Stillwater National Recreational Area Campground in Granby, CO

This morning Auggie and I were left to finish up our Breckenridge touring while Chris started early for another long mileage day. Not too long after we woke up, the little guy pulled one of his new tricks and managed to find a chocolate croissant one of his parents had stashed on top of a dresser. Busted!

At first I felt like staying at a hotel on this trip was indulgent (and it is), but now I'm seeing that it really helps all of us a lot. I like getting a break from the RV life, August likes having more space and new things to roam and get into, and Chris likes not having to do work on the RV. One example of something that bugs me about the RV lifestyle that probably wouldn't occur to non-campers is the refrigerator issue. The fridge has a latch which keeps it shut as you're driving to keep things there even when you are at an incline or pitching back and forth a bit. Well, the latch on our fridge works most of the time but is not quite as strong as it should be. Occasionally, for unexplained reasons, it will not hold and the door will fly open while I'm driving down the road. The door will swing back and forth with the RV until I am able to make a stop to correct it.

Saturday morning I had cleaned up the RV before leaving Cripple Creek, knowing we would be staying at a hotel and that it would be nice to have everything in place and clean when we returned to it. As we were heading into Breckenridge, the mysterious fridge trick happened again, and half of its contents wound up tossed into our kitchen/living room/August's bedroom. The yogurt and sour cream were splattered all over the floor and the still sealed food that had fallen out. This has only happened 3 times and that time was the worst, but it's a pretty frustrating thing to deal with! A hotel stay provides a great mental break for all of us.

A neat thing about Breckenridge is that it has a gondola that takes people from town to the base camp of the slopes, and is completely free. We had tried to go on it yesterday afternoon, but scattered thunderstorms had caused it to close down early. This morning August and I happened to go by it and decided we better take advantage. It was a nice, quiet ride and interesting to see the town and mountains from a different perspective. If you are ever in Breckenridge, it's a must-do.







August, choosing to use his time in the gondola to meditate.

Afterwards we stocked up at a City Market (Kroger to you Indiana folks), shared a delicious bowl of honey, roasted beet and squash soup from an amazing little soup shop next to the grocery store, and headed out of town. The drive today was interesting, going from a very touristy area of Colorado to a much more remote one. Randomly, we had stayed in this remote area on a trip to Colorado four years ago. So, for the very first time on this trip, many of the roads seemed familiar.

Also, both the bicyclist and the RV crew encountered the longest, most extensive road construction we've probably ever seen. It was approximately 10 miles of a highway that was now purely dirt and large rocks, one lane only, with several detours and off road spots. I have no idea what they were doing to it, but it's an ambitious project!

Tonight we are staying at the Stillwater National Recreational Area Campground, which is on Lake Granby. This is in the Top 3 most beautiful campground settings we've been to.

Chris and August borrowed my bike to go for a leisurely spin after we got here so I could catch up on some correspondence. Yes, I think it's hilarious that Chris will ride 90 miles for most of the day and then still be up for a casual ride after he's done. (Shout-out to my friend Kevin Rollins who knows exactly the swerving, whistling, waving style I'm talking about, not exactly a cyclist's norm!). We do appreciate it though as we'd definitely miss out on some fun if he wasn't up for it.

The view from our campsite.

What is it about seeing an island from shore that makes you want to do nothing but go stand on it?!

Tomorrow we are heading into Wyoming already. It doesn't seem possible that we are to this point already, but as we've realized, Colorado isn't nearly as far west as we Midwesterners think it is. The halfway point of the journey was east of Pueblo, and we are only on state 6 of 10. Also, since the route jogs north and west, it's not as straight a shot as it has been in the eastern part of the country. I am looking forward to seeing Wyoming for the first time.

Breckenridge, CO

Layover or rest days are easily my favorite of this adventure. It is so nice having Chris with us all day, and also amazing to stay somewhere for more than one night at a time. We had stopped by Breckenridge a few years ago on a trip to Colorado and decided it would be worth spending a day here this time.

It is beautiful here, and I knew we were making the right choice as I was driving towards it yesterday. Hoosier Pass is kind of unbelievable to see. Also, I only had to pull over to let cars pass the RV a few times, which wasn't bad compared to some sightseeing heavy roads.

