T2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys

mei - september 2022

The stories from our short getaways around Colorado … with a quick dip in and out of Utah. Meer informatie

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Two to Travel T2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys
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- 11 mei 2022
- ☀️ 77 °F
- Hoogte: 6.033 ft
- Verenigde Staten Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs Acacia Park 38.838564, -104.82275138°50’19” N 104°49’22” W
Prepping for the 2022 RV Season
11 mei 2022, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
We've only been back from our EuroCrossing and Turkey trip for a day and a half. But we're already preparing for a short getaway with the RV. We won't be going far ... just up to Denver.

The Phoenix Cruiser is all shiny after Mui gave it a bath this morning. He has also de-winterized the rig in preparation for tomorrow's departure. There's more to do, but we'll take care of much of that while we are at the campground. For now, all that remains is to load up some food fixings and clothes to get us through the few short days we'll be gone.Meer informatie
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Reiziger You guys are so adventurous!! I love that you're already ready to travel again, :-)
13-05-2022Reageren
What a sweet looking rig you've got there! I thought you had an A Class. Glad you're back in the States again. We are too, after 122 days on the Viking Star. We LOVED our two stops in Turkey--Kusadasi and Istanbul. The people are wonderful--so welcoming and friendly. Topkapi Palace was fascinating, but the highlight for me was the Hagia Sophia. Hope to go back to see more someday...Have fun in Denver! [Diana]
14-05-2022Reageren
Two to Travel We sold the class A in 2019 after we settled down in Colorado.
09-06-2022Reageren
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Two to Travel T2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys
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- 15 mei 2022 17:31
- ⛅ 75 °F
- Hoogte: 6.010 ft
- Verenigde Staten Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs 38.830296, -104.81877938°49’49” N 104°49’8” W
DETECTED!
15 mei 2022, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F
If you were wondering why there were no footprints from our Denver getaway with the Phoenix Cruise, wonder no more. The trip didn't happen!

Mui and I both tested positive for COVID-19. Yup ... after managing to avoid the dreaded virus for two years, we fell victim to the Omicron variant ... likely to the latest version of the variant as that is the one most prevalent at the moment. And also the most contagious.

Where and how we were infected is impossible to track down. We are vaxed and boosted, and masked up indoors and in crowded places throughout our overseas trip. We also tested negative on Sunday in order to fly back to the USA on Monday. Since symptoms can take anywhere from 2-12 days to show up, I guess we will be left wondering about the source of the infection.

The short story is that I tested positive Wednesday night with a home antigen kit ... and again Thursday morning. Mui was negative both times. We went to the UC Health lab and had PCR tests done Thursday. Friday afternoon we got the results ... "DETECTED" ... for both of us.

We're both feeling fine. Mui was a bit sluggish and slept most of Thursday, but had his energy back by the next day. Other than that, our symptoms are not unlike that of a cold ... a very mild cold at that. We seem to be improving daily.

The takeaway from our virtual doc consult is to quarantine for five days, and if we are feeling better, we can break quarantine provided we mask up. If we are not feeling better, we continue to quarantine for another five days. After that, we're in the clear. No testing is needed. In fact, the doctor said not to do a PCR test because even though we'll no longer be contagious, the test may show us positive for weeks to come. We'll probably break out a home antigen kit for our own peace of mind, though.

So, what have we been doing since testing positive? Making plans for other RV getaways and polishing plans for our fall road trip. That means that eventually footprints will begin showing up.Meer informatie
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Glad you are not sick with severe symptoms. Doesn’t matter how you were infected. Just continue to heal [Marjie]
16-05-2022Reageren
Reiziger Oh, no! Hope you test negative soon. Feel better quickly.
16-05-2022Reageren
Two to Travel If not for the positive test result, I wouldn’t know anything was wrong. Even the cough is gone now.
16-05-2022Reageren
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Two to Travel T2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys
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- 17 mei 2022 10:54
- ☀️ 81 °F
- Hoogte: 6.047 ft
- Verenigde Staten Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs 38.838855, -104.80779138°50’20” N 104°48’28” W
Curious?
17 mei 2022, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
On the last trip I was posting on FindPenguins (our European Crossing and Turkey adventure), I noticed that there seemed to be a problem with email notifications.

I wonder if the problem is persisting with this trip — or any others to which I might be posting footprints. I'd really appreciate it if you could leave a comment to let me know if you are seeing notifications and whether they are through the app, email, or both.

(The photo I've added to this post explains how notifications are supposed to work ... either through email or the app.)

