This, Day 6, was a great day. After we left Boulder, Co, we headed toward Colorado Springs to meet my good friend from high school, Shannon. The sights, the mountains, were absolutely stunning. Hues of purple. The grasses and shrubs--bright green.
We met Shannon at a barbecue joint called Front Range on West Colorado Ave, with claim to the best sliders in the state.
After a close look at the menu, sliders were the last thing on my mind. I'm a huge sucker for slow roast, so the pulled pork it was. That is, with two side choices. Two? Why stop there. How could I refuse the onion straws, in addition to half of the things on the menu. Good thing the fiance and I split this tasty dish. Front Range Barbecue is highly recommended.
One of my biggest requests was to go camping at least once during the trip. I hadn't been camping since my 21st birthday. In other words, far too long. So, camping is what we set out to do. Since there wasn't a shortage of beautiful land in Colorado, we just drove until we couldn't any longer. We were in no rush to stop.
As the sun started to go down, we pulled into the Rio Grande National Forest Campground: Park Creek. Seventeen dollars later, we set up our tent, attempted (I repeat *attempted*) a camp fire, and ate our dinner at the picnic table with the pups by our feet.
How did the rest of the night end? Hilariously, that's how. The air mattress we slept on began to deflate. I... I was in the middle, sandwiched between two dogs and a bearded fellow. The mattress caved in, and I was swallowed. At approximately 3am. This was my first meeting with claustrophobia, and we dare not face again.
The morning (after we fully deflated the mattress) was incredibly beautiful. We woke next to a stream, which T.C. hiked along and across with the pups. A perfect start to the day. That is, the best day of the entire trip.
State:
- Colorado
Visits:
- Colorado Springs, CO
- South Fork, CO
