Our first look at the Rockies...

Day 182
9-5-2006
Started: LaJunta, CO
Finished: Outside Pueblo, CO
Today's Miles: 22.0
Total Miles:2516.0


We woke this morning sharing giggles as we watched Lynn performing her daily morning ritual of using the fly swatter to kill every last mosquito and fly that buzzed around the RV over the course of the night. We told her how we do the same thing in our tent each night, and that this far into the trip the walls and ceiling are covered in guts. Such a lovely thought to start the day. Before we packed up our bags this morning we enjoyed a breakfast of eggs and toast and of course a hot cup of coffee for Sheri. Today the "Bullet" moved to another KOA in Pueblo, so Dad Wiest and Lynn packed everything up for the move while we hit the road. We weren't walking long before we came to the small town of Swink. After a short bathroom break we made our way to the next town of Rocky Ford. Both towns have a Swink connection, Rocky Ford was founded by George Washington Swink, and was established in 1870. It originally sat a a busy river crossing that had been named Rocky Ford by Kit Carson. The town later relocated to be closer to the Atchinson Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. G.W. Swink developed Rocky Ford's two main cash crops, melons and sugar beets. The successful growth of watermelons and cantaloupes allowed Rocky Ford to gain the title of "Melon Capitol of the World". The Rocky Ford Ditch was among the first irrigation channels used to help farm the area. The ditch always ran full, shielding local farmers from periodic droughts that plagued local farmers. Founded in 1873, the cooperative ditch gradually lengthened to sixteen miles and supplied 10,000 acres of farmland. The whole town, melon farmers, beef producers, sugar factory, and all else relied on its dependable flows. The ditch is still used by farmers today. Just as we were making our way into the business district of Rocky Ford we heard a loud horn and behind us was the "Bullet", just in time for lunch, and as always a much needed bathroom break. We took the sandwiches that we had packed for the day out and enjoyed eating them at the table on the "Bullet", versus sitting on the ground. Before we said goodbye for the afternoon, Dad Wiest found some scissors and gave Randy a little trim to get his very long bangs out of his eyes. Randy has opted to forgo haircuts and razors for the rest of this journey , but it was getting a little hard to see through the hair that whacked him across the eyes all day. We continued to make our way west after lunch and every once in awhile we would stare off into the distance, waiting anxiously for our first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains. Just when we were thinking our day was coming to an end, there they were in their grandness way off on the horizon. We felt like little kids seeing Disney World for the first time. Randy excitedly tried to capture the beauty with our camera as we both smiled and enjoyed the moment of seeing the mountains for the very first time. We are very excited about the terrain that lies ahead of us as we make our way to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. We spent the night stuffing our bellies full of pasta with Dad Wiest and Lynn and of course took advantage of hot showers and laundry facilities. The next leg of our journey is going to be full of adventure and new scenery and we couldn't be more excited.

Your Friends on the ADT,
Randy and Sheri
Follow our Journey at www.treckusa.com