation, “Bwayna Vista.” Everyone else agreed!

Most of the locals, especially longtime locals, still pronounce the town’s name in its Americanized form. So, when you’re there, if you want to sound like a local, say “Byoona Vista” rather than “Bwayna Vista!”

Happy dog at the Arkansas River in Buena Vista Colorado

“Never mind how you pronounce it. Buena Vista’s River Park trail gets Two Paws Up!”

Sometimes traveling in an RV brings unexpected surprises. We’d been through Buena Vista in our travels twice before, but we’d given the town just a brief glance. If it hadn’t been for the truck engine failures on this trip, we probably would have passed it by yet again.

However, our truck mishap forced us to stay in the area for nearly three weeks. This gave us a chance to see Burro Days in FairPlay and visit Antero Reservoir and Frisco. In between, we got to know Buena Vista pretty well, and we found the town truly delightful!

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What’s not to love about RV life? Breakdowns & Repairs!

We love RV life. There’s something so intimate and rustic about living in a crazy, small rolling box, and there’s something so exciting about discovering new places and meeting new people. Those things just don’t happen in the same way or with the same frequency when we stay home!

But there’s another side to RV life that eventually hits every RVer: unexpected breakdowns and repairs. Ugh!

What's not to love about RV life? Breakdowns and Repairs!

Ahem… Breakdowns and repairs!

Of course, conventional sticks-and-bricks lifestyles often involve unexpected breakdowns and repairs too. But in an RV these things usually happen in a place where you don’t know anyone and somtimes happen in a place where there’s no one around!

When your sole means of transportation (and housing) isn’t functioning, your travel plans get totally upended, and it’s easy to feel vulnerable.

2015 – The Year of The Breakdown!

For most of our years of full-time RV travel, our equipment failures were spaced out enough so we could tackle each one without being overwhelmed. Back in 2015, however, we had a series of major RV breakdowns on a two month trip from Nova Scotia to Arizona.

Our fifth wheel’s roof sprang a leak during the endless torrential rains in Nova Scotia. Our living room rug was completely soaked! We bent an axle on a potholed back road in Nova Scotia. Our RV refrigerator died in Kentucky. Then our fresh water tank cracked and our RV toilet quit working. And the trailer suspension failed completely as we arrived Arizona.

What an insane cross-country trip that was!

Reese Goosebox

Yet, as with all of life’s ups and downs, what’s most important is never the problems themselves. What matters is how you react to them.

The things that stand out in our memories from that trip in 2015 aren’t the breakdowns. Actually, I had to re-read my logs to remember all the things that went wrong because those memories have faded. Instead, what we remember most from that span of time were our great travel adventures.

We loved the quaint charm of Lunenburg and Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia, and we were smitten by the coastal beauty of far Downeast Maine. We’ll always remember the incredible kindness of the RV service shop manager in Bangor where our trailer axle was replaced and our ride on the Cog Railway in New Hampshire. We were heartened by the incredibly warm community in Maysville, Kentucky, where we were treated like long lost family for our entire three week stay. When our RV refrigerator died shortly after leaving Kentucky, we had a blast barbecuing all our frozen meat in a Camping World parking lot and sharing it with the mechanics who’d replaced our fridge.

Those kinds of experiences are why we get such a kick out of RV travel, and if we can get through the breakdowns and repairs unscathed, all the better.

Our Downeast Maine RV trip involved many breakdowns and repairs

Downeast Maine – Despite all the breakdowns, 2015 was one of our best RV travel years!!

Fast forward to 2023

This summer we were on a Rocky Mountain high for over 10 weeks. But in between our sunset strolls on the beach, hikes alongside gurgling streams and gorgeous wildflowers in the snowcapped mountains, we had one breakdown after another. Mark’s To Do list of repairs grew longer with time, not shorter, as he struggled to keep up.

It was a real challenge at times to keep our spirits up. But then we’d see a stunning sunset or the play of light and shadow on the mountains, and we’d remember why we were out roaming around in our RV, even if our equipment was falling apart.

In the end, though, we cut our summer season short by about 3-4 weeks when our bathroom skylight sprang a leak on a bitterly cold and sopping wet night on a mountaintop. By then, our furnace was broken, the roof was leaking and we could no longer unhitch the truck (details below).

Honda EU2200i portable gas generator

In our full-time RV lifestyle, we would have sought out a comfortable location where we could tackle these repairs one by one. We would have stopped sightseeing and kicked back until we were caught up! In that lifestyle, losing a month or two of sightseeing is no big deal because there are always unlimited sightseeing opportunities ahead.

However, in our seasonal RV travels, we not only have the option to go home at any time, but we know that home is the final destination. Each day of travel is more precious than if we were full-timing because the number of days is finite, and we hate to waste any time with a breakdown.

Dog relaxes at sunset near his RV

Buddy was loving every minute of our travels and was oblivious to our equipment failures.

