Tuesday June 30, 2015-Pueblo south KOA

Today we made the drive over to Manitou Springs, a suburb of Colorado Springs, and one of our favorite places. There are many sights to see there and we made it to one of them, the Garden of the Gods. 

This plaque give you a bit of the history of this area. I first came here with my family in about 1957 or so.

 This is a beautiful shot of the majestic Pikes Peak, taken from the balcony of the visitors center for the Garden of the Gods.

 One of the main attractions, Balanced Rock. 

Another major attraction, Steamboat Rock.

The park was very full today with lots of traffic and we were all hungry, so we drove through Manitou Springs and then we went to our favorite restaurants, the Ultimate Buffet in Colorado Springs. It was a very good meal and enjoyed by all. 

We found a Costco store nearby and shopped there for a bit. Dave and Nancy bought a new grill that I'm sure that we'll enjoy soon.

We're about finished with the long drive from Goshen Indiana and will be in Creede tomorrow. Even more fun!

So long.

Monday June 29, 2015-Moving Day-Country Acres Motel & RV Park to Pueblo south KOA, Pueblo CO

Dave and I were up early this morning to take his ailing truck in to be worked on. We were there before the employees opened the doors and Dave was the second one inside. We got the bad news that they couldn't even look at the truck for two weeks, but a check with the parts man showed that they had the part, a turbo duct, that was needed in stock. Dave bought it and got some instructions on how to install it.

Stella and Nancy had told us to go have breakfast, so we called them to give them the news that the part is in hand and Dave will get it installed when we get home. After a good breakfast, we came back home and Master Mechanic Dave had the new part installed and we took the truck for a test drive. Everything worked perfectly! Hallelujah!!

We then went to work on packing up to leave. Since we didn't have much out, it didn't take long to get ready to leave. We actually pulled out about 10:15, very good time! We made one very short pit stop and pulled in here at the KOA about 1PM. Quick check-in and an escort to our site and we were set! 

Everything set up and ready to live n!

Here is a shot of all three trailers with some mountains in the background. Tom and Marti are visiting the Royal Gorge today but we'll be visiting other locations with them soon. Those pesky clouds get in the way a lot up here in the mountains but you'll gt your fill of mountains soon.

So long

Sunday June 28, 2015-Moving Day-Gunsmoke RV Park to Country Acres Motel & RV Park, Lamar CO

Well, our day started well, and I was outside putting things away about 7:30. Everything went well and we were all pulling out a few minutes after 9. We ht the road and made good time, stopping at a little truck stop for a pit stop. We stopped a bit earlier than normal but we are not traveling on an Interstate highway and there are no rest stops so we took advantage.

We hadn't gone very far before we got a call from Dave that he had a problem with his truck. We all stopped together and determined that something had happened to his turbo, limiting his speed to about 55 mph. Dave led the procession in case he had another problem, and not ten miles later his truck started blowing blue smoke with some sort of blue material coming out of the tail pipe. We again pulled over and the blue smoke and material stopped coming out of the tail pipe, so we continued on. Another few miles and the truck again started smoking, this time with the smoke appearing to be running hot engine. We again pulled over at a construction area red light. You may have seen these, a portable stop light with cameras to trip the light change when traffic begins to back up. Dave said that everything appeared to be normal on the engine gauges, so we started off again, this time about 45 mph. Dave found a rest stop that we could pull into safely and decide on a new plan.

We decided to push on to Lamar Colorado, where there is a Ford dealer and an RV Park. It's Sunday so the Ford dealer is closed but we can have Dave's truck there the first thing in the morning, and the RV park, while not a resort, is certainly adequate for a night or two. 

I took a break after writing the above and have more news. Dave went out and found the problem with his truck. It is the turbo hose that blew off. Hopefully it will be a quick fix at the Ford dealer in the morning. 

We rode out to the dealership to get the route and after, we decided to get something to eat. We chose the Mission Villanueva restaurant when Nancy researched them on Yelp. It turned out to be a good choice. Not good ol' TexMex, but decent food. 

We are planning an early start in the morning so we can continue our trip. Wish us luck...

So long.

Saturday June 27, 2015-Gunsmoke RV Park

Today we took the tour around Dodge City to check out their history.

 A very nice monument on the road leading into Dodge City.

The Dodge City Trolley and our driver, Fred.  

 Dave and Tom at the card table with Doc Holiday.

 Stella, Nancy and Marti at the table with Doc.