This morning Chris took Auggie on a bike ride around town and I got to snooze. His toddler-ness is not always easy to deal with on a day-in and day-out basis, so I am grateful that Chris recognizes this and lets me have a real break once in a while. I got a little more time on my own this afternoon and am feeling recharged.

We rode our bikes from Breckenridge to Frisco, which is basically a downhill coast. Downhill coasting is my best kind of riding! It's a gorgeous ride and I highly recommend it if you're in the area. Then, there is a free shuttle in both Frisco and Breckenridge that also runs between the two. So, we were able to throw the bikes on and let the shuttle do the work uphill to Breckenridge.

August fell asleep about 10 minutes before we got to Frisco, and it was adorable. I felt so bad for him, the little guy was just bobbing around and resting his head on whatever it happened to touch. He can fall asleep while completely sitting up and bumping along. Definitely takes after his Grandpa Spors on this one!

Getting out of the RV for a day or two is always a pleasure, and we had lots of fun family time on this layover day. We also ate a ton of good food, which I forgot to take pictures of. I won't dwell on the meals since I don't have pics to show, but we ate at a nice little sandwich shop in Frisco for lunch and a crepe stand here in Breckenridge for dinner. Lots of tasty eating, though I'm glad the bulk of our trip hasn't been in touristy areas as our budget wouldn't allow for the restaurant tabs we had today on a regular basis!

Breckenridge is a popular vacation destination for the well-heeled, and it's easy to sense that as you walk down the streets. That normally makes me a little uncomfortable, as I don't like to think of any place as off-limits to those without affluence. The bike culture here though cannot be beat. So many people cycle on a regular basis here that it's just the norm. Same for walking. And, I am really loving the weather. Both Cripple Creek and Breckenridge have relatively cool, dry climates. I've decided we can stay here for the rest of the trip! Alas, we have to keep moving but I will definitely miss the comfortable atmosphere.

Donkey Derby Days in Cripple Creek, CO

Our day started out with one of my least favorite trip occurrences - August waking up when Chris is getting ready to leave around 5:00am. He woke up fussy and didn't resume his nighttime sleep until 7:00am. That two hour stretch sure isn't pretty for either of us! I was glad that at least he wasn't up for the day though.

We stayed at the Hospitality House & RV Park, a most unique place. It was built to be a hospital and at one point was converted to a guesthouse. We were in the RV park, but were told we could look around the house as much as we wanted. All of the rooms are themed, "Convalescent", "Maternity", "Surgery" and so on. There were lots of antique hospital items around as well. It is beautiful, different, and a little spooky. Some of the rooms would creep me out to stay the night in I think!

When we heard that Donkey Derby Days were going on this weekend, Auggie and I knew we had to stay in town a little longer than we normally do before taking off. Chris convinced the guesthouse staff to let me park the RV there until the afternoon so that we could see the donkey races. We took the shuttle to the center of town to take in the festivities. I am falling in love with shuttles and wishing every town had them!

First off we watched the parade. August particularly enjoyed the horses and the bands. My favorite was probably the Colorado Victorian Society and their full costumes. We had some time between it and the races, so we walked around checking stuff out.

There was a little petting zoo full of goats and August had a good time petting them. He definitely feels that the softer and fluffier the goat/dog/cat is, the better. One of the goats was a little hungry and started nibbling his shirt, he was not sure what to think about that!

Finally, after some delay from schedule, the donkey race started. I had no idea what to expect from this. Donkey Derby Days are a throwback to the donkey culture in Cripple Creek. During the gold rush many of the 25,000 residents had them, and afterwards when many of them moved away they simply left the donkeys. Because of that, there is a population of wild donkeys there still today. These are used for the races.

About 15 donkeys were in the race, each accompanied by a person. They don't even put barriers between the spectators and the race. The donkey/human team has to run to five different stations and complete a task at each one. "Kiss a Purdy Girl" was one of them, for example. It was definitely humorous to watch.

After the race was over we hurried back to RV to get going. August was long overdue for his nap and I was eager to head to our next destination, Breckenridge, for a layover day. The drive was, in a word, stunning. The Rocky Mountains are so majestic, and driving through the alpine meadows with their wildflowers and the mountains in the background was quite a view. We got into town at just about the same time as Chris. August was wearing his Donkey Derby souvenirs, a new hat and a maraca. They were very happy to be reunited!

