Per Ginna’s request and since I she’s out of town and I miss her (& the boys): a report on my weekend, Dawn til Dusk.
This weekend was supposed to be about the first endurance mountain bike race of the season, a chance to work out all the kinks in the gear. Last fall we bought an old Airstream trailer and this was the first weekend trip using it. The biggest challenge turned out to be that I waited until the last minute to get the Airstream ready. The biggest problems were that I had never had or even used an RV, not to mention tow something that big.
I ended up working on it all night everyday of the week. With some help from several friend who came by, by Friday I had the lights, plumbing, water heater, stove and range working. The only major thing I didn’t get worked out was the heater. And the forecast was calling for rain and possibly snow.
In case the previously picture didn’t give a good idea of how long the airstream is, here’s another.
I took this picture at the church, where I parked it Friday until I could finish work and leave.
I got the airstream out to Gallup, NM to the High Desert Trail System, where the race was to be held. The weather was decent. Windy, but not too cold.
The airstream was basically designed to sleep parents and kids. There is one bedroom and a pull out bed, certainly designed to sleep kids.
My friends Trent and Sean were there with me and they sure snuggled up on the bed.
In order to create some heat in the morning, I decided to bake up some biscuits for breakfast and use the oven.
We started racing at 7, but were late to the start and had to catch up. The first 13 mile lap was fun. The weather was cold and windy, but dry. I checked on Sultan at the end of lap one and all was well, so I started off on my second lap.
About half was through the second lap, the snow started, then the wind picked up and it felt like blowing ice. Soon, I had a flat tire and after several attempts to reinflate, I slowly rode into camp to the the bullhorn announcing that the race would be cancelled due to weather.
The other guys were cheerful enough, even though we had to stop racing.
Here I am inside talking to Ginna, of course.
Sultan was relaxing. He was happy to have not been left home.
The parking area was just a field and the road in was a very rough dirt road. We remembered from last year, when it was also cut short due to snow, that many cars and rvs got stuck on the way out, therefore we decided to wait until the storm blew over to try to drive out.
We decided to drive into Gallup and get some dominos so we the guys could teach me how to play Mexican Train.
The desert dries up nice and quick; soon we were packing up and driving out.
(Sandy in the hotel lobby)
The proximity to the parks was awfully nice, and the good news was that everybody ended up feeling better.
We had lots of expensive food--some of it tasty.
Sandy's fruit/veggie paste had to be the tastiest though.
This is the big boys taking a picture of the little boy eating.
One night Max and I stayed out a bit late with the Bryce & Derek & Nancy & Gina Randles. I got to ride with Derek in the autopia car and Max drove alone behind me. Is that Bryce in the far background looking so crazy?
I have to say, Derek is not the best driver. I'd think he'd have had more autopia experience by now!
The next day we had some morning hours with just boys and I. We hit good old Disneyland and did as many rides as we possibly could before it started to get too crowded.
Max in line.
Sandy was somehow big enough to ride a carousel horse on his own--the big leather belt didn't hurt of course.
And of course Max could also ride on his own! I had use of both my hands for the length of one carousel ride. It was amazing.
We ran around and did tons of fantasyland rides--ones I never even remembered existed like Pinnochio and Casey Junior. It was great.
Sandy spent lots of patient time riding around in our trusty old stroller.
And Max did the teacups. I've never braved them, being of a weak spinning constitution myself. He loved them of course.
We always love Tomorrowland, though the absence of the people mover there was rather distressing. But there are large and delicious churros readily available there that make everything ok.
The Buzz Lightyear ride is the best. Even Sandy liked it.
Later that day we met up with Bryce and did a bunch of stuff in the CA adventure too. Max was dying to do the big ferris wheel since we could see it from our room. Sadly Sandy was hungry and tired by then, so he spent at least half the ride bawling. Luckily the other occupants of our compartment was a nice little asian mom and daughters and they didn't mind--or maybe speak enough english to complain!
We got to swim and shop and rest and eat and it was a great time. We even tried to take Bryce and Derek to see the new waterslides at the Disneyland hotel--they look like the monorail. But of course we got there right as the slides were closed for the evening!
The last night we took Bryce & Nancy and family out to dinner at their favorite burger joint (YUM!) and hung out at their house the rest of the night.
It was quite fun and I'd do it again in a second.
And here is the photo we took as Bryce left for church and we left for the airport--specifically for the blog. See Bryce, you made the blog, impressed?
Thanks for hosting us, Randle family. Let's do it again--it's your turn this time! We don't have Disneyland out here, but we do have some dang good eats.
