The Destination That Never Happened

We left Mesa Verde with the car set in the direction of the Great Sand Dunes National Park. As we drove along the rain started to fall more and more. As we approached the GSDNP the mountains were draped in rain clouds so thick that the mountains were invisible. I had been checking the weather from my cell phone for a few days and what was to be great sunny days in the eighties was now offering days with thunderstorms and temperatures in the low seventies/high sixties [for the day time hours]. We quickly decided on a change of plans. We figured with two days rain five grown people in a pop-up camper would offer little long term harmony. We then came to the conclusion we had no choice but to forfeit our prepaid $28 in camp fees.

Where to go to now? We threw around some ideas. The idea of heading to Colorado Springs and taking in the Rocky Mountain National Park again was one idea. It was our favorite hiking when we last visited Colorado in 2007. Good thing we didn't as we heard on the radio the next morning the park had roads closed due to snow. Snow in July? That snow, cold front, from the Rockies was putting a rainy chill all around. In the end we ended up at a Marriott in Pueblo we Pricelined.

You would have enjoyed the sight of us in the parking lot. Since this hotel was in the downtown historic area of Pueblo we didn't have a large parking to maneuver the camper around in. Nor did we have a dark area behind the building to open the camper and retrieve pajamas and clean clothes. There we were in the front of the building with the camper opened 2 feet and the bed ends pulled just enough to access clothing. Princess A and a flashlight stuffed through the crack reacting to commands--clean underwear, black shorts, pajamas....

Then we entered what felt like a palace--the hotel room. We were missing a national park we so wanted to see, but we had to see a plus in this. We were missing BBQ and marshmallows roasted over a camp fire...but all this space and cable TV was like champagne and caviar. No one was fighting the rain to set up camp. Instead fighting about who was sleeping on the floor.
Until...

We headed to bed when Princess A had to remind us that our toothbrushes were sealed tight inside the camper. King Ralph asked if his black bag was in the room and we said yes. He smiled and said "I got my toothbrush." Well, girls we have floss and gum. If Jessica Simpson can get away with only brushing her teeth twice a week we could manage a toothpaste mouthwash, floss and peppermint gum for a day.

With one change we decided to make another change. And, we wer off to...