We had researched r.v. parks in Colorado ahead of our trip and knew prices would be high, but we didn't realize just how high they would really be! Monthly rates, if you can find one, run $600-$1,200! We were told that to get into a park on a monthly rate a person would need to make a reservation 6 months to a year in advance! We also knew that many do not offer monthly rates during the prime tourist season of June, July and August, but only offer daily rates ranging around $45-$48. Many parks were full during our June 28th-July 2nd run across the state! We were told that the week or two surrounding the 4th of July is a prime tourist time. Although we knew all these things ahead of our visit, I guess we wanted to believe that there would be a small Mom and Pop park along the way that would be accommodating! There isn't! Despite having a reliable Verizon Internet plan, we also found in Colorado that connecting with a tower was a real issue.
We arrived in Cortez on June 28th and booked in for the night. It seemed like a nice little town, but on the fringes of the desert that we were so desperately wanting to get away from after living in Arizona for so long. We were looking for the mountains and pine forests of Colorado. As we traveled across Colorado, we encountered the obstacles of high prices, lack of openings and poor Internet no matter how many r.v. parks we checked! Colorado was surprisingly diverse for elevations and terrain. We didn't take pictures, as the panoramic views would have been impossible to do justice to with an ordinary camera! We thought we had the terrain figured out in that at 5,000 feet in elevation there would be desert, at 6,000 feet there would be greener high desert or farming, and at 7,000 feet we would be in the mountains and pine woods. We later found that this didn't hold true!
Just beyond Pagosa Springs we found a nice campground called Bruce Spruce Ranch with full amenities for $36 a night. No Internet service, but we booked in for a couple nights mental rest. We headed north to Salida and once again ran into high prices and lack of openings. We ended up paying for a site that was $45 for only an electric hook-up. The park owner graciously made a spot for us despite being full! Yikes! We could see the writing on the wall, as to our plans to go further north to the assumedly more expensive areas of Aspen, Vail and Estes Park! With burning up the gas driving everyday, rather than our economical monthly stays in areas, and paying the high daily rates, we decided it was time for us to make our escape from Colorado! Our plan was to go towards Pueblo and down to New Mexico where we had spent some enjoyable stays in Roswell. We had expected the eastern side of Colorado to be back into desert and not of interest to us. Wow! Were we ever pleasantly surprised!
This is an Internet picture of Spanish Peaks country, south of Pueblo! It is exactly what we had hoped for in Colorado. There are high peaks, wide open plains, lakes and nearby pine forests! Calling ahead to r.v. parks along the way, we ended up in the quaint community called Walsenburg. We absolutely love it!
We feel so fortunate to be in Dakota R.V. Park on the edge of Walsenburg. It is convenient to all the area has to offer. The rates are reasonable for Colorado at $500 a month with electricity included! Our Verizon Internet is coming in at 4G's allowing us to stream movies!!! Ahhhhhh, we're finally home!
