Bama Ed's Retirement Camping Thread For Spring 2021

[bama_ed]

Let's kick off my trip report.

This trip was planned immediately when I retired from work in July of 2020. DW had retired the previous January so we would be free to take that long trip out (two weeks). With the pandemic and all it was a little late in the season to plan something immediate so I aimed for THIS summer to make a swing out west. With a goal of 500 miles per day (approx) max towing distance and commitments at home, a two week trip developed that was 3 days driving each way and 8 days of "stuff" at three locations in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. We had been home from the Pigeon Forge DISMeet for a week before we set off again.

Friday June 18, 2021

We went through the morning routine of moving cars, getting the camper hitched and onto the street, and buttoning up the house.



Our travel path was from Tuscaloosa to Memphis on I22 then pick up I40 through Little Rock, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, and into New Mexico. The 500 mile goal meant that Fort Smith, AR (at the OK state line) was too far and Little Rock, AR not far enough. But I found a CoE campground in-between called Aux Arc in Ozark, AR along I40 for $20 a night that fit the bill. It sits along the Arkansas River just above a dam. With the Aliner I can stay hitched over night, I just back in, pop the roof, lower the rear jacks, and plug into shore power. So the drive out starting at 715am was uneventful.

Until we got to Memphis.

The situation in Memphis was this: there are two interstate bridges across the Mississippi River in Memphis, one for I40 (east-west) and one for I55 (north-south). The closest next bridge to the south is over 50 miles away. The closest next bridge to the north is over 70 miles away. So a lot of traffic (particularly semi-trucks) run over those bridges. But the I40 bridge is closed for repairs/maintenance so all that traffic has to use the I55 bridge. And in Memphis I55 had lanes closed as well. You folks who tow know that it's tougher to accelerate, brake, and switch lanes in tight traffic (and I'm only 37 feet tv+camper). It took an extra 30 minutes and several near misses before we made it across. It was harrowing.

But we eventually did make it across.

The rest of the drive that day was uneventful. Got to Ozark, AR around 330pm and into the site (I had picked next to the river under the tall pines and close to the restrooms) B25 easily.





DW liked the site because of the Canadian geese that were nearby on the river and shore. I liked the site for the shade, the view, and the train tracks on the far side of the river that had two trains go by that evening. It had been a warm, humid day. I had cooked some hamburgers before we left and thrown them in the cooler so those were easy to put on a bun with cheese and condiments for a quick dinner.

An uneventful day (other than Memphis) and DW was in a good mood. I call that a WIN for the first day of vacation. Tomorrow, though, would have an "event".

Bama Ed

 

[friendofeeyore]

Waiting ??

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

Waiting ??

He could be a good game show host that says "we'll find out after these messages" at all the wrong times

 

[Teamubr]

He could be a good game show host that says "we'll find out after these messages" at all the wrong times

Or the HGTV shows where " We picked house number... "《cuts to commercial 》

j

 

[FtW Mike]

Or more likely he will be tonight's Guest Star on COPS

 

[bama_ed]

Memphis I40 Bridge Problem/Update

Info on the Memphis bridge problem and its repair possibly as soon as the end of July.

 

[bama_ed]

Saturday June 19, 2021

Left Aux Arc Campground and drove to Amarillo, TX today via Oklahoma City. I will say that during that drive today the landscape appearance changed but to start with Arkansas still looks like Alabama (so they belong in the SEC). But in eastern Oklahoma the land changes appearance and we enter The Plains. OKC is huge and sprawling but easy to run through. Between OKC and Amarillo you start to see the windmills.



As you make the drive westward into Amarillo you might see one or two (hundred) billboards for the Big Texan Steak Ranch. It's a cheesy kitchy restaurant that's part of an empire that includes a motel next door and an RV park down the street (our destination that night) all in a western theme.



We were planning to have dinner at the Big Texan, an event that I had done before in 2010 and 2012 with the Boy Scouts. Their main schtick is big steaks at good prices. But the reason I chose their RV park was that besides being close to the restaurant, they ran a free limo service between the two meaning I could stay hooked up again tonight. So we got set up with one lonely tree nearby. It was hot and breezy (it's the plains) but a nice spot to overnight.



