Jitters

A busy week this, and the weeks that follow will be hectic as well.  Here is this weeks list:

1.  Old Blue had a 500 mile oil change and I turned it over to Curt to put the on next 1,000 by Monday May 23rd.   

2.  Made a reservation for an overnight trial run at Pere Marquette.  The sites are near primitive as there is only power and no water or sanitary set-up. 

Pere Marquett State Park Camping

Rio Chama RV Park Entrance

This is different than our journey and stay in Chama.  We have

Camping at Rio Chama RV Park

full hook-ups along the entire route at Good Sam campgrounds.  This run to Pere Marquette lets us prove-up all the systems in the Chama Cabin. 

A long time friend in Denver couldn't understand my anticipation as he was savvy in towing a boat very long distances and found it pretty straight forward.  In our case the last time we towed anything was over 25 years ago and then it was a pontoon boat.  We purchased the Chama Cabin new last year.  It is a 21' Flagstaff Ultra Lite with a 3,800 pound dry weight, tandem axles and a single slider.  It has a full bath, but small, and a queen size bed.  It has a remarkable amount of interior space because it has a Murphy Bed that is very easy to set-up, G can handle it by herself if necessary.  This whole travel camper thing is totally new for us and it starts with a 2,000 mile round trip to Chama.  
We will stay at the Rio Chama RV Park which was totally booked for this years season by November, 2015.  I am told, over half the sites are taken by volunteers on the Cumbres and Toltec.

More of the past week:

3.  Curt decided to have the windshield on Old Blue replaced before we hit the road.  It was sprayed with gravel from a passing truck and it did a great job of trashing the windshield.  No problem but, a small bead of rust bubbling along the front edge of the windshield was found by the fellow that takes care of her body work.  That will have to be repaired before the windshield goes in.  Not a tough job but it really cramps our schedule to get in three practice runs before we take the plunge west.

4.  The weekend after Memorial Day we are scheduling an overnight at one of two RV parks that have full hookups. 

5.  Pulled a travel schedule for the run to Chama and we will be stopping the first night in St. Joseph, MO, Second night in Lamar, Co and then on into Chama.  150 mile jumps to stop for fuel and a stretch.  The longest day looks like a little over 9 hours - it's the run from St. Joseph to Limon.

6.  Spent today organizing things and went over to Wally World to buy plastic boxes for storage.  Got back and everything fell right into place.  Tomorrow we take the Chama Cabin out of winterization.

It's all coming together but as G says, "We are going to breath a sigh of relief when we turn off Old Blue's motor in Chama", on the afternoon of July 9th.  She is treating me to supper at the "High Country" later that day as a 75th birthday present.    

Early this evening as we were finishing the organization and cleaning of Chama Cabing I said, "We must be nuts to do something like this in our mid 70's."  Maybe so but that's what the past 50+ years together have been like.  What a great time together.