Hawkeye and CoderDeb's RV'ing Adventure

Christmas Pictures

2009-12-27T13:34:00.005-07:00

Hi all...we've had a wonderful time here in Sampson County this Christmas.

We also have enjoyed visiting with family and friends in Durham and Hillsborough.

Long overdue

2009-12-04T19:02:00.004-07:00

As you know by now I've very delinquent in updating our blog. We've had an eventful late summer and fall. We spend most of August in Oregon and Washington. Both were beautiful states that we hope to visit again someday. About the first of September we put the petal to the metal and took off for Michigan. We paused for a week of so in Montana, long enough to visit Glacier National Park..then continued on east.

We spent a wonderful 3 weeks with our friends Gary and Sue Tomlinson in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Run Ragged Tours had an amazing itinerary for us. It was outstanding. We saw more beautiful waterfalls than anywhere we've been before. And walked and hiked more than we had for some time. It was awesome. Our last week together was spent in Ohio at the Gypsy Journal Rally. This small rally is put on by our friends Nick and Terry Russell. We had a great time visiting with Eascapee class of 05 and 07 friends too.

The last day at the rally found me on the phone with my sister. My Mom's health had taken a turn for the worse so we decided to head on back to North Carolina. We pulled out of Celina Ohio about 1pm on Friday and arrived at their home in NC by about 6pm on Saturday. The only problem we had making the quick run was Gary started feeling poorly and I actually drove us through the mountains in Virginia. Yipes, the first time I'd pulled the house in some time. We made it though...no bumps or bruises. :)

We spent about a week with Mom and Dad helping out. Mom got better so we headed up to Mount Airy, NC for the Autumn Leaves Festival. We'd been planing this for some time. We enjoyed a long weekend with our friends, Van and Rita and their son Daniel, Ken, Laverne, along with Steve and Robin. Other than it being a little bit rainy on Saturday we had a very good time.

After the weekend we moved down to Durham to stay at Russell and Tootsies home. They are Rita's parents and have welcomed us to their back drive every time we return to Durham. We spent the next 3 weeks there taking care of various appts and catching up with friends and family in the area.

Gary went to his primary doc a couple of days after we got there and told him he had started to have chest pain. His doc immediately scheduled him for a stress test, which was positive. Two days later he had a cardiac cath and a stent placed. The very good news was he didn't have a heart attack. They caught it in time. He is doing very well now, and hasn't had any more pain. He is going to Cardiac Rehab three times at week at Betsy Johnson Hospital in Dunn and will continue with this until January. Today we went back up to Chapel Hill to see his Cardiologist and all was well. Just keep exercising, eating right and taking all his meds.

We're going to stay here in Dunn for now. Mom and Dad need our help and we're enjoying the time spent with them along with time spent with our daughter Jennifer and others. We hope to be back on the road at some point, we're just not sure when that will be.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone. Love, Deb

Our route from Texas to Here...April to August

2009-08-20T13:31:00.003-06:00

Our route since leaving Texas on April 1st. If you click on the Larger Map it'll open so you can scroll out and see the entire route.

View Larger Map

July in the North West-Lincoln City, Oregon

2009-08-17T17:11:00.004-06:00

After leaving the Thousand Trails near Bend we moved west to be near the shore. Lincoln City runs about 7 miles along the coastline. This small town was very welcoming and we enjoyed our stay. It's a bit pricier being on the shore but wasn't too bad. We paid $13.00 a night for a week's stay at Chinook Bend RV Resort. This was another membership park where we get a discount rate thru our Resort Parks International. Another perk of owning a Thousand Trails membership. The park was OK..very tight spaces. I'm glad we only paid the lower rate. It is located on the Siletz River. They rent canoes and boats. We had planned to take them up on this, but the weather was pretty cool and rainy for much of our stay.
One day we drove south route 101. This route follows the coastline. It is winding very busy.
Along the way are many many very small state parks. These are usually located at the top of cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The views were outstanding. Another day we drove north on 101. Not as many state parks, but a beautiful scenic drive. I love the Oregon coastline. If I were ever to live on the coast..of all we've seen so far, this is the most beautiful.

More July in the Pacific North West-Crater Lake

2009-08-16T18:59:00.001-06:00

One day was spent going about a 100 miles south to Crater Lake National Park. Crater Lake is located on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range, 100 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. It lies inside a caldera, or volcanic basin, created when the 12,000 foot high Mount Mazama collapsed 7,700 years ago following a large eruption. Generous amounts of winter snow, averaging 533 inches per year, supply the lake with water. There are no inlets or outlets to the lake. Crater Lake, at 1,943 feet deep, is the seventh deepest lake in the world and the deepest in the United States. Evaporation and seepage prevent the lake from becoming any deeper. The water is crystal clear blue that reflects the mountainous rock cliffs and the two islands.

July in the North West- In and Around Bend, Oregon

2009-08-16T17:09:00.000-06:00

We also took a couple of short trips from the preserve to and around Bend. It is about a 20 mile drive right through the middle of volcano country. We spent several hours traveling up and around the volcanic mountains.

July in the West

2009-08-07T21:44:00.007-06:00

At the end of June we left California and took a short detour into Nevada.
Gary felt the need to check out Reno since we'd been to Las Vegas earlier on our trip. Reno is called the Biggest Little City of the World. I'm not really sure what that means but it's their motto. The city is like Las Vegas..but smaller and a little "less refined" (imagine tongue in cheek here)... if that is possible. We visited Scheels, a very large sporting goods store while there. Ever been in a store that had it's very own ferris wheel? Pretty cool!!

Please note Gary's very creative support system for the sewer hose. County law required it be off the ground completely.

We also took a drive down to Carson City and the north shore of Lake Tahoe.
To quote the Offical Lake Tahoe Visitor Bureau website...
"About 2 million years ago, a shift in tectonic plates caused the Tahoe Basin to drop down between the Sierra crest to the west and the Carson range to the east. Volcanic activity, also caused by the tectonic shifts, led to expulsion of magma up through the faults, filling in gaps and damming the valley.

Ten thousand years ago, at the time of the last ice age, individual glaciers formed at the area’s highest elevations, on the north, west and south ends of the Lake. Movement by the glaciers scoured out basins and formed Donner Lake, Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake, which sits up and to the West of Lake Tahoe.

Today, erosion and weathering is causing a slow, undetectable lowering of the Sierra, the mountain range that houses Tahoe. It is believed that Lake Tahoe is filling in with sediment at a rate of one foot every 3,200 years, so that in 3,158,400 years the lake will be replaced by a meadow."

Wow..pretty impressive..I'm just glad I wasn't around when all the action was occurring. And won't be around once it's reduced to a meadow..
Its a beautiful place..but filled with gated homes worth $$$$$ ...way more than our tax bracket for sure. We also saw one of the ski slopes..very different looking than the winter I'm sure. There was still some snow around but nothing you could ski on.

The picture of the pole is a snow marker. These are placed along the road so that when it snows, folks can find the road...this give you some idea of the amount of snow they get???

We left Reno after a week and moved up near Bend Oregon. On the way we traveled thru the Oregon Outback. This area is unlike anything we expected in Oregon. In many areas it looked more like the southwest, New Mexico or Arizona. Very desolate for miles and miles.

We spent 1 night at Lakeview Oregon..this small town in Lake County is called the hang gliding capital of the west (self proclaimed). Lake County is a land of stark beauty where we appreciated broad expanses of desert, sagebrush, high bluffs and rim rocks, plus the solitude of mountain forests. We looked for their crystal clear lakes...most of which seemed to be dry this year. Lakeview was a nice small town with a pretty good Mexican restaurant that we enjoyed for dinner. Or at least I did..Mr P had his usual hamburger...the only American food most of the Mexican restaurants seem to offer.

Before we left in the morning we drove down the street to the Old Perpetual Geyser. This geyser was supposed to go off every 90 seconds. We later learned that we arrived during it's summer vacation. Evidently it stops erupting when the water table for the area drops in the summer. Oh well..we looked at pictures on the web instead. And it still doesn't compare to Yellowstone's Old Faithful. See below..

We stayed at the Thousand Trails near Bend for two weeks. Most of that time we spent sick. We missed all the 4th of July festivities at the park and in town. Gary started out with a cold/flu and we took him to a local doctor's office on Friday. By nightfall, I was sick too. We had all the symptoms of cold/flu and it was no fun. We were glad to know that the Swine flu had been and gone in the area before we arrived. We spent a lot of time going from chair to bed and back for over a week. My cough is still lingering.

More to come..I know I'm behind...I'll catch up soon. Love to you all. Deb

Around Lake Mendin Thousand Trails

2009-06-24T13:11:00.006-06:00

Lake Mendin was one of the smallest Thousand Trails Preserves we've visited. While there we went down to visit Sacramento. The capital of California is a busy place. Even on a Sunday afternoon. We went by the capital building but didn't see the Governor. Or the Governator as we heard Mr Schwarzenegger called.

In downtown Sacramento we visited Old Sacramento. This 28-acre town of historic buildings constructed in the 1850s, on the Sacramento River contains several museums dedicated to educating us about the history or the area. To quote the Chamber of Commerce Web Site "The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill capped off the greatest human migration in history. Thousands of hopeful pioneers headed towards Mexican California on the Oregon Trail in search of a better life. From the settlement town of Old Sacramento, to the supply center and trade post of Sutter’s Fort, the Sacramento region is rich in Gold Rush History. "

There are wooden sidewalks, horse-drawn carriages, old-fashioned candy shops and even a Mississippi-style riverboat. There are many shops and restaurants to collect the tourist $$$ too.

We eat a barely passable lunch at Annabelle's Pizza. Cheap and filling but I wouldn't go back. CiCi's Pizza shouldn't worry. Noooo competition.

We also saw the Tower Bridge which crosses the Sacramento River nearby. The bridge is painted an odd gold color. It is supposed to be representative of the gold leafed cupola on the nearby State Capitol. I'm not sure they succeeded in that.

The Lake Mendin Thousand Trails is surrounded by farm land. And for the first time we saw rice growing in the flooded fields. There are also many groves of walnut trees.

Gladys is SOOOO funny...enjoy this video from Ellen

2009-06-22T11:11:00.002-06:00

Gary and the Street Entertainer

2009-06-21T16:21:00.004-06:00

Along The Embarcadero and the Wharfs of San Francisco there are many street entertainers. On our way back to the hotel one night, Gary got "caught"..and became a participate.

If you click on the pictures, it'll open in a larger screen.

Check List for San Francisco

2009-06-21T16:09:00.007-06:00

We had a list..
See Alcatraz....check
Eat Sourdough Bread in San Francisco...check
Ride a Street Car...check

Take a boat ride on the bay...check

Visit Fisherman's Wharf...check
Visit Haight Ashbury..check
See Coit Tower...check
See the Golden Gate Bridge....check
Ride across the Golden Gate Bridge...check
See the Sea Lions at Pier 39...check

Ride down American's crookedest St..Lombard Street...check

We spent 4 days in San Francisco. It isn't nearly enough time to enjoy this wonderful city.

Alcatraz Tour

2009-06-21T14:09:00.005-06:00

When we were planing our trip to San Francisco one of the first things I said was, " I want to see Alcatraz". Having seen movies over the years like "The Rock and Escape From Alcatraz", I was curious to see how the "real" rock looked. I was surprised to learn that Alcatraz was actually used for several purposes other than a Federal Prison.

While there isn't a charge to visit the island you must take a ferry to get to the island. The ferry company offers many choices of times and we decided to go in the evening so we could see the lights of San Francisco from the island and boat. It was difficult to get a clear picture at night while on the boat.

In 1775, the Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala was the first to sail into what is now known as San Francisco Bay. His expedition mapped the bay, and named one of the three islands Alcatraces. Over time, the name was changed to Alcatraz. While the exact meaning isn't really known, Alcatraz is usually defined as meaning "pelican" or "strange bird."

Alcatraz became the first long-term Army prison. The first prisoners to be brought in to Alcatraz were Civil War and Spanish American War Prisoners during the 1800s. As the number of inmates increased, the prison structure was also extended and renovated. By the 1920s, the three-story building was almost at full capacity.

Alcatraz Island was declared a military reservation in 1850 and troops had arrived by 1859. For almost eighty years the Island was the site of the first fortress and military prison on the west coast.

Due to its isolated location and the extremely cold San Francisco Bay waters, the authorities considered Alcatraz as an ideal place for holding dangerous prisoners. Criminals like George "Machine Gun" Kelly and Al Capone are some of the most famous inmates to claim residence on Alcatraz.

Alcatraz operated for a full 29 years and during that time, there has been no known case of any successful escape attempts. In 1962, three prisoners - Clarens Anglin, his brother John and Frank Morris – disappeared from the premises and were never found. But nobody knows if they ever reached the shore.

From the mid 1930's until the mid 1960's, Alcatraz was America 's premier maximum-security prison, the final stop for the nation's most incorrigible inmates.

On March 21, 1963, when the prison was closed, Alcatraz had already accommodated 1033 prisoners.

From November 1969 until June 1971, the American Indians inhabited the island. Since October 1972, Alcatraz has been a historic site and is part of the "Golden Gate National Recreation Area" ran by the National Park Service.

Happy Birthday Amy

2009-06-04T00:31:00.002-06:00

On Monday June 1st my niece Amy turned 16. And...promptly went and earned her driver's license. Congratulations Amy. You are very special to us and we love you dearly.

We're back in Thousand Trails

2009-06-04T00:21:00.001-06:00

After lots of hugs, we left Nikki and Bill on Monday and moved to the Thousand Trails park at Lake Mendin near Nicholaus. Compared to the parks we've stayed in previously in California this is a small preserve. With only water and electric at the site conservation is the word for our stay. They offer sewer pump out twice a week for $15.00. Since we're going up to San Francisco tomorrow for the weekend without the house, we should only need it once before we leave here on the 15th.

We're taking a vacation tomorrow and going up to San Francisco. We have reservations at the Sheraton at Fisherman's Wharf. Love those credit card points. Thanks American Express. We have tickets to see Alcatraz on Friday evening. We're going to eat sourdough bread and seafood, ride a streetcar and walk Fisherman's Wharf. I can hardly wait.

Love to you all...Deb

2009-06-02T23:56:00.000-06:00

Massive, ancient giant sequoias live in three groves in Yosemite National Park. The most easily accessible of these (spring through fall) is the Mariposa Grove near the park's South Entrance, off of the Wawona Road (Highway 41). On Saturday Gary and I along with Miss Ellie drove back to visit. When we arrived we learned the parking lots were already full so it was necessary to drive down to the Wowona Hotel to park. We walked Miss El, and set her up with water to wait for our return. We caught the free shuttle provided by the park service and went to the grove. There are several self-guided trails thru the grove. We walked about a mile up (yes..up..up..up) and then back down to get up close with these awesome trees.

Many of the trees have been recently changed by fire. I don't say damaged as we learned fire is a normal and desired part of life in this forest. It helps to clean out the undergrowth to allow the tress to continue their own growth.

Park of the Sierra with Nikki and Bill

2009-06-01T17:29:00.021-06:00

This past week we had a wonderful visit with Nikki and Bill Sage. Nikki and Bill were our next door neighbors in Texas at Rustic Cove. They invited us to visit Park of the Sierra Escapees SKP park in Coarsegold. This park is a Co-op where Escapee members can buy a lease to use a site for their life (or until they want to leave). The park is beautiful. So far it is the prettiest Escapees park we've stayed in.

When we arrived on Friday evening, they prepared a great steak dinner to share with us. We enjoyed visiting with them on their patio surrounded by flowers and bushes. They have landscaped their site with many bushes and flowers. It is very cozy and pleasant. There was even a hummingbird that flew by occasionally on it's way to the flowers. It buzzed Gary's head one time.

On Saturday the town of Coarsegold had a Memorial Weekend antique and craft fair. Gary and I went down with Miss Ellie for a few hours. Lots of "stuff" to see. We didn't buy anything, but it's always fun to look.

On Tuesday we rented a car with Nikki and Bill. They shared Yosemite National Park with us. They both were born and raised in California and are very familiar with the park.

Our first stop was at the Wowona Hotel. This beautiful National Historic Landmark, rests near flowering meadows and beside a rushing stream. The white Victorian-style lodge seemed a very peaceful place to visit for a while. There aren't any TVs or phones in the rooms. That would sure be peaceful to me. Nikki and Bill have their 60th wedding anniversary coming up in June. They wanted to check on reservations for a visit to celebrate.

Next we took the 16 mile mile up to Glacier Point. Once at the parking area we hiked up about a quarter mile to the peak. The views of the surrounding valley and mountains was incredible. Yosemite is home to countless waterfalls. And we saw many of them during our visit. Yosemite Falls is actually 3 falls, 1 above the other. Wow!!! May was the best time to visit as the snow runoff increases the size of the falls.