 My dad took a picture of me on this same train when I was about 8 or 9 years old.

 A full picture of the train.

 There was a "shoot-out" on Main Street.

 The dentist office and also a barber shop.

 We'll all need an undertaker someday.

 Some old buggies.

 Lots of guns!

 Shootout on Front street in 1878.

 The church house.

 More of Front street.

 Marti got locked up! 

 One of many markers on Boot Hill. An unknown kid, hanged in 1876.

Alice Chambers was the last person buried on Boot Hill. Actually everyone buried on Boot Hill was moved to the Dodge City cemetery.

The tour also showed us the huge stockyards around Dodge City that are still in use. They process a huge amount of beef here and ship it out. Dodge City is an interesting place and worth the trip. It was especially special for me because my parents brought me here many years ago when I was a child so it was good to come back.

Moving to Pueblo Colorado tomorrow.

So long.

Friday June 26, 2015-Moving Day-Peculiar Park Place RV Park to Gunsmoke RV Park, Dodge City KS

It rained most of last night and continued this morning, making my outside "take-down" chores a bit more of a problem. Luckily for me, the rain slacked up some and with very little to pack up, it wasn't too bad. We pulled out about 9:15, not too bad!

We had heard reports of downed trees, no power for traffic lights and high water in Kansas City but our route took around on the loop, so we had no problems traveling. We have figured out our rest stops that seem to work better. We start out traveling 50 or 60 miles to our first stop, to get rid of the coffee and then go around 100 miles before stopping for lunch. Most of these stops are made at state rest areas but occasionally we must use a truck stop. Either way works well and it breaks up the day well.

The skies cleared and the roads were smooth and we made very good time. We ran into a detour near Dodge City but we followed the signs and made it into the Gunsmoke RV Park about 4:30. We had a bit of an issue as we tried to check in. The three of us pulled in behind a long motorhome pulling a trailer, which blocked the entrance/exit to the park. This created a large problem for two park guests that were trying to leave but found that they were blocked in. One man was highly upset, cursing and yelling at us to move. This upset Dave and me because there was no place for us to move to, and it also upset a lady who was watching her son swim in the pool, over the language the man used. Another fly in the ointment was that the lady in the office (the park owner) was alone, having recently lost her husband. We all felt sorry for her in her situation and apologized but the offender had already left. 

After this settled down, we were escorted to our sites and before too long we were set up and done. We sat outside in the shade of a tree as we planned our meal. We ended up at the Dodge House restaurant, which dates back into the 1870's. The food was good and plentiful and we enjoyed ourselves. We drove through town, making plans for touring the historic district. More to come!

So long.

Thursday June 25, 2015-Moving Day-Double J Campground to Peculiar Park Place RV Park

We were up early to get ready to move this morning. I had not been able to use my sewer hose because the sewer line was too far away, so I planned to back the trailer up so the hose would reach. The only problem with my plan was that it was pouring down rain. It did slack up some but I got pretty wet before it stopped.

We pulled out about 8:45, a very good start to the day. We made very good time with little traffic and clear skies. We stopped for a break at a rest stop in Illinois and for lunch at the Homestead rest stop in Missouri. Marti has just taken up Munzee'ing and I was able to show her how to cap some today. Another Munzer in the game...

We got here to the Peculiar (MO) Park Place RV Park around 4, and that's when the trouble started. Stella ran the rooms out and when she started the living room/kitchen slide, the slide was immediately in a bind and tore off some boards on the bottom of the slide. Of course, she stopped the operation until we figured out what had happened. The slide had gotten hung up on one of the drawer handles. The damage looked bad, but my good friend and traveling companion Dave is a former cabinet builder and expert at repairs and he brought his tool box over and in a jif, it was fixed!

Another problem came up while making the repairs. It was really hot and humid (99 degrees) and because I hadn't had much to eat today, I got light headed and passed out briefly. After a cool cloth on my head and some rest I was back to normal. I had a nice supper with my friends and feel much better. My last medical checkup was just a few weeks ago and showed no problems but I will pay more attention.

So long.

Wednesday June 24, 2015-Double J Campground

It has been raining here all day and we don't have plans to go out anywhere, so I thought I would share some pictures from the recent past.

 And the rains came.... to Boerne, back in May. We had come here for a Texas Boomer rally and lots of rain fell, flooding the hill country. This is along River Road in Boerne, taken the afternoon after the flood. 

 There is still a LOT of water in the river! 

