Day 1 http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=207597223485050952806.0004a3ff0dc952a4a4a14&msa=0
Day 2 http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=207597223485050952806.0004a3ff22272161a0469&msa=0&ll=34.804783,-102.216797&spn=5.609835,11.590576
Day 3 http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=207597223485050952806.0004a3ff2ee7d7381ebc7&msa=0
Day 4 http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=207597223485050952806.0004a3ff33a80ce523e7d&msa=0
Day 6 http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=207597223485050952806.0004a3ff410b370ee11f0&msa=0
Day 11 http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=207597223485050952806.0004a3ff5af456e10db60&msa=0
From Clarendon Tx to Houston Tx we followed Hwy 287 to 45 S. .. This was the quicker route home with the problems we had with truck...
Friday, June 24, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thoughts & Reviews.............
I thought I'd give my thoughts and reviews of some of the places we stayed and things we did..
Coyote Ranch Resort Rv Park
Wichita Falls Tx.
http://coyoteranchresort.com/
Although we where at this Rv Park after hours and really didn't get to meet with any employees of the park I did speak to them on the phone a couple of times. The people I spoke with were vary helpful. The web site was a good representation of the park.
The park driveways and rv spots are concrete and level. Everything is well lighted and easy to find. Although the park sits of the highway it was easy to find. I had to exit the highway and double back on the feeder to get to the park, but in the morning it was an easy access to the highway and northbound again.
All the amenities were first class. The bathrooms and showers were clean and family friendly. They have a swimming pool and a small water playground for kids. This would be a great place for an extended stay if you were in the Wichita Falls area.....
Santa Fe Koa
The Santa Fe Koa was par for most Koa's. No swimming pool. It had a play ground and a small game room but the only thing in the game room was a pool table. I would only recommend this park for a overnight stop if you had to stay in Santa Fe Nm. The spot we stayed in wasn't perfectly level but good enough for the overnight.
KOA Cortez Co.
This was one of the better KOA's. Vary helpful staff, nice and easy parking, level spots, and a heated pool. We only stayed here for one night it was vary comfortable and nice. I would recommend it and could stay there for extended periods of time if need be. We woke up in the morning with deer in our back yard..... Nice Park.
Mesa Verde
Cortez Co.
Mesa Verde was par for the course for National Parks. Nothing real fancy, but it is in a beautiful place. Lots of wildlife and a rumor of bears. Our campsite was semi level but easy in and out with camper and the restrooms where close by. We had to drive to the showers they were in the gift shop area. Everything was clean and nice. I enjoyed the stay vary much, the only way to see Mesa Verde.
Silverton Co.
The Rv Park we stayed in Silverton was an older Rv Park which had been recently reopened. I can't remember the name of it, but you can get the info about it by calling A & B Rv Park in Silverton they operate together.
There where major repairs being done while we stayed there. It was "Under Construction" you might say. That was fine with me, the park served it's purpose. That purpose was it's the only Rv Park in Silverton you have direct access to the trails and roads into the wilderness. You can drive your atv out of the park and directly onto the roads that lead into the Alpine Loop.
The owners and operators were vary nice and helpful. The camp sites were level and the restrooms and showers were freshly painted and always clean. This Park isn't a Coyote Ranch by no means but vary nice. No pool. Not much as far as other activities but we enjoyed the park all the same.... No frills but great service.
Capuline Rv
Capuline Nm.
Once again we only stayed here one night. The Rv park was easy to find and easy to get into and out of. The sites where level and the amenities clean. The only bad thing I have to say is each site shares electric service so if each needs 30 amp one rig has to use a 50 amp - 30 amp adapter. The Rv Park was nice enough to loan me one. (I'll be putting on in my rig)
The owners / operators were nice and helpful. This was the cheapest of the parks we stayed in but it would probably receive higher marks for cleanliness. Also the owners are Christians and there are Bible quotes around the park, and I liked that.
Really the only reason I can see going to Capulin Nm. would be to see the volcano, and I would suggest this park to someone if the planned to stay over night...
That's all the Rv Parks we stayed in on this trip. I think we were lucky, all the parks where nice and I would stay in all of them again if I needed to.
