Colorado Caravan to Black Rock City II

[illy dilly]

Colorado Caravan to Black Rock City
Tried this once and it disappeared, so we'll give it another shot.

Any one traveling from Denver or Colorado is invited to caravan out with us.

We will be making the trip in two days. In the past we've done it in 24 hours, and this year our front runners will be doing it again to get there on Sunday.

1. Leave Denver on the 27th, some time in the morning, shooting for 10am.
2. Arrive in West Wendover, NV. This leg of the trip will probably take 11-12 hours depending on weather.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Denver+to+west+wendover,+nv&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl We'll spend the night in West Wendover and either get a really good "Last Super" buffet for diner or get a great buffet breakfast.
3. 10-11am, Head from West Wendover to Fernley, NV. About 6 hours. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=west+wendover,+nv+to+fernley,+nv&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl
4. Arrive at Fernley. Fernley has the last Wal-Mart before you head for BRC. We'll spend some time getting all the last few things we forgot. Probably take an hour or two. There are always a lot of burners in the parking lot of Wal-Mart.
At this point we'll have to judge our time. If we get to Fernley too early we have to hang out here for a while, before we go get water since we can't really hang out in Fernley and we don't want to get to gate too early. No body wants to be sent to D lot!
5. Head to Gerlach, about 1.5 hours. Stop at the Community Improvements place to get water and fill the RV tanks.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Fernley+NV+to+Cottonwood+st+Gerlach+NV&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl
There water is clean, cheap, and the people that fill it up are really nice. It helps their community for us to buy water, and it helps us save a boat load on fuel cost! No point hauling over a quarter ton of water if you don't have to.

From there we head to BRC!

We're still looking for where we should meet before we hit the road. I'm thinking someplace in Commerce City, CO. Its an industrial area with lots of huge parking lots and easy areas to pull RVs around.

The current plan leaves plenty of time for minor mishaps along the road. By getting most of the driving done Saturday, we have all Sunday to catch up if need be.

So, if you would like to head out with us but don't necessarily want to stay a night, a few of our camp will continue to drive to BRC from West Wendover. Though, keep in mind they will get there at about 10am, and have early arrival passes. If you don't have EA passes do not plan on getting to gate before 11:59pm on Sunday.

[souldrifter]

Illy,I have to say you are thorough.I just got off the phone with my friend in Fla.and we both really like your plan and are anxious to discuss it with the rest of our party and see how we can best make it happen.We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to link up with some seasoned vets!My friend said he thought Commerce is in Aurora,is that correct?

[illy dilly]

Not exactly. Commerce City is north of Aurora, and Denver. Its not far from Aurora. You can't tell where one stops and the other starts unless you're looking at a map.
Commerce City is pretty much what its name entails. Its 85% businesses and industrial. Its actually part of Denver County, but not Denver city. Its where the Purina plant, oil refinery, and rubber plant are (so it either stinks like dog food or oil refinery, wind depending). Its also where I70, I25, I270, and I76 meet, so it is a major trucking route and warehouse district. So, its easy to maneuver RV's around since most streets are ready for semis. And if for some reason we needed RV parts there are a few places in Commerce City that we can hit.
From there we could hop on I270 to I25, and avoid the I70-I25 cluster f*ck.

Have you come up with a plan for getting the folks from Steamboat?
If you have to take the RV up there its gonna be one hell of a pain in the arse.

[souldrifter]

Yes actually I have come up with an idea,I have a good friend in Aurora who may be able to help.So leaving from Commerce City would be incredibly cool for us if I can make something happen with this call I'm about to make.Will Post results shortly

[souldrifter]

Illy I spoke with Ultratang today and he said he and M woould be able to meet us in the Denver area so that makes things way simpler concerning joining the caravan.From a logistics standpoint it couldn't work out better for us.

[illy dilly]

Hooray! Woo HOO!
That drive would just be such a pain in an RV. And going up and down the grades would cost so much gas.

Awesome, I'm glad you found a way to get them down to Denver!

I'm still hunting for the exact spot that we should meet at in Commerce City.
Hey, could you find out what part of Aurora your friend is in? If it turns out its just The Gnome Dome and you guys, it might be easier for us all to meet in Aurora!
The Gnome Dome caravan will be 2 RVs and a Box truck.
If you can get the major cross streets it might be easier to meet in Aurora, then just take 470 up to I25, and totally skip going through the city! Much faster too!

