Road Trip: Colorado or Bust! Part 1: Planning, Prep, and Trip Tips!

Dan and I have also wanted to go to Colorado for many years: Dan because he was stationed there while serving in the US Army many years ago and wanted to return, and I, as my grandfather, the fine artist, Yasha Rivkin, had painted a number of beautiful paintings at The Garden of the Gods around 1900, making it a place I have long wished to see in person: 

And as we are both “railfans” who love train travel, we also wanted to take at least one of the many excursion trains Colorado has to offer, as well as enjoy some of the state’s many wineries, distilleries, and brew pubs, and unique Colorado things, such as historic gold mines and hot springs! And so, last year I began collecting tourism publications on Colorado, and Googling, and signing up on Colorado tourism websites, and joining blogs and forums, amassing quite the Colorado Dream Trip File! But the COVID fiasco intervened, and resulted in the cancellation of some of our travel plans, and Colorado got put on the back burner… But then, in August, the possibility of a cow elk hunt in Colorado in December materialized, AND our BFF agreed to stay at our Inn and care for our pets while we were away, and it truly seemed like all our Colorado and Elk Hunt stars were aligning… and so we booked the “once in a lifetime” elk hunt we’d long dreamed of!

Oddly and interestingly, although COVID wreaked havoc on our business this year, and forced us to cancel and change many things, including travel plans, we had a wonderful Caribbean cruise on NCL in January (my blog post on “railfanning” the Caribbean: https://southernwestvirginia.blogspot.com/2020/03/railfanning-caribbean-barbados-st-kitts.html) prior to COVID, a great 9-night West Virginia Road Trip in July: (https://southernwestvirginia.blogspot.com/2020/07/west-virginia-road-trip-part-4-cass.htmlis my 4^th post in this 5-part series), and this 3 week hunting Road Trip out to Colorado in December- so we actually wound up traveling MORE this year than we ever have before! And that was a great, good thing, too, as COVID restrictions forcing us to to turn away guests at our Inn all year was absolutely devastating, and the trips we were able to take truly helped us keep our sanity!

After speaking with the elk hunt outfitter and being assured that his cow elk hunts were “99% successful”, and that a 3-day hunt was “more than sufficient” for a successful hunt, (and also that the hunt would be largely done by vehicle, as we’re not kids, and hiking for 11 hours a day in the wild isn’t something we can- or want to- do, at this time in our lives), I booked a 2-cow elk hunt for us for December 4-6, arriving on Dec. 3, at a cost of just under $6000. Due to my young age, LOL (I was born in 1959), I had to pay for, take, and pass a certified Hunter Education Course in order to purchase a Colorado elk tag, and, thanks to COVID, Colorado is now providing the course online. I took it and passed it, and got my Orange Hunter Card! (Dan, born in 1946, was exempt from that requirement). The course was actually quite interesting, and although I have hunted, successfully, I learned a lot of things! After I passed the course and got my certificate, the outfitter then gave me the lot numbers for his land, and I was able to buy us two cow elk tags from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) for $500 each. 

