Day 12 of 178 - Ouray, Colorado

HOO-RAY FOR OURAY!!  (YOU-ray or you-RAY ... it's a personal preference)  In September of 2008, Diedre and I spent her birthday weekend in this lovely little town.  During a walk, we happened by a wonderful RV park in town located right on the Uncompahgre River. I think that may have been the start of our RV desires.

      After arriving Sunday and setting-up (Diedre on the inside, me on the outside as the good lord intended), we decided to walk the 4-block long town and look for dinner.  In keeping with the John Wayne theme that dominated our time in Monument Valley, we had dinner with John Wayne's hat that night.  Don't worry, I'll explain.  About 45 years ago during the filming of the original "True Grit" movie, the Duke stopped in to the Outlaws Restaurant in Ouray.  When he left the restaurant, a waitress chased after him, exclaiming, "Mr. Wayne!  You forgot your hat!"  Big John replied, "That's DUKE, little lady.  Why don't you just keep it until I come back."  So they tacked it up above the bar and there it has resided lo these last 45 years.  I don't think he's coming back.

     On the drive that day, Diedre's head cold started.  If history teaches us anything, besides the fact that Germans are not that good in a World War, it's that my cold won't be far behind.  Sure enough, by Tuesday my full-blown cold came to stay for the rest of the week.

     The big excitement Monday morning when I made my way to the campground showers was that during the night, a wayward small black bear decided he needed to freshen up.  The door to the men's showers was knocked off its hinges.  Very impressive.  I'm just glad for the bear's safety that he didn't come anywhere near AB1; my 9-pound Birman attack cat, Casey, would probably have torn him to shreds.

   Monday's day trip was to the equally enthralling little town of Telluride.  Wife Diedre was taken with the burg enough that she enacted an old habit where she decided we needed to move there right away.  She's done that also with Scotland, Victoria, and, strangely enough, Tijuana.  In Telluride, we had a great happy hour at Smuggler's, one of the few places open that day.   

Diedre couldn't pass up this t-shirt from Smuggler's that combined cats, beer and sunglasses!

Our lesson learned: no day trips on Mondays if you want to actually go inside a shop or pub.

     Tuesday, with a pair of colds in full battle array, we decided to just replenish our massive RV pantry with a little grocery shopping.  Note that in the previous two weeks, I had not spied one newspaper (except the "The Navajo Times") and Diedre had not garnered a whiff of one Starbucks in either Monument Valley or Ouray (Is that even possible?).  Fortunately, we went 10 miles away to the teeming metropolis of Ridgway, twice as big as Ouray (Ridgway had 1 stoplight to Ouray's 0).  Sure enough, I found a "Denver Post" at the grocery store and Diedre had her first good cup of coffee in weeks at the world famous and only existing "Cimarron Bookstore Coffeehouse."  Her irritability and my general lack of knowledge quickly abated.

     Wednesday I made a return trip to Ridgway.  An old college chum and basketball star who goes by the sole name of "Strauss" had an article in the "Retirement section" of that day's "New York Times."  Just like Paris, Chicago, and Los Angeles, the NY Times is required reading in Ridgway.  Since all of you reading this are either at or near retirement age, I'm making this required reading.

Box Canon Falls

     While wandering aimlessly around Ridgway, I learned that the little town was the home of "Gunsmoke's" Dennis Weaver ("MARSHALL DILLON!  MARSHALL DILLON!")  And it was also the site of many outdoor scenes for the aforementioned movie "True Grit."  So like any good cinephile (I hope that's the right word), I made my way to The True Grit Cafe, where the John Wayne theme of our trip thundered on.  The really amazing thing about this area, which includes Ouray, Telluride, and now Ridgway, is that no matter where you walk in town, you're surrounded by sunny skies, temps in the 70s, yet all the while snow is still covering the mountains off in the distance.

     Back in Ouray, we gamely hiked up to the top of the incredible Box Canyon Falls.  We had done this climb in September of 2008.  Is there any way they could have made it higher in the intervening 4+ years?  The sad highlight of this trip for me was that I mainly remembered from the previous ascension a blue house at the base of the falls.  Check out the before and after photos. 

