More of the same around here… we continue to help out around the lodge. As a matter-of-fact, our friend Biff stopped by yesterday to join in on the fun.
Biff fixed and painted a few of the picnic tables while Stilla and I continued sanding and painting the metal lawn furniture. You may remember Biff from many of our recent blog post pictures; Biff & Linda are good friends with my Dad and stepmom Elaine and are also members of the FCRV group that we attend campouts with. He is also a long-time Elks Lodge 309 member and originally sponsored my membership here.
Biff fixing picnic tables at Elks Lodge 309.Biff fixing picnic tables at Elks Lodge 309.Biff prepping one of the picnic tables for a fresh coat of paint.Biff painting one of three wooden picnic tables at Elks Lodge 309.
And here’s the finished product… like new again and ready for some more fun Elks Lodge activities. Great job Biff!
Here’s a ‘before’ picture of one of the metal chairs we’ve been painting…
And here’s an ‘after’ pic of Wednesday’s progress…
Only a dozen or so tables left to paint… we finished up all the chairs 🙂
Afterwards, we had the pool all to ourselves…
We topped off the evening with new friends, Jerry and Marilyn. They parked their RV here at the lodge a couple days ago and plan to stay for a couple weeks. They got us very interested in visiting Port Aransas near Corpus Christi, TX in the near future. We’ll see…
Jerry & Marilyn; our new friends here at Elks Lodge 309.
We look forward to spending more ‘quality’ time with Jerry & Marilyn during their stay here 🙂
In other news: We got little dog ‘Coach’ into the vet last week. We chose Banfield Pet Hospital because they are located throughout the country in PetSmart stores. This will make it easier in our future travels to get him shots, check-ups, etc., since every PetSmart™ will now have his medical history. He got all his shots current and the vet gave him a clean bill of health. The vet thinks his seizure-like episodes may be due to a restricted trachea and we need to watch his weight. In order to determine anything more, we’d have to order x-rays and ultrasounds. He hasn’t had any new episodes since the 4th of August which I wrote about (Here). He has thrown up once or twice since then, but he seems to be able to get air and recovers quickly. We continue to watch his diet but sometimes he’ll grab something from the ground or grass when we’re not watching. Hopefully, he doesn’t get ahold of a poisonous mushroom or something like that.
Little ‘Coach’ watching us paint lawn furniture from his plastic throne.
We have a follow-up appointment in three weeks for little Coach and also some doctor appointments for us that will keep us here until the 20th of October. So stay tuned…
Once again, it’s been a while since my last post. We’re still just hanging out at the Elks Lodge in COS enjoying time with friends and family. It’s not easy to come up with interesting things to write about when we’re parked in one place for so long.
Yesterday (30 August) was also the one year anniversary of this blog! We had already been full-timing in the Coach for a few months before I started writing the blog. Click (HERE) to see the 1st post. It took a while for me to get familiar with all the nuances of the blogging software once I decided to get started. It’s been a great year, except for the part where we had to come back to kick the renters out of the house, fix it up, and then sell it. We’re looking forward to what this next year brings…
Anyway – in recent news: We continue to enjoy the many amenities here at the Lodge which includes the ever-popular “Taco Tuesday”. Here we are again with my Dad and stepmom Elaine. Dad has recovered quite well from his recent surgery.
Dad & Elaine at the Elks Lodge “Taco Tuesday”
We also continue to help out around the pool on occasion when the camp-host/club manager needs an extra hand.
And we even took on the task of re-painting some of the patio furniture:
It feels good to give back and pretty soon we’ll have all the old, faded green chairs and tables re-painted a nice semi-gloss black.
On Saturday evening we were invited to join some friends for a party at their beautiful house in Monument. We’ve known Rick & Claudia for a number of years. Rick is a retired Army Command Sergeant Major (CSM).
After an awesome BBQ dinner, the guys hung out with some cigars and watched the Broncos win a pre-season game.
The girls hung out around the desserts and talked German with each other.
Later on Rick fired up the fire pit and we pretended we were camping 🙂
Thanks for the good times Rick and Claudia! Maybe we can return the hospitality sometime.