We enjoyed a tasty lunch at The Ahwahnee® Hotel patio. While there Gary saw a bear...yes, a bear. It ran across the meadow right near the dining area. Several other folks saw it too as they started running over to the area with cameras in hand. But, that bear was running fast and was quickly gone for sight.
This is a picture of the hotel from the overlook. It was built in the early 1920's to accommodate the affluent and influential traveler. It's still serving that purpose today. It looks like it's built of redwood but because many of the earlier hotels burned it is actually made of poured concert stained to look like wood.

Very large fireplace in one of the setting rooms.

After lunch we continued our exploration of the valley. It started to rain but we stopped and visited Bridalveil Fall anyway. What's a little water??? It is 620' tall and even in the rain very beautiful.

Around Hollister and San Benito Thousand Trails.

2009-05-21T12:45:00.002-06:00

San Benito TT is located in the valley with acres of farm land surrounding it. They are growing everything from grapes to artichokes. It is great to see all the activity as crops are harvested and new crops are planted.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

2009-05-21T12:31:00.002-06:00

Last week we spent the day at Monterey Bay Aquarium. This is the best (and most expensive) aquarium I've ever visited. The displays are very well done. It is clean and well designed. There are many interactive exhibits that help make learning easy and fun. We spent an entire day exploring and enjoying. Their new Seahorse exhibit has the most varieties of seahorses on display I have ever seen. We enjoyed a decent lunch in their restaurant. Watching the sea otters in the exhibit and out in the bay was great.

This was one of the highest $$$ days for us in a while. $29.95 per person admission, almost $30.00 for soup and pizza lunch and $11.00 to park. I have no regrets. I enjoyed the beautiful day at this wonderful aquarium.

The slide show is a bit long with over 50 pictures..but I had a hard time choosing..so much to see. I hope you enjoy it.
If you want to learn more about the aquarium check out their website.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/news/

San Benito Thousand Trails Horseshoe Tournament

2009-05-17T14:38:00.007-06:00

When we arrived here at San Benito we learned there was a Horseshoe Tournament scheduled for this weekend. Gary was invited by some of the guys to join in. So, after practicing several mornings he did. He qualified for the tournament on Wednesday with an average of 24%. To qualify he had to thrown 50 horseshoes and count the # of ringers he got. So, he threw 24% of his throws as ringers. Not too bad for someone who hadn't thrown a shoe for at least a couple of years.
Yesterday's play was singles. He played 6 games and won 1. Not as good as he would have liked, but better than a couple other guys.
Today he was matched with Bill as a partner for the doubles games. He played 5 games and won 3 of the 5. Overall, they came in third place. And he won $ 35.00. Since it cost $30 to play he made his money back and them some. That was great. I think he feels pretty good about his first tournament. And is already planning to play another one in July.

Hollywood, LA and Santa Monica California

2009-05-13T17:11:00.006-06:00

We spent the better part of two days exploring around Hollywood, Santa Monica Beach and Los Angeles. It was interesting but there was way too much smog, traffic and people for me.
We saw the Hollywood Blvd Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the Captiol Records building, the El Capitan Theatre and of course The Hollywood Sign. We saw the Kodak theater (home of the Academy Awards) and the Hollywood Bowl too. And we saw a few strange sights on the streets too.
We just had to drive down Rodeo Drive. It was pretty quiet with no celebrities visible.

We visited the Santa Monica pier and saw the Pacific ocean for the first time. It was a bit too cool to get in the water. The sun was shining but it was cool and the wind was blowing.

On Wednesday we were audience (show enhancers) for the Late Late Show. Gary is a big fan of Craig Ferguson. This show is taped in the late afternoon for showing at 12:30am.
It was very interesting, fun and actually a little tiring. Clapping and cheering for about 2 hours takes a lot of out you. We were on the front row and at one point could have touched Craig. I don't have any pictures to share as CBS doesn't allow cameras in their studio. :(

LA and Hollywood was fun to visit but I wouldn't want to live there.

Blown into California

2009-05-11T22:14:00.000-06:00

Today we left Vegas heading southwest on I-15. It was a tough day. First we stopped at Exit 1 in Primm Nevada for lunch and 1 more visit at their gaming establishment. We went to Buffalo Bills and had lunch at their Wagon Master Coffee shop. I had my usual Mexican lunch and Gary had breakfast. Pretty good food overall. We got back on the road about 2pm. We stopped in Baker California for fuel and I got out to take a picture of the largest thermometer in the world.
When I got back in the truck I realized I didn't have my cell phone. It isn't to be found anywhere. Not in the truck, on the ground, in the store, in the house..no-where..I think I left it in the Wagon Master when we had lunch. That is the last place I remember having it. We called the restaurant and no one had turned it in. I talked to Security too and they took my contact information. If it turns up they said they'd call us. I'm not counting on that though. I called All-Tell and canceled the line for now.
I feel naked...I want my phone. OK..just a little whining..oh how attached we become to our electronic stuff!!!
We still have Gary's phone so we'll make out for now. Only time will tell if it turns up.

Continuing on I-15 we went thru a construction zone..slow..slow..slow
then, the winds started. Wind..wind..wind..slow..slow..slow..sometimes we were only going 30 miles an hour on an interstate that had a 70 mile per hour speed limit. We were being pushed hard. Gary did an excellent job keeping us between the lines but it was tough.
Several miles inside California we had to stop at the state Agricultural checkpoint. The inspector came into the house, had me open the refrigerator so he could see what fruits or vegetables we had. He asked a lot of questions. Where were we from, which county, did we have unshelled nuts or other plants. He checked my lucky bamboo(my only houseplant). The wind was so bad we both had to open and close the house door together to keep it from banging against the house. No problems, so we rolled on into the wind again. We finally arrived at Thousand Trails tonight about 7pm.

This TT preserve isn't as nice as some of the others we have stayed at. They have a lot of problems with the electric system and many of the sites don't have working electric boxes. We were told to check the box before moving into the site to be sure there was electric. We did and settled on our second choice of site. So far it is working OK, and hopefully our electrical monitoring system will catch any problem before it can cause any damage to the house. We're both pretty tired and ready for bed. Traveling against the wind, losing my phone, and arriving so late has worn us out. So, good night all. Hope you're doing well. Love, Deb

Colorado River Bridge at Hoover Dam

2009-05-10T18:20:00.001-06:00

A new bridge is being built around Hoover Dam. An engineering marvel.
I've included some pictures of Hoover Dam followed by pictures of the new bridge under construction.

Lake Mead Pictures

2009-05-10T18:13:00.001-06:00

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

From their web site: "Lake Mead National Recreation Area offers a wealth of things to do and places to go year-round. Its huge lakes cater to boaters, swimmers, sunbathers, and fishermen while its desert rewards hikers, wildlife photographers, and roadside sightseers. It is also home to thousands of desert plants and animals, adapted to survive in an extreme place where rain is scarce and temperatures soar."

Lake Mead is a reservoir created by Hoover Dam. About 96 percent of the water in Lake Mead is from melted snow that fell in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. There must have been several consecutive years where outflow has exceeded inflow because the water levels is pretty low. But, folks were still enjoying it on this sunny weekday.

Las Vegas Casino Pictures

2009-05-09T18:11:00.000-06:00

These are pictures of the skyline and casino buildings in Las Vegas. You are not allowed to take pictures inside the buildings. For that I am sorry because some of them are quite a sight.

It's Vegas Baby!!!

2009-05-02T10:26:00.000-06:00

Yep, we're in Sin City. And there are sights to see. All kinds of sights.
Wednesday night we went to Fremont Street to experience the Fremont Experience. Just a normal Wednesday night..right??!! Fremont Street has many of the older casinos that were started in the days of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. Several blocks of the street have been closed to cars. It has a metal mesh roof that contains fiber optics and at night they flashed lights and signs on it. Very impressive.
We saw crowds of people...people eating, drinking, dancing, laughing, and yes even gambling.
There was a guy playing the sax...a band singing Rolling Stones tunes..it was a "sight" to see. We enjoyed walking along and absorbing it all. The police were there, on bikes, on foot and on Segway.

We eat dinner at one of the casinos...$7.77 all you can eat buffet. And it was actually pretty good. I didn't take my camera but if we go back I will. Afterward we drove down Las Vegas Blvd. This 3 and half mile strip has 1 mega-hotel and casino after another for your pleasure.

We spent the rest of our time in Vegas resting, working, sampling the local cuisine and visiting a few of their gaming establishments. Nothing exciting, but enjoyable.

We did drive out to Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam one afternoon. There is a new bridge and road being built that will bypass the Dam. Once it opens next year, no one will be allowed to drive over the dam any more. A security checkpoint is now in place right before the dam. We were just waved thru, but we did see another pickup stopped and the back of it being inspected. I guess they are looking for bombs or other incendiary devices. The new bridge is a marvel of engineering. I don't think there is enough money that would get me to do the job they are doing. We watched them move men and equipment via a gondola suspending from cables moving from 1 side of the river to the other. Way too high up and scary for me.

Grand Canyon Pictures. Enjoy..

2009-04-30T23:15:00.000-06:00

Verde Vally Thousand Trails

2009-04-29T16:23:00.000-06:00

We spent 4 nights at this wonderful Thousand Trails park. It is located a few miles outside Cottonwood in the Verde Vally. We liked this park the best of any we've stayed in so far. Beautiful mountains surround the park. We will surely return when we are able. For two days we toured the area. Sedona, Prescott Vally, Prescott, Camp Verde and Cottonwood. The area is beautiful beyond words. And depending on where you are the terrain changes. The colors range from all shades of green to the richest shade of orange and red.

We visited Montezuma Castle National Monument and Montezuma Well. It is one of a number of well-preserved ancient dwellings in north central Arizona. We were told that it is probably the most spectacular; an imposing 20 room, 5-storey structure built into a recess in a white limestone cliff about 70 feet above the ground. When first (re)discovered the ruins were thought to be Aztec in origin, hence the name bestowed on them by early explorers, but they are now known to belong to the Sinagua Indian peoples who farmed the surrounding land between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, before abandoning the area.
We hiked the short but very steep trail to the top of the mountain. Very impressive views of the surrounding area and the Well.
On Sunday we drove to Sedona. The rock formations in the area are indescribable. Beautiful. We ate lunch at a KFC. I tried the new grilled chicken. OK, but it needed more spice for me. I like a kick to my food.
On Monday we rolled out again. Our destination was going to be Kingman Arizona. But..as we've said before "our plans are in jello". We stopped in Williams for lunch. Williams is the Gateway to the Grand Canyon. It is only 59 miles from the park. So, we decided we just couldn't pass that close to the park without visiting. So, we found an RV park and stayed for 2 nights.
Yesterday we drove up to the Park. We visited it with Van and Rita a few years ago. The day was cool and very windy. I was very glad to wear a jacket and hat. We walked along the South Rim. I took many pictures. I'll post some as soon as I can.
Today we moved on into Nevada.

On the road to Arizona.

2009-04-22T22:07:00.003-06:00

This morning we pulled out of Hidden Valley about 8:30am. First stop was the Holiday RV Dealer. When we arrived last week, our living room slide didn’t want to slide out. Mr P climbed under the house, held up the motor, I pushed the button and it went out but not happily..it made ugly nosies. We called Carriage and reported the problem and they had us contact Andrew at Holiday. Due to the RV Rally that they were participating in, we couldn’t get in on Tuesday. They were busy moving all of their RV’s back onto their lot. So, we stayed over an extra day and went this morning. God was smiling on us. Once it was determined the motor was bad, they actually had the part in stock. Sometime in the past they had ordered it for another customer but didn’t need all that came. So, they had it..wow..talk about luck. At first we thought they’d have to order the part and we’d have to stay here longer. That wouldn’t be a problem, but it was nice to have it repaired so quickly. We were on the road again by about 11am.
This afternoon we’ve traveled I-40 heading to Holbrook Arizona. We’ll spend the night there and move on tomorrow to Cottonwood. The plan is to stay at the Thousand Trails for 4 nights. We’ll be able to tour around Sedona and Verde Valley while there.

Tuesday on the Turquoise Trail

2009-04-22T22:00:00.001-06:00

Tuesday morning the rally was over. Several rigs that had been staying at the Balloon Fiesta Park moved into Hidden Valley with us. We spent the afternoon riding up NM 14 which is called the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway. We went as far as Madrid a small artsy town.
Afterward we took the Sandia Crest National Scenic Byway up to the Sandia Crest. The Crest is a mile above the surrounding countryside and 2 miles above sea level. The Sandia Crest Highway is the highest scenic drive in the southwest. The Sandia Mountains were created by an uplift, leaving the forested eastern slope we drove up, and a craggy, cliff-like western face. Part of the Cibola National Forest, the Sandias are home to Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mule deer, black bear and many other mammals and birds— including the golden eagles. Mostly we saw snow..snow and more snow. I think the only animal I saw was 1 little rabbit. Oh-well maybe next time. We carefully walked up the ramp to the overlook. As you can see from the picture it was partly covered with snow. The view overlooking Albuquerque was beautiful and worth the slightly cold feet I got.

The Rally

2009-04-21T22:05:00.006-06:00

The Infinity group which now owns the Good Sam RV Club, Camping World and Coast to Coast put on a 5 day Rally here in Albuquerque. We had planned this trip with our friends Gary and Suzanne Tomlinson. But, due to a health issue they had, they had to return to Michigan and were unable to come. We stayed at Hidden Valley RV Resort in Tijeras. This small town is about 15 miles east of Albuquerque.
At about 1500 feet higher elevation than Albuquerque it was a bit colder. We had night-time temps in the low 30’s every night. On Friday night we came home from the Rally evening entertainment to see that it was snowing hard. It had snowed, sleeted and rained all day but this was a bit of a surprise. We had about 1 ½ “ on the ground, trees and bushes. Our house too. It didn’t stick to the roads thank goodness. The sand trucks were out covering the bridges because I’m sure the roads froze overnight.

The Rally had 3112 rigs parked on site at the Balloon Fiesta Park. There were more of us scattered around at the various RV parks. And folks from the area were able to join in the fun for a $10.00 day pass. The seminars, RV show and Vendor booths were set up at Expo New Mexico, their state fair grounds. The evening entertainment was held in a very large tent at the Balloon Fiesta Park. Buses ran between the two locations to transport the RVers back and forth. The weather on Friday was pretty miserable and this caused some delays. The route normally takes about 15-20 minutes but with the weather and road construction on both I-40 and I-25 it was taking almost an hour for 1 bus to go 1 way. This made some folks very unhappy. Some even missed the Friday night entertainment because they had to wait so long for a bus. It got better on Saturday as they brought in more busses and more folks drove their own vehicles.
Friday night’s entertainment was Neil Sedaka. I don’t remember ever hearing him sing before. Gary had and was sure I’d be surprised. I knew he was known for having written many, many songs other singers have made famous. And Gary was right. He was great. He is 70 years old but boy could he belt it out. His back up band and singer were great too. You might have seen him on Tuesday morning when he appeared on LIVE WITH REGIS & KELLY.
Over the weekend and Monday we went to several classes, attended a wine tasting, looked at new RVs and enjoyed the many other festivities. Several classic rigs were on display. Very cute and I can't imagine actually living in one of them.

We went to hear Rita Coolidge sing on Saturday night but didn’t enjoy it and left early. We skipped Sunday night’s Osmond Brothers and Gary went to hear Daddy Do Run Run on Monday by himself. I wasn’t feeling great and just decided to hang out at home with Miss Ellie. Gary enjoyed Daddy..they sang many classic rock and beach music.

Visiting in Socorro New Mexico

2009-04-14T22:02:00.004-06:00

On Monday morning we met them at the El Camino Restaurant. We’d eaten there when we visited before and I really enjoyed their huevos rancheros. Their version consisted of a corn tortilla fried lightly, covered with a fried egg smothered with refried beans and chili sauce. When ordering I was asked “Red or Green”. This means which kind of chili sauce did I want. I got the red with some green on the side. If I’d ordered both on the plate I’m told the correct answer is “Christmas”. This came with extra crispy hash brown potatoes and several slices of bacon. Can we say “heart-attack on a plate”? But it was sooooo good. Gary got his usual pancakes and bacon. It was pretty good too he said.

After breakfast we went back to the Coffeehouse so Prescott could make a list of the paintings and check on the labels they had applied for each painting. We met some of Prescott’s morning coffee group.

Afterwards they told us on a tour around Socorro in their four-wheel drive 4-Runner. The Quebradas Backcountry Byway is an unpaved county road traversing about 24 miles of rugged, colorful landscapes east of town. We spent about 2 ½ hours traveling a road I sure wouldn’t want to drive on without 4-wheel drive. We had great weather to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery.

