This is Tracy, back at the keyboard after John the Rockstar husband Laverty’s Colorado Springs installment. Buckle up—our journey to Raton, NM, was one for the books.

It all began the night before we left when my phone cheerily dinged with a weather alert: flash flood warning in the mountains—aka the exact place we were heading. Great. Naturally, I called the park to inquire, and the lovely human on the other end assured me the area wasn’t prone to flooding. In 25 years, he’d never seen a flash flood there. Comforting words, so we decided to head out as planned. Spoiler: We probably should’ve stayed put.

A Wet and Winding Journey

Raton is nestled smack in the middle of the mountains, which sounds quaint until you’re driving into it in the pouring rain. We left late due to a blown radiator hose, which John, ever the Rockstar, quickly fixed on the side of the road. This delay meant our usual midday arrival turned into a harrowing nighttime drive through dark, wet mountain roads. Pro tip: nothing says “fun” like white-knuckling your way through winding passes while rain pelts your windshield. I should also be clear, the white knuckles were mine, John the Rockstar husband Laverty was calm and confident the whole time.

When we finally pulled into the park around 6:30 or 7 (instead of the planned 2 or 3), the office was still open. The lovely KOA host greeted us with, “Thank goodness, we were getting worried about you!” A warm welcome that was immediately followed by soggy chaos.

KOA: A Glimpse into RV Paradise

This was our first KOA, and I have to say, the setup is pretty stellar. Family-oriented and packed with amenities, this KOA boasted a small store, a playground, a fenced dog park (more on that shortly), laundry, showers, bathrooms, and even propane for our RV tank. That last bit had us especially excited since we’d been limping along on our little tanks for far too long.

Unfortunately, our canine companions weren’t as thrilled. The rain made the fenced dog park a no-go, so we had to drag the chihuahuas out into the downpour for their bathroom breaks. The indignity! Casey acted like we were making him trek through a monsoon, while Finnegan and Auggie gave us their best “this is cruel and unusual punishment” glares.

By the next morning, the rain had mercifully stopped, but the entire park was still a soggy mess. Gigantic puddles dotted every pathway, and the dogs, now professionally grumpy, refused to acknowledge the beauty of the place.

A Comedy of Errors

To cap it all off, we missed the narrow propane-filling window of 8–10 a.m. Despite our best intentions, we left Raton with damp pups, zero propane, and a newfound appreciation for KOA parks. We also left Raton KOA (or more accurately – their guests) our surge protector. In the fuss of a wet departure, it was left connected to the power pole!

Was it perfect? No. Did we laugh (eventually)? Absolutely. Rain or shine, it’s all part of the adventure!