Sept. 23, 2008

May 15, 2013

     That night, we met up with Englishwoman Angela Goodacre; our meet-cute was set up by Angela's grade-school chum and our close Terravita friend and neighbor, Lesley King.  We learned that the recently retired Angela is a rock/mountain climber as is her husband, who amazingly enough, is slated to climb to the summit of the granite monolith and one of the world's favorite challenges, Yosemite's El Capitan, at the age of 70 (her husband is 70, not El Capitan; it's got to be at least a hundred).  I get tired just climbing the 3 steps into our RV.

Angela, Alexx, Diedre at O'Briens in Ouray

     Oh, but our big news that day was ... wait for it ... THE FIRST SALE OF MY BOOK!!  (Some guy in Arkansas ... go figure)

     Yes, the ever-clever Diedre had posted an opportunity for people to purchase the book as soon as it becomes available through a Paypal Button on the blog (www.FastestGunInHollywood.blogspot.com in case you're mildly interested in more of my drivel). We expect the shipment of books will arrive some mysterious time in late June.

     But the really good news  (Wait? There's more?) was regarding our favorite chocolate manufacturer in the world, Mouse's in Ouray, whose chocolates were a thing of ecstasy for me but a joy I thought I had lost since the big Diabetes scare of 2011.  Diedre, being the kind and caring woman she is, decided I could try a glucose (blood-sugar) reading after a sampling of Mouse's sublime chocolate toffee (dark chocolate and definitely not sugar-free).  She figured out some way in that food-voo-doo-she-do-so well, that I might be able to re-partake of this little bit of heaven.  The pre-toffee glucose reading (in which I have to savagely rip into my tender skin for a blood droplet) was 95; miraculously, the post-toffee reading an hour later was 106.  Anything less than a 20-point increase means it's OK for me to ingest reasonable amounts, "reasonable" being a term Diedre and I are having mediated.  So, as Bill Murray said in "Caddyshack," "At least I got that going for me."

      Thursday we celebrated our last day in Ouray ... by making the treacherous 24-mile trip to the old mining town of Silverton.  14 of the miles were on a razor thin strip of 2-lane road with no guard rails, virtually no shoulders, but with an ample supply of 1,000-foot drop offs.  I suggested Diedre close her eyes as I did during the really scary parts.  Of course, I was driving, so that effort had negligible results. 

Alexx is aware of the Avalanche warning

Diedre contemplates leaving on the next train.

So this is the Notorious Blair Street!

     In the 1800's, Silverton's rough and tough night life was divided in half.  Respectable folk resided on Greene Street while the notorious Blair Street was well known for being home to the degenerate side of life:  whores, gamblers, THEATRE folk ... wait, what?! ... and those broads who wore the red hats (OK, that was from my play "Murder at Savings & Loan Ballpark, aka SLoB"; I just couldn't resist.  It's a favorite gag of mine.) 

My thoughts of the soiled doves of a bygone era drove Diedre into the arms of another man.

     So it's Friday now and we're leaving for the Denver suburb of Larkspur, home of 8 of Diedre's relatives and nearby to a senior softball pal (You know, senior softball guys probably belong on the notorious Blair Street in Silverton.)  Larkspur really has to be on top of its game if it wants to compete with the incredible scenery we've experienced so far in Monument Valley and Ouray.  Let the games begin.

    Let me leave this part of the blog with these wise words for you from the bathroom walls at The True Grit Cafe: 

"Never squat with your spurs on."

OUCH!

     See you next week.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Gang - Diedre here.  For those of you wanting to leave a comment on the blogs, it looks that you need to do that from your computer and not a phone or other mobile device.  Apparently comments aren't available from a mobile device, so go to you computer if you wish to leave a comment.  Thanks for following us!

