RIFLE GAP STATE PARK: May 7, 2012

RIFLE GAP STATE PARK

Rifle, CO 81650

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PARK REVIEW:

Beautiful park, plenty of room between sites. Beautiful view of green blue resevoir & mountains.
We basically head back inside around 11am. The wind kicks up and stays until early evening. The wind shakes the RV, blew down our Direct TV dish.  Every since Lubbock, TX, we have had wind, wind, wind.  I'm really quite sick of it.
New England is looking good right about now.  Nestled amid pine trees with a stream nearby and NO WIND!

This park is fairly new and well planned out and well maintained.  There is a camp host for every loop of approximately 10 sites. Host made a point of introducing himself and offerred any help necessary.

Park is black top roads and many sites have cement pads with gravel picnic & fire pit area. Many sites have a heavy duty metal roof over the picnic table.

Lots of room between between sites and many are easy pull thrus. No trees really, but that is the nature of this area. There is a park loop right on the resevoir shore and also park loops up on the rise, so there is a gorgeous view of the reservoir in the gap between the mountains on either side.

Bathrooms are very clean and smell of "Pine sol". There is even a street sweeper to keep the roads clean!

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RV LIFE:
It is so windy here during the day, that our Direct TV blew over again. This is our 3rd dish broken by blowing over in the wind. You'd think we'd learn our lesson! Scott is looking into the Windgard Direct TV unit, so it will be protected and closer to the ground. Scott is desperate to get another unit soon! It's the hockey play offs and the Flyers are playing the Devils. Our internet connection is very slow, but Scott managed to listen to most of the last game on the internet.

Still have some congestion in my chest and difficult to take deep breaths, but I'm getting better. Scott seems to now have some allergy type congestion.


SIGHTS:
Yesterday we visited RIFLE FALLS in Rifle Falls State Park. We were able to take our dogs along for the short hike. Gap Falls is another Colorado State Park campground, but not really big rig friendly.  It's fine for pop ups or maybe 20' & shorter.  Another very nice park.
We drove through the park to the small parking lot for the Falls.  We could hear the roar of the Falls as soon as we left our truck.  Just a short walk on a nicely maintained gravel path, led us to the 50-75 foot high triple falls.  A family with 3 kids were having a grand time running around in the shallow pool at the bottom of the Falls.

There is a path that goes up, over and around the falls.  GREAT HIKE! Not really strenuous.  The short hike was a BLAST! It took us up next to some small caves, some protective overhangs that led into caves. The drop in temperature was amazing! It was an open area, but overhung with rock.

What's in there?

 I hope the view is better looking inside, than the view outside!

The path took us above the Falls. There was a walkway the jutted out over the Falls and we could look down, well, Scott could look down. After my episode with heights at Pike's Peak, I'm did not want to venture out onto that little bit of overhang.  Then the trail led us to behind the Falls.  There were benches to rest in many areas and many photo opportunities.  Well worth taking a drive to Rifle Gap Falls.

At the top of the falls in a cave.

Top of falls looking down

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BOOKS:

If the Slipper Fits by Elaine Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As the others stated, this is sort of a "Cinderella" type story.  I enjoyed it quite a bit. I did have a difficult time understanding how 11 yrs can pass without contact with someone you love.


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Personal Protector by Debra Webb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yes, this is a Harlequin romance, but there was a mystery involved also.
As far as the romance, it was typical, beautiful independent woman can't resist hunky guy.
But the mystery part was interesting, with hunky guy protecting the beautiful woman.  One by one reporters are killed. Will the beautiful woman reporter be saved? Who is behind this terrorism?
I guess I have to finally admit, I like these happy ending romances.


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AUDIO BOOKS:

Monday Mornings: A Novel by Sanjay Gupta
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Christian Rummel. Good narration, although Gato Grande was a little over the top, but so was the character.
I always find it interesting to learn about the inside workings of  lives, business, etc. that the "average" person is not privy to.
I hold Doctors in very high regard. There's no way I could have graduated medical school and nor would I want to put the time and study into it.
This book covered the professional and personal lives of a few surgeons at a teaching hospital. The book explains their through process through surgery, treatment, the outcome and the effect it has on the surgeon and patient.
Very interesting.


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A Conflict of Interest by Adam Mitzner
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Good narration by David LaDoux
This book seems to be well liked by most folks. I thought the story line was drawn out. Over & over to have an affair or not, over & over and obsessed with the other woman, but need to make my marriage work.
The story got better once the court scenes started, but still only held my interest just enough to keep me listening, but was glad when I was finished.


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