Cripple Creek, CO

We have had a fantastic rest day! It started out with no alarms (the best kind of day), and all of us naturally waking up early enough to still get a jump start on the morning. We got ready, packed up the RV and went out in search of breakfast before hitting up Garden of the Gods.

We ended up at Bonton's Cafe, a lovely little restaurant in historic Colorado City. It was gorgeous weather, and we got a shaded table on the lively patio. I tend to order eggs benedict wherever I can find them, and Bonton's obliged today.

Chris opted for the breakfast burrito. Whenever you are eating at restaurants with a southwestern edge, they will usually serve any type of burrito smothered with green chili and melted cheddar cheese. Both of our plates were excellent! And all that food held us over until dinner.




Right up the road was Garden of the Gods, and we went exploring. It was beautiful, and it's hard to even imagine the circumstances that could have led to such rock formations (in varying colors) being plopped in the middle of a green valley in Colorado. We went on a very short hike, then drove around to see the rest of it.

August loves his deluxe digs when we're hiking.
















When we were finished there we opted to skip driving up Pikes Peak (the railway tours were booked solid) and the Air Force Academy, and instead push on to Cripple Creek where to plan to stay the night and see what kind of fun we could find here. Cripple Creek's main claim to fame is that it was the site of a major gold rush back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. At the time the town's population was 25,000 and it was almost designated as the capital of Colorado in fact. Today the population is around 1,500, and tourism/casinos and a much smaller amount of mining seem to comprise most of the economy here.

Immediately upon coming into town, we decided to hop on the steam locomotive train tour. It was a nice little diversion and a good way to see the town, remnants of old mines, and an interesting currently active mine.

August had fun climbing on the train benches and interacting with the other passengers. By the time we got off of the train it was raining and hailing, but not too bad. We took that as a sign we should go find a park for the RV for the night, and try to get Auggie his much needed nap.

We aren't normally big on casinos, but we are today since they provide free shuttle service anywhere in town. We took one to stroll around town and visit The Creek Variety & Candy Shop. Everyone had told us how good it was, and we were glad we went. So many different kinds of candy, and an unbelievable selection of homemade stuff. I chose a bavarian cream chocolate, Chris got a turtle, and we got a little fudge to share. It's a good thing there's not a candy shop that delicious near where we live!

Chris is back on the road tomorrow and we are hoping he doesn't get caught in the afternoon thunderstorms that are really common at this altitude.

Garden of the Gods RV Park in Colorado Springs, CO

Since today was a short ride day (40 miles) for Chris, he didn't have to get up early and we had a family breakfast of blueberry wheat pancakes in the RV. It was a new recipe I found with oats in it, and I thought they turned out great. August loves having "DA!" around for breakfast!

We took off mid-morning and headed for Pueblo. Pueblo is one of the larger cities on the route, so I was excited to go somewhere with a large restaurant selection, particularly since we like ethnic food. But first August and I went to our favorite hangout - the library. The main Pueblo library was large, and it was a beautiful sunny day. August spent a long time playing with the train table. I am already on the lookout for the perfect train set to get him for his birthday or Christmas.

Eventually we met up with Chris at a bike shop and I took him to a special place I'd looked up - Mr. Tandoori's Urban Bar and Grill. He has been craving Indian food, so we made it happen. I loved the decor there, and the food was good, although I am always a little bummed if there's no chicken tikka masala on the buffet.

Afterwards we walked around Pueblo's Union Station, which had absolutely gorgeous woodwork throughout and lots of interesting historical detail. Pueblo has a large Hispanic population now, but in its early history was not very kind to immigrants. Re-creations of actual signs that were hung there could be found around the lobby.










I'm not sure who is allowed to be anywhere but the immigration area, based on all the groups that are banned!

We were eager to get to Colorado Springs and so went straight there next. We are staying at a really nice RV park in Manitou Springs, very close to Garden of the Gods. The place is booked up (we got the last spot!) and the campers are packed in here like sardines, but we don't mind at all.

We did an exploratory bike trip this afternoon, picking up supplies at Safeway. Chris was pretty proud of himself for bungee cord-ing a gross of diapers onto the back of my bike.

