‘You can always find me where the skies are blue.’-The Lumineers

When summer arrives, it is time to hit the road! The Great Summer Road Trip of 2024 is not at all like the trip I had originally planned and fully booked. See, I was supposed to be driving the West Coast, seeing friends in Bend, and FINALLY visiting Yosemite National Park. I was going to be gone three weeks and had the entire thing planned and campsites were booked. Then I got horrible piece of mail…I had been selected for a federal jury duty pool. I would be required to check in every two weeks for three months to see if my name was called. Since I would be approximately three days away from Odessa at any given point of my trip, it was impossible to get home if I was called on Friday and had to be there on Monday. So my entire trip was scrapped and I was gutted. It turned out okay because I took a this road trip and decided to go to England (that will be in a future post). So time to rejig my plans.

I decided I was going to Grand Tetons National Park and work my way back down again. I had never been, the weather was supposed to be good (jokes on me), and my brother may have disowned me if I didn’t go soon (it’s his favorite place on Earth), so I got to planning. As Jackson Hole is about 18 hours from my house, I needed places to sleep on the way. One of the routes went up through Denver and I wanted to see Garden of the Gods, so that is the route I took. I was able to snag a campsite at Lone Duck, which is close to Manitou Springs and Garden of the Gods. Also nearby is the Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings. While I did not go on this trip, I made a super quick drive to Denver last October to see Brett Goldstein. Of Pueblo origin, the cliff dwelling are nearly a 1000 years old. The entry price is $12.75 and you can do it in a fairly short period of time. The photos below are from that trip, including a spectacular sunrise from the rest stop in northern New Mexico where I slept.

After a great night sleep at Lone Duck, which is also very dog friendly, Gus and I headed to Garden of the Gods. The state park is free and easy to navigate. We got there very early, mostly to avoid it being super hot but also it gets crowded. Gus also got to use his new Ruffwear hiking pack (his style is being discontinued so act fast)! At the time, he was a year and half so about time to start carrying is own weight-doggie emergency kit, water, and collapsible dog bowl . He got so many compliments and enjoyed showing it off. It didn’t slow him down in the slightest!

The Garden of the Gods is stunning! Reminds me of being back in Oregon and Smith Rock. I will also say a lot of wildlife and this coming from someone who never sees much. Right off the bat, deer crossed our path, an owl in the wall, some horses (with their riders) on the trail, and, for the first time ever, I saw big horned sheep!! I was so excited. Yes, they were on the top of the rocks and I am nearsighted so it wasn’t clear but my camera captured it lol. It also made me more excited for my new lens, which will be a birthday/Christmas gift form my dad, for some upcoming wildlife trips. The trails are mostly paved but you can move up into some of the rocks and overlooks-this is where we saw the horses. You can also see some great views of Pike’s Peak.

After a morning of hiking, Gus and I hit the road! We made through Colorado with stops at In-n-Out and Buccees-which is well north of Denver and always worth the stop (the iced coffee is stellar), and began our journey into the snow of Wyoming!