Got to my no-hookups campsite and got set up very quickly because there was nothing to hookup, not even any electricity. My two big coach batteries do an excellent job, but no TV, DVDs, microwave, or AC. It is cool here since they had the rain last week, and it was positively chilly last night—got down to 50-something outside and 60 or so inside. I have lots of down comforters, but only needed to supplement my coverlet with my down throw to be comfortable. Tonight I will close the windows earlier, but the cool air does feel nice for sleeping.
Campsites here in the park are wooded and fairly far apart, which is very nice. You can see your neighbors but not what they are eating or hear what they are saying. I took a long walk to the shuttle this morning and went to the visitor center and then into Estes Park to check on a tour of Trail Ridge Road for tomorrow. I could drive it, but since it goes over 11,000 feet, I would not be able to enjoy it, so a tour is a better option than this lumbering beast.
Dinner tonight is steak with mushrooms and a tomato
salad. Got way too much food in the
refrigerator, so I have to focus on eating it up!
(Thursday) Enjoyed my
tour of the Trail Ridge Road through a non-profit nature group. It was supposed to start at 9:00 am and go
until 3:00 pm, but ended up not getting done until after 4:00 pm. Very good tour leader who was Audubon member
and very knowledgeable. Only problem was
that she talked a bit slowly, hence things taking longer than expected. Really beautiful scenery, especially in the
Arctic Tundra region at the top. Saw elk
and a lot of smaller animals. The rain
they have had almost every day for over a week has made the flowers bloom and
the grass turn green—very lush.
Had a disaster as I drove back from the visitor center to my
campground. I have been having problems
with my coach door not locking, but it has mostly been latching. (I have not
been able to get a dealer to fix it as all have said they are booked for at
least two weeks and I have not wanted to sit somewhere for that long waiting. I complained last week to the factory, with
little success, about the dealers’ lack of willingness to help with this.)
Anyway, as I hit a bump, I heard an enormous crash followed
by a second even louder crash. The side
door had swung open, deploying the steps, which stuck out far enough and low
enough to hit one of the small logs the park service has placed just over the
white line to prevent people from stopping and viewing wildlife in certain
areas. I pulled over as soon as I could
and discovered that the steps were badly bent and would not retract. I had no choice but to slowly and carefully
drive back to my campsite. Not a good night's sleep!
(Friday) This morning I was still extremely upset by this and other
warranty issues I have had difficulty getting repaired, so I called the factory. The lady on the phone was the most helpful
anyone had been. She said to call a
mobile RV repairman and get the steps fixed or removed so my vehicle was drivable
and she would help me get an appointment at a dealer in California or someplace
closer on Monday. I also was to send her a list of all the
warranty issues and photos, which I did this evening. They will reimburse me for the emergency
service and any emergency repairs. I was
lucky there was no damage to anything else.
The park people have been extremely helpful in finding me a
service person who came right out and removed the stairs. They have also been by several times to check
on me and make sure everything was OK, and even offered me a spot to stay if I
had to extend my visit, even though the park is full. My door is now tied and bungeed shut, so I
will have to enter and exit through the cab, which is awkward, but at least
doable.
I will post photos of the park and the high road
tomorrow. Instead of taking a more
mountainous route to Dinosaur National Monument, I have decided to take
freeways and a more level, if there is such a thing, route through the
mountains. Don’t want any more
events.
No comments:
Post a Comment