Alexx Begins Blogging - Day 9 of 178

These are the voyages of the Starship "Air Barty One" (AB1) whose 10-year mission is to bravely go where no retirees have gone before ... OK, that may be a bit much.  I am Captain James T. Kirk (aka Alexx) who along with my science officer Mrs. Spock (aka Diedre) and our 3 flight deck officer-cats Lt. O'Hura (Samantha), Mr. Sulu (Casey), and engineer Scottie (Charlie) are in the beginning of our 178-day, Midwest-states voyage to see the country, meet new people, and annoy the heck out of friends and family alike.

     All right, enough with the "Star Trek" blather.  I'm really more of a "Star Wars" guy.  Yes, Diedre and I are beginning day 9 nestled in the little town of Ouray, Colorado, surrounded by the San Juan Mountains.  The city is so pretty, it's referred to as "The Switzerland of the U.S."  That's only fair, since when we were across the pond, we called Zurich the "Cleveland of Switzerland."

     Before setting ourselves adrift on this 6-month adventure, we took three test runs to make sure our 35' Forest River Georgetown motor-home was seaworthy, so to speak.  Our trip to Tombstone in February saw us covered with snow the first day, something we had pledged never to drive in for at least the next 10 years.  So much for that vow.  On that trip, we saw the wondrous Kartchner Caverns, the Bisbee Copper Queen Mine, and walked Boot Hill where the 2nd place finishers in "The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" now reside. 

      In March, we journeyed to Laughlin, Nevada, mainly for a senior softball tournament where, just like the boys we visited at Tombstone's Boot Hill, we finished second.

     In the last of our shakedown cruises, we went to Yuma, Arizona, home of the State Territorial Prison; San Diego to visit our friend Sara Oswald, previously of Owatonna and National Computer Systems; and then the northwestern part of Los Angeles where meals were shared with cousin Jan Price and hubby John; nephew Jake; nephew Brian and his wife Cindy and son Shepherd; and a giant Sunday brunch for all 14 members of our family generously hosted by longtime friend and all-around good gal Pauli Morin and husband Jeffrey.  Talk about your qualifying for sainthood.  

We also made it to a game at Dodger Stadium, making it 11 major league stadiums we've been to (I've been to more, but I'm so old, they've torn down 8 of the ones I've been to).  Our goal is to make it to all 30 stadiums by the end of the 2015 season.

     From there, it was 3 days in Palm Springs, California, where we met up with my good friend Lesley Gore.  OK, so it was just an autograph session with her after a performance of "The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies," something we would highly recommend you see if you're ever in the area.

     Our Iliad of a trip began somewhat inauspiciously with a blown fuse when I was attempting to plug AB1's air conditioner into our house outlet.  Remember, I'm not exactly "Tim the Tool Man."  Apparently, our 50-amp mobile home was a bit too much for our 16-year old Scottsdale home.

     With super-handyman Diedre Kaye at my side (or more like "the forefront"), a solution was soon found and we were on our way to the incredibly scenic Monument Valley (MV) which straddles the border between Arizona and Utah.  MV, as those of you our age may recall, was the favored site of movie director John Ford and legendary actor John Wayne when they filmed all those scenic Westerns, starting with "Stagecoach" back in 1939.  We stayed at the same campground where the movie crews had stayed all those many years ago.  The resort ran John Wayne movies every night which was a lot of fun. 

We hiked around the giant rock formation, "The West Mitten," our 5th day there; that formation was seen often in "Stagecoach."  The fact that it was a 2-hour hike that had us in the rain the second half did not deter our plucky pioneer spirit.

     One night we met a most interesting young couple, early 50's (I know, I know, it's all relative) from Australia.  They had never been to the U.S., so they were in the midst of a 7-week, Herculean tour that would take them from L.A. to MV to Denver to Chicago to New York City to the Florida Keys to San Francisco to Las Vegas.  WHEW!!  They were so nice that I pledged we'd drive AB1 to visit them in a few years.  Diedre claims there's some problem with that ... whatever.

Alexx always manages to find a ball park no matter where we go!

