Category: Adventures

We continued our I40 trek eastward to the Ozark community of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, passing through Fort Smith, Fayetteville and Bentonville, home to WalMart. We visited the area in 2019 while in Branson, MO. We liked this area more than the commercialization of Branson and wanted to make it a stop on this year’s trip. “Secluded and peaceful with winding mountainside streets, Eureka Springs has flair like no other town. In fact, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Eureka Springs as one of its “Dozen Distinctive Destinations.” The streets of this north Arkansas town are lined with extraordinary Victorian homes hugging cliff sides, and its entire downtown area is on the National Register of Historic Places.” Parking can be tough however the town has a trolly that can take you to most destinations.

Photos of our Eureka Springs stay are below.

Thursday was “catch-up day” to get some of our admin and chores caught up. We also took a drive to Thorncastle Chapel. We visited this chapel two years ago and found it a peaceful stop. Their website states, “Thorncrown Chapel was designed by world renowned architect E. Fay Jones. Fay was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1921. He studied at the University of Arkansas, Rice University, the University of Oklahoma, and finally under his mentor Frank Lloyd Wright at the Taliesin Fellowship.” 

We decided to cancel our Memphis stop and extend our stay in Eureka Springs due to Hurricane Ida’s effects on our route.

Friday saw us on the Eureka Springs Tram Tours. The tour passes literally 100’s of old homes and historic buildings, as well as several of the healing springs that made Eureka Springs so famous in the late 1800’s. We ate lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Mud Street Cafe, an underground spot on Main St.

Friday evening we went to the Intrigue Theatre to see illusionist  Sean-Paul and Juliana Fay perform their  show, “Perplexed.” The show was fun and the illusionist interacted with the audience with every effect. This made the evening very enjoyable.

On Saturday, we took the tram into the downtown area of Eureka Springs and walked through many of the local businesses and enjoyed a pleasant outdoor lunch at the Eureka Grill.

Monday, our last day in the area, we decided to take a self-tour around the area visiting Pivot Rock and Natural Bridgeand Magnetic Spring.

Pivot Rock and Natural Bridge was first developed as a tourist attraction more than 100 years ago, the park features paved pathways winding through unique rock formations and the beautiful Ozarks. According to legend, the ravines and caves of the park  served as hideouts for outlaw Jesse James and the James-Younger Gang, the notorious band of Old West train and bank robbers..

Magnetic Spring was Eureka Springs’ number one attraction at the dawn of the 20th century. Its waters were said to cure drunkenness and drug addiction, which were big problems among the sick at that time, since many medicines were boosted with alcohol, cocaine, and heroin. Also, any metal object placed in the spring supposedly became magnetized — proof of the water’s mysterious power.

Tuesday we left for Brinkley, AR for our overnight stop at Dub’l R RV Park.

            This Segment’s Slide Show

We reluctantly left Santa Fe and began our eastern trek. Our 25th stop will be the Big Texan RV Ranch in Amarillo, TX. We will only be in the area 2-days. We reserved a spot on the complimentary limo to take us to the Big Texan Steak Ranch for dinner. The restaurant is notable for their 72oz Steak Dinner Challenge. Even though this restaurant is obviously a tourist magnet, the food was excellent! Joe had the ribs and Marcy had steak. While we were finishing dinner someone decided to take the challenge. We did not stick around to see if he won because the challenge allows up to 1-hour to complete.

On Monday we explored the Palo Duro Canyon in Canyon, TX on Monday. Palo Duro is a canyon system of the Caprock Escarpment located in the Texas Panhandle near the cities of Amarillo and Canyon. As the second-largest canyon in the United States, it is roughly 120 miles long and has an average width of 6 mi, but reaches a width of 20 mi at places.

On September 28, 1874, part of the Red River War, the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon was fought. Late in the summer of 1874, a number of Comanche, Southern Cheyenne, Arapaho and Kiowa warriors led by Lone Wolf had left their assigned reservations and were hiding out in Palo Duro Canyon located in the Texas Panhandle. As part of the Red River War of 1874-75, Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie was ordered by General Christopher C. Augur to find the Indians and force them back onto their reservations.

Palo Duro Canyon Slideshow

Tuesday we continue our eastbound loop to Choctaw, OK, where we will stay one night on our way to Eureka, AR.

Sun, August 15

We arrived in Santa Fe, one of our favorite cities to visit. Santa Fe, New Mexico’s capital, sits in the Sangre de Cristo foothills. It’s renowned for its Pueblo-style architecture and as a creative arts hotbed. Founded as a Spanish colony in 1610, it has at its heart the traditional Plaza. The surrounding historic district’s crooked streets wind past adobe landmarks such as the Loretto Chapel and the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. We set up camp at the Trailer Ranch RV Resort not too far from the Santa Fe Plaza.

On Tuesday, we picked up Wyatt and Magdalen (Marcy’s son and his girlfriend) at the Albuquerque airport. They will join us in exploring the area. 

When we were in Santa Fe”>two years ago we discovered Meow Wolf and it has become a goto whenever we are in the area. We told Wyatt and Magdalen about this and they were anxious to it check out. Meow Wolf’s website states, “Meow Wolf is comprised of over 200 full-time employees and hundreds of other collaborators, creating and supporting art across a variety of media, including architecture, sculpture, painting, photography, video production, cross-reality (AR/VR/MR), music, audio engineering, narrative writing, costuming, performance, and more.”