Being a Saturday night and seeing the parking lot of the Steak House jammed as I came into town, I chose the earliest limo time available at 4pm during the check-in process (they pick up at your campsite). After I set up, I went looking for the limo fleet and saw part of it:



Sure enough, a little after 4pm, our chariot rolled up to take us a short ride down the street to dinner.



(Mike, is that going to throw off your team's identity algorithms? )

The Big Texan is a brand with gift shop, fudge shop, game shop, but the food is why people come.



Note our limo on the left where it dropped us off (and picked us up later).



I did tip our driver $10.

The wait time was 20 minutes at that point so I cruised the gift shop but bought nothing:



Finally our buzzer went off and we were seated in a booth on the ground floor. We were thirsty.



Let's roll to the next post.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

Continuing Saturday June 19, 2021 ......

The Big Texan has a thing where they have a 72oz steak challenge - eat the entire meal in one hour and it's free (it's $72 pre-paid. If you win they refund your money). That includes all the sides that comes with it. No ralphing, sharing, or leaving the table once the hour starts. There is a webcam on their website always pointed at the Challenge table so you can watch from the safety of your home. Never done it - have no desire to. But in past trips I've seen a few attempts but more fail than make it.

Anyway, the interior reminds me of an oversized Hoop Dee Doo Review room with your servers in cowboy/girl hats and denim. The grill is front/center to see the big hunks of meat being cooked:











I tried to do a screen grab of their on-line steak menu for prices. Not bad (but I'm no steak expert).



DW chose the beef tips with mash and fried okra and I wimped out and had the 24oz ribeye with a baked spud and "healthy" broccoli. We both licked our plates clean (I left the jalapeno though).





As we left I heard the hostess tell a guest that the wait time was now 90 minutes and the place was crawling with people. Our same limo driver whisked us back to our campsite in a few minutes. We could hear a little interstate noise but not bad. It had been a good day.

https://www.bigtexan.com/

Bama Ed

PS - and Mike, don't let your server talk you into ordering the Mountain Oysters as an appetizer. If you feel inclined to ask them "what EXACTLY is a Mountain Oyster?" then pass on them and get the Onion Rings instead. That's my advice from me to you, buddy. Because I care.

PPS - if you are staying at the Big Texan RV Ranch, you can order your Big Texan Steak Ranch meal on-line and it will be delivered free to your campsite if you don't want to wait for a restaurant table....

 

[FtW Mike]

Ed I, are fully cognizant of What Rocky Mountain Oysters are. Tried them once in my much more adventurous eating days and was down in your neck of the woods. Of course at the time we had just completed a 10 day field exercise and any food that didn't come out of an OD Green can was welcome.
As for the algorithm. The person on the right came back 99% to you. The Person on the Left came back 100% Red Hot Momma

 

[bama_ed]

Sunday June 20, 2021

You might think you're watching the movie, "Groundhog Day" when I say we woke up (in Amarillo this time) and starting driving again. I guess all my past trips towing/camping have been two days travel or less (even Key West which was 1,000 miles each way). But it was a nice morning in Amarillo, not humid, got some cheap gas and pointed west on I40 again towards the New Mexico state line. My on-going gas mileage kept dropping as I pressed on because it seemed no matter which direction I was going, it was always "into the wind".

We finally got to New Mexico and with it the Mountain Time Zone.



Our destination today was the small one stop light town of Chama, NM in the north central part of the state. Why Chama? Because that's where the Cumbres & Toltec Narrow Gauge Railroad (steam) is. And from there on a day trip you can also reach the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (steam) just across the line in Colorado. So Chama was going to be our base for three nights.