 We're now on day 3 of 6 in Ouray, Colorado; today's plan is a day-trip to Telluride, Colorado.  From here, we're off to Larkspur, CO, to visit Diedre's brother, sister-in-law, nephew and his wife and kids, and see a Colorado Rockies ball game.

      So, thus far, we're still loving the RV life.  And I'm even managing to do a little work on the road; the publisher of my book, "The Fastest Gun in Hollywood: The Peter Brown Story," emailed us their final printout which the two of us are in the process of doing the absolute final edits.  Hopefully we'll have the books in hand by June 10. (Stay posted by clicking here - you can even pre-order your book!)  Book launch parties in Minneapolis and at Carleton College are (hopefully) in the offing.

     That's it for this edition of "Alexander Adventures."  Hope you enjoy tracking our journey.  We hope to see you soon in an RV park in your area.

     Alexx out.     
-------------
Just a quick note from DK - Valley of the Gods was another day trip that we took while in Monument Valley and we thoroughly enjoyed naming the various rocks sculpted by nature.  This one seemed to be our favorite.  We decided to call him the Teddy Bear and I think that might be a rocking horse by his side.

Some of you wonder if we are getting any time to relax.  Yes indeed!  Check out some of our favorite past times when we aren't touring the areas or hiking...

We love our cozy bedroom and invariably all three cats find their way to join us at night...and sometimes even for afternoon naps!  I finally finished crocheting our afgan which has come in quite handy on some chilly nights.

I'm also continuing to enjoy my cooking and creating delicacies in my kitchen.  While updating this blog, the RV is being filled with the wonderful smells from the oven while I bake my latest grain-free bread that we'll have for breakfast.

You can keep track of our meal plans that are diabetic and heart-healthy friendly on my blog: Diedre Cooks Lo-Carb.  Just click here.

Cocktails at 5:00 PM is our goal and we've found quite a few that are in keeping with Alexx's diet.  Thanks to my buddy Jo, I can still enjoy my martinis on the road as she equipped me with sturdy glasses, Grey Goose, a cocktail shaker and even the onions!

    

Cheers!  Thanks for following our journey!

On the Road!!

Can it really be almost a year since I've posted??!!  Well considering I only got about 10 Christmas cards out this year, it's not surprising.  It has been quite a whirlwind since my last post.  Let's see if I can get you caught up in a paragraph or two...

I spent the majority of May and June with my sweet mother in Tampa as we were concerned she was not getting enough attention to her needs where she was living.  The family agreed it would be better to have her closer to me so I didn't need to spend so much time in Tampa since I was the primary medical advocate for her care.  Mom was hesitant at first but when we found a lovely place, Upon the Rock, just a mile from Alexx and me she agreed to the move.  We decided flying would be risky for her so instead we rented an RV and thought it would be nice for Mom to see the countryside once more and I could cook her meals and we could play cards while Alexx drove.  My brother Remy wanted to join us for this adventure and we welcomed him with enthusiasm.  He could help Alexx with the driving and me with the cooking and Mom was thrilled to have his company.  It looked like it would be a great solution to the cross-country trip.

In preparation, that June, Alexx and I rented a 25 foot Class C coach from Cruise America for one week during his softball tournament in Pinetop, AZ.  We loaded up the van with cats and food, etc. and headed to Mesa to pick up the RV.  And off we went to northern Arizona.  We camped at a lovely little campground with only electricity, but we had nice shady trees and the gas and water in the coach was plenty for the week.  We did quite well but decided we would definitely need the larger RV for the trek across the country with two additional people.  We wouldn't have the cats with us, but it was a good trial to know they could handle that space for future travels we hoped to be making.

