Spring Western Trip 2017: Fort Collins and Sundance, Wyoming

Saturday, 4/29:  Fort Collins

Today was a rest and catch up day.  It snowed lightly most of the day. This KOA is a wonderful campground that we really like.  We stay here when ever we are in the Fort Collins area.  There is a small lake within the park.  A walking path surrounds the lake and makes for an excellent dog walk.

We made a shopping run to Walmart to resupply the pantry and refrigerator.  We always search for a new brew pub to check out, so we stopped at The Fort Collins Brewery.  We had a beer and grabbed some pub food for lunch.  The young lady tending the bar was very chatty and we had a great visit.  Then it was back to the camper for a nap.  We cooked a gourmet dinner of scallops, bacon, and spinach served over couscous.  We binged out on NCIS reruns for the rest of the evening.

(Later edit:  On a side note, several months later we found out that the brewery has been sold to a Canadian company that wants to set up in Fort Collins.  An interesting article is here.)

Sunday, 4/30:  Fort Collins

It was warmer and mostly sunny today.  We met Judy’s cousin Denise for lunch at the CooperSmith Brewery and Grill.  This brewery is located in the Old Town section of Fort Collins near a public square.  We had a GREAT visit with Denise, and Judy was really excited to catch up with her cousin.  Later, back at the camper, it was actually warm enough for us to sit outside at our patio for an afternoon cocktail.  We have been eating rather well lately, so it was salad for dinner.  Then we watched 60 Minutes and Madam Secretary on TV before turning in.

Monday, 5/1:  Fort Collins

We had a busy schedule today.  I did a bunch of online banking first thing in the morning.  The KOA laundry was empty, so Judy got caught up on laundry.  Then it was off to find a Walmart Pharmacy because Judy needed a prescription filled.  About 11:30 we met Denise again, this time at her place of work.  The small company where she works manufactures cloth baby diapers.  It was fascinating.  Cloth diapers today are sure nothing like the cloth diapers used on my children back in the 70's as babies. What a huge improvement.   We stopped at the Odell Brewing Company for lunch.  Later, about 4:00 we met Tanya Wright Victor where she works at New Belgium Brewery.  Tanya is the daughter of good friends, Dave and Ann Wright who live in Wisconsin.  Tanya also has the special distinction of having “born in Gouverneur, NY” on her birth certificate.  Since our last visit two years ago, New Belgium has really upped their game with the addition of a huge outdoor patio area.  We had a wonderful visit catching up with Tanya.  It is always a treat to visit her.  We traded some “craft” NY maple syrup for some craft Colorado beer.  :-))  Then it was back to the camper and eating left overs for dinner.

Odell Brewery

Tanya with "craft" New York maple syrup

Tuesday, 5/2:  Fort Collins

Today is our last full day in Fort Collins.  We went to Stan and Betsy (Koch) Johnston’s home for lunch.  Betsy went to Gouverneur High School the same time Judy and I did.  Over the years, they have become great friends.  Betsy is also the sister of our good friend, Chris Koch, who lives in Maine.  We had a really great visit sharing traveling stories.

On a side note, we’ve been following the terrible flooding in Missouri and Arkansas.  Parts of Interstate 44 are flooded and closed.  Cities like Eureka have been inundated with food waters.  Just 30 days ago, we drove across Missouri on Interstate 44.  Having been there, the flooding disaster gives us an almost personal connection with the people and place.

Wednesday. 5/3:  311 miles and camped at Mountain View Campground, Sundance, Wyoming

Fort Collins to Sundance

Mountain View RV Park

We were on the road by 9:30.  Today was one of the most pleasant drives we have taken.  Most of the trip was on Wyoming Rt. 585.  It is two lane road with almost no traffic going north through eastern Wyoming.  It is so remote, that we once saw a sign indicating that there would be no services for the next 74 miles.  Sundance is a small, rural town in northeast Wyoming.  It’s main claim to fame is that the infamous Sundance Kid (think Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid from the movie staring Paul Newman and Robert Redford) was jailed here.

Thursday, 5/4:  Sundance

We took a road trip to visit nearby Devils Tower National Monument.  It was 65 and sunny out with a clear blue sky.  There is a 1.5 mile trail circling the base of the tower.  Rock climbers from all over come to practice and conquer the tower.  It was fun watching them.  You may recognize the tower from scenes in the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind".  Sony is rereleasing the movie this year as 2017 is the 40th anniversary of the original release.

Look close and you can see two climbers.

Later we stopped at the Longhorn Saloon and Grill in Sundance for a beer and a snack.  The weather was so nice that for dinner we were able to grill brats outside.

Friday, 5/5:  Sundance and Rapid City, South Dakota.

We decided to take a drive to Rapid City, South Dakota which is about an hour away.  Trip Advisor suggested that the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway would be a nice drive.  That turned out to be true.  That route also took us through the “old west” towns of Lead and Deadwood.  On the way to Spearfish Canyon, we stopped at the Vore Buffalo Jump.  Native Americans used to stampede buffalo into this sink hole to kill or disable them.

In Rapid City, we grabbed lunch and a beer at the Firehouse Brewing Company.  Nearby is a really neat and interesting store called the Prairie Edge, which specializes in Native American and local artisan products.

Dinner was back at the camper.  Saturday we move on to North Dakota as we slowly continue eastward.