Blue Mesa Ranch Resort --Part 2

Gunnison, Colorado is absolutely beautiful.  In a spare sort of way. The landscape is mostly sage and a few scraggly junipers.  But when the sun goes down, the shadows flitting across the blue mountains change to a deep purple. I'm not fond of Colorado's desert-like landscape, but rolling clouds that sweep across the wide-open sky satisfy my need for green things. 

I don't know if that makes sense.  After living in the desert or desert-like conditions most of my life, I long for cool, quiet walks in arched trees.  We lived in Hawaii for about three years.  You could grow almost anything in that soil.  The avocados were as big as footballs and tasted like butter. The pineapples are so fresh and sweet.  But my favorite are the coconuts.  At the flea market, vendors sell young coconuts snuggled in barrels of ice.  They poke a hole and put a straw inside so you can walk around and drink the marvelous milk.  Then, when that is all gone, they wack off the top with a machete and hand you a spoon to scoop out the quivering mass of coconut flesh.  Still ice-cold, it is the best treat on a hot day.

In contrast to the lush tropics --the southwest is a stark, raw beauty.  Rugged and untamed.   By mid-July, the heat has sucked any moisture out of the grass and it becomes dry and brown. 

I digress.

Our views this summer have made up for the heat. (I know that Texas, New Mexico and Arizona get hot --over 100 degrees in the shade-- as I lived there.  And it doesn't account for humidity.  I'm just saying...hot is hot). 

Close to Gunnison is the beautiful Black Canyon.  I had heard it described like a miniature Grand Canyon.  What a perfect combination of homeschooling credit and playing tourist...  We drove out to the Black Canyon on the hottest day of our trip.  Isn't that the best time?

Painted Wall

According the National Parks website, "the Gunnison River through Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park drops at an average of 95 feet per mile. By comparison, the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park drops an average of 7.5 feet per mile.

They describe it like this: "Prepare yourself for 2,000 foot tall, narrow canyon walls dropping almost vertically to the Gunnison River.  The Black Canyon is known for crumbling rock, dizzying heights, and a lack of places to place protective equipment. Rock climbing is a challenge limited to highly experienced, expert climbers only.

Big enough to be overwhelming, still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time, Black Canyon of the Gunnison exposes you to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. With two million years to work, the Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has sculpted this vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky."  

Black Canyon 

We took advantage of the Junior Ranger Program and filled out all the pages.  It was a great way to explore the canyon and learn at the same time.  The kids didn't agree.  Much wailing and gnashing of teeth on their end.  I used our end-of-the-journey ice cream trip as leverage to make them finish the program.  After that, it went much smoother.  Plus, the kids liked learning about the gneiss (pronounced "nice") and the schist (different kinds of rocks) They snickered and said it sounded like a bad word. 

After that long, hot, exhausting, and beautiful drive, we decided to head into Gunnison itself and buy dinner.  Quite a splurge as we normally try to eat at home.  We ended up at the Gunnisack. A local restaurant with American cuisine.

We ordered wings and burgers and admired the decor.  Great food!  But our favorite was the dessert. The cookie is baked right in the dish and a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with whipped cream and chocolate sits on top.  We divided it up between the five of us and scarfed it down!

Funky Rock the kids climbed at a local park. 

We also headed to the big park downtown.  It had a huge climbing rock and several interesting sculptures.  The kids immediately went to the top and I sat down at a table to finish my crocheting project for Kyla: a cat scoodie...

Blue Mesa Ranch Resort by the Blue Mesa Reservoir in Gunnison, Colorado -Part 1

Blue Mesa Ranch Resort is headquarters for the Western Horizon Resort club.  They have several resorts across the nation and are affiliated with a couple of other networks. 

We were "invited" to stay there for a free five-day vacation which included horseback riding for two; $20 in coupons for their restaurant next to the reservoir; and a free day on their pontoon boats. 

The only catch was that we had to listen to a ninety-minute presentation about why we should purchase a membership into their club. This whole package came courtesy of Windish RV as a perk for buying our Forest River Sierra two years ago. 

Since we didn't have a motor to pull the wheels, I had to keep putting them off.  But I was determined to take advantage of it this summer, by gum...  Hey, it's free.

 

In addition to stables, Blue Mesa had a kids’ rec room --with a pool table, air-hockey, foosball, hula hoops, videos, dvds, old arcade games, plus a mini-golf course, basketball courts, and a playground outside.  The main club house had an indoor swimming pool and hot tub. 

We spent alot of time in the rec room and the swimming pool.  Their wifi was nonexistent (important when thinking about working/schooling on the road.). 

Our favorite activity was horseback riding.  Kyla couldn't keep the ear-to-ear grin off her face. The kids did great.  Bill's horse looked like it had missed several meals and groaned when he climbed aboard.  I only say that because my horse was a little sturdier...

 Cowboy Charlie is the genuine thing.  He's an extra in movies and tv shows, like "Little House on the Prairie," and "3:10 to Yuma."  He had bowed legs and wasn't much taller than I. Kyla was sad (in this picture) that the ride is over, plus she doesn't like to take pictures.  So much fun!

Garden of the Gods and Cheyenne Mountain State Park, Colorado

Chatfield sunset

As June melted into July, we planned a much anticipated trip to Gunnison, Colorado.  We left Chatfield early on a Monday; Bill driving the rig and me behind the wheel of the Kia.  We figured it would come in handy while we toured the area.

