All my cross-country driving hadn’t prepared me for the rush of being on top of the world at our hip-camp site in Canon City, Colorado. I am mesmerized as I sit here in front of my roaring campfire, crackling now and again with the occasional spit of rain that’s blowing about, high on a mountain over Cañon City.  Lexi, my 10 month-old Golden, is also very much living in this fine moment, and curled up and basking in the warmth of the fire.

As I settle into the evening, I planned to curl up by the fire and expand on my notes from our days in Kentucky earlier this week.  But I just can’t right now.  The Bluegrass State had its own magic for sure, and I’ll get it all down before long, but this night is the stuff dreams are made of.  I will likely overshare on the photo end of things because I certainly do not possess the words needed to paint an accurate picture.  But I’ll try.

A while back, as I researched the last night of the drive west, I kept getting stuck as to which way to head once I crossed the Colorado border, and where to stay.  I had one day before I headed to Breckenridge, and I was eager to make the very most of it.  It needed to involve maximum amounts of jaw-dropping mountain views and still afford me a great place to stay the night before.  I changed my mind several times, but finally settled on the Royal Gorge/Cañon City area and its famous bridge.

Another tricky part of this trip is the budget, which is a challenge but leads to all kinds of interesting opportunities!  In my research I discovered a FREE campsite above Cañon City that had great reviews.  Small (only about 15 sites I think) and just a few miles from the Gorge.  The clincher was the views (and the price).

For many of the eventual stops on this trip, I have discovered that my obsessive research provided a framework for where I wanted to stop/stay/investigate, etc.  Just as often as not, I didn’t end up in the exact spot I planned.  I love having the freedom to bail on a plan or change my mind at the last second when something doesn’t seem quite right.  This one, however, turned out to be right on the money.

Chick Fil-A and the Royal Gorge

We drove from Dodge City, Kansas today, and it was only about five or six hours.  I honestly lose track and there was a time change as well.  We made a few small stops along the way, but I was eager to get to Pueblo, sure that the mountain vistas would be evident by then.  They were.  Happily, Pueblo also offered a can’t-pass-up opportunity for Chick-FilA, which I hadn’t seen in my long trip across the prairie.

But I digress . . .   Back to the mountains (which I enjoyed more for having the Chick-FilA) . . . really there was just a hint of them at that point, but I swear they call to you, beckoning you closer.  By the time I reached Cañon City, we were surrounded by a ring of snow-capped peaks, shining in the afternoon sunlight.  A quick drive past the downtown area convinced me that I would be back in the morning to check it out in depth.  It looked lovely.

But Royal Gorge was the destination, and so we drove to the park, eager to see the Gorge and the highest suspension bridge in the US of A, which hangs over 1,000 feet above the Arkansas River.  I was also hopeful to find the campground, but the intel online was not super specific in terms of location, so I had my doubts.  However, on the switchback road up the mountain, I encountered a clear sign for a campground.  Driving back the dirt road a few miles, it was obvious this was the one.

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It is gorgeous, and very off the beaten path.  Think awesome with the true meaning of the word – I was full of awe. I picked out a site – 6A to be exact – and reveled in the views both in front of the site and behind.  See photos please as this is where words fail me.  I’ve seen beautiful vistas like this before. I’m no stranger to the Rockies and the Tetons, but camping on top of the world, in plain view of all of it is just next level.

Oh yes, the Royal Gorge.  I decided to leave the campsite to see the main attraction, praying our special site would still be free when we returned.  (It was!)  The view and the bridge were amazing, but when we arrived I have to say I was disappointed by the amount of commercialism, crowds, and the cost ($28!) to cross the bridge via foot. It just wasn’t worth it, so we snapped a few photos and headed back to camp.

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A Night to Remember, High Above Cañon City

I’m getting faster at the whole tent thing.  It’s actually not stressful now and has a great payoff.  It’s kind of like vacuuming or ironing – not that much fun in the process but you see the results of your efforts immediately!  Our next door neighbors, a sweet young couple from Tennessee, were setting up also, and Lexi made quick friends. Once we got our site altogether (no dinner necessary – re: Chick-Fil-A in Pueblo), we headed out for a short hike.  Lexi encountered the first cactus of her young life, so staying on the leash proved to be the best option.  But how beautiful they were!  I was surprised to find cactus up here, though of course it is very arid.

So cool to find the desert here.

And in bloom!

More surprising were the brightly colored blooms in pinks, lavender and yellow. An unexpected treat. And the views abound from every angle.  Thunder boomed down in the valley, and occasional burst of lightning struck many miles away in the distance.  As the wind blew in and chased the storm away, we were blessed with a beautiful rainbow.  It kissed the mountains on each end before disappearing into the clouds.  How much better could this get?

Turning around on our hike, God spoke the most wonderful sunset into existence.  To our backs a rainbow, in front of us a magnificent fiery sunset – the likes of which you only see after the rain and clouds have been battling it out in the sky in those golden hours.

And now, in the aftermath of a beautiful evening, we just enjoy the fire.  The fire pit here is truly just that.  It’s built into the side of the hill so that the wind coming up the mountain just flings the sparks into the rocks.  But it creates a kind of coziness as well – the kind of hidden little hideaway I would have gone nuts for as a child.  Almost a secret space.

So here I sit, laptop and fire, dog at my feet, staring alternately at my writing and the clearing sky ahead. (And wine!  I totally didn’t notice it in the photo until just now!)  Behind us thunder rumbles down the valley. The miles-away lightning provides quite the show, billowing clouds lit from within, like kids playing flashlight tag in a giant tent.  In fact, this will be a good place to stop so I can soak it all in.  And just now, as if to just give one last stamp on the day, a sliver of a crescent moon is revealed behind the parting clouds. Stars are sparkling their way to the forefront as well.  What a freaking good day.