But to get there you have to get off I40 and drive north on a state highway about 40 miles then hit I25 briefly to ride through Santa Fe and on north of that. It's desert in this neck of the woods and some impressive landscapes. The camera wasn't always ready but here are some:









We stopped at a Wal Mart Supercenter in Espanola, NM. Cheap gas, a few food items, and the last taste of a wide shopping selection for a while. Then it was gently up, up, uphill to Chama with an elevation of about 7,800 feet. Chama has a Family Dollar store, a NAPA auto parts store, a combined small grocery/hardware/pharmacy, 2-3 small hotels, 2-3 saloons and burger joints, and 3 campgrounds in the vicinity. We were at Rio Chama RV Park which is set among the cottonwood trees along the Chama river next to the Cumbres & Toltec railroad property.





Cottonwood trees are common in this region and their seeds bloom in summer for about 2-3 weeks and float in the air like snow - in fact folks refer to it as "summer snow". My allergies did not react so it was pretty.



Oh and not many squirrels up here but chipmunks aka "mini-bears".



We had checked in around 3pm and if you look at the first picture with the Aliner above, there is a train bridge in the background. The daily C&T train returns at 4pm in summer so we could head back there to watch it come in. Here is a pic in that direction.



We need to roll to the next post.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

The Rio Chama RV Park is owned by a former locomotive engineer for a western railroad and given its proximity to C&T it's themed in a railroad style (I approve) . So let's go back by the railroad bridge and the Chama river to wait for the C&T to come by.









And right on time you could hear the whistle in the distance, again closer, and then it came into view:











Back at the camper, one outcome of the elevation gain was that the chip bags bought back in Alabama (nominally 700 feet above sea level) had puffed up like a mylar balloon due to the elevation gain (thus less external air pressure pressing on the bags).



So it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Chama as we could hear the C&T loco blowing its whistle as it dropped cars and shunted them around the nearby yard to end its day. The C&T is closed on Monday so tomorrow we planned to drive 2 hours in the morning into Colorado and over the Continental Divide to Durango to ride their narrow gauge steam train up through the mountains to Silverton and then commute back. Then we could catch the C&T on Tuesday the next day. Temps were nice and cool in the 70s in the day and 50s at night.

So the long drives were over for a while. We had arrived.

Bama Ed

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

Back at the camper, one outcome of the elevation gain was that the chip bags bought back in Alabama (nominally 700 feet above sea level) had puffed up like a mylar balloon due to the elevation gain (thus less external air pressure pressing on the bags).

Ah, yes. That is always a crowd pleaser with my gang. They thought it was hilarious

 

[WeLovePluto]

this thread is making me jealous for retirement that is way too many years away

 

[snowmedic]

Thanks for the pics of NM. DW and I use to live in there, further south though in the ski town of Ruidoso. They have some beautiful lakes there as well.

 

[bama_ed]

Monday June 21, 2020.

WARNING: This will be a day covered in multiple posts. Too many great pix to share.

Monday started bright and early in Chama with a wakeup at 530am and on the road to Durango, Colorado by 615am. Driving out of town, it felt good to not be towing after 3 straight days of it. Monday was also the longest day of the year (14h 43m of daylight) so we could fit the 2-hr commute each way and a full day's steam train ride in and NOT have to drive the twisty 2-lane highway in the dark. Leaving out of Chama we crossed the Continental Divide about 8 miles out of town and it was a bit of a let-down because I expected a "mountain" but it was more of a "hump". But around any curve you're likely to see something that makes you say, "wow".



Now I can check Colorado off my list.



The Durango & Silverton Railroad (D&S going forward) is a full-day's train ride from the bigger city of Durango which is down in a wide valley with the Animas River that we follow initially and then follow the river up into narrow valleys surrounded by tall wooded mountains to the old mining town of Silverton (which is only 30-40 miles from Telluride as the crow flies). Durango is at 6,512 ft above sea level and Silverton at 9,305 ft for a net gain of nearly 2,800 feet. It may not sound like much in a 45 mile ride but you have to fight Mother Nature hard to get it as we shall see.

The sunlight was still filtering into the valleys as we approached the Durango train depot.



We would be riding the D&S steam train in the timetable below.