Our original plan was to take Amtrak from West Virginia to Colorado, which would have entailed a two-night trip with a stop in Chicago. Although way more expensive than flying, at over $2000.00 for two nights in a small “Roomette” that is so tiny that Amtrak employees refer to it as “the coffin”, I thought it would be romantic and fun to take the sleeper, and enjoy some (hopefully) fine dining, as well as the glorious views along the way, without the stress and aggravation of driving or flying… We thought we’d rent a vehicle in Colorado, and then either ship the processed, frozen elk meat from our hunt home and fly or take Amtrak back, or buy a freezer in Colorado and drive the rental vehicle home. But after 5 full days of trying to make a reservation with Amtrak, and being given wrong information by every single Amtrak employee I spoke to, we realized that Amtrak was, quite apparently and very deliberately, making it absolutely impossible for hunters to take their trains. The issue was our rifles, which we had to have for the hunt, and while Amtrak states on their website that firearms can be checked as baggage in locked, airline-approved cases (which are not cheap, and which we bought, specifically for this trip), their website gives no specifics; when you click the link for more information nothing happens- it was clear that everything concerning transporting firearms has been removed from the Amtrak website. Not one Amtrak employee I spoke with over the course of 5 days, including Supervisors and Mangers, could or would give me straight, factual answers, or provide anything in writing stating the rules and regulations that had to be followed to legally transport a firearm. Instead, in addition to all the misinformation, I was finally told I would have to drive 6 hours to an Amtrak station in northern Virginia, where the firearm information was supposedly posted! After 5 days of calls, and being connected and rec-connected to an endless number of Amtrak employees, all of whom gave me different and conflicting information- and refused to provide anything in writing- I gave up- literally in tears. I then contacted UPS and FEDEX, in the hope that we could ship our rifles to Colorado, either to one of their offices where we could pick them up, to the outfitter, or to a hotel where we would be staying, but that turned out to be impossible, as well. I then called the airlines, including Delta, and got the same, loosey-goosey run-around, with no specifics (“contact TSA” was their answer to everything I asked, and the TSA’s website information is loosey-goosey, as well), and nothing in writing or online stating actual rules and regulations for legally transporting a firearm. It became crystal clear that no one wanted our money or our business, and that the only way we were going to get to Colorado with our rifles and be able to hunt was if we drove our 230,000 mile pick-up truck there and back. Which is what Dan wanted to do, anyway. LOL(This was actually the same reason we wound up doing a month-long Road Trip across the USA to B.C. Canada to hunt in 2013, hauling a 7-foot freezer in the back of our pick-up truck; that turned out to be the only way that we could take our rifles, and definitely get the meat back home without it spoiling).

Dan likes to drive- thank goodness- and we do enjoy Road Trips, which enable us to stop along the way to see and do interesting things on the spur of the moment, but he was also convinced that driving would be cheaper. Riiiiiight…

Once we had decided that we would be doing a Road Trip to Colorado and back (and would be gone about 3 weeks), the next thing we had to do was buy a “camper top” for our pick-up truck- which cost the same $2200.00 that Amtrak would have charged us for a 2-night trip. LOL

Then Dan had to get the truck checked out and serviced to make sure it would make the trip (and yes, we have AAA https://www.aaa.com/AAA_Travel/Travel/travel.htm– and wouldn’t dream of driving anywhere without it), and we had to buy a freezer for the elk meat we intended to bring home- and in The Era Of COVID Shortages, that proved to be quite the challenge! We spent several weeks- literally- trying to buy a freezer, both online and at an assortment of brick-and-mortar stores, including Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Lowe’s, as well as amazon, eBay, and others, but no one had them in stock! Every time I had one in my online cart, it would mysteriously vanish the second I pressed the “Buy It Now” button and be “out of stock”! (There was one seller on amazon who had a freezer for sale, but he was in the Ukraine, and we wouldn’t get it until Feb. 2021. LOL) We finally snagged a 7-cubic foot chest freezer for $199.00 at a Rural King https://www.ruralking.com/in Wytheville, Virginia: while Dan waited in the parking lot of the Bluefield, WV Rural King (where they didn’t have one in stock), I managed to buy one online from their Wytheville, VA store, after which Dan immediately drove there and picked it up! Phew! (And YAY! for Rural King!)

The next thing we had to do was buy a number of things that the outfitter recommended, such as camo leg gaiters (which we never used, LOL), rifle scope covers (which we had to ditch as they kept falling off and getting in the way), a shooting stick (which broke almost immediately, and which we thus didn’t have, and didn’t need), Blaze Orange hats and vests, which are required in order to rifle hunt elk in Colorado, and some new hunting duds, including Glommets (glove/mittens), long underwear, socks (Heat Holders are wonderful!), a new pair of hunting boots for Dan, targets for practice, eye protection and ear plugs, bullets for both rifles, and Scent Killer wash and spray… I also bought us two “Ghillie” masks, figuring that if we were forced into wearing masks on this trip at least we’d have really cool (and hilarious) ones… 

And then we had to practice target shooting with our rifles, as we hadn’t used them since the 2013 hunt! 

As we live in the Extremely Rural mountains of southern WV where there are no ranges, we did what we, and everyone else around here, does, to practice target shooting: drove up into the mountains, found a place in the middle of nowhere with a good backstop, taped up our targets, paced back 200 yards, and shot, standing, kneeling, or prone- after which I posted my good, “center mass” targets (I had bought a couple of elk targets to augment the standard, circle ones) on Facebook to impress my friends. LOL Yessiree, ma’am: after 18 years here, this NYC-born gal is now a Real West Virginian! 