Likewise, if an RV breakdown grounds us in one spot for a long time until it’s fixed, we’d much rather be living in the comfort of our own home and dealing with the repair there than be out in some remote location with few resources.

Those are some of the subtle differences between seasonal RVing and full-time RVing: The ability to run home vs. making the best of being “home” already; the pressure to make the most of each day in the trip vs. letting life’s storms blow over and resuming our travels afterwards.

So, we had an interesting pairing of truly beautiful destinations and travel adventures this summer alongside some very frustrating breakdowns and repairs.

Here’s a recap:

RV breakdowns and repairs in the RV life - checking under the hood of the truck

Mark checks the engine once again…

TRUCK BREAKDOWN

Our big beautiful 2016 Dodge Ram 3500 dually truck began throwing error codes towing our trailer up Monarch Pass. This is a beast of a mountain pass that our truck would ordinarily shrug off as no big deal.

However, as we climbed this pass, the Check Engine light came on three times accompanied by several error codes related to the throttle position sensor and the turbo actuator. The truck went into Limp Mode each time, unable to maintain the speed of traffic.

Sign at the Monarch Pass summit

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We had to pull over and turn the truck off to clear the codes so we could drive at the normal speed of traffic for a few more miles. Then the Check Engine light would come on again and we’d repeated the whole process. Fortunately, there are lots of pullouts on the Monarch pass ascent where disabled vehicles like ours can seek refuge!

Once over the pass, we continued on to Buena Vista and found a safe place to park about 200 yards off the highway outside of town. The truck didn’t throw any codes until we pulled off the highway. Luckily, our jaunt down a lumpy US Forest Service road was short. Although we didn’t know it when set up camp, that spot would become our home for the next three weeks!

RV parked under a dark cloud

As we set up camp, a storm was brewing…in more ways than one.

It turned out the truck had three separate problems. Why they all hit at once, we’ll never know.

Throttle Position Sensor

The first failure was the Throttle Position Sensor which is part of the accelerator pedal. We found a local diesel mechanic who replaced it within a week (we had to wait for the part to arrive) and the error code never came back.

Exhaust Manifold and Turbo Failures

The other two problems were inextricably linked: the exhaust manifold and the turbocharger. We spent a lot of time learning about these parts, why they tend to fail, and what it takes to replace them. Yikes! If one or both of these fail, you’ve got a huge and expensive repair on your hands.

Two of the bolt studs at either end of the exhaust manifold had completely sheered off! Why? The exhaust manifold repeatedly expands and contracts from heating and cooling. Ultimately, this expansion/contraction caused the exhaust manifold to warp, and that bent and eventually broke the studs.

RV breakdowns and repairs: We replaced the exhaust manifold in our Dodge Ram dually 3500

We discovered this is actually a fairly common problem! It can happen at any time. Sometimes it occurs in the first few thousand miles under warranty, sometimes at 85,000 miles like our truck was, and sometimes at 150 thousand miles or more.

The Ram exhaust manifold is a single piece of steel, and the heat in that area is extremely high. To avoid warping, several after market exhaust manifolds are made in two pieces that fit into one another like a sleeve. This allows for expansion and contraction without stress as the surrounding temperature changes, and prevents the bolt studs from breaking.

RV breakdowns and repairs: we replaced the exhaust manifold in our Ram truck

The signature symptom of a failing exhaust manifold is both the smell of diesel fumes in the cab of the truck and a high pitched whine caused by air leaks when the engine is running.

As we learned all this, we realized that our old 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 probably had loose or broken bolts on the exhaust manifold as well. We had thought the occasional smell of diesel exhaust in that truck cab was due to the engine going into a Regen, but it was probably exhaust leaking from the exhaust manifold.

Exhaust gas blowing through the engine is not good for it. So, our companion gear failure was the engine turbocharger which had become totally gunked up from filthy exhaust air blowing through it. There was black, sticky, gooey stuff all over the turbo fins. Unfortunately, we had to replace turbocharger.

RV breakdowns and repairs: we installed a new Fleece Performance Cheetah turbocharger

Ironically, one afternoon a Ford diesel truck towing a large utility trailer came flying into the area we were camping. White smoke billowed out the tailpipe. We chatted with the driver and his companions as they waited for a tow truck from their shop in Kansas to come and tow them home. They were certain their truck’s turbocharger had failed too.

The stringent emissions requirements on diesel engines make the turbochargers on all pickup brands susceptible to failure because exhaust fumes flow through them rather than fresh air.

Our biggest dilemma was deciding where to have the work done. We were in the heart of the Rockies which is full of small mountain towns and high elevation mountain passes. We spent several days talking to diesel mechanics with top Google and Yelp ratings from as far away as Grand Junction, Denver, Colorado Springs and Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Labor prices ranged from $120/hour to $200/hour. Mandatory diagnostic fees ranged from $85 to $450. Prices of parts ranged from the prices we saw advertised online to twice the prices found online. Getting scheduled for the repair ranged from next week to two months from now. Solutions ranged from “We use only Dodge (Mopar) OEM parts” to “We prefer the after market brands BD Diesel, Cheetah and ATF.”

