Red Rock Rovers
Red Rock Rovers Newsletter
May 2021
Chapter Happenings
Spring is here and half of our chapter members are scheduled to attend the rally in Mancos Colorado. Nancy has prepared a great schedule for us with a variety of activities. We still have a couple of restrictions (i.e. Durango Silverton Railroad does not have a bus return option) but all looks as if we can have a full rally. All that I have talked with have had their vaccinations so we rank high on safety. If you have not had your vaccination you should get with it.
We know there are sometimes last minute changes in plans. If you are scheduled to attend the Mancos rally and need to make a change, please notify Nancy as soon as possible (LudmillaLilly@outlook.com)
Spring Rally – Mancos, Colorado – June 1 to June 6, 2021
The location of the Spring Rally will be the Riverwood RV Resort in Mancos, CO. (970-533-9142). 350 E Grand Ave, Mancos, CO 81328. If you need to cancel, call the RV Park directly and then tell Nancy.
We have a very special rate of $30 per night. If you want to make a change in your personal reservation, you can contact the RV Park directly.
There is still room to join the rally group. Call the RV resort and make your reservation.
Please tell Nancy if you make any changes to your RV reservations.
Nancy at LudmillaLilly@outlook.com
Nancy plans to arrive early. She will get the tickets for the Ranger guided tours. The chapter will purchase the tickets for the Long House.
Our schedule will be as follows:
TUESDAY, 1 JUNE
5:30 pm – First night pot luck dinner in the club house at the RV Park.
WEDNESDAY, 2 JUNE – Mesa Verde Day
The Cliff Palace will not open until mid-June so we will do the Long House on Wetherhill Mesa. The Long House tour is longer and more difficult. Dogs are allowed on paved roads, parking lots and in a few trails on Wetherhill Mesa. They are not allowed on the tour.
Nancy will need to purchase the tickets 2 weeks in advance because availability is limited. Therefore, she needs a final head count as of 17 May 2021. The Red Rock Rovers is purchasing the $8 tour tickets for the Long House.
The schedule for Wednesday has changed.
We will leave the RV Park at 8:45 am. Bring a picnic lunch. We are 8 miles from the Visitor’s Center. We will gather there at 9 am.
We will leave there at 9:30 am for the 1.5-hour drive to the parking lot at the end of the Wetherhill Mesa Road. We will do the Step House self-guided tour and then have lunch at a picnic area. See this link for information about the Step House:
Step House - Mesa Verde National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
After lunch you have two options:
1. Go on the Long House Tour
2. See the other sights on Wetherhill Mesa: Long House overlook trail, Badger House Community Trail, and the Nordenskiold overlook trail.
The Long House tour starts at 1:30 and 2:00 pm. We may need to break into two groups depending on how many people want to take the tour. The tours are limited to 25 people.
Description of the Long House tour:
Long House is considered the second largest cliff dwelling in the park. The sheer beauty of the site makes the trip out to Wetherill Mesa worth the time and effort.
A tour of Long House is one of the most in-depth in the park. Located on Wetherill Mesa, Long House tours offer visitors an opportunity to enjoy the quieter side of Mesa Verde. As the second largest cliff dwelling, Long House is both grand and intimate. Visitors will enjoy changing landscapes, picturesque views of distant canyons and mesas, and an active seep spring within the dwelling. For a virtual tour, go to https://go.nps.gov/LHvideo .
Starting at the Wetherill Mesa information kiosk, this two-hour ranger-guided tour involves hiking at least 2.25 miles (3.6 km) round-trip, and climbing two 15-foot (4.5 m) ladders within the site. The hike has an elevation gain of about 130 feet (40 m). The tour ends at the Long House trailhead, giving you a choice of returning to the kiosk or exploring more of Wetherill Mesa on your own. Allow about 2.5 hours (total) for tour and return to the kiosk.
THURSDAY, 3 JUNE - Durango Day
As stated above, the cost of the tickets for the Railroad has increased significantly so we are planning two different options.
Option 1 – Durango/Silverton Railroad –
Take the train both directions. If you chose this option you will need to take the train back or hitch a ride with someone who is driving. You will have time to have lunch and walk around the town. The lowest price is the Vintage Coach .You can either make your reservation online or you can call then at 970 247 2733. Booking online is at www.durangotrain.com/skyway.”.
Nancy has 6 seats back from Silverton and 6 people needing rides back right now. If you have not told her that you will take someone back, or if you are looking for a ride, please tell Nancy.
Option 2 –Drive to Silverton and go on the “Old Hundred Gold Mine Tour” www.minetour.com/
Those driving will leave the RV Park at 9 am. It is a beautiful drive to Silverton. It should take about 1 ½ hours. The tour at the mine starts at 11:30 am and costs $22 for seniors.
The Old Hundred Gold Mine Tour is a one-hour guided mine tour and takes you 1/3 mine into the heart of 13,000 foot Galena Mountain where you can follow the vein and see real mining equipment in action. Pan for real silver, copper, and even gold and keep what you find. Best of all panning is FREE with your ticket purchase.
