The Great Loop- Part 1
This was our first extended road trip in our new motorhome, covering over 6000 miles in a roughly 5000-mile loop. We added another thousand miles here and there to visit attractions. Our journey began in early March from Florida, which is early in the year for traveling in the Rocky Mountain Region. As we would soon discover, many parks remain closed until later in April, and snowstorms persist until late April, extending into May.
In subsequent posts, I will detail each of our stops, reviewing the camping facilities, attractions, and other pertinent details for each area.
Our trip commenced early one March morning as we departed Central Florida and headed towards Nashville. This leg of the journey was relatively smooth, and we arrived at Nashville KOA with plenty of time to take the shuttle downtown and enjoy some food and entertainment. The next day, we set out from Nashville towards St. Louis to see the arch. I should forewarn RV travelers that there is very limited parking close to The Gateway Arch. I will delve into this further in subsequent posts, but suffice it to say, we struggled to find adequate and safe parking near The Gateway Arch in St. Louis. From there, we journeyed west, passing through Kansas City, and made an overnight stop at a Harvest Host in Salina, Kansas. The drive was picturesque, with rolling hills and numerous windmills—a sight we had not previously encountered and found quite mesmerizing. One of the highlights of driving into the Rocky Mountain region heading westward is catching a glimpse of the mountains. Initially, they appear as low-lying clouds, but as you draw nearer, they gradually reveal themselves as snow-covered peaks. It's a breathtaking sight that never fails to amaze me.
Upon reaching Denver, we indulged in a few touristy activities and managed to find parking in some downtown districts. However, our final destination for the day was Colorado Springs. There, we stayed at the Garden of the Gods RV Resort, which offered easy access to a charming historic downtown district and was conveniently located near Manitou Springs. Both places warranted several days of exploration. The Garden of the Gods RV Resort was clean, efficient, and staffed with very friendly personnel; we would gladly stay there again. However, the main highlight for us in Colorado Springs was the Garden of the Gods itself. We did a sunrise hike and spent most of the day marveling at the breathtaking rock formations. I must also mention that their general store is exceptional and almost warrants a visit in itself.
Unfortunately, luck was not on our side as Denver and the Colorado Springs area were bracing for the heaviest snowstorm of the year. Not wanting to risk getting caught in the snow and facing bad roads, we decided to head south. Our first stop was Canon City, where we enjoyed a ride on the Royal Gorge Train and explored the surrounding parks. Once again, it was a place where we could have easily spent several days, but due to the impending snowstorm, we had to press on southward.