Needless to say, it was dizzying interviewing these mechanics and narrowing down which one would be a good fit.

Gondolas on the ski lift at Monarch Pass

There are gondola rides at Monarch Pass. Next time!

The trickiest thing was that in order to drive our truck to a mechanic, we faced a towering mountain pass in every direction: Monarch Pass, Hoosier Pass, Cottonwood Pass and Kenosha Pass all lay between us and the diesel mechanics we talked to. We were concerned the truck wouldn’t make it towing the trailer. If the truck died en route, we’d have a huge towing bill on top of the repair bill!

In the end, we hired the local diesel mechanic who had replaced the throttle position sensor. He was a highly rated one man operation and was good hearted and knowledgeable but swamped. He stopped answering his phone or responding to messages during the weeks we worked with him. It was a dark time for us as we wondered what was going on and whether he could do the job. However, he got it done.

In the end, the parts and labor for all the truck repairs came to $6,000. Ouch!!

Time for a Vacation!

In the interim, the truck was okay to drive if it wasn’t towing the trailer. So, to improve our spirits and put our minds back on the right track after 10 days of waiting for the throttle position sensor repair and doing a deep dive into exhaust manifolds and turbos, we left the trailer in its boondocking spot and went on a two night mini vacation to the town of Frisco!

Upon arrival in town the first morning, we treated ourselves to a delightful breakfast out. Eggs Benedict and pancakes served at a sunny outdoor cafe under bright yellow umbrellas on the edge of a quaint street was just what the doctor ordered. Our good spirits were instantly restored.

A vacation from RV life when there are breakdowns and repairs

A tasty breakfast on a flower-filled patio far from our RV troubles put us in great spirits.

We strolled the town, checked out the campgrounds, walked the shores of pretty Dillon Reservoir and took part in Frisco’s weekly outdoor music festival one evening. What fun!

By the time we got back to the trailer, the parts had arrived and we were totally refreshed and ready to deal with the awkward logistics of the truck, trailer and repair. Luckily, the repair took just one very long day that kept the mechanic in his shop until well after dark.

TRAILER EQUIPMENT FAILURES

Furnace

We’ve used our RV furnace many times since we bought the trailer in 2022, but it suddenly quit working after a few weeks in Colorado. Of course, this was on a very cold morning when we really needed it!

The gas flame would light and the blower would blow, but then the flame would go out. Sometimes it would stay lit for 3 seconds before going out. Sometimes it would last for a few minutes. But it never stayed on long enough to warm up the trailer. It just cycled on and off repeatedly.

Suburban furnace in a fifth wheel toy hauler

Hmmm….so what part of this RV furnace is broken??

Mark troubleshot it in depth, tearing the whole furnace apart. The orifice that might have been clogged was totally clear. The sail switch was also working perfectly. We concluded that it needed a new motherboard (a few hundred dollars). We just lived without the furnace for the rest of the summer even though we wished we could use it on many cold mornings.

Ironically, now that we’re home and it’s 95 degrees in the afternoons, the furnace is working like a charm. It might have been the altitude. We’ll see how it goes during our upcoming winter camping trips.

Landing Legs

When we arrived in Lake Granby and started to unhitch, the clutch on the trailer’s landing legs started slipping as we extended them to raise the front of the trailer. We were barely able to raise it enough to get the truck out. So, after we hitched up to leave, we decided not to unhitch again until we got home. Fortunately, the RZR was able to get us where we needed to go in the interim.

Mark had to replace the landing legs on our Hitchhiker fifth wheel many years ago, and he did it while boondocking in the Arizona desert. He was prepared to do it again, but now that we’re home, just like the finicky furnace, the landing legs seem okay!

So we’re waiting to see if it happens again. Replacement landing legs are about $700-$800.

Skylight Leak

On one of the last nights of our trip, we were camping at about 9,500’ in a remote part of northern Colorado when a massive rain storm blew in. After a few hours, we heard “drip-drip-drip” in the shower and discovered the bathroom skylight had sprung a leak. Fortunately, it was dripping into the shower, so the puddle of water was contained! However, that equipment failure was the final straw that sent us packing for home.

Quitting early didn’t end our fun summer travel adventures, though. On our way home, we had lots of good times in Utah that we’ll share with you.

After we got home, Mark was able to fix the leak using Flex Seal Liquid. 24 hours later, a huge overnight rainstorm came through and proved to us that his repair is good! Yay!

RV breakdowns & repairs: Flex Seal liquid fixed a leak

POLARIS RZR SIDE-BY-SIDE BREAKDOWN & FAILURES

Our Polaris RZR had always been very reliable but this year it had several failures.

Overheating

First, it overheated at the top of a mountain near Rico near the beginning of our trip. We were several miles from our campsite! Mark is a quick thinker, though, and he put it in neutral and we coasted for 3 miles all the way down the mountain!