(Side note: When we arrived at the outfitter, and asked to sight our rifles to make sure nothing had messed up in transit, he took us to his “shooting table”, which was a table with an attached bench and a gun rest, about 300 yards from a target. I had No Clue how to shoot from a shooting table, having never done so, and I squirmed about, trying to find a comfortable position from which to shoot accurately, while the outfitter acted like there was something wrong with me, and got a Very Concerned Look on his face. I tried to explain to him that in the Army (I was a Sgt. In the IDF, 1984-1986) I always target shot prone, resting on sandbags, and at the range or in the field, always standing up or kneeling, without a gun rest or a shooting stick, and that I thus had no clue how to shoot sitting at a table, but I don’t think he believed me. LOL)

Then we had to pack- and I, as usual, took WAY too many pairs of shoes. LOL Our bulky hunting gear filled one entire suitcase, and we each had a suitcase of other clothes and shoes, a giant bag of toiletries, and boots and coats! Dan was actually concerned that, along with the freezer, we wouldn’t be able to get it all into the truck. LOL

And then I had to map out our road trip to Colorado- which for me is The Fun Part!

Having both Hilton and IHG hotel-branded credit cards had enabled us to accrue a lot of points, and I used the IHG points, and points we had accrued on our Capital One credit card, to book all six nights of our trip out to Colorado, saving us well over $1000! We couldn’t leave until Nov. 27, and had to be at the outfitter near Meeker, Colorado on Dec. 3, so I planned our six-night trip there using mapquest http://www.mapquest.com, as I usually do, with approx. 4 – 5 hours of driving each day, basically taking I-70 due west. (Yes, you can do it a lot faster than that, but that’s no fun- especially as you get older- and we like to be able to stop when we discover cool things along the way, such as historic sites and museums, as well as wineries and distilleries, and nice restaurants!) I only booked hotels for the 6 night trip out to Colorado, as after the hunt there were things we wanted to see and do in Colorado, such as take an excursion train, and go to the Garden of the Gods, an historic gold mine, and the hot springs, and we didn’t know exactly how long it would take us to get home. On the way back, I was able to use our Hilton Honors points to book hotels as we needed them, using my iPhone. 🙂 

Packed up and ready to go, I went to the salon (Beauty Concepts in Bluefield, WV https://www.beautyconceptswv.com/ is my new favorite salon here) to have my hair cut, and treated myself to a pedicure, and Dan went to the barber. Thus made suitably Vacation Spiffy, we celebrated Thanksgiving with our BFF and his son, and the next morning, with the freezer, our rifles, and suitcases loaded on the truck (and yes, everything fit, LOL), we kissed our dogs and kitty on their noses and headed west!

Next: First stop: Kentucky and the Distillery Trail!

Road Trip Tips:

• Use your hotel point credit cards to accrue points- and use them! Don’t let them sit there until they expire!! We are primarily loyal to Hilton properties (Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, etc.), and IHG (Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Intercontinental, etc.) at this time, as we have enjoyed many years of using their frequent guest programs and credit cards for free hotel stays all over the world, as well as throughout the USA, and have credit cards for both, which allow us to accrue points even when we’re not traveling. Hotel-branded credit cards often give sign-up bonuses, too: the American Express Hilton card gave us a sign up bonus of 100,000 Hilton Honors points, which covered 5 nights of hotels rooms on this trip! We also used points we had accrued on our Capital One credit card for two lodgings in Colorado: a fine, “boutique” hotel in Denver, and a lovely B&B in Grand Junction.

• As you plan your trip (I use http://www.mapquest.com, and I make an old fashioned “calendar chart” on paper with a pen, Luddite that I am), look up the places where you will be stopping online, and do internet searches for unique, independent lodgings, such as bed-and-breakfasts, historic inns, hot spring hotels, etc., as well as cool things to see and do. We stayed at two hot spring hotels in Colorado, as well as a lovely B&B. TripAdvisor, airbnb, and many other sites list unique lodgings. One of the sites I love to peruse is “Roadside America”: https://www.roadsideamerica.com/ which has tons of cool, and “off-the-beaten-path” things to see in every state! TripAdvisor and Yelp are great for finding attractions and restaurants on the road. State and city tourism websites are excellent sources, as well, and many states have winery, brewery, and distillery websites (Distillery Trail is a good one, too: https://www.distillerytrail.com/) and maps, as well as special pages and sites for music, the arts, outdoor activities, history, etc. Researching your trip takes time, but this really is The Fun Part- you basically start enjoying your trip the minute you start planning it!