We stopped to eat again at Manny’s Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio. This is one of Georgette and Prescott’s favorite places to eat. The Buckhorn has been ranked 7th in the country by GQ magazine for the best green-chili cheeseburger in the US and is in an on-going battle for the title with the Owl Café which is just in the next block. I know I had one of the best Taco Salad’s I’ve ever eaten. And the burger Gary had was large and very tasty. This small town tavern may not look like much but the folks are friendly and tho food is great.
After a stop at our house so I could work for a bit, we went back to their home and had some of Prescott’s BB Q pork ribs for dinner. We enjoyed our visit with them and called it a night about 9pm. Thanks for the hospitality Georgette and Prescott. See you next time.

Buddy

Spike

On Tuesday morning, we hooked up again and took off for the Rally in Albuquerque.

Easter Sunday- Happy Anniversary

2009-04-13T09:37:00.000-06:00

Happy Anniversary to Us. Today is our 35th Wedding Anniversary. Can you believe I’ve been with HIM 35 years? And he’s still with me….I’m excited. We know we are so blessed with our life and enjoy each day we’re given. We love our family and friends and think about you all often. Watch out..one of these days we’ll be pulling into a driveway near you.

We spent the day traveling from Roswell to Socorro. Along the way we went thru the Lincoln National Forest and stopped for lunch in Capitan. We enjoyed lunch at the Smokey Bear Restaurant. They were having a special ham lunch since it was also Easter Sunday. They gave us 2 pieces of chocolate cake since we were celebrating our anniversary. Very nice owners and family. And very good food. If you go through Capitan be sure to stop and check it out.
http://www.smokeybearmotel.com/restaurant.php

We stopped at the Valley of Fires Recreation Area to take pictures of the volcanic landscape. This is an amazing place. So quiet. All you hear is the wind whistling. They have a nice RV park and boardwalks that you can use to get out into the middle of the rock. The Valley has many square miles of buckled, twisted lava, part of an extensive flow up to 50 meters thick and over 45 miles long that originated from several volcanoes, including one vent now known as Little Black Peak. The volcanic action responsible was relatively recent, only between 1500-1000 years ago, but the lava has become quite overgrown with grass and small bushes so the landscape is somewhat greenish rather than black. A lonely place to visit.

In the afternoon we pulled into Casey’s RV Park in Socorro. After getting settled, we called our friends Georgette and Prescott Grey to let them know we had arrived in town. We first met them when we traveled to NM a few years ago with Van and Rita. Georgette and Rita were college room mates. Georgette is a watercolor artist. We joined them at Manzanares Street Coffeehouse where they were hanging some of Georgette’s watercolor paintings. They are going to be on display for a couple of months.
http://www.socorrocoffee.com/

She does several shows in NM each year and teaches classes thru NM Tech. Visit her website to see samples of her beautiful paintings. You can also purchase from the site.
http://www.gegrey.com/

They took us to dinner at the Socorro Springs Brewing Co restaurant. Pretty good pizza at a decent price. http://www.socorrosprings.com/

April 11-12 Roswell and the Aliens

2009-04-12T09:15:00.001-06:00

On Friday and Saturday we stayed at the Red Barn Campground in Roswell. This was a small family owned park with only a couple of traveler’s spaces. Most of the sites were in use by long termers. The lady that checked us in was very friendly and explained their honor system. Since she didn’t stay in the office all of the time, if you needed to wash clothes or buy snacks, you just did your laundry or choose your snacks. Then wrote down what you did on a yellow note and put the note and the money in a box. We thought it was a very nice way to do business. Very clean facilities with a bumper pool table and TV to enjoy while we waited for the wash to finish. Even though we have the washer/dryer in the rig occasionally it’s nice to do it in 1 or 2 big loads.

Roswell is known for being the “Alien Capital of the World”. We visited the International UFO Museum and Research Center. There are many exhibits, (bring your glasses…lots of reading) that explains the events of July 1947.

The town has many alien themed shops and restaurants and the museum even has an alien festival each year.

http://www.roswellufomuseum.com/

Living Desert Zoo and Gardens Carlsbad,NM

2009-04-10T23:30:00.000-06:00

Before leaving Brantley Lake State Park this morning we drove back into Carlsbad to spend a couple of hours at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park. This is a small park with a self guided walking trail through the exhibits. The exhibits change as you move through different types of terrain. We also saw animals, birds and reptiles.

One of the park's highlights are the endangered gray wolves. The Living Desert participates in the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s Mexican gray wolf Species Survival Program, exchanging wolves with other zoos to help ensure their survival. They had 3 living on site (that we saw).
They also have a greenhouse called “Succulents of the World”. It was beautiful. Full of all kinds of cactus. We were lucky to see some of them blooming.
Overall, well worth the time and $5.00 admission fee.
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/LivingDesert.htm

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

2009-04-10T22:15:00.002-06:00

We spent Thursday at Carlsbad Caverns. The caverns are located under the Chiluahuan Desert. There are miles and miles of caverns under New Mexico.
We spent a couple of hours hiking through 1 cavern called the Big Room.

If you watch the slide show you'll see 1 visitor that we took pains to avoid.
You'll also see several of the formations named by the cavers that have explored the caverns for many years. 1 picture shows the original wire ladder that was used to explore the lower cave. Look closely so you also see the old man in the rock.

The Big Room is shaped like a cross and the self-guided tour follows around the walls of the room. There are lights spaced to high-light the most impressive rock features. But, overall it is quite dark and visitors are encouraged to speak softly.

Crossing West Texas into New Mexico

2009-04-10T21:07:00.001-06:00

On Monday we left all the deer behind at Medina Lake and took off across the vast desert of west Texas. We stopped for the night at Fort Stockton. The park was pretty nice considering it is in the desert and therefore had some dust. They had a sign posted "Is the wind always this bad? No, sometimes it's worse." They didn't lie.

They have their own restaurant called the Roadrunner Cafe. We enjoyed both dinner (Mesquite BBQ pork ribs) and breakfast before pulling out to continue to New Mexico.
Having been told there were roadrunners on the property we looked for them. No luck. We saw and heard many birds, but none were the roadrunner. We did see this one in downtown Fort Stockton. It doesn't move too fast.

Along I-10 we came across a windmill field. Note the "old" style windmill next to the farm house, and in the distance the new wind turbines. HUGH!!!

Things were going pretty good until we started seeing signs that said "DETOUR". Ahead was a bridge with some kind of problem. All rigs over 11,000 lbs had to detour around. OK..no problem..76 miles later we had seen more of west Texas and entered New Mexico via a very bumpy road. Straight but BUMPY!!!

Along the way the detour took us through Kermit Texas. And guess what. They have Kermit painted on their water tower. Cute.

We were delighted to find the Wal Mart in Carlsbad and just stop for a while. We needed to rest up before deciding where to spend the night. We had thought I-10 coming through Louisiana was bad but this little road beat it out for sure.
Gary even asked if he could sue the state of Texas for the lose of the fillings in his teeth as he was sure they were popping out.

After resting a bit and watching the multitude of motor homes pull into the WM parking lot, we decided to get out of town. We called the Brantley Lake State Park which is located about 12 miles up the road. They had space so we took off. This State Park is located on the top of a hill overlooking the lake. Awesome views of the surrounding desert. I don't think the pictures do it justice.
We stayed there for a couple of days.

Our Home at the Lake.

The Brantley Lake Dam.

The Lake.

Santa-Rita (Purple) Prickly Pear Cactus

Roadrunner.

And the Wheels go Round and Round

2009-04-02T05:56:00.013-06:00

Yes, the wheels still roll and we rolled out of Rustic Cove on Tuesday. By the time we got everything put away, and I vacuumed the inside of the house to get rid of some more of Rustic Cove's sand it was almost noon before we left.

George, Steve, Bill and Nikki were on hand to help us out and wish us safe travels. We waved to Phyllis and Daryl as we pulled out of the park. See you next year guys!!!

We took rural roads to Medina Lake and didn't see any real traffic until we got near San Antonio. Only 1 small busy area before we turned away from town toward Medina Lake. The Lake is about 35 miles from San Antonio. The water level is very low because of the drought in the area. The boat ramp isn't usable as it ends at a concert cliff. Yipes!! Bad for the fishermen.

The preserve is very pretty. Everything is going green even with the lack of rain. The deer in the park are thriving. There must be a few hundred of them around. Even as I write this I can see one or two walking by outside my window. We also have rabbits, squirrels, cardinals, and doves as neighbors.

Can you see the deer in the woods?

Yesterday after I worked for a bit in the morning, we drove up to Boerne. There are many shops in the downtown business area that looked pretty busy for a Wednesday afternoon. We had a pretty good BBQ pork sandwich at Fritze's BBQ. Afterward we drove on up to Kerrville. This is busy town on the Guadalupe River. We went down to the river park and let Miss Ellie run around for a bit.

This area of Texas is called the Hill Country. And it is...lots of tree covered hills. Very pretty as the wildflowers and trees are starting to bloom.

This is our Last week at Rustic Cove.

2009-03-28T19:45:00.006-06:00

This is our last week at Rustic Cove. Gary worked his last day on Thursday. On Friday morning we did something we've wanted to do for months. We finally went kayaking. We arrived at Captain Ron's Watercraft Rental at about 11:00am.
They were ready for us with 2 new Redfish kayaks. We put on the life vests with whistles attached. Wearing our Rustic Cove hats and sunglasses we took off..or I should say paddled off. We did pretty good. I was very pleased with our adventure. We paddled around the bay, went under a bridge to the other bay and just enjoyed the beautiful weather. The birds were flying and fish were jumping. We stayed out about and hour and a half. Not too bad for a couple of out of shape old folks. If you're in the area and want to rent water craft we definitely recommend Captain Ron's. The staff was very helpful. They explained everything very well.
http://westofkeywest.net/index.html

I had lunch with some other ladies at their restaurant, West of Key West on Tuesday and the food was excellent.

I'll have some pictures once I get the film developed from the disposable waterproof camera I took with us.

Last night we had dinner with our wonderful neighbors Bill and Nicki Sage. We've really enjoyed getting to know them and plan to stop by their home in California when we're in the area this summer.

Today we had lunch with Molly and Bob Piner. They are fellow Class 0f 07 Escapees. We went to the Big Fisherman restaurant and enjoyed renewing our friendship. They are heading home to Virgina. We hope to see them again next fall at the Ohio Gypsy Journal Rally. Molly has a great blog where she shares their travels.
http://www.moonriverandwe.blogspot.com/

Tomorrow and Monday we pack..on Tuesday we're moving to Medina Lake near San Antonio. We plan to stay there for about a week and see some of the sights in the area. Love to you all..Deb

Jenn and Mark come to Texas

2009-03-21T09:31:00.000-06:00

Last Friday Jenn and Mark flew Continental to Texas. We were excited and happy they arrived safe and sound. The rain had also arrived along with them. It rained all day on Saturday and for some of Sunday too.

On Saturday we drove up to Goliad Texas. This small town was having their first for the year Market Day. Unfortunately the rain caused most of the vendors to head out early. We stopped at a small pizza restaurant for lunch. It was nice being together even though the trip was pretty much a washout. Gary worked on Sunday. Jenn and Mark went to the Maritime Museum in Rockport. We enjoyed a roast beef dinner when they got home to the cabin.

On Monday, we went to the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay. This WWI aircraft carrier has been dry docked in Corpus Cristi and is open for self guided tours. We got our exercise for the day as we climbed up and down stairs in the ship. It was pretty amazing and somewhat sobering to learn about this ship and it's many roles through out it's active lifetime.

To quote their website:
"Commissioned in 1943, LEXINGTON served longer and set more records than any carrier in U.S. Naval history. Decommissioned in 1991, the 910-foot, 16-deck, 33,000-ton aircraft carrier now serves as an important historical repository and museum. Because of the historical significance of the USS LEXINGTON, the ship is maintained as a tribute to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and as a memorial to the people who died serving the US, in the defense of freedom, especially in World War II. Displays, ceremonies, and other programs emphasize the heroism and sacrifice of those who have served the nation in the Navy and the Marine Corps."

On Tuesday we headed out bright and early to San Antonio. First stop was Denny's where we and everyone else in San A eat breakfast. CROWDED!!. Lots of folks around enjoying St Pat's Day and Spring Break. After fueling up, we went to the Riverwalk. We got tickets and took the boat ride down the river. Once again the tour guide was great. Shared interesting history of the river, the area and the buildings we saw. After lunch we went over to the Alamo. The rest of San Antonio (the one's not at Denny's) were there. With the St Pat's festivities and Spring Break there was a long line to go into the Alamo. So, we only toured the gardens and took a very quick trip through the gift shop. Jenn and Mark enjoyed a horse drawn carriage ride around the downtown area.

Scenes from the Riverwalk.

Wednesday was Mark's Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK.

Mark spent the day doing exactly what he wanted. Vegging out..resting and watching TV. Jenn and I did a little bit of shopping (or looking as we didn't buy anything). Gary worked. We had a good dinner together.

On Thursday we went back to Corpus Cristi to the Texas Aquarium. We spent several hours touring around. We watched a couple of shows. One showcasing their birds and other exotic animals. The other was a dolphin show. Three dolphins and their trainers showed off there many tricks. The weather was perfect. Warm and breezy.

On Friday we went back up to Goliad. Goliad is one of the oldest municipalities in Texas. In 1749, the Spanish government transferred Mission Espiritu Santo and its royal protector, Presidio La Bahia, to the site of a small Aranama Indian village, which they named Santa Dorotea.
This mission served the Aranama, Tamique, and their allies for 110 years, longer than any other Spanish colonial mission in Texas.
A small villa grew up around the walls of the presidio, and was called La Bahia. This area was occupied by the Spanish until 1821, when Mexico won its independence from Spain. The name of the town was officially changed to Goliad in 1829.
Goliad is a phonetic anagram of Hidalgo, the name of the priest who became a hero during the Mexican Revolution. Mexican soldiers occupied Presidio La Bahia from 1821 to 1825.
The first great cattle ranch in Texas is said to have its beginnings at Mission Espiritu Santo. Along with its sister, Mission Nuestra Senora del Rosario, Mission Espiritu Santo possessed the largest longhorn herds in the state, at times owning more than 40,000 head.

We started our visit with lunch at the Empresario Restaurant. This very old building is located right on the square across from their beautiful courthouse.

After lunch we visited the Mission Espíritu Santo State Historic Site at Goliad State Park. We toured the beautiful reconstructed Franciscan Mission. It was the home of the largest ranching operation in Texas in the 18th century. We enjoyed the serenity of the Spanish colonial church and viewed exhibits that explore the history and daily life of the missionaries and Indian converts - including some of the original artifacts they used. The ranger on duty was very knowledgeable and seemed to love to share his knowledge.

Nearby was the Presidio La Bahia.
Presidio La Bahía is located one mile south of Goliad, Texas on U.S. Highway 183. Presidio La Bahia was established at this location in 1749. It has been owned by the Catholic Church since 1853 and is currently operated by the Catholic Diocese of Victoria, Texas. We viewed exhibits and imagined life at the fort. Originally built in 1749 to protect the Mission and the frontier, it later played a major role in the Texas Revolution. Here, Colonel Fannin and his ill-fated men were held prior to being executed at Santa Anna's order, an act of infamy later recalled at the Battle of San Jacinto with the cry, "Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo!"
You can learn more about the site at
http://www.presidiolabahia.org/index.html

On our way back to Rustic Cove, we saw some longhorn cattle and stopped to take pictures.

Alls Quiet in Rockport

2009-02-19T20:21:00.007-07:00

The past few weeks have been pretty quiet. Working, eating, sleeping, walking Ellie and taking a few local sight seeing trips.
Last Monday Gary injured his back and has really been suffering with the pain. He spent most of the week moving from the bed, the couch or the floor. Lying flat was the only place he found any relief from the pain. This week has been some better. He went back to work on Monday, spending most of his time there sitting on a stool or lying on the floor. At least he was able to do some work while there. He is still experiencing a lot of pain but it is definitely better. Hopefully time and rest will heal him soon.

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Rockport Maritime Museum. This small museum displays everything re: boats from a knots exhibit to retired coast guard life boats. Fishing (pleasure and commercial), off shore drilling, sunken ships and treasure are just some of the exhibits. We enjoyed a couple of hours learning about boating on the Coastal Bend. We battled the wind to walk around the outside of the building. This gave good views overlooking the bay and harbor.

Saturday night we had another pot luck supper for Valentine's Day. We went and Gary managed pretty good. We took over one of our chairs and a pillow and stayed for a couple of hours. Long enough to enjoy our steak dinner. We've met some very nice folk here. Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Arkansas and Texas. Most are "snow birds". They still have a stick and brick house back in the cold weather areas. I don't believe there is another Winter Texan from North Carolina in town. At least we haven't found any yet.