Polaris 900 RZR side by side breakdown and repair

Even our trusty RZR acted up on this trip!

At the bottom, the engine had cooled enough for him to start it up again and drive us the final mile back to our campsite. He topped off the anti-freeze that had steamed off, and the engine temps have been fine ever since. We think it was caused either by the high altitude (10,500’) and/or by inadvertently climbing the mountain at slower speeds in high gear.

Ignition Switch

One day, Mark tried to start the RZR and it wouldn’t start. When he turned the ignition switch off, the start motor kept running! He had to disconnect the battery cable to get it to turn it off. He removed the ignition switch and lubed it with WD-40. Then he put the key in the ignition (with the battery disconnected) and worked it back and forth in the On and Off positions repeatedly. This fixed it. However, just to be on the safe side, he then installed a new ignition switch.

Battery corrosion

When we were having our problems with the ignition switch, the RZR started having trouble with cold starts. The engine would turn over but it wouldn’t stay running when it was cold in the morning. Checking things out, Mark discovered the terminals on the brand new battery he’d just installed were extremely corroded. That might have explained why it wouldn’t stay running. The corrosion was odd, however, because the old original factory installed battery he’d replaced after five years had had clean terminals!

We talked to several Polaris service shops in our travels and they said it was either inferior lead in the battery (an AGM battery from O’Reilly’s) or a loose battery connection.

Mark cleaned the connections with a battery terminal wire brush. The connections seemed tight. However, they were so corroded he decided to cut the terminals off the battery cables and replace them. He protected the new terminals from future corrosion with CRC spray. He has checked the battery frequently since then, and there is no corrosion.

RV breakdowns and repairs: we replaced the Polaris RZR ignition switch

MAIL FORWARDING => LOST POSTAL MAIL

When we set up our mail forwarding for the summer, USPS left off the mailbox number (PMB) when they entered our forwarding address on their computers! This meant the company receiving our forwarded mail, Americas Mailbox, had to look up our mailbox number manually for each piece of mail that arrived.

We discovered that Americas Mailbox doesn’t look up PMB numbers during the busy summer season, though. Instead, they return those pieces of mail to the sender.

Our local postmaster tried to enter our PMB number on our mail forwarding address on the USPS computers, but to no avail. Only two pieces of mail came through with a USPS mail forwarding sticker that included our PMB number.

A few pieces of mail came through with a hand written PMB number because some kind soul at Americas Mailbox took the time to look it up.

We never received at least 80% our mail. Many companies who got the returned mail then assumed our home address was invalid. So, we’ve had to reassure them that our home address is still correct. What a mess!

How did this screw-up happen? On the USPS mail forwarding form, there is a box where you enter your PMB or Apartment number. In the future, we will put the PMB number on the same line as the street address rather than putting it in that box!

On the bright side, we found out that the website Americas Mailbox uses for customers to see their mail and request it to be forwarded to them, ipostal.com, actually offers a mail forwarding service directly.

This is great for seasonal RVers because you can choose an address that is near your home. That way, your mail doesn’t have to travel cross-country to a far distant mail forwarding company. Also, you’ll see your incoming mail within a day or two rather than a week later.

You can buy just a single month or two months of mail forwarding. Even better, because they don’t offer vehicle registration and other services, iPostal’s fees are much cheaper than full service companies like Americas Mailbox. However, iPostal is not an ideal option for full-timers who need those additional services.

Renogy 200 watt solar panel

INTERNET ACCESS PROBLEMS

For most of our full-time RVing lives and for last summer’s RV adventure we used a Verizon MiFi Jetpack 8800 hotspot for internet access. Before we left this year, we used it for a few months at home and all was well.

However, when we got to Colorado it didn’t work in the small mountain towns between Cortez and Gunnison, including Rico, the outskirts of Telluride, the Blue Mesa Reservoir and Silver Thread Scenic Byway to Creede and South Fork. We went for 17 days without internet access in the rig.

Talking with the locals, we discovered most Coloradans in that area use AT&T. Interestingly, when we’d camped near Dubois, Wyoming, last summer, a fellow RVer with an AT&T hotspot was getting an adequate signal while our Verizon hotspot had no service at all.

Dealing with RV breakdowns and repairs in the RV life

Up the creek…but at least he’s got a paddle!

So, when we got to Gunnison, we picked up an AT&T 5G hotspot. We had internet access for the rest of our trip. The AT&T 5G hotspot was generally faster than the Verizon 4G hotspot. In many places we had good service via AT&T and nothing via Verizon.

However, the AT&T hotspot is a Franklin A50 model, and it has a very flaky battery and even flakier charger. We’ve had trouble turning the hotspot on and off, and the charger failed completely. Luckily, the Verizon charger works on the AT&T hotspot. However, it was frustrating to buy a hotspot that had so many problems.

More distressing, though, was when AT&T charged us a day ahead of time for our prepaid month of service and promptly shut down our service because “we had no data left!” WTH??!!

