Cool-O-Rado

Beautiful escape and excellent hospalitity!

Gary was the beat host ever! When we arrived, it was raining and he was waiting for us outside and guided us to our spot and made sure we had everything we needed. He had a large fire ring right near our camper. It was so quiet and peaceful. We also saw deer each day near our camping spot. The location was perfect as we were within 45 minutes to Durango where we rode the train and right down the road was a beautiful clean lake where we caught huge rainbow trout and we also floated in the lake and paddle boarded. Just be sure to bring your own floating devises. We would love to come back again! Thank you Gary for such a wonderful stay!!!

Cool boondocking site and host!

Cool-o-rado definitely lives up to it’s name. It’s off the beaten path and quiet and cool! Gary and Maggie are wonderful hosts, full of information about the area and fun to talk to. Their dog Nina got along great with my dog Honey and we had a great time exploring the area. Highly recommend!

Best part of our 10 day trip. A must visit!

The host, is wonderful. His place is magical, wish we could have stayed longer. We were a bit lost, and instead of just giving us directions, which he had already done, he came on his ATV so we would not get lost further.

The only regret, we should have stayed longer!

Awesome host and visit

The site was lovely and the host was most gracious and welcoming. He was polite and professional and provided great recommendations for activities in the area. We had a few conversations and he is one fascinating person who has lived and continues to live a full life. For me it’s the people who make or break an experience and he hit it out of the park! I’m so glad he was so generous to offer his land and his great personality!

Beautiful space to spend the night!

Very gracious host, had a great conversation with him. Made us feel very welcome and at home. Would definitely stay again if we were in the area.

Lovely stay

TravIngary was friendly and welcoming. He has a lovely spot to camp in and was great to chat to. Many thanks!

Great experience

The host has a beautiful place in a quiet neighborhood. He was very accommodating and fun to get to know. Highly recommend!

Great spot, fun host

Enjoyed my stay, it's a beautiful location and the host is communicative, friendly, and enjoyable to talk to. Highly recommend if you're in the area. Thanks!

Beautiful location, friendly host

My stay at Cool-o-rado was very quiet and relaxing. The stream nearby provided lovely ambiance and the lake was only a short drive away. Travlngary was friendly without being too friendly :) I would definitely stay here again if I were in the area.

Return visit

We returned to stay one night and it was again a lovely stay. Gracious host. Beautiful quiet area.

Lovely place to stop and enjoy cool Colorado mountains.

Great directions and lovely drive. Wonderful host. Lots of info on things to do in the area.

Magical

Thank you! I am so thankful that I found this location. Gary was the best host and tour guide!!! I enjoyed hanging out Gary with Nena!!! Gary gave me so many boondocking tips and local suggestions. The property is just magical!!! The creek is just in the back yard and the river was just a short walk away. I keep looking back at my pictures!! I had a fantastic stay and will definitely say I felt like it was my “happy place” !!! Thanks again!!!

Great Location!

Gary was a wonderful host and his little slice of heaven in Bayfield is really pleasant.

One of our favorites!!!

Gary is a wonderful host and has a magnificent property! We will be back.

Beautiful, quiet place with good energy!

This has become one of my favorite spots. Majestic trees, comfortable temps with the host’s good energy/spirit keep drawing me back here. And I love to ride my recumbent trike on some of the back roads.

Lovely stay!

We really enjoyed meeting Travlngary, he shared lots of information and tips for the area. Really appreciated.
Camp spot was level and quiet. We slept very well.
Highly recommend and we hope to return!

Great location!

Beautiful location. Host was very accomodating. Very thankful for the hospitality.

Super Cool-O-Rado!

TravLinGary truly is a “Super Host”... Great location, great stories, and a great guy. And his dog was cute and friendly too. A great stay! Thank you!

Cool Indeed

A fantastic level site, well behaved dog, and an outstanding host. Numerous species of birds around the backyard to observe. Several darn good hiking trails very close are a must to experience. We shared a few memories of times we all spent back in (hot/humid) east-central Illinois.

Quiet and peaceful

After a very scenic drive, our host was waiting outside and directed us to our spot. It's a beautiful area and we enjoyed our quiet and peaceful stay and had a nice chat with our gracious host. We would love to stay there again.