After the mine tour, you can lunch in Silverton and return back at your leisure.
Rod and Nancy will stay back at the campground and will walk the dogs at whatever schedule needed. That way you can stay in town after the train ride if you want to.
In the evening, we will go to the Bar D Chuckwagon for dinner and entertainment. You do not need a reservation. They are going to sit us together and people will just pay when they get there.
Bar D Chuckwagon on Thursday Night
They will sit us all together. We just need to be there at 5:30 and tell them you are with the “Red Rock Rovers”. Each person will purchase their own dinner ticket when they get there. Right now, they are holding 30 seats for us. I can reserve more if needed.
More info at www.bardchuckwagon.com
FRIDAY, 4 JUNE – Canyon of the Ancients Day
Dogs are permitted on all of the trails on a leash.
9:00 am – Leave for our visit to the Canyon of the Ancients.
Details at:
https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/colorado/canyons-of-the-ancients
Olio Dinner on Friday Night
We now have a menu and a price. Each course has two choices. Nancy will need to know if you want to go AND what your choices are. This will be intimate, so she would not suggest you attend if you have not been inoculated. There is limited seating so she may need to restrict the number of people that go.
COURSE 1
Smoked Trout Galette on Local Arugula Salad with Caper-Sultana Vinaigrette
OR
Piquillo Peppers, stuffed with Duck-Pistachios-Idiazabel Cheese on Local Sprout Salad
COURSE 2
Colorado Bison Filet with Black Currant-Green Peppercorn Glaze and Mushroom Bread Pudding
OR
Colorado Rainbow Trout with Lemon-Garlic Shrimp, Basmati-Quinoa Pilaf
COURSE 3
Chocolate Silk Pie with 5 Nut Crust, Berry Coulis
OR
Lemon - Blackberry Tart
Cost: $65 per person. DOES NOT include drinks, tax, or gratuity
www.olio-mancos.com
SATURDAY, 5 JUNE – Open Day
9:00 am – Group Pancake Breakfast. Bring a side dish to share (serving for 8).
Open day – Return to Mesa Verde or any other location you wish. Suggestions are as follows:
More tours at Mesa Verde:
Balcony House, Adventurous Cliff Dwelling Tour, 9 am to 5 pm, every half hour. This one-hour, ranger-guided tour involves climbing a 32-foot ladder, crawling through a 12-foot long tunnel, and climbing up a 60-foot (20m) open rock face with two 10-foot (3m) ladders to exit the site. The tour begins at the Balcony House parking area, a 25-mile (40.2km), 1-1/4 hour drive from the Visitor Center.
Pinkerton Hot Springs, https://vacationdurango.com/blog/pinkerton-hot-springs/
Henry Strater Theater, https://henrystratertheatre.com/
SUNDAY, 6 JUNE - Rally ends
Safe travel to your next destination
Summer Rally – Butte and Anacoda, Montana – August 3 to 7
We have selected the Fairmont RV Resort in Anaconda as the location for the rally. The Park is now closed but you can make reservation online. Rumor is that the owner is in St George for the winter.
Anaconda, county seat of Deer Lodge County is located in southwestern Montana. Located at the foot of the Anaconda Range, the Continental Divide passes within 8 mi south of the community.
The RV Park is located between Butte and Anaconda. To make a reservation, go online to https://Fairmontrvresort.com. There are plenty of spaces with several options. Make your reservation for 4 nights starting on August 3 and departing on August 7
Just a block away is the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort with Olympic-sized heated swimming pools, a waterslide, tennis courts and a golf course. Their 18-hole golf course is one of the most challenging in the state! Experience it for yourself and save some money. RV guests receive a 15% green fee discount card for the resort.
Options for rally activities include the following:
Visiting the Nez Perce National Battlefield Sites
Visiting the World Museum of Mining with an underground tour of a mine
Visiting the Dumas Brothel Museum
Visiting the Copper King Manson
Visiting the Mai Wah Museum which documents the Asian People’s history in the western United States.
Fall Rally – Flagstaff / Williams, Az - September 21-26
The fall rally is planned for September 21 through the 26. The location of the rally is the Railside RV Ranch in Williams, Az. You can check out the rally location at www.railsiderv.com.
For reservation you will need to call 928 635 4077. Ask for Tamarra and calling in the morning is best. Leave a message if she is not there and tell her you are with the Red Rock Rovers. The cost is $51.09 a night and the rate includes the 12% tax. The sites are 65 feet long and 25 feet wide and are level pull throughs.
Please email Nancy at LudmillaLilly@outlook.com when you have reserved a site.
There is an open barn with garage doors where we can have our pot luck opening and our pancake breakfast. There is a central wood fire pit.
