Clayton Lake SP, Dinosaurs, & a Burglar

[ShallowGal]

Two nights ago we were at Clayton Lake State Park in NM & what a gem it is! It's surrounded by thousands of acres of flat farmland & as you're driving there you don't have a whole lot of hope for it being anything special, but wow, it's a true oasis. A perk are the impressive dinosaur tracks that were uncovered/discovered when the park was established.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, during the night, our truck was broken into. Duke discovered it & said come look at this, something isn't right. Inside the bed of our truck, that was closed up tight all night, was a huge pile of poop. Walking the dogs the night before I'd seen a big raccoon under the camper & apparently he decided to move in where it was warm.

 

After digging around to make sure he was gone, we cleaned up his mess, packed the bed of the truck back up & hit the road. We are now 200+ miles down the road in Dodge City. Duke is doing laundry & I'm deep cleaning the camper. The dogs were tied up to the picnic table & WOULD NOT QUIT BARKING. They could smell the remnants of Mr. Coon & would not let it go, so to prove to them that he was gone, I let them get in the bed of truck.

 

And that's when I realized, we had a hitchhiker. Hope he likes corn.

 

 

 

 

[SeaDawg]

Woa, sorry about that mess! Hope your hitchhiker likes Kansas.

Thanks for the info on the park. looks great!

[Mike and Carol]

Interesting story! Glad it worked out okay... Mike

[topgun2]

I assume that the bandit paid his overnight room bill before he headed into the corn fields? Have the pups stopped barking yet? And just who said that labradoodles were not that bright?

 

Great story! And, that really does look like a good camp.

 

Bill

[theOrca]

That has to be a "male" racoon. He has that "what?" look on his face....

[Ray and Susan Huff]

On 10/16/2019 at 5:47 AM, ShallowGal said:

Two nights ago we were at Clayton Lake State Park in NM & what a gem it is! It's surrounded by thousands of acres of flat farmland & as you're driving there you don't have a whole lot of hope for it being anything special, but wow, it's a true oasis. A perk are the impressive dinosaur tracks that were uncovered/discovered when the park was established.

 

We are now 200+ miles down the road in Dodge City.

Great story . . . . there is a reason raccoons have a mask!

What did you think about Dodge City?  I ask because my dad spent the first 8 years of his life there.  He was raised by his Great Aunt and Uncle who had a dairy/hog farm there.  Dad suffered several bouts of dust pneumonia, as a result of the "Dust Bowl", and the family relocated to California, on the advice of a doctor.  I want to visit there and see if I can find the family farm.  I have corresponded with a lady from the historical society and if we ever make it there, she thinks she might know where it was.  Regardless, it will be fun to explore the historical museum and see what Dodge was like when Dad lived there. 

I love history :) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ShallowGal]

On 8/7/2020 at 9:45 PM, Susan Huff said:

What did you think about Dodge City? 

Unfortunately, it was simply a one-nighter on our way to Wichita to visit family

[Ray and Susan Huff]

2 hours ago, ShallowGal said:

Unfortunately, it was simply a one-nighter on our way to Wichita to visit family

Did you stay in Dodge City?  When I was researching a trip itinerary from Colorado to Dodge City, then south to Weatherford, OK, I found very few campgrounds/RV parks in Kansas.