I've been working in my tent stained glass shop. I took a few classes with an artist in Corpus Cristi to remind myself of all of the steps. It went pretty well and now I'm back on my own. I finished a small panel with a sailboat during the classes. I finished a small fan panel that can be used as a night light here at home. Now I'm working on a 15"x15" panel of an Iris. I'm also working on a small cardinal sun catcher for my Mom. She loves birds and collects figurines and other "bird" memorabilia. It's going pretty well. I've only cut myself (tiny nicks) a couple of times. I should be able to finish all of these before we leave Rockport next month.

January in Rockport

2009-01-31T19:42:00.005-07:00

We enjoyed our weekend in San Antonio a few weeks ago. We visited the Alamo Shrine, the Menger Hotel, walked the RiverWalk, shopped in Market Square and enjoyed a comedy show at the River Center Comedy Club. We also took a river boat tour on the San Antonio river thru the downtown area.
It was a busy three days. We stayed at a LaQuinta Inn near downtown. It was a pretty nice hotel that was very welcoming of all of us. Including Miss Ellie. She did really well and was a very good hotel guest. We were invited to return whenever we wish. :)
I've set up three slide shows of the pictures I took.
The Alamo..The Menger Hotel and it's Thunder Box Art Exhibit...and other pictures of San Antonio. I hope you enjoy them.

http://www.thunderboxroad.com/

Happy Birthday Jennifer

2009-01-11T03:08:00.002-07:00

Today is our daughter Jennifer's birthday. HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY JEN. We love you and wish you a life of wonder and joy.

Alls Quiet in Rustic Cove

2009-01-09T20:27:00.006-07:00

It's been a quiet week. Gary and I both worked as usual. On Tuesday a tractor trailer load of sod was delivered to the park. Our next door neighbor and I spent the afternoon on Wednesday laying sod out on the sand/dirt around our rigs. There wasn't enough to put completely around the rigs but we put a nice buffer along side the concrete patios. This is already helping decrease the sand and dirt getting into the house. Now we just have to water it every day and watch and wait for it to take hold and grow.
Today we drove about 2 1/2 hours to San Antonio. We checked into the LaQuinta Inn downtown and plan to stay here until Monday. This is the first time we've stayed in a hotel since we started full-timing in 07. Nice but I already miss my own bed. The great thing about the Inn is that they allow dogs. And don't charge an extra fee or have breed or weight restrictions. Our room is very nice. Large with a couch, recliner and desk along with a king sized bed. About twice the space we have in our rig overall. But as they say..there's no place like home.
After resting for a bit, we left Ellie in the room (much to her dismay) and caught the bus to the RiverWalk. The San Antonio River Walk is quite the entertainment destination for the city. Hotels, restaurants and shops line the banks of the river.
http://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/photos/index.asp
This weekend they are having the Michelob ULTRA River Walk Mud Festival. This festival is held each year the weekend after the river area is drained for cleaning. We were a "little" worried that we'd only see mud but without even knowing it we managed to arrive after the river area had been refilled. Right as we got off the bus at the walk we saw a barge with the newly crowned Mud King and Queen. I didn't have my camera with me so I took a picture with my cell phone. I'm actually surprised the picture came out as good as this. We walked around and admired the crafts being displayed at the festival. Lots of really nice jewelry. We ended up at the River Center Mall and had dinner at their food court. Gary had pizza and I enjoyed a three salad platter from Luciano's Ristorate Italiano. Yummy. We eat on a patio overlooking the river. Very nice!!!
We're going back in the day light and also plan to go to the Alamo. I'll have more pictures next time. Love to you all. Good night.. Deb

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T20:12:00.003-07:00

We celebrated the New Year Eve at the first annual Rustic Cove New Year's Eve Bonfire Bash. One of the guys that works for the park dug a fire pit that was at least 15 feet across. At about 3pm in the afternoon a fire was started. It was a LARGE fire. Very impressive. We all brought various goodies to share and a good time was had by all. There was fireworks and when midnight came we went into the TV room and watched the ball drop in New York. After more fireworks we went back to the house for a good nights sleep.

New Years Day was very quiet. Everyone recovering from partying the night before.
Gary and I are blessed to be enjoying our present lifestyle. We are very appreciative of this time. We're looking forward to a good new year and wish the best for all.

May you have a safe, prosperous and happy new year. Go 2009...Love, Deb

Christmas in Rockport

2008-12-28T18:52:00.021-07:00

We've settled in pretty well at Rustic Cove. Our site is OK with a nice concrete pad. There is still some construction going on at the next site and right now there is a large hole waiting to be filled once they complete the electrical work. Then we'll be able to rake it out and hopefully put in some grass. Lots of sand at the moment. And when it rains...mud..It has rained or been foggy most of the time we've been here. I've never seen so much fog. We're very close to the shore and it rolls in almost daily. There have been a few clear and pretty days but many more cloudy and foggy ones. The temperature has varied from low 30's up to the upper 70's.

Last Saturday we went for a ride around the area. It was a very pretty day and fairly warm. We went from home to Aransas Pass thru Ingleside down into Corpus Cristi, out to Padre Island over into Mustang Island and finally into Port Aransas where we caught the ferry and came back. When going thru Aransas Pass we went around Conn Brown Harbor. This area is known for being the home of multitudes of birds. The harbor is home of many. This pelican seemed to be posing for my picture.

When going into Corpus we could see the USS Lexington in the distance. We're planning to do a day trip and visit it later.

The harbor in Corpus is very busy with many types of sailing vessels moored and even a few out and about.

As we came onto Padre Island we passed this giant permanent Sand Castle outside a gift shop.

We drove out onto the beach on Mustang Island. Miss Ellie enjoyed a run.

When we arrived in Rockport last week we learned that the owner's family had all been sick with a flu bug. And unfortunately for me I caught it from them. I got sick on Saturday night before Christmas and was sick for the next 5 days. This is the sickest I've been in some time. All the symptoms of flu..fever, body aches and pains, nausea/vomiting, headache and general around yuckyness!!! Not the way to spend any time. And to make it more difficult I'd volunteered to work Christmas this year so I still had to work 20 hours. So..once the fever was gone on Monday I worked a little bit here and there until I finally finished my promised 20 hours on Saturday just in time for the week to end. Boy was I glad the week was over.

Christmas Day went OK. We went to a pot luck with about 30 other residents here. We had turkey and ham and all the fixings. Way more food than we could all eat. There was even home made ice cream. Pretty good especially since I didn't eat very much at all up until that day. The owners of the park came and shared their plans for the park for the rest of the year. And we planned a New Year's Eve Bash and Bonfire. More fun!!

Gary is settling in pretty well with his duties for the park. He is helping out however they ask. He'll be working 4 days a week for 6 hours. This covers the rent, cable, water and electric. Not too bad a deal all around.

We're planning to take a long weekend in a couple of weeks and go up to San Antonio.

From the North

2008-12-19T14:08:00.004-07:00

Today I got an email from Suzanne and Gary our friends who live in Michigan. They shared pictures via their blog of the 13"of snow they just got.
Here is Gary working on their drive. Yipes..I'm glad we're down south. We can't wait for them to get out of Michigan and join us here.

On to Texas

2008-12-16T20:30:00.011-07:00

On our way south we stopped in Gulf Shores Alabama to visit with Greg and Judy Bahnmiller. We missed out seeing Judy since she had gone to St Augustine to visit her sister. We spent a very nice afternoon visiting with Greg. He took us to a good restaurant for lunch. DeSotos Seafood. I had some OK crab cakes and Gary had flounder. The fried green tomatoes and corn fritters were pretty good. Gary had sweet potato casserole made similar to the one I make..tasty but not as good as mine.. After lunch Greg took us around town and on a drive along the beach and thru the state park. Gulf Shores appears to be a pleasant town. We'd like to return and spend more time there. Maybe next year. Later that evening we rode around looking at Christmas decorations. We found one home that was really decked out nicely.

Saturday morning found us on I-10 going west toward Texas. We'd been warned that I-10 was a rough road. At first it wasn't too bad. However once we passed New Orleans by using I-12 as a bypass and got back on I-10 it was over 200 more miles to our evening stop and we bounced and bounced and bounced some more. I sure hope we don't have to travel it again anytime soon.
Saturday night we stayed at the Coushatta Casino RV Park in Kindle, LA. This was a very nice park at $21.00 a night with our Escapees discount. Greg and Judy had stayed there and Greg recommended it. We didn't think we'd stop there since it was 385 miles from Gulf Shores. And we don't usually travel that far in 1 day. But..we didn't see another RV park we liked and ended up going for it. We enjoyed the park and even visited the casino for a while. We had a pretty good dinner at their restaurant. On Sunday we continued west and finally crossed the state line into Texas. We'll just say it was interesting to travel through Houston. And be glad we did it on a Sunday. 9 lanes of traffic..9 busy lanes of traffic. I do not ever want to go thru there on a weekday pulling the house. It was white knuckle time!!! But Mr P persevered and we made it thru OK.

We stopped for the night at another Thousand Trails park in Columbus. This is a small park that is very quiet. There are a large number of deer that live within the park. They know they are protected in the preserve and seem to enjoy just walking and laying around. Miss Ellie did not care for them. She has really developed a fear of animals other than dogs or cats. She just sits down...won't move..and quivers if they get close to her. She is really our wuss dog. But we love her anyway.

On Monday we rolled south toward Rockport. After stopping at our favorite store for groceries we arrived at Rustic Cove about 3 o'clock. Dave and George were there and helped us move into our new home site.
The park is a small but nice. Being a new park, it is a work in progress and will be for some time. They have 40 sites available now and more will come as work and money are spent. Gary is going to help them out in their appliance store that is located at the front entrance of the park. We spent today getting things situated around and in the rig. We also went into town (about 7 miles away) to get propane and a few more groceries. I decorated the house with my Christmas decorations and lit up my tree.

We're on the road once again.

2008-12-11T20:59:00.002-07:00

We left Durham on Tuesday morning. I can hardly believe our 2 months at home have passed so quickly. We loved spending time with our family and friends.

The weather is not cooperating. Going south is supposed to be going toward a warmer climate...well...I think someone is laughing at us. Yesterday it rained so hard we didn't see any of Atlanta as we passed by. The entire city was lost in the fog, water vapor and gray clouds. The temperature wasn't too bad, in the 60s. Last night in Montgomery we had more rain and some wind. By this morning the temperature dropped like a rock and never got higher than 45 degrees. And the wind got stronger. We were rained on some more as we traveled south toward to gulf coast. A couple of times we saw some blue sky and even caught a sun beam for a very short time. But the clouds prevailed and were still present when the sun went down. The wind is fierce and with it I think the wind chill is likely in the low 30s. Burrrrr
This morning my son-in-law called and laughed..Houston and New Orleans are getting SNOW..Again..we're going south..this weather is NOT SUPPOSED to be here. OK...I'm whining a little bit..just a little bit...I promise that's enough.. We're doing what we love to do..even if the weather isn't exactly what we'd like. According to the weather channel all of the snow should be gone by the time we move onto New Orleans and Houston this weekend. The plan is to be in Rockport Texas by Monday.

We hope you are all doing well. Keep in touch. Love, Deb

Decorating for Christmas

2008-11-18T17:43:00.007-07:00

Recently we spent the day with my sister Teresa, her husband David, niece Amy and nephew Joey decorating their yard for Christmas. Mom, Dad,Jenn and Mark came too.
The Sheuring family gets into Christmas decorations in a BIG way. If you don't move fast you might have lights hung on you.
For the past few years they've created Christmas trees from PVC pipe, tobacco sticks or tomato cages and lights. I don't know how many trees they'll eventually have this year but it is at least 3-4 dozen I'm sure. All sizes from about 2' to over 12' tall. They also cover their home with lights. (note Joey on the roof)

Check out their website and if you're in Lillington from Thanksgiving until the New Year drive on by their home on Manor Hills Dr. They'd love for you to visit.

http://www.christmassheuring.com/Home_Page.php

The Birds..Oh the Birds

2008-11-18T17:35:00.003-07:00

We have been invaded. There is an extremely large swarm of birds in the neighborhood. They roast in the trees...poop on the deck and throw their peanut shells everywhere. And..they are quite vocal too. Anyone know how to encourage them to relocate?

Fun with Mom and Dad

2008-11-07T14:27:00.005-07:00

This week has been busy for us. Gary has worked on Mom and Dad's "Gary Do" list and has also emptied all of our storage compartments. I've worked on removing and redistributing some of our indoor stuff. So far, we've removed over 75 pounds of "stuff" we aren't/don't use. Since we're close on our weight limits we need to streamline the house and truck so we can take all my stained glass supplies with us to Texas.
Our basement compartments are clean and empty now. Over the next week or so Gary will start putting back the things we're taking with us.
I've still got quite a few things to sort and re-pack inside. Right now the kitchen/living area is a mess.

We've spent time with Mom and Dad...1 doctor visit..1 hair appointment..several meals at our favorite local restaurants..2 trips to the Dunn Recreation Center to walk for exercise. Today Tim is down working on rebuilding their deck. This has been an ongoing project for several weeks. Gary and Dad are monitoring the work. :o)

North Carolina is still HOME!!!

2008-10-29T19:38:00.031-06:00

Gary loves his new look. I love that it's removable!!!

After visiting with Mike and Cherie, we met up with Van, Rita and Daniel. On Saturday and Sunday we spent time shopping (mostly looking) at the Flea Market and outlet stores in the Pigeon Forge area. We also ate some good food at Duff's Famous Smorgasbord. We had dinner there one night and then breakfast the next day. Excellent service and very tasty food at a pretty reasonable price for this tourist area. http://www.duffssmorgasbord.com/

On Monday we moved back into North Carolina. We've been out of the state 148 days. Traveling and seeing new places and meeting new people is great, but it sure is good to be back in the Tarheel state.

After a stop at the Western Caroina Farmers Market near Asheville we moved on into Lenoir. Van and Rita had dropped their pop-up camper off at Green Mountain RV Resort on their way up to Pigeon Forge. Laverne and Ken had moved into the Resort on Sunday and were waiting for us when we pulled in. We all stayed there together for the next week. We spent time just talking, eating some good food, riding, looking at the beautiful scenery, and shopping. Nothing too exciting but it was good to just be back with long time friends. We had a couple of rainy and foggy days but it didn't really stop us from enjoying our time together. Ellie and Koji made friends with the campground kitty cats.

On Sunday the 12th we moved on into Durham. We're here at Rita's Mom and Dad's home until this coming Sunday. For the past 2 1/2 weeks, we've gone to several doctor appointments, a vet appointment for Miss Ellie and on Monday went to the Dentist for the first time in almost 18 months. My teeth are so clean and shiny!!!

We had dinner the 17th with Doug, Sherry and all of the family. The Village Diner in Hillsborough is still going strong serving our favorite food just full of salt, sugar and grease. I can hear my arteries hardening now. But is sure tasted good.

On Saturday the 18th we went up to Mebane and had a birthday dinner at my brother Chuck and his wife Kyra's home. Most of my family was there to celebrate Chuck and my birthday. It was good to hug all of my family. I've sure missed them. We had a very tasty dinner of spaghetti,chicken parmesan, salad and garlic bread. The dessert table was groaning. I can't believe I eat the whole thing!!! OK..maybe not..just my share :o)

We went to Oxford to see Al and Betsy. They are doing fine. Busy with work and school. Al is enjoying his new buggy. It allows him to get around town during the day while he works at the Oxford Ledger newspaper. Betsy is teaching school and taking classes at UNC Central. They have a lively puppy named Emma. She is full of life and is a great additional to their home. Ellie and her had a great time playing together. Emma ran rings around her and the house.

On Sunday we had lunch with Mike, Candace, Pete and his girlfriend Kelly. Candace baked an excellent lasagna and Kelly prepared a tasty salad. We visited with them all afternoon and sure did enjoy it.

Afterward, we went to Raleigh and had a pizza dinner with Robin, Steve,Crystal, Justin and their new baby Lilah Mae. It was wonderful to see how happy and proud the new parents and grandparents are. Lilah Mae is beautiful. She is healthy, eating well and sleeping through the night. How delightful it was to visit with them.

Yesterday we went to Dunn and had lunch with Jennifer and my Mom and Dad. Afterward we went over to Newton Grove and voted. Now..no more political ads on our TV please. We're done!!

Today Rita and I spent the day at our favorite shopping center Briar Creek just looking around. I found a pair of carpi pants for $5.00. Don't you just love a bargain?? We had lunch at Panera's so I could enjoy some of their broccoli/cheese soup.

While we've been here, Gary has made some needed repairs to a few things. Van and his brother Leroy provided equipment and assistance so Gary could weld our broken step back together. It's been broken for a couple of months but we didn't have a welder handy. He found the last tire we needed to finish updating our house tires and has put it on. He also worked on the Odom's ice machine and repaired Van's riding lawn mower. He's been busy. Today he took a break and had lunch with a friend Quan. They went to Randy's pizza out in RTP.

