Frank and Tom agreed to host the 2013 Ameri-Camp Rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado. So after months of planning the week long Rally began in the middle of August. We started with an Open House here at home, and we think almost all came to visit. We tried to plan two to three events per day, multiple pot luck dinners, a night out at a great German Restaurant, and even a Barbershop Chorus came along to entertain. The Rally lasted a week and we visited such places, as the US Air Force Academy; the Garden of the Gods Museum and Park; the Western Museum of Mining and Industry; the Cave of the Winds; Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings; Pikes Peak Cog Railway; the Pro-Rodeo Hall of Fame; Seven Falls; Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad; and finally Mollie Kathleen's Gold Mine. We all had a great time.
In September we planned a visit from our friend Ron, from Arlington, Virginia. Frank and Ron drove the road up to the top of Pikes Peak, but were delayed for a skate boarding race on the Pikes Peak highway.
Then Ron joined Frank and Tom for fourteen days in our RV. We headed out to the Grand Tetons, which was absolutely magnificent. As we neared the Tetons we spotted three grisly bears looking for grubs beside the road. We also attended the Bar J Wranglers Chuckwagon Dinner and Supper Show. Good food, and fun to watch. Shown here are also some photos of very friendly, inquisitive horses.
Then we three headed up to Yellowstone. Since all three use the Internet extensively, it was somewhat of a shock for us not to have connectivity in Yellowstone. Also shown here is a beautiful photo of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We actually camped the last full day of the season in Yellowstone, before they closed the RV Campground. It snowed in Yellowstone while we were there.
Leaving Yellowstone behind, we exited the north eastern section of the park through Beartooth Pass. This route has spectacular scenery. But some of the curves are hairpin turns, so the driver had better keep his eyes on the road ahead, and not the scenery.
After Beartooth Pass, we headed to Billings, Montana, where Ron caught his flight home, back to Arlington, Virginia. Frank and Tom continued the RV trip visiting Devil's Tower, Mt Rushmore, and Wind Cave National Park. We visited Wind Cave the day before the US Government closed down all National Parks and Monuments over a budget fight with Congress. At Mt Rushmore, a Park Ranger called all service vets to come down on stage, so Tom dutifully went down. Mt Rushmore actually had torn down their antiquated Visitor's Center, and built a magnificent Memorial to the Memorial. It is gorgeous.
Then Frank and Tom finished the trip home to winterize the trailer. We saw some beautiful sunsets and an amazing lightning show .. just for us. Wow .. it was amazing.
