Monument, Colorado (August 6 - 12)
A beautiful drive in the mountains near Aspen, Vail, and Breckenridge ski resorts. Crazy drive over the Continental Divide!!! Our RV-specific GPS app (guards against low bridges) routed us a ridiculous way that had us at over 14,000 feet above sea level with sheer cliffs on both sides of the road. Definitely a white knuckle experience. Once we got down to Denver area Jim could breathe again.
Enjoyed 5 days exploring Colorado Springs and Castle Rock areas. My nephew Brendan and his awesome fiance Charlotte showed us the sights. We explored Garden of the Gods, and Seven Falls (waterfalls) both were incredibly beautiful and the day hikes in them were awesome. Seven Falls with the stairs is not for those with height fears.
Jim ran every day at 7,000+ feet above sea level and struggled mightily. Brendan showed him some awesome scenic canyon runs and was kind enough to run at the old man pace. Charlotte luckily joined when not busy with the start of the school year activities. Dana and Jim went to a "Beginner" country line dancing joint. It was initially fun, but then when the beginner class jumped to learning 24 steps for a single dance, Jim tapped out while Dana valiantly tried to keep up. Went to dinner with Jim's cousin Mark, his wife Kimberly and their amazing daughter - fun to catch up. Dana is not missing teaching but decided to sit in a school desk for old time sake.
Oakley, Kansas (August 12-13)
Saw some cornfields... then left
Abilene, Kansas (August 13-14)
Saw more cornfields - Dana tried on the worlds largest belt buckle, highly recommend not going out of your way to see it. Went to local grocery store. Apparently they buy large volumes of food. The can of beans below was as big as Dana's head and the piece of pork weighed in at 19 pounds! Neither of those made it into our shopping cart.
Kansas City, Missouri (August 14 - 18)
Stayed at an RV campground that was part of an amusement park. Pulled up mid-week when it was closed and felt like we arrived at Wally World. Toured the Union Station built in 1914 - cool history behind it. Dana enjoyed lunch at a famous KC BBQ joint (salad wasn't bad either). Found awesome trails for hikes/runs at some rivers and lakes in the suburbs.
St. Louis, Missouri (August 18 - 23)
We planned some awesome activities for our time in St. Louis including: going to a Blues club, Cardinals baseball game, see the Arch National Park, and go to the City Museum. Unfortunately, Dana caught a mean case of Covid and was laid up in bed for 3+ days. Jim just found some parks, rivers (Meremac) and a Lake (Creve Couer) to run and to take the dog for a walk in the mornings. We picked up Dana's new electric bike and a new bike rack for the back of the RV we ordered in Colorado and it is awesome.
We will mark down St. Louis as a city to return to for exploring on a future trip.
Amboy, Illinois (August 23 - 29)
Stayed in very rural Illinois in the farm belt as it is close to Dana's sister Kelly's weekend home. Very relaxing campground with tons of amenities like big water slides, multiple swimming pools, mini golf and other activities. This is probably the largest campground we've ever stayed at. Had fun with Kelly, Tim and their son Jack. Our dog Gracie loved being their house for hikes, chasing balls and hanging out. Went downtown Amboy over the weekend for their annual carnival/car show. The choices of which cornfields to run near each morning was a daily conundrum.
Next up is Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. More to come.
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They don't call them the "fly over states" for nothing. Enjoy.
We are actually enjoying seeing everything -- Except Nevada:)
Awesome update. Sorry to hear Dana got COVID. My brother lives in St. Louis. I'm shocked Jim tapped out on dancing. He is such a stud at dancing. Next time you go definitely check out the Arch, The National Blues Museum. The Delmar Walk of Fame has stars on the sidewalks honoring many blues artists. There are lots of shops and restaurants/bars to quinch your thirst. Maybe even a hockey game. Continue to enjoy the journey!
Martin, Thanks for the STL tips.