Headed back to Florida

September 5 – Well today is the day we begin our journey back to Florida. Bill set the clock but I was up at 6:15 for our planned 8:00 departure. I thought we were in really good shape to be on time but some how we just didn’t make it. He couldn’t check the air in the RV tires until I put the slides in and of course after sitting for 3 months, they needed air. Then the air compressor reading was not the same as the tire gauge and Bill was not sure which to go by. He settled on the compressor. Susan told me to stop by the visitor center and I could pick out something for working there all summer. So we stopped and while I was inside Bill went over to talk to Barry, Marion and Newell. I picked out what I am calling a hedgehog, but I’m sure they say it’s a porcupine and a t-shirt. The guys all came back to the visitor center and it was really hard to say good bye. I got all choked up and teary and could barely speak. I gave the guys all big hugs and told them we’d see them in Florida and that staying some place for 3 months really makes it hard because you make relationships.

 

Well we managed to leave by 9, so we were only 1 hour behind schedule. On the way into Pagosa Springs we saw a huge flock of wild turkeys and then a hot air balloon, so it was a nice send off. We stopped at Bob’s LP to fill our empty propane tank and then we headed to the dreaded Wolf Creek Pass. Well, it was slow going but we had no problem getting up and over the pass. Bill breathed a sigh of relief. Our only problem for the day was when we stopped for lunch. We were pretty much in the middle of nowhere but we saw a little diner with a big lot so decided to stop and get burgers to go so we could eat them in the truck with the animals. While Bill went in I looked in the side view mirror and the big slide that had a problem with the topper earlier in the summer didn’t look quite right. So after closer inspection I saw that the entire end that we had worked on was off of the track. After we had our lunch, Bill got the ladder down and was able to put the topped back in the track but one of the screws was missing. I got out my box of miscellaneous parts and found one that I thought would work. Bill put the slide out and it took me a while but I finally got the original screw in and it seemed to be really tight. The other one was too long but went in tight so we closed it up, put the ladder back up and headed on down the highway.

 

Our site at Cherry Creek State Park

Mid-afternoon we stopped to fill the tank and take a rest break for Xena and then got back on the road. We hit VERY slow traffic as we arrived in Aurora 1 ½ hours behind schedule, but what can you do? We had no trouble getting to Cherry Creek State Park where we planned to stay the night, but it was slow going for a while. They had plenty of sites left, way more campers that at Navajo though, but then it’s right outside of Denver and on a huge man-made lake. It was nice, all the sites were paved but it was not even close to level. It was off so much our leg would not catch, so we had to put boards under the side and then a board under the leg. The park is nice though, with trees at most of the sites and several loops and bathhouses. The high light was seeing a doe about 20 feet from out RV. It was getting dark though and the photos didn’t take.

 

For dinner we had Mexican AGAIN! At least we finished off the rice and the adovada. Bill did up the dishes and I did some blogs and emails. I think we will both sleep better tonight.