This happened first thing on a Saturday morning. I called AT&T and discovered — to my horrified astonishment — that they provide support only on weekdays!!

We’ve thought about Starlink and have friends who have it and love it in the places where they’ve traveled so far in Arizona. However, at $600 for the equipment, it’s a pricey piece of gear. It’s big and ungainly for quickie overnights in pullouts and rest areas, and it doesn’t work while you’re moving. Their service continues to evolve, though, so we’ll keep an eye on their offerings.

We’ve never had multiple hotspots before, but we liked the ability to choose one or the other. Now that we’re home, we’ve been surprised that the Verizon 4G hotspot is consistently far faster than the AT&T 5G hotspot, even with 5 bars of 5G.

Hotspot speed depends entirely on where the tower is in relation to where you are, whether it is equipped for 4G or 5G, whether your hotspot can receive 4G or 5G, and how busy the tower is for that provider.

Bottom line, we could have avoided those 17 days of being incommunicado if we’d had an AT&T hotspot at the time. But we were many miles from an AT&T retailer. Fortunately, the store in Gunnison was able to order one for us when we got there.

The Verizon store in the same strip mall told us they didn’t sell hotspots and couldn’t order one. We’d been mildly interested in upgrading to a Verizon 5G hotspot because there were rumors a tower near where we’d been camping had Verizon 5G but not 4G. If 4G equipment is being removed when 5G gear is installed, it would explain why our 4G hotspot has been increasingly unable to connect in places were we used get one bar of usable service.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All in all, despite that very long list of equipment failures and unexpected expenses, we had a truly blissful summer. We got to see many parts of Colorado we’ve never visited before, and they were all beautiful. We also got into Utah’s red rocks a little bit at the end.

Traveling in any form always involves risks, hiccups and unexpected frustrations. But in reality, all of life is that way. It’s just that when you’re on the road, you feel more vulnerable.

RV life under a huge cloud- breakdowns and repairs

When storms gather in the RV life, it’s only natural to feel vulnerable.

For every moment of emotional (and physical) discomfort when things go wrong in the RV life, there’s another moment of sheer joy when you witness something extraordinarily gorgeous that you would never see in your own backyard. Or you meet a new friend you would never have met otherwise. Or you visit a destination you’ve always dreamed of seeing.

Hotel or AirBnB travel is another way to go, of course, and we often joke that we’ll sell it all, buy a sports car, pack a few bags and go traveling that way. But we like having the comforts of our own rolling home with us. So, we have to accept that unexpected breakdowns and repairs are an integral a part of RV life. And in reality, that snazzy sports car could leave us stranded too!

Now that we’re home, we’ve cleaned the rig thoroughly and Mark has completed the repair list, leaving a few items under watch for the time being. The travel bug is biting us again, and we’ll be hitting the road for a short jaunt soon!!

RV life - Making music with a dog!

All our equipment may be falling apart, but we can still make music and have fun!

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Rocky Mountain National Park & Trail Ridge Road: RV? Dog??

August 2023 – We were busy enjoying our stay at Lake Granby, Colorado, so much that we almost forgot why we took our RV there in the first place! It was because we wanted to visit Rocky Mountain National Park and drive the famous Trail Ridge Road scenic drive that soars over the peaks!

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado and Trail Ridge Road scenic drive

America’s Alps!

Rocky Mountain National Park is a huge Park. The 48 mile long Trail Ridge Road runs between the town of Grand Lake at the west end and the community of Estes Park at the east end. In between, it ascends 4,000’ to its summit and winds between the mountains, going from one gorgeous scenic overlook to the next.

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park has breathtaking views.

Fellow RVers had told us Lake Granby was a great place to stay while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park, but other RVers had told us their favorite part of the Park was on the east side near Estes Park. Unfortunately, the eastern portion of the park is 50 miles from Lake Granby where we were staying!

So, we weren’t sure how much of the eastern side of the Park we would see, but we were excited to get going as we hopped in the truck and headed into the Park.

The roads were super quiet at 9:00 in the morning as we pulled up to the entrance gate. To our complete surprise, the ranger asked us for our timed entry reservation permit.

Our what??

Trail Ridge Road at Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado

During certain hours, Rocky Mountain National Park requires visitors to reserve a timed entry permit in order to enter the Park.

It turns out that Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the National Parks that now uses a timed entry permit system to cap and control the number of visitors that enter the Park at any given time.

So, not only do you need to buy a Park Pass to visit this Park (Federal annual and Senior passes are fine), but you have to make an appointment for the exact time you wish to enter the Park and pay a fee for that too. Holy smokes!

Rocky Mountain National Park Guide Book

A few of the most popular National Parks are using this new timed entry permit system because they were being overrun with visitors. The roads and overlooks inside these Parks had become too congested.

In 2023, Rocky Mountain National Park required visitors to reserve the timed entry permits between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. between May 26 and October 22.