Coyote Ranch Resort Rv Park
Wichita Falls Tx.
http://coyoteranchresort.com/
Although we where at this Rv Park after hours and really didn't get to meet with any employees of the park I did speak to them on the phone a couple of times. The people I spoke with were vary helpful. The web site was a good representation of the park.
The park driveways and rv spots are concrete and level. Everything is well lighted and easy to find. Although the park sits of the highway it was easy to find. I had to exit the highway and double back on the feeder to get to the park, but in the morning it was an easy access to the highway and northbound again.
All the amenities were first class. The bathrooms and showers were clean and family friendly. They have a swimming pool and a small water playground for kids. This would be a great place for an extended stay if you were in the Wichita Falls area.....
Santa Fe Koa
The Santa Fe Koa was par for most Koa's. No swimming pool. It had a play ground and a small game room but the only thing in the game room was a pool table. I would only recommend this park for a overnight stop if you had to stay in Santa Fe Nm. The spot we stayed in wasn't perfectly level but good enough for the overnight.
KOA Cortez Co.
This was one of the better KOA's. Vary helpful staff, nice and easy parking, level spots, and a heated pool. We only stayed here for one night it was vary comfortable and nice. I would recommend it and could stay there for extended periods of time if need be. We woke up in the morning with deer in our back yard..... Nice Park.
Mesa Verde
Cortez Co.
Mesa Verde was par for the course for National Parks. Nothing real fancy, but it is in a beautiful place. Lots of wildlife and a rumor of bears. Our campsite was semi level but easy in and out with camper and the restrooms where close by. We had to drive to the showers they were in the gift shop area. Everything was clean and nice. I enjoyed the stay vary much, the only way to see Mesa Verde.
Silverton Co.
The Rv Park we stayed in Silverton was an older Rv Park which had been recently reopened. I can't remember the name of it, but you can get the info about it by calling A & B Rv Park in Silverton they operate together.
There where major repairs being done while we stayed there. It was "Under Construction" you might say. That was fine with me, the park served it's purpose. That purpose was it's the only Rv Park in Silverton you have direct access to the trails and roads into the wilderness. You can drive your atv out of the park and directly onto the roads that lead into the Alpine Loop.
The owners and operators were vary nice and helpful. The camp sites were level and the restrooms and showers were freshly painted and always clean. This Park isn't a Coyote Ranch by no means but vary nice. No pool. Not much as far as other activities but we enjoyed the park all the same.... No frills but great service.
Capuline Rv
Capuline Nm.
Once again we only stayed here one night. The Rv park was easy to find and easy to get into and out of. The sites where level and the amenities clean. The only bad thing I have to say is each site shares electric service so if each needs 30 amp one rig has to use a 50 amp - 30 amp adapter. The Rv Park was nice enough to loan me one. (I'll be putting on in my rig)
The owners / operators were nice and helpful. This was the cheapest of the parks we stayed in but it would probably receive higher marks for cleanliness. Also the owners are Christians and there are Bible quotes around the park, and I liked that.
Really the only reason I can see going to Capulin Nm. would be to see the volcano, and I would suggest this park to someone if the planned to stay over night...
That's all the Rv Parks we stayed in on this trip. I think we were lucky, all the parks where nice and I would stay in all of them again if I needed to.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Day 16.1
Well it's over............. We're home. We made it to Houston yesterday, I dropped my truck off at a dealership to have repairs done and Pasquale's mom picked him up from there. I hated to see it end and I asked Pasquale before he left if he wanted to load everything back up and go back or go home with his mom. He looked around a second and said let's go back....
We had as much fun as we could for as long as we could! Now it's time to start planning the next trip.
We had as much fun as we could for as long as we could! Now it's time to start planning the next trip.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Day 15.1
We have had a small change of plans...... Tomorrow we head home, but instead of taking our time and making it in two days I'm planning to driving straight through to Houston. I want to get to town a day earlier so I can get my truck in the shop and get the transmission fixed.
I've had the greatest time with Pasquale and hate to end things early but I have to get the truck to the shop. We've had a great trip and it's gone by WAY to fast...................
Today Tanya, Harm, Ranger, Pasquale, and I went to see the Cross's at Groom. An amazing place, The Stations of Christ encompass a VARY tall whit cross. I had Pasquale read each station and if he didn't understand I explain them to him. It was a moving thing to see what Christ went through....