Overall we were really disappointed at how not bike-friendly this immediate area is. We had high expectations for Colorado Springs being bikeable, but it was worse than a lot of the places we ride in Indiana. There is a really nice trail nearby, for example, but it crosses a very busy road without any markings as to where or how you should get across it, or even to let you know if you're going the right way once you manage to Frogger across. The trail just disappears for a while. Likewise, in the shopping district there were only spotty sidewalks and lots of vehicle traffic that was completely oblivious to the presence of the numerous cyclists and pedestrians around. A beautiful climate here, and Colorado is known for its biking, but I guess we landed in too touristy of an area.

For dinner we visited a legendary barbecue joint nearby, Rudy's. It was delicious, and there was never fewer than 40 people in line. Chris got the smoked chicken, while I ordered the pulled pork (of course). We left full and enjoyed a pleasant ride back to the park.

Tomorrow we're hoping to make it to Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and maybe the Air Force Academy here. Wish us luck in all that! It is peak season here for everything, so we're finding many things are booked up. We do not want to take the RV up Pikes Peak if we can help it.

Fowler, CO

This morning we packed up and readied to leave Kansas. It's a good thing my travel buddy is so cute and willing to sit and watch Mommy, or this dismantling everything every day would be boring!

We have a rest day coming up, so Chris put in 120 long miles today. We met him for lunch, eating in the RV since there was basically nothing in all of the small towns we went through along those 120 miles. Chris really enjoys the RV life - he was able to flip our veggie masala burgers while sitting on the couch!

The drive was long, but it helped that we broke it up a little with the lunch stop. August got in decent naps on both legs of it, which I consider a win since it does not always go that smoothly. The most interesting part of the drive was that the landscape changes quickly when you cross over from Kansas to Colorado. Kansas was as flat as can be, dry prairie with howling winds and lots of dust flying around. This part of Colorado has a lot of green, several rivers and lakes, and a much hillier topography. All of the plants are different even.

Typical Kansas, polite and friendly right up to the point you leave.

Chris was famished when he arrived in Fowler, so we walked over for dinner to the Good Eat-In pizza restaurant. It was funny that it was called that, because it wasn't really set up to eat in. We did anyway, of course. The older couple working there were very nice.

We learned an important lesson about pizza ordering though. Sometimes, you really need to mention that you want cheese on your pizza! We ordered half pepperoni and sausage, and half cheese. We were perplexed when the pizza arrived and the pepperoni and sausage half was literally pepperoni and sausage on pizza crust. Strange! We didn't want to cause extra work or wait on a replacement, so Chris the trooper went ahead and ate it.

Afterwards we walked to the park so Auggie could get some play time in before the evening ended. By the time we got back to the campground, we were all very ready for sleep. Looking forward to visiting Pueblo tomorrow and then a rest day soon after!

This is the look August gets when he really feels like a big boy!

Mike's Vacant Lot in Tribune, KS

It was another hot and windy day in Kansas. This state does not mess around when it comes to crazy weather. Chris got an extra early start and was out the door by 5:00 AM. Just hearing the words 5:00 AM makes me shudder. August and I went for a walk around Ness City in search of breakfast and intrigue.

We found breakfast at a little place called Cuppa Joe, run by a few experienced women. It's the kind of restaurant with no menu, just one special that they sell until it runs out. I love this concept, and if I had my own restaurant that's how we'd do it. This only works though if you can really bring it with that one meal you're selling. Our breakfast, eggs, sausage and a pancake, was a little on the average side. But I still liked you a lot Cuppa Joe!

After eating we strolled around town, passing the old bank building and looking for the library. We knew it opened at 10:00, and I had planned it just about right, arriving at 9:45. Much to my horror though, we were confronted with this sign at the door, saying that today was a special day that the library would be closed until noon due to preparations for a show by Dan Dan the Magic Man! Dismayed but not defeated, we moved on and headed back to some-guy's-yard-campground. Did our packing drill, and headed out.





