Day 4: Eugene and Heidi Arrive

Monday morning we went to register at the camp entrance, as the booth there had been vacant when we first arrived. We learned that our camp site that previous night was technically reserved for vehicles with trailers, and that a “much better” one was available in the same camping area, not far away. So we tore down the tent and moved to the new site. It was a bit disappointing. Instead of nice, soft ground to pitch a tent on, we had a gravel box. There was also less privacy. The toilet facilities for that group of sites was probably less than 50 feet away, which was nice in some ways, but not so nice in others. But the scenery was good, and the neighbors quiet. All in all, it was a reasonably good camp site.

The Tetons as seen from the viewing area behind Jackson Lake Lodge:

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Day 2: Colorado

I awoke the next morning to a beautiful sunrise in eastern Colorado. I was very tempted to have my mom pull over so I could get a photo of an old wind mill in a field that we passed, silhouetted against the dawn light. But we were both wanting to make good time, so kept on. We had breakfast at a little rest stop, and enjoyed an honest-to-goodness chilly summer morning. I drove the rest of the way to Rocky Mountain National Park, enjoying the 75 mph speed limit (which we continued to enjoy through Wyoming and South Dakota). Seeing all the ramshackle towns in eastern Colorado and throughout the western states ahead on our journey, I amusedly thought to myself that by comparison the cities and towns of southern Illinois are practically the cradle of civilization.

We arrived at the park at 9:30 a.m. We were quite pleased with our travel time.

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