Royal Gorge in ColoradoWednesday June 7 through Friday June 9 2006: Pueblo, Colorado (On I-25 100-miles north of the New Mexico border). We are in Pueblo West Campground N38° 20.522 W104° 43.097'. Pueblo West Campground is located on US-50 about 5-miles west of I-25. It is totally gravel with huge pull-thru sites (trees are limited); 50-amps, water and sewer, $20 per-night 719-547-9887. This is a campground and equestrian facility. After checking in to Pueblo West Campground we jumped in the Saturn and headed to Canon City and the Royal Gorge. We drove out to Royal Gorge and found that the bridge we had heard so much about was a tourist attraction. The road ended---into the turnstiles of an amusement park, of sorts, with the Royal Gorge Bridge as the main attraction. We got out in the parking lot to see what the situation was. We found out it costs $21 to get into this "attraction" when all we wanted to do was just see the bridge or walk on it. I had never seen a bridge that cost anything like $21 to cross, it just didn't make sense. Something was wrong or at least it seemed to be wrong to me. As it turns out the Royal Gorge Bridge is a tourist attraction not a State/Federal bridge constructed for traffic. The bridge across Royal Gorge was built as a tourist attraction that is why it cost $21 just to get close enough to see the bridge. You can do more for your $21 than just see the bridge. There is a zoo, a tram ride across the canyon, an inclined RR that carries passengers down the side of the canyon 1,000 to the bottom and the river that are included in that $21 entrance fee. We decided that we were not going to spring for $42 just to walk on that bridge across the gorge. Chickasaw Nation Tour Bus at Royal Gorge
A mile or so from the Gorge we stopped at a narrow gauge RR that would take you out to the Royal Gorge where you could see the Royal Gorge Bridge, the Canyon and the Arkansas River that runs through the Canyon. It was only $9 a head so we took it. We got our moneys worth on this ride. I think we were the only people on this narrow gauge RR with small open cars that were not with a tour group of Chickasaw Indians from Oklahoma.
Chickasaw Nation Tour Bus at Royal Gorge
The Chickasaws told us that the Tribe owned 6 luxury busses and 3-air craft. One of their traveling companions had fallen ill (altitude sickness) and the Tribe sent one of those air-craft out to pick up the woman and take her back to Oklahoma. Without talking to the gregarious group and them telling us we never have suspected that they were a group of Indians from Oklahoma. They looked like every other tour-group that we see except this group was extremely nice.
Arkansas River at bottom of Royal Gorge
That $9 narrow gauge RR carried us out to the canyon so we could gaze down into the yawning cavity carved out by the Arkansas River. While we weren't at the highest point of the "Royal Gorge" we were within a mile or so of the Royal Gorge Bridge that we had intended to walk out on.
Royal Gorge Bridge
This is a picture of the Royal Gorge bridge constructed as a tourist attraction taken from our seat on the narrow gauge train. Royal Gorge & Arkansas River
This is a picture of the Arkansas River in the deepest part of Royal Gorge. That is RR tracks you see running down the left side of the canyon very near the river. The canyon gets so narrow at one point there is absolutely nothing for the RR to build a bed on so the RR engineers constructed a bridge comprised of those two steel beams that you see extending from one side of the canyon to the other. The train tracks are suspended above the river for a 100-yards or so hanging from those two steel beams. We are going to ride that train tomorrow and get a close up view of that unique RR Bridge.
Click here to read our Travel Adventure on the Royal Gorge Train
Pinion Pine on the summit of Royal Gorge
While just outside the "tourist park" at Royal Gorge we pulled off in a picnic area where we saw this pinion pine.
Tumbleweed at summit of Royal Gorge
This tumbleweed was with the pinion pine at 6,000' elevation or somewhere close to that. We have always seen them at much lower elevations.
When you are visiting Royal Gorge make sure you drive your automobile over the exciting Skyline Drive between Royal Gorge and Canon City. Click here for some Colorado travellogsUntil next time remember how good life is. More Colorado AdventuresAdventures by State ** More 2006 Travel Adventures
Mike & Joyce Hendrix
Mike & Joyce Hendrix who we are We hope you liked this page. If you do you might be interested in some of our other Travel Adventures: Mike & Joyce Hendrix's home page Travel Adventures by Year ** Travel Adventures by State ** Plants ** Marine-Boats ** Geology ** Exciting Drives ** Cute Signs ** RV Subjects ** Miscellaneous Subjects
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