Gary and I recently decided the name for our RV'ing Adventure should be changed. From now on..it will be called...Deb and Gary Eating Their Way Across the USA.
Neither one of us had lost a bit of weight, as we'd like to. We just enjoy trying out new foods so much it is hard to stick with a weight lose diet.

I hope you are all doing well. If you don't hear from us during our visit..please give us a call. We're trying to catch up with everyone...

Love to you all. Deb

Visiting with Mike and Cherie

2008-10-29T19:29:00.006-06:00

Since we left Michigan we've traveled down to Pigeon Forge Tennessee where we visited with my friend Cherie and her husband Mike.
Cherie and I worked together at UNC for years before she retired and went to work for that hospital down the road. You know..the one that wears dark blue. :( ..anyway she and her wonderful husband Mike built a home in Wears Vally near Pigeon Forge. On my birthday, they treated us to dinner at Red Lobster and to the Comedy show. We enjoyed the evening very much. On Saturday we had breakfast together at the Old Mill Restaurant. They serve a delicious breakfast. Lots of biscuits and gravy. Yum..yum...
Thanks Cherie and Mike for being such awesome hosts!!!

Our Michigan Visit

2008-10-18T21:45:00.014-06:00

We spent a great week with Gary and Suzanne. After our bike ride on Monday, we spent the rest of the week "playing tourists" with them. We went to Frankenmuth, a small Bavarian town with many shops, a beautiful hotel and several restaurants famous for their chicken dinners.

Bronners Christmas shop is also located nearby. This Christmas store boasts they are the largest in the US and I believe it. If you want it for your decorations they have it. Quite a sight to see. http://www.bronners.com/

We had lunch at the Bavarian Inn. Their chicken dinner was pretty good (but not as good as Bojangles) :)
http://www.bavarianinn.com/
We walked around the many shops and looked at all the pretty stuff. Don't you just love Gary and Gary's hats??

At Noon we watched the Bavarian Inn Glockenspiel play several selections which were immediately followed by figurine movement depicting the legend of the Pied Piper of Hameln. The original German word "glockenspiel" is literally translated into English as "bells play"; another translation might be "musical bells". In German usage it may be applied to any carillon-sized or chime-sized tower bell instrument which plays music. The Bavarian Inn Glockenspiel Tower houses a magnificent 35-bell carillon, a beautiful figurine movement and an illuminated clock, all imported from Germany! Before striking the hour, and on each quarter hour, the clock sounds the 5-bell Westminster chime.

Another day we went up to Lake Michigan near Ludington. Our first stop was at the Little Sable Lighthouse. This is one of many lighthouses still in operation on Lake Michigan. We were fortunate that we arrived on the last day we could climb the stairs to the top. It was closing for the season. Only about 120 steps but very steep. Near the top we had to climb through 2 metal hatches to reach the platform. The view was very pretty looking out over Lake Michigan.

We rode 8 miles!!

2008-09-26T09:19:00.003-06:00

Grand Rapids and Comstock Park have miles of bike trails. On Monday we took our bikes over to Roque River Park and rode the 4 miles to Rockford. This charming small town is located on the bank of the Roque River. We had lunch at Vitale's Pizza which is actually a combination of Italian and Mexican food. Gary had pizza and I had a combination Mexican platter. Yum. After lunch we visited several shops located near the river. We also walked down to the river park and enjoyed the view. Two white swans and a duck were enjoying the sunshine. After walking for a bit, we got back on the bikes and traveled the 4 miles back to the truck. It was a wonderful way to spend a few hours. Exercise, good food and good friends..what more do you need!!!
It was an excellent outing...but boy was my butt sore!!! I guess it just means we'll have to do this more often.

We're in Michigan

2008-09-21T20:56:00.002-06:00

We moved to Gary and Suzanne's house today. They spent the summer in Alaska and we are excited to visit with them and learn all about their trip. Suzanne cooked a wonderful beef dinner with all the trimmings for dinner. We met their son Jim and his friend Mary too.
More to come..later..love to all..Deb

Well the Rally's over.. :o(

2008-09-18T21:03:00.005-06:00

This has been a great week here at the Gypsy Gathering..ok except for the short illness I had in the middle of the week..and the hurricane coming through on Sunday.
Ok..so I'm into remembering the good parts not the bad.

Nick and Terry (and their volunteers) have put on an excellent rally. There are about 130 rigs and over 200 people here. Some full-timers like us and others who just love the Gypsy Journal and rv'ing. We have been subscribers to their journal for over a year and love getting the new one in the mail. We read Nick's blog every day too.
Nick tells excellent stories and Terry always has great recipes to try. Here's the address to their website.
http://www.gypsyjournal.net/index.html

I went to a couple more classes yesterday. The first was a round table discussion just for women. We talked about everything from how we deal living 24/7 with our spouses/significant other to new gadgets for the kitchen. It was good to hear others have some of the same concerns and issues I have had. And reassuring too.

In the afternoon I went to a class given by Chris and Jim Guld the Geeks on Tour.
http://www.geeksontour.com/

They demonstrated Goggle Earth a really cool software application available for download. This is an amazing application. If you've never checked it out..please do..It is just incredible the information Google has put into it. You can download the beta version for free or pay a yearly $20.00 fee which gives you GPS capability and faster performance. We have been using the free version for a while but I learned there is so much I didn't even know was there. So check it out and enjoy!!!

http://earth.google.com/

At 5:30pm the class of 2007 got together and had a pot-luck for dinner. Yummy food..shrimp..chicken and noodles..scalloped ham and potatoes as well as several kinds of dip and salads. We had a chocolate birthday cake to celebrate Gary and Marcia's birthday.

After dinner the closing ceremony was held. Many door prizes were awarded. We won a set of cutting boards and some Eniva VIBE a nutritional supplement. I haven't tried it yet so don't know how well it works. It is advertised to provide "The Essence of Vibrant Life".

All of the volunteers were recognized and Nick and Terry gave us a $25 gift certificate good toward the next rally or one of their books or CDs. That was a very nice surprise. We're looking forward to attending the next rally either in Arizona at Casa Grande in February or back here in Celina next September. We'll see how the plans go.

We came back to the rigs and sat around a big campfire and visited until late. Nick and Terry joined us for a while. The Margarator was in action again.

This morning we started saying good by to some of our classmates. Linda and Ron along with Marcia and Joe pulled out to continue their rv'ing adventures.

Afterwards we packed up and took the house over to the north side of the campground to be weighed. Joyce and Rick Lang operate http://www.rvsafety.com/ .They travel around to rallys and other locations and weigh RVs. They also teach the importance of weight safety in towing. We learned we are just great. We are very weight conscious and were pretty sure we were OK but having had 2 tires blow out this summer had us concerned. It was very good to learn our weights are well within the limits of our tires and the chassis of the truck and rig.
Now if we can just get the tire company to agree and "PAY FOR THE TIRE REPLACEMENTS!!"...we're still waiting for their inspection of the last blown tire.

We're staying here until Sunday. Then we'll move up to Grand Rapids Michigan for a few days to visit Suzanne and Gary. After that..back south toward NC..home is calling.

Love to you all..Deb

Rally Time

2008-09-18T07:20:00.006-06:00

We're enjoying our time here at the Gypsy Gathering. Or mostly anyway..I picked up some kind of bug and didn't feel well starting on Tuesday night. Yesterday I spent the day in the house going between my chair and the bed. Finally by evening I was feeling better and went over to the pizza party and the evening entertainment.

The workshops we've been to have been great. Gary has learned about fire safety, tire safety and other "blue job" sessions. I attended Nick Russell's Highway History and Back Road Mystery lecture. I'd heard this one a couple of years ago when we went to the Life on Wheels Conference. Nick tells little known stories about people in the history of the USA. Very interesting..some funny..some sad.

On Tuesday I attended a RV Record Keeping using Excel. I was the class host for this one. My only job was to get water for the instructor. Not to hard. :o)
The class was pretty basic but I did learn a couple of things about Excel that I had forgotten. I also went to RV Insurance. This was an excellent session. I learned more about insurance that will come in handy as I review our insurance policy and decide if it needs to be revised at our next renewal time.

Yesterday evening we had our pizza party. I really have to give credit to Dominos Pizza here in Celina. They delivered over 100 pizzas to us here at the fairgrounds, and each one arrived on time and piping hot. The volunteers jumped right in and served it up quick. Even though I was still feeling a little "punky" I enjoyed a piece of the cheese.

After we had all eaten, husband and wife duo Larry and Michelle Beahm from One More Time took to the stage and performed an hour of foot stomping, hand clapping music that had everybody in the crowd laughing and having a good time. Their act included some corny old jokes, some audience participation, some great music? Bob (a 2007 classmate) and a couple of the vendors joined them on stage to do a Temptaions song. Very funny. Michelle and Larry did everything from show tunes to country, rock, and blues, and we loved every minute of it. Check out their website at www.omtmusic.com to see where you can catch this fulltime RVer couple playing somewhere down the road.

Chris and Jim Guld known as Geeks on Tour are here teaching computer classes.
http://www.geeksontour.com/
Last night Gary was mistaken for Jim. Do you see the resemblance?

Nasty weather in Ohio

2008-09-15T20:03:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was a nasty day. Ike hit Ohio with a boom. We had very strong wind with gusts that the news said were likely 50-65 miles per hour. We were glad we weren't parked near any trees. Several motor homes were moved to get out from under tree limbs that were falling. Rain arrived shortly after lunch time in sprinkles..then more sprinkles..then it poured down. By supper time it had stopped raining but the wind continued. We went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant with several 2007 classmates. Afterward we drove around the lake and saw 1 house that had lost it's roof. There was lots of tree debris in yards and in some streets.

This morning when we go up, we found that the house, truck and our bikes were covered with dirt. There is a dirt horse track nearby and the wind had whipped up the dirt and covered everything outside. It was a mess. Gary and several other guys washed off rigs all morning. I went over and worked the registration table selling tickets for pizza and t-shirts to folks checking in today. We were so glad we moved into the fairgrounds on Saturday before Ike came through. There were people moving in yesterday during the storm. Crazy!!! Trying to maneuver a 5th wheel or motor home in that wind is just not my idea of a smart thing to do.

Unlike other communities in Ohio we have power and little significant damage in the area. Just south of us in Dayton there are thousands without power. The winds there were reported at about 78 miles per hour and there is much more damage. Ike was some storm.

We learned this evening Escapee's home base in Livingston Texas was hit very hard. Much damage to homes with no power, no water and no gas for generators. Livingston is about 75 miles north of Houston. The mail forwarding service we use is located there. There is also a campground and a long term care facility. We are glad Ike has gone and hope and pray no one else is injured or killed as the areas start their recovery from the damage.
Please Lord..no more hurricanes!!!

Running from Ike

2008-09-14T09:53:00.004-06:00

Yesterday..after Gary watched the news and checked out the Weather Channel on the Internet we decided we needed to move out of Ike's path. They were forecasting a LOT of rain and some wind for our area of Indiana. So..we packed up...or at least Gary did most of it. I had a couple more hours of work to do..and since we weren't sure of the Verizon signal in this part of Ohio I got on the computer and worked.
By the time he was ready to leave I was almost finished and knew I should be able to work a bit more once we hit the interstate near Indianapolis. We were on the road by about 11am....up to Indiana 36, across the state toward Indianapolis. We stopped in Rockville for lunch at the Benjamen's Family Restaurant. I had an excellent tenderloin pork sandwich. That is a popular item on menus in this part of the country.
We went around Indianapolis on I-465 and then continued up I-69 before getting off onto Indiana 35 to 67 and on into Ohio. Celina Ohio is just a few miles inside the state line. So far it appears to be far enough east to avoid most of the storm.
Today the sun is shining with some clouds appearing and we're having wind gushes that make opening the door interesting..a firm grip is needed. Hopefully that will be all we get.
Yesterday when we arrived we were greeted by our back door neighbor's Linda and Ron Fleeger. They are fellow Escapees that started full-timing like us in 2007. Several other class members and some folks for the class of 2005 were waiting on us for dinner. We gathered up our drinks, a bowl and fork and went over to Smokey and Pam's rig for a dinner of stuffed baked potatoes. They had the "Margarator" going and were sharing their green or red margaritas to anyone that wished to imbibe.

Gary and I shared a few sips of one of the red ones. I'm not drinking alcohol these days and "fruity" drinks aren't Gary's usual thing but we both enjoyed the taste. And certainly the sentiment of sharing and caring that Escapees live by.
After dinner we returned to the rig to set up and rest for the night.
This morning we went over and registered for the rally. I'm going back shortly to sign up for some volunteer duties.
I hope you are all safe and dry. Love to you all. Deb

Call us...we love to hear from you.

:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GARY

2008-09-12T11:41:00.005-06:00

Today is Gary's birthday. His 57th.
I hope you'll all join me in wishing him many more happy birthdays.
I've been lucky to be his wife for over 34 years now and treasure every day we are together.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...I LOVE YOU...DEB

We're flooding!!!

2008-09-12T11:27:00.006-06:00

I know Ike is still in the gulf (and I wish it'd stay there or better yet..just GO AWAY!!..... but I think it's distant cousin is here in western Indiana this morning..rain..rain..rain..and more rain...water water everywhere..and it is forecasted to get worse as Ike moves inland. The current track has it coming directly north to the "two states" ..Illiana as we've heard the area called.
So "rain and more rain coming soon in our area".

It could be worse..at least no wind..so far.... Please pray for Texas..looks like it's going to be rough down there.
We may roll onto Ohio tomorrow if we get a lull....we're supposed to be there on Sunday but we want to avoid any wind that might be coming this way with Ike. So a head start might be in order. We'll see how it goes.

Hope you are all dry and well... Love to you all. Deb

Odd yard ornament

2008-09-12T11:18:00.005-06:00

Driving down rural route 1300E in western Indiana and what do our eyes see...but the largest COW sitting in a yard of someone's home. People sure do put some interesting things in their yards..now why would you need a LARGE cow statue??

Spoiled Rotten Doberman..

2008-09-09T15:58:00.003-06:00

Lazy Day Drives

2008-09-07T21:07:00.013-06:00

Over the past three days we've wondered around some lovely countryside here in western Indiana and eastern Illinois. We've seen corn field after corn field..bean field after bean field..a few cows..a few sheep..a few goats...and some covered bridges.
Parke County Indiana bills themselves as having the most covered bridges in the
country. There are 30 scattered about the county.

From Rockville there are 5 auto tour routes that you can follow to see them.
On Friday and Saturday we went on two (the red route and the black route). While on the tours we also stopped at three very small towns that were celebrating fall and their towns. Darlington, Bridgeton, and Mansfield.

Darlington's Old Fashioned Days included singing by local high school students. Some vendors with crafts and "junk". A great display of old restored tractors. My Dad would have loved seeing them. One was just like a tractor he used to own.
I bought a really pretty small Christmas table cloth at their Garage sale for a dollar. And two new pictures for 25 cents each. It was fun walking around this very small town (population 853) town for an hour or so.

That was Friday...then yesterday.. we stopped at Bridgeton. The Historic Bridgeton Mill is the oldest continually operating mill in Indiana. It has been open for over 180 years, and it was open for business when we arrived. There is also a covered bridge that was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 2006. It was rebuilt to resemble the original bridge.
We watched the owner mill wheat for bread flour. The mill has been a flour mill and a grain mill. Fire has forced changes over the years. But each time a fire occurred the mill was re-built and continued to operate. In 1970 a set of 48 inch French Buhr Stones were installed and it started operating as a grist mill again. The stones weigh over 2000 lbs and are estimated to be 200 years old. The stones grind the wheat into flour and corn into cornmeal. The small town of Bridgeton has 27 buildings in their National Historic District. We enjoyed walking around. They were celebrating with several crafts folk there showing off their skills. We watched a blacksmith create a rose out of metal. A lady was making a belt on a card loam. Another one working on a triangle loam making a scarf. We listened to some bluegrass music provided by a man with his guitar and a lady with a fiddle.
When going into one of the stores we were stopped by a lady that asked if we were from Carolina. I was wearing a blue Carolina t-shirt. We said yes..we were from Durham. And can you believe it..so was she..and her friend with her was from Creedmoor. Wow!!! What a small world we live in. They were up visiting her sister and brother in law who live in Greencastle not to far away. We spent several minutes talking with them. Miss Elli also enjoyed some ear rubbing. Turns out she had had a Dodie for many years before it passed away.

We continued following the black route (we had done the red on Friday) and on to Mansfield. They were having their Cornbread Festival. This small town is also built on the banks of lazy Big Raccoon Creek and is famous for it's covered bridge. They have a chair lift ride which as far as we could tell goes no-where..just up ...down a few hundreds yards..turns around and comes back..I guess it's so you can admire the view. Which is pretty good..with the bridge and the creek. In October the Covered Bridge Festival is held for 10 days and Mansfield is right in the middle of it all. They have a lot and I mean a lot..of spaces set up for vendors and parking. Too bad we won't be here then...:( I think it would be a sight to behold.

