North to Colorado

Northbound I-17 approaching Flagstaff

      Friday, June 27, we headed north on I-17 out of Krazy K RV Park and then east on I-40 deciding to stop just short of Albuquerque in Acoma, NM at the Sky City Casino RV Park.

Sky City RV Park outside Albuquerque

Valerie's first time behind the wheel of the Camelot

      Valerie had expressed her concern to George about driving the Camelot without practice.  But in our haste to escape the heat, it was decided this would be deferrable.  But making up for lost time the previous day, she nervously agreed to get behind the wheel as George napped in the passenger seat.

      Friday night buffet was seafood for $18.99. The shuttle bus picked us up and brought us back to the rig, where we had full hook-ups and a gravel pull through site with mountain views.

      We got a good night's sleep and headed out Saturday morning, June 28, with the goal of making Pueblo, Colorado for a visit with a priest friend who had been re-assigned to the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart there the next day.

Break time!

      George got sleepy and the dogs needed a walk so we took a break at a rest area on I-25 just south of Raton Pass in New Mexico.  Valerie took the wheel just before the ascent began and George talked her through shifting and use of the exhaust break which was somewhat different than what she had become comfortable with in the Mandalay.

      The rear-mounted camera was another component with which we were becoming familiar.  It went blank after several minutes and had to be shut off and turned back on.  Valerie likes to watch the car as one check for where she is in her lane.  George noticed something in the lower left corner swinging back and forth, so we found a place to pull off the side of the road so he could take a look.

Trouble!  Torn hose for what purpose we do not know...

      He attached a dangling hose to the car hitch to keep it from dragging, and we proceeded with caution, carefully watching the gauges as he was unable to make contact with tech support on the weekend.

Walmart overnight in Pueblo, Colorado

George with Rev. Monsignor James Koenigsfeld

      We arrived at the Walmart on Dillon Drive in Pueblo and checked with management to see if we could stay overnight.  We needed supplies and were tired from three days on the road.  Sunday morning we headed to breakfast at a nearby IHOP and off to the Cathedral to see Father -- now Monsignor Jim, who had married us years earlier in Durango.

      We had obtained a reservation for Monday, June 30, at Cheyenne Mountain State Park in Colorado Springs to meet with instructor Troy Hanson and his wife, Betty.  But, as we were preparing to leave Walmart we discovered a problem with our black holding tank on the Camelot.  We needed full hook ups soon!

      Valerie called the popular park to see if there was any possibility we could come in a day earlier than planned, and with luck on our side, our Monday site was available Sunday, so we headed north again.

      The dealer had replaced the original Sleep Number mattress in the Camelot with a new foam bed.  The mattress is delightful except it does not fit with the slide-outs retracted.  So we travel with the bed lifted up above the storage area beneath it.  Valerie hates Sleep Number, but George loves it.  Meanwhile we contemplate whether the mattress might be adapted to fit the space or we will need to buy a new mattress when we get to the Twin Cities for a month.

We have arrived at Cheyenne Mountain State Park in Colorado Springs.

      Growing pains are becoming more and more apparent.  We place towels around the toilet bowl and approach the mountain and the incline gradually.  It is our first experience with a used rig and we have read stories about the dreaded "poo pyramid" which grows in improperly maintained black tanks.  But our wanderlust trumps our concerns, and we continue on to Colorado Springs.

Pretty sunset!

      George ran a wand through the bathroom window down into the toilet and sprayed it down several times and managed to get the plumbing going again, which was a huge relief.  We continued becoming acquainted with light switches, appliances and relocating things we had previously put away.  The Splendide washed its first load, Valerie managed to get the ice maker working briefly, and we didn't have to move for two whole days!