Yet another return stop for us in Colorado. We’re going to explore some new places around this state eventually… I swear. Somehow we ended up taking the same route through Colorado as we did last year, and so far that has meant a series of return stops. Which really isn’t a bad thing. As much as we love exploring new places, there’s a certain comfort that comes with returning to a familiar location. One where you already know how to find the grocery store, the recycling center, and the frozen yogurt shop.
Our site at Peak One CG on the shores of Lake Dillon
This year we snagged ourselves a site with a lake view at the Peak One Campground. It’s a very popular spot and the only reason we got a site was because I reserved it months ago. The campground is pretty basic with no hook-ups, no showers, and no dump station. The sites are spaced well, but fairly small. All of this combined means that we saw more tents, pop-up trailers, and small campers, than what we typically see at the average campground.
Some tent neighbors
The major difference between this year and last year is that we now have bikes, which means we got to enjoy some of the many, many trails in the area. Our first ride was on the Perimeter Trail that follows the edge of the lake and then climbs over the hill behind us to make a nice 8ish mile loop.
Biking along the lake
The trail started off as an easy single track with gorgeous lake views. As we rounded the point and passed the Pine Grove campground things got a bit more difficult. The grade increased and we soon found ourselves biking up a very narrow, rock filled trail with a scary steep drop off down to the lake on one side. I did not get any pictures of this section becuase I was so focused on staying on the trail and not hitting any rocks that picture taking was not an option. At the top we were rewarded with a wonderful lake view.
Our reward after the climb
From there we continued around the lake, dodging rocks and branches, and occasionally stopping to enjoy the view.
More lake views
For our second biking excursion we drove over to the dam and hoped on the paved bike path. The path travels over the dam, past the Dillon Marina, and alongside the lake shore.
Biking over the dam, past the marina and along the lake
After passing the lake we continued riding all the way to Keystone, passing by housing developments, a golf course, the Snake river, and finally arriving at the ski village where we had a not very good, over-priced lunch, and then headed back. The ride clocked in at nearly 20 miles total, and since it was a gradual uphill nearly the whole way from Dillon to Keystone (all at an elevation close to 10,000′), the return journey was much quicker and more enjoyable.
On the way to Keystone
Biking alongside the the lake is all well and good, but as everyone knows the best way to enjoy a lake is to actually get out on it. Lucky for us, we were offered an amazing opportunity to do just that. New blog reader Bill had just discovered our blog and was delighted to learn that we were right down the road from his home in Breckenridge. Even better, he keeps his sailboat in the Frisco marina about a mile away from our campground and offered to take us out for a ride. You don’t need to ask us twice!
Bill’s boat, the Drop Shadow, is the one at the very end of the dock
We met Bill at his boat and were quickly taken with his friendly out going manner, and enthusiasm for life. He’s one of those people who immediately makes you feel at ease, and if we had any doubts about going on a sailing adventure with a complete stranger, they were quickly erased in the first few minutes of meeting him.
Captain Bill
Bill has a long history with both sailing and traveling, and right now is in the process of arranging his life to make more travel possible. He’s well on his way and we fully expect to see him out here on the road someday soon.
Beautiful day for a sail
We’re constantly amazed by the incredible people who we’ve met in our travels. One of the reasons why we decided to take on this nomadic lifestyle was to get out of the rut we felt our lives had fallen into. Same routine, same circle of friends, same weekend activities…same, same, same. It was enough to bore anyone. While we still have our boring moments (when we’re not doing the fun stuff you read about here, we’re pretty boring), we find ourselves expanding our horizons, trying new things, and best of all meeting new people. New people who we might never have come across in our former lives. Neither of us are very adventurous when it comes to meeting new people, but begin nomadic has forced us to step out of our comfort zone, reach out to strangers, and interact with all kinds of folks. As a result we’ve met some truly amazing people. People like Bill who invite two complete strangers to spend the afternoon sailing with him.
Tim took the tiller and captained the boat for a good portion of the journey
We had a great time sailing around the lake and chatting about all things related to traveling. Bill, like most travelers who we meet, has a similar outlook on life as us, and as a result we had a ton to talk about.
Out sailing
While we’re not yet ready to trade in the RV for a boat, it was really great to get out and enjoy the water. We spend a lot of time near water, but seldom do we get to get out on it, so this was a special treat for us. Thanks again Bill, and we look forward to bumping into you somewhere down the road.
16 comments
WOW! What a serendipitous meeting that was! I am an avid sailor, parked here at the gateway of the San Juan Islands looking out over what must be 500 masts, and I can’t get a ride. You, on the other hand, manage to attract one just by writing a friendly blog. I obviously need to expand my readership. LOL! Very nice experience, and beautiful photos.
I like to think it was pure luck. We spend a lot of time parked near water, and are always jealous of the boats. This is the first time we’ve ever been invited to go out on one!
I recognized that very campsite and wondered how you managed to snag it. We’ve discovered we enjoy returning to places. We really liked our stay in Dillon and hope to make it a regular stopping point. Awesome that you got out on the water. :-)
I think I booked that site way back in April. Good thing because the campground was very busy. We really like that area too. Just the right mix of convenient stores and easy access to hikes, bike trails and water.
Did you guys get affected last week with micro bursts on the lake during the races?
That happened on Thursday and we went on Friday, so lucky to miss them. Bill was telling us how tricky the winds can be on the lake. We had a few gusts that leaned us over pretty well with just the jib up.
Great photos! I spent quite a bit of time around Dillon as a kid. My grandparents had a condo in Dillon. It is high on my list for when we hit the road full time…
There are quite a few campgrounds in the area which makes it a great spot for RVing. Just be sure to make a reservation, because it sure is a popular area!
What a great post as we are heading into Colorado next month for a wedding! I could totally relate to your priorities of grocery store, recycling and yogurt shop :) but mostly about being in a rut in your lives and wanting to mix things up a bit. We would also consider ourselves introverts so meeting new people is not the easiest thing for us, or at least until we started on this journey. I think it is perhaps that most everyone we have met on the road has common interests and we don’t have to explain this crazy wanderlust we have. We hope to meet the two of you out on the road someday.
You’re totally right about having common interests. We’ve found that it’s really easy to hang out with other travelers because we automatically have so much to talk about. We hope to meet you too as well. We’ll be in CO until the end of September. Not sure where the wedding is that you’re attending, but look us up if we’re nearby.
I love all of your photos! I started following you guys a while back after looking for other full timers. My husband and I are hitting the road next month and one of the places I’m looking forward to the most is CO!
Also do you guys have a public instagram? I enjoy the recaps and would love to follow you!
Hi Kate! Congratulations on your upcoming departure. We love Colorado and think it’s one of the best places to spend the summer. We have 2 Instagram accounts – amandaswander and wandering_tim. We both post lots of travel photos.
Lake Dillon is such a special place to me. That was our vacation destination for many a summer as a child. My father owns a townhouse just above the marina. You rode past it if you followed the lakeside trail. That area is so familiar to me in both the summer and winter. However, I have never experienced it with the Airstream. We will be there next summer to launch into a western trip. I am glad you are enjoying your time in Colorado and experiencing the lake from a sailboat is definitely the way to go.
What a great place to vacation as a child. We love this area. I saw the townhouses by the marina on our bike ride. A very convenient location. Be sure to make a reservation well in advance when you bring the Airstream here next year. Seems that the campgrounds fill up fast!
I think we’ll be checking out some of your favorite spots next summer. :)
You should! We still have a couple more boondocking spots that we hope to discover in the next month. Colorado has quickly risen to the top of our ‘favorite places to spend the summer’ list.