2017 RV Adventures - Episode 2

Although I missed the Kentucky Derby by two weeks, it was still great to visit Churchill Downs, that monument to the sport of kings, in Louisville, Kentucky. With the crowds gone, Janet and I practically had the place to ourselves! I bet on four races, including a daily double. (I can't believe inflation hasn't hit the betting window: A bet is still $2, just as it was when I was a kid.)
Did any of my horses finish in the money? Are you kidding? I'm a handicapped handicapper.

As they head for the finish line... my horse is out of the running!

I felt my wallet gettin' thinner, time to pick a winner.

A trip to Louisville would not be complete without a tour of the Hillerich & Bardsby bat factory, home of the Louisville Slugger.

Before taking the tour, I got to swing Mickey Mantle's bat.

I wonder if Charlie is a relative. (I know they
named a long-life battery after Al Kaline.)

Towards the end of May, we were headed for Colorado Springs, but with all of the campgrounds in and around that area fully booked for the Memorial Day weekend, we stayed in Dodge City, Kansas.

No self-respectin' RVer would stay anywhere else in Dodge City.

Shootout at the Boot Hill museum.

Although I didn't see Miss Kitty, I must confess that before I went to the Boot Hill museum, I thought Bat Masterson was a fictional character! [As a side note, here's a missed opportunity: The Dodge auto dealership in Dodge City is Lopp Motors. Wouldn't "Dodge City Dodge" be a better name?]

Come Memorial Day Monday morning, it was (you guessed it) time to get out of Dodge. As we headed to Colorado Springs, the truck began misbehaving. Ascending hills, it was "cough, wheeze, sputter." Fortunately, we made it to the RV park in Colorado Springs. The next day, I was able to find a diesel service shop that wasn't too far away. Diagnosis: A failing high pressure fuel pump. The repair, which took ten and one-half hours, involved separating the cab from the chassis, and lifting the cab to get at the pump. After waiting a couple of days and paying a $3,200 ransom (OUCH), we were able to resume our travels. (So much for paying my high-dollar dues before embarking on what I hoped would be a trouble-free summer!) If only I had hit that long shot at Churchill Downs...