In other news: I also finished up the entertainment center/electronics cabinet project I mentioned in a previous post. Here are the ‘before’ pics:
Entertainment Center (Drivers side) rats-nestEntertainment Center (Drivers side) rats-nest
And here’s the ‘after’ pic:
Drivers side Entertainment Center & Electronics Cabinet rats-nest somewhat cleaned up
It didn’t turn out too bad… I’d have to cut a new front panel to make it any better. The cabinet was designed around the old components which have been changed out over the years, so the cut-outs aren’t quite the right size. The old surround-sound system (at the top) was much larger than the new one, and the satellite dish controller (lower left) is much, much smaller now.
This is the passenger side. I didn’t do anything to this side except add a USB fan on the side of the DirecTV DVR to help keep it cool.
Passenger-side Entertainment Center & Electronics Cabinet
And that’s all for now. Check back later to see what we’re up to…
We’re still stationary at the Elks Lodge here in Colorado Springs, just taking it day-by-day. It’s kind of nice being in one place for a month (we got here on 6 August) because we’re saving money on fuel and campground costs. This is especially good, (saving money, I mean), since we had to buy new tires for the Silverado recently. I posted about that HERE. Plus – Stilla really enjoys being near the daughters and grandson. But – I’m starting to get the ‘hitch-itch’ and hope to start heading south in early October. We’ll see…
Meanwhile, we’ve just been taking advantage of our time here to get together with friends and family as opportunities present themselves. And we continue to take advantage of the reasonably-priced meals here at the Elks Lodge but you’re probably tired of hearing about Taco Tuesday, Friday Dinners, and Sunday Brunch.
Speaking of the Elks Lodge – Several times now, I’ve helped to set-up or move tables/chairs for some of the ever-changing events and activities that take place here. I often join the former camp-host here for morning coffee in the lodge and one thing leads to another… A couple days ago, I even helped clean the pool which had been neglected for a few days. Stilla joined-in and we vacuumed the bottom of the pool after the camp host set up the cleaning apparatus. It feels good to volunteer our (valuable?) time and help out. 🙂
The only other “news-worthy” thing I can think about to report on here lately; was joining my old Army buddy Tim for a visit to a local gun show event (no pics allowed) that we followed up with a short ride over to Pikes Peak Harley Davidson for their weekend open-house and free grill.
Tim always seems to be looking for that “next great deal” and talked with the salesman about trade-in value on one of his bikes. Yes, he has more than one…
Tim used the ‘tailor in a trailer’ to get a little sewing done on his vest while we were here.
We didn’t take advantage of the bikini-bike-wash and parted ways again before the afternoon wind picked up. See you later, Tim!
In other news – my Dad has recovered well from his surgery to remove skin cancer from his nose. We’re thankful for the positive outcome. My Dad and stepmom joined us for Friday’s dinner and Sunday Brunch here at the lodge.
And that’s about it for now… oh yea – I did a little work on one of the cabinets at the front of the Coach to minimize the “rats-nest” of cables in the entertainment center. I’ll post some ‘before & after’ pics later. Check back soon…
Once again, it’s been a few days since my last post. After driving on Pikes Peak and attending Margaritaville at the Elks Lodge on Saturday (see last post) we just ended up hanging around the Coach and relaxing on Sunday. It was a rather gloomy day with frequent rain showers; which ruined my original plan to ride the Harley up to Cripple Creek for the 23rd Annual Salute to American Veterans Rally & 28th Annual POW/MIA Recognition Ride.
However, we did get invited to dinner Sunday evening by my Dad & stepmom Elaine. It was their 34th wedding anniversary and also the first time that my dad’s been out of the house since his surgery. We enjoyed a great dinner and evening together at Texas Roadhouse. Happy Anniversary and Thanks for dinner Dad & Elaine!
On Monday, I took my youngest daughter’s car over to my high school buddy’s shop (Chuck’s Auto) for some long-overdue maintenance and repairs.
Her car got a complete check up, along with new shocks, front brakes/rotors, new tie-rod and an alignment.
Joleen’s old blown out front shock.Joleen’s old front rotor and what’s left of the brake pads.
Here’s my buddy Mike inspecting the rear brakes.
And replacing the front shocks/struts.
Due to delays getting the needed parts, I hung out with my buddy Mike for two days (Monday & Tuesday) and helped out with things at the shop. It turns out that it’s not so easy (or cheap) to get replacement parts for an Infiniti.