OH! And by the way ... COVID-19 wise, all is well with Mui and me. Fairly symptom-free at this point ... 6 days into being "DETECTED."Meer informatie
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Reiziger I am happy to hear you and Mui are doing well. Sadly, Caitlin tested positive today, so it's still going around the ship. I receive your post notifications through the app within minutes of when you post.
17-05-2022Reageren
Two to Travel So sorry to hear about Caitlin testing positive. Hopefully, she has an easy time with it. It's so frustrating to go all this time without getting the virus, but inevitable now I think with so many of the precautions being thrown out the window.
17-05-2022Reageren
Reiziger I receive notifications through the app
17-05-2022Reageren
Two to Travel Thanks.
17-05-2022Reageren
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Two to Travel T2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys
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- 20 mei 2022 11:02
- 🌧 37 °F
- Hoogte: 6.037 ft
- Verenigde Staten Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs Acacia Park 38.835232, -104.81991638°50’7” N 104°49’12” W
Snow!
20 mei 2022, Verenigde Staten ⋅ 🌧 37 °F
It's really not unknown for it to snow in Colorado in May.

While the snow, and the rain that is forecasted to follow on the Plains, have pretty much put the kibosh on our loose plans for an RV getaway, we're not complaining. We really need the precipitation to help with the drought ... and with the wildfires that are burning around the state.

Here's the deal for this snowstorm. The white stuff was supposed to arrive after 1:00p, but we've already had some light bands come through. Nothing is really sticking at the moment. But that is expected to change.

For the area we're in (see the bracketed portion of the forecast map), the forecast calls for anywhere from 8" to 18" (for readers who use the metric system, that is 20-45 cm). Will we get that much? We have to wait and see.

The good news? The snow removal team contracted by our subdivision will be clearing any accumulation of this wet and heavy snow, so Mui won't have to break out the snowblower ...🤞🏻

In the meantime, Mui's had to re-winterize the Cruiser this morning since nighttime temps are supposed to fall below freezing for a few nights. No need to borrow trouble when the process is pretty easy to do with this rig.

Can we say lesson learned? Unless we're leaving Colorado for warmer climes, we should plan on keeping the RV winterized through May!

P.S. Update on our COVID-19 situation. We remain pretty much symptom-free. What with the snow and all, we'll quarantine through the weekend since it will be no hardship to do so. And then ... resume life as before ... masking up when we are around people.Meer informatie
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Two to Travel T2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys
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- 22 mei 2022
- 🌧 36 °F
- Hoogte: 6.024 ft
- Verenigde Staten Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs Acacia Park 38.835167, -104.82148738°50’7” N 104°49’17” W
Aftermath of the Spring Snowstorm
22 mei 2022, Verenigde Staten ⋅ 🌧 36 °F
It really is a good thing that we did not get caught out on the road in this storm. Canceling our loosely-planned RV getaway was the right thing to do as digging out would not have been fun!

It snowed all afternoon and into the night on Friday, 20 May. And much of the day yesterday, though the big fat flakes that were falling throughout the storm had changed over to “snow dust” by the time I took most of the photos yesterday morning. I measured 8 inches of compacted snow … the official reports for our area say we got 12 inches.

And now, on Sunday morning, it’s snowing again … big fat flakes flying about. But nothing is sticking. We expect this second snowfall to be a non-event.

Oddly, we had a snowstorm on May 19-20 three years ago as well. Exact same dates. Facebook reminded me of that storm yesterday. It was a bigger event … with much more accumulation. Even the pavement and driveway were packed. I’ve added a “reminiscence” collage of that storm to this footprint … but you can see more from that storm @ this link … https://eenusa.smugmug.com/COS-Life/Spring-Storm/.Meer informatie
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Reiziger Glad to see you home during that storm. Weird weather. 90 degrees back east in places. Hope your satellite dish didn't get frozen this time. Hope you and Mui are feeling better now. Take zinc.
22-05-2022Reageren
Two to Travel We do daily zinc … especially when traveling. We’re fine and out of “COVID jail.”
23-05-2022Reageren
Reiziger I have a nephew and his family who live in Colorado Springs who shared similar photos. Yikes! Hope you both are feeling better.
23-05-2022Reageren
Two to Travel Much better … never felt like it was more than a mild head cold.
23-05-2022Reageren
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Two to Travel T2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys
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- 4 jun 2022 17:11
- ⛅ 77 °F
- Hoogte: 6.043 ft
- Verenigde Staten Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs 38.831936, -104.82227338°49’55” N 104°49’20” W
De-winterized ... AGAIN!
4 juni 2022, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
With an RV getaway on the very near horizon, today Mui de-winterized the Phoenix Cruiser ... again. The freshwater tank has been disinfected and filled. The propane tank is topped off. Provisioning for our short trip is completed. Clothes are hanging in the closet and tucked away in cabinets.

We have recovered from our bout of COVID-19 ... the reason why the first getaway of this RV camping season was canceled.

The weather forecast has no snowstorms or hard freezes for the foreseeable future ... the reason why the RV was re-winterized and our second getaway of the season was canceled.