I've had the greatest time with Pasquale and hate to end things early but I have to get the truck to the shop. We've had a great trip and it's gone by WAY to fast...................
Today Tanya, Harm, Ranger, Pasquale, and I went to see the Cross's at Groom. An amazing place, The Stations of Christ encompass a VARY tall whit cross. I had Pasquale read each station and if he didn't understand I explain them to him. It was a moving thing to see what Christ went through....
Day 14.1
Well it's 9am and I'm sitting in All Star Dodge in Amarillo. Big Mac my dodge pick-up is having some trouble..... Seems 2nd gear in the transmission doesn't want to work... But first I'll back up a couple days....
Day 12 Pasquale and I arrived at Palo Duro Canyon. We found out we had no cell service or enet service while in the canyon. We did have cell service on top of the canyon at the main gate but no enet. That explains why the blogs have been quite for a couple days.
After arriving at Palo Duro the first thing Pasquale said was, "IT'S HOT!!". "Let's go back to Silverton!" I have to admit I felt the same way. Knowing we couldn't and we were stuck in Texas we went ahead and set-up camp. After which we went and hid in the camper with the a/c cranked down to sub-zero...
We napped and read and watched movies till about 4:30pm when we headed out for a hike. Directly behind our campsite was a dry creek bed. We followed it to another dry creek bed which headed into a small canyon. We followed this creek/canyon aways looking for arrow heads. We didn't find any arrow heads but we found some cool rocks.... We finally went as far as we thought we needed to and than we decided to climb out of the canyon up almost to the top of a mesa.... it was awesome....
When we got back to camp we thought we'd head up to the main gate and make some phone calls BUT while preparing the camper for the drive up I locked the keys to the camper in the camper...... Long story short, I have AAA and called for roadside service BUT they only unlock cars not RV's although I have AAA RV Plus..... They put me in touch with a locksmith and he told me he'd come unlock the camper for $100 paid with credit card.
I told him to come on..... After he arrived and unlocked the camper I ask him if he gave a cash discount and he smiled and said ya.... $50 cash and he was gone..... It turned out he was from out of town, the company he works for had him staying in Amarillo covering the locksmith there so the regular locksmith could take the weekend off. It was $50 cash in his pocket....
We got everything unlocked and into the camper about 10:30pm just in time to shower and get some rest, long day..................
Sunday June 12 actully day 13 of our trip/adventure Pasquale and I did the Palo Duro State Park Jr Conseravtionalist Program. Didn't take him but a couple hours and he had it done. The differernce between the Texas program and Federal program is in Texas you have to buy the patch for $3...
We chilled in the camper during the heat of the day.... Waitting for my bestfriend and family to meet Payton and I at the Canyon to see the play Texas. We watched a movie and read a little till it was time to head to theater.
We had a great steak dinner from The Big Texan Steak House.... Pasquale can eat steak 8 days a week. AND a ton of peach cobbler!! The Play is a Musical and the biggest problem I had with it was the cowboys looked a little gay! BUT it was good and the kids enjoyed it.... Pasquale liked that Quanah Parker the Comanche Chief was in the play and the boys got to take a picture with him....
We've been here at Jade's & Tanya's a couple days and Pasquale's been playing with Harmin my God Son and they have hit it off great. Best of friends.....
Day 12 Pasquale and I arrived at Palo Duro Canyon. We found out we had no cell service or enet service while in the canyon. We did have cell service on top of the canyon at the main gate but no enet. That explains why the blogs have been quite for a couple days.
After arriving at Palo Duro the first thing Pasquale said was, "IT'S HOT!!". "Let's go back to Silverton!" I have to admit I felt the same way. Knowing we couldn't and we were stuck in Texas we went ahead and set-up camp. After which we went and hid in the camper with the a/c cranked down to sub-zero...
We napped and read and watched movies till about 4:30pm when we headed out for a hike. Directly behind our campsite was a dry creek bed. We followed it to another dry creek bed which headed into a small canyon. We followed this creek/canyon aways looking for arrow heads. We didn't find any arrow heads but we found some cool rocks.... We finally went as far as we thought we needed to and than we decided to climb out of the canyon up almost to the top of a mesa.... it was awesome....
