THE NICKSONS
We drove through the western part of Colorado, about 250 miles in four days, a new record – for us anyway. We wanted to get into Yellowstone and spend as much time there as we could with my brother who…well…let’s just say that he adheres to a much tighter schedule than we do. Read more
We took the 139 which begins just a few miles outside of Grand Junction Colorado, and if you ever get the chance to explore the area we recommend this route. It’s beautifully desolate and mountainous. The pine forests give way to Sage and Junipers, and you’ll crest Douglass pass. At over 8k the views will definitely get your attention.
Important note: You’ll pass a gas station when you first exit the 50 and get onto the 139. It’s the last one you’ll see for seventy five miles. The winding, climbing personality of the road will eat into your mileage – so…if you have any doubts fill up. I didn’t and it made the last few miles a bit more tense than they needed to be.
The road deposits you in Rangely. We originally thought we’d stop about twenty miles farther on in Dinosaur…I mean what family can pass up a night in a town named Dinosaur? But it was REALLY hot and exactly when we turned into Rangely we passed this really neat little campground entirely shaded by large Cottonwoods…and the site proved to tempting to pass. Within minutes we were set up and resting in the shade enjoying a beer…or two with Richard Nixon, our campground host. Obviously it wasn’t THE Richard Nixon, and it was actually spelled Nickson but that doesn’t stop him from walking up to all the campers and asking them if they ever thought they’d meet Richard Nixon. He’s quite a character, and in the hour or two that we talked to him I think we got the historical highlights of the little boom and bust, and boom and bust oil town of Rangely.
The next day we moved on into Wyoming. We were still moving along at a pretty good clip when I spied something that seemed to be amiss on our trailer as we were gassing up in Rock Springs. A quick inspection confirmed that there was indeed an issue. There hanging sadly under our trailer was the unattached end of the left shock absorber. Apparently when we were playing in the Rocky Mountains we had sheared off the bolts that connect it to the trailer.
So there we were, surrounded by lions…ok…it wasn’t THAT bad…but…it’s 6:00 on the 4th of July. We’re fifty or sixty rough miles from our destination, and unsure of the road integrity of our trailer.
Things break. I totally get that. So, to me, the measure of a product isn’t whether it breaks or not…it’s what happens when it does break. I took a picture of our wounded wagon and texted it to one of the owners of Bivouac trailer. “Can I drive it?” Was the message. It was a shot in the dark. I knew that I couldn’t have a realistic expectation for him to get back to me until after the holiday weekend. Perhaps you already see where this is going…less than five minutes later he called me.
His advice was that we fix it before we continued. Within an hour we were encamped at the Rock Springs KOA…which is a little bit like being in hell…to me. Please don’t midunderstand, Kampgrounds of America do a great job of providing a safe, clean, and reliable experience. They generally offer a lot of fun family activities. And three fifths of our family enjoy staying there occasionally. BUT…from my perspective…being less than ten feet away from your neighbors in an urban setting…even though they include the traffic noise and sirens at no extra charge…isn’t camping. Furthermore, some months ago we became friends with a couple who ran a KOA in Arizona, and on Easter Sunday the KOA corporate RV pulled into their place to perform an inspection. And that vibe was a bit too close to what we left behind. But it’s good to know that we can even make camping corporate.
ROCK SPRINGS STORAGE TANK
All that being said, we had a nice place to sleep and a parts list from Ron at Bivouac. Life was good. The next morning we got our parts. Ron and I got on the phone, and he talked me through the repair. In less than twenty four hours, with the incredibly gracious help from Bivouac trailers, we were back on the road. And that, my friends, is why you spend the extra dough to buy products from a great company!
By four in the afternoon we were pulling into Yellowstone and dealing with a company that’s…well…let’s just say struck us as somewhat less than great.