Heaven

Gary's host location is in such a beautiful part of Colorado! His long history of excellent reviews is reflective of his welcoming nature, the location and willingness to share his knowledge of the area with travelling RVrs. He genuinely likes to meet new people and was easy to talk to. We sat on his porch with our dog in the evening and had laughs and great conversation. I enjoyed a brisk swim in the river within walking distance of his home.

The road to the site is dirt and has a few large speed bumps that require a slow speed. The RV spot in his side back yard is mostly level albeit a bit rocky. We had no trouble leveling. Gary provided a nice shaded picnic table and potable water. He has a fire ring but we didn't use it due to the fire hazard warning in the area.

It was great to have a base camp to explore the area. I would not hesitate to return to his home again! Thank you so very much; we hope to meet again!

Nice and Cool-a-rado

We had a great time meeting the host and his well behaved dog.

We arrived during a light afternoon rain. The Host was standing out at the roadside in his rain jacket to guide us in. He was "Outstanding in his own field!"

After settling in, the Host greeted us with a stack of brochures on things to do in the area. We had great weather with a bit of afternoon, mountain rain and nice cool nights. It was super quiet and we slept so well.

Loved the short walk to the bridge, the tour around the lake with stops for hiking, and visiting Chimney Rocks National Monument.

Thanks again for this Host and BW in general. Just wonderful traveling when you get to meet and stay with real people.

Short but sweet.

Gary met us at the drive and let us know where to park and the best way to do it. We set up camp and unfortunately there was a heatwave at the time and we could not get our camper cool enough to work in daily. We decided to pack up and move to a campground with full hookups instead. He was very understanding and gracious, we would definitely try again maybe a little earlier in the season next time.

Awesome

Gary is the best. He was out but we got there early stopping at a lake near by. He honked as us as he drove and we followed him on into his place. Amazing! We got a tour of his log cabin house. Be sure to see the cool carved pictured he has. Later he knocked and wanted to ask if we wanted to go with him and his dog. We have lots of things in common ....retired military and his winter house is like an hr from our house. Definitely will be back again

Quiet spot in the woods

Travlngary was very accommodating to us as a very relaxed and friendly host. This is a great location in southern Colorado for those who are looking for some serenity.

Fabulous!

Very gracious host. Really enjoyed our conversation around a bonfire one evening. Gorgeous mountain valley with lots of spruce and fir trees with some Ponderosa. Spotted a deer in the yard one morning!
But I screwed up when I took a few minutes to connect my tow car to my rig on what was the neighbors property. Should have done it out on the main road which wouldn’t have been a problem. I have, of course, apologized.

Amazing host

Gary was an awesome host and his place was beautiful. Would definitely stay here again if ever in the area.

Great Experience!

This was our first time using Boondockers Welcome. Travlngary met us upon arrival and directed us to the lovely site he has created next to his home. It was so nice and level that we didn’t even need to unhook! He took time out of his day to chat with us and provide these boondocking rookies with some much-needed information. Thanks so much for a great experience!

Cool-o-Rado!!!

Travlngary was warm and welcoming. We enjoyed our visit to Cool-o-Rado. Great neighborhood along a river. Very peaceful!

Awesome, awesome place!!!

This was our first Boondockers Welcome stay. We had a wonderful time. Gary gave great directs to his place. It was so beautiful and a very nice camping spot. Travlngary was so very nice and very knowledgeable of the area. Highly recommend and hopefully we will be back.

Nice Cool Respite

Travingary provided a large area which was easy to park our travel trailer. It's peaceful at his property and there is a nice stream that could be heard from our site. The temp in Durango was in the low 90's but about 10 degrees cooler at Travingary's place and it cooled down nicely during the night in July. Travingary was a great host and provided some pamphlets with info on the local area. Pay attention to his directions to make the turn into his neighborhood. I would definitely stay at his property again. Thank you!

Ultimate Stay

Within an hour of parking on a perfectly level spot near his gorgeous cabin in the secluded pines off a quiet road, 3 deer walked by the back of my RV on their way down to Grimes Creek about 50 feet away. Somehow I feel Gary choreographed that! I'm not sure if it was the 8000 foot elevation or the wind in the tall pines or the sound of the rushing creek or the cool night mountain air or the safe haven that Gary provides, but I'm sure I've never slept so well! We enjoyed great conversation and he is full of great tips for activities to do in the area if you don't just want to sit and chill in this little spot of heaven on earth! He and little Nina, his sweet little dog, are such perfect hosts, I didn't want to leave!