When we got back to camp we thought we'd head up to the main gate and make some phone calls BUT while preparing the camper for the drive up I locked the keys to the camper in the camper...... Long story short, I have AAA and called for roadside service BUT they only unlock cars not RV's although I have AAA RV Plus..... They put me in touch with a locksmith and he told me he'd come unlock the camper for $100 paid with credit card.
I told him to come on..... After he arrived and unlocked the camper I ask him if he gave a cash discount and he smiled and said ya.... $50 cash and he was gone..... It turned out he was from out of town, the company he works for had him staying in Amarillo covering the locksmith there so the regular locksmith could take the weekend off. It was $50 cash in his pocket....
We got everything unlocked and into the camper about 10:30pm just in time to shower and get some rest, long day..................
Sunday June 12 actully day 13 of our trip/adventure Pasquale and I did the Palo Duro State Park Jr Conseravtionalist Program. Didn't take him but a couple hours and he had it done. The differernce between the Texas program and Federal program is in Texas you have to buy the patch for $3...
We chilled in the camper during the heat of the day.... Waitting for my bestfriend and family to meet Payton and I at the Canyon to see the play Texas. We watched a movie and read a little till it was time to head to theater.
We had a great steak dinner from The Big Texan Steak House.... Pasquale can eat steak 8 days a week. AND a ton of peach cobbler!! The Play is a Musical and the biggest problem I had with it was the cowboys looked a little gay! BUT it was good and the kids enjoyed it.... Pasquale liked that Quanah Parker the Comanche Chief was in the play and the boys got to take a picture with him....
Monday, June 13, 2011
Day 13.1
Day 13.1
Hi everybody I am now in Texas
Yesterday we went hiking in the canyon. We also saw cool rocks and wild turkey feathers we went up a mesa.
I love and miss you mommy Daddy Kyleigh Rily Ms.Cristen.
p.s. Happy Father’s Day Daddy I love you.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Day 11.1
Early morning.... 5:30 up and 6am on the road. Not much to say about the drive from Silverton Co. to Capulin Nm. except it's beautiful. Saw 7 Mulies, 1 Elk, 1 Camel, and a dozen or more Antelope. Arrived in Capulin Nm. about 2:30pm....
When we got to Capulin Rv we dropped the trailer and headed to Capulin Volcano National Monument. Yes they do have a Jr Ranger Program and YES Pasquale completed the work book for his second Jr ranger Badge. His vest is going to drag the ground if he keeps this up by the time we get home....
We're camped out in Woodpicker resting after hard day on the road........ Tomorrow Palo Duro.....
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=207597223485050952806.0004a3ff5af456e10db60&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=8
When we got to Capulin Rv we dropped the trailer and headed to Capulin Volcano National Monument. Yes they do have a Jr Ranger Program and YES Pasquale completed the work book for his second Jr ranger Badge. His vest is going to drag the ground if he keeps this up by the time we get home....
We're camped out in Woodpicker resting after hard day on the road........ Tomorrow Palo Duro.....
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=207597223485050952806.0004a3ff5af456e10db60&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=8
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Day 10.2
Started new job yesterday.......... It seems the town of Silverton needs protection so they hire two outlaws to protect it......
None of that silly stuff, we means business...... Partner.
None of that silly stuff, we means business...... Partner.
Day 10.1
Click a De Clack, Click a De Clack....... We made it back.......
What a ride! 3 1/2 hours of some of the most beautiful terrain you'll ever see. BUT, what I came away with was. Man I'm glade I have a car, I don't have enough vacation time to ride around the country on one of these.....
We had fun and saw some great sites and critters.
8 Elk, 2 Mulies, 2 dozen Prairie Dogs.....
What a ride! 3 1/2 hours of some of the most beautiful terrain you'll ever see. BUT, what I came away with was. Man I'm glade I have a car, I don't have enough vacation time to ride around the country on one of these.....
We had fun and saw some great sites and critters.
8 Elk, 2 Mulies, 2 dozen Prairie Dogs.....
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
9.2
Day 9.1
WOW did we have a BIG day yesterday! We went to San Jaun Adventure to rent the jeep. I let Pasquale pick out which color and he picked red. It was a small two door jeep I wish we had taken pictures of it but we didn't. We nicknamed the jeep "Little Red".
