Denver, Colorado

For a few weeks we had been planning a trip with the Windy to camp near Hot Springs, Arkansas. A brake problem forced us to make other plans. I guess the good thing about that is that we might have camped in that area in Hot Springs that flooded, with loss of life. Instead, we headed to Denver in the Tribby.

Denver was on its best behavior with cool evenings and warm, dry days. There was snow in the mountains the week before we got there.

Beastie found his spot for the journey. Guess he was trying to keep his toes warm.

Left foot in Tejas, right foot in New Mexico.

Capulin Mountain, an extinct volcano in New Mexico. You can drive to the caldera and get a great view of the surrounding desert.

Denver Botanical Gardens

City Park

Relaxin' at the B&B. An old brownstone that is being restored.

You gotta drive in the mountains when visiting Denver.

I understand that this is the latest in airliner technology for Southwest Airlines. I'm told it is named after a famous rock group.

More driving in the mountains.

Eating dessert in Vail. Big dessert. Deelishious!

Under the Aspen trees.

Gay pride parade outside the B&B. Lots of fake boobs and underwear. Umm....

Some folks rafting by...

This was as close to off-roadin' that the Tribby got.

Above the clouds.

Penguins at the zoo.

Sorry for the phone photos. Didn't pack the grownup camera.

Government Canyon near San Antonio

We never actually saw a canyon. But there are lots of fleurs, picnic areas, hiking trails, thousands of flutterbys, millions of 'skeeters.

Brazos Bend State Park

Swampy, 'gator infested water! And it's only 20 minutes from the house.

Big ol' 'gator, probably hungry.

'nother 'gator.

It was cool enough in the evening to enjoy pollutin' the air with a nice campfire!

San Antonio Riverwalk

Fleurs in the Hill Country!

This time of year the fleurs at Wildseed Farms in Frederickburg, Tejas (in the Hill Country near San Antonio) are marvelous. Fleurs were everywhere in the Hill Country and in San Antonio.

They managed to grow a giant metal cactus. Impressive!

East Texas Wildflower Hunt (Beaumont)

We took off for a quick look thru SE Texas, just north of Beaumont, to see some wildflowers. Well, there were a lot of 'em along the road, but we could find no fields of flowers like you see near Brenham. But we did enjoy the woods and lakes.

The fire department met us at our hotel. A false alarm.

A bite of food at the Spindletop Steak House in Beaumont, TX. This morsel is a blackened catfish covered with a spicy tomato 'stew' over rice with some greenbeenz on the side. MMMMmmmMMMM good with a Bud ina icy mug!

Downtown Beaumont is ded. Quiet. Somnolent. Sleepy.

Hmm. No flowers here. Just Mary mugging for the camera.

No flowers here. Oh, look! A 'diller!

Hmm. Hope my catfish didn't come from here.

Martin Dies, Jr. State Park

Why We RV

The motoryhome has clean restrooms, unlike these.

Ark

ARK from grzegorz jonkajtys on Vimeo.

Getting Ready for a Quickie Trip

Will be going somewhere in Texas for a few days later this month. Checked up on the Windy today and she started right up. Don't see any excessive wear or crackin' on the 3 year old tires. Will take her to a truck tire place next week to have the tires rotated and the air pressure topped off. You must treat your tires with respect on such a large vehicle!

Our Motoryhome Fleet

We began motoryhoming late in 2001. This year marks the end of a decade of a whole lotta fun and a little mayhem of motoryhoming. Looking forward to much more travel and sittin' a spell at the campground!

Our first 'un, a 2000 Minnie Winnie made by Winnebago on a Ford F450 Chassis. The original owner only had the unit for a few months and never slept in it. The mattress had the original plastic cover on it! For some reason, he took the 'Minnie' name off the side. The V10 engine was powerful, but the floor in the cab would get a tad toasty on long trips. Pluses: A good size. Easy to drive. Powerful motor. Good for a family of 4. Minuses: Subject to buffeting by passing semis. Big ol' blind spot out back when reversing. Wheelbase too short for length. Noticeable 'bump steer'.

Our current moho, a 2004 Fleetwood Southwind. We bought this 'un in Tucson, Arizona while we were on a trip to Las Vegas. The unit is very roomy with space for me, my lovely bride, mom-in-law, and 3 cats. Pluses: Lots of room. Nice decor. Up high visibility. Powerful HUGE Chebby engine. Allison 5 speed tranny (missed out on the 6 speed by a few months). Heated plumbing area (did I mention a poop slushie flood in the Winnie?). 2 TVs with cable/satellite/surround sound systems. Stable on the road. Minuses: poor initial quality control. Workhorse brake recall. Gas mileage (I guess it's ok since I am driving a house down the road). The dealer keeps the unit for weeks whenever it goes in for work.

I wondered what happened to him...

Saw this billboard the other day....

Winterizing Windy

A couple 'a weeks ago it turned frigid down heah in Tejas. It was a simple task to prepare the Windy. I emptied out the freshwater tank, and we were ready for the cold.

Why we RV

Companionship.

Relaxin'.

Um....

Pictures from Motoryhome One, the Winnie....

Merry Christmas!