When Rueben and I started RVing in June 2020, we talked about where we wanted to go, and Colorado was my first choice. When I turned thirty 10(!) years ago, I took a solo road trip to Colorado and as cheesy as it sounds, it changed my life in so many positive ways. I fell in love with the mountains, the national parks, and the wildlife, and seeing so many amazing sights.
Last year we only made it as far as New Mexico due to the wildfires, so when we got started again this year, we made a beeline for Colorado. It’s amazing that as soon as you get into the state, it’s immediately beautiful!
We drove through Raton Pass, which was beautiful but nerve-wracking. Winding roads plus rain while towing an RV – I’m so glad Rueben is a great driver!
We both work during the week, so we try to only travel on the weekends. Since the drive took us two days, we decided to spend our first week in Trinidad at Gears RV Park which isn’t too far from New Mexico. While in Trinidad, we experienced all the weather – snow, rain, high winds, and hail. It was nuts! But, pretty funny at the same time. The RV park was right off the highway but we didn’t hear too much road noise. Plus, there were so many birds around us! I saw a Western Tanager for the first time and even though it was through the window, it was still pretty exciting for a bird lover like me.
Western Tanager
After a week of weather and green chile, of course, we headed north. We don’t always like to stay in large cities; we much prefer smaller towns. Less people, more mom ‘n’ pop restaurants instead of chain restaurants, and generally quieter and more peaceful. Keeping all that in mind plus pricing, we decided on Cripple Creek, CO. The drive there was amazing.
COME ON!
I mean, look at those mountains!!
We booked a 2 week stay at Cripple Creek Hospitality House & RV Park. The main house used to be a county hospital, and is so pretty! The surrounding areas are gorgeous, too, and the town is pretty cute. It used to be a big mining town, but now is home to a bunch of casinos, so there are a good number of tourists to keep the town busy.
The view outside our front door
A very short drive from downtown Cripple Creek is this view of the Rockies, which is so so awesome. It was really cool discovering this little window view of the snow-capped mountains.
Down the road from the amazing view of the mountains are donkeys! The first time we stopped, we just paused to say hi to the donkeys and this one heehawed at me, which was hilarious. The next time I took some carrots and he let me feed and pet him! It was a great closing to our stay.
Next up: My 40th birthday trip to Colorado Springs!
Absolutely love this! And …ask Rueben about the donkey that lived next door to Nina & Miller, that we would wake up to heehawing our ears off every weekend we stayed there. His name was “Goggles”☺️ Great post! Keep them coming!
haha! He said the donkey thought he was a rooster 🙂
Thank you!!