We arrived at Thomson Causeway Recreation Area about 3:30 Tuesday afternoon, with Joe and Loretta in tow. There were only two other Aliners there when we arrived. After all, the rally doesn't officially start until Thursday! After we set up and visited for a while, we walked around the area with Jim & Jan. Then it was back to camp for some brats cooked on Jim's grill. After dinner, I took a few shots of the sun setting over the Mississippi River.
On Wednesday, we hung around camp while a few more people shoed up and the group began to grow. It was dinner again on Jim's grill before an evening around the fire, but not very near it!
Thursday was more of the same, but this time, we cooked burgers on our grill.
It rained on and off all morning Friday, so Marsha and I drove in the light rain. We went into Thomson and had breakfast at Dusty's where they served a lot more than pizza, as the sign would have you believe. We drove to the north edge of Thomson and checked out the Thomson Correctional Center, a facility which was built to house 3,200 inmates, but sits empty! What a waste! We went up to Savanna and picked up some groceries, then back through Thomson and south to Mississippi Lock & Dam No. 13.
After that, we wandered through the countryside and took pictures as we drove. We came across an Aliner that was set up in someone's yard way out in the country. Nobody was around, so we don't know anything about it. Back at the campground, John was doing some repairs on Fred's camper, but from a distance, it looked like he was sleeping on it. There was a pot-luck that evening where, as usual, there was more food that could be eaten. More sunset views after that.
Saturday morning, Marsha cooked breakfast instead of having our usual prescription of Bran Buds and fruit. After that, we hiked a trail which, according to a park ranger, would reveal the most scenic part of the park. Well, maybe it was scenic when the river was up and there had been some rain, but the basin was mostly dried up and the wildlife had migrated to parts unknown. We got back to camp in time for happy hour, the highlight of the day.
Saturday evening dinner at Poopy's in Savanna was interesting, but I wouldn't call it a highlight. The food was OK, but over-priced and the service was really bad. Marsha and I ordered a beer. She got hers in about 15 minutes. It took another 15 minutes to get mine. After eating inside where it was plenty crowded and pretty warm, we went out back and discovered where we should have eaten. The scenery was interesting, too.
As we were leaving the campground on Sunday morning, I snapped a picture of a white pelican floating it the shallow water just off shore. It was a good trip!
No pictures along the way today. We got home at 6:00, unloaded the car, and relaxed for the evening with ice cream for desert on my birthday.
So ends another great trip, but I have to say that after seeing the destruction of lives and property caused by the fires in Colorado, some of which were intentionally set, our hearts go out to the people who have lost their homes and more. We wish all of those in the area of the fires the best of luck. And to the woman who was seen setting fires in the Colorado Springs area: I hope you get trapped in your own fire and burn to a slow death!
Our Aliner friends, Jim and Jan, were camped in Mueller State Park, on the other side of the mountain from Doug and Carol's, so we all met at Bronco Billy's in Cripple Creek for breakfast. I popped for breakfast. It's the least I could do for our good friends.
After breakfast Jim & Jan followed us back to Doug & Carol's to visit for a while. About 11:00, we left, leading Jim & Jan to where Rt. 67 goes south from Divide back to their campground. We headed on into Woodland Park, then took Rt. 67 north, 126, 85, C-470, then I-70 thru Denver until we were able to get onto U.S. Rt. 36, our favorite route between Springfield and Colorado.
We drove 393 miles to camp at Prairie Dog State Park, just west of Norton, KS. It was hot, but the humidity was still low. We cranked up the A/C and got a good night's sleep.
We spent the day visiting with Doug & Carol, our old friends who used to live in Decatur. They have a new dog, Paco, who is really docile and well behaved for being only 6 months old.
Last year Doug & Carol built a new 2 1/2 car garage and converted the old attached garage to a living room. The old living room is now a dining room. You can see the new garage in yesterday's pictures. The new living room has the stone chimney on the outside wall.
Today, I took some pictures of the inside of the new living room. Enjoy!
We had to take a different route than usual to get to Doug & Carol's because of the Waldo Canyon fire along route 24 between Colorado Springs and Woodland Park. Doug & Carol's house is about 23 miles southwest of Woodland Park, north of Cripple Creek.
The day was uneventful until we came to a "Y" in the road. Both were dirt roads. One had a sign on it that sort of peaked my curiosity. So, after consulting with the bar tender in the tavern near the "Y", that's the road we took. The other one was three times longer and ended up on the same paved road, but it wasn't quite as treacherous.
We made it to Doug & Carol's without incident, and the three miles of dirt road was thrilling.