After 2 days of working on the daughter’s car, it was time for some relaxation at the Elks Lodge. We joined friends for “Taco Tuesday”.
Friends Daniel & Monika brought along their two-month old granddaughter. They had custody for a few hours and showed her off. What a cutie! They even hung out with us in the Coach for a little while after we finished our tacos.
Friend and fellow FCRV member Bob McCord also joined us. Tuesday night was also Bob’s initiation ceremony here at the lodge.
Monika and her granddaughter Dezlynn. Hopefully, I got the spelling right.
And that’s all for now folks. Here’s a shot of little Coach on the lookout for rabbits this morning near the pool at the lodge. He knows they hang out under the shed and sometimes he forgets to “go potty” and hunts the rabbits instead… as-if he could ever catch one 🙂
After I finished my early morning blog post yesterday (Saturday), I drove over to the start point for the Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon in Manitou Springs. I mentioned in an earlier post that I’ve volunteered to drive one of these vans many times in past-years.
The volunteer drivers met up at a table on the corner of Manitou Avenue and El Paso Blvd, right next to the old Cog Railway train display. Click HERE for more info on this 1890’s train from www.rgusrail.com.
I was assigned to van #2. I picked up the keys, a gas card, and a box lunch, courtesy of Subway®. It was a little after 5 AM when we loaded up the first vans with race volunteers/officials and we headed up to the top of Pikes Peak. After passing through the toll gate; where you usually have to pay $12 per person or $40 per carload, it is 19 miles to the top.
Once at the top of Pikes Peak, we lined up the vans alongside the summit road and waited for the first runners. Click HERE to see more on the drive up Pikes Peak.
We set up cones and tape to help direct the runners to loading zones. There would be two loading zones, one for shuttling people to Glen Cove and the other for Devil’s Playground. These are the two designated areas that the vans would shuttle runners to and from. Devil’s Playground is primarily a parking area where many of the runners with friends and/or family could park their cars, and Glen Cove is where the runners can board a bus for a return trip to Manitou Springs. The volunteers also set up a nice tent with refreshments for the runners at Glen Cove while they waited for the bus.
Rear view of the Summit House at the top of Pikes Peak.
Here’s a few pictures from the summit just after sunrise:
The battery in my iPhone went dead so there are no more pictures during the day. Yes, I know you’re disappointed 🙁 I even brought along a charger with a USB connector but my van didn’t have a connection.
The weather was great all morning and I probably made about 7 ‘runs’ once the runners started getting to the top. I made about 3 trips to Devil’s Playground and 4 to Glen Cove. As in years past – it was great fun… and when else can you take multiple trips up (and down) “America’s Mountain” for free? It was also interesting to hear all the stories from the runners about their trials and tribulations during the ascent. Some runners even encountered mountain goats on the trail. The general consensus I heard from the runners was that this was a good year weather-wise, and the officials did a good job of staggering the start times so that the waves of runners didn’t bottle-neck as in years past.
After we got back down about 3 PM, I gassed up the van and drove over to the rental agency (InterMountain Coach) to help shuttle the other volunteer drivers back to the parking area in Manitou after they dropped off their vans. My van (#2) would be used again on Sunday for the Marathon so I didn’t have to drop it off. I did a quick-charge on my phone while I waited at the rental agency and snapped a picture of the trip odometer. I did 115 miles for the day!
If you’d like to volunteer to help out in future race events, contact a volunteer coordinator at this link here. Or just email Jeremy Jost @ jostjc77@yahoo.com
Remember, it’s not just for the free t-shirt – but the experience!
I turned down the free dinner that was offered for the volunteer drivers and headed on back to the Elks Lodge for “Margaritaville Night”. Stilla and I had already paid in advance for the buffet style dinner of pulled-pork and BBQ chicken. This is an annual charity event held here at Elks Lodge 309. This year, the fund-raising event is to help out an 8 month-old child that is battling cancer.
We met up with friends and fellow FCRV members Biff & Linda. They saved us a good table out on the grass near the pool.