The drive today was just over 100 miles, and was one a single straight road that the TransAm is on, for the entire time. August napped well during most of it, and I tried to take in the scenery. I pass 11 cyclists, 8 westbound like Chris, and 3 eastbound. It's funny how much these people leapfrog each other. I had seen all of the westbound groups except one before. Jay was among them, and I said a little prayer for him with both headphones in. I think he was wearing Vans this time instead of flip flops. I am really impressed by the women I see solo riding. Besides the physical challenges of the cycling itself, it takes so much work to tent camp every night, maintain your gear, wash and dry your clothes, and stay nourished and hydrated. Doing it alone is the ultimate way to push yourself to the limits of what you can do.

We made it into Tribune shortly after Chris, at about noon Mountain Time, which we crossed into today. I had made a call to the Chamber of Commerce and found an RV park here which is really just a vacant lot with hookups. In this heat though, the only important thing seems to be electric so that we can keep this thing somewhat cool! Also, tonight's stay is literally half the cost of the backyard we stayed at last night, so no complaints.

For lunch we were pleased to find a little gastropub across the road called Elliott's. What does gastropub mean? I'm not sure, but I think it's code for good food that's better than an average greasy spoon. This place specializes in local, farm-to-table food. This seems to be pretty rare in small towns, so we were more than willing to check it out. We ordered a spinach dip and chips appetizer, then split a cheeseburger and chicken and wild rice soup. The cheeseburger was delicious, very made-fresh tasting, and served with hand-cut fries. The chicken and wild rice soup was unbelievable creamy and delicious. Everything was homemade and you could taste it. We were definitely satisfied customers and it will be hard not to be tempted to go back for dinner.

Chris even sprang for the fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie served in a cast-iron skillet with ice cream on top. I don't have thousands of surplus calories to eat every day, so I settled for one yummy bite.






Since Chris had gotten such an early start, we let him nap and took off on my bike to find the library. I have been impressed with every library's children's area that we've been. It is always exactly what Auggie needs, a cool, clean place with lots to stimulate his little brain and room for him to move and climb around. The Greeley County Library was no different. We have been careful to keep August away from electronics since his brain's not developed enough yet to handle the way the moving images work, but I let him sit at the little kid's computer to see what he did. He was interested in all of it, and used the mouse as a phone (to call a friend I assume).

We had been there for about half an hour when they announced that the library would be closing soon to prepare for -- wait for it -- Dan Dan the Magic Man! Ugh, this guy again. He has been ruining all of our plans today! Merely kidding, we met him and he seemed like a nice guy. They encouraged us to come back at 4:00 to see the show, and Chris actually did take him back for it while I got a break. He said it was a neat show, and August was completely focused on it the whole 45 minutes.

I was glad that Dan Dan the Magic Man delivered for us finally. What are the chances that the same little library act would disrupt us twice in the same day, at libraries that were over 100 miles apart?!

Tribune seems like a fine town. When we were riding through the downtown area, I enjoyed that there are speakers attached to the polls and it was blasting the likes of the Rolling Stones and Bob Seger for the people passing through to appreciate. What a great idea, I felt like I was in some great old old movie leisurely pedaling through the town square being greeted by random kids and listening to awesome music. This is exactly the kind of experience I was hoping for when I imagined taking this trip across the heart of the country in the middle of the summer.

Ness City, KS

It was a great start to our day. We all slept in at the hotel and woke up feeling refreshed. Chris decided to ride in the afternoon and we spent the morning doing some regular servicing on the RV (filling up on propane, emptying tanks, etc.), since from what we can tell we may be short of places to stay with utilities over the next few hundred miles.

No joke, we are at an "RV Park" tonight that is literally a guy's converted yard here in Ness City. I respect his entrepreneurial spirit, but this is an odd setup. Also, way too expensive for what it is. That is the advantage of offering a service in the sticks I guess! (Not pictured, the owner's house immediately to the right of this frame. Our water hookup is split with one going to his house and one to our RV).

After readying the RV for some possible boondocking in the next few days, we had lunch then said goodbye to Chris. He tried out a new fashion accessory today. He had seen some other cyclists tuck a handkerchief under their helmets to keep the sun off their necks, so he went for it. He looks like Lance Armstrong on safari.

Auggie and I had some grocery shopping to do, so we took care of that straight away. I have noticed on other trips that Kroger exists in many parts of the country under different names. For example, I know in Colorado they operate under the City Market and King Soopers labels. Here they are called Dillon's, and I was happy to come across one today as I'm familiar with their layout. We stocked up and headed out. A very kind employee came out to the RV and offered to take the cart back for me, and gave August a packet of fruit snacks. I am loving the people of Kansas for their friendly attitudes.

