Wednesday, August 31, 2022.  ONWARD

Leaving Salt Lake City after Uncle Harry’s graveside service.  Headed toward Grand Junction, Colorado to see the Dinosaur Museum.  Spent the night in Grand Junction, had dinner with great mexican food, margarita, and flan at AZteca Family Restaurant.

Thursday, September 1, 2022  Freeman Reservoir

This weekend is Labor Day weekend so we want to find a first come, first serve forest service campground  before everyone descends upon the great outdoors for this last weekend of the summer.  Went to Craig, Colorado.  Not too many campgrounds in this area.  We are practically in Wyoming and the landscape is high and rolling like Wyoming.  Freeman Reservoir seems to be the only thing around here.  Eighteen sites, $6 per night with our senior discount.  All the spots with any afternoon shade were already taken, so we took one out in the open meadow with a few aspen trees on the corner and set up tent and van in ways that they will eventually throw some shade.  People were up very late last night, walking around with lights and talking.  Sort of a party atmosphere, so not expecting peace and quiet this weekend.  

Friday, Sesptember 2, 2022  Freeman Reservoir

Met a very nice lady from Illinois camping alone here with her Road Trek van named “Happy”.  Her name was Bee.  We think she is around 80 years old, so there is hope for us to continue camping for a few years.  She said she named the van “Happy" because she is happy when she is in it.  Had a nice time talking with Bee.  She’s been camping like this for years with her husband.  Now that he has passed, she continues to camp on her own.  Seems that she has a family farm in Illinois, maybe her sons take care of that, and she has a camp trailer set up in Florida that she inherited from her father.  So she goes all over.

There is a small lake here at Freeman, but the campsites do not  have a view.  We’re paid through Labor Day, so will make the best of this almost shadeless place.  Two campers near us ran their gas generators for several hours each this afternoon.  Now someone is apparently cutting wood with a chainsaw, plus I hear an ax in the background.  No one pays attention to the one way roads or the 10 mph speed limit.  Doubt we’ll ever stay here again.  I need to stop complaining and instead appreciate the 3 young bucks we saw in the meadow .

Monday, September 5, 2022   Labor Day

One more day here at Freeman Reservoir.  We walked all the way around the lake yesterday.  Saw this lake last night right at dusk and all the fish started jumping at once.  It was amazing.  Would have stayed there watching longer, but the mosquitos made their presence known and we walked back to camp.  There is a private road with a ranch gate that runs along one side of this meadow.  We are at least 20 miles from town in a remote spot, but incredibly a steady stream of cars, trucks with trailers, and ATVs go up and down that road.  The gate squeals, so we hear every opening and every closing.  We wonder what is up that hill.  Almost everyone has left the campground this morning.  We are considering putting up our tarp and shower bag for a shower and to wash our hair.