And we’re finally heading to Colorado. This has been such a fun trip, exploring all of these new places, meeting so many new people. At 8:34 a.m. MST, Ron backed up the trailer slightly to give us more room to turn as we pulled out heading northward. Danny and Chris have their gnomes loaded in the jeep, as we part ways with our new friends.
We drove through Las Vegas, NM. The town sits at 6,425 ft. above sea level. As you can see, quite different from the one in Nevada:-).
Ron and I have had so many great conversations on this trip. One of my favorites took place just now on I-25 North just outside of Maxwell, NM. I was telling Ron how, when I’m in a situation, I ask God what He’s trying to teach me. Until today’s conversation, and we just celebrated 7 years of marriage, I never thought of God trying to teach us together as a couple, neither had Ron. That is a whole new concept for both of us, one I hope the Good Lord above will be working out in us for decades to come.
The electric poles had the glass conductors on them, I didn’t think they were used any more. Although, as Ron explained to me, they are actually insulators, meaning they do not conduct electricity. By using glass to pass the electrical wires through, it prevents the pole from becoming electrified. At least that’s how I understand it, I could be wrong
We entered Colorado around 11:45 a.m. MST. Ron had John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” qued and ready to start as we crossed the state line. I was snapping pictures and then had a moment of vertigo from driving in the mountains and the steep decline on each side. The state line is at 7634 ft. above sea level. Of course reception isn’t great so the song started to screw up. Ron was trying to fix the song, I’m freaking out, so we didn’t get to hear the whole song, but the moment we have waited so long for was definitely memorable.
The reason my vertigo was kicking in was because of the turns pictured below. We had had several of them in the miles leading up to the state line. As we approached them, it made me feel as if we were driving off the edge of the world. Of course we weren’t, it didn’t bother Ron at all driving. I wasn’t prepared for my reaction to them, but it definitely is fun!
I had to get a picture of the moose sign. I thought the mountains in the background were snow capped, Ron said no, it’s to early. Either way, the landscape is breathtaking.
Tomorrow I turn 50, God willing. Ten years ago today, Leslie, the Leslie I had dinner with last night, and I were in VA Beach. We had rented a room on the oceanfront to celebrate my 40th birthday. The next day, on my 40th birthday, we sat on the beach and I cried. I didn’t think I would ever be married, I thought my life was what it would always be. Wow, how God has worked in the last 10 years. If you had told me I’d be on this amazing journey with a man I adore, my husband, I would have never believed you. I am one grateful woman. Lesson learned, don’t ever give up!
We are 18 miles from our destination, and we have run into a back up, one of the very few we’ve had. There is an accident ahead which has us slowed down. We’ve driven 2,840 miles at this point, nothing to complain about here. We’re at the city of Fountain at the moment. Ron and I have been talking about what it must have been like being a pioneer. God bless them for the courage they had to make their journeys, none of them were easy.
We’re just minutes from the campground and the anticipation is building. I just told Ron I feel like I did on our wedding day. I never actually thought the day would happen, I was sure Ron wouldn’t show up for our nuptials, even if it did. I can still see my first glimpse of him that day in my mind, he looked so cute in his tan, linen suit and flip flops. And now I’m having similar feelings as we exit the interstate and head to our campground. I have loved Colorado my whole life, it has just always appealed to the pioneer girl in me. We planned, we prayed, we worked hard to make this all come together, and we are finally here. Thank God we didn’t have to make the journey in a covered wagon! Praise Jesus. Even once we were on the road, it still seemed so far away, yet here we are. Grateful.
We pulled into Garden of the Gods RV park at 2:52 p.m. MST. Of course, there was a back up when we arrived and we had to wait. But we all know, good things come to those who wait. We are in site P2 right beside the pool. When I walked out of the camper after setting up and looked left, my breath caught, the view of the mountains surprised me.
We are in for the evening, the weather is gorgeous, the park is quiet, life is good. We did a little sight seeing when we first set up, just to get our bearings, and decided to call it a day. We have been doing so much in the past two weeks we can’t keep up with ourselves. The whole reason why I wrote this blog is to help us remember. When we get home and try to remember the details, we can look back at the highlights of the trip to help us recall the details. The shortest pencil, or in this case, laptop, is better than the longest memory. As I close out my 49th year tonight, I’m closing it with a heart full of gratitude. I told Ron earlier, I feel like I’m living in a dream. I didn’t study the whole way here today, I was so excited to get to Colorado. Visually, other than the mountains, the drive was very bland, but we had awesome talks. I’ve got studying and writing to do tonight. There is no other way I would want to end the decade of my 40’s, no better way to begin my 50’s.
