50 + Lazy Camping

  Hi,   We visited the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (RMANWR). This is a National Wildlife Refuge located near Commerce City Colorado. It is more than 15,000 acres. It was constructed in 2004 to protect our national symbol, the bald eagle.  This is a good place to see buffalo, deer & birds. It is a good place to hike on the 20 miles of easy hikes. There is an 11 mile wildlife drive with a refuge podcast that can be listened to while doing the drive.    There is a bird and butterfly garden which was a good place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee from the gift shop. If in the Denver area this is a nice place to spend part of  a day! LAZY CAMPING:  A soup like this is good for a really simple one pot meal. Have a good day and night, 💕 50+ Lazy Campers

  Hi,  Carter Lake Reservoir is 3 miles long and 1 mile wide. It is operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. It is close to Berthoud Colorado. There is a 10 dollar fee per day to enter this area. It is open all year and is a good place to camp, fish, scuba dive, kayak, swim, picnic, and hike. 6 Campgrounds are scattered around the lake. Reservations are at   larimercamping.com  North Ramp Marina is closed at this time. There are 2 other boat ramps which are  North Pines and South Shore Boat Ramps. Go to   larimer.org for hours. Swim beach is closed at this time.   There is a 3 mile Trail from one end of the lake to the other. LAZY CAPING: Brownies pack and travel well. Here is my recipe from homemaking in high school.  Combine 2 sticks butter melted, 2 cups sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 4 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla. Add 2 cups flour and combine well. Bake 350 degree oven in 9x13 greased pan 35 minutes. Cool well, cut into small bars and pack to ta

  Hi,  Barr Lake State Park is in Adams County, a short drive northeast of Denver. There is something there for every type of outdoors person such as archery, hiking, fishing, boating, birdwatching, picnicking and group events. Numerous bald eagles winter at Barr Lake with one pair staying to nest and raise their young every year. The trail west of the lake is closed at this time due to eagle nesting activity.  There are several trails: Lake Loop is 8.8 mile going around the lake parameter.  Niedrach Nature Trail is a short loop trail. Prairie Welcome Trail is about a mile through the prairie. Go to cpw.state.park.co.us   for a brochure, map, bird list and trail information. The Archery range is 10-100 ft range. There is also a piece of art at the range. There are several picnic areas to choose from including a group area. The Barr Lake Nature Center has information about the wildlife, and group programs. It looks to be very kid friendly.  This was a very enjoyable day trip. We were gl

  Hi,  In the summer of 1881, Colorado pioneers Samuel Wade and Enos Hotchkiss rode across the mountains into the North Fork Valley. Wade surveyed this area, opened the first store and post office and named the new settlement Poeonia. The postal authorities changed the name to Paonia. Paonia is known for apple trees and peonies. There are also a number of wineries in the area. The annual events in this town are: Paonia Cherry Days  July 2-4 the this year. There will be a parade, food and craft booths and more. Pickin' in the Park schedule looks to be every Friday in August. This is an outdoor concert series. Mountain Harvest Festival is in September. More information at mountainharvestfestival.org Western Slope Conservation Center host several annual events at the Paonia River Park . We found 3 parks in Paonia, the Paonia Park, Poulous and the Paonia River Park. We spent some time in the Paonia River Park having a sweet treat break on the bench by the river and taking a walk by the

  Hi,  Marble is located at the headwaters of the Crystal River in the Elk Mountain Range. To get there turn west on county road 3 from Hwy 133 and go about 6 miles. The marble deposits of the Yule Creek were discovered in the 1870s. Major marble quarrying has occurred off and on through the years. Large chunks of marble can be seen all over this area. The Marble Mill Park is at 213 W. Park St. Marble Co. This park is 25 acres with some of the remains of the old Marble Mill. It was still closed for the winter when we were in Marble. Every summer marble stone carving is taught at Marble Co. Go to marbleinst.org for more information. Marble Community Church at 121 w State St.  it is a National Historic Registry Church. It has  1900s interior and stained glass windows. The Marble Hub at 105 w Main has visitor information, coffee, wi-fi, and banking. The Marble General Store is on Marble road (west Park St.) and is open10-5 pm. Some exhibits from the volunteer Fire Department are found her

Hi,  The West Elk Loop Scenic Byway from Carbondale to Hotchkiss on Hwy 133 was our route. We want to record some more of our discoveries in this area of Colorado.    The Crystal Valley Trail goes from Carbondale 7 miles to the KOA. It can be seen on the left side of the road. By riding the Crystal Valley Trail from KOA to Carbondale and then take the Rio Grande Trail, one could ride all the way to Aspen on a bike. That would be a fun trip especially if you stopped at Woody Creek Tavern ( 2858 Upper River Road Woody Creek ) for a cold drink on their patio. This stop would be about half way. This is the Carbondale/Crystal River KOA Holiday. A Rocky Mountain Campground on the Crystal River. They have Cabins, RV and tent sites. The RV and tent sites open in May. This is the view before reaching Redstone. We sure liked the looks of this campground. The Redstone Campground has 3 loops: Osgood Loop, Allgeier Loop, Mechau Loop. This is a Forest Service Campground in the White River National F

  Hi,  The drive down a pretty forest lane takes you to Redstone Co. which is a small town on the West Elk Loop Scenic Drive.  Redstone is located in the Crystal River Valley of western Colorado and is surrounded by rugged red mountain cliffs and  green forest.  We saw several quaint shop in a walk down the main street of town which is Redstone Boulevard. The Redstone Park in this town has marble picnic tables. There is a marble statue by Eric Johnson in the park. The walkway over the river is from Redstone Park to Elk Park. There is a gravel trail with history and geology lesson interpretive signs.  Redstone's history about the Coke Ovens was interesting to research and explore. They were built in 1899 by Colorado Fuel and Iron to burn impurities out of coal from Colorado's Coal Basin. This was used in steel mills and building railroads. The 249 Coke Ovens could heat to 2400 degrees Fahrenheit. This was the largest coking operation in Colorado . The operation lasted 10 years.