Summer ‘24 Week 5

Week 5 of our 8-week summer 2024 road trip started with a stopover in Palisade, Colorado. Like last year, we stayed at the Palisade Basecamp RV Resort, and like last year, we had one of the sites on the river edge, overlooking the Colorado River. Our site also overlooked “Clark & Co’s Distilling” on the other side of the river, which was one of the main reasons we returned to Palisade this year. At the distillery, we sat out on their outdoor patio overlooking the river. We had a delicious dinner with cocktails, and of course we also purchased a few bottles of sprits to take home with us (including a bigger bottle of "Grandpa Larry’s Palisade Peach Moonshine than the one we got last year).

One interesting thing about the Palisade Basecamp RV Resort this year, is we noticed quite a few of these very small tear-drop shaped campers, And by the time we left, the park was nearly full of them. Turns out the day we left was the first day of the “T@borado nuCamp Rally”, and they seemed to have almost the entire resort booked for the days after we left. We saw some pretty elaborate setups, that included outdoor kitchens, and form-fit, attached shelter tents and awnings. It’s not a camping vehicle that Andrea and I could get into (we need a lot more space), but the T@B (and the smaller T@G) owners we talked to all seemed to be big fans of their mini campers and the mini camper lifestyle.

Our site at the Palisade Basecamp RV Resort. Palisade, CO

We were next to one of the many T@B campers at Palisade Basecamp.

Clark & Co’s, across the river from the RV park in Palisade, CO

It was really hot in Palisade, so on our day off, we needed to find somewhere cooler to go hiking. Last year’s hike on the nearby Palisade Rim Trail, was a lot of fun, and had stunning views, but we needed something with more shade, and pleasant temperatures for this year’s activity. So, I went to bringfido.com, a website that has been an important part in our travels since the beginning of our RV life. Bringfido.com is what we use at almost every stop to find restaurants and activities that allow us to bring our dog with us. What I found on bringfido.com for Palisade activities was the “Mesa Lakes and Lost Lake Trail“ in the Grand Mesa National Forest. It was about a 30 mile drive from the RV park, and in those 30 miles, we climbed from 4800 ft elevation to about 9000 ft elevation (and lost about 30 degrees of heat 🙂). We went up the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway, passed Powderhorn Mountain Ski Resort, and arrived at the Glacier Springs Trailhead, where we did a nice hike up to the Lost Lake, and then around the beautiful Mesa lakes. It was a great way to spend a few hours in nature, away from the Palisade heat.

After the hike, we stopped and picked up some delicious Palisade peaches (and other fruit) from the Kokopelli Farm Market, then went back to the RV for lunch. After lunchwe drove to Palisade Pies to pick up a Peach (and mixed berry) Pie, then relaxed at the RV for the afternoon and evening.

One of the Mesa lakes. Grand Mesa National Forest.

Hiking around the Mesa Lakes. Grand Mesa National Forest.

A picture from Powderhorn Mountain Ski Resort

After Palisade, our next stop was Breckenridge, CO. I was really looking forward to finally having a chance to stay at the Tiger Run Resort in Breckenridge, after reading so many positive reviews claiming that it was one of the nicest RV parks in the country. It definitely didn’t disappoint. The park itself is beautiful, with large RV sites, lots of trees, a river running through, and a nice hiking trail around their small mountain lake. The park is a mix of RV sites, and cabins. The weather there was perfect (for us). Nice and cool, during the day, and even cooler at night. We only stayed there for two nights, but it’s definitely a place I want to come back to, and next time, I hope we can stay a lot longer (maybe a week or two). The town of Breckenridge is really nice, with lots of shops and restaurants to visit, and of course the Breckenridge Ski Resort, which has lots of summer-time activities.

On our day off, we started with a hike to the “Breckenridge Troll”, and on the nearby trails. After that, we took Rosie on the gondola from the base of the ski-resort to the “Peak 8” base area. That was the second gondola ride Rosie got to experience this trip (previous one was in Telluride). We had lunch in Breckenridge at the Kenosha Grill, then in the afternoon I did an 18 mile bike ride around the area. In the evening we went to the nearby town of Frisco, and had dinner at a Mexican resturant there. I really enjoyed our time in Breckenridge. and I am looking forward to coming back when we can.

Our site at Tiger Run Resort. Breckenridge, CO

Beautiful Tiger Run Resort. Breckenridge, CO

Rose riding the gondola at Breckenridge Ski Resort.

Rosie enjoying our hike near the Breckenridge Troll.

Bike riding around Breckenridge (no I didn’t bring the dog with me like this guy did).

Our last stop this week was a 3 night stay at the Central City KOA, the third time we’ve stayed at this particular resort. We got site 7, which is one of the coveted sites “on the wall”. That is a pull-in site, with amazing views out our front window. The RV park is at about 9000 ft elevation, and the weather was nice, similar to Breckenridge weather (which is only 60 miles away).

After arriving, we drove the truck to Nederland, CO, and had lunch. We would have done more in Nederland, such as the hike to the lake we did last year, but it was raining in Nederland when we were there, so after lunch, we headed back to the RV and spent the afternoon and evening relaxing.

The next day, we drove to Golden, CO, had lunch at one of the many dog-friendly restaurants on Washington Ave, and then met up with my son,, Jeremy and his wife, Erika. The Golden Fine Arts Festival was happening while we were there, so we all went and looked at the various artists booths. Then, Andrea, Jeremy, and Erika went to “The Mines Museum of Earth Science”, while Rosie and I hung around outside. It was nice seeing Jeremy and Erika and having a chance to catch up with them.

On our last full day in Central City, I started with a bike ride down to Blackhawk, and on one the trails from the Hidden Treasure Trailhead, near Blackhawk. Then, Andrea and I drove back to the Hidden Treasure Trailhead, and hiked with Rosie on the same trail I had ridden earlier. Then, we drove to Boulder, CO, and schmoozed around the Pearl Street mall for a while. For dinner we met up with one of my oldest friends, Gary, and his wife, Elise, at the “Roadhouse Boulder Depot”, a dog friendly restaurant we had been to twice before on previous trips. I was really happy that we were able to get together with them while we were there.

Our site at Central City KOA. Central City, CO

The view from out our front window at Central City KOA.

Visiting with our good friends Gary and Elise.

That’s it for week 5. Three really nice Colorado destinations, fun outdoor activities, visiting with friends and family, and enjoying some cooler weather. Tiger Run Resort at Breckenridge has become my favorite place to stay, and I’m looking forward to returning in the future.

This was our last week in Colorado for this trip. Next up for us is 3 short stops in Wyoming, then a longer stay in Billings, MT, where our good friends the Solomons live. I’ll fill you all in next week.

Summer ‘24 Week 6

Summer ‘24 Week 4