[souldrifter]

Yes everything is coming together amazingly well.It's eerie.I will definitely find out my friends location.I talked to him earlier and you must have mentioned a big rv place in commerce because he said if it's the one he thinks it is,then he's a mile from there.He told me one time he lived right off 70.Anyway i hipped him to this thread so he knows our plans.The 3 of us from the Riviera should arrive in Aurora on Wed.24th.What we could benefit from Illy is more of a noon departure on Sat.to give M and Ultra time to get there from Steamboat.Ultra works Fri. night.Again I'll talk to my friend,tell him to follow this thread,maybe he'll chime in.Where's the rest of my party anyway?I'm going to the Burn with a bunch of f*&#ing mimes!

[souldrifter]

Before I forget he said He's off Chambers rd.The Rv place he's talking about is a place that sells them,he couldn't remember the name,but maybe they can make a suggestion.

[illy dilly]

HELL YEAH!
I know the RV place! There are only two on that side of town!
That would be amazing to meet there! We, The Gnome Dome crew, can shoot up Gun Club road to I-70 zip over to the RV place meet with ya'll, then from there we can shoot 20 east to E-470 and totally skip going through Denver!

Noon, will work amazingly for The Gnome Dome crew!
I'm still gonna tell my camp that we are leaving HQ (my sisters house) at 10am. Then we should start to leave at 10:30, then "o wait I forgot..." tell about 11am. Then actually head to the RV place by noon.

That will put us in West Wendover at 11pm-1am.
And put our Box Truck EA team at BRC at noon on Sunday. I'll have to double check with them.

Turns out our second RV isn't leaving until Sunday morning. Then they will be spending the night in West Wendover Sunday night, and hitting the playa Monday.

[souldrifter]

Ok,talked to my friend again and he took off Wed.,Thurs.,and Fri.to hang out with us,is there anything bitchin goin on there during that time?I'd love to see a show at Red Rocks.Anyway,sounds as though the caravan plans are shaping up,whatever we can do on our end to help facilitate things please let me know.And Btw glad the noon departure works,less stress on M and Ultra

[illy dilly]

Yeah I'm getting a little feed back from our Box Truck drivers, that they are wanting to leave around 10am, to hit playa around noon on Sunday, but that would give them 26 hours, which is a lot of time. Especially since Sunday lines are quick, but not nearly as bad as after gates open.

So, if we are going to go for a noon departure, it HAS TO PROMPTLY BE NOON.

Even at a Noon departure we will be pulling into West Wendover around Midnight, weather permitting.
Do you think we can do an 11am departure?

[souldrifter]

I'm sure 11 will be fine,they have plenty of time to plan for it.Yes we'll be ready for an 11 am departure.np

[illy dilly]

Awesome!

Next question... to get a room or two in West Wendover or to squeeze everyone in the RV for the night?

[souldrifter]

Hadn't thought about that Illy.Do you think there will even be any rooms available?What are the others doing?Where would we be staying?I'd be in favor of getting at least i room.

[Cassidy]

HELL YEAH!
....
Turns out our second RV isn't leaving until Sunday morning. Then they will be spending the night in West Wendover Sunday night, and hitting the playa Monday.

Are y'all planning on heading over on 70? We've typically headed over on 80 since we're further North. This year our route is not set in stone.

We can't leave till Sunday morning either so if your second RV want's to caravan with us maybe we can work something out? Or perhaps we can meet them on the West SiEEEde...

[illy dilly]

Hey Cassidy I will pass the info along to them and let them know.
We always take I80, too. Unless your in Grand Junction or something, I70 just doesn't make sense logistically. And its not as easy of a drive. But I70 is WAY prettier, lol.

[souldrifter]

He Illy,my friend says RV American E.is less than a mile from his house.He say's that doesn't necessarily look like the best place to meet but that there were some half empty strip mall kinda places close by that might be appropriate.I could call the RV place Mon.and see if they could offer some input on where we could meet and also my friend said he'd be willing to scout around for a good spot in that area if need be.As I said before anything we can do to help let me know

[illy dilly]

LOL, thats funny, I was at RV America on Saturday Morning getting some roof sealant for my RV.
Yeah there really isn't anywhere near there that would be a good place. Though, there is one of the biggest WalMarts in the US down the street at I70 and Tower road. Give anyone a chance to grab last minute stuff. But then again that means dealing with a Wal Mart parking lot, Booooo!

