COLORADO STATE PARKS

After spending over 4 months first as a volunteer and then as a Park Attendant for the office, I have learned the ins and outs of the day-to-day operation of the park. Like the Federal parks, you get friendly people and then you get those that come across to you as very grumpy and Parks and Wildlife. Years and Years ago, they were one, and then separated and became two different agencies. Now with budget cuts and state funding being taken away from them, they are once again merging.

Along with those changes came some other changes. Since State parks will no longer get any state funding and now will be self-supporting. Prices had to change as well. This time they change the prices to the Senior Citizen’s of Colorado. They have a deal for state residents over 64 years of age called the Aspen Leaf. An Aspen Leaf annual pass use to cost only $35.00 and a second one $15.00. You could purchase a lifetime pass for $175.00. Effective July of this year all that changed. Now the Aspen Leaf Annual Pass is $60.00 ($10.00 off regular price) and the second one is $30.00 ($5.00 off the regular price). The lifetime pass went up to $300.00. Now that’s a HUGE jump and I have to agree with the elders of Colorado-it wasn’t fair to raise the prices the way they did. Also if you have an Aspen Leaf Pass-your camping was also reduced. Sun-Thu you use to get almost half price on camping now it’s only $3.00 off camping fees.

Needless to say as hard as the State Parks try to keep the price changes hush-hush so that they wouldn’t get bombarded with the Seniors buying the life time before the price change-I am glad to announce that their little secret got out and the state wasn’t prepared for the rush! At our park I can’t even begin to count how many we sold in the month of June. I know the main office in Denver and Littleton has those figures. All I know is that on the last day of June I sold everyone that was left in the office. Since prices has changed-I have only sold two life time passes….And I have notice that since camping prices changed for the Senior Citizen of Colorado-the numbers did go down on camping as well.

We have traveled across several states-spending most of our times in Federal Parks instead of State Parks, we still learned the prices of the state parks. And I have to say that Colorado is the most confusing one we have seen thus far. We have had several others that have come in and said the same thing. You have your camping fee plus your daily entrance fee-unless you have an Annual pass; then your entrance fee is waived. If you don’t have the Annual Pass this is how the fees will go: A basic tent site, you will pay $16.00 + $7.00 each night equaling $23.00. Electric sites are $20.00 + $7.00 each night; equaling $27.00. And full-hook up sites will cost $24.00 + $7.00 each night; equaling $31.00 each night.

If you should come in after the office is closed, there is self service to register. You have to fill out two permits, one for your daily pass and one for camping. Now if you're thinking of skipping out-think twice about it. One during peak season-they have a ranger on to late and generally that ranger won’t hesitate to get you out of bed to go register and pay for your camping fee, plus he has also written down your license plate number. And if by chance that ranger don’t get you, the state parks have volunteers that also will write down your license plate number and turn it into the morning ranger. If those two don’t get you, I almost guarantee that the morning ranger ( and they do come on early), will get you. Failure to pay for camping and daily pass could cost you more than what it was all worth! We have come into a few with no camping permit and our ranger made sure that they registered before leaving the park and I’m sure those that tried-won’t try again.

Colorado State parks are well kept and hope with all their budget cuts that they will be able to keep the parks beautiful.

Only 4 days left before we hit the road once again. Which means this is our last week working here for the Colorado State Park in Grand Junction CO. The park was slow this past weekend, but gearing up for one last hooray-Wine Fest. We are full with reservations starting to come in today.

Brian has done everything to get both the car and the motorhome ready to roll. He has washed and waxed, checked tire pressures, check fluids in both engines and check batteries. We are as ready as we can be. Only thing left to do is load the canoe on the car and hook the car behind the motorhome.

I am working OT this week, finishing up at noon on Sunday. We will have the motorhome sitting up at the office ready to roll once I finish. Plan is to get only to Denver to spend the night before heading towards Saline KS, where I will go for a drug test for my next job adventure-Amazon.com

This last week of work has been a lay back week for all of us here at Island Acres. One of the Seasonal Ranger and the other Gate Attendant are only here on the weekends now, for they are back into college. So we took a few minutes to take photos of us here at work.

L to R: Sharon (Park Attendant), Amanda (Park Attendant), Julie (Boss/Supervisor), Brian (Volunteer/my Hubby), Duain (Seasonal Park Ranger), front: Zach (Seasonal Park Ranger)

And of course we have to horse around just a bit…

No need to worry, customers came first!

Although we had our issues and some problems, we did for the most part enjoy being here at the State Park and the staff that are posted, were awesome to work with. Both Brian and I will carry their faces in our memories and hope to keep in touch with them.

One thing here, we didn’t seem to get to know the campers like we have in the past in the Midwest.

All in all it was another good adventure under our belt and we look forward to the next one.

WHERE WERE YOU?

It’s been 10 years ago now that our country was attacked.  Like Pearl Harbor, I think this will be branded permanently in our brains forever.

So I ask you my friends this question:  Where Were You 10 Years Ago?  I will never forget where we were and what we were doing…

It was a bright sunny morning, we had just finished working for a private campground in Ortonville, MN.  We stopped a few nights in Sioux Falls, SD where I just bought a new refurbished computer for the first time.

After leaving Sioux Falls, SD, we  headed for the Power Loop District Campgrounds near Columbus NE.  when we got there the sky was grey for a day or so.  On Sept 11, 2001, it was a picture perfect day with perfect temps and lots of sunshine.

As I sat at our kitchen table trying to figure out how my new computer was to work out, Brian was watching Good Morning America.  He told me that something was going in New York and thought a plane had just hit into a building.  He got up to go to the bathroom, I got up to watch what was happening when I saw the second plane hit the World Trade Center. 

From there on, it just seemed like time just froze!  We had no cell phone at the time, no way to communicate to our daughters.  I was so scared that I wasn’t sure what we should do.  the TV was kept on as we watched the towers collapse, a plane hitting into the Pentagon and the 4th plane crashing into a field.

a few hours later a deputy stopped by and said that we are in lock down. Which meant we could not move our rig until further notice and to stay put.  We were allowed to drive the truck into town. We had been told that the President Of The United States was bunkered down somewhere in the state of Nebraska.  Later that day we went into town to find an American Flag, and none could be found.  We also was able to call our daughters and let them know we were safe and to tell them we loved them very much.

That night the stars were out bright and not a plane in sight was flying our skies. It really gave you an eerie feeling to look up and see no flashing lights, wondering what destination people were heading. 
There was a gas station just up the road from the campground and the next day cars were lining up all the way back to our campground, trying to fuel up.  All other gas stations in town was empty and those that did have fuel was jacking the prices up past $5.00 per gallon.

Days later we finally got the okay to travel on.  So we hitched up and scooted closer to our destination in Texas.  As we left the town of Columbus, we notice hardly a flag flying and all I remember is how sad we felt.  As we drove we kept the radio on for any further news bulletin.

When we finally did arrive to our destination in TX we were greeted with an huge American Flag on the gate and that made me feel proud to start working for the Corps of Engineer.

That day seemed like yesterday and one I will NEVER forget.

So my friends take time to remember those that lost their lives for no reason what-so-ever and for ALL of our Heroes; past, present and future.