Today..we drove over to western Illnois to Arcola. They were having their Corn Broom Festival. Once upon a time, corn broom straw was a main crop in the area. This straw was used to make brooms of all sizes. Today the industry has pretty much gone away but the history is still celebrated. We watched a young man make a broom using the corn broom and a couple of different machines. Very much a hand crafted item. I learned there has never been a machine invented to harvest corn broom and that is one of the reasons the industry has been lost. Very expensive manual labor to harvest the corn broom and to then make the brooms. This festival was the largest we've been to. Many, many vendors. We listened to music and even watched a 7-8 year old kid petaled tractor pull. Girls and boys gave it their all to win ribbons and trophies.
We had lunch at the Dutch Kitchen right in the middle of the festival. This popular restaurant had pretty good fried chicken and baked steak. (We'd call it country style steak). Afterward we came home and enjoyed an afternoon nap. All this sightseeing is tiring!!! Then...football...football..football..how many games can you watch in one afternoon?? Ask Gary...I'm sure he'll be glad to discuss it with you. (my nap lasted longer than his did).

Hope you all are doing well..write(email) or call..we love to talk to you all.

Love, Deb

Little Italy Festival in Clinton Indiana

2008-09-01T18:59:00.006-06:00

Clinton is a very small town. Population 5,126 as of the 2000 census. It is in the center of the state on the western border with Illinois in Vermillion county. The town is located on the bank of the Wabash River.
This weekend they were celebrating their Little Italy Festival. The festival is run by the L.I.F.T. (Little Italy Festival Town) board, and the City of Clinton. Each year a Little Italy Festival Queen of Grapes is crowned, as well as Re (King) & Regina (Queen). We missed out seeing the crowning but spent a couple of hours enjoying the sights and sounds. They had music, games and contests. We watched two rounds of the meatball eating contest. And food..they had food...every "fair" food I've ever seen as well as a couple of new ones. Have you ever had a lemon shake-up?? That drink is lemon-aide all mixed up and ready (except for the water) for a shake up right before you get it. Water is poured in..and the drink is shook up going from 1 cup to another until the sugar dissolves. We didn't try one but they looked very refreshing. I checked out their website and the pictures from last years festivals are a hoot!!I'm sorry we missed this years parade.

We changed sites this afternoon. When we arrived yesterday the site we choose didn't have a sewer connection. Since we'll be here for 2 weeks we wanted one of those. So, once the park started to clear out today, we choose another site with sewer and moved into it. The site is right on one of the lakes. There are 11 lakes on the property. Once the sun started down this evening it was wonderful to sit out under the awning admiring the lake view as the sun set.

New Baby in the House!!!

2008-09-01T17:32:00.004-06:00

Crystal and Justin Rose are the proud parents of a new baby girl..Lilah Mae Rose born at 12:50 AM on 8/28/08. She weighed 8lbs 10 ounces and is BEAUTIFUL!!!!
New grandma and grandpa Steve and Robin Hollander are so excited she has arrived.

Time flys when you're having fun

2008-08-31T20:12:00.007-06:00

Boy, time sure gets away from me easily. Every day I tell myself to stop and update the blog with all the happenings..but between working and "playing tourist" time just goes by faster and faster. We spent the last week in Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton. These small towns bisected by the Wisconsin River are a popular destination for many folks in the state.

The Wisconsin River in the Dells is divided into the "Lower Dells" and the "Upper Dells." The areas are separated by a power dam. A traditional boat tour along the "Upper Dells" was highly recommended, and that is the trip we took on Monday.

There were two stops, one at mystic Witches Gulch, the other at "Stand Rock," possibly the most famous site in the Dells. This tour lasted over two hours and was excellent. We glided along observing sandstone rock cliffs on each side that have been formed by water and wind erosion over many many years. Majestic strands of towering pine trees located along the sandstone bluffs add greatly to the scenic wonder of the area. We were told to watch for Eagles but sorry to say never caught a glimpse of one.
At the first stop we walked for a couple of blocks into the Witches Gulch. Named by Indians because they believed the area was "haunted". It certainly was spooky enough to be.

At the second stop we were again allowed to leave the boat to walk through the woods. We stopped at a point where we looked up and marveled at an amazing rock formation called Stand Rock. It is 5 1/2 feet from a nearby bluff, but it stands all alone. On the bluff a remarkable dog awaited us and his master's command to leap from the safety of the bluff across a dangerous abyss onto the safety of the table rock and back. We all looked up in awe as this remarkable dog made his daring leap from the bluff to the Stand Rock, and back to the safety of the bluff. Everyone applauded this wondrous feat. This act commemorates H.H. Bennett's stop-action photo of his son Ashley leaping to Stand Rock in 1888. This picture proved to the photographic world that Mr Bennett had in deed created the stop action camera lens. Before this, subjects in pictures had to stand perfectly still at least 5 minutes while the picture "took". Can you imagine? No wonder our ancestors never smiled in their picture.

The Dells are now famous for being the "Water Park Capital of the World". I don't know if this is true or not but there are certainly a lot of parks. Every..every..every hotel has one. Each trying to "outdo" their neighbor offering more and different water slides and rides. And that doesn't even include the independent water parks like Mt Olympus or Noah's Ark. These were very popular and busy.

One day we went to a near-by Baraboo. This town is the home of the Circus World Museum. The museum has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the US Department of the Interior and is located at the site of the original Ringling Bros Circus winter quarters. We enjoyed three circus shows and walking through the many exhibits. The circus wagons on display were remarkable and the shows were excellent. Clowns, music, acrobatics and song.

We also took one day to drive down to Madison. Madison is the capital of Wisconsin and is uniquely placed with the streets running east and west between two lakes.
They have a pretty impressive capital building right in the middle of town.

While there we continued our search for bicycles and had lunch at Culvers. Culvers is a pretty good chain restaurant here in the mid west. They specialize in butterburgers and yummy ice cream. They also have pretty good BBQ pork ribs.

We bought a bicycle for me at Target in Madison. It is pink..a Schwinn with 7 speeds. So far I've made it around the campground a few times without incident.
We bought Gary a bike at Blain's Farm and Fleet in Baraboo. It is also a Schwinn ...red with 7 speeds too.
And they fit on the rack we've installed on the front of the house. Yippie!! We've been looking for bikes all summer.

On Friday we left the Dells and went south through the Wisconsin countryside. The area was very rural with many many farms along highway 23.

We stopped for the weekend at the Rustic Barn campground near Dubuque Iowa. Gary went to Dubuque a couple of years ago and wanted to go back to show me around. This town of about 60,000 residents is located on the Mississippi River. Unlike many towns in this state they didn't having any problems with flooding from the river in June. They are protected by a dike that did it's job.
Dubuque was very busy this Labor Day weekend. Many folks were visiting and enjoying the parks and the river. We saw many boats and jet skis on the water.

Today we moved about 345 miles from Iowa, through Illinois into Indiana. We're staying at a Thousand Trails Preserve in the middle of corn fields about 30 miles north of Terre Haute. Even though this is a VERY rural area, I have a very good internet signal. That makes it nice to work and update the blog. :)

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Labor Day. Our prayers go out to those in the path of the hurricane.

Love to you all...stay safe and healthy...see you soon...North Carolina in October is coming day by day....quicker and quicker..

Rainy day in Wisconsin

2008-08-21T22:25:00.000-06:00

Today was a gray and rainy day here at Country Road RV Park. I worked this morning and Gary removed the bugs from the front of the house in between sprinkles. Afterward we went over to Wisconsin Dells to Pedro's Mexican restaurant for lunch. Not too bad but I sure do miss NC's Mexican restaurants. My favorite is Taqueria Arandas‎ in Garner. Yummy cheese dip!! I look forward to returning to it when we're back home in October.

After lunch we rode over to Baraboo. This small town is the home to the Circus World Museum. It is designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior and is located at the site of the original Ringling Bros. Circus winter quarters. We're going to return later in the week if the weather improves. Many of the exhibits are outside and we just didn't want to walk around in the rain.
http://circusworld.wisconsinhistory.org/

New Tires

2008-08-20T15:07:00.006-06:00

Yesterday we left Hinckley Minnesota after 13 days and went up to Carlton to get our new tires. Welll....another ISSUE!!!...Goodyear didn't send the right tires. It appears the factory is not making Marathon tires at this time. So..they very nicely sent different tires instead. Another decision to make...do we buy these Goodyear tires (Titan) and have 3 Titans and 1 Marathon on the house or do we buy 1 Titan to replace the blown tire and end up with 1 Titan, 1 Marathon and 2 Tow-Max.....Not really knowing that the best decision would be...we went ahead and bought the 3 Titans. We just knew we had to get rid of the Tow-Max tires.

So..we're running 3 Titans and 1 Marathon with a Tow-Max spare. We're going to buy 1 more Titan and use the Marathon as the spare and get rid of the Tow-Max completely once we're settled with the warranty company. They have decided they MUST see the blown tire before taking responsibility for them. We think since these tires have a known history of problems and we have blown out 2 in the past month that they should re-reimburse us for all of the tires. Not just for the two that have blown out. Irregardless I feel a little be safer now. I'm still pretty paranoid and watch the tires like a hawk. Every time we stop I'm checking the tires for increased heat or anything that just looks wrong. We're probably going to invest in a tire monitor system for the house next month. Then, at least we'll know when a tire loses pressure and hopefully can avoid more damage to the house. We were lucky this time the damage is pretty slight and Gary will probably fix it himself.

We stayed last night at CheTek River Campground in CheTek Wisconsin. This is a nice park right on the CheTek River. Mostly full of seasonal RVs that are very well maintained. We talked for a while with one of the seasonal RV'ers who used to full-time too. He had a new puppy his granddaughter named Odie. She really like Ellie and wanted to play but Ellie wasn't real interested.

Today we came south to Lake Delton. We're staying at Country Roads Motorhome and RV Park until Monday. We learned about this park from Terry and Nick Russell. Terry and Nick have been full-time RVers for many years. They have published several books and have a bi-monthly magazine about their travels. Check out Nick's blog for some interesting reading.

http://www.gypsyjournal.net/NicksBlog.htm

Well..we're going to check out the town..more later. Love to you all, Deb

Since Cody

2008-08-14T23:43:00.015-06:00

We left Cody and went north through the southeastern corner of Montana. We spent a couple of days in Miles City. Then moved on into North Dakota. We stopped in Bismarck and stayed for over a week at a nice park with a good rate. We enjoyed touring around the area. Bismarck is the capital of North Dakota and is a pretty good size town with much activity. One of the main crops in the area is sunflowers. We saw acres and acres of them.

We spent part of a day at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park. Rich in both military and early Native American history, Fort Abraham Lincoln was once an important infantry and cavalry post. It was from this fort that Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the Seventh Cavalry rode out on their ill-fated expedition against the Sioux at the Little Big Horn. Portions of the military post, including the Custer House, have been reconstructed.

There are also reconstructed earthlodges that depict the lifestyle of the Mandan Indians, who occupied this site from about 1575-1781.

Next stop was Fargo. Fargo is right on the border of North Dakota and Minnesota with the Red River of the North dividing Fargo from Moorhead. With over 90,000 folks living in Fargo this is definitely the largest city we've been in for about 3 months. We stayed for 2 nights at the city campground. This also was a nice park right on the river.

While there I took a deep breath and bought a new camera at Best Buy. A Canon Rebel Digital SLR. My very first SLR camera. I've always used a point and shoot but really had gotten frustrated with it's limitations. And I had just plain wore out my Olympus. With the new camera I have a lot to learn. I've been reading and have more to read to learn to use even half of the features on it. I'm enjoying the challenge very much.

We left Fargo last Monday. On the way, we had another tire blow out on the house. These Tomax tires have got to go. This one blew a hole in the sidewall bigger than my fist. Fortunately Gary saw debris flying from the tire and got us stopped pretty quick. He changed out the tire for our spare and we went onto the Grand Casino RV Park in Hinckley.

We've had trouble finding a replacement tire. And because we had some slight damage to the wheel well, dealing with the warranty company has been a bit of a challenge. We finally found a tire in Carlton about a hour north of where we're staying and drove up there last Friday. The tire store put the new tire on the wheel and we brought it back to the house. We decided to go ahead and have the same company change out the other 2 tires too. We've gone to Goodyear Marathon tires. No more ToMax tires. They had to order those so we made an appointment to go back up there as soon as our mail arrived here. Then, yesterday Gary was looking at the tire we already had (not on the house yet) and realized that they had given us the wrong tire. It was a D load tire instead of an E. So..back on the phone with the store. They had to order the replacement tires from the factory since no one in Minnesota has these in stock. Hopefully they will be in on Monday and we can get them installed and travel on into Wisconsin. We really didn't plan to stay in Hinckley for almost 2 weeks, but that is the advantage of our lifestyle. We can be pretty flexible usually about moving or not. This area is very rural and quiet. The only excitement is winning at the slot machines in the casino. Which we've managed to do a little of..better to stay away from those one armed bandits. All though not to many machines have the arm to pull anymore.

On Sunday we drove down to Minneapolis and Saint Paul. These are large and busy cities even on Sunday. We went downtown and toured around. There were several beautiful churches. We also went through an area called Summit Hill. The homes there are many years old and quite impressive. We didn't see the bridge that collapsed last year but certainly saw the results with the traffic being detoured around. Fortunately there are several other bridges that cross the Mississippi there, but I know the folks will be glad once the new bridge is finished. From the signs we saw this should occur sometime in November.

On the day we went to get the tire we also traveled up to Duluth. This town is located at the westernmost tip of Lake Superior, halfway between Minneapolis/St. Paul and the Canadian border. Downtown there is a park right on the lake. We spent several hours walking along the shore line enjoying the views and talking to others doing the same thing. Miss Ellie enjoyed the walk and visiting as she got lots of rubbing and pats. We saw 1 extremely large barge anchored off shore and many other boats coming and going. There is a famous bridge called the Aerial Lift Bridge. We watched it go up and down many times to allow boats to travel under it. The city is built into a steep, rocky cliffside; almost mountainous. This made for some interesting travel up the streets from the lake with impressive views downward. There are extensive, climate-controlled skywalks that connect downtown facilities. Since the average low temperature in January is -2* these probably come in handy.
We went to Park Point beach. It is the world’s longest natural sand bar, jutting seven miles into Lake Superior. I walked in the water..it was just a little bit cool with an average temp of 40*.

Western Wyoming

2008-07-30T22:14:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful time in Cody. We spent two days in Yellowstone. Another day in the Big Horn National Forest. We drove through mountains and more mountains. We saw many bison, white tailed and mule deer, elk, a moose and many many birds. But we didn't see a bear. We hoped to but none were found by us. We drove about 800 miles doing all this but it was worth it. We may not get back this way again and wanted to see as much as we could. The weather was great. Some days it was as high as 90 but with low humidity. I'm working on a sideshow of the pictures..hopefully I'll finish and get it posted tomorrow.

Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir

2008-07-19T23:44:00.001-06:00

On Thursday afternoon we went west outside Cody to see the Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir.

Still in Cody

2008-07-19T15:03:00.009-06:00

On Friday we went to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. There are 5 museums on the grounds surrounded by gardens. For $15.00 you gain entrance to all 5 museums for 2 days. This is an amazing place. Well worth the admission price. There is no way to see it all even with the two days included in the fee. The collections are incredible. The amount of research and documentation is almost over-whelming.
Yesterday we went into the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, then the Plains Indian Museum. We took a break, came home for lunch and went back and did the Buffalo Bill Museum and started the Draper Museum of Natural History. Our energy ran out and we decided to start over today. This morning after breakfast at Bubba's ..(oh how we wished it was "OUR Bubba's breakfast"...we went back. We went back to the Draper Museum of Natural History, then went into the gardens to look at all of the sculptures there. The last museum was the Cody Firearm Museum. We did this one a bit fast as we didn't have a great interest in it. Although parts of it were interesting since they displayed not only guns from as early as 1550, but also had a brief film about how guns have changed over the years. We finally decided we'd had enough and came back to the house. Tomorrow we're going into Yellowstone. It is about a 50 miles drive to the East entrance. Then about another 50 miles or so to get to Ole Faithful geyser. We've got to go there...I think it must be required..right?? Anyway. Bye for now. Deb

Cody Wyoming

2008-07-18T17:45:00.001-06:00

After spending a couple of quiet nights in Buffalo, we came over the Big Horn Mountains on Highway 20 on our way to Cody. Beautiful scenery all along the way. The diesel did a very good job pulling us up and over the mountains (over 9600 feet) in altitude. There was still snow on some of the slopes. Wow!! Snow in July..not something this southern girl has seen recently.

