A long day the day previous, disconnecting from the plug-and-play world of the full-hookup RV park. Leaving Creede, Colorado was bittersweet. On the one hand, the excitement and anticipation of getting back on the road after sitting for 5 months were intriguing. On the other hand, leaving such beautiful surroundings and the familiarity of the area, the people we had met, and Colorado, in general, was like a headwind. You want to go faster, but something was holding you back.

We said our goodbyes, turned right out of Mountain Views RV Park and headed down Airport Road to the real world. We drove West to Alamosa, then South to La Jara, CO to have new steer tires installed on Blue Steele. Reed’s Tire Center was expecting us and had our new Cooper Roadmasters at the ready. Mike, our technician, set to his task of wrenching and peeling the old ones off and applying the new ones. This time around, I opted for balance beads vs the standard static lead weights as I had good information as to superior results.

And, the entry door on BS broke. Again. So, we suffered through that inconvenience, thinking that if we needed access, we’d leave the door open until the tire work was done. Except that I forgot and shut the door, with me on the outside and only Jasper the cat on the inside. Not much help. But, Corinne saved the day by going into an open window and getting things right again. Then we were back on the road, headed toward Santa Fe for an evening’s park at a casino.

Northern New Mexico is beautiful but barren. Lots of scrub brush, dried prairie grass and lots of rock and big mountains in the distance. An uneventful drive to the casino. Upon arrival at Buffalo Thunder, we found a spot to park in a not-so-level parking area designated for RV’s – which should have been a clue. I fixed the entry door in record time, rather handily, with a zip tie and a few choice words. I think this is the sixth time I have made this repair, so I am like a NASCAR pit crew member in the repair’s application! Replacement parts are non-existant for this vintage coach, so repairs are freeform affairs.

We checked with security in the casino to confirm our intended overnight stay and were rebuffed with the guard’s response. “No overnight stays allowed” is disheartening considering the day’s events. His suggestion was to go back north to their sister casino, City of Gold and park there. We left amid a colorful New Mexico sunset, our reward for being methodical – we work cheap!

City of Gold panned out and we parked in the truck/bus/RV area, across from the transit line’s bus stop, grabbed a bite to eat in the cafe and confirmed with the rotund security gaurd that indeed overnight parking was allowed. We retired early and slept soundly as this spot was very quiet all night, and an unexpected surprise considering our proximity to the bus stop.

The next morning at 6 am, the transit line bus arrived bringing casino workers and picking up working-folks who frequent the bus daily. And I was looking at the bus stop. And it was ironic, I thought, that in a sense this was two bus stops. One for passengers and one for us, the blue and white bus known as Blue Steele.

#bluesteeleadventures #coopertires #reedtire #creedehappenings