Our Time in Rocky Mountain National Park

We stayed at the Riverside RV Campground in Loveland, CO for our time in the near Rocky Mountain National Park.  It was about a 20 minute drive from there up to Estes Park and then a little ways beyond that to see the RMNP River Entrance Station.

We started there and then made our way over to the Alpine Visitor Center.  What a great drive!

The right corner of the map shows the Fall River Entrance Station which is where we started.  From there we picked up a map that showed the major roads and scenic observation points throughout the park.

We took our time and drove over the Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitors Center.

Inside there were some artifacts and small displays of animals that frequent the area

There were some nice views of the valley below

 There was a restaurant at the Alpine Visitor Center but since we had a picnic lunch we just looked around some more and headed back down the mountain.

Here's another map showing some of the stops we made along the way

The overlooks and scenic stops were beautiful.

And we saw some wildlife down the mountainside

With my telephoto lense, I was able to get some close shots of these magnificent beasts.  They didn't seem too interested in us which was fine with me...

We found a spot to have a picnic and enjoyed our lunch along the way.

We also drove up another day for a drive over to the Bear Lake.  It was still before 10:30 but they put up signs advising to take the Shuttle because the parking lot was full.  We took our chances but sure enough it was full!  We were hoping either there might be a spot or someone would be pulling out.

So we have something to see next time.  We didn't take advantage of any of the hikes this time but there are plenty of those in the park.

We enjoyed our time at Rocky Mountain National Park and will have to come back another time.
Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Desert Museum - Tucson Feb 2014

We picked up friends Kirk and Susan at the Tucson International Airport on Friday.  They flew in from Oklahoma City to join us for the weekend.  Pam and I hadn't been to this airport for years and were quite impressed.

Parking was right across the street from the terminal and couldn't have been easier.

Inside, we had a few minutes to wait and I was very impressed.

They had a waiting area for people complete with an overhead monitor so you could see your party getting close to the meeting area.  And nearby was a coffee shop in case you had a bit of a wait.  Then near the baggage area and front door was a ticket payment machine so you could take care of it without having to line up and pay outside the parking lot.

Way to go Tucson!  Well done.

We saw our friends on the monitor as they deplaned and walked down the hallway to Baggage Claim.

We got their bags, snapped a photo and were off!

We stopped near the Desert Museum for some sandwiches at a picnic area.

A couple of miles later, we found a parking place and started through the Desert Museum.

The Desert Museum started out in the 1950's and they have kept expanding and improving it.  It is over 21 acres with 2 miles of walking paths, 16 gardens, 1200 native plant species and 56,000 individual plants.

We were there 3 years ago and it was just as spectacular this time.

We took off in a counter-clock wise direction of the grounds past the 'Ancient Arizona' display. By the Earth Sciences Center we went through the underground cave with an aquarium.

Then we headed for the mountain lion and the black bear area.

Not too close...

And we also saw some deer and took advantage of the great views from an overlook down over the desert.

And a big horn sheep enjoying the day

The museum has over 500 volunteers and we saw quite a few.  They do a great job make it more enjoyable for the rest of us.

Then we made it over to the 2:00 PM program called 'Raptors in Flight'.  This was worth the price of admission.  First the barnyard owl

The the peregrines

And the Harris hawk.  They were another highlight of the day!

There was a bit of a breeze and it just magnified their soaring above our heads.

Next we made our way over to the Riparian Corridor and saw some more birds in the aviary.

We capped off our time at the museum with a cup of coffee on the back porch of one of the cafes.

It was a perfect afternoon at the Desert Museum!

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Until next time...

Dolphins, Gators and other Friends

We have spent most of the winter in Florida and really like it here.  We had a great time in Key West and we have been spending the last few weeks at Patrick AFB near Melbourne, FL.  Except for some day trips around the area and a 'short' trip to the Tiffin factory, we have been content to hang around our campsite.

I spent all last week working online and was able to put in over 40 hours which was nice.  And I have cleaned and given the Roadrunner its annual wax job.  But all days are not like that.

Some days we go over to the fitness center for a workout or swim.  Other days we bike along some of the paths on base of which there are many.

But one of the neat things has we have done is hang out and watch the birds and fish and dolphins (and turtle) on the water near our campsite.  Amazingly, the dolphins keep coming back for a little show. Or a pack? of 5 or 6 of them circle the waters and corral some of the small fish for dinner.

(In order to see some dolphins in these pictures, you really have to WANT to see them).  Unfortunately, most of my pictures are of the tip of their fins…  Where is that expensive high speed camera when you need it?

Along with the dolphins, the birds (egret, pelicans and ?) are usually not far behind.  I can't tell you how many times I have sat outside the back of the campsite on the water and watched the birds circle and circle then dive bomb into the water after fish.  What sight!

This is probably the best shot I got of our dolphins

And another shot of an osprey

Then too, we have seen a couple of alligators. (This was during one of our day trips and thankfully not anywhere near our campsite).

These bad boys were healthy!  So we didn't stay long or get too close.  They are interesting creatures.

The other day we saw a turtle sunning himself on our little kayak excursion.  Bonar and I were in one boat and Tom and Cathy were in another.  This was my first kayak experience.  It takes a little coordination in a two-man boat.  If you had been anywhere near me, you could tell it was my first time in a kayak.

We kayaked from the Rec Center to our campsite to see Pam and Christa.  We took it easy for a while before heading back.

We are really loving our time here.  We don't leave Florida for another 10 days or so.  But our friends left yesterday.  It was sure great to spend time with them!

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Hope you have a great weekend!  Until next time...