Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque

Friday, September 30, 2011
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque, NM 62 degrees mostly sunny to 78 degrees and mostly sunny. Over night there were rain showers and gusting winds. This morning they were still to high for launching the balloons until well after seven A. M. To enlarge pictures; Click on picture to enlarge, click return button (<) on your browser to return to post.

Taken thru Busters front window (east)

A much nicer day today, with a small balloon launch for Albuquerque aloft, balloons launched from some of the public schools and a re-enactment of 1971's first Balloon Fiesta thirteen balloons launched. We stayed at Buster, and took pictures. Other than that we laid low today.

looking out Buster's leftside window (north)

Looking northeast

Looking westbehind Buster 

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque, NM

Thursday, September 29, 2011
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque, NM 62 degrees mostly sunny to 84 degrees and changing afternoon to a shower and wind blowing. We went to the main Balloon launch field today for our crews’ orientation (video and discussion) and finding the assigned balloon launch location. There were about five balloons aloft thismorning.

Part of the launch field

That is a large launch field with a alpha numeric grid we are assigned to a Pilot Gary Born # 336 on Q 8 launch spot. Q 8 is in the green area right of the Pilot Briefing yellow spot, lower left corner.

Handbook

Buster had his exhaust pipe replaced today. The other one had rusted thru and was past its’ prime.

Bonnie at the Q 8 post

At happy hour today a balloon pilot came and spoke about "crewing" for a balloon pilot.

Balloon in front of buster

At the Safety biefing, gentelman with hat is a balloon pilot

Another briefing from a balloon pilot at happy hour

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque, NM

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque, NM 56 degrees mostly sunny to 84 degrees and sunny. Our group has thirty-nine rigs here today and there are many other spots open yet. There is going to be another Escapees group here also. Boomers had an orientation happy hour today at four o’clock. Then a large group went to Chinese Buffett for dinner.

Boomers Happy Hour

Buster is parked just down the street from the Balloon Fiesta museum so that was visited. We are going to volunteer to crew a balloon, there is a safety and sign-up tomorrow. also at our happy hour a balloon pilot will be here.

Part of the Boomers at dinner tonight

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque, NM

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Albuquerque, NM - Enchanted Trails RV Park 63 degrees and mostly sunny. We did a leisurely start, dumping waist tanks and insuring fresh water is full. On Buster’s way out of the park he stopped to fill the propane tank, it was two thirds full but the convenience and we are boondocking for a week, cooler weather and the refrigerator operates’ on gas when the electric (115 AC) is not present.

Sunset behind Buster

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque, NM 84 degrees partly cloudy. The Pacific ocean hurricane Hillary is affecting our weather pattern, hopefully the rain will go north of us here in Albuquerque. It was a twenty-mile trip here mostly on interstate forty east and interstate twenty-five north for Buster. We are located south of the launch area (west of I 25) and parked with Buster facing the east and looking at the balloon landing area. We are parked with the Escapees Boomers BoF (Birds of a Feather) group, eleven motorhomes and two fifth wheel trailers here tonight and expecting a total of thirty rigs.

Monday, September 26, 2011
Albuquerque, NM - Enchanted Trails RV Park 57 degrees and mostly sunny to 87 degrees and mostly sunny.

Bonnie had a better picture

Silver Sally checked out Buster’s route to the Balloon Festival today otherwise a take it easy day. Camping World is next door to our campground and required us to walk around taking a look and price check.

Traveling east on I 40 in New Mexico

While there at Camping World we saw Larry and Karen. They are members from The Ranch in Lakewood, NM on their way west into Arizona it was nice to meet them here in Albuquerque.

Bonnie at Enchanted Trails RV Park

I was able to purchase the fitting Buster needed to transfer water from the five-gallon container into the fresh water tank. This procedure uses the onboard water pump for the transfer of water. Now I can add water to Buster when we are boondocking, not being able to add water when Buster is parked has been a limiting factor of boondocking.

Albuquerque, NM - Enchanted Trails RV Park

Sunday, September 25, 2011
Grants, NM - Blue Spruce R V Park - 35 degrees and sunny. An easy short eighty mile trip planned for today east on interstate forty. To enlarge pictures; Click on picture to enlarge, click return button (<) on your browser to return to post.

I took this Saturday

Entering New Mexico going south on US 491 from Cortez, CO.

Lunch here at Route 66 Casino

Albuquerque, NM - Enchanted Trails RV Park 85 degrees and mostly sunny. Buster did seventy-six miles today going past the campground to take a drink of diesel fuel. Then onto the campground for two nights. After Buster was parked and setup, we drove Silver Sally back west to the Route 66 Casino for lunch-dinner. Coming back to Buster there were some great sunset photo's taken.