Meow Wolf Slide Show

On Thursday, we jumped on I25 South to take the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway. We hopped on the tram and ascended to the submit of one of America’s most stunning urban peaks. Reaching the 10,378-foot crest of the Sandia Mountains we had a view of 11,000 square miles. On our visit the view was a little hazy but beautiful to say the least.

After our Tram ride we visited the The Kuaua Pueblo Ruins and the Coronado Historic Site. This website states, “When the archaeological team excavated the Kuaua Ruins in the 1930s, they uncovered more than 1,200 adobe rooms, three ceremonial rooms, and six kivas. Several of the kivas contained a series of murals that many revere today as some of the best examples of Pre-Columbian artwork in the United States. Kuaua religious murals flourished throughout the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries, reflecting religious and cosmological iconography such as references to rain, rainbows, clouds, lightning, and ritual figures engaging in rain-making rituals.”

We took a tour and learned about the Pueblo people. We descended into a restored kiva. 

Friday saw us in “old” Santa Fe. Our target tour of the day was not operating due to the 99th Annual Indian Market scheduled for the weekend. The tour operator’s website said they would only be closed on the weekend, however they were also closed Friday as Well. Not deterred we walked the streets of the town, did a bit of shopping and had a great lunch at a recommended Mexican Restaurant, Tomasita’s. After we drove around and did a bit of sight-seeing.

Saturday, after breakfast at the Pantry we trekked down to the Albuquerque International Airport to drop Wyatt and Magdalen off to catch there flight back to SeaTac.

That evening we joined some “friends” at a hogan located at the Institute of American Indian Arts Campus (IAIA) to hear the story of a member of a local tribe who is a descendent of a medicine woman.

Sunday we began our eastbound loop toward Amarillo, TX.

We left Wheatland, WY and hopped on I-25 South to Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora, CO. This was our home for 14 days (7/31-8/14). We have family and friends in the area and had a fantastic time seeing them. We arrived mid-afternoon and set up on a large paved site in the Pioneer Loop. Cherry Creek has large sites with plenty of space and open grasslands. We’ve stayed here before and is a go-to for us when in the area.

We met up with Barb and Troy, Joe’s sister and brother in law, at Bull and Bush Brewery for a great conversation and dinner. Bull and Bush is has been a staple in the area since 1971.

The next couple of days we relaxed and did a bit of shopping and visiting. On Wednesday, 8/4, we picked up Brian and Bella at Denver International Airport. The tours begin!

We started our tour for Brian and Bella at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater in Morrison. Their website states, “If you think of Red Rocks Park as just a beautiful place to see a concert, think again! All around you are 738 total acres of deer, dinosaurs, pines and prairie, geological wonders and spectacular vistas. At 6,450 feet above sea level, Red Rocks Park is a unique transitional zone where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains.” The Red Rocks Amphitheater, once known as the Garden of the Titans (1906), officially opened in 1941 and has hosted thousands of musicians including the Beatles, Grateful Dead, Jimmy Hendrix and many more. After our visit to Red Rocks we stopped by the Mother Cabrini Shrine. Frances Cabrini founded the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Pope Leo XIII told Francis to go West to New York and help Italian immigrants. She made 23 trans-Atlantic crossings and established 67 institutions: schools, hospitals and orphanages.In 1946, she was canonized a saint by Pope Pius XII in recognition of her holiness and service to mankind and was named Patroness of Immigrants in 1950.

On Friday we headed south to Colorado Springs to visit Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center. The last time we were here, Brian was just a youngster and climbed as many rocks as he could. It was a reunion of sorts although he did not climb as many rocks!

On Saturday, Teresa and Tim (Joe’s niece and her husband) launched their pontoon boat on Chatfield Reservoir. We cruised the beautiful lake and beached the boat on a nice beach and cooked hotdogs. It was a great day and we all enjoyed the hospitality.

Sunday morning we had a nice breakfast and decided to investigate The International Church of Cannabis near downtown Denver followed by a walk down the 16th Street Mall. The “church” was a flashback to the 60’s with a fantastic “Beyond” light show accompanied by 60’s favorites. No cannabis is allowed during the public light show per local law. The 16th Street is a blocked off section to allow pedestrians to walk the mall to enjoy shops and resaurants.

Monday we drove to Estes Parkto tour the Stanley Hotel. Estes Park is a town in northern Colorado. It’s known as a base for the Rocky Mountain National Park, home to wildlife including elk and bears, plus miles of trails. The Stanley Hotel, The Stanley Hotel is an iconic landmark famous for its charm and history. The 60 minute walking tour provided the history of the hotel’s founder, F.O. Stanley, his wife Flora, Stephen King, and other noteworthy visitors since 1909. 

Marcy at the Stanley Hotel

Stanley Hotel

Standing in Front of Room 217 at the Stanley Hotel

Unfortunately Brian & Bella had to return to Tampa on Tuesday. We traveled east to the Denver International Airport designed to look like snowcapped mountains. 

The rest of our Denver stay we visited with friends Craig and Jeannie from Polk City (who also reside in the Denver area). We grilled at the campsite, listened to Musician Josh Blackburn at the Tailgate Tavern and Grill in Parker, CO, had lunch in Idaho Springs at Beau Jo’s, drove through Central City and Black Hawk, homes to many casinos. 

Parker, CO

Joe, Marcy, Jeannie & Craig at the Tail Gate

We spent time with Barb and Troy and had dinner with family at Los Dos Potrillos Mexican Restaurant y Cerveceria

We had a great time during our Denver stay and were blessed to have been able to visit with family and friends. We invited all to visit us in Florida!

Saturday 8/14, we packed up the coach and left for Raton, NM, our overnight stay on our way to Santa Fe, NM.