The Adventure: Days 7 – 10 (I Think!)
Time flies when you are on vacation time! We’ve seen much and have put 2800+ miles under our butts! I think this will go down as a “scouting” trip as there are places I passed that I really need to go back to…yes, need to!
I made it to Douglas Wyoming by gosh! I will have to say going through Wyoming is akin to going through Kansas. Mile after mile of field and rock. We have yet to see a buffalo! But we continue to say that the buffalo are disguised as cows, rocks and even the occasional tree…at one point I could have swore one was hiding out in an oil well costume! We’ve had to try to be creative, can’t you tell! It was a long drive across Wyoming. We finally made it to Colorado Springs, I believe, on Saturday.
My uncle Max has been a long time Colorado resident. He lived in Aurora for many years, in an apartment without modern conveniences like a phone. He always used the pay phone down the hall to make calls. When he retired he purchased his girlfriend’s brother’s property in Deer Trail, Colorado…he had to have utilities and when he went to connect his phone he was asked when he had a phone last…in the 1950’s when he lived in Illinois! Fast forward to the present…my uncle Max is 95 years old and his girlfriend Lela is 98. They live in assisted living apartments down the hall from one and other. I was able to spend time with uncle Max. He is still sharp as a tack mentally and so is Lela.
This is my favorite photo of uncle Max. He is smiling; I’ve never photographed him smiling!
While in Colorado Springs, my daughter and I went up to the Garden of the Gods and did a few senior photos. I did not feel well that day. Between the heat and the altitude I think they got the better of me. I always like going to the Garden of the Gods. I would like to visit it in late spring or fall when it is not so hot out.
Libby laying on top of a rock at Garden of the Gods
Monday was a travel day. I decided to go half way to Flagstaff Arizona, stopping in Cortez Colorado. We stopped in Alamosa County in Colorado and payed a visit to the Sand Dunes National Park. I am so glad I purchased a park pass…it has more than paid for itself!
Sand Dunes National Park in Alamosa County Colorado
This was the first mountainous area I traveled through pulling the camper. Traveling Rt 160 while very picturesque, I was not prepared for the 8000 feet in altitude and the ascent and descent that lasted 8 – 10 miles each way! What goes up must come down you know! I had to watch my temperature gauge as it crept up. I found if I lifted my foot off the gas it helped a great deal. It also made me nervous at times when the engine revved to over 5000 RPMs. I would back off again and still it did fine. I made it through the mountains…very carefully! I took it easy on my brakes too! My car has a “gear down” feature and all you do is push a button and it saves a great deal of braking! My one friend says I have a “jake brake” on my car. Whatever it is, it works very well!
We traveled on into Flagstaff today, stopping, of course at the Four Corners Monument.
I’m standing in four states at one time! 🙂
On our way to Flagstaff I saw a few interesting rock formations.
Along Rt 160 in Arizona
Another formation along Rt 160
For supper tonight I decided to use Yelp* to help me pick a place for dinner tonight. I chose the Crown Railroad Cafe. After circling the block a couple of times I figured I’d give it a try. The outside pretty plain except you see the nifty neon Restaurant sign on top of the building. The restaurant is attached to a Howard Johnson that is being remodeled and there are dumpsters in the parking lot. I figured what the heck! Yelp* gave it 4 1/2 stars. The place was very clean on the inside. Reminded me of Mel’s Diner on Alice. It had a model train circling the dinning room along the ceiling. The waitress recommended the burgers and what a treat! Loved it! I can hardly wait to try other local flavors while traveling the area and on the way home via Route 66!
If I was Guy Fieri I’d visit this place. A real Diner, Drive-in and Dive! Great Burgers!
Tomorrow is the Grand Canyon. I think I will travel there in the evening to catch the sunset. Such pretty colors I saw tonight!
The Adventure: Day 1 (or Day .5)
Life is an adventure…Life is what we make it…Go for the gusto! We say the clichés, but do we really mean them? I am going to test out those sayings and keep a positive outlook while on my “great trip out west”.
I’ve always wanted to photograph the Grand Canyon, see the Badlands, visit the Petrified Forest, the Painted Desert, this summer I hope to make it to all of them. To every adventure there is always a beginning.
About 6 years ago I told my daughter I’d take her to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado to do her senior pictures. It is one of those beautiful landmark places I enjoy visiting each time I go to Colorado. The red rock formations are absolutely breath taking! Fast forward to present day.
A week and a half ago I purchased a small, light-weight travel trailer called a Tow Lite…it is a 1994, so I knew it would have a few issues, but over a two week period I figured I could work out all the bugs and have the necessary repairs made to make it “livable”.
The first thing on the agenda was to have the tires checked…it wasn’t going anywhere unless it was safe. All 4 tires were replaced…I took the camper on a “test camp-out” last weekend where I camped for several years and had the “seasoned professionals” give it the once over. I came home with a “new” battery, “new” refrigerator, and a working water heater. The valve was busted in the toilet so I took it to our local dealer for repairs. On my way out to the campground my awning came loose, but the guys locked and tied it for me. I asked them if I should just remove it, but they said since it was locked down it would be fine. I also asked the guys at the RV shop about it and it seemed it would not be an issue.
I had a few other minor repairs and extra add-ons made to make my life easier. I packed my belongings and hit the road.
It takes a little time to get up to speed, but I noticed that once I hit 55 or 60 it rides very smooth. My typical gas mileage of 24 – 25 mpg is now a paltry 15 – 16 mpg….I can deal with it. On the highway it does exceptionally well. I was worried about the turbulence from the semi’s, but It stays in place. I made it to Covington Kentucky…south of Cincinnati Ohio about 5:00pm and of course it was rush hour on a Friday evening and storming, so I decided it was time to enjoy dinner.
We began the last leg of our journey for the day (about 3 more hours) and planned on stopping in Crawfordsville Indiana at the KOA for the night. As I was approaching the 71 – 75 interchange I glanced up into my mirrors and noticed my awning was hanging down! (Insert expletive here). I slowed down and put on my signal so I could get over or off at the exit and find a parking lot to pull off in. Knowing the area well, I took the northbound exit and just as I rounded the curve, the entire awning unfurled, flapping in the breeze! (Insert EXPLETIVE here!)
I pulled off and put on my hazard lights and contemplated my next move. I pulled out my ratchets (Yes, I carry tools!) and started to work on the lock nuts holding it in place. The entire housing the awning “was” connected to had shattered, dry rotted I’m sure, and was hanging by the rope that had it locked into place. I took the lock nuts off the bolts and tried to disconnect the awning from the frame…mind you in the rain, wearing nice clothes and sandals! Many people drove past. I was able to disconnect the one side without an issue, but the other was wedged into place.
I walked over to the car and pulled out my insurance card…thank you Alan Harner for roadside assistance for my RV and was going to make the call when a young man…a very young man pulled up in his little red sports car convertible and asked if I needed help. He would have made my day except for the bulge of smokeless tobacco in his jaw…eew! It was help and he was friendly. He was worried about damaging the awning…”aw shucks!” I told him not to worry about it. He was able to free the other side and he rolled it up, quite neatly for me. We started to load it into the camper and I told him I could raise it up to make it easier.
Being a Hi-Lo Travel Trailer, it raises up. His comment was “that’s nifty!” I secured the rest of the camper and on the road I went again. Being late and dark and having two dogs and my daughter with me, I exercised my rights tonight to spend the night in a Comfort Inn in Crawfordsville Indiana.
We will continue our adventure tomorrow, on to Sioux Falls, South Dakota….I hope!! 🙂
Pam DeCamp Photography 