Get some Conejos, pal.

Our goal was to find a peaceful place for a night in the woods.  We were traveling through the Rio Grande National Forest, along the beautiful Conejos River, when we spotted the Aspen Glades campground, run by the National Forest Service.  After talking with some locals about other possibilities in the area, we settled on a spot on the river.  The kids immediately went for a swim, while Karen and I broke out the chairs and ice-cold beverages.

After dinner, we noticed a large number of slow-moving flies hovering over the river.  We watched as the trout broke the water as soon as a fly made an aquatic landing.  Mistake #2:  didn't pack any angling gear.  This was low-hanging fruit.

A camping first for us:  no campfire.  No campfires allowed due to extremely dry conditions.  Of course, it started to sprinkle during our dinner, and we were treated to a double-rainbow just above the evergreens.

It didn't rain much, but the front made things chilly in a hurry, especially without the benefit of one of my roaring "gringo" fires.  Our remote, chilly, and quiet campsite offered perfect conditions for sleeping.