The activities in Williams could include:
Driving to the Grand Canyon Village/Grand Canyon Railway to the Grand Canyon Village
Visit the Williams Depot
Visit the Planes of Fame Air Museum (knowing Nancy and Rod we would know that is on the schedule)
Visiting Bearizona Wildlife Park
Traveling the Beale Wagon Road Historic Trail
Visiting the Kaibab National Forest Petrogliphs
Traveling the Forest street on top of Bill Williams mountain
Activities for Flagstaff (33 miles down 1-40) could include:
Visiting Historic downtown with the railroad station
Taking a ride on the Arizona Snowbowl scenic chairlift with a possibility of seeing fall colors
Visiting Heritage Square
Visiting the Museum of Northern Arizona
Visiting Walnut Canyon National Monument
Visiting Wupathi National Mounment
Touring the Lowell Observatory
Visiting the Riodan Mansion State Historic Park
Optional visit to Sedona (60 miles)
More details will come later.
Winter Rally – Pismo Beach – November 17 - 22
We will be staying at the Pismo Sands RV Resort. A good rate was secured for the group. The reservations will have to be made through the wagonmaster. The chapter has put down a deposit and at an appropriate time, you will need to send a check to the chapter for your individual reservation. That is the way it is in Pismo Beach.
Put the dates on your calendar and keep an eye on the newsletter. We have the option of staying two additional nights before and after for the group rate. It is almost a 20 percent discount.
The agenda for the rally is as follows:
Tuesday, Nov 16
Arrival at Pismo Sands RV Park
It is a two day trip to Pismo Beach as the distance is about 525 miles. A favorite park for the mid trip stay is the Orange Grove RV Park just this side of Bakersfield (400 miles). All sites are large pull through with 50 amp and full hookups.
An alternate if you want to split the drive more in half is the KOA in Yermo, Ca (around 285 mi). Should you decide to stay at the KOA in Yermo, Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner is a fun place to eat. It has a huge parking facility to handle the many trucks and RV’s that stop to eat
Opening Social at 6 PM. We hope to have the use of the Club House for our finger food gathering.
Wednesday, Nov 17
Visit the Danish Town of Solvang
www.solvangusa.com/explore-solvang/what to do
Take the horse drawn trolley that offers a tour of the town ($10.00). That is a good way to scout out points of interest that you want to come back to after lunch.
Solvang Restaurant
1672 Copenhagen Dr #2759
Charming, family friendly spot serving Danish eats including aebleskiver, a Dutch jam-filled donut.
Succulent Cafe
1557 Mission Dr
Locally focused cuisine, quality wines & housemade charcuterie are hallmarks of this tasteful spot.
Copenhagen Sausage Garden
1660 Copenhagen Dr
"Overall, a great place for fast, friendly service and great food."
After lunch here are some recommended places to visit:
Solvang is known for its Danish-style architecture and many wineries.
The Elverhøj Museum of History & Art explores the city's Danish heritage through personal stories and photographs.
The Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum exhibits dozens of classic American, Japanese and European motorbikes.
The Old Mission Santa Inés is an early-1800s Franciscan church.
Thursday, Nov 18
We are trying to arrange a tour of Vandenberg Air force Base. We are holding this day if we can fulfill that option. Communications with the Military during the pandemic has been limited.
If it can be arranged we will have lunch at the Air Force Base.
Friday, Nov 19
Group Breakfast at 9 am in the Club House. The traditional pancakes will be provided. Each rig should plan on bringing a breakfast dish of meat, fruit, eggs, or something special to enjoy.
Tour Hearst Castle – following breakfast we will drive to visit Hearst Castle. There are several tours so if you have been before, select another tour.
http://www.hearstcastle.org
On the return to camp we will stop and see the annual Elephant Seal migration near San Simon
https://www.nps.gov/articles/2019-2020-elephant-seal-season-in-full-swing.htm
Saturday, Nov 20
Visit the Monarch Butterfly Grove. It is a very short drive from the RV Park
https://www.experiencepismobeach.com/beach-and-outdoors/monarch-butterflies
Open day – There are several short drive options to explore
Drive to San Luis Obispo and visit the quaint downtown shopping area and visit the historic Spanish Mission
https://www.slocity.org
Drive to Morro Bay. This is a unique waterfront community and a good place to have lunch.
https://www.morrobay.org/things-to-do
Group Dinner at 6:00 pm in the Club House
The chapter is furnishing the Main Course. It will be Clam Chowder from the Splash Café, an award winning restaurant (note the description below). Bread Bowls will also be provided. Individuals should plan to bring a salad, fruit, or dessert to share.
Why Splash Cafe Clam Chowder?
Splash Cafe has been a favorite destination in Pismo Beach, California since 1989, specifically for our award-winning clam chowder. We have received requests from Gourmet Magazine as well as Bon Appetit Magazine for our clam chowder recipe. We make our clam chowder fresh from scratch everyday in our cafes. Our customers drive from cities 145 miles away to come to our cafes for our fresh clam chowder. No wonder we serve more than 30,000 gallons of clam chowder per year between the two cafes!
Sunday, Nov 21
Departure