We pulled in on Wednesday to the Pondersosa Campground. This park is located right in the city very convenient to everything in town. And the price reflects that #32.00 a night. Yipes...we'll need to balance that out later this summer to keep our costs within budget. (Since we've blown the budget this week). But, this area is in full vacation mode and nothing is cheap. Cody is on the highway 16 the only route into Yellowstone from this part of Wyoming. Buffalo Bill planned it that way. On Thursday morning we took a Trolley ride around town. The owner/guide gave us a good overview of the town of Cody and it's history. That afternoon we went to the Wild West Miniature Museum. This free museum has dioramas in miniature of many of the important events in history for Wyoming and southern Montana. There is also quite a display of Indian clothing, household items, weapons and more.

Ads from Goggle

2008-07-14T15:55:00.001-06:00

Recently I learned from a friend's blog that Google has now set up a system to place ads on our blogs....I know..I know..just one more place to see advertisements..but..according to him (and Google)they pay me to put them there as long as you click on them...SOOOOO...I added the feature to the blog yesterday. As I understand the process..Google puts ads that match the content of my blog..and for each click by a visitor (you)..Google puts money in an account for me. Once it gets to $100, they'll send me a check. Sooo.... if you see something that interests you just click and check it out. Please don't just click multiple times as Google frowns on this and will respond to me unkindly.
If it's a bother after a month or so..they'll go away...so consider the next few weeks a test...will it make us some extra money?? Who knows...click away and we'll see...love to you all. Deb

I-90 Gillette Wy to Buffalo Wy..do you see any trees???

2008-07-14T15:48:00.003-06:00

If you look really close in a few of the last pictures you'll see the Big Horn Mountains in the distance with snow on the top of the peaks...

Custer State Park

2008-07-13T21:59:00.008-06:00

On Friday we spent our last day with Judy and Greg. It was a long drive through Custer State Park. This park has a wide variety of landscape. Mountains thin and thick, meadows, creeks and prairie. We saw the Begging Burros, 3...count them...3 buffalo, pronghorn antelopes, mule deer and birds. The route had us going through very tight 1 lane tunnels, wide open meadows and clinging to the side of steep mountains. The views were outstanding.

The "Begging Burros" are the only animal in the park you'll allowed to feed without getting into trouble. As you can see the Burros really like Mr. P..or at least the crackers he gave them.

Today we returned to the park with Miss Elli. We thought she'd like to see the burros and buffalo up close and personal. NOT!!!
The first thing we did was return to the 1 lane tunnels. We wanted to see if we could get good pictures of Mount Rushmore through the tunnel. The sun was shining directly on the monument. And I was able to get several really good pictures.

After talking to a Park Ranger, we took off on the road less traveled in the park. Still didn't see any of the 1200 buffalo they claimed to have. After moving back onto the main Wildlife Loop Rd..we came upon a line of stopped cars. In a bit we were able to move up enough to see the "HERD OF BUFFALO".. they were everywhere. I got out of the truck (since we were stopped anyway) to take pictures.. One buffalo was roaring his displeasure at our presence. We'd been warned to be careful. They can move fast when they wish. Gary thought he might be roaring for another reason...but I'm not sure. I just know he was LOUD!!!

Crazy Horse Memorial

2008-07-12T21:31:00.001-06:00

After leaving Mount Rushmore we traveled further south to Crazy Horse Memorial. Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear officially started the Crazy Horse Memorial June 3, 1948. The Memorial's mission is to honor the culture, tradition and living heritage of North American Indians. This non-profit cultural and educational endeavor is celebrating it's 60th Anniversary this year. The foundation has three major goals: the mountain carving, the Indian Museum of North America, and the Indian University (and Medical Training Center) of North America. All done by donation from private citizens and businesses that support this mission. No tax dollars at work here. The Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and his family are strong believers of personal entrepreneurship and have turned down millions of dollars of federal support.

To be carved on the memorial...

WHEN THE COURSE OF HISTORY HAS BEEN TOLD
LET THESE TRUTHS HERE CARVED BE KNOWN:
CONSCIENCE DICTATES CIVILIZATIONS LIVE
AND DUTY OURS TO PLACE BEFORE THE WORLD,
A CHRONICLE WHICH WILL LONG ENDURE.
FOR LIKE ALL THINGS UNDER US AND BEYOND
INEVITABLY WE MUST PASS INTO OBLIVION.

THIS LAND OF REFUGE TO THE STRANGER
WAS OURS FOR COUNTLESS EONS BEFORE:
CIVILIZATIONS MAJESTIC AND MIGHTY.
OUR GIFTS WERE MANY WHICH WE SHARED
AND GRATITUDE FOR THEM WAS KNOWN.
BUT LATER, GIVEN MY OPPRESSED ONES
WERE MURDER, RAPE AND SANGUINE WAR.

LOOKING EAST FROM WHENCE INVADERS CAME,
GREEDY USURPERS OF OUR HERITAGE.
FOR US THE PAST IS IN OUR HEARTS,
THE FUTURE NEVER TO BE FULFILLED.
TO YOU I GIVE THIS GRANITE EPIC
FOR YOUR DESCENDANTS TO ALWAYS KNOW--
"MY LANDS ARE WHERE MY DEAD LIE BURIED." So said Crazy Horse not long before his death by a traitor's hand.

We spent quite a while reviewing all of the museum artifacts on display. There was also a video telling the story of how the project was started and the plans for the future. This is a very impressive collection of Indian artifacts and artwork. There were artists offering their work for sale. Everything from jewelry to paintings. Very nice work.
We were also entertained by some traditional Lakota Indian dancers.

We stayed until dark and watched their laser light show. It was very impressive and enjoyable. Overall..we all agreed this project will likely still be under way long after we are gone from this world.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

2008-07-11T21:01:00.000-06:00

I've seen pictures of this monument all of my life. But seeing it "for real" is so amazing. The vision and determination of the men responsible is just mind boggling. To quote Gutzon Borglum...
"A monument's dimensions should be determined by the importance to civilization of the events commemorated. We are not here trying to carve an epic, portray a moonlight scene, or write a sonnet; neither are we dealing with mystery or tragedy, but rather the constructive and dramatic moments or crises in our amazing history."

Carved into the side of a mountain in South Dakota are the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. It is a memorial to American history. The faces remind everyone that even the impossible is possible.

South Dakota state historian Doane Robinson conceived the idea in 1923 to attract more people to the Black Hills of South Dakota with colossal carvings. Robinson gained support others in South Dakota and Washington DC. He contacted Gutzon Borglum. Borglum agreed to come out to the Black Hills in 1924 to look at the area and see if the carving was possible. After looking at the Needles mountain area and ruling them out, they were told about Mount Rushmore. When Borglum saw the mountain he pointed to it and said, "America will march along that skyline."
The first actual carving began on October 4, 1927. Work continued until 1941 (even after Borglum's death) until funds ran out leaving the presidents as we see them today.

We spent several hours walking the President's trail, looking at the Sculptor's Studio and watching a video about the project. In the Sculptor's Studio plaster casts of the figures are displayed. These were used during the carving to help ensure the sizing was accurate.

The Badlands of South Dakota

2008-07-09T21:33:00.000-06:00

Tuesday afternoon we continued our sightseeing by traveling through the Badlands with Judy and Greg. This national park is very impressive. Miles and miles of wonderful sights. I hope you enjoy the slide show. If you'd like to see larger pictures, double click on the show and it'll open up.

Back to South Dakota

2008-07-08T17:04:00.000-06:00

Monday found us on the road back to South Dakota. Yes...going back 154 miles to the Hart Ranch in Rapid City. We're staying here for a week as a benefit of our Thousand Trails membership for $12.00 a night for full hook up. A great price for the area which is in full vacation mode. Along the way we stopped at the last rest area in Wyoming and found that we had a flat tire on the house. Can you say that...our house has a flat!!!
It must have happened as we came into the rest area because it wasn't fully flat when I saw it. But it quickly became that way. Boy...THANK YOU for that potty break. We called Good Sam's Road-Side Assistance and after a 3 hour wait the tire guy came from Spearfish South Dakota. He quickly changed out the tire for our spare.
And back on the road we went getting into the Hart Ranch about 5:30pm..a little later than planned but still not too bad. Gary has been on the phone with Carriage and the tire company and they are sending a new tire here. We hope it'll arrive on Friday so we can get it installed before we leave on Monday.

Bright and early on Tuesday morning we met up with Judy and Greg again. They are staying about 8 miles from us at Rushmore Shadows. We went to one of the newest national parks to see one of the Minuteman Missiles.
http://www.nps.gov/mimi/
A retired Air Force "missilleer" who was stationed in a launch control center described what life was like and what his responsibilities had been. We then traveled about 6 miles to a Minuteman II missile silo. This site tour was conducted by.....Egor, a young Russian working there for the summer. An interesting twist considering the purpose of those missiles back in the 60s. Was this missile aimed at his house?? Probably not as we learned..the missiles were aimed at Russia's missiles not at a particular town. Still a bit disconcerting to see history that could have been very different. I'm sure glad folks kept cool heads about themselves back then.

Escapade in Gillette Wyoming

2008-07-05T15:35:00.005-06:00

We made it to Gillette on Saturday about noon meeting our friends Greg and Judy Bahnmiller right outside of the CamPlex. We went into Escapade together and were parked back to back. Great location right near the road. We first met Greg and Judy the spring we started full-timing at the Life on Wheels Conference in Bowling Greene, KY. They also sold their stick and brix house in Michigan to take to the road in their Hitchhiker 5th wheel. We next saw them at the Escapade in Indiana last September. We've followed their adventures thru their blog.
http://bahnmilleradventure.blogspot.com/

On Saturday we registered for Escapade, picked up our goodie bag and checked out some of the vendors that were set up in the market area. Then out to dinner at the local Golden Coral. On Sunday the activities started. More visiting to the vendors, and going to some of the many classes being offered. Each evening there was entertainment. One night we listened to country music played by the Chugwater Band from Cheyenne Wyoming. They were OK but as most know, NOT MR. P's favorite kind of music. The best entertainment offered was performed by Jimmy Travis. He was a singer comedian and was great. Very funny and he sang well also.
http://www.jimmytravis.com/

The classes offered were very good. Everything from electricity and your RV to Cowgirl Nan and her stories about the old west. We enjoyed them but didn't go to as many as at the last Escapade. Having more experience in this lifestyle we just didn't feel the need to "learn it all" like we did last year.
One afternoon we skipped out and went to the RockPile Museum in Gillette. This free museum displays lots of information about Gillette and Campbell county from many years. Very interesting and definitely worth the time we spent there.

On Wednesday night we caught up with the Escapee Class of 2007 FullTimers and had a pot-luck supper. It was great to finally meet others we'd only met thru the internet on the Escapees Forum. Good food and fellowship. And plans to meet some again at the Gypsy Journal Rally in Ohio in September and at a Reunion Rally being held next year in Texas. The picture shows some of the guys putting the CARE patch on our banner. The group has raised and donated over $1000 to Escapees CARE. CARE is located at Rainbow's End in Livingston Texas at Escapees home and offers care to any member that has illness and needs assistance while they recover.

Every Escapees member is assigned a SKP number when they join the club. SKP stands for

S - Support
One important benefit of Escapees is the support members get from each other as they travel. Because some Escapees travel long distances from their home base and families, and because they may be on the road for many months at a time, it is important to be part of an extended family of travelers. Support also includes the many benefits and optional services that the Escapees Club provides.

K - Knowledge
Members often say that the money-saving tips they get from Escapees magazine alone more than pay their annual dues. Learning is also the keynote of the Escapades that take place each year. Going to an Escapade is like attending a concentrated five-day college course on RVing.

P - Parking
One thing that makes the Escapees RV Club different from other RV clubs is that it offers members places to park. In addition to home-base benefits for those who join an SKP Co-Op or Rainbow Park, all Escapees members may use short-term parking at Escapees parks. This includes Rainbow's End campground, located at the international headquarters in Livingston, Texas. Members also have overnight parking opportunities with other Escapees members across the country.

There is a lot of volunteerism practiced by the Escapees members. Everything from working at CARE at Rainbow's End in Livingston to building houses with Habitat for Humanity. While at Escapade we volunteered and helped out. I sold ice cream one day and maintained an information booth another time. Gary signed up to drive one of the shuttle vans but was released because they had more drivers than they needed. We're thinking about volunteering with the Habit for Humanity group later next year. I can swing a mean paint brush and you know Mr. P has many skills he could bring to the group. :) We'll see once we learn more about the work being done.

Friday was the Fourth of July. We started the day having breakfast at Greg and Judy's Rig. We brought the meat and they treated us to Muggles. Muggles are scrambled pancakes and very tasty. We'd never heard or tried these before but it won't be the last time we have them. I've already tried once cooking them with limited success but plan to try again after talking to Greg and Judy about my cooking method.
After breakfast we went into Gillette for the Fourth of July Parade. This is the first parade we'd been to in some time and we enjoyed it very much. Being an election year there were many floats (and I use that term very loosely) from the various folks seeking election. There were also many horses, cars and motorcycles. Very festive. The best part for us..being Escapees.. was our very own float. Built by members this week during Escapade. It came in 2nd overall in their judging but of course we thought it was best.

After the parade we went over to Bicentennial Park for a free HotDog lunch being provided by the City of Gillette. We like free. And it was good too. Afterward we went back to the rig to "rest" before the fireworks. These started in the neighborhood across the street from the CamPlex at about 4pm. They continued practically non-stop up until about midnight. That neighborhood must have spent several thousand dollars on fireworks. I've never seen so many outside of a fireworks display being provided by some organization before. These were everywhere for miles around. We decided we needed to be in the fireworks business. So we could them to this neighborhood for next year. At 10pm the CamPlex started with their display. We have great seats just outside our rig and enjoyed seeing it all with other Escapees. Overall a very fun day and night. We fell into bed after midnight still hearing fireworks going off in the distance.
Another successful Escapade with over 1000 rigs and over 2000 members and guest attending. Now..the question is...do we plan to go to the next one..Missouri in May.. who knows.. time will tell. Love to you all. Deb

Wall, South Dakota

2008-06-29T23:03:00.006-06:00

As you travel west on I-90 signs for Wall Drugs show up with increasing regularity. It is a lot like the signs for South of the Border on I-95 South. So..we stopped at Wall Drug in Wall South Dakota. In 1931 Dorothy and Ted Husteads had gone looking for a drug store in a small town with a Catholic church. They found Wall Drug and decided to give it a go for 5 years. Mind you this was a very small store in a very small town that was very poor. They barely kept it going up until right before their 5 years was up. Just as they thought they'd have to give up in the summer of 1936 Dorothy had the idea to offer free cold water to travelers going to see the just completed Mount Rushmore. Ted and a high school boy started putting up signs.. "Get a soda . . . Get a root beer . . . turn next corner . . . Just as near . . . To Highway 16 & 14. . . Free Ice Water. . . Wall Drug." Each phrase went on a 12 by 36 inch board and were spaced out so the people could read them as they drove. By the time they got back to the store, people had already begun showing up for their free ice water. Dorothy was running all around to keep up. Ted pitched in alongside her. For hours they poured gallons of ice water, made ice cream cones and gave highway directions. When the travelers started on their way again, refreshed and ready for new adventures, they gave them hearty thanks. The ice water signs had worked. Today this enterprise has grown to cover a full block in the town. There is a cafe that seats over 500 people and a large variety of items offered for sale. From the very cheap tourist souvenir to some very nice jewelry and artwork.
We had a pretty decent lunch at the cafe and wandered around for about an hour looking at all of the "stuff". It was a good stop but like South of the Border..one visit will do us..probably not a place we'll stop again.

Spearfish South Dakota

2008-06-28T10:04:00.000-06:00

Still traveling west on I-90 toward Gillette. We stopped in Spearfish for a couple of nights and stayed at Chris Campground. We had a great view of a mountain outside the window. There were lambs and baby goats in a pen nearby. Ellie wouldn't go near them. I think she is still scared of the fence since she got shocked by an electric fence in Alabama. 1 day we went on the scenic highway going out of Spearfish through Lead to Deadwood. Very pretty trip. We stopped for lunch in Lead at a restaurant that also had a casino. There are a lot of stores and restaurants in South Dakota that also have small casinos. We only looked..no playing allowed!!

I hope you enjoy the slide show. Love to all. Deb

The Corn Palace

2008-06-27T17:50:00.003-06:00

We spent two days in Mitchell at R&R Campground. A good stopping place when traveling on I-90. With our Passport America the rate for full hook up was great at $15.00 a night. In Mitchell corn rules. The high school sports teams are named the Kernels. The radio station is KRON and to celebrate the fertility of the South Dakota corn fields there is the Mitchell Corn Palace. The Corn Palace has a mad mix of onion domes and minarets and looks like it is straight out of czarist Russia. It is built out of reinforced concrete, not corn. Every spring and early summer, its exterior is completely covered with thousands of bushels of native South Dakota corn, grain and grasses that are arranged into large murals. Every year there is a new theme. Locals take great pride in the Palace's "corn-septual art" and "ear-chitecture." Mitchell isn't called the Corn Capital of the World for nothing. There is a free tour and the facility is used for various visiting entertainers as well as the local Kernels sporting events. This was quite a sight to behold. In the gift shop they offered anything/everything made by or that looked like corn. I resisted most purchases but just had to get a pack of their popcorn.