[souldrifter]

Yeah my buddy changed his ac gasket a couple weeks ago and we put 3 coats of kool seal on the Love machine.Tight as a ducks ass.I'll ask my buddy to come up with a suggestion asap.I'll call him tommorow(today).I agree with you about the parking lot situation,but a wal mart does have some merits as a departure point.Also all our krewe has their plans set so that we're situated to leave on time

[illy dilly]

O man, I need to start beating it into my crew that we're departing HQ at 10am. Then meeting you at 10:35, saying hello, shacking hands, doing a couple of "Holy shit, this is what you look like?, I thought you looked totally different" and a few "hey look at my RV!" for about a half hour and be on the road by 11am.

[souldrifter]

Everyone in our krewe is set to do exactly that.My friend there said he thought the Wal mart idea was an excellent one.I kinda like it as well.Granted Sat.morn traffic will be busy but we'll be on the fringe of the lot and once we maneuver through it we'll be fine.I do think we should make an executive decision concerning this so everyone can plan accordingly.Times awaistin!I can't believe how close it's getting.Our krewe from the Riviera scram from here on the 22nd.Late,by the time they get to my house it'll be 10 pm at least.Only a week and a half,but who's counting.Rarely crosses my mind,and by the way,I look exactly like my picture.Always smilin,always dancin,and always mellow yellow!

[illy dilly]

Is your head really wider than your shoulders?

OK, Gigantic Wal-Mart it is!
Did you know that Wal-Mart actually uses that facility for all sorts of Marketing testing? In the first few years of the store, they rearranged it with different products in different areas of sun light. They did it a couple of times, they would flip it all around. Give people enough time to get used to the new locations for a while, see how sales went, then change it up again. They found that people are more likely to buy groceries and clothes where it is sunny. But electronics sell better where there is only fluorescent light. Now a lot of there stores are modled after the same idea.
"Just one every day value provided by Wal-Mart.... to screw you- out of your money"

OK, maybe we go with West third of the Parking Lot?

Here is what our RV looks like, but this isn't my RV, its just the same model from the same year with the exact some paint job. They only had one paint job to choose from, lol.

[illy dilly]

Hey, Have you booked a room in West Wendover yet? Or were you just gonna cram all 6 of you in the RV?

[ultratang7]

Everyone in our krewe is set to do exactly that.My friend there said he thought the Wal mart idea was an excellent one.I kinda like it as well.Granted Sat.morn traffic will be busy but we'll be on the fringe of the lot and once we maneuver through it we'll be fine.I do think we should make an executive decision concerning this so everyone can plan accordingly.Times awaistin!I can't believe how close it's getting.Our krewe from the Riviera scram from here on the 22nd.Late,by the time they get to my house it'll be 10 pm at least.Only a week and a half,but who's counting.Rarely crosses my mind,and by the way,I look exactly like my picture.Always smilin,always dancin,and always mellow yellow!

My only issue is that I'll be taking an airport shuttle down to Kippling and i-70 sat morning by myself. I've condensed all my stuff into a plastic tote, a suitcase, a cooler and my bike. I'm a little worried about bringing all that stuff full on the shuttle, it might be a little too much weight to carry by myself. I was kind of hoping to fill up my cooler at the walmart. just to save my back. Souldrifter is going to pick me up at the gas station there, but if something was to go wrong, i'd be a lot easier for me to trek somewhere with an empty cooler vs. one stuffed with ice and food.

[souldrifter]

I have not booked a room yet,but will get on that.Ok,i think wal-marts a good meeting spot,and we'll be on time and ready to go Illy.Ultra I'll be talking to you soon to see how I can help you out.

[souldrifter]

We'll have to get a room come to think of it.Once I get my head in the rv there's not much room left,plus i need room to boogie

[illy dilly]

I'm a little worried about bringing all that stuff full on the shuttle, it might be a little too much weight to carry by myself. I was kind of hoping to fill up my cooler at the walmart. just to save my back. Souldrifter is going to pick me up at the gas station there, but if something was to go wrong, i'd be a lot easier for me to trek somewhere with an empty cooler vs. one stuffed with ice and food.

Then travel with your cooler empty?
How long are you going to have to ride the shuttle to get down to Kipling and I70?
How much is that gonna cost you if you don't mind my asking?

Is anyone willing to give you a ride down from Steamboat? Even Half way? Maybe even just Loveland?

[illy dilly]

Once I get my head in the rv there's not much room left

I'm surprised they're even letting you ride in the main cab, and not in the under storage.

[souldrifter]

We got him covered Illy,my buddies gonna come get him in his Suburban.

[souldrifter]

How are you this afternoon Illy?