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Bill and Karen arrived in Creede to begin the 2025 season on Friday, May 16.  We left our home on Thursday, May 15 and spent one night in Trinidad as it was getting dark.  Bill began feeling sick a few days before our departure, and by the time we arrived in Creede, he was coughing quite a bit and was feeling miserable.

This early into the season, we had snow flurries and cold temperatures, and we have decided to come later into the season in 2026.

The girls were scheduled to arrive on Monday, May 19, and Karen called them to encourage them to change their travel dates because Bill was so sick by Sunday, the day before.  With this being a new RV for us this season, it was completely empty, no dishes, silverware, pots/pans, absolutely nothing unpacked into the RV.  As much as we attempted to convince the girls this was not a good time to come, they insisted as they had already taken their vacation time off.  As it turned out, the two girls were excellent help in getting everything unpacked and loaded into the RV.  Karen took Bill to the South Fork Clinic on the morning the girls were to arrive, and he was given meds.  He had already started a Z-pak called into the Walmart Pharmacy in Alamosa by our doctor at home, so he had a few days head start on getting better.

The girls helped unpack and in-between work, we threw in some fun time.  They drove the side-by-side ATV (SxS) to town and walked around, and a few days later we took them through Bachelor Loop in the truck. 

We visited Love Lake, one of Lily’s favorites.  Bill and Karen drove the truck, taking the dogs along for the day, Lily and Lindsey followed us in the SxS.  It was a nice day, having packed a picnic lunch, watching the dogs explore the area off leash since there was no one else there, and the girls enjoyed taking the drive in the SxS.

This time of the season is early for Creede, as many of the restaurants were not open yet due to, they are seasonal.  We ate out twice, having to drive to South Fork for Mexican at Ramon’s https://ramonssouthfork.com/ one night and at Mountain Pizza https://mountainpizzataproom.com/ the second night.  None of the museums or mining tours were open when the girls were here, not even the World’s only Underground Firehouse.  Most of the public tourist events don’t open until after Memorial Day.

The girls really had fun taking turns driving the SxS up and down a very tall, rough riding, challenging hill off of Bachelor’s Loop. We played with the dogs out in the open field close to the hill while the girls took turns taking the fun, exhilarating ride.

Lily enjoyed visiting Pagosa Springs on an early visit.  One day, Bill stayed at the RV to continue to heal, and Karen took the girls to Pagosa.  We had booked a river float trip for them that began at 2 pm on Thursday, their last full day in Creede.  The South Fork river float trip that Lily and Addi had previously taken was not open for the season yet. 

We left early enough to drive a short distance through Platora Reservoir, looking for the field of wildflowers where we had taken pictures on Lily and Addi’s previous visit, but no field of flowers found.  Karen took them to Big Meadows Lake, a favorite place to take visitors, and on the way to Pagosa Springs.  The truck that stocks this lake had just finished up stocking and people were fishing on the bank.  Bill and Karen say every year they are going to go there and spend the day fishing off the banks one day.  Former Pastor, Bro. Hutson, had told us this was his favorite place to fish when he visited us in Creede a few years ago.

Lily and Lindsey thoroughly enjoyed their river rafting, Lily believed it was more fun that the one she and Addi had taken out of South Fork.  After the river rafting, we hit a few shops and enjoyed ice cream before heading back to Creede.

Overall, the girls had an enjoyable time, and we thoroughly enjoyed having them.  Bill was feeling better after about 7-days on meds.  Unfortunately, it was contagious, and Karen came down sick with the same symptoms, took the same meds, and was over it within a week’s time.

“A moment lasts all of a second, but the memory lives forever.”