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado scenic overlook on Trail Ridge Road

Incredible views at Rocky Mountain National Park!

We hadn’t made a reservation to enter the park, but fortunately, with the road completely devoid of cars and a friendly ranger gal at the window and the official time being just a hair after 9:00 a.m., she let us enter rather than turning us away as she would have a few minutes later. Phew! We got in under the wire!

For those that are early risers or who prefer more spontaneous travel, the trick is to enter the Park either before 9:00 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m. when the timed entry permits aren’t required.

Trail Ridge Road views in Rocky Mountain National Park

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The first ten miles or so of the drive into the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park is badly scarred from 2020’s East Troublesome forest fire, the largest wildfire in Rocky Mountain National Park’s history.

The fire burned a total of 302 square miles of which 33 square miles were inside the Park. As we drove Trail Ridge Road through the forest, every single tree was burnt to a crisp.

Colorado National Parks Book

Eventually, however, Trail Ridge Road took us way up into the mountains where we saw some wonderfully dramatic views. The dead burned trees gave way to living green trees, and the vistas at each overlook were wonderful.

Overlook at Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado on Trail Ridge Road

Towering mountains and alpine lakes.

Trail Ridge Road twisted through tight turns, and with every bend we got another look at mountain views that went on for miles into the distance.

Scenic Overlook on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado

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Trail Ridge Road Views at Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado

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There was still a little bit of snow on the mountain peaks in mid-August. At one overlook, there was a bowl of snow on a nearby mountainside and an ice-filled pond in its midst. There were bright blue alpine lakes in the distance.

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado snow in August

Snow surrounds an icy pond.

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A bright blue lake shimmered in the distance

We were the only car on the road and the only people at several of the overlooks we stopped at. As the morning wore on, though, the traffic picked up and we had company when we stopped to take in the views.

As always, Buddy attracted lots of attention from the younger set!

People and dog at Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado

A sweet toddler and a cool pup.

Buddy checked out the views alongside Mark, but I’m not sure it was the dramatic mountain scenery that caught his interest. He seemed to be looking down more than out!

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado person and dog

“See the views?”
“Yes, but I see something else too!”

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado dog looks over the edge

“There’s something in the bushes down there!”

That’s because Buddy was totally focused on the chipmunks!

The chipmunks in these parts are quite brazen and very savvy. They darted between the cars and people, looking for snacks on the ground or handouts from tourists.

Chuckit Dog Ball Thrower

I was amazed that somehow the chipmunks knew exactly how car wheels behave. Even though they took wildly risky chances running between parked car tires, we didn’t see any get run over when the cars started moving again.

Buddy was transfixed!

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado chipmunk

These cute little guys know all about tourists and their cars!

The drive and the views reminded us of the Beartooth Scenic Highway in Montana. However, the Beartooth Scenic Highway is a public highway traveled by Montana residents, tourists and truckers alike. There is no entrance fee to do the drive and no timed entry permit system either!

I hate to say it, but for us, the Beartooth Scenic Highway seemed to boast more dramatic scenery too.

Colorado Scenic Drives

However, we drove the Beartooth Scenic Highway in late June, just a few days after the road opened (it closes each winter due to massive snowfall and dangerous icy turns). The mountain peaks were still covered with snow.

In contrast, we were driving through Rocky Mountain National Park in mid-August, almost two months further into the summer season. Most of the snow was gone from the mountain peaks by then, and all that remained was small pockets of snow dotting the hillsides.

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado view on Trail Ridge Road

These mountain peaks have more snow on them earlier in the summer season.

Rocky Mountain National Park has lots and lots of hikes of all different lengths and difficulties that take hikers out to incredible vistas.

However, dogs are allowed only in the paved parking areas at the overlooks that are along the paved roads. Oddly, dogs aren’t even allowed on the very short paved paths that go to some of the overlooks.

What a contrast this was to the super dog-friendly South Rim of the Grand Canyon where dogs are welcomed on the 5 mile long paved Rim Trail! But rules are rules, so, walking and hiking weren’t on our agenda on this visit.

Rocky Mountain National Park No Dogs Allowed

Dogs are not allowed on this 50 yard paved path that goes to a viewpoint.

Despite the restrictions, we had a lot of fun at the scenic overlooks anyway. The views were fabulous, the air was crisp and clear and we were super fortunate to be out here enjoying the Rockies.

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado peeking from the edge

Goofing around at an overlook.

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado enjoying the view on Trail Ridge Road

Everyone sees something different out here.

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado selfie with dog

Happiness on the ridge.

Trail Ridge Road has a lot of tight switchbacks that ascend steep climbs where the speed limit is 15 mph. RVs are allowed to drive on the road, and we found the driving was not difficult in our big dually truck. We just took our time.

Rocky Mountain National Park Guide Book

However, Trail Ridge Road might be quite challenging with a large RV and it would be difficult to find room to park at the overlooks. We saw some vans and short Class C motorhomes on the road, but that was it for RVs traversing this road.