July came and in addition to celebrating our 21st anniversary (still able to wear our wedding outfits), we saw our entire Diederich clan (my side of the family - guess where my nickname Diedre comes from?) as they all gathered at the generosity of my mother at Tampa Palms Country Club for three glorious days.  Mom was thrilled to have everyone together and especially to see all her great-grandchildren.  Mom's breathing was getting more difficulty and she was needing more sleep, but she was able to join us every afternoon and evening for meals and good conversation.  Our final evening, many of the family members performed their talents as we held our Family Follies.  I can't remember a time I've seen Mom so happy.  Here's a glimpse of the whole group gathered together:

We left the day after the reunion taking five days.  Mom continued to have breathing problems but we were able to see lots of the countryside and play lots of cribbage together while the boys drove.  I cooked our breakfast and lunches in the RV and Mom enjoyed having home cooked meals.  Remy is a master on the  grill so we had great dinners each night.  When passing through Texas Remy said he had to have BBQ as it was "a thing."  So we stopped at Henk's BBQ.  I offered to fix Mom her usual soup and sandwich but she wanted to partake in the BBQ event.  What a joy to see her so happy! 

We encountered problems though when we hit Santa Fe and Mom's breathing worsened to the point that we had to go to the emergency room and get her on oxygen.  The guys drove through the night from Albuquerque to Scottsdale and we landed at Mayo at 2am on Monday morning.  Mom wanted to go to her new home though and so we left the hospital and called hospice to assist with her care at Upon the Rock Assisted Living home.  Mom was comfortable and happy to have undivided attention from a fabulous staff.  She and I spent an entire night together talking and reminiscing her wonderful life.  I sang to her, read to her and held her to keep her as comfortable as possible.  It was a very special time that I wouldn't trade for the world.  We called Jeanie, Remy (he had gone home on Tuesday and it was now Thursday), and Doug and a number of her grandchildren called her.  Doug flew in on Thursday and Mom and I counted the hours until he got there.  She said she would wait for him and she did.  He arrived Thursday evening and we spent the entire day together on Friday.  Nate (Remy's son who also lives in Phoenix) came by for a visit and brought his girlfriend's golden retriever which brought a huge smile to Mom's face.  She was always a huge lover of dogs.  Friday night Doug and I kissed Mom goodnight and she told us both she loved us.  We knew it was unlikely we would hear that again.  Mom passed away in her sleep around 4am on Saturday, July 21st, 2012...Dad had died on July 22nd, 2000.  They rest in peace together now.  She would have been 94 in October.

The family gathered in Minneapolis in August for a memorial service. Afterward, Alexx and I took our time driving home.  We saw baseball games in Minneapolis and Kansas City, walked the town of Dodge City, saw the arches in Moab, Utah, and stayed at a wonderful B&B in Salida, CO, called Mountain Goat Lodge.  When we arrived home we both knew it was time for us to seriously think about the RV life again.  We were anxious to get back on the road.

So we kicked it into gear and started our search again for the ideal RV.  As December approached my sales mentality came to the forefront and knew we could get our best pricing if we purchased before the end of the year.  We found just what we wanted for an RV and a towable car and bought both before ringing in the new year.

Mom and Dad were wise with their investments and generously left each of their kids an inheritance.  Mom knew Alexx and I wanted to start an RV life but with his recent surgery our funds were pretty much taken up with paying for doctors and medication.  But this gift allowed us to start our retirement dream sooner than expected so we name the RV in honor of Mom using Alexx's nickname for her...Barty.  Our beautiful new home is called the Air Barty One (think Air Force One), or AB1 for short, and we keep her with us in our thoughts and travels as we begin our new adventures in travel.  Our rig is 35' long with two slide outs giving us ample space.  I love my full kitchen and Alexx has two large flat screen tv's.  The one in the living room sits above an electric fireplace that adds ambiance and heat when needed.  It's manufactured by Forest River and is a 2013 Georgetown model.  We love it!

We decided to do some trial runs before taking off for a 6-month tour of the mid-west. (More on that later.)  But being newbies to the world of RV's we decided to start with driving lessons and an on-site "camp" experience with LazyDays, the dealership where we purchased the coach. Our sales rep was Kevin Ichter and we highly recommend anyone looking for a dealership to put their trust in this group of knowledgeable people.  It's definitely a drive from Scottsdale for service when needed but they always put us up in the campground and attend to our every need.  People often ask if I drive it, but alas, no.  I could if I need to.  I got my certificate at the driving school and learned to drive and backup a 42' diesel RV.  But I prefer the navigator's chair and being readily available to make a snack for Alexx when he's hungry.