The food and entertainment was great, but a quick rain-shower passed through that made us take our meals inside for a short time. It cleared up quickly and we were soon back at our table. Biff & Linda headed home after the silent auction results were posted; but of course, we only have to walk out the back gate to the pool to be back at our house 🙂 So we stayed on as the party continued into the late evening with lots of dancing and entertainment. There were even a few people that jumped, or otherwise – somehow ended up in the pool 🙂
Another good day! Check back to see what we’re up to next…
This is a very early morning post to fill you in on Friday’s activities. It’s now 2:30 in the morning on Saturday and since I volunteered to drive a van to pick up runners at the top of Pikes Peak for the 60th Annual Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon, I have to be at the starting line by 5 AM. I went to bed early – which apparently was a mistake since I’m up already and ready to go… so I thought I’d get this post done.
After picking up the Harley from Mike’s shop, aka “Chuck’s Auto” that I left there on Thursday after the flat tire incident, (link HERE for that post), I rode over to Manitou Springs.
Stilla stayed at the lodge to spend the day at the pool with our two daughters and grandson.
I met up with about a dozen other volunteer drivers in the parking lot behind the Moroccan Restaurant next to Memorial Park in Manitou Springs to pick up passenger vans from the local rental agencies.
It took several trips back and forth from a few different rental agencies in town, but we ended up shuttling in over 40 passenger vans.
We packed all the vans tightly into the small area of the parking lot allotted for our use.
I’ll be back here before 5 AM (on Saturday) to pick up one of these vans to drive up Pikes Peak so we can shuttle the runners back down from the top after they finish their run.
We finished getting all the passenger vans by 3 PM so I wandered the tents that had been set up in Memorial Park. This is the runner registration area, and vendors (for running-related stuff) had also set up shop under the tents to peddle their wares. There was also a beer tent set up with tables, but unfortunately it wasn’t open yet 🙁
There was a spaghetti dinner scheduled for later on in the evening here that I could have attended, but I already had plans to meet Stilla and others back at the Elks Lodge for Pizza.
I took a ‘short-cut’ through Garden of the Gods to get back to the Elks Lodge in time for the Friday Night Pizza.
It’s always nice to ride through scenic Garden of the Gods and since I grew up here it always seems like a trip down memory lane.
When I was a kid living down the street on Beckers Lane from the Garden of the Gods Trading Post; I remember the owner’s wife (Mrs. Straussenback) would take me and my brothers into the trading post for treats. They used to have a little glass-enclosed case with the mummy of an Indian child inside that always fascinated me. It’s long gone now.
I rode through the balanced rock area of the Garden of the Gods. (Don’t forget to click on the links in green-font to see more) We used to walk here from the house as kids and play on the rocks. There used to be steps and a guardrail so you could go on top of the rock in the middle of the road back then.
The “Kissing Camels” rock formation as seen from a distance.
When I got back to the Lodge it was Pizza time. It was also initiation night for our friend Bob McCord. Bob & Mary are also in the same camping group (FCRVRolling Springs) with my Dad and stepmom Elaine. You may remember them from previous posts. Bob finally joined up with the Elks so he can take advantage of the RV parking at Lodges across the country, like we do.
Bob & Mary McCord at Elks Lodge 309 on his initiation night.(L to R) Stilla, Linda, and Biff at Elks Lodge 309 Pizza night.
OK, that’s all for now… gotta run and pick up my van to drive up Pikes Peak. Check back later for a recap of the Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon.
Ha! Got ya with the title didn’t I? 🙂 Yes, we had a flat tire on the Silverado 🙁 but no, we didn’t buy a new car because of it. After we fixed the flat and bought new tires, I took my old high school buddy Mike up to Denver to pick up his new ride. Here’s how it all went down:
On Thursday morning, Stilla was driving over to our youngest daughter’s house on the southwest side of the Springs to visit and do some laundry. When she took the exit off I-25 at Cimmarron, the right front tire went down onto the rim. She called me back at the Coach and I immediately rode over on the Harley.
Before I left the Coach, I called my old high school buddy Mike Harris for help. Mike owns a local automotive repair shop called Chuck’s Auto. I figured; 1) he’s nearby, 2) he could bring a real jack so I wouldn’t have to use the dinky crank handle jack that comes with the truck, and 3) I planned on taking the truck to him afterwards anyway to get the tire fixed. Mike showed up on the scene moments after I did.
I had to break out the owners manual to brush up on how to lower the spare from underneath the rear of the truck while buddy Mike loosened the lug nuts.