Our seats were in the San Juan car which was had drop down windows and was nicely appointed. It was towards the rear of the train (which was long. I think I counted 16 cars).







Leaving the station we had a coal-fired steam engine #480 take us out but about a mile up the road we were joined by #18 which was oil-fired. So we had a doubleheader to take us UP to Silverton where #18 by itself would then return to Durango and only #480 was needed to go DOWN with its passengers. As I said we start out next to the Animas River.



One last stop to top off the water tanks in the tenders and then the heavy work up into the mountains starts.



The views started to improve.



Roll on to the next post.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

Monday June 21, 2021 continued

Most of these pictures were made on the way up to Silverton. I'm going to group them by picture type to make it easier to get into the TR. Anyway the train climbs up next to the river occasionally changing sides. Let's start with the "look ahead" and "look behind" photos.









I'll also put in here some nice views along the way.





There are mileage signs along the way measured from the old Rio Grande Railroad (which had built/owned that part of the D&S) HQ in Denver.



I'll also share pics of the gondola car which would have been a great ride.





In some places it was a tight fit for the train.



Rolling on ....

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

Monday June 21, 2021 continued

As I said we followed the Animas River all the way up to Silverton. DW particularly liked to look at the river which we were sometimes well above. Most of these are her pics.











One bridge looked particularly small with nothing to catch me if I had fallen from the platform between cars.



One little stream falling down to the river near Silverton.



Anyway we got into Silverton for lunch/shopping and got a close-up look at our loco's.





Another rare face photo at the front of our train with #18 and DW in Silverton.



Before we walk around Silverton, I wanted a full post to show you the scariest (for me sitting next to the window) part of the ride up the mountain .....

We'll see those pictures "after these messages".....

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

Monday June 21, 2021 continued

One of the marvels of 1880's engineering when the D&S was built was cutting a ledge for the railbed into shear cliffs to get past some really tight sections. Just past the Rockwood stop on the way up the mountain #18 disconnected and went ahead to reduce the weight on that section of tracks (we reconnected at the next water stop). Sitting at the window with a shear drop-off to my right to the river below was very uncomfortable for me. I'll let the pictures talk.









The 480 loco slowed to a walking pace as it inched its way along this part of the rails. I got these pics and some video clips made but I was instinctively leaning back to my left to try to prevent the entire train from plummeting down the canyon.

Silverton is not a big town and in the summer depends on the train passengers to buy lunch and shop to keep it going until it's time for the winter sports.







I've got enough pics on the ride back to Durango to not fit in this post so I will share some photos that I missed above.





Last post for today coming up.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

The ride down was led by #480 and I was a little over my fear (only a little) of the scarier parts. And I did get some good photos on the way down in places. Looking forward and back:





Close up and far away.





And thanks to the conductor giving us a heads-up warning of this photo op, a steam blow-down.



It was a wonderful day and a great ride behind #18 and #480.





We got some souvenirs at the Durango depot gift shop and made it back to Chama in the waning daylight. DW loved this trip which I was pleasantly surprised at. D&S is generally considered the #2 scenic train ride in the US and it certainly delivers in that regard.

But tomorrow, we would ride the generally considered #1 scenic train ride in the US (and it was my favorite).

Have a great day and thanks for reading so many long posts about today.

Bama Ed

PS - one funny story from the day's ride. Passengers were given strict instructions not to exit the cars while the train was at water stops (made at least 3 on the way up IIRC). At one water stop I leaned out the open window to look around and my sunglasses propped on top of my held fell to to the ground below. DRAT! Thankfully, at each water stop the crew (conductor, brakemen) walk the length of the train on both sides to visually inspect the car connections and one returned my sunglasses. I felt VERY lucky to get them back because if it happened while we had been moving, I would have been sol.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Oh, @bama_ed, you made it to my home state!

I'm from Colorado, and I miss it so very much... I grew up in Elizabeth/Parker/Denver/Aurora, but spent summers in several other towns, including Grand Lake, Grandby, Silverton, Durango, Colorado Springs. So much to do and see, and so many different landscapes.

I hope you enjoyed your visit.