Eastern Colorado - More Interesting From Space

April 26 - 28, 2022

Lamar, Colorado

For about an hour Tuesday morning I waffle between stay and go. Bill doesn't care either way, leaves it to me as the driver.

Once again winds of 20-30 mph are forecast for our travel day. We already know that eastern Colorado is not the most visually exciting route so adding nasty driving conditions isn't appealing......but, we're ready to move on to a new area.

So in the end we pack up and pull out before 10:00. And it's a good choice as the wind is again pushing us without the stress of gusts from the side. Highways 160, 350 and 50 are as expected - a car, a curve, a truck, a knoll. Not much.

A lot of this.

Eight foot short power lines along the railroad - like they're waiting for water to grow big.

More interesting from space!

Lamar Sportsman RV and Horse Motel is right on Hwy 50 and is 98% permanent residents. When the phone number posted to reach someone for assistance is out of order I'm skeptical about this choice of stop. But a resident sees us and calls the manager. Eventually I get checked in, and after driving around looking for a site with sewer, we get set up. 50 amp FHUs on level dirt, small sites with a strip of grass. The first grass in a long time! 

Lamar is another small town with a Walmart as the largest business. La Mission Villanueva restaurant is a nice surprise with good food and margaritas.

Not Santa Fe, but a decent stuffed sopapilla.

Late afternoon Bill brings Tessa inside telling me there's a loose pit bull in our site. Hate to prejudge, but also don't need to take chances. A few minutes later our neighbor knocks on the door to see if the dog attacked ours. It's attacked their dog twice, and when I ask he confirms someone is coming to pick it up today. So very nice and concerned residents, but another mark against this quiet little park.

With wind returning on our scheduled travel day (of course), we decide that three nights in Lamar is really more than we need. Our site at Scott Lake SP is available, so I add a night to our reservation and we make plans to pull out on Thursday. While the weather this time of year is challenging, space availability isn't an issue yet. We love the freedom of being able to move or stay longer as circumstances change. 

One thing I did differently when planning this route was to make a list of interesting things/places to see at each stop. For this one there is the Petrified Wood Gas Station (who wouldn't want to see that?), and John Martin Reservoir SP. After our visit to the state park we agree this is the place to stay if you're in the area - beautiful, huge campgrounds with water views.

After lunch we head out for some exploring under cloudy, squinty skies. Nothing like gray above to enhance brown below :-)

Petrified Wood Building - 175,000,ooo years old, built of wood and turned to stone. Although this is the sign on the front, I suspect the wood may have turned to stone before it was used to make the building!

1899 Star Schoolhouse - nice to see the community working to raise funds for restoration,

One of two very large campgrounds - Hasty Campground at the state park with electric sites in the trees.

A small remaining pond on the down side of the dam with very nice covered fishing platforms.

By now we're not surprised to see the reservoir at 60% capacity, with acres of land previously under water.

Lower water levels expose interesting rock layers.

Day Use area at The Point just past the second campground, all dry camping with no trees.

In addition to robins, sparrows, swallows, killdeer, a hawk, and a couple vultures, we see this beautiful, lone pelican.

The old barn catches my eye along the highway, and then we see all the goats! From a couple rams to several babies, all are healthy and too cute.

Back home we get the laundry caught up for another five days without sewer hookup. Thursday morning we're on the move again.

The end.