I had to empty the back seat to get to the tire changing tools hidden under the seat. This was no easy task, because as some of you already know, we carry around our Sea Eagle® Inflatable raft in the back seat along with trolling motor, floorboards, seats, life vests, fishing gear, etc.,
We managed to lower the spare out from underneath the bed of the truck…
and then we got the flat tire off the truck on the uneven ground…
and mounted the spare.
After the successful rescue, Stilla drove the truck straight over to Chuck’s Auto. Mikes son went to work jacking up the truck.
We couldn’t find a reason the tire went flat. There were no nails this time and no cuts. You may recall from previous posts that I’ve had at least two other incidents with the rear tires before. And, since we had to move the truck onto the median while the tire was flat, it rolled off the bead and I couldn’t trust it anymore. Nothing would be worse than having a flat tire while towing it behind the Coach… I don’t have sensors that tell me when a tire goes down when we’re towing it. I only have sensors on the Coach tires and wouldn’t know anything was going on with the Silverado unless someone flagged me down. I just couldn’t trust these Goodyear Wrangler tires anymore with 39,000 miles on the truck and probably another 10 or 15,000 miles being towed. (The truck odometer doesn’t register towed miles).
Mike got me a smoking deal on 4 new tires. Thanks Mike!
My youngest daughter picked up Stilla for the rest of the day while I helped get the tires swapped out.
And since Mike was going to Denver later to pick up his new car, the least I could do was give him a ride. Besides, how better to ensure a quality job on the new tires with balancing and lug nut torque, etc., than transporting the guy responsible 🙂
My high school buddy Mike Harris.
Here’s my buddy Mike taking delivery of his new Subaru BRZ.
A pretty nice looking car, even if I do say so myself…
We were probably at the dealership for a few hours while they finished detailing the car and Mike did all the paperwork. Here he is getting the keys to his new ride.
Mike looks pretty good behind the wheel of his new ride.
Mike quickly passed me on our way back to the Springs. That’s him in the left lane on I-25.
And then so much for the detailing the dealership did… we hit rain on the way back.
Now, I have to go back to pick up my Harley at Mike’s shop. I had to leave it there overnight. I’ll bet you Mike stayed up all night reading his new owner’s manual. 🙂
Then, I’m supposed to help shuttle vans from the rental agency to the staging point for tomorrow’s race (run) up Pikes Peak. I blogged about that HERE.
Check back in for a full recap of our next adventure…
Not a whole lot going on… it’s been about a week since I last posted. Here’s a quick summary of what we’ve been up to since we parked at the COS Elks Lodge again:
• We’ve visited with our daughters Jennifer and Joleen a couple/few times and showed off all the pictures of our most recent trips with the grandson.
• I washed the Coach… front , back, and drivers side… still need to do the passenger side and roof. Now if I could just get some waxing done in between rain showers.
• I went swimming with grandson Kaan in the Elks Lodge pool in between rain showers. Are you seeing the trend for rain showers here?
• I got my South Dakota plates through our mail forwarding service Americas Mailbox. I wrote about this HERE. I hope to get personalized plates; “URBNSKP” for the Coach when it’s due for renewal next year.
New plates on the Silverado – Urban Escape Vehicle 1 (UEV 1).New plate on the Harley – Urban Escape Vehicle 2 (UEV 2).
• I helped dad pick up his Coach from Pikes Peak Traveland. He had new slideout awnings put on. Dad is still recovering from surgery on his nose where the doctor’s removed some skin cancer. The surgery turned out to be a little more extensive than expected and he still has to go back this Friday for one last procedure (hopefully).
Pikes Peak Traveland didn’t complete the work the first time we went to pick up his Coach. The technician(s) forgot to put in the additional screws on the awning rail that Dad requested. So they had to keep the Coach an extra couple days to remove one of the awnings again and do the job right.
• We attended taco tuesday at the Elks Lodge with Biff & Linda.
Stilla, Linda, and Biff at Elks Lodge 309 “Taco Tuesday”. Seems like we picked up right where we left off a couple months ago before we took off…
• I attended a Drivers meeting for the Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon. They even had a free meal from Rudy’s BBQ. I’ve volunteered many times over the last 7 years or so that we’ve been in Colorado Springs to drive a van. I’ll be shuttling the runners back down from the top of Pikes Peak after their run, usually a half-dozen trips or more. Check back in for a recap of that event which is scheduled for this upcoming weekend (14-15 Aug).
