Mountain West Road Trip Day 3: Sugarite Canyon State Park, NM to Greeley, CO

This entry is written on Friday morning, July 20, but reflects the road trip happenings of Monday, July 16, 2018.  This is my first internet signal in days (which is good).

I guess today had six major occurrences:
1. Packing up at Sugarite.
2. Looking for Harry Potter #7 (The great Google Maps Used Bookstore Hunt!)
3. Uncertainty and circles in Colorado Springs
4. Rocky Mountain National Park
5. Rocky Mountain National Park to Greeley on Route 34
6. Getting to our hotel (only hotel night)

Packing up.  So long Sugarite!  New Mexico - You have a wonderful and friendly State Parks system.

The Great Google Maps Used Bookstore Hunt!

Samuel started the Harry Potter series about 3 weeks ago.  He has been motoring through them.  He had Harry Potter 6 in the car at Saturday's departure and was done.  Reading is/was a good way to pass the time for him in the car on this road trip.  I told him while in Raton/Sugarite that we would look for Harry Potter #7 at a used bookstore and buy it.

We don't know where used bookstores are in NM and CO.  Enter Google Maps.
Raton, NM: Found one.  Didn't have it.
Trinidad, CO.  Samuel found a bookstore.  Began guiding me to it.  I asked for the name of it.  Response: TSJC Bookstore.  Hmmmm.....interesting name.  Help me find it.  We exit I-25, one turn, two turns, missed turn, etc.  He tells me: "Stop.  It's on your right."

We're.....on the campus of Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC) and the TSJC Bookstore is on our right.  Good job Google Maps!  Thanks for locating TSJC bookstore on a search for used bookstores in Trinidad.  We had a good laugh about it, but not before Google Maps directed me into a dead end, no entry street trying to get back to I-25.

Colorado Springs:
We found Harry Potter #7 at a bona fide used book store in Colorado Springs.  Yea!

We hit a WalMart and got some supplies, ate some lunch, etc.

Trying to decide what to do....we left Sugarite a little late and burned 45 min hunting Harry Potter.  We're trying to get to Rocky Mt National Park for the afternoon.  We considered, then skipped, a trip to the Air Force Academy again (we enjoyed it Oct 2016).  We considered, then skipped, a trip to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (we're in the mountains, we can see animals anywhere; plus the hippos and aquatics we're closed).  So, onto Boulder and RMNP.

Rocky Mountain National Park.
Approach, entry, Estes Park, and drive through the park was beautiful.
We didn't have time to do much.  We walked around Bear Lake, hiked to Alberta Falls, and hiked back on Glacier Gorge Trail, then left.

Photographs:

Return Route from RMNP to Greeley.

I think this was Highway 34.  Can't remember exactly.  It was an AWESOME drive.  Sheer towering cliff faces, beautiful stream all the way down, very little construction.  

Ate at Wendy's in Lovedale.  Stayed overnight in Greeley's Country Inn and Suites.  I promised Julie we'd do one night in a hotel to swim, recharge, shower, and get a good night's rest.  That was all accomoplished.