Out West [Take 2!] - Day 4 {Rio Grande Gorge}

We had a slow, quiet morning in Estes Park and then headed south, stopping in Colorado Springs for a picnic with special friends at Fox Run park.

They're small enough to walk under the slide-out.

We were so excited to see the Johnson family! It had been 4 years since we last saw them. We had a picnic lunch, walked around the beautiful park, and let the kids explore in the creek.

We tried to social distance while we were together, but we had to get a group picture before we left. 💜

Our time with their sweet family is never long enough, but we had more places to explore! We continued heading south toward the Rio Grande.

We loved seeing all of the unique pueblo-style houses as we entered into New Mexico.

Our plan for the night was to stay at one of the little campgrounds along the Rio Grande. We knew they were "first come, first served" but that was about it.  As we drove along the secluded highway, the first two campgrounds we came to were closed due to Covid.  The third one had a small truck camper with a guy all by himself parked near the entrance. We pulled in and took the site furthest from him, which was actually the closest one to the river. Alex and I climbed out of the RV and immediately knew we had just landed one of the coolest campsites we have ever had. It was so private and quiet, nestled right in the gorge. The girls took off down a path to the river, which is where we spent the first hour after we arrived.  I loved the smell of all the sage brush but not so much the pain of cactus needles. 😆 Carrying BellaMei down the rocks, I was just focused on trying not to drop her when my leg brushed along a cactus! (I don't think it would have hurt as badly except I had just sprayed bug spray all over us.) We skipped rocks and took in the beauty around us before having dinner. 

Pulling the needles out of my leg. 😆 The little girls thought I needed comforting. ❤️

 

Traveling during a pandemic has its perks, like snagging a perfect, private spot on the Rio Grande. Life has felt upside down since March, but then nights like tonight make it seem like everything is right in the world.