Colorado, Part 5~Blue Spruce RV Park

I can't say enough good things about Blue Spruce RV Park. We camped in this small park last year for about a week on our way home from the Ouray area. This year was an entirely different experience! We enjoyed last year but this year was extra special!

For one thing, we met so many very nice people and made new friends this year! Many of them camp at Blue Spruce for months at a time during the summer, and have done so for many years. 

A big portion of these return campers are from Texas or a neighboring southern state. This park and the entire area is a perfect escape from the Texas heat! We noticed that there didn't seem to be many folks under the age of 50 (or so) here except for some locals that camped during Labor day weekend. 

The cute Blue Spruce office and store.

The office from the playground. 

Another thing that made this year special was the park's many activities in which we participated. The park offers a nice variety of events all summer long, most of which are hosted by the park but not all of them. 

Some of the park's activities are below:

Weekly Events 

Pot Luck Suppers

Pancake Breakfasts

Bingo
Texas Hold 'em 

Tai Chi

Other Events

Karaoke
Left Center Right

Live Music Events

In addition, an on-site craft fair is held every other week. Many interesting creative folks can be found selling their fun and functional wares under the pavilion, in the area outside the pavilion, and in the event center. 

Event center

Pavilion

Not only are some of the craft fair exhibits 

held under the pavilion but pickleball,

 karaoke, live music and more occur here.

Moving right along, we find 
access to even more activities:

The pool room

Ping Pong

Exercise room

In addition to the above, a stroll around the park in the evenings may just lead you past (or to) various RV sites where a happy hour or some other get together is underway like the one below. Except for Joe & Linda, we met all these folks on this trip and they're all from Texas! 

(l-r) ~ Joe, Bob, Jeannie, Patty & Debbie

(l-r) ~ Jan, Lawrence, Wayne & Judy

Sweet Judy gave me a cute pair of shoes that 

I've been enjoying and getting compliments on!

Jeanne, Debbie, Jan & Linda

Jan is signing her book No Motive in Murdoch. It's fiction and based on a murder that took place in their hometown of Clifton, Texas in 1985. Jan and her daughter wrote it under the pen name J.L. Bass. 

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That's it for Colorado 2018 my friends!

If you missed any of the previous posts in this series, you can find them by clicking below:

Part 1

A Cool Airstream Tour & Chuckwagon Dinner

Part 2

Durango, Fish Fry, and This & That

Part 3

Jeeping & Pagosa Springs

Part 4

Pura Vida Cafe, Left Center Right & Fur Babies

For more info about Blue Spruce RV Park, 

you can view last year's post here. 

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The 2017 Colorado posts are in the archives on the sidebar of this blog and can be found in the months of August, September and October.

See you soon!

Smiles,

D~~~~

Colorado, Part 4~Cafe, LCR and Doggies

A couple of days before heading home, Joe, Linda, Geo and I ventured out to a local eatery named Pura Vida Cafe which is located in front of the Vallecito Lake Marina (or what's left of it for now). 

The receding lake view from our table.

As I mentioned (and showed) in Part 2, the lake has gone way down. According to an article in the Durango Herald online titled, "Receding Shoreline Leaves Dock High and Dry at Vallecito Reservoir," the lake is only 50% full due to a lack of snow runoff from the San Juan Mountains. Let's hope and pray that they get snow this year!  

At Pura Vida, we loved the company.

The beach-like atmosphere was cool!

Yikes!

No, I'm not scared.

I succeeded at not blinking though! 

Plus, the food was excellent!

Check out these inviting 

Bavarian Cream Filled Churros topped

with chocolate, caramel and toasted almonds.

We all split it, and oh my, it was heavenly!

Cheers y'all!

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Our last night at the RV park, we participated in a game of Left Center Right at the Event Center. A lot of events are hosted by the park but Left Center Right is not one of them. A couple staying in the park was kind enough to host it.

All the players were lined up at one long table. 

I was in the middle of the table 

and took this photo down one end.

And this photo down the other end.

People were hooting' and hollarin',

and rooting for each other.

It was a blast!

Patty and I smiling for a pic.

Patty & Dave's unique Airstream 

is featured in my 1st Colorado post.

They're fun folks from San Antonio! 

Geo was in and out of the 

game until near the end of it.

Joe & Dave took the opportunity 

to properly harass Geo when he lost!

Somebody yanked his 
hoody up in the process.

It was funny!

In fact, the entire night was a hoot!

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WARNING!

WARNING!

Cuteness below in the form 

of our camping fur babies:

Chewy & Elmer in the backseat of the 

pick-up enjoying the drive to Colorado.

Elmer rests his chin EVERYWHERE!

I've been collecting photos of Elmer 

and his chin restings for awhile now.

Chewy is quite the reader and, 

very protective of his doggy literature.

When Chewy isn't reading, he's watching us.

We know how to bore him into sleep.

Elmer and Chewy with our  

newest family member, 

Elly Mae the RVing Emu, 

perched just above them.

Elly Mae was adopted 
into the family in Durango.
Thank goodness we got her 
before they put her down!