Another Great Stay!

This is the second time and the second place I’ve stayed with Travingary. Both were great experiences. One in Texas and now in Colorado. Absolutely loved both times. Gary makes the process as simple as possible and is a GREAT host. Hope to see you again soon, Maybe even in Florida at my place!!! :). Thank You Thank You!!!!!

A real treasure; special host and special,place!

This was my first visit to the Rockies and frankly I didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t sure what hauling a 30ft. Fifth wheel would be like and it was not that easy! Long and short of it, I changed my plans three times at least between when I first requested and when I arrived! Gary was flexible and understanding. When I finally got to his place; I was so happy I came! It was just what I needed. Wild, safe, friendly and so, so beautiful! I asked if I could stay the weekend and Gary agreed. He showed me a great hike, and suggested some day trips. Well worth the trip! Thanks Gary!

Cool spot to relax or explore.

Our host was very accommodating and we sat on his deck and had some good conversations about all kinds of traveling experiences.. He had two different spots to park, we chose the grassy area behind his house. The location is kind of remote but close enough to Durango to make day trips. There is a huge reservoir and some off road mountain trails nearby to explore. We had beautiful weather with nice temperatures at night to sleep by. Would highly recommend if your looking for a peaceful and laid back location.

Welcoming host

Gary is a kind, respectful and courteous host. I met some of his friends/neighbors and everyone made it a highlight of my journey. I'm thankful to have met them all.

So very patient and helpful!

Gary deserves the most patient boondockers host award. After arriving a few days after our original planned arrival date, and then our truck breaking down once we got there, he was so gracious in letting us stay till the truck was fixed. Not only that, but he even recommended a great local mechanic who did an awesome job. We had everything we needed, and it was in a beautiful location not far from San Antonio (which we thoroughly enjoyed our time in!) We definitely recommend Gary as a host.

Most excellent host.

Gary and Maggie were amazing. They helped us out at very short notice. They're easy going and lovely people, in a peaceful location close to San Antonio. We hope we can return the favour one day.

Great beginning for me and Boondockerswelcome!

Gary was wonderful! Shared great experiences and a most welcoming atmosphere. I hope to also boondock at his cabin in Colorado later this year. Great place to stay and see San Antonio.

Gracious host

Gary was very hospitable. It was a pleasure getting to know him and his friends. A quiet street and a great location. 100%

Another great visist

Another great stay.. even though we were late, he was waiting... will be sorry when he sells.. a REAL GREAT HOST

Quiet Country Stay

Gary welcomed us on our arrival and gave us lots of parking options, even staying to help direct my husband as he backed our big rig into place. He was very flexible and accommodating, and we really enjoyed chatting with him and Maggie. Thanks so much for another great stay!!

Excellent host

Gary greeted us, made us feel at home, and helped us find an ideal spot. It is quiet and peaceful yet close to San Antonio attractions. We would love to return some day.

Very pleasant stay

We had great experience with Gary. Even though he wasn't home when we arrived, he made sure his other Boondocking guests showed us exactly where we could park and gave us all the tips that Gary mentioned to them. We then had the pleasure to meet Gary on our second day when he stopped by and had a very nice conversation. We can really recommend his spot, he truly is a superhost and one of the very first members as well. Thanks again Gary, and we hope to see you in Colorado when we pass through.

Great spot and host.

We had a wonderful stay at Travlngary’s. Great spot, Travlngary was a gracious,helpful, and friendly host. Lots of birds and wildlife to see on a quiet residential road. We walked and biked road, great place to do that. Highly recommend this host.

Such a gracious host

Gary was really great after changing the dates and times of arrival due to longer stays in other places. So nice and we learned so much about boondockers welcome. Really nice guy. Good luck out in the mountains Gary. 🤗

Warm and welcoming

Gary was a very gracious host. Had a few date/time changes and he was very accommodating. This was our first stop with harvest hosts and we love it. Nice to connect with other on the adventure.