Park Ranger discussing braking techniques at the Drivers and Volunteers meeting for the 2015 Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon.Transportation directors Brett Iverson and Joe Simpich provided detailed instructions at the Drivers and Volunteers meeting for the 2015 Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon. (Joe is in the orange shirt)Rudy’s BBQ at the Drivers and Volunteers meeting for the 2015 Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon. (Transportation director, Brett is in the purple shirt on the right)
If you’re interested in volunteering for this event click HERE. They’re always looking for good drivers and when else can you drive up Pikes Peak (numerous times in a day) for free? It’s a lot of fun.
We took our time Thursday getting packed up. I wouldn’t have minded staying at the Westminster Elks Lodge for another day or two, but Kaan’s mother (our oldest daughter) was expecting him back. It’s been fun having the grandson for the summer and I think we were able to give him memories to last a lifetime, but it’s almost time for him to start another school year.
We walked over to Jim & Sally’s Coach to say our “see-ya-later’s!” We didn’t get a chance to see our neighbor Ray again, but we’d said our goodbye’s the evening prior.
Jim & Sally’s Coach at the Westminster Elks Lodge.
So eventually, we pulled in the slides, raised the jacks and moved over to the dump station to lighten our load. After taking care of the dirty deed, we hit I-25 south and braced ourselves for Denver traffic.
We rolled into Colorado Springs 75 miles later and unhooked the Silverado in the newly-resurfaced Elks Lodge parking lot. Did I mention how much we hate going through major cities with the Coach? “It’s called ‘merging’ for a reason people… you’re not supposed to just drive onto the highway and force people over… arrgh!”
Then we took the Urban Escape Vehicle over to the nearest gas station to fill up the 115 gallon fuel tank with 75 gallons of diesel. Ouch! Since we’re going to be parked for a while, it’s important to completely fill up the tank in order to minimize condensation. I also put in a fuel additive called Biobar JF that prevents microbial growth. Condensation and algae are among the two biggest killers of fuel filters, injectors, etc., Our friends Mike & Donna Kuper @ FlyingtheKoop.com turned us on to this product a while back.
Stilla already decided for us that we’d stay for the month of August here at the COS Elks Lodge. This is fine with me. At least we can save a little money on fuel and campground fees. We only have to pay $350 for a month here. We pulled into our 30 Amp spot facing the pool and I downloaded the bikes and the motorcycle.
And here we are again in our old spot. We look forward to spending time with our two daughters, our relatives and friends here in Colorado Springs.
I can use the time to get a little maintenance done on the Urban Escape Vehicle. Yesterday (Friday), I already broke out the sealant to touch up some roof seams where I noticed the old sealant was starting to crack… there’s supposed to be some rain in the forecast over the next week. I’ve got a lot of washing and waxing I’d like to get done as well.
Little “Coach” walking his squeaky toy around the Coach.
Friday evening we enjoyed dinner in the lodge. But this time we were alone since the usual cast of characters that have joined us in the past here at the lodge are all otherwise occupied. My Dad is recuperating from his surgery, Biff & Linda are at a weekend campout with the FCRV Rolling Springs group, the kids are at work, etc, etc…
I’ll try to find interesting things to post about while we’re here, so stay tuned…
We moved out of our spot at the COS Elks Lodge on Wednesday evening after it finally quit raining. I had already loaded the Harley and bicycles earlier in the day. We dumped the tanks and parked at the back of the lot so we could get an early start on Thursday.
Urban Escape Vehicle ready to roll at the COS Elks Lodge.
We coordinated our morning takeoff time with my Dad/Stepmom in order to meet up on I-25 so we could convoy together to the FCRV Campvention Rally in Gillette, WY. When my stepmom (Elaine) called to say they had gotten on the highway and were nearing our exit, we took off immediately but got caught up in slow traffic before we could even get to the on-ramp. When we finally got on I-25 heading north, they were several miles ahead of us. We stayed in contact via text message and called off mile markers. They stayed around 55 mph, but with heavy traffic it took us about 40 miles before we could catch up with them.
We finally passed my Dad & Elaine near Castle Rock and took over the lead…
Dad and Elaine’s Coach with Jeep in tow on I-25 heading north to Gillette, WY.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, we have the pleasure of traveling with our grandson (Kaan) while school is out for the summer. He really enjoys the passenger seat.