Fingers crossed, and the weather gods willing, we hope the third time is going to be the charm!Meer informatie
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It seems at some point in time we will get infected. We got ours after the holidays :( Glad that both of you have recovered and ready to roll again.
04-06-2022Reageren
Two to Travel Yes … seems as though it’s inevitable. Hope your bout was as mild as ours was.
04-06-2022Reageren
Reiziger So glad you're feeling better and are about to hit the road again.
05-06-2022Reageren
Two to Travel We never really felt bad … but of course stayed isolated per the CDC rules. I suppose we could have done so in the RV, which has the comforts of home, but it didn’t feel right to do that.
05-06-2022Reageren
Reiziger I'm so glad you are feeling well and didn't have a bad case of Covid. Happy travels!
09-06-2022Reageren
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Two to Travel T2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys
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- 5 jun 2022 09:45
- ⛅ 68 °F
- Hoogte: 5.909 ft
- Verenigde Staten Colorado El Paso County Stratton Meadows 38.808224, -104.80693138°48’30” N 104°48’25” W
Last Checks & We’re Off
5 juni 2022, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
One last engine and oil check.

One last route check with the RV Life GPS app.

And we’re off.

Our destination is Sylvan Lake State Park some 200+ miles away … up in the mountains by Eagle, Colorado. We’ve never been before, but the photos look promising.Meer informatie
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Reiziger Exciting!
05-06-2022Reageren
Reiziger yay! off to the mountains
05-06-2022Reageren
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Two to Travel T2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys
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- 5 jun 2022 11:30
- ⛅ 63 °F
- Hoogte: 9.177 ft
- Verenigde Staten Colorado Chaffee County Newett Chubb Park 38.869953, -105.98476438°52’12” N 105°59’5” W
Lunch Break on US-24
5 juni 2022, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
On this trip up we are taking the scenic US-24. When we found a nice big pull out we decided to stop for an early lunch with beautiful mountain scenery.
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Two to Travel T2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys
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- 5 jun 2022 14:00
- ⛅ 54 °F
- Hoogte: 11.142 ft
- Verenigde Staten Colorado Summit County Kokomo (historical)Clinton Gulch Dam Reservoir 39.413672, -106.17527839°24’49” N 106°10’31” W
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Oh So Scenic!
5 juni 2022, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F
I-70, the more direct route to Eagle, is one of the more scenic interstates we’ve driven during our travels. But places to stop and enjoy the beautiful scenery are limited.

Not so on US-24. There are plenty of places to pull over and stop … enjoy the landscape … savor the moment. And that’s exactly what we are doing as we make our way to the junction with I-70.

(I am taking some photos through the windshield as well … otherwise, we might not make it to our campground before nightfall.)

*** I checked the map when we got home on 9 June and we did not go all the way up to I-70 via US-24. Once we were north of Leadville, the GPS apparently routed us up via CO-91 … aka the Top of the Rockies. I’m guessing this was due to the trucker’s Garmin GPS Mui uses and the unit considers us a truck … a long one since Mui has the toad included in the overall length.

Thus we connected to I-70 earlier from Copper Mountain instead of from Minturn as we did in 2020.

I’m glad we were routed up via the Top of the Rockies as we would otherwise have missed the splendor of Clinton Gulch Reservoir. On the other hand, it means that we still have to try driving the RV north from Leadville on US-24 one of these days. Maybe in 2024 as I don’t see how we can squeeze in another RV getaway between everything we’ve already got planned for 2022 and 2023.Meer informatie
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Reiziger Gorgeous!
09-06-2022Reageren
Reiziger such a gorgeous landscape
09-06-2022Reageren
Reiziger the reservoir looks almost full. nice.
09-06-2022Reageren
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Two to Travel T2Ts 2022 Phx Cruiser Journeys
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- 5 jun 2022 16:00
- ⛅ 70 °F
- Hoogte: 7.585 ft
- Verenigde Staten Colorado Eagle County East Brush Creek 39.543872, -106.75510339°32’38” N 106°45’18” W
Sylvan Lake State Park
5 juni 2022, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
Following our meandering sightseeing, we eventually reached the junction with I-70 and headed west. Sylvan Lake State Park’s address is in Eagle, Colorado. While you need to drive through the town, the park’s visitor center is, in fact, some 9 miles away.

Before there was a park here, there was first a homestead. And later a “fur farm” … fox and mink. There was also an attempt to establish a fishing resort. But that venture failed. Zurcher Lake, which was developed for the would-be resort, however, survived the seizure of the land by the IRS in 1962. After the Colorado Game and Fish Department took over the land, the lake was renamed Sylvan and the state park was formed in 1987.

I learned about this bit of history from the brochure I read at the visitor center while we waited our turn to purchase an Aspen Pass, which covers a year’s worth of park fees (otherwise $9/day) and also gives us a small discount on the camping fee.

The beautiful, lush green scenery around the visitor center promised more of the same down the road, so once the pass was purchased, onward we continued to the campground.Meer informatie
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Reiziger nice to be a Colorado resident for sure
09-06-2022Reageren
Reiziger Beautiful state park!
10-06-2022Reageren
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