Porter SculptureGarden

2008-06-26T22:33:00.000-06:00

Tuesday morning we continued on toward Wyoming. About 30 miles west of Sioux Falls we stopped at the Porter Sculpture Garden. We were met by the artist Wayne Porter. By far the most striking sculpture is the Bull Head. We learned that the head represents some extinct Egyptian Long Horn ?!?!?! and is made mostly out of railroad plates welded together. Wayne is truly gifted with a welding rod even if his topics are a little bit bizarre (in my opinion). The eye of the bull has a very human look to it. Several odd skeleton beasts guard the Bull and the real treat comes when you look inside the bull head. There is some kind of tortured demon hanging behind the bridge of the Bull's nose and it is quite freaky. We were told to watch out for the bats and sure enough several were hanging around inside the bull. Ellie was allowed to walk the path around with us. However she didn't think it was so great. At one point she walked as far away from the sculptures as her 20' lease would allow. I think she was worried one of the sculptures would "get her".

On into South Dakota

2008-06-24T22:03:00.000-06:00

On Monday we went north again. A very short travel day of about 70 miles. We stopped for 1 night in Sioux Falls. We wanted to see the falls the town is named for. We spent a very expensive night at the KOA, but it seemed the best choice based on it's location and having it a very good Internet signal.
The Falls Park is right in the middle of town on the Big Sioux River. Once upon a time a mill operated beside the river. A lack of wheat and increased production cost eventually shut it down. The building later burned. The brick ruins are still on site. We spent a couple of hours walking around and going to the top of the observation tower. While there we became concerned about a mama duck and her 3 ducklings. They were on a very small island in the middle of the river right next to the falls. They seemed to be eating something on the edge of the rocks. We watched for a while and at one point thought 1 duckling had gone over the falls. Happily we were mistaken when it came back up on top of the rock. We talked to someone in the gift shop that told us that many ducks and geese came to the river. So we left reassured the ducks were probably going to be OK.

Nebraska and Iowa

2008-06-23T10:04:00.025-06:00

We've spent this week at the Scenic Campground in South Sioux City Nebraska. This is a city park on the Missouri River right across from Sioux City Iowa. The park has been nice with a great price. $ 17.00 a night for water and electric. And with the bathhouse close by we managed to use our grey tank for a full week without dumping. We were happy about that. Dumping meant moving the house to the dump station. Not a big deal..just didn't want to do it if we didn't have to. So..water conservation were the buzz words for the week. This is the first time we've camped right on the water anywhere outside North Carolina. It was great being able to watch the activity on the river. Mostly recreational boats and jet skis. Commercial boats don't travel this part of the river anymore.

While traveling around town this week we learned about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Our first stop was the Lewis and Clark Interpretative Center. The center focuses on a day in the life of the explorers as they traveled through what is now the Sioux City area. The death and burial of Sergeant Charles Floyd on Aug. 20, 1804, is at the heart of the story. The expedition as a finely tuned military operation comes to life in exhibits that use dozens of interactive devices.

Outside the museum is the Discovery Garden that displays native grasses and flowers. The Lewis & Clark Expedition set out from St. Louis, Mo., on May 14, 1804, with instructions from President Thomas Jefferson. Documenting, collecting and preserving plant specimens were among the instructions. The explorers succeeded in returning with almost 200 species. Among them are species collected between Onawa, Iowa, and Nebraska’s Niobrara River.

We also visited the Sgt Floyd Monument. This 100' high stone obelisk memorializes Sgt. Charles Floyd. It is overlooking a breathtaking view of the Missouri River. It was the first historic landmark registered by the U.S. Government in 1960.

Later we visited the Trinity Heights.. Queen of Peace.
The development of Trinity Heights began around 1985, when Father Harold Cooper, then pastor of St. Joseph Church in Sioux City, conceived the idea to bring a statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Queen of Peace to Sioux City. He approached a small group of laymen and generated enthusiasm for the project.
Father Cooper had seen a thirty-foot stainless steel statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Santa Clara, California, and contacted Father John Sweeney at his parish in Santa Clara. This stimulant led Father Cooper to form a non-profit corporation called the Queen of Peace Apostolate, which was incorporated in Iowa on May 20th, 1985.
From such a small beginning, his dream has grown into the development of Trinity Heights, located on a wooded 70 acres, in the northeast corner of Sioux City. People of all faiths come to visit this peaceful area.

Also within the chapel we saw a carved life size rendition of the Last Supper. After winning national and international carving competitions, Mr. Jerry Traufler decided to try the religious theme of the "Last Supper." In 1989 Mr. Traufler asked his wife and friends to pose for photographs, dressed as individual apostles, the Christ figure being the last to be carved. Using these pictures as guides, his rendition of the "Last Supper" soon came to life with his own individual style impressed upon the wooden figures. Mr. Traufler labored seven years to complete his masterpiece.
Jerry and his wife, Arlene wanted to have this religious work of art on display for the public. They also wanted it near their hometown of Le Mars, Iowa so they donated it to Trinity Heights, Queen of Peace where it is on permanent display in the chapel.

One day we took a road trip around the Nebraska countryside. While traveling down Nebraska 20 we ran across this display of windmills. As we prepared to leave, a car stopped and the man inside turned out to be the man responsible for the display. It was a treat to talk to him about his work.
As we went north we came upon the Missouri River again. This part of the river is called the Missouri National Recreational River. In this section the river has been allowed to flow in a "normal" pattern without assistance of the Army Corp on Engineers. It is open for boating, fishing, swimming and generally for enjoyment.

Kansas City and Northward ...on toward Gillette

2008-06-17T23:08:00.008-06:00

We spent a quiet few days visiting the Independence/Kansas City Missouri area. I said quiet, and it was except for the thunder storms and tornado watches that occurred over the weekend. They were a little hairy. We don't like wind living in a house on wheels. And we had a leak in the living room. We think a seam had separated a little bit in the main slide out. We moved the slide in and stopped the leak during the storm. Gary fixed the problem the next day once the rain had stopped. And it hasn't leaked again during the other storms we had. Yeah Gary....Mr Fix-it strikes again.

The campground we stayed at was a city park in Independence. Small but nice. A good price with our Escapees discount. While in Kansas City we knew we had to check out the BBQ. After all, we all know North Carolina has the best BBQ in the world. Right!!!
So, we looked up the "best" in KC and decided on Gates BBQ. Gates has been around for more years than I've been alive. When we walked in we were greeted with a LOUD "Hi, May I help you?". The counter person yells this to everyone as they enter. I think she yelled it about every 15 seconds the entire time we were waiting for our order. We ordered a platter called a Four Bone. This included 4 BBQ pork ribs, beef brisket, smoked ham along with 2 sides and white loaf bread for $19.95. Plenty of food for the two of us to share. After paying the cashier we maneuvered our way through the crowd to find a seat. I must say if you like beef brisket, something I don't see that much of in NC BBQ restaurants, Gates sure does it right. It was moist and tender. They had three kinds of sauce to use if you wanted. The Original, Sweet and Smokey and also a very Hot. It was OK, but a little salty for my taste. The beef didn't really need the sauce the taste was excellent as it was. The ribs were good but I still think Texas Roadhouse does them better. The smoked ham was easily forgettable. I really liked their baked beans and potato salad. Other than being yelled at when we entered (and hearing it for everyone else that entered too), the experience was very good. We even had enough left over to enjoy it again for lunch the next day.

We left KC on Monday to travel further north. Thru Missouri and went most of the way through Iowa before stopping for the night in South Sioux City, Nebraska. We learned that Verizon doesn't have much presence in western Iowa. While there were the occasional cell tower on I-29 none of them seemed to be Verizon. We checked out a couple of campgrounds along the way but didn't stop because the cell signal in the area was so weak. I need a reasonable strength signal so I can log in and work. Finally after about 300 miles we stopped in Sioux City Iowa. After calling the campground we learned it was across the Missouri River in Nebraska. After crossing the bridge we found the campground right on the river. The cell signal was OK..fairly strong but not broadband fast. Adequate for the job but definitely slower than I like. The campground is another City park and the best price we've paid for a while. $17.00 for water and electric. And we're parked about 75 feet from, facing the river. We can look out the living room window to see what is happening on the water. Several people have been fishing from the bank and we've watched boats and an occasional jet ski too. Pretty cool!!!
The river is running fast and has some debris. I'm guessing because of the flooding that has been occurring.
Along the way north we saw quite a few flooded areas in Iowa. Even 1 exit from I-29 was closed due to the water being across the road. There were lots of corn fields with standing water. This part of Iowa doesn't appear to be as hard hit as Cedar Rapids and the towns along the Mississippi in the eastern part of the state. But still you can really see the evidence of all of the rain that has occurred.

Today we went to another BBQ restaurant that has a good reputation in Missouri and Iowa. Dave's Famous BBQ in Sioux City. Again we ordered a platter to share. This one had 3 BBQ pork ribs, Georgia chopped pork and beef brisket. It also came with corn on the cob, baked beans, potato salad, french frys, corn bread and for desert Strawberry Shortcake. Wow!!! A feast for $15.99. It was good but overall we decided we liked Gates better. I did like the sauce better. Not so salty.

Independence Missouri

2008-06-11T17:02:00.003-06:00

We arrived at the Campus RV Park in Independence (outside Kansas City) this afternoon. The drive across Missouri was made a little bit challenging by the wind blowing across the state today. The weather forecasters are calling for severe thunderstorms with high winds and possible hail for tonight. Not what this area needs. We saw flooding by the Missouri River as we came across on I-70. Flooding is a big problem in the areas near the river, especially further north and over into Iowa. The news is full of the damage to the crops, businesses and homes. We're going to stay right here for a few days to see how the weather and flooding does. If no more rain, the river is forecast to go down and no additional flooding. But, some areas are also worried about their levees and dams. Please pray for these folks. These are tough times.

Can't get there from here...

2008-06-10T17:33:00.003-06:00

This was a tough travel day. We started out pretty good getting on the road by 9:30am. The plan was to go to St Louis, Missouri and stop for a couple of days. We "were" going to the top of the Arch. We discovered that there aren't very many campgrounds in area. The couple they do have are right in the city and cost more than we've budgeted to pay. So, we decided to go past St. Louis to a state park in Wildwood. That turned out to be a bad decision. First we missed a turn on the interstate in the middle of St Louis. Now I don't know if any of you have ever been to St Louis, but their interstate system is very confusing. Roads go over, under and loop around themselves. So, missing a turn was a sure thing. And normally not really a problem. However when towing a house that is 34 feet long and 13 1/2 feet tall, moving around on city streets gets a little sphincter tightening. Thankfully our trusty Garmin GPS came to the rescue. We got back onto I-64 (after a few choice words) to continue west. Then, signs saying I-64 was closed ahead started to appear..Ok that meant a detour..have you ever gone 8 miles north in order to go west???!!! Well that is what we did. I'm not sure who planned this road construction project but I think they were on drugs...very good drugs. First north on I-170, then west on I-70, then south on I-270 and then back on I-64. A grand total of a 25 mile detour. And most of it in white knuckle territory. With deep sighs of relief we finally got back on I-64 and found our exit to the state park. A rolling "black" road going through the country side. Very pretty. Arrived at the state park. No room at the inn!!!! Or at least no electric sites. And you all know Mr. P...no electric means no AIR CONDITION..and even though the temperature was a cool 88*..we MUST have AIR CONDITION. Oh..the other thing..no Internet signal since the park was in a valley. No Internet signal means no work for Deb..not!! a good location. So back we went to I-64 and on to Plan C.
I-70 toward Kansas City..found another campground..this time one with electric sites available. We are now 80 miles west of St. Louis. The park is OK for an overnight and for the first time in a long time we have the window shades open (it has been too HOT!!) for that recently. Now the decision is...do we stay here at this OK park for a couple of days and drive back to St. Louis to see the sights (without the house).
80 miles round trip =160 extra miles. Since we're facing over 1000 more miles to reach Gillette we've decided not to return. St. Louis will just have to wait for another day. No pictures of St Louis :( since we were so involved with the traffic ISSUES..sorry ..maybe next time.

Fast travel..

2008-06-09T15:34:00.004-06:00

We left Montgomery on Friday and moved on north. We stopped for the weekend at the Northgate RV Travel Park in Athens Alabama. Today we left and moved further north through Tennessee. We have stopped for the night at the Fern Lake Campground in Paducah Kentucky. Tomorrow we plan to go on to St. Louis Missouri. We're going to spend a couple of days in St Louis being tourist.

On the Road to Gillette

2008-06-06T15:04:00.000-06:00

Since we had our quota of mosquito bites, we decided to leave St. George's Island a day early. We followed the coast line to Panama City and turned north leaving Florida behind. We stopped that night at The Woods RV Park in Montgomery Alabama. This park was OK for a short stop. No amenities but really nice owners. And they had a lending library so I could swap off for some new books to read.

We spent two nights there while I worked to catch up and make all of my hours for the week. One evening we went to downtown Montgomery and checked out the many historic buildings. Montgomery has a rich history. From the Civil war to the Civil rights movement.
We saw the first White House of the Confederacy. This house was built in the 1830’s and currently stands in the shadow of the Alabama State Capitol. On February 18, 1861, Jefferson Davis stood on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol and took the oath of office as President of the Confederate States of America. A few days later the Confederate Congress approved renting this house owned by Colonel Edmund S. Harrison. Colonel Harrison rented the fully furnished and staffed for $5,000 per year. President and Mrs. Davis occupied the home from late February 1861 until the Confederate Capitol was moved to Richmond, Virginia in May 1861. During the short time President and Mrs. Davis occupied the house they hosted several large parties and receptions.
Following the Civil War the house passed through several owners before members of the United Daughters of the Confederacy proposed to the State of Alabama that this historic house should be preserved. On July 1, 1900 27 ladies organized the White House Association of Alabama. During the next 20-years they worked to raise the funds necessary to purchase the house. On June 3, 1921, the restored White House was opened. During the ceremony the White House Association gave the house to the People of Alabama. We didn't go inside since it has recently been closed for renovations.

We also saw the 1961 FREEDOM RIDES EXHIBIT ON the exterior of the former Greyhound Bus Station. This is the first in a series of exhibits about the 1961 Freedom Rides. The 1961 Freedom Rides marked a turning point in the civil rights movement. The goal was to compel the U.S. government to enforce Supreme Court decisions outlawing segregated transportation seating and facilities.
Montgomery’s Greyhound Bus Station is the site most closely associated with key Montgomery events of the 1961 Freedom Rides — generally acknowledged as one of the critical mid-20th-century campaigns by African Americans to win full democratic rights in the United States. Mob violence that met interracial student bus riders at this station on May 20, 1961, shocked the nation and led the Kennedy Administration to side with civil rights protestors for the first time. The most obvious result of the rides was a sweeping ruling by the Interstate Commerce Commission that effectively ended segregation in interstate bus, train, and air transportation. The Freedom Rides continue to evoke the power of nonviolent protest to change unjust laws.
The façade has been restored and an exterior exhibit was installed in May 2008.

We also saw the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. It is the church where Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr. pastored from 1954-1960 and began his quest for civil rights.

St George's Island State Park

2008-06-04T14:43:00.001-06:00

On Sunday we moved across the state to this island state park. This is the closest we've come to camping "on the beach". Not right on but walking distance away. I liked the park pretty well. Except for 1 thing...we thought the mosquitoes would carry us away. That and no cell phone or Internet signal meant we didn't stay as long as we would have. And, I "wouldn't let" Mr P get in the water since they had shark warning flags flying. I just didn't think he'd make good shark bait.
The gulf shoreline is very pretty in the area. This is called the "forgotten" part of Florida. Popular with fisherman but pretty isolated overall. Many of the houses on the island looked new so we thought there was likely a lot of hurricane damage in the recent past.

Shuttle Discovery Launch

2008-06-01T16:49:00.004-06:00

On Saturday after Mom,Dad,Jenn and Mark had left to return to NC Gary and I went back over to New Smyrna Beach to watch for the shuttle launch. We "thought" we'd be able to go into Cape Canaveral National Seashore. But upon arriving about 4pm we learned the park had been closed by about 2pm because it was "full". So we went back down to New Smyrna, parked and walked over to the beach. The beach was full of folks doing the same thing..watching for the shuttle. It was all over in about 8 minutes. From the first sighting until the fuel tanks separated and the light disappeared. Then, the sound came. Rolling up the beach.