DODGE CITY KANSAS TO RATON NEW MEXICO & AWWWWW NUTS WE BLEW A REAR TIRE!!!!!

THE ROCKIES AS SEEN WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY 300mm LENS…TAKEN FROM TRINIDAD’S WALMART PARKING LOT IN COLORADO
 
COLORADO TOWN OF TRINIDAD & THE ACTUAL DISTANCE AWAY OF THE MOUNTAINS
Our day was rolling along just fine until we blew a rear driver’s side outer dually Michelin tire.  We both heard a short escape of air sound but there was no change in the handling of the rig.  I even thought the ‘pssssshhhh’ sound might have come out of the stereo.  We were on a paved 2 lane highway with no shoulders.  As it was we had been looking for a place to pull off for Pheebs to have a run anyway.  Spotted an old derelict building ahead with enough room to pull across the highway & in.  Good thing we did.  Stepping out of the rig we saw right away the outside driver’s side tire appeared down.  On closer inspection I saw a big slit in the sidewall so knew the tire was totally ruined.  And it was hot!!  We assessed the situation & decided it was safer to stay where we were & call our COACHNET for roadside service.  This was the first time we have ever had a flat RV tire & the first time we have ever had to call for roadside service involving any of our rigs.

 
Kelly spoke with the Coachnet folks & gave them our location.  Our Garmin GPS told us were 26 miles northeast of Trinidad Colorado on highway 350.  Just south of a place called called Thatcher.  Knew it would probably be a couple hours before things got organized & the tire service place would reach us.  Spent that time removing a bunch of stuff from our rear storage area so I could get in & unbolt the spare tire.  Happy to see it was a brand spanking new Michelin tire same as what is on the rig.  Also took the time to check the generator oil & the Winnie Wagon’s oil as well.  Just a wee smash of oil for them both.  Also sat down & started on tonight’s post while waiting for the tire service fella to show up.

 
ADOBE WALLS & TIN CEILING
 
THIS OLD BUILDING WE WERE BESIDE WITH IT’S ORIGINAL ADOBE WALLS WAS PROBABLY BUILT IN THE 1800’S & MAY HAVE BEEN A STAGE STOP ON THE SANTA FE TRAIL
Aside from our new toaster setting off the smoke alarm this morning we had another quiet start to the day.  Oh,  there was the guy who cruised by with a noisy muffler heading into the Casino.  Got money for one arm bandits but not enough money to put a new muffler on his car.  Priorities eh!!

THAT’S US UNDER THE BOOT HILL CASINO PARKING LOT LIGHT JUST BEFORE PULLING OUT
We got out of Dodge around 6 a.m. & headed west on highway 50 in the direction of Garden City & points beyond.  Our casual destination was Trinidad Colorado.  Watched another Kansas sunrise filling my driver’s side mirror.  Big orange ball of fire lighting up our way ahead.  My eyes were on the horizon when just west of Holly Colorado I caught the faintest dark object in the distant haze low on the horizon.  Mountains??  Maybe:))

EVER SO FAINT BUT THERE ARE MOUNTAINS IN THEM THAR HILLS

Past couple of days we have been following the Santa Fe trail.  I think we may have picked it up around Dodge City somewhere.  How great it was today when there we were heading west on the Santa Fe trail while on our rig’s Ipod playing through the rigs stereo the Sons Of The Pioneers were singing one of my favorite songs, ‘Along The Santa Fe Trail’.  For me that was special happening today.


‘ALONG THE SANTA FE TRAIL’

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT TODAY
At the town of La Junta Colorado we picked up highway 350 which headed us south.  Coming out La Junta’s southern end I spotted snow capped mountains right away far to the west.  No wondering this time, those mountains were the Rockies.  I would say in all travels west this was the best first mountain sighting I can remember & it was the snow that made such a striking impression.  Rolling through Colorado’s Comanche Grasslands on 350 we were reminded of the rolling hills & trees around Hillsboro & Chloride New Mexico.  Felt we were truly back in the West again.  Flat top mesas, distant plateaus, Aspens & Cottonwoods in their blazing Autumn colors, scrub Pines & Junipers.  What a beautiful land this is.   And then………………’pssssshhhh’!!!!!!!!!!

Our tire service guy arrived & got himself right to work on our flat tire.  Mexican fella with lots of Tattoos & a big friendly smile.  Took him about 20 minutes to wrestle Winnie’s flat tire off & Winnie’s new tire on.  And there right in the middle of the flat tires tread was a Phillips screw imbedded in the rubber.  The rip in the side wall was opposite of where the screw was imbedded.  He said we were lucky we found a spot to pull off before the tire shredded & caused damage.  Also before the other dually, overburdened, also blew.  The thing I take away from this experience is that if one dually goes flat you don’t even know it until it’s too late.  Had we not heard the ‘pssssshhhh’ we would not have suspected a thing.  