Our first stop was Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.  They have an amazing nature center and great parking for RVs.  We went into the center first and looked at all the cool stuff.  Bill couldn’t resist a couple souvenirs, including a grilling cookbook.  The kids all smashed a penny.  
After we went outside and looked at the view from the balcony, Kyla said, “Hey Mom, I can see my house from here...”  Sigh.  A chip off the old block.  Much to my dismay sometimes.

After a quick bite in our rolling house, we decided to take the driving tour of the Gardens (in the Kia).  Just as we exited the rv, it started dumping rain and hailing.  We dashed to the car, everyone screaming and laughing. 

Cheyenne State Park

The drive was absolutely beautiful.  Everyone thought so.  Including the fifty other cars we slowly drove behind.  I guess some people don’t know how to drive in the rain...

After the storm passed, we drove to Cheyenne Mountain State Park.  It is one of Colorado’s newest state parks and very nice.  Full hookups and a nice level concrete pad.  The fire ring was large and well covered.  Gambrel oak is everywhere and well-maintained walking paths meander throughout.  No wifi.  But a breathtaking view of Colorado Springs. Cheyenne Mountain is right behind the park and we could see the gated entrance to the tunnel leading under the mountain.  If you are a Stargate fan (we are), it is a geeking-out moment. (The tunnel is right above the back half of the rig).

The next morning, we trucked on down the back roads to Gunnison.  I have to say that the Shell gas stations we’ve run into are very accommodating to our rig.  It is always a gamble when looking for gas stations on the smaller highways.

Driving along Gunnison River is beautiful.  There are quite alot of RV resorts, cabins and shopping opportunities that crop up every few miles along the river.  Our destination was the Blue Mesa RV Ranch Resort across from the Blue Mesa Reservoir.  Sigh.  So beautiful.

Health Insurance on the road

First, I want to say how excited I am to be a part of the Families on the Road website! http://www.familiesontheroad.com/    I've been a lurker for years.  Never commenting, always longing for adventure.  Living it out vicariously through other people's experiences.  Now, I can share mine...

Now, to a more mundane question: Health Insurance.
                                     

 
We personally have a federal health care plan as my husband works for the government.

But the idea of paying cash or using a non-profit medical-sharing ministry plan is also interesting.

I prefer to use the Health Savings Account, because it is like cash in my pocket instead of the insurance company.  

What about Catastrophic Health care coverage instead?

I know that this varies for everyone based on our stage of life or medical needs.  My SIL, for example, has struggled with Ehlers Danlos Sydrome --a chronic and life-threatening condition-- her whole life.  She absolutely needs full coverage.

Whereas, our family is very healthy.  No serious medical issues or life-threatening conditions.  When we do get sick with a cold or flu (which is rare), then I use old-fashioned methods like vitamins and herbs to boost the immune system.  Plus, I keep copies of our medical records. 

We have our family doctor in town and our favorite dentist.  But what about while you are traveling?

What is your experience with cash only or dealing with insurance on the road?

Also, who do you prefer for RV insurance?  We are using GEHA (through Good Sam), but have heard good things about GEICO. 

House-less; not homeless...

There are upsides and downsides to living in an RV. Besides the obvious lack of space and privacy and ability to stock up on groceries when they are on sale, there are...shall I say..."legal challenges.”
Such as:

Easy answer unless you live in an RV.

Time to vote? Oh, yes. You can't use your mailing address as a legal residence, but we can use the temporary space that we occupy (Clear Creek RV park in the winter/Jefferson County Fairgrounds in the summer).

The most recent challenge is...school.

My husband and I agreed that the kids should get more online schooling and with my oldest going into 7th grade, we decided to try the online public school route. It sounded like a good idea. All the materials we needed for free. Outside motivation for deadlines and still able to enjoy traipsing about the country...

Step #1:

Verify your residence. Where do you reside? What is the place that you and your family occupy on a daily basis?

Ok. I am optimistic by nature, but this first step proved to be a doozy that I can't overcome. They accept utility bills, but not cell phone bills or tax returns. What about the fact that I pay state taxes, including school taxes. I own a home in Colorado, but I rent it out. I could use the property tax statement to show proof of residency, but I don't live there. I wanted to be up front and honest with the admissions folks for both K12 and Connections Academy, so as to not cause problems later on.

They could do a shipping addendum which would route all materials to the UPS store that we use as our contact address for mailing purposes. But to prove that I "reside" in Colorado (besides paying state taxes, registering my vehicle (which cost $1200 --yowza), and having a Colorado drivers license isn't good enough.), is beyond my current capabilities.

I could get funding. Only if I pretend to be homeless. But I'm house-less, not homeless...

Second problem: Testing. They require our physical presence between February and April. Who knows exactly when. It depends on the teacher you are assigned, which you won't know until you sign up and are part way through the year. We have to ask permission in order to travel extensively...

That ain't happening. I don't need to ask "Mother, may I?" to do what I want to do.
So, public online schools are out for us. They are good schools that offer a valuable service. But not for my family.

And to be perfectly frank, I'm relieved. I prefer homeschooling anyway and am excited about the wonderful opportunities for science and history learning on the road. We'll see what lies ahead for this roadschooling family!