I am getting used to Blue waking us up early, but I will never get used to feeling like a ground squirrel beneath a snow drift as she fox pounces, then digs at my head. Not fun at anytime let alone 6am.

We slowly got moving, packing up to move on. Ted made cinnamon rolls and bacon for our breakfast while Blue monitored the activity of the chipmunks outside. I washed my hair in the campground showers and we all helped pack up the trailer (well, except maybe Blue – she had that whole chipmunk thing). We were soon heading west, through a series of turns and passes that got us to 12,000 feet and then back down. As Ted said, these are much better motorcycle roads than trailer roads.

A bit before noon, we arrived at Frisco and stopped at a Walmart to resupply. We were shocked to remember that not all Walmarts carry groceries. Fortunately a Safeway was next door and we were able to get most of what we needed for the next few days. Ted even grabbed some fried chicken for lunch. Back on the road, another exit up and we were climbing again through mining country.

We finally arrived at our destination – Turquoise Lake – in the same tranquil valley as Leadville. Several forest service campgrounds are in the area and I figured we would be able to get a site somewhere. We began to get worried when we saw so many of the sites were reserved. It wasn’t until halfway through the Silver Dollar campground that we realized that many of the reserved signs indicated the site was unavailable during the upcoming weekend –still three nights away. This opened up many more opportunities and we were just about ready to settle into a site when we realized we needed to fill with water and couldn’t find any anywhere. Down at the boat launch, an employee let us know that while spigots are available, filling RV tanks from them is not allowed. We had to go to the sanitation commission in Leadville. A ten minute detour into town and $2.50 later, we had full tanks. On our return trip, we decided to check out some of the campgrounds on the other side of the lake. Father Dyer Campground had some much bigger sites. But we might as well check out all the sites. It was in Baby Doe that we found a great site, nearly with a water view, that is open until Friday. Perfect!

We pitched camp and then took the brief walk to the lake. The water was crisply cold as the wind crested gentle waves onto the stony beach. Blue enjoyed swimming, but it was way too cold for Ted or me. Blue had a lot of energy, so a trip to the dog park in Leadville seemed like a great way to exorcise the doggie demons.

Leadville is another cute Colorado town. It seems to be filled with some quirky characters. It is not shocking that marijuana is legal in this state.

The dog park was nice with some shading trees, long grasses and plenty of sitting spaces, but there were not other dogs. Blue spent some time sniffing before finding an old rope toy and she tore across the yard tossing and tearing at it. A few rounds with a ball and she announced she was done playing by going to the gate and flopping down. She was worn out enough to make is a struggle to get into the truck.

We cruised the main strip of Leadville, mostly seeking an ATM, but also to get a good feel for the town.

Back at the campsite, Ted made BBQ (better known as Sloppy Joes) with salad and tater tots. Blue fell into a deep nap, waking up only long enough to destroy a pair of flip flops. We now have a fire and are watching the sun set through the trees. This site might very well be one of the 5 best sites we have ever stayed in.