Not So Great Camping Adventure

Since we were on the road and staying in a tent, Internet access was not as readily available.  Or I was not in the mood to drag out a laptop and update our blog.  So here's a quick summary of our trip to Indiana.  Our second night was spent in Chama, New Mexico.  This is right on the border of Colorado and is at a higher elevation.  John was thrilled to have time to wander around the station and see the train.  I was delighted to find a small used book store and had a great conversation with the owner.  It's always fun to talk books and I'm still partial to used books.  The not so good thing is that we learned the temperature that night was expected to be 18'.  I don't mind sleeping at that temp in a tent but waking up in the morning is a whole other thing.  So we took advantage of the local motel.

Following the narrow gauge railroad and watching the train heading through the mountains the next morning was quite delightful.  We were quite glad we weren't pulling a trailer up those mountain roads.  The scenery was amazing and we were surprised at the number of new log houses that were alongside the river.  They looked like vacation getaways. 

Our next stop was at cousin Sue's house in Denver.  Chauncy and Abby were thrilled to see A.J. again and they all were on their best behavior.  Sue knew how to entertain.  She took us to a huge book store called The Tattered Cover. The Tattered Cover is one of the countries largest independent bookstore (not as big as Powells) with lots of nooks and crannies still offering the intimacy and comfort of smaller bookshops; an ample supply of sofas, overstuffed chairs, and antique tables for lounging and study.  They sell both new and used books. 

Then we went to EVOO Marketplace.  They sell, you guessed it, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  All different flavors in large containers that you can taste.  I bought some but since I left them at Sue's house, I can't remember the flavors I chose. 

The camping part of the trip was next.  Let me give you some advice.  Tent camping is not recommended for Western Kansas.  The wind never stops blowing.  Our plan was to spend a few days in Ellis while John spent some time visiting friends and his brother while I would relax at the campsite and read.  Sitting out in the hot sun in the wind left a lot to be desired.  Chauncy hated the wind blowing the tent flaps at night and twice managed to unzip the bottom and escape.  I woke up wondering who had let their dog roam around barking.  I finally had to put the leash on him to keep him in the tent.  The blow-up mattress was wonderful and we slept quite well when we were not dealing with an errant pooch!

From Ellis we drove to Lawrence, Kansas and had a lovely visit with old friends.  Once again our dogs behaved perfectly.  They didn't even try to jump on furniture or wrestle in the house.  John and Bill took them to a dog park.  The guys sat on a bench and the dogs sat at their feet.  Okay, a little too good.  But we did manage to wrangle an invitation to stop there on our return trip.  The rock formations occur in Eastern Kansas.  Quite a bit different than the Western part of the state.

We met my sister and her husband at La Peep's in St. Joe, Missouri for breakfast the next day and then drove on into Indianapolis.  We have decided that we like going camping at a destination but it isn't the best way to travel go when you are planning long travel days each day.  We returned John's tent but plan to purchase one soon.