For RVers with bigger rigs who want to get from one end of the Park to the other, it would probably be best to do your sight-seeing drives on Trail Ridge Road in a tow vehicle or toad first and then simply drive the RV straight through from one end to the other without stopping.

RV driving on Trail Ridge Road at Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado

A Class C motorhome on the Trail Ridge Road.

We were impressed to learn that Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved road in America. It climaxes at a breathtaking altitude of 12,183’.

Before we’d arrived at Rocky Mountain National Park, we’d already taken the truck and trailer over several of Colorado’s highest mountain passes with summits over 11,300’. But the peak on this road was 800 feet higher!

Alpine lake at Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado

These mountains are very tall!

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado overlook on Trail Ridge Road

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Down at Lake Granby where we were staying (8,284’ elevation), the midday temps had been warm enough to wear shorts. However, up here at this towering height it was downright freezing cold. Mark was happy to have a warm dog in his arms as we took a selfie in a biting wind.

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado selfie

Even in mid-August it’s COLD in these high mountains!

We turned around about halfway down the descent into Estes Park. The eastern side of the Park was dramatically warmer than the than the western side or the area around Lake Granby.

I know we missed some really beautiful scenery around Estes Park, but it was a long drive back to Lake Granby. We’ll return someday, and on our next visit we’ll stay in Estes Park and explore the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park in greater depth.

Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado panorama on Trail Ridge Road

Goodbye, Rocky Mountain National Park…til next time!

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RV hose Water Bandit

More info about Rocky Mountain National Park:

All the National Parks, Monuments and World Heritage Sites we’ve visited – It’s quite a list!

Other scenic drives we’ve enjoyed, including the Bear Tooth Highway and it’s companion, the Chief Joseph Highway

Other blog posts from Colorado:

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.   New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff and check out our GEAR STORE!!

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Lake Granby Colorado RV Trip – A Summer Beach Vacation!

August 2023 – Lake Granby Colorado is ideal for an RV trip, and we met several RVers from hundreds of miles away who were enjoying a summer beach vacation there. Lake Granby is picturesque, great for boating and kayaking, and is lined with small beaches and quiet coves that are perfect for a day in the sun.

Lake Granby Colorado RV Trip - A Summer Beach Vacation!

Lake Granby is a great spot for a summertime visit!

We love it when our RV travels take us to places by the water. Although we had just come from a stay at Antero Reservoir and evenings alongside the Blue River, we soon fell in love with Lake Granby.

We often get our travel advice from fellow RVers who have just “been there and done that” at a cool place. And so it was with Lake Granby. I mentioned to an RVer back in Crested Butte that we were aiming for Rocky Mountain National Park, and her instant reaction was, “We always go to Lake Granby!”

Lake Granby Colorado with a kayak on the beach

Ready for an evening cruise on Lake Granby.

I made a mental note and was surprised when the next RVer I mentioned Rocky Mountain National Park to said the same thing: “Don’t miss Lake Granby!”

With two solid recommendations, I started studying the map. In no time, I met a third RVer whose response to “Rocky Mountain National Park?” was a simple, “Lake Granby!”

Lake Granby Colorado Speed boats and mountain scenery

Speeding past the mountain views on Lake Granby.

Lake Granby and Arapaho Bay (a long narrow tail of the lake at the east end) both have several USFS campgrounds on or near the shore. There are also two other similarly sized lakes nearby that have waterfront USFS campgrounds as well: Shadow Mountain Lake and Grand Lake. So, there are all kinds of shoreside RV camping options in the area.

Colorado National Parks Book

Traveling early in the week, and showing up before 10:00 a.m., we were able to snag a campsite. The name of the game at any of these lakes in the summertime is either to plan ahead and make reservations well in advance, or to show up early in the week AND early in the day for one of the few first-come-first-serve campsites, and start scouting!

Waterskiing on Lake Granby in Colorado

What a ride!

Lake Granby is a perfect spot for a summer beach vacation. Not only were there waterskiers flying by at top speed, sailboats tacking placidly in zig-zags and kayaks and paddle boards floating around near the water’s edge, there were fishermen catching dinner from the shore.

Fishing on Lake Granby Colorado

The fish were biting!

One evening, a fellow RVer and new friend knocked on our door holding out a plate full of delicious crappie (pronounced “croppy”). His day of fishing had been so successful, he and his wife couldn’t finish it all! We’d never had crappie before, and it was absolutely delicious!

Human fishermen aren’t the only people reeling in fish at Lake Granby, however. Some resident osprey who have set up housekeeping on top of human-erected nesting poles around the lake were out at dawn each morning catching breakfast for their broods. We heard their piercing calls all around the lake all day long!

Osprey at Lake Granby Colorado

Quite a few osprey were fishing at the lake.

Osprey flies over Lake Granby Colorado

“Maybe there are more fish over there!”

