Off to see the Rockies

August 7, 2008 (Sorry for the delayed post…)

Denver, CO

The baseball team, that is, not the mountains.

On Thursday, we packed up early and headed for Denver. I'd bought tickets for a Rockies baseball game from StubHub.com (they resell tickets in a controlled environment). Even though the weather was threatening, we were lucky enough to have variable sunshine for the game. As it turned out, we could have stayed for the second game of a doubleheader, but chose to head back. Denver is about 75 miles from here, and the pups had been alone all day, you know the drill…

We easily found our way to the stadium (I'd driven or rode by there numerous time when I was in Denver for w*rk) and followed the signs until we found the official parking facilities. I'd done some online research and knew that there was close-in disabled parking for $10, so we bypassed all the guys waving flags into the $20 lots on the side streets. Driving into the city was interesting, since I'd never been to the south and come in on I-25. Ask me the shortcuts from the airport (a $50/25 mile cab ride to the northeast of downtown), and I'm your guy. Initially, I took cabs from the airport until I realized that it was less than half the cost to rent a car compared to two cab rides; cabbies taught me the shortcuts.

We found the parking area, and were able to get a spot 2 rows away from one of the stadium entrances - excellent! We had plenty of time, so we meandered toward our seats slowly, getting the flavor of the park. I thought it reminded me most of Camden Yards in Baltimore, although I've heard that it's quite similar to the new park in Philadelphia (we never got to that one when we lived there, unfortunately). As we walked along the concourse, we knew we were in the right general area, but couldn't seem to find signage toward our section, so we asked for help from a guy "guarding" the entrance to an escalator. He pointed us through a set of doors and up another escalator to the "club level" - excellent, again! This level is right over the lower grandstand, and we were just past the home dugout on the first row. Food and drink? No problem; there's a guy who will take your order and credit card, and bring it right to you. Not bad seats for $38!

Even though the Rockies lost to the Nationals (of all teams), we had a pretty good day. In spite of the forecast, we ended up in the sun for most of the game. I should have taken Geri's advice and dressed for warmer weather. We had some rain on the way back to Colorado Springs, and the obligatory thunderstorms in the evening when we were back. No matter, all in all it was a good day...

Here's a short video, too!

Some lagging picture updates

August 8, 2008
Colorado Springs, CO

Here are some picture updates that I've been meaning to post for a while now. Sorry for the delay!

Al's birthday in Connecticut

Our visit with Mike and Susan in Illinois

Up and at 'em

August 6, 2008
Colorado Springs, CO

After an early night yesterday, we were both up early today. It's strange that we can feel the effects of the time zone changes (we're now in Mountain Time - we crossed in western Kansas even though I'd thought that the time changed at the Colorado border) after driving as opposed to flying, but there you have it. We left the Eastern Time Zone on Thursday and have gained two hours, and everything's off. Of course, it could be the altitude as well.

This morning, the pups got a good walk on a complete circumnavigation of the park. We're staying at a place called Garden of the Gods RV Park, so named because of the local park of the same name, just a few miles north of us. We took a quick ride through the park today and found it to be a miniature version of the Sedona area with lots of red rock formations. We'll stop back later in the week with the camera for some close-ups, maybe when there are fewer tourists (I really don't like taking pictures of landscapes with lots of people in them.

I made a quick run to the local Home Depot today for a more permanent patch for the leaky water pipe and some other hardware. Before we left CT, I fashioned a prototype of a laptop stand that'll allow me to use the computer without monopolizing the dining room table. Version 1.0 was OK but not as stable as I'd wanted (and I can't afford having the laptop take a tumble) so I revised the way it is attached to the wall for v1.1 and it's much better. I'll continue to play around with it until we're back in AZ for the winter, when I'll build V2.0 from maple (to match the coach woodwork) instead of plywood.

This afternoon, we made a trip to the local Camping World store for a few things. Primarily, I wanted to pick up a new water pump since I've bypassed the accumulator tank (where the leak is) and there are variable speed pumps that are quieter, stronger, and demand-sensitive (i.e., don't need the accumulator). I'll swap pumps during the week (the old one will make a good emergency backup, and the fittings are all pretty much standardized) when I get a chance.

Tonight, we made a cod with mushroom recipe, substituting sea bass (frozen and not the greatest), coupled with risotto with mushrooms and peas. It was pretty good but not the best rendition we've ever had. They can't all be home runs, I suppose.