We continued towards our destination, passing Chris along the way. The scenery today was extra flat, and I saw a group of horses swimming in the middle of a pond up to their necks. I asked Chris to get a picture when he went through since I couldn't, but they had finished the party by the time he got there. It was otherwise uneventful and pleasant.









Ness City is a quaint little town and I am hoping to explore more of it tomorrow. For tonight we waited until it started to cool off and then August and I rode to the nearby city park on my bike. First we tried out the main playset, which was very tall, and decided to visit the slide, since he doesn't have the balance yet for most climbing things. It was a curly slide with a start that was at least 15 feet off the ground. August is not afraid to slide by himself and is cautious so I usually let him, but I had a feeling this one might be a bit much. I rode with him to see how bad it was, and was extremely glad I did. We went down so fast that I almost wiped out at the bottom! We decided to check out the other areas after that.

He really enjoyed the merry-go-round, which was the perfect size for him and a toddler haven. The park also had these neat pedestals hanging from poles, which were also tethered to the ground for stability. It was enough of a challenge for him that he was really proud of himself for making it up on his own, and I was glad to have made the outing so he could use some of that energy. It was getting close to bedtime so we headed back to camp and Chris arrived soon after.

We are only a couple of days from Colorado!

Hutchinson, KS

Today I had to pull rank on Chris. The plan was for him to ride 85-110 miles and for us to meet up with him in a tiny town tonight. When I looked up things to do on our route today though, I didn't think we should miss out on what I found. August and I would be driving through Hutchinson, the home of the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center. Chris had heard about it before we came, but didn't realize where it was exactly. Anyway, I really wanted to go so I politely asked (told) Chris we should change the plan.

Of course, he had already ridden 50 miles at this point, but I convinced him to turn off and come meet us at the Cosmosphere. We were both glad we worked it in. The museum has a fairly comprehensive overview of the history of space travel, starting with the rockets built by both sides during World War II as part of the mission of both sides to defeat the opposing forces.

One fact I didn't know before was that one of the primary reasons the U.S. was able to leap to the front of the space race was that when the spoils of WWII were being divided among Allied countries, America got Germany's rocket scientists. In true American genius fashion, we borrowed some high expertise from a group that had already done much of the groundwork.

My favorite parts were definitely all of the actual items from real space missions. In particular, I thought it was awesome that the Odyssey module from Apollo 13 is there. And it's not like it was just shipped to Kansas after it returned. There were over 80,000 individual parts on it, and as is typical after any mission, most of them were sent back to the manufacturers and other parties to be inspected, evaluated, and studied for future improvements. So, when the group decided to restore the module for display, dedicated scientists had to reach out to all of them to try to get the parts back. In addition, many of the parts from space shuttles are reused on future missions, which presented even more red tape in getting all of them back. They worked long and hard though, and it was awe-inspiring to stand in front of it. Next to it was Jim Lovell's spacesuit as well. Those were just a couple of the interesting displays at the Cosmosphere.

Then, because I hadn't had enough of museums for the day, I really wanted to go to the Strataca, an underground salt mining museum here. Kansas is the location of one of the world's largest deposits of rock salt, and the museum is located within a working salt mining company. I like underground museums, especially ones with little trains you can ride around. So, I was pumped to find this one. It was cool seeing all the stratified layers of salt, salt blocks and old equipment. It was too dark for me to get any good pictures of the mine walls.

Also interesting to me was learning that the atmosphere down there makes it conducive to storing important documents and artifacts. In fact, Hollywood studios sometimes send costumes and other items from movies to salt mines for preservation.

Racing suits from the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

As if being in Kansas wasn't already making me want to watch Twister, Dorothy II was on display in the mine as well.





Afterwards, we decided to splurge on a hotel to finish off Father's Day in relative luxury. A night out of the RV occasionally gives us all a lift, and is a nice change of pace. We walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner and went for a swim before bedtime for Auggie and catching up on laundry tonight for us.