Sunset Albuquerque, NM

Sunday sunset Albuquerque, NM

Saturday, September 24, 2011
Cortez, CO - La Mesa RV Park 38 degrees and mostly sunny. Buster Brown was on the road about nine thirty today. Moving down the road to New Mexico going on south US 491 and interstate forty east.

Grants, NM - Blue Spruce R V Park - 84 degrees and sunny. Just an overnight here, nothing special after a one hundred ninety seven mile travel day. That is the longest travel day since the seventh of September when Buster went two hundred twenty three mile day.



Cortez, CO - La Mesa RV Park

Friday, September 23, 2011
Cortez, CO - La Mesa RV Park 37 degrees and mostly sunny to 82 degrees and sunny. You can notice the cloudless sky in today’s pictures.  To enlarge pictures; Click on picture to enlarge, click return button (<) on your browser to return to post.

 

Bonnie at the four corners

George at the four corners

The four corners dose something for some people

Cortez, CO - La Mesa RV Park

Thursday, September 22, 2011
Moab, UT mostly sunny 57 degrees. Buster Brown was on the road south (US 191) about ten this morning. A nice two lane road with climbing lanes for trucks and RV’s. Again we climbed over seven thousand feet today, there were many dips, climb three hundred feet give back two hundred feet. Kind of a roller coaster effect even when not climbing as much.

OK RV Park Moab, UT

Cortez, CO - La Mesa RV Park a cool 81 degrees and mostly sunny. After getting Buster backed into his site and settled in the campground Silver Sally drove us around the city (small) for a look around this afternoon. This travel today into Colorado will fill in Busters west doughnut hole on the states Visited map on the right side of the blog.

La Mesa RV Park, Cortez, CO
(Looking northeast)

Moab, UT - Arches National Park

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Moab, UT - Arches  National Park mostly sunny 55 degrees to 86 degrees and mostly sunny. Today I am going to let pictures say it all. To enlarge pictures; Click on picture to enlarge, click return button (<) on your browser to return to post.

George

Bonnie

George's new friend

George collecting water that was going to the Colorado River

Price, UT - Walmart

Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Price, UT - Walmart mostly sunny 51 degrees. Good aircard signal here. This is not a large Supercenter and not a high traffic route. We have had noisier campgrounds overnight. We continue east and south on US 6 and onto interstate seventy east and US 191 south to Moab, UT about thirty miles west of the Colorado state line. For Buster a hundred and twenty-one mile trip today, a little over two hours.
  

Buster parked at OK RV Park

Moab, UT - OK RV Park, mostly sunny 84 degrees. A typical tourist town, with plenty of tourists around today, nice weather too. Silver Sally took George and Bonnie into Moab for the "look see" of the town. Real touristy Colorado River town with plenty of Jeeps present here.

Draper, UT Camping World

Monday, September 19, 2011
Draper, UT Camping World, 48 degrees and mostly sunny. Camping World took Buster in for three hours in the shop to replace the main awning. They uncover another problem, the forward arm upper bolt hole is cracked at the top where the awning roller connects to the arm. We are going on down the road here and replace that latter. (Order and wait days for parts) I do need a new battery for the awning remote control.

Traveling US 6 eastbound

Price, UT - Walmart mostly sunny 84 degrees. Buster spending the night at Walmart for the first time. Buster traveled south to Cabela’s and I dumped his waist holding tanks there and south to Springville to top up the diesel fuel, next possibly will be Albuquerque, NM. On the way to the balloon festival. East and south on US 6 a nice road thru a canyon sharing it with a river and a double railroad track. Buster's trip today was one hundred and seven miles after the awning work. Easy (for Buster to climb) grade change from forty-five hundred feet to seventy-five hundred feet. The Walmart is at five thousand feet. Plenty of passing lanes for faster traffic to get around Buster’s sixty mile an hour pace.

Buster & Sally at Price, UT Walmart

Draper, UT Camping World

Sunday, September 18, 2011
Draper, UT Camping World, 48 degrees and mostly sunny to 78 degrees and mostly sunny. Another perfectly nice day.

Buster at Camping World

Buster’s batteries were needing attention. I got after that today after avoiding it for a while. Four large golfcart six volt batteries with plenty of cables all removed cleaned up some spray paint on the floor of the compartment and hold down braces. This time I put some material under the batteries we will see if that helps keep corrosion level down. I feel like I dressed the wire connections for these better this time. There are two batteries with a cable positive to negative making 12 volts and another set up then these are cabled in parallel add the solar charge connection add the engine battery connection and a temperature connection. There is also another 12 volt battery connected that is in another compartment.