• Have TWO map apps on your cell phone. One for the route to where you are headed that day (such as your lodging), and one to find cool stuff along the way, such as historic sites, museums, wineries, distilleries, breweries and great restaurants! While Dan drives, I “ride shotgun” and hunt for cool things to see and do on my iPhone!

• Take “old-school” paper maps of where you will be going, and paper copies of all your hotel reservation confirmations, etc. Do this even if you have “everything” on your cellphone. You WILL find yourself in places with no cell phone reception and no internet access. Trust me!

• Take a notebook or a journal, and a pen. Trust me!

• Have at least $200 in cash, as well as credit cards. While paying by credit card is often the best bet, there are times when it isn’t, or isn’t even possible, and you will want and need cash for tolls, tips, parking meters, and other things. Trust me!

• Get AAA coverage for your vehicle, (this is non-negotiable as far as we are concerned), and then get the free AAA Guide Books for all the states you will be traveling through. They have great information, list excellent restaurants, and provide hotel ratings and details, such as if the hotel has an electric outlet for plugging in a freezer… something that even hotel staff don’t often know! The AAA books were absolutely indispensable for our Canadian Road Trip, as our GPS surprised us and didn’t work in Canada! Many hotels and attractions also give discounts for AAA members, as well. Whenever we pay for something I always as if they have a discount for seniors, military, or AAA members- and most do!

• In addition to your toiletries, vitamins, medications, etc., buy, and take with you, every OTC (over the counter) medication you think you Might possibly want or need, such as Pepto-Bismol, Imodium, Senokot, Advil, Benadryl, iodine, tea tree oil, etc., as well as bandages, duct tape (a MUST for any road trip!), a sewing kit, etc. That way you won’t need any of it. 🙂

• Given the COVID situation and the constantly changing rules and regulations, openings, and closings, CALL every place you want to go, and speak to a Real Person before you book! Do NOT rely on website information, as many websites are not being kept updated, and the information on them is often inaccurate.

• My best Travel Beauty Tip is to use the sugar packets you will find everywhere in lieu of sugar scrub! Sugar is an excellent and gentle exfoliator, and it’s one less thing to pack!

• Buy things you can eat and drink as souvenirs to take home. That way you can extend the fun of your trip by eating and drinking them, remembering all the cool stuff you did while gaining weight. LOL Wine from wineries, booze from distilleries, local honey, oils, hot sauces, condiments, candies… you get the idea! My other favorite souvenirs are books, and locally made art and crafts, especially by artists and craftspeople we meet and get to know…

• Yes, you can do a road trip wearing a pair of sweatpants, a fleece, and booties every day, but that’s no fun! Take (and wear) the nice clothes you rarely get to wear, and makeup, and have some fun dressing up for dinner- and reminding each other of why you fell for each other in the first place! 🙂

• Once you get home, take the time to review all the wonderful places you’ve been, and all the great things you’ve done, eaten, drank, or seen on TripAdvisor, Yelp, and other review sites. As we know, having an historic inn in West Virginia for 18 years, great reviews can truly help businesses, especially small businesses, many of which are literally struggling now simply to keep their doors open. Do NOT bother to review places you didn’t enjoy. Let it go! If we have a problem somewhere, we take it up with the manager or owner of the property right then and there, and almost always get it resolved. If not, when we get home I contact the owner in writing, and again, almost always get the issue resolved. For that reason, I have well over 100 reviews on Trip Advisor and they are all 4 and 5-star ones, with photos, to prove we really did the things we reviewed!

• Travel with an open mind and as few preconceived notions as possible, remain flexible and optimistic, don’t live in fear or sweat the small stuff, and- most importantly- HAVE FUN! Once you hit 50, almost everything you do seems like a “bucket list” event, so we try to glean as much fun and joy as possible from all our trips!