I hope Chris enjoyed his Father's Day. In honor of him, a picture of August yesterday doing a hardcore tune-up on his tricycle. A few days ago you saw him dragging the tool box over to it. He has now graduated to sitting on a bucket or tool box with a screwdriver and getting down to business. It is absolutely adorable, and a testament to how much Chris includes him in whatever his man project of the day is. He wants to be just like him, and I'm grateful that he has such a stellar example to follow.

Spring Lake RV Resort in Halstead, KS

Today I learned that Kansas is like the that spot under the kid's magnifying glass at the playground. Unbelievably hot. We have been lucky in that all the rain we've been encountering lately has been keeping it cool. Note the temperature today:

Chris got a late start this morning due to August deciding he wanted to play with mom and dad from 4:30am to 6:00am this morning. He has learned how to climb out of his bed, and besides he was being so sweet we couldn't say no to some cuddle time. But, then we all went back to sleep when he finally did. So it was a late morning for us all. I had some blueberry muffins leftover that I had made yesterday, which was a nice break from our usual eggs or cereal breakfasts.

As I was putting away the RV hookups, a chatty lady in the next site started talking to me and I got a little distracted. It is really interesting to meet all of the people who work and live at these parks. Lots of retirees as you would expect, but all of their stories are different. This woman and her husband had mowed the Cross Timbers State Park for years, and this year she was doing some PR and other odd jobs instead. She grew up and stayed on a farm about 12 miles away for most of her life. She and her husband just really enjoy the park I suppose to live in an RV so close to home.

About halfway through our drive I realized that while the friendly neighbor was talking to me this morning, I had forgotten to shut a fairly important valve. My brain started scanning worst case scenarios, and breathed a sigh of relief that one of Chris' stop measures was in place so no matter what it couldn't be awful. That Chris is one smart guy. As soon as we stopped again I checked it and luckily no leakage. I hadn't run much water after packing up the hoses, which was a very good thing today!

A few more Kansas observations from the drive today. 80% of the roadkill I've seen is armadillos. I don't think I'd ever seen a live one before, and actually I still haven't. Someday! Also, the land in this area is used primarily for cattle and oil wells from what I can tell. Apparently that's because the topsoil is shallow and rocky so much of it isn't useful for crop farming.

We passed through several nice towns today. Eureka and El Dorado stick out in my mind. If I was choosing a place in Kansas to live based on what I've seen, El Dorado would be a candidate. I was so excited to be in a populated place that we had to stop for lunch out, of course. We've learned lately that the way to get August to try anything is to make it somehow dippable. We should probably use this knowledge/weapon for good, but occasionally evil wins out and he gets crab rangoon.

We also drove very close to Wichita, and past the exit for Wichita State. I would love to have seen the campus and do some exploring, but it was the middle of nap time and we don't mess with the sleeping guy during his nap!

After we arrived at the campground we spent some time on the playground basking in the triple digit heat, then went inside the lounge so August could practice all his big boy activities (climbing stairs, getting up into chairs, etc.) over, and over, and over again.

We ended up going to Montana Mike's for dinner and encountered yet another strange creature August wanted to inspect for authenticity. He wasn't scared, probably because he doesn't know what they are. Public Service Announcement: We learned tonight that toddlers are authorized to accept charges at those annoying little ziosks that are on all the restaurant tables now. It was $1.99 on our bill because he was attracted to the bright screen. Hope August enjoyed that trivia!







Finally, remember Jay from yesterday? Today on Chris' route there was a 50-mile stretch without any services. About halfway through it Chris came across Jay looking dazed. Chris asked him if he was alright, and he said he was but had run out of water a while back. He was obviously not dealing well with the heat and Chris had been hydrating extra last night and all day and knew he was stopping in 20 miles, so he gave him the rest of his water. He told him not to be afraid to knock on a random house and ask for water if that happens again. Most people don't mind at all, especially in Kansas where friendliness is in the hot, windy air. We hope Jay keeps this in mind! Chris has been meeting lots of great people here, I am excited to see his pictures from today.

Side rant about bicycling and road usage. One neat thing about Missouri was that the TransAmerica Trail route was clearly marked at frequent intervals with these nifty Route 76 signs.














Kansas for some reason doesn't have any, which is disappointing. But, they do get extra points for having these bicycling signs. Thanks for helping keep these folks safe, Kansas!