Great Host

Gary and Maggy are great hosts. Gary is a wealth of information.
Thanks so mcuh

One of the friendliest hosts we have ever met!

It was a pleasure to stay at Gary's place! He came out to meet us, show us where to park, made sure all our needs were taken care of, and told us about the rodeo that was happening in San Antonia while were going to be in the area. We were so glad he did because we ended up going and having a fantastic time!! We thoroughly enjoyed our conversations with him and loved the property - out in the country and so quiet. We would highly recommend Travlngary - we would go back in a minute!!

Great Country Stay in Texas

We had a great stay with Travlngary. He was out of town during our stay but made arrangements with a neighbor to assist us upon arrival. Very quiet country location. Deer were present each evening. Gary provided electric, water and sewer for our use. Would recommend this location for a boondocker visiting the area.

Awesome, friendly, kind, generous man is Mr Gary...

Our very first Boondockerwelcome experience, with a seasoned host, who has had many guests. Found out he is from our home state, no wonder. We visited a couple times, Gary was under the weather some, and still went out of his way to open the gates for us. After reading the reviews, I knew to expect being welcomed, but wasn’t aware Gary lost his wife. Wonderful spot, we didn’t use any hookups, we don’t want to bother anyone. So enjoyed the life journeys Gary had, and his future endeavors. Thanks so much Gary, hope to see you again one day! PS, added one more night...no problem!

Nice host, great boondock space

Had a couple of hours chat with him. Very nice boondocking spot with full hookup

Great Hill Country Spot

What a great little spot! We were last minute scrambling for a place to stay near San Antonio. Travlngary quickly responded and invited us to stay. Quiet spot about an hour from the city. She took good care of us including full hook ups! What a gem! Thank you so much for everything!

Thanks!

We loved to stay by Cary on his beautiful and quit place. Drink a glass of wine and had nice talkings of our travels and lives. Thanks Gary and hope to see you again!
Johan & Loes, The Netherlands

Short notice, great host!

We only contacted Travingary the day before. He was really quick in his response and we had a great stay in Texas. Thank you for your hospitality and the nice talk.

Wonderful Host!

This was our first BW stay and it was a totally positive experience. Gary went out of his way to make us feel welcome. We had lots of great conversation and he even showed us his cool cars! We could not have asked for a better experience. Thank you Gary for your kindness!

friendly folks

30 miles out of San Antonio this is a nice place to park for the night....listen to the birds and watch deer and enjoy the company of some great people. We really enjoyed our visit with them. We hope to see them in the fall again. Thank you and many blessings.

Doesn't get better :)

My wife and I just had a marvellous 2 night stay with Travlngary, the location is close enough to San Antonio but so quiet and peaceful!

We hadn't slept this well in a while, with the sounds of critters at night drifting through with the cool breezes. We didn't use any of the hookups available but for us it was a great bonus to spend some real time hanging out with our host and neighbor and the resident pups -

Thanks so much!

Wonderful folks

We dry camped in the front pasture on this quiet slice of heaven and were made to feel at home. Our hosts are charter members of Boondockers Welcome, and they were warm and hospitable. Django, (our furbaby) enjoyed making friends with theirs, and we were sent on our way with some of V's homemade, delicious Greek pasta salad and fresh fruit.

We'd definitely recommend staying here if you're in the area.

Awesome

Incredible to stay on one place, visiting San Antonio with hookup.
By sunset we saw deer, we heard coyotes, and turkey
We had some nice talks with our host, so for us it was a perfect stay.
Thanks
Mia & Clemens

What an amazing experience!

This was such an amazing and wonderful visit. I really enjoyed meeting these beautiful people! And their property is gorgeous, peaceful and serene. I'd highly recommend stopping in for the night to say hello!

Wonderful first boondocking experience

We had the pleasure of staying two nights at this lovely couple's home. They were very welcoming to both of us and our little fur baby, Charlie... We could not have asked for a better location for our first boondocking experience. Thank you once again, G & V, for your gracious hospitality.

D, D & C
Shediac, NB, Canada

Such a warm Texas welcome

Our time with Gary and Val was very special, we shared stories and Val amazed us with her cooking!
They were helpful with so many things and know the area so well. A great place to stop, we sure feel like we have met some wonderful new friends.

