LOCATION: Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. 20 miles south of Rock Springs, Wyoming
CAMPGROUND: Firehole Canyon – National Forest Service. Surrounded by unique rock formations and a view of the reservoir. Paved sites with great shelter with picnic table. Great firepit. Surprise – flush toilets and hot showers. No water or electricity. Dump station. $11/night with senior pass. 5 stars out of 5!
WEATHER: Sunshine again!!! High 70. Low 38
DRIVE: 1 hour
We joined many other RVs, all in a parade leaving the KOA with a fairly early start. Our destination was this recreation area near Rock Springs that we had heard about.
It is a “first come – first served” campground. Even though it is Friday, it was practically empty – due to its remoteness and the fact that we are beyond Labor Day. YAY!
The geography is very interesting. It almost looks like Texas – very barren with sage bush.
The storm we drove through a few days ago hit here, too. There were a lot of trees that had blown down. The trees are Russian olive trees, but look and burn like mesquite.

The sites are a bit different….each one has two camper slots with two shelters. Not really wanting to share a site with anyone else, we selected a site that had a tree down on one half.

We got busy sawing dead limbs from the tree down at our site. We got enough for a fire tonight and tomorrow night.

We took a 2.5 mile hike around the lake. We saw a lot of deer or elk prints and holes that honey badgers had dug. We spotted the 3 resident deer who live in the campground.

I started the day with 4 layers of long-sleeved shirts and sweatshirts. By midafternoon, I was down to one t-shirt! Amazing how it is warm but there are still bits of snow. (George is still wearing his much beloved long johns!)
I threw this snowball at George!

After relaxing in the afternoon, we built a fire in our firepit, and enjoyed some peanuts and a beer while gazing at the dramatic landscape.
This is the view from our campsite mid-afternoon…

Then, the same view around sunset….

DINNER: Spaghetti and meatball. Using the last of my world- famous Nick Stellino meatballs (which I had frozen), I baked it with cooked pasta, onions, mushrooms, and garlic. I topped with mozerella and parmesan. I added a few dollops of pesto, since I don’t have any basil. As the evening was cooling off, I baked in in the oven to add warmth to Joy. Side was a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and baby spinach. Nice!
BOOK: “Melancholy Baby” by Robert Parker. Since we don’t have electricity, my tablet (with my e-books) is running low on battery, so I read this paperback that I had picked up along the way. Typical Parker, this detective story grabs you and is an easy read. 3 stars out of 5.