Saturday, June 24
We had a beautiful drive from Salida toward RMNP. 225 N to 9 through Frisco/Dillon, then through Hot Sulphur Springs and Granby. We got the last spot at a park just outside the park in Grand Lake. We tried the campground in the park, totally full and so glad of it, no trees, camping right on top of each other. The spot in town had trees around it and power, love to give the batteries a break. Clean showers too. Steph put a whuppin’ on Svea at air hockey in the game room that night after a family hike to a local falls (going easy on Svea’s ankle).
Sunday, June 25
We woke up and hit the Chuckwagon Breakfast with ‘all you can eat’ wagon wheel pancakes. Of course the cakes are way too big to have more than one. 2 sausages, 50 cents for each extra. Cheesy cowboy ballads, pretty authentic cowboys…horses all over. Sven got robbed of his choc/PB chip pancake and had to wait for them to make another, the gall. We then made the drive through the park (Loving the Parks Pass). Gorgeous drive, I mean it ain’t Jasper, CAN, but it’s got some great vistas, scary roads and elevation. Hiking up at 12,000 ft was rough. Place was packed, definitely no chances for parking at the trailheads. Made our way to FoCo and got more bad news, part came in for the hub…still not fixed! Took bike with us, what else could we do? Sven and Svea hit some town trails on the bikes, Steph got a pedicure. We hit up Big City Burrito for our THIRD time (didn’t eat anywhere else in FoCo, and soo many good places) and drove to Arvada to hook up with Joe Ranallo. Joe and Sven have known each for years and, of course, he and Stephanie get along famously from our time in CO (he was also in our wedding). He has a great house, job, car and life going for him out here.