Awesome Experience

Spent a few days with Gary and Val. Their location was very easy to find and parking our rig was so easy. Gary even had the adapter we needed to plug our 30 amp into his 50 amp service. We really enjoyed swapping camping stories and life experiences with them. For a first time Boondockers Welcome site we could not have picked a better place. Thank you so much. Kevin/Nancy

Wonderful Boondockers

We stayed 2 nights with Gary and Val. Had some great conversation, They gave us great advice and maps on things to see in San Antonio.They let us hook into there power and water. Freddy is a sweetheart. We wish them all the best in their upcoming challenges. Alex/Jackie

AWESOME FOLKS!

This was our first experience in boon-docking and after almost becoming permanent yard art in their pasture, Gary and Val treated us to an awesome dinner of chicken enchiladas. What a cook, Val gets a standing ovation from us. The site was level and the hospitality was delightful. What a refreshing and knowledgeable duo. Great food, great conversation and great advise. Thank you both for the awesome experience.

Consumate Hosts!

Val had dinner ready when we arrived........AMAZING COOK, we extremely helpful, and informative with everything during our stay, babysat the dog, while we ran errands AND......sent us on our way with soup, bread and cookies. How do you top that?

Wonderful Hosts

It was a privilege to meet Gary, Val and Freddie. They were wonderful hosts in a beautiful location. They have many experiences to share and they enthusiastically shared as many as time would allow in the two nights we spent with them.

Great location

While we only stayed the one night we appreciated the opportunity to stay here and the arrangements our hosts made to allow us to stay here. A special thanks to "Maggie" for looking after us. Very peaceful and quiet spot.

A Perfect Place to Visit!

Gary and Val are super hosts and live in the most perfect place ever! Nestled into the woods, yet so close to many places worth seeing. They shared their unique home, a meal and most importantly their RV experiences. Their stories have given me the confidence to continue my travels. I was invited to stay longer and wish I could have. Sure hoping they'll have me back again sometime!

What a great welcome!

We stayed with this host for 2 nights and would have love dto stay longer. Very welcoming couple and a convenient place to stay for visiting San Antonio.

Exceptional!

Val and Gary took great care of us, Val even stayed with our kids for a day so we had much needed break... The location is also perfect, beautiful and peaceful and yet not far from San Antonio.

It doesn't get any better

The hospitality shown by Travlngary was amazing! To say we became friends is not true - we fell in LOVE with this couple! With so many rave reviews and because they're so convenient for visiting San Antonio, I do think they'll eventually have to limit how often they accept guests if they want any time to themselves!

Great place with greater folks

We parked in Val and Gary back yard. loved that we got to put our dogs in the fenced yard so we would set up the travel trailer. We had a great dinner with smoked chicken, salad, Angel eggs, deep fried cherry pies and Ice cream. They gave us great advice on getting our trailer repair. We made some lifetime friends with Val and Gary. We will be going back next winter. Love to All God Bless Grandma Buffy and PaPa Buffy.

Highly Recommended - Nice Country Location Near San Antonio Missions

This was our 1st time using one of the boondocking locations from this site and it was a very positive experience. We stayed at Gary and Val's house in early December, 2012. Gary and Val could not have been more accommodating to us. Not only did Gary mow the grass in the pasture just for us, but Gary and Val welcomed us warmly on our arrival, shared a meal with us and we also spent time sharing stories of our previous travels. Gary and Val have lived a very interesting life and we found ourselves laughing most of the night.

Their boondocking spot was in a level pasture and very peaceful. We have a small rig (21' in length), but the space could easily accommodate a larger vehicle, too. It is only a short trip into San Antonio or the Missions from their location. I would highly recommend staying with Gary and Val. Tell Gary and Val we said Hello when you arrive. :-)

Great Welcome

Only an easy straightforward half hour to downtown San Antonio and all the wonderful things there (less time to the missions) and this is a great country spot. We were in a lovely small meadow not far from the house and our hosts couldn't have been kinder with both info and assistance. Watch out for the jog in the road - their road continues to the higher street numbers after a jog. Turn right, then left. This was our first boondock with the organization - what a standard to set! Super high recommendation.