Upcoming stuff to do to the Windy

Just spent an enjoyable afternoon at a large RV shew here in DenBRRRR, Colorady. Nice stuff, but I'ma 'preciating the Windy even more - paid for, yew see!

Have some projects to do whilst the chill winter winds blow. I noticed the other day that the switches for the slides are not working too well, so that will be on the check list for a quick repair. I'ma gonna remove half of the dinette and use some matching free-standing chairs instead. That'll give a little more room inside. I want to replace the oversize sleeper sofa with a slightly smaller, lighter jacknife sofa. That'll save some weight. Vacuum and shampoo the carpet 'n shine up the wood work. I'd like to replace the saloon tv with an HD skinny tv. Then an outside wash and its first polish 'n wax ever.

A Snewy Morning.... It's Almost Broncos' Time!

A beautiful mornin' on the Front Range. Couple inches o' fresh snew, cobalt-blue skies, and an opportunity for the Broncos to putta whuppin' on the Steelers in the only proper venue for football: an open-air stadium!

Fiesta Texas in San Antone

A few years ago we visited Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. It is a rather nice theme park built in an old quarry.

I like olde trucks.

They have good shews.

The view from onboard a spinning whirly-thing.

Merry Christmas!

Tributes to the best comic strip evah, Calvin & Hobbes!

http://weburbanist.com/2010/01/06/38-snowmen-nightmares-calvin-and-hobbes-in-real-life/

My Favorite Freeway: I-70 In Colorado

Interstate 70 (I-70) is a transcontinental Interstate Highway in the United States, stretching from Cove Fort, Utah to Baltimore, Maryland. In Colorado, the highway traverses an east–west route across the center of the state. In western Colorado, the highway connects the metropolitan areas of Grand Junction and Denver via a route through the Rocky Mountains. In eastern Colorado, the highway crosses the Great Plains, connecting Denver with metropolitan areas in Kansas and Missouri. Bicycles and other non-motorized vehicles, normally prohibited on Interstate Highways, are allowed on those stretches of I-70 in the Rockies where no other through route exists.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) lists the construction of I-70 among the engineering marvels undertaken in the Interstate Highway system, and cites four major accomplishments: the section through the Dakota Hogback, Eisenhower Tunnel, Vail Pass and Glenwood Canyon. The Eisenhower Tunnel, with a maximum elevation of 11,158 feet (3,401 m) and length of 1.7 miles (2.7 km), is the longest mountain tunnel and highest point along the Interstate Highway System. The portion through Glenwood Canyon was completed on October 14, 1992. This was one of the final pieces of the Interstate Highway System to open to traffic, and is one of the most expensive rural highways per mile built in the United States. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) earned the 1993 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers for the completion of I-70 through the canyon.

When the Interstate Highway system was in the planning stages, the western terminus of I-70 was proposed to be at Denver. The portion west of Denver was included into the plans after lobbying by Governor Edwin C. Johnson, for whom one of the tunnels along I-70 is named. East of Idaho Springs, I-70 was built along the corridor of U.S. Highway 40, one of the original transcontinental U.S. Highways. West of Idaho Springs, I-70 was built along the route of U.S. Highway 6, which was extended into Colorado during the 1930s.

Wikipedia

Hwy. 6 runs through my hometown of Kendallville, Indiana!

Looking west toward the Eisenhower and Johnson tunnels. The elevation here is over 11,000 feet and the Continental Divide is crossed inside the 1.7 mile tunnel.

Elevated part of the freeway.

These tunnels were dug above the river and a bridge was built to connect the freeway to the tunnels.

A rest stop along the freeway. I took a picture of this very rest stop a few years ago. T'waren't any snew that day.

Looking down on I-70 from Loveland Pass on Highway 6.

One of the first elevated sections of I-70 a few miles west of Denver.

The novel approach to construct a freeway where Highway 6 used to be.

Truckers are warned to be careful on the downhill approach eastbound into Denver. Denver is where the Great Plains meets The Rocky Mountains.

I-70 in Glenwood Canyon as seen from The California Zephyr.

Above pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.

Palo Duro Mud Attacks Again!

So, a couple years ago, you may remember my post about camping in Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo, TX. During our stay, we had to evacuate the campsite after a flood, and we followed the Park Ranger through the muddy flood waters. Everything under the Windy was coated with red mud. That really became a problem when we rotated the tyres later.

The other day the Windy wouldn't start. Turns out the starter cable connections were fulla red Palo Duro mud, which was causing intermittent power failures. That's all fixed. No more fording muddy streams, no matter what the Park Ranger sez!

Here is the stream in question:

Here's a link to the original adventure: http://travelingbyrv.blogspot.com/2009/09/texas-high-plains-2009.html

Glenwood Springs, Colorado 2011

Got outta town for a couple nights and went to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Enjoyed the mountain air and of course, brew pub bier.

  

The California Zephyr from, um, Californy sits at the station across the street from our hotel. Please indulge me, I luv trains. We'll probably be taking Amtrak to Grand Junction in a week or so.

 The eastbound Zeph about to disappear in a tunnel entering Glenwood Canyon.

The hotel room hadda nice brick wall.

The view across the river towards the hot springs pool.

The room, late afternoon view.

The room, morning view. We made the bed to show off the quilts, then the maid came by while we were out and done the beds right.

Oh looky, it's the California Zephyr arriving really late from Denver!

A couple a private cars bringin' up the backside.

Our hotel. Nice. Brew pub within!

SHE™ examining an info board at one of several rest stops in Glenwood Canyon.

The view from this rest stop. I 70 in the distance.

Ol' man river, Colorady version. There be trout in there!

The view from yet another canyon rest stop.

A bicycle path at this rest stop. Bicycle paths criss-cross Colorady.

Upper 'n lower deck on I 70.

A high mountain lake along I 70 near Frisco.