miura-adventure.comLife should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "WOW, WHAT A RIDE!!!!"

A return visit to the Rocky Mountains was at the top of our list.  Ken was able to book us for two nights in Rocky Mountain National Park which was great.  We arrived on a Wednesday and found out that a mere two days earlier, they had had “white out” conditions.  Not quite spring yet in the Rockies!  We found our camp spot and set up the Motosat  to ensure we had a clear connection to our Direct TV set up.  We weren’t very optimistic as our spot was in the WOODS with no real clear view of the southern sky, a requirement to get a solid satellite connection.  Why was it so important to access our Direct TV?  I have to admit that the girls and I are big fans of American Idol.  We just HAD to see the Finale!!  Well, we could not get a clear shot of the southern sky so I went to the headquarters to see if any other spots were available that might yield a clearer view of the sky.  We were in luck , moved our rig and settled in to  watch all TWO hours of the finale.  We were so happy when our favorite, Lee Dewyze won!

 

Enough of that!  Now back to nature and being in the Rockies!  We took a drive up 12,000 feet to the tip top of the highest paved road in the U.S.  The temp dropped to a mere 46 degrees and the parking lot of the Visitor Center was still being shoveled out from all the recent snow.  National Parks are our favorite places to camp and this one is by far one of the most beautiful.    Given it was Memorial weekend, we were unable to get reservations past Thursday night so onto Estes park and Mary’s Lake Campground.

 

We stayed at Mary’s Lake campground two years ago, when we were mere novices at the whole full time RVing thing.  It’s now a county campground so it was a little better than last time but the spaces were still very cramped.  On the upside, it’s just across the street from Mary’s Lake and a short drive into the town of Estes Park.   We took a family bike ride around Estes Lake and enjoyed ice cream after visiting the famed Stanley Hotel, where the movie “The Shining” was filmed.  This whole area is so beautiful and we look forward to returning again one day, maybe with some of our RV friends!