To jump or not to jump?

That is the question.

Yeah, we know we're cute!

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I'll finish this post off with a link to my other blog where I posted about really cool roadside attractions spread around Bayfield--chainsaw carvings in the form of totem poles. The photos as well as the interesting story behind them are included there. 

You can access that post here.

Up next, the final Colorado post:

Blue Spruce RV Park.

Smiles,

D~~~~

Colorado, Part 3~Jeeping & Pagosa Springs

Joe pulled his jeep up to Colorado behind his fifth wheel so that so he, Geo and others could pursue some jeeping adventures while there. 

I'll bet that looked like one long choo-choo train traveling the highways and country roads to get there! It makes me think of the 1954 movie, The Long, Long Trailer with Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz. 

Do you remember that movie?

Joe & George enjoyed jeeping three or four times during the two weeks that we were there. One of those times, Dave (from my 1st Colorado post) went with them.

Joe's jeep.

Nice view under those dark clouds!

Joe

Dave, George and one outstanding view beside them.

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Meanwhile back at the RV park, 

Linda and I painted rocks.

I wrote about it on my other blog, 

Yak Yak Art. 

You can read that specific post 

here 

(if you want to go directly to it 

and not sift through other posts.)

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The pretty town of Pagosa Springs is about an hour from the RV park so it called for a visit. 

Yes, it called.

I heard it.

All four of us heard it!

And what do you do 
when Pagosa Springs calls?

You go!

Pagosa Springs' name was inspired by the sulphur springs which includes the world's deepest geothermal spring.

We ate lunch at

 Tequila's Mexican Restaurant 

where their balcony overlooks the springs. 

 Note~~I've seen negative reviews online about Tequila's but our experience was quite positive. Everyone enjoyed their food. I can say that my shrimp enchiladas were awesome!

Our view of the springs from Tequila's balcony.

View #1

View #2

Street level view from beneath the balcony.

The tall building on the end below is 

The Springs Resort & Spa. 

It sits at the end of the row of springs.  

A close-up of

The Springs Resort & Spa.

It looks like a super nice place!

I'll end this post with a photo taken in the 

opposite direction showing the mountains 

in the distance under a perfect blue sky.

That's it for now.

More of Colorado very soon!

Smiles,

D~~~~

Colorado, Part 2~This & That

One warm, sunny day, Joe, Linda, George and I drove the beautiful 30 miles into downtown Durango. Even though it's only a 30-mile ride, it takes about 45-50 minutes to meander your way through the delightfully curvy country roads to get there. 

After a nice lunch at 

Ken & Sue's Restaurant, 

we strolled around the downtown 

streets and explored the stores.

This pretty spot along the way looked 
like a good place to snap a few pics.

So we did.

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One Saturday, we were invited to a fish fry at Jan & Lawrence's RV which was just across the way from our RV. Lawrence, Jan and lots of the folks at the RV park go fishing on a regular basis and they all seem to easily catch fish!

Oh yum, that fried up rainbow trout 

was some mighty tasty fish, and so 

were the side dishes and desserts 

contributed by the attendees! 

It was all soooo good!

Thank you for inviting us!

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Both Sundays that we were in Colorado, 
Joe, Linda, Geo and I attended 
Vallecito Church 
along with Jan & Lawrence. 
We saw quite a few other couples 
from the RV park there as well. 

The church service was full of 
Texans just like the RV park.

It's a cool little, country church--
rustic on the outside, 
friendly on the inside.

We even sang some  
good, old-fashioned
HYMNS!

What a joy!

I discovered an interesting fact about the church while reading their website; the unique cross came out of Vallecito Lake. You can see the cross on the wall behind the podium in the above pic. It's also the "t" in the word "Vallecito" on the church bulletin below. 

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Joe, Linda, Geo and I drove around Vallecito Lake one afternoon. Since there wasn't any snow in the mountains last year to run off and fill the lake, it's way down. 

I mean waaaaay down. 

Down to nothing in most places.

The dam last year.

The dam this year.

Normally, the lake is pristine! 

On sunny days, the sky's glistening 

 reflection is a real attention getter as you

 can see from last year's picture below.

This year, however, most of the lake is down

to the bottom as you can see in the pic below!
The water should be up to the right, 
bottom corner of the pic at it's closest point. 

You can see the water way
off in the distance though.
It's an attention getter too
but not in a good way!

Let's hope and pray for 
snow in the mountains this year!

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Joe, Linda, Jan, Lawrence, George & I

played the game Sequence in 

Joe & Linda's screened-in tent one night.

Joe demonstrating his waiter skills!

Geo and I had never played Sequence before.
It's a fun game!

We played guys v. girls. 

The girls WON!

Perhaps there will be a rematch next year?
Or not.
But maybe.
Possibly.

I'm slow at getting the Colorado pics posted  
but I HOPE to pick up the pace now.

There's been a lot going on.

We just got back from stunning 
Lake Tahoe too but that's another post.
Or two.
Or three.

In the meantime, have a 
Smiling Good Day!
D~~~~