We rolled through Denver without too much incident… traffic is always a challenge through there.
I only had to stand on the brakes once. Don’t you just hate it when you leave a nice gap between yourself and the cars in front… and someone always seems to want to fill that gap just as everyone ahead is braking… grrrr.
And later on, this knucklehead passed us doing about 85 mph while chunks of his flat tire littered the road in front of us. We dodged the pieces until he finally realized he had a flat and pulled over…
We finally found a rest area near Ft Collins and took a quick break. Our little dog ‘Coach’ enjoys breaks often 🙂 My dad shared one of his walkie-talkies so we could stay in touch without having to call or text on the phones.
Traffic finally thinned as we approached the Wyoming border.
My Dad & Elaine made reservations earlier in the week for the KOA in Douglas, WY. We wanted to stay on budget and didn’t make any reservations. Besides, we can easily dry-camp at a rest area for a quick overnight while traveling.
So we stopped at a rest area just south of Douglas to call the KOA to check prices and see if they had room for us there too. They did have one spot left… but they wanted about $40. Ouch! We originally planned on spending the night at a rest area near Guernsey State Park that we had frequented once before, but we already passed that one. This particular rest area in Douglas had signs posted “No Overnight Parking”. Luckily, the nice lady on the phone from the KOA told us about the city park nearby.
So after traveling ~300 miles for the day we parted ways for the evening. My Dad & Elaine went to the KOA while we found the city park…
And what a nice park it was! Plenty of room, easy access, and the best part – free 🙂
Right next to the North Platte river…
We didn’t even have to disconnect the truck.
Grandson Kaan in front of a barbed-wire deer at the Riverside Park in Douglas, WY.
We unloaded Kaan’s bike so he could get some exercise and give the computer games and our internet usage a break.
Kaan with blue popsicle tongue.
We even broke out the metal detector. Kaan had fun with it for a while until he got tired of digging up bottle caps and other metal junk.
Then we played a little “catch” with the football…
In the morning (Friday), we drove the ~2-3 miles to meet my Dad & Elaine at the KOA park for breakfast. We enjoyed Biscuits & Gravy at a picnic table in the shade.
(L to R) Elaine, Dad, Kaan and Stilla getting breakfast at the KOA in Douglas, WY.The Urban Escape Vehicle parked at the check-in line. Douglas KOA in WY.
Then we convoyed north on WY-59 for ~120 miles to arrive at the Cam-Plex Events Facility in Gillette, WY.
We were greeted by FCRV volunteers in the parking lot where we paid $50 for two nights because we arrived early. The FCRV Campvention Rally doesn’t officially start until the 6th of July. We paid in advance for the rally itself, which was $275 for six nights.
We disconnected the tow vehicles and followed the directions we were given to the Boxelder RV Park located on the east side of the complex.
I followed Dad’s coach to our designated site in the RV park…
And here we are, all set up and ready for the rally…
Elaine, Dad, and Stilla enjoying the shade between our rigs.
We pulled in next to friends and fellow FCRV members Biff & Linda Anderson. They arrived a day or so earlier.
Biff & Linda Anderson next to their Monaco Coach.
After getting set up and exploring the immediate area, we found… you guessed it… an Elks Lodge right next to the park. Elks Lodge 2825.
(L to R) Linda, Stilla, Elaine, Dad, and Biff at Elks Lodge 2825 in Gillette, WY.Elks Lodge 2825 in Gillette, WY.
After refreshments at the Elks Lodge, we drove through the Cam-Plex looking for fellow FCRV members (Bob & Mary McChord) who were parked in the handicapped area on the opposite side of the complex.
Bob & Mary McChord’s Coach.
Other than a recent dinner visit at the Elks Lodge in Colorado Springs, we last saw Bob and Mary McChord when they were staying in Parker, AZ at the Pirates Den Resort & Marina. I wrote about our visit with them on 12 Feb 2015 (HERE).
Mary and Bob McChord.FCRV members visiting with Bob & Mary McChord in their coach.Stilla and Kaan touring the RV park in Gillette, WY.
So here we are; (L to R) Biff & Linda, my Dad & Elaine, and the Urban Escape Vehicle in Gillette, WY 🙂
There’s supposed to be a nice 4th of July fireworks show here at the Cam-Plex along with some other activities… stay tuned…