Early in the morning, Lake Granby is wonderfully calm. We walked along the thin strip of beach and breathed deeply. The water and air were perfectly still.

Then, a soft zephyr blew across the water’s surface, making ripples of sunlight dance on the sand in the depths.

Ripples in the water at Lake Granby Colorado

Sunlight plays with the sand and the water.

This reminded me so much of my childhood days spent playing on a very calm beach on Massachusetts’ north shore. The movement of the sun’s rays through the water always fascinated me. I was tickled to capture it with my camera here in Colorado!

Ripples in the water at Lake Granby Colorado

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Sunlight in the water at Lake Granby Colorado

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Our dear pup, Buddy, was busy making his own special memories on the beach. He trotted happily on the sand.

Lake Granby Colorado beach

Buddy LOVES the beach!

Faster than a speeding bullet…able to leap tall driftwood in a single bound, he dashed back and forth with sheer delight.

Flying puppy at Lake Granby Colorado

“Look at me – I’m flying.”

Dog at Lake Granby Colorado

“Did you see how fast I am?”

Dog Bowl with Kibble Storage

Lake Granby is a very big lake, and at one end we found a pretty sailboat bobbing at anchor in front of a mountainous backdrop. There’s also a marina that has a lot of sailboats lined up at the docks and many more moored out in the bay.

Sailboat for a summer beach vacation at Granby Colorado

Morning peace.

Late in the afternoon, the setting sun peeked through the trees on a trail down to the beach, casting light and shadow through the woods.

Sunset hiking trail at Lake Granby Colorado

Day’s end.

The sunsets at Lake Granby were wonderful. We went to a different part of the shore each afternoon, never knowing what kind of sunset might materialize.

Lake Granby Colorado sunset

Sunset at Lake Granby Colorado.

Sunset at Lake Granby Colorado

There were lots of interesting trees and driftwood at the water’s edge.

Sunset at Lake Granby Colorado

Mystical sky.

Sunset at a picnic table on Lake Granby Colorado

We visited different parts of the lake each afternoon.

Lake Granby Colorado sunset starburst

The last ray of sun before bedtime.

Buddy loved these outings and waited patiently while we fussed with our cameras.

Lake Granby Colorado sunset with a dog

“I’ll wait right here.”

What a beautiful lake this is!

Lake Granby Colorado summer sunset

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Summer sunset at Lake Granby Colorado

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I don’t know if it happens every year, but this summer the late afternoon monsoon activity was intense in this part of Colorado. Each afternoon the clouds would build until the sky grew dark. Then the wind would suddenly pick up, and it would pour!

Lake Granby Colorado clouds

The clouds built every afternoon during our stay.

This pattern of calm sunny mornings transforming into stormy wet afternoons was surprisingly consistent. Equally consistent, though, was the sunshine that pierced through the clouds after the rain ended, just before dusk. It often creating a dramatic sunset that began with shades of gold that faded to orange and finally deepened to a rich pink.

Lake Granby Colorado sunset

Gold reflections.

Sunset at Lake Granby Colorado

A few minutes later the gold became orange.

Lake Granby Colorado sunset

And then it deepened to pink.

Nights along the shores of Lake Granby were magical too. Lights from the homes on the far shore shone across the water, and stars filled the sky above.

We were fortunate to be there during the new moon, and I was determined to see the Milky Way tumbling into the lake. So, I snuck out of the trailer very late one night. Mark wished me well in a muffled voice as he pulled the covers over his head!

When I got to the beach, the scene was ideal. The Milky Way filled the sky and the lake was smooth and calm below it.

Lake Granby Colorado Milky Way

Milky Way above Lake Granby.

I stayed out on the beach for quite a while, and the Milky Way slowly walked across the sky, moving from left to right as it always does.

It was eerie being out on the beach by myself in the pitch dark. Suddenly, the wind began to blow and waves noisily lapped the shore by my feet. A few steps away, a swimming dock creaked and groaned in the growing swell.

I tried to ignore the noises and focus on my photos, telling myself there was nothing to fear. But suddenly I heard a loud bark right behind me! I jumped and felt a shiver of goose bumps ran up my spine. Fumbling for my flashlight, I swung it in the direction of the noise, but there was nothing there. Of course!

I told myself it was okay and turned back to the task at hand even though my hands were shaking.

Photographing the Night Sky

When I got back to the trailer, I dove under the covers, safe and sound.

Astrophotography always has its thrills and chills and funny stories that come from tromping around in the pitch dark on moonless nights. However, those little frights are always worth it.

My favorite photos of the stars reveal the calmness and certainty of the infinite, something most easily seen in the night sky. It is the true backdrop of our lives.

Lake Granby Colorado Milky Way

The stars are ever present.

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More info about Lake Granby:

More places where we’ve found summertime fun:

Some of the great beaches we’ve visited:

Our most recent posts:

More of our Latest Posts are in the MENU.   New to this site? Visit RVers Start Here to find where we keep all the good stuff and check out our GEAR STORE!!

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