We fought some major wind (gusts as high as 55mph) through Kansas – wind so bad we had to pull over and take a break for a few hours. Once the wind subsided a bit, we were ready to drive over the border and be done with Kansas forever. Lucky for us, we gave Kansas another chance and camped in the Cimarron National Grasslands.

We arrived in the dark after missing our turn, driving down a long dirt road, and awkwardly lumbering around the completely unmarked Cimarron Recreation Area to find a campsite. Looking for places off the beaten path frequently results in this kind of wandering for us, but it’s not quite as easy to casually explore in the RV. And we still haven’t solved the low-clearance issue our towing set-up has produced, so our tolerance for bad roads is close to zero. Once again, we had the whole place to ourselves. What are we going to do when other people are camping?!

We spent the day enjoying our surroundings thoroughly. We planned for our next few days in New Mexico and did some other reading. Between the two of us, we explored on foot, by mountain bike, and by dirt bike. Luna explored too and learned that she can’t cross a cattle guard successfully – she gets a lift over. Just picture Katie trying to heft her across a cattle guard gracefully – it’s funny to watch, I’m sure. Homer found a new spot to bask in the sun, and he gradually changed his position all day to find the sunniest, warmest spot in the RV.

The blue sky here is so bright, and it makes us anticipate even more the blue sky we’ve read about in New Mexico. I’ve overexposed my pictures a bit by mistake, but that gives you a more accurate feel for what it is like to look around. The landscape at first appears to be very monochromatic due to the season. But as you stare out at your surroundings, you start seeing pops of red and green in the brush, their colors mixing with the blue sky to create a stark winter palette. It’s quietly beautiful, and we can’t believe we’re the only ones here to enjoy it.

We head for New Mexico today!