Come Labor Day weekend, a twinge of envy and a slight yearning for the past whispers in my ear whenever I hear people talk about going to Burning Man.

Back in the day, we used to go. But when Black Rock City’s population exploded from 200 people in ’92 to several thousand by our last year in ’96, we decided to call it done.

Labor Day weekend hasn’t been the same ever since.

Until now.

Giving a New Meaning to “Fat Tire”

Fort Collins is the epicenter of bicycle and beer culture. Fat tires and big beefy beers go together here like hippies in Humboldt.

As the headquarters for super eco-groovy, New Belgium Brewery, no matter where you go you can’t help but soak up the sudsy vibe of laid back college town living.

New Belgium is the creator of awesome microbrew beer and Tour de Fat, a nationwide day-long costume party held in different cities to celebrate bicycles as a way of life.

The Fort Collins Tour on Labor Day weekend is always the biggest one, and this year some 10,000 people came by bike to toast the two wheeled lifestyle.

On Saturday afternoon, we dropped Wyatt off at doggy day care, then met our friends Mike and Marie to pedal on over to the event. Not knowing what to expect, our costumes were thrown together pretty quick and nothing to be proud of (just wait till next year!).

As more freaks started rolling in dressed in full regalia, we knew this was going to be a fun ride.

For over two hours we pedaled with partying revelers throughout town, whooping and hollering and smiling the entire way. I can’t remember the last time I smiled for hours on end, just cracking up at all of the crazy costumes that people thought up.

Everywhere the parade snaked through town, locals were sitting on the curb whooping back at us.

People had set up cocktail bars on their lawns and thew parties while the parade was going on. From frat boys to old folks, nobody could resist the good cheer the circus brought to town.

What a blast to see the entire community come out and applaud the riders. Nobody was a spectator, everyone was a participant.

After the ride, New Belgium threw a free, day-long concert near their headquarters, with local bands, food, crazy bicycle games and an emphasis on the all-important message of how using bicycles for transportation can build community and save the planet.

Being the bicycling advocate that I am, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend part of Labor Day weekend from here on out.

We’re hooked! Just wait till you see our costumes for next year  . . .

So, about those Days of the Nü …

That NüRVers Rally at the Lazy L&L was an opportunity to attend the first real rally of sorts for full-timing hipsters. And by real, I mean rally-goes actually registered. But if you didn’t go because of the registration fee, you missed out. Our gracious hosts used those fees well.

We all had sweet sites with full hookups, and everyone received goody bags with cool schwag including the first official NüRVers T-Shirt. Ladies received some of Cat’s new Starspun all natural mineral makeup, and of course the gents got sample kits of Dri-Wash waterless RV cleaner. But did I mention the open bar?

Yes, throughout the Days of the Nü we were priveliged to have at our disposal a full bar of only the best bottles. Many of which I’m pretty certain got emptied, all of which I’m sure cost more than those reg fees would cover on top of the campground cost and commemoritive apparel.

Which reminds me of some important words of advice for anyone who plans to hook up with the Nü Crew down the road: Pace yourself. The morning after René and I arrived at the Lazy L&L, we weren’t feeling so hot. And that’s putting it politely. It might have been the gin, or maybe the wine, quite possibly the rum; but most likely all of the above. With a few days to go, we intended to take it easy. But then came Luau night, and I am not one to pass up free mai tais. Especially excellent ones in a big bowl! Besides, it gave us a chance to use our coconut cups again.

It was hard to top each previous night when it came to the food and fanfare for this fun crowd. Somehow we managed to though. Our pot luck meals were tasty smorgasborgs, with plenty of variety. From Damian’s grilled Spam for The Luau to Brian’s Thai noodles for Fiesta Night – give ‘em a break, he’s Canadian eh – there was plenty for all tastes and diet preferences.

For those who helped plan this party by editing the online worksheets, thank you for your time but it was all for naught. “Rally” organizers decided to eschew the itinerary, which worked out for the best. Six cool RV couples got to know each other, in person if you can believe that. And a fun time was had by all. We skipped the intended seminar schedule, togetherness outing and door prize games to focus on having a good time. That, and getting pretty trashed.

But René did host her stitch and bitch crochet lesson, and I hear Angie is keeping it up. Us guys got a lesson on keeping rigs clean, talked shop, and geeked out on my hitch. You see, the ol’ Superglide had a hard time unhitching when we pulled in. Hence the mass quantities of Bombay Saphire upon our arrival. But we need not go there. Nor do we need ask about the NuRVers thong.

We should, however, ask if “Rally” is really appropriate nomenclature for this portable partay. What would you call it? I for one, like that whole Days of the Nü idea.

To be continued …