No, not that Pike’s Peak. This state park is in Iowa across the
Mississippi River from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. It is located on a
high point in Iowa, but not exactly a 14,0000 foot mountain.
What drew me here was the cheap price of camping, compared to a
similar high spot on the same river in Wisconsin. There is no admission
fee to Pikes Peak, and the camping was only $16/night with electric
hookups. But the amazing thing about my visit to Pikes Peak State Park
is that it coincided with a fiberglass camper rally, which I had no idea
was happening before I arrived at the campground.
That’s
me on the left side, still hooked-up to the truck for a quick getaway
to home after a social evening. Everyone was very nice, especially
since I dropped in on their activities without registering beforehand.
Even though the official tours didn’t happen until later, several people
showed me their “eggs.”
The biggest egg was this 1988 Bigfoot Silver Cloud, affectionately nicknamed the “egg carton.”
You
know it’s still an egg because of the belly band dividing the
fiberglass top mold from the fiberglass bottom mold. “It’s got rooms,”
exclaimed the owner.
At the other end of the spectrum were the 13′ footers. The one below
is unusual in that it doesn’t have a belly band. Made by U-haul (not
for many years) the molds run from top to bottom.
Escape
Trailers were well-represented, considering they are made and sold in
the Vancouver, Canada area. This was the original trailer that I wanted
to buy. I still like them a lot, but you learn to love (and hate) the
trailer you’re with. There were also a bunch of Scamps and a couple of
Casitas.
The weather was cold. I ended up wearing two fleece pullovers and my
jacket. Temps fell into the 30’s, and I let my electric heater run
overnight to take the chill off.
Callie and I still had time to check out the trails and views. We
did get a little lost following a ridgeline trail that turned into a
steep descent and eventually a game trail. I think we were supposed to
stop at the bluff before heading down. It was slick and steep enough
that I had trouble on the way down. Going back up, I took Callie’s lead
and used all four paws (hands and feet).
We were up early the next morning, dumped tanks, and headed home. I
had a great trip, but it will be good to be home for awhile. There’s a
bunch of family stuff going on. Julia’s dad and stepmom are moving into
a new, more accessible apartment. Julia got a new Subaru and sold her
old Subaru to my daughter Allie. And spring has finally come to
Wisconsin.
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