Day 7 of our Yellowstone Adventure found us headed for Pueblo, Colorado, as we continued to make our way back home. We had been advised to skirt Denver via the E-470 tollway rather than stay on I-25 through the city. The combination of construction work and rush-hour traffic seemed to make the $50 in tolls worth the time saved.

Throughout the trip, we enjoyed views of the Rocky Mountains to the west and rolling grasslands to the east. Also visible from the highway, the US Airforce Academy, at Colorado Springs, with its 17-spired Cadet Chapel. The Walter Netsch-designed building, constructed in 1962, is not only a highly regarded example of modernist architecture but also a National Historic Landmark.

We arrived at Pueblo just in time for sunset. For the first time in many days, we were able to walk the dogs without having to wear a coat or protect ourselves from rain. Ah, simple pleasures.

Pueblo is situated in a “banana belt,” meaning it’s a bit warmer and drier than other cities in the region. Peublo’s location in the Arkansas River Valley, east of the Continental Divide and below the 14,000-foot peaks, makes it an ideal place for more temperate weather conditions.

Pueblo is also known as the “Home of Heroes,” because four Medal of Honor recipients are from there. It’s also a city that’s been visited by more sitting US Presidents than any other comparable sized city in the nation.

Throughout our trip, we learned a few lessons worth sharing:

First, never leave four dogs and a packet of beef jerkey unattended.

Second, Date Night is always special, even in a semi-arid desert.

Third, KOAs are franchise operations, and some owners are more insistent than others about the 11 a.m. checkout. Always be prepared for a hasty departure.