The Last Few Days

Howdy! Since we left WaKeeny, Kansas, internet service has been like the stimulus plan.... everybody is supposed to have it, but nobody can seem to take advantage of it. We hadn't been on the road long when Wendy and I encountered something flying right towards the windshield. It kinda reminded me of the cow in that Twister movie. What we thought was a part of a big rig tire... ended up being my Coleman chair. That is how close the chair same to us flying in the air. Apparently, it didn't want to leave WaKeeny either. We got stopped on the side of the interstate and drove in reverse several hundred yards back to the chair so that Miss Wendy could play frogger to retrieve it. Does that give you an indication of the lack of people in western Kansas. Little did we know that that would be our first sign of issues ahead...So, we left Kansas and that constant breeze for the steady climb up towards Colorado Springs, Colorado. Our choice of KOA was either going to be #1 KOA- Colorado Springs or #2 KOA Cripple Creek... well, we debated and read the descriptions and something about the "alpine meadow and bustling gold mine town" suckered me right in to Cripple Creek. Now, it did say that it was the highest KOA in altitude in the US. (my internal sirens did not start going off) Well, we arrived in beautiful Colorado Springs and followed our real GPS (not Crazysister) heading towards Cripple Creek. We traveled up a windy roady about 40 miles. This was like going up Grandfather Mountain only with a better road but twice as high altitude wise. All we could do was laugh... the temperature started dropping 80 ... down to 70... approaching 60, and by the time we arrived at Cripple Creek is was an overcast misty 59 degrees. They ain't got no pool up on Cripple Creek, but we did find it in an 'alpine meadow'. The lady said that it was in the 40s that morning and the deck was slick. They proceeded to give us all of the information about the bears and how to avoid being eaten by one. After you cook, change your clothes... do not turn your back... remain calm because the bear may be trying to intimidate you (haha) The lady mentioned that the fog didn't lift until mid morning. After getting all of this information, we decided that it would be in our best interest to head back down off of 'Cripple Creek' We drove back to Colorado Springs and set up camp there. If you have ever wondered where all of these KOAs are located, just find the closest working railroad tracks, and I promise you that you will find a KOA right there.

Yesterday morning, we dined at IHOP and headed over to the Air Force Academy. Wow... what a view! The Air Force really is the 'country club' of the armed forces. We toured the Chapel (stunning) and the visitor's center. Then... we were supposed to be headed for Golden, Colorado and the Coors Beer Company (guess whose idea that was). Well, we got a little into Denver and had some tire issues. I am not going to go into details now... but it was disturbing and not good, and that's all I have to say about that.

We didn't make it to Golden with the tire setback. We needed to be in Cheyenne, Wyoming for the Kellie Pickler/ Taylor Swift concert last night. We drove to the Cheyenne KOA just to check to see if they had an opening (in person) ... they didn't . A nice man advised us to go back to Fort Collins, Colorado to try to find a spot there. We called, and they did have a spot in 'overflow'. Let me translate the word 'overflow'... the cow field. We didn't mind though... we were desperate. We pulled in and then Grayson, Katie, Wendy and I set out for Frontier Days in Cheyenne (about a 45 minute drive away). We made our way to the party zone just in time for the concert to start. Kellie Pickler did North Carolina proud. She mentioned her home town of Albemarle. She talked about how much she like Dolly Parton and even sang 9 to 5. She was a charmer and sounded just as good in person as she does on the radio. Next up was Milli Vanilli ... oh I am sorry, I meant uhhh, Taylor Swift. The 15,000 five - fifteen year olds let out blood curdling screams. Miss Wendy and I noticed that sometimes the music sounded different and surprisingly ... her mouth didn't exactly move in sync with the words.... hmmmm... now this didn't happen with every song (it didn't happen at all with Kellie Pickler) but it did happen with 50 - 75 % of her songs. At one point Katie (who is not a Taylor Swift fan anyway) said, " I want to go back to the KOA - right NOWWWWW !!!!!" We did leave before her cd had finished playing.
I absolutely love this area. I love the land in Wyoming; it is the prettiest place that I have been so far... but ... it is hot as the fiery pit .... and there are 20 million flys as opposed to the 60,000 that live in the state capitol of Cheyenne. Did I say there were flys?
4 of the Big Heads bunch got up to go to the free pancake breakfast in downtown Cheyenne. They serve 30,000 people in 2 hours, and it runs like clock work. Uncle Bud, Jeanie, Miss Wendy and myself dined on pancakes at the Cheyenne Depot Plaza.
Right now we are all getting ready to head into town again for the Rodeo. It starts at 12:45. I am not sure who in the world would have a rodeo at this time of day ... in this heat... but... oh well. Tonight is the Kenny Chesney concert. I love his music. Y'all can just imagine us at the rodeo stadium here at Frontier Days waving the UT vols flag that I brought along. (Compliments of Steve and Elaine Kirby). Thanks to everyone for their well wishes. If we have service later tonight, I will post again, and Miss Wendy will update the pictures.