  

 

OF COURSE EVERYTHING I TOOK OUT OF THE WINNIE WAGON I HAD TO PUT BACK IN AGAIN INCLUDING THE FLAT TIRE & RIM
Tire fixed we headed 26 miles into Trinidad, hopped I-25, & slipped off exit 11 at Walmart to buy some bug spray & make a decision.  We were at the top end of the Raton Pass & it was 3 p.m.  Our Mountain Directory said we had some 6% downgrades in front of us.  Did we want to spend the night at Walmart & do the downgrade in the morning or did we want to do it this afternoon.  We are always up & on the road early so we did not want to miss the scenery heading down the mountain in the dark.  Decided to keep on & enjoy Colorado’s afternoon colors.  Off we went.  Despite some scary comments we had read about the Pass we did not find it much of a challenge at all & I was surprised at how the Ford geared itself down in the grades.  With the Damon I had to do that manually pulling the gearshift down into lower gears as grades steepened.  Compared to Arizona’s Mingus Mountain, Borrego Spring’s Montezuma Grade, & the Yarnell Hill, the Raton Pass was a Pussycat.

Decided to pick up some gas in Raton.  Spied a K-Mart & figured we would spend the night there but it turned out to be too scruffy & not a level spot to be seen.  Kelly spotted a KOA across the road.  We don’t normally do RV Parks & speciously not expensive KOA’s but we were tired, it was getting late, & they had electricity & water.  And cable TV.  And nice to grab a hot shower.  And so that is where we are tonight.  In a KOA in Raton Colorado.  Tomorrow we will enjoy the scenery all the way down I-25 to maybe Albuquerque.  After all, scenery is what it’s all about for us……………………

YIKES, NOW THAT IS TOTALLY WAY TO CROWDED FOR US
GROANER’S CORNER:((  Here's a short one for all you texter's out there........Can you read the following?
YY U R YY U B I C U R YY 4 ME
Too wise you are, too wise you be, I see you are too wise for me.
-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

CONCORDIA TO DODGE CITY KANSAS & YEP WE’LL BE A ‘GITTIN OUGHTA DODGE IN THE MORNIN’

HEADIN WEST:))

First thing I did this morning after reading last night’s blog comments was look out our rear window to see if our Jeep was still there.  Mike from TIN TEPEE/LOG CABIN said, “Make sure your jeep is locked on tight!! That's the park where someone tried to steal our jeep a couple years ago in the middle of the night.”…… I do remember when that happened Mike & yes we do have the Jeep locked on.

OUR NAVIGATOR FELL ASLEEP TODAY & WE WERE LOST FOR 3 HOURS

Realized how lucky we were this morning when we checked our computer weather map.  Looks like the area we went through around Des Moines Iowa may be having freezing rain & snow.  Dodged a bullet there for sure.  Today we will continue southwestward into even warmer temps.  Noticed it was not as freezing cold this morning as the past couple mornings.  Think we will try angling down some secondary roads towards Santa Fe New Mexico. And thanks to readers for keeping me on the straight & narrow with a few geographical errors I have made.  Real live Geography learning first hand sure beats sitting in a classroom with a book & pictures.

SOME OF TONIGHT’S PHOTOS MAY BE A LITTLE SKETCHY AGAIN BUT THEY WERE TAKEN ON THE MOVE

Wrote the above paragraph this morning so here’s the update.  It was already getting light when we packed up the rig for travel.  Other folks in the Park were still asleep so we tippy toed quietly on our way.  First stop was to dump our gray & black tanks on the way out of the Park.  First dump with the new rig & all did not go well.  No messy spills but I sure turned the air a royal color of blue cussing Winnebago for their location of Winnie’s sewer pipe connection.  Was not impressed with having to pump the gray water tank with a macerator pump either.  Took a lot longer than a simple swoosh dump.  That was a first.  And another first was trying to get the sewer hose out of the stupid rear bumper.  It had all bunched up in the middle & I had to get a long handled squeegee to shove & poke it towards the end & then reach way in with my arm to pull it out.  Then try to get that dumb rubber bumper cap hammered back in.  And it got hammered alright!!  The storage location of the hose is going to have to change!!  Anyway, despite me nearly having to jump up & down on my hat we did get the job done eventually.  Ok, well I did take my coat off & throw it on the ground!!  Boy, I sure don’t gotta a lot of patience for dumb stuff.  Know what’s most worsest about getting mad at dumb stuff….it’s getting mad at yourself for getting mad at dumb stuff.   Luckily we got out of there before the whole damn Concordia Kansas Swat Team arrived………………..

I THINK THIS OLD WINDMILL HAS SOME PRETTY STIFF COMPETITION THESE DAYS

Second stop was a couple minutes later across the road at Walmart.  A few groceries & a new toaster.  A quick trip back across the road to the Park again to retrieve an electrical cord (dog bone) I had left laying on top of the power box & we were on our way towards Salina Kansas.  Watched a big Kansas sunrise out my driver’s side window.  Been through Salina before so no need to go through again & we swung onto I-70 west of the city & peddled our way further westward.  It was on I-70 just east of Salina on our second year out in 07 that we had a nasty Kansas cross wind rip our side awning out on the Damon Motor Home.  NOT NICE!!  BIG KANSAS CROSSWIND GRABS OUR AWNING ON I-70

KANSAS SUNRISE HEADING EAST ON 81 NORTH OF SALINA

West of Salina we hauled ourselves off the Interstate & pointed Winnie’s nose down highway 56 heading south down through Ellsworth. How nice to be on a quiet two lane highway again.  Gentle rolling grassy hill country.  Nice scenery but don’t think I would want to live in these parts.  No trees:((  Took a wrong turn in Great Bend & stumbled our way down highway 281 to highway 50 going west.  No problem, hardly a car on 281 & that’s the way I like it.