Speaking of home runs (what a clever segue!), tomorrow's plan is to drive up to Denver (about 65 miles) for an afternoon Rockie's baseball game at Coors Field. If the weather holds, it should be fun. I got the tickets a few weeks ago at stubhub.com for a pretty good price. We have tickets to see the Diamondbacks when we're back in Phoenix in early September for Geri's dental work, as well.

The rains came later tonight, starting around 8:15 PM MDT, and it's been coming down pretty heavily since then. Both dogs are hiding out somewhere; they're not in their usual spots. DirecTV is losing the signal and I put the iPod on for some music. We're finishing our wine and it looks like another early night. Of course, I've got a sink full of dishes to do first; better get going...

"Pikes Peak or Bust"

August 5, 2008
Colorado Springs, CO

We saw a car pulling a travel trailer in a rest area with this slogan painted on the window. It looked like a family on vacation from New York (based on the license plate). This slogan dates back to the gold rush days, when people used the trails that became US-40 and eventually I-70 to migrate westward. I've never had a particular burning desire to visit Pike's Peak, but this is a good stopping point on our trip west as well. It'll allow us to spend a few days and acclimate to the altitude (over 6,000 feet) before we head to Durango next week.

We rolled into Colorado Springs (in the shadow of Pike's Peak) in the afternoon, just ahead of the daily thunderstorm. Apparently, like a lot of places we visit, geography plays an interesting role in weather. Here, warm air rides up over the mountains, meets with cooler air aloft, and dumps rain on the eastern side, also known as the "front range". We didn't realize how much we'd climbed from the plains in Kansas until we got here, since everything appeared "flat". At times, I could feel the thin air in my breathing, so I knew we'd climbed somewhat. On the other hand, I had it in my mind that Colorado Springs was lower than Denver by 600-800 feet. I had the difference right, just backwards!

The rain didn't start in earnest until after we'd done a "full deployment" (hookups, slides, grills, outside lights, etc.) since we'll be here for a week. It didn't slow us down any since a) we came prepared with dinner already made (thanks, Mike, for the lasagna!) and b) we are road-tired after a couple of days on the move. We'll be calling it an early night...

Baby, it's hot outside!

August 4, 2008
Salina, Kansas

Today was a generally uneventful driving day, and we're at our scheduled overnight stop (another Flying J truck stop). We got an early start and essentially had no traffic all day. It was a short hop down I-55 and the combination of I-270 and MO-370 took us around St Louis and onto I-70 with no problems. Early in the day, we usually check the state of the world according to XM Radio by listening to CNN Headline News and The Weather Channel for a while. What do you know: there's a heat wave! You'd have thunk we were in Phoenix, except it might actually have been a couple of degrees hotter here. We ran the generator and the roof air conditioning most of the day (the dash A/C works up to about 85°F, then it just can't cool off the whole inside of the coach), and every rest stop was like walking into a blast furnace upon opening the door.

The outside sensors on the coach indicated temperatures between 103°F and 106°F, but they're notoriously unreliable because they pick up heat sources from the motorhome itself. It was so hot that we threw an alarm on the tire monitors for high temperature (I have it set to alert me at 160°F), but everything seemed OK. We stopped for the night around 5:30 CDT, a little early but we're where we're supposed to be and there's no advantage to pushing on.

It looks like we'll have a bit of shopping to do when we get to Colorado tomorrow. I put up the satellite dish and it looks like the wireless router is failing - again. We seem to have to replace them at least once a year. I guess they can't handle the vibration, even though they're generally powered off when we're traveling. It shouldn't matter, since there aren't any moving parts. Anyway, we'll have to find a Best Buy in addition to the Home Depot (plumbing parts). And I can't justify carrying a spare since it would vibrate along with the primary as we drive down the road. Darn it!

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Addendum

Did you ever think about doing something different and say "Nah, don't bother", only to have your instinct proven out? Well, when we stopped for the evening, I had a passing thought that I should wait to fuel up in the morning. This would allow me to top off the tank a bit more, accounting for the fuel used by the generator (we'll be running it for the A/C all night). I just went to lower the blinds for the night and - don't you know - the price of diesel dropped 2 cents in the time we've been parked here? Darn it - again!

