Travelogue

As we crossed the Rockies and descended into the plains, we knew we had left the West behind. There was no gradual transition between mountains and grasslands, but rather it felt like a switch had been flipped. All of a sudden, everything had a different feel to it. Gone were the snow-capped peaks, rugged canyons, and rushing rivers that accentuate the West. We were in the Great Plains now with it seemingly endless miles of grasslands and farms.

We drove a few hours to the town of Fort Morgan in the northeast corner of Colorado where we found a very pretty city park that allowed overnight camping. There was a large pool, complete with waterslides, open to the public and recreational facilities such as tennis, volleyball, and basketball. Unfortunately, we arrived as the pool was closing for the day, but it still was a very pleasant place to stay.

A very interesting phenomenon took place that evening after the sun set. As we finished our dinner, Herb noticed that there was quite a bit of traffic going past our RV, which was parked on the loop road inside the park. Eventually, we began to recognize the cars going past and the loud Latino music emanating from their speakers and realized that they were driving round and round the loop, circling the park as if they were in some sort of parade. They weren't speeding or making trouble of any sort, but just slowly circling the park in their souped-up cars.

Finally we realized what was going on. This was some kind of mating ritual in which the male species circled the park showing off their cars in an attempt to attract the female species. It was like watching a National Geographic documentary.

That night we were lulled to sleep by the rhythm of Latino music and finely tuned engines. I'm not sure how long the parade went on or what the outcome was for the participants, but it certainly provided us with an interesting insight in another culture. That's what makes traveling to different places so much fun.

Description

Fort Morgan, located east of the Rocky Mountains in northeast Colorado, was originally founded in 1864 as a military post to protect travelers on the Overland Trail. Today it is a shipping and distribution hub for the agriculturally rich area surrounding it.

Right off I76 is a very pretty city park-- Riverside Park and Canfield Recreation Area--with picnic areas, volleyball, basketball, and tennis courts, a playground, and a swimming pool open to the public. The park also offers free overnight camping.