 

Stayed on 50 west & rolled ourselves into historic Dodge City Kansas somewhere shortly after high noon.  Home to Wyatt Erp & a host of other nefarious characters back in the 1800’s.  Course Dodge City isn’t looking anything like it’s former natural self so we weren’t too interested in any replica stuff or museums.  I’m sure it’s interesting to many folks but not us so much.  A few years back we searched out & found some of the ‘real western towns’ in southeastern Arizona so touristy commercialized replicas don’t peak our interest.  Instead we headed out to the West end of Dodge a few miles & pulled into the Boot Hill Casino.  No, we have no interest in gambling etc but figured we would just hole up here for the rest of the day & haul ourselves out of Dodge in the morning.  Nice spot here at the Casino & lots of room with green grass for Pheebs to run around on.  Temperature this afternoon at 3 p.m. was 70F under sunny skies:))  We weren’t here long when an old familiar western Desperado dropped around to welcome us back to the West.  That sly & foxy devil himself, the big Northwest Wind.  Oh how familiar a feel it was to us to have the coach rocking back & forth again.  And all those familiar sounds were back as wind gusts ripped away at square corners, awnings, & awning arms.  Yep, we were back in the big windswept West alright.  And yes, I have once again traded in my baseball hat for my big 22 10-4 Cowboy hat:))  And I threatened that wily & windy Desperado if he blew my hat off one more time there was going to be some very mighty big trouble!!

 

YEP IT WAS WINDY ALRIGHT

We did walk ourselves into the Casino around 4:30 because we knew they would probably have some cheap eats.  They did.  Couple hunks of Meat Loaf, a whack of Corn Bread & a smash of assorted Veggies.  Only $5 apiece.  A quick walk through the Casino again reminded us of why we are not Casino people.

 

Noticed a couple fellow RV Bloggers have their rigs for sale.  Life’s always changing as we move through our various year by year phases & stages.  Steve over at HOUNDS & RV'S is selling his 2003 Class C Coachmen.  William & Mary Ann are also selling their 2011 Keystone Fuzion Fifth Wheel toy hauler & you can see it here on Craigslist.  TOY HAULER.

 

THIS IS ALL VERY TYPICAL RURAL WEST KANSAS SCENERY

We’re having quite a time getting used to our smaller living space in the Winnie.  The shower is fine if you keep your feet together, your elbows tucked in & your mouth shut.  And if you have a pair of Prince Charles ears you are going to be in trouble for sure.  Bathroom sink is pretty small so ya kinda gotta wash one hand at a time almost.  It’s quite an unsightly performance I go through getting myself out of my over the cab tree house every morning too.  Started out sitting on the right side of the loveseat for a couple days but this morning we switched sides & I will try the left side out.  Need room for my cameras when downloading pics to blog etc.   The sooner I can get my mind switched over to our new environment and make the necessary head adjustments the better I will feel!!

And another Friend Connection tonight.  Wendy from WENDY'S CREATIVE CONNECTION somehow found our blog & has joined us on our travels.  Welcome aboard Wendy & nice to have you along:)) 

Saddened to hear a fellow RV’er & friend from our 5 Seasons Park in Bayfield has passed away.  Gerald Horton & wife Kathryn had spent many years traveling the highways & bi-ways of North America in many of their RVing rigs.  Gerald loved to wheel & deal RV’s & it was always hard to keep pace with what those Horton folks were traveling in at any given time.  Thinking of you Katherine……………….. 

I have some emails here from readers with various questions about things & will try to get an answer out to you folks once we arrive in Congress.  I’m still in a slight state of organizational muddle here with things.  Guess I am missing some kind of routine or something.  Oh there’s that dreaded ‘routine’ word again.  Gotta be a little more careful how I use that word……………..

WITH ACER NETBOOK ON HER LAP KELLY CHECKS HER BLACKAPPLE, ER BLACKCURRENT, NO, BLACKPLUM, UMMMMM………BLACKBERRY:))

No idea how far we’ll get Wednesday but you can bet your biscuits my eyes will be glued to the western horizon scanning for the first hint of a mountain top rising out of the haze:))  And before I forget……my posts will be appearing later than usual as we cross time zones from East to West.

PHEEBS LOVES THIS GRASS AT DODGE CITY’S BOOT HILL CASINO

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Texan's guide to life………

-Never squat with yer spurs on.
-There's two theories to arguin' with a woman; neither one works.
-Don't worry about bitin' off more than you can chew, your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger'n you think.
-If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.
-Never smack a man who's chewin' tobacco.
-It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.
-Never ask a barber if he thinks you need a haircut.
-Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
-Always drink upstream from the herd.
-If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.
-Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier 'n puttin' it back in.
-Finally, never miss a good chance to shut up.

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.