A great visit with Mike and Susan

August 3, 2008
Litchfield, IL

We just wrapped up a very nice weekend visit with Geri's oldest son (Michael) and his wife Susan. They live in a small town in west central Illinois, just about an hour from St Louis. We didn't have a line-of-sight for the satellite dish and there wasn't a broadband signal on the cellular modem, so this will get posted when we're connected.

We arrived in Litchfield on Friday afternoon, and had a quiet evening, ordering in local pizza. We parked in front of their house, although recent rains (on the back of a massively rainy spring) left the grassy area a little too soft for my likes. I had visions of us getting stuck like we did several years ago with our previous motorhome in Alabama. Fortunately, everything worked out OK for us (less so for Mike who has some 6" deep ruts to fill) and we were able to move out without incident.

On Saturday, it became pretty hot. We ran the generator for air conditioning part of the day and all night. In the morning, Mike and I made a trip to the local hardware store for some plumbing parts. I put in a bypass for the water system's accumulator tank, where we've developed a leaking fitting in a place that humans can't reach. I'll look for a more permanent repair when we're in Colorado. Afterward, we took a ride down I-55 a few exits to the nearest Italian Deli. We picked up some garlic juice (impulse buy!) and Mike got the materials for a lasagna he wanted to make on Sunday. Once back home, we relaxed for a bit (aka, nappage) before Mike and I made a quick trip to the local package store. We grabbed a few bottles to tide us over, and then the owner served up the "good customer bonus": a shot of home-made hooch based on some sort of root smuggled imported from his home country, Vietnam. It taasted like a cross between root beer and cough medicine but who am I to complain - I like Grappa. Back at the house again, we ended up grilling up some brats and burgers. Many of Susan's extended family members (she grew up here) stopped by and we had a nice time visiting, although perhaps a bit too much wine was consumed (Mike?).

Sunday was supposed to be nice and hot but dawned cloudy. We could see dark clouds and hear thunder off to our west, but we only got a few drops in the morning and the afternoon turned sunny and pleasant. We brought Mike's lasagna to Susan's Mother's for brunch (another family gathering) and then headed to the local lake (Lake Lou Yaeger) where Mike and Susan rent a lot. Apparently, the local government retains ownership of all the land and uses a lottery system to dole out annual leases that often stay in families for generations. Like every lake we've visited with family and friends, the land slopes significantly upwards from the water and the roads in are relatively rustic. They picked up an 80s-vintage travel trailer for $300 (that's living on a budget!) that they park there during the summer, which is enough for the two of them. We hung out for a few hours, enjoying the shade and nice breeze, and "dined" on fresh salami (from the Italian Deli the day before), cheese, and a couple of brews. It was nice and peaceful. We watched a bald eagle circle overhead for almost 30 minutes.

Back at the house/coach, we sipped some red wine and said our goodbyes before calling it an early night (Mike's a truck driver and heads for work around 3:00 AM - ouch!). Tomorrow, we'll head out again, down I-55, around St Louis, and back on I-70 west-bound...

On the road again!

July 31, 2008
Sunbury, OH

We're back on the road, and our blog updates will therefore return to their focus on our travels. Yeah! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Connecticut, and we're glad we were able to catch up with everyone there and attend the various family events this summer. Of course, as hard as it is to say "so long", we're also glad to be back on the move. We seem to have "waited out" the peak fuel prices, which we didn't see coming (I'd budgeted for ever-increasing prices). Bonus!

Our route for the next week takes us back to "Interstate driving" for a while. As much as we like to stay off the Interstates, the most direct route to where we're going took us from Hartford via I-91 and I-84, which we followed to Pennsylvania. A quick leg south on I-81 brought us to I-80, which we followed all the way to Ohio. We picked up I-76 where it crosses I-80 (no Ohio Turnpike tolls for us on this trip), then turned south on I-71 to tonight's stop. We're essentially doing a "stair step" route south and west for a while; we'll pick up I-70 west tomorrow and follow that for a while.

Tonight's stop is at our favorite truck stop chain, Flying J. They're the most RV-friendly, and it's easier than ever to find a relatively quiet spot to park overnight. We topped off the tank (first fuel stop since May; not bad), heated up dinner (Costco rotisserie chicken - planning ahead), and popped the cork on a nice cheap red wine. Time to call it a night!