When we were in the more difficult parts of the climb up the mountains i would talk to her.... " Come on, Little Red. Getty-Up Little Red! Yaw, naw Little Red! Get up THAT hill Little Red!". Like a mule skinner would, and Pasquale thought this was hilarious for some reason.... At times I was doing it to make him laugh, others I was doing it cause it made ME feel better...... It was STEEP!!
We did the Apline Loop! From Silverton to Lake City through Cinnamon Pass. Engineer Pass is still closed. We made it up to the dozier that's trying to clear the snow from Engineer. That was my main reason to come here and it was worth ever minute of it....
We took lot's of pictures and had two snowball fights Pasquale won, only because he had gloves and the snow was WAY cold! The San Jaun Moutians are Awesome! A 4-wheeler is a blast BUT you can cover so much more with a jeep. It almost makes me want to get a jeep just for this cause I know I'm coming back to do this again.
1 Elk, 2 Mulies, 1 Beaver, Thousands of Chipmunks and Groundhogs...............No Fish
Today's the train and tomorrow is the some rock hounding and maybe some more gold panning...
When we were in the more difficult parts of the climb up the mountains i would talk to her.... " Come on, Little Red. Getty-Up Little Red! Yaw, naw Little Red! Get up THAT hill Little Red!". Like a mule skinner would, and Pasquale thought this was hilarious for some reason.... At times I was doing it to make him laugh, others I was doing it cause it made ME feel better...... It was STEEP!!
We did the Apline Loop! From Silverton to Lake City through Cinnamon Pass. Engineer Pass is still closed. We made it up to the dozier that's trying to clear the snow from Engineer. That was my main reason to come here and it was worth ever minute of it....
We took lot's of pictures and had two snowball fights Pasquale won, only because he had gloves and the snow was WAY cold! The San Jaun Moutians are Awesome! A 4-wheeler is a blast BUT you can cover so much more with a jeep. It almost makes me want to get a jeep just for this cause I know I'm coming back to do this again.
1 Elk, 2 Mulies, 1 Beaver, Thousands of Chipmunks and Groundhogs...............No Fish
Today's the train and tomorrow is the some rock hounding and maybe some more gold panning...
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Day 8.1
From the pics you can see we did a ride out to the Alpine loop and the Hundred Gold Mine. Pasquale love the ore cart ride into the the mine. And he just about panned them out of pretty rocks and copper. We did pan a little gold BUT not near enough to pay for trip.
We bought our train tickets yesterday and we'll be riding the train from Silverton to Durango Wednesday. We'll ride in a bus back that will take us half the day. The other half we plan some site seeing in Silvetron and shopping. WHO EVER GOT THIS KID STUCK ON SHOPPING I SHOULD BEAT WITH A STICK!! OMG!!!
For those who don't know me WELL..... I HATE TO SHOP! Period... Only because I have to do I enter a store and when I do I have a list. Bing a Boom and I'm out of there...... This kid has drug me through EVERY gift shop between Houston Tx. and here we've past. When we are on the highway and a gift shop is coming up on a exit ahead I through $3 of quarters in the back seat of my pick-up and tell him if he finds them all he can have them so we don't have to stop.... He's back there digging round and I blow by the exit...... So far I'm nine rolls of quarters into this trip.....
(Again for those who don't know me I'm kidding. I do that a lot.......Kid...... If your not having fun give it to me and I'll show ya what your doing wrong with it........ Bout the quarters anyway not this kids desire to shop!)
Last night we went back to Durango and went to the BAR D Chuck wagon Supper and Show. Being I pretty much live in a rv park where music is the key this was right up my alley. The Wranglers where great. Pasquale even liked them and the cowboy songs as much as I did. After the show we had to shop the CD both (the kid again) an I had to buy 6 CD's..... (See what I'm talking about!)
We left Durango head back to Silverton about 9:30 pm and it's about am hour and half drive across the mountains back. I saw 2 mule deer, 6 Porcupines, 1 Beaver, a Wolf or Coyote (couldn't tell for sure), 1 Elk, and a hole lot of twist and turns all while Pasquale slept.
Today we are headed to rent a jeep and head way out in the mountains where we hope to fish. The 4-wheeler would just take to long to get there. Tomorrow the train and the next more 4-wheeler.... BIG time.............
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