Our trial runs included a trip to Tombstone and the nearby Kartchner Caverns and The Copper Queen Mine in Bisbee; Laughlin, Nevada for a senior softball tournament; and a 10-day loop from Yuma, to San Diego, to Los Angeles, to Palm Springs and home again.  We are just now concluding that trip and have learned much about managing life on the road through these trips.

Now we head home to prepare for the big 6-month tour that will take us to Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, and Nevada.  Before that begins we have two other activities to attend to which also have blogs of description:
Diedre Cooks Lo-Carb and Alexx's new book which is soon to be released, The Fastest Gun in Hollywood. 

So now I will turn this blogging responsibility over to Alexx and I will begin posting my recipe collections and marketing activities for his book.  Be sure to follow those blogs as well.  More information soon!

Our three cats travels with us, Charlie (Ragamuffin), Casey (Birman), and Samantha (Snowshoe).  We love keeping the family together through our travels.  We hope you enjoy our blog and would welcome any suggestions of places you consider to be "must see spots" along the way. 

You are pretty much up to date now.  Alexx will take over from here and keep you posted with our activities accompanied by his great humor!  Enjoy!  Hope to see you along the way!


These two photos capture our logo for our adventures and what we have on our new business card:

Courage to Explore

Seeking Possibilities

Slight Change in Course for Alexander Adventures!

Well a lot has changed in the adventures of this duo since my last posting in August.  Alexx and I spent quite a bit of time researching the rig we were hoping to buy through the months of September and October.  But while we were at the Huntsman Games in St. George, Utah, we decided to do a health screening.  It resulted in Alexx being diagnosed with diabetes II.  We spent the next three months focusing on changing his diet and getting his health back on track.  We were doing quite well as we brought his Hemoglobin down from 12.1 to 6.1 in three months.  But then further complications hit when he experienced angina on January 5th and I took him to the emergency room.  After diagnosis, they found he had three blocked arteries and required triple by-pass heart surgery.  We were fortunate to have wonderful doctors and after a month of recovery and three months of cardiac rehab he returned to the softball fields in April.  He's continued his low-carb diet and his hemoglobin is now a stellar 5.5.  He's chosen life over hot-fudge sundaes and happy with the choice. Now, however, the money we had hoped to put toward our rig and our new lifestyle is all going to pay for bills over the next four years.  We will not be looking at the full-timing lifestyle for at least that long.

Alexx's new zipper!

In the meantime, we are not giving up our dream.  We are all set to try out a one-week life RVing on three different occasions this summer!  Our first adventure will be to Pinetop, AZ.  We've rented a 25 foot Class-C from Cruise America to take to the first softball tournament that Alexx will play in since his diabetes diagnosis.  We have reserved at a state park and hope to learn a bit while we enjoy the cool of the area and the comradeship of our ball-playing friends. 

Remy and Barty on Captiva Island, May, 2011

Next stop, is a one-way adventure with my mother and younger brother (shown above) as we take a 30-foot Class C from Cruise America from Tampa to Arizona via Santa Fe.  We are very excited to be moving my mother from her assisted-living facility in Tampa to a lovely group home near us.  Since this will most likely be her last big trip of her near 94 years, we all thought it would be a great way to move her.  I just qualified for my Golden Age Pass this past year so I hope to be using it at some lovely campgrounds along the way.  We'll be sure to post lots during that adventure.

Our final summer adventure will be a round-trip outing while we are in Minneapolis this summer.  Alexx's family is having a reunion in Michigan so we thought we'd rent a small rig for a week and see my aunt, his family and our friends who all live along the north end of Lake Michigan.  Alexx's mom might even do a night or two with us on that trip.

So stay tuned!  The Alexander Adventures continue...just not as we originally planned!  If there's one thing Alexx and I have learned in our life together, it's to be grateful and smile.  We appreciate your interest in our adventures and we hope to bring you some smiles along the way as well!
 Happy Trails!  Diedre