https://www.mountainviewsrv.com/

Lily’s first visit to Creede came early in the season—so early that many places hadn’t yet opened. Bill was sick at the time, but Lily and her friend Lindsey graciously helped us unpack, lending a hand during those initial hectic days.

Eager to share Creede with Hunter for his first visit, Lily planned a return trip centered around the July 4th celebrations. During their stay, they ventured out daily in the Side-by-Side (SxS), soaking in the fresh mountain air. One day, we borrowed a friend’s SxS and joined them for a scenic ride to the Continental Divide. The ride was beautiful until the skies opened up with pouring rain about three-quarters of the way up. At the top, clouds masked the majestic mountain views, but the adventure was still memorable.

On July 3rd, Bill and Karen attended a BBQ Smoking class hosted by Mountain Views RV Park. The class, taught by Chris Marks of The Three Little Pigs BBQ https://bbqspot.com/pages/three-little-pigs-chris-marks, was a fun learning experience filled with flavorful techniques and tasty tips. Chris sent all the participants a Power Point presentation with his techniques. He has several YouTube videos.

Lily wanted to take Hunter to Love Lake, they took the SxS and we followed them in the truck.

July 4th was the heart of their visit—a full day of celebration, friends, and festivity. The morning began with the parade winding through the park, followed by the main parade downtown. Parking was nearly impossible, but our friend Carol kindly offered her driveway, sparing us from shuttle delays.

Later that afternoon, our wonderful neighbors, the Stines, invited several couples for an early BBQ. Everyone brought sides, the food was delicious, and the company was even better.

That evening, the park hosted live music featuring John King https://www.johnkingcountry.com/. He performed last year too, but this time—on the July 4th holiday—the atmosphere was truly magical. We danced on the grass under the open sky, surrounded by mountains and laughter.

The evening ended in spectacular fashion with a fireworks show over the river, hosted by the Park. We watched from the Moreau’s’ home, enjoying desserts and time together with Lily, Hunter, and good friends. It was a July 4th to remember!

On their last full day, we drove to Pagosa Springs. Lily and Hunter rented floats and water shoes through Pagosa Adventures, the same outfitter Lily had used during her earlier visit with Lindsey. It was a relaxing and fun way to wrap up their Colorado adventure.

Papa has always loved floating the river, so he could not resist sitting on a rock with his feet in the nice cool river water.

Early Sunday morning, they packed up and headed back to Fort Worth. Just a few days later, on July 9th, Lily underwent surgery for a Phyllodes Tumor. Praise God, the surgery went well. Although the tumor was larger than expected, the surgeon believed it was benign. Praise God we recently got the official pathology report that confirmed the tumor was not cancerous.