 Three other rigs came here to Camping World to over night here awaiting work.
Water syphon in winterize port, talking to the rig that parked to Buster’s left, he suggested that I add water thru the winterize port which uses the internal water pump. I need to acquire additional fittings and hose for that port.

Draper, UT Camping World

Saturday, September 17, 2011c
Draper, UT Camping World, 54 degrees and partly cloudy with rain showers overnight
to 74 degrees and mostly sunny. A nice cool day.

Buster and Sally parked at camping world

We took Silver Sally to Cabela’s (outdoor world) for our first ever visit to Cabela's. I am looking for a water container to use when we are boondocking with Buster and need to add water to him. Well I got a container not at Cabela’s and tried to gravity fill Busters fresh water tank, it did not work the water in check valve prevented flow. I have two choices, defeat the check valve to get the water in then return the check valve to normal so Busters fresh water pump can pressureize the water when needed or get a small in line water pump to pressure past the check valve.

We are making plans; to move south and visit Moab, UT - Arches National Park then Four Corners Monument New Mexico and travel on to Albuquerque Balloon Festival. In going to the four corners area and we move thru Colorado we can color in another state on Buster's states visited map. We have added four states already this year twice as many as expected in our plans. Then moving on to The Ranch until Christmas.

Draper, UT

Friday, September 16, 2011
Midvale, UT - Sugar House Awning, 47 degrees and partly cloudy to 76 degrees and partly cloudy with rain showers.

East Bay R V Park

Buster looks good with a new slide topper and the bed slide out repaired good as new.

Buster's New slideout Topper

Buster moved to Camping World in Draper, UT about seven miles south for the main awning replacement on Monday.

Bed slideout topper repared

We will head for Moab and Arches National Park after that awning replacement is done.

Springville, UT

Thursday, September 15, 2011
Springville, UT - East Bay R V Park 52 degrees and partly cloudy to 79 degrees and mostly sunny. This evening Buster will move to Midvale, UT. North of here thirty-eight miles where the awning maker is located that will remake Busters’ slide topper. They will start early in the morning. On the way out of East Bay R V Buster got a drink of diesel fuel as there is a Flying J truck stop across the street. We boondocked tonight outside the gate of the awning company in Midvale, UT.

I drove Buster about forty miles north to Sugar House Awning, a more city environment area and Bonnie followed driving Silver Sally. We boondocked outside their gate, arriving after eight tonight. We will be ready for them first thing in the morning.

Springville, UT - East Bay R V Park

Edited Sat Sept 17, 11
Monday, September 12, 2011
Springville, UT - East Bay R V Park 55 degrees and partly cloudy to 81 degrees and beautiful this afternoon. The awning salesman came and measured Buster’s slideout topper for the replacement. The work to be done on Friday this week. Nothing other than that today. I spent the morning cleaning and arranging one compartment under Buster, something I had been putting off for a while that needed doing.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011    

Springville, UT - East Bay R V Park 55 degrees and partly cloudy to 81 degrees and a
mostly sunny a very nice day.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Springville, UT - East Bay R V Park 55 degrees and partly cloudy to 77 degrees and partly cloudy with a rain shower this evening. We are just cleaning and polishing on Buster. These have been nice days’ moderate temperatures with low humidity. Buster has not looked this good in four years.

Springville, UT - East Bay R V Park

Sunday, September 11, 2011
Springville, UT - East Bay R V Park 55 degrees and partly cloudy to 83 degrees and rain this evening. Are you ready for football, the pre-game show comes on at ten A.M. here in mountain time zone. But first we remember the 9-11 victims, fire fighters, police and our military for their sacrifice to our country.

Buster at Springville, UT

Buster at Springville, UT

Springville, UT - East Bay R V Park

Saturday, September 10, 2011
Springville, UT - East Bay R V Park 57 degrees and mostly sunny to 73 degrees and rain and wind late this afternoon.

Salt Lake City Mormon Temple

 Silver Sally took us into the downtown of Salt Lake City for some site seeing today. The remembrance we have is construction, not only is interstate fifteen under construction for many miles so are many other streets in Salt Lake City. We picked a great day to visit downtown Salt Lake City there was light traffic in the city. We had little problem getting around even though there was a lot of street construction and the state fair.

 

Springville, UT - East Bay R V Park

Friday, September 9, 2011
Springville, UT - East Bay R V Park 52 degrees and mostly sunny to 79 degrees and partly sunny. Today to take it easy and do some rubbing on Buster. Running down the road the other day the construction crew was dispersing water on the road and Buster received water spotting. One of the seminars we attended was on external cleaning of the rig. So we are now applying the knowledge learned and the Escapees Escapade to Buster.

Buster at East Bay R V Park

Buster at East Bay R V Park