Boyd Lake State Park

We arrived early enough to make a few stops for supplies and groceries before entering the park.  My wife Lynn chose this place as a mid-point along our route and I was a little reluctant at the idea of camping in the middle of a city but the ratings and reviews made it a viable option.  I got the RV set and leveled and proceeded to prepare the campsite.  

Having the dogs, Toto and Bilbo, means making the campsite ready for them as well.  We found a 24" x 24" 8 panel puppy fence and bought 4 of them.  This makes it easy to just let them out in the morning without having to put on their harnesses and leashes and gives them a little more freedom to enjoy the vacation without being tied down. It usually takes me about 20 minutes to get it all set up but like so many things required of a camper, it's just part of the process.

I awoke this morning bright and early at 6:30, Sunrise was at 5:30 so when I stepped outside with the boys the sun was already making a pleasant impact on the 55 degree air.  I was also reminded of how spoiled I am as I watched 4 or 5 nearby campers breaking down preparing to leave.  Tent camping is so much more work than I must commit to now with the RV.  I watched the family across from us spend 90 minutes carefully breaking down their camp and putting it all away in boxes and bags arranging it all in the back of their SUV.

Boyd Lake State Park is a water-sports haven in northern Colorado.  The park lies at the westernmost edge of the plains at the foot of snow-capped Long's Peak and the mountains of the Continental Divide providing boating, fishing, camping, picnicking, swimming​, hiking, biking, and hunting.  In the campground you hardly notice you're in the middle of a sprawling city aside from the occasional sound of a Jet airplane taking off from the nearby regional airport or police/ambulance sirens in the distance.  There were only electrical hookups but a water spigot and dump station were available nearby.  The campground area was busy of course being Memorial Day but It didn't take long this morning for the majority of campers to disperse.  Several playgrounds located across the camping areas to keep children busy, with slides, swings, and I even noticed a well planned Horseshoe pitch.  By 9:30, we were almost alone on this end of the campground as I noticed the camp host was moving from site to site cleaning and raking each one in anticipation of the next campers to arrive.  The park appeared well maintained and to see it in action gave an even better appreciation for those making it so.  Nothing can ruin a campsite more than finding all sorts of debris left by the previous occupants.  Kind of like finding the sheets haven't been changed when you check into a hotel room.

The view to the west is a reminder of the astounding beauty we passed through just yesterday.  As we were making our way north from Denver with the mountains were on our left, Lynn said "Look, It's the Coors Can" and I think she's right, It must have been the inspiration for the background on the Coors beer can.  Being on the high plains almost felt like an anti-climax after spending a week around the Gunnison range.  And the rest of our journey is planned out in 2 day stops from one location to the next as we meander our way home.  I had thought we were committing ourselves a little more than we should at first but being out here for the past week makes me feel like we might look at staying a little longer at each location.  The afterthought of course is that I hate getting bored, and staying 3 days somewhere with nothing to do is not on my bucket list.  I've already found I enjoy sitting here writing the blog and it keeps my mind busy enough to pass the day, but it's NOT why I'm here.  

On a personal note, I'm going to become a Great Grandfather in the next 3 months, and I just found out another of my granddaughters is now engaged.  I'm amazed how fast life progresses the older I get.