From Silt, Colorado we left to go east to the Denver area. A friend had told us that this drive was fine until you take the steep descent down into the Golden area. Being towing newbies we were a little apprehensive but it turned out to be fine. The highest point was about where the Eisenhower Tunnel was (about 1.7 miles long) at about 11,000 ft and we descended down to about 5,300 ft at Englewood at a 6% grade over a distance of 61 miles.
The bigger issue was having difficulty finding camping areas between Silt and Golden. There was a place in Idaho Springs but they were full. We’re not yet ready to dry camp otherwise we would have found a place. Next time I might try to stay at the River Dance RV Park in Gypsum, CO. I really would have loved to stay in the Breckenridge area but the RV Park there is REALLY expensive. This is a really beautiful area we drove through without stopping unfortunately.
Once in the Denver area we stayed at South Park RV and Trailer Park in Englewood. It was a nice park but it was very tight trying to back into our site. We were only there two nights so I didn’t get to try out the clubhouse (WIFI was great in the trailer) or the pool. I imagined pool time would be better here with older folks and less children. Nothing against the kids I was just looking for some peace after the workday since at that time I was still working remotely.
We went to Cherry Cricket for a burger and had a Cherry Bomb Cheeseburger – so good.
Next we moved to Falcon Meadow in Peyton CO and stayed in a pull-thru spot. A bunny was a frequent visitor to our site. This was a good location for visiting Colorado Springs and Garden of the Gods. We went to lunch at Rock Bottom Brewery and had a great salad.
The next day we went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. It’s an old zoo with older enclosures so it was a little depressing. The highlight was a bear that had a pool to swim in. There was a room indoors for us to see him with a glass wall. We did the sky ride and wanted to see the Will Rogers Shrine but didn’t understand how to get there. Now we know you actually have to drive through the zoo! I saw someone do that but it was a white truck and I thought it was a zoo vehicle.
Next day we went to the Garden of the Gods. Got there just before 10 am on a Tuesday and we were surprised how crowded it was. No admission fee. When we go to a park we usually stop at the visitor center and see the movie. Here you have to pay to see the movie so we skipped it this time. We had difficulty finding parking and had to go around (it’s a big loop) a few times. Found a spot at The Twins and hiked that trail. This is a nice one because its not too difficult and there’s a hole in the formations where you can look through and see Pikes Peak. We found a cool boulder in the shade and ate lunch there.
Later we saw balanced rock. Difficult to get a photo here without a bunch of people in it. Later we went to the Trading Post. It’s a huge store with lots of fun stuff to look at and you can get food and drinks. It was a great stop for a milkshake on a pretty hot day.
Next we move the Pueblo KOA and ride out a wild storm.
Summary: Home base: 2 nights at South Park RV and Trailer Park in Englewood, CO
Activities: restocked supplies and tried a couple of restaurants
Home base: 3 nights at Falcon Meadow RV Park in Peyton, CO
Activities: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Garden of the Gods
Corresponding YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6PN7CG8rsw&t=310s