 The river covered the bridge as you can see from the debris.

 Lots and Lots of water!

 Tyler actually receiving his diploma. I am very proud of him.

Holding his diploma with all of his achievement cords. I called him to learn that the blue cord is for blood donations, the orange and white is for being in the band, the red and white is for the forensics club, the yellow and black is for the forensics competition, the yellow is for being in the top 10% of his class, the gold and silver is the superintendent's award and the medal around his neck is for being in the distinguished program. He was 29th in his class of 426 students. Congratulations again Scoot (Tyler)!

We'll be leaving here tomorrow and I will be back with more current events. 

So long.

Tuesday June 23, 2015-Double J Campground

Today we went to the President Abraham Lincoln Memorial and Museum and I want to share a few photos from there but first I want to recap the prettiest and best done trailer that I've ever seen. It is owned by my new friend Chris, a retired soldier who served in Afghanistan and returned to serve as a New York City Detective, where he also retired from. He was working as a NYPD officer during the 911 attack in 2001 and lost his brother, who was a New York Fire Dept. officer, in the attack. More on this later.

It's a 2015 Cyclone that has been custom painted to match the 2015 GMC 3500 that pulls it. 

The front cap of the trailer is all that is painted, the rest is a wrap. The wrap material is also color matched and the whole thing is gorgeous.

The rear ramp is another wrap of a memorial to Chris' brother Mark who lost his life in the 911 attack. You can see a picture of Mark in the upper right of the memorial, the fire truck that Mark drove and a picture of the fire station that he was assigned to. Very well done Chris!

The back side of the trailer is another wrap, with gray and white accent stripes that matches the original color of the Cyclone. Beautiful...

Back to the trip today. Here is a picture of our little group minus Tom who was also taking photo, in front of the Lincoln original tomb and memorial.

A better view of the tomb of President Lincoln, his wife and three of his sons. This thing is immense!

They have preserved the Lincoln home with many artifacts that were actually in the home while the Lincoln family lived there.

 One of the parlors in the downstairs of the residence. This room was very formal and only used to entertain guests. Reportedly, the family seldom used this room and the children were not allowed in it at all.

 This was the family room on the first floor. This would have been the equivalent of a family den today, used by all members of the family. Stella and I did not go into the upstairs area of the house.

 The memorial contained a lot of information about Lincoln's election to office, the Civil War, and of course, his assassination at the Ford Theater. These areas do not allow flash photography and are very dark, so no pictures...

I did take a photo of Dave and Nancy standing with the Lincoln family in the rotunda. The mannequins are life size, so you can see how tall the President was.

There was a very good hologram-based skit on Lincoln that was great! The figures were very lifelike and several people made comments about it. It's an amazing show. If you come to the Springfield Illinois area, it is absolutely worth going to. 

We had lunch at a place called Obed and Isaac's Microbrewery and Eatery that is near the museum district. We all had the famous Horse Shoe sandwiches that were delicious. We were all tired and enjoyed sitting down for awhile, but the food was really good too.

So long.

Monday June 22, 2015-Moving Day-Elkhart County Fairgrounds to Double J Campground, Chatham Illinois

We were up and had our coffee early, to get an early start to getting packed up to leave this morning. Things went very well and we were ready to leave around 9. Of course, I spent some time saying goodbye to folks that pulled out before us, but we still got done on time. 

We did have one little mishap when closing the slides. The factory techs had replaced a "flex guard", which is a flexible guard or guide that contains wires and hoses to prevent damage to them when the slide opens and closes. They apparently installed it wrong because it got caught between the trailer wall and the slide out, bending the edge of the slide. I think I can fix it when we get to our next stop.

We made good time with only one "comfort" stop and a lunch stop at a Pilot station near the border of Indiana and Illinois. We pulled into the Double J Campground about 3:30 and we were soon set up and relaxing. 

Marti fixed a great supper for us of chicken and spaghetti. The weather cooperated and we sat outside until the mosquitoes came out. We are all glad to be back on Central time. I think it bothered all of us by being light outside until almost 10. 

We were all ready to travel, and looking forward to the sights here and during the rest of the trip. 

So long.

Sunday June 21, 2015-Elkhart County Fairgrounds

Well, the big Heartland rally is over, so here is a short recap of what we did. We spent time with Tom and Marti since they had not been up here before. We took them to Shipshewana a couple of times to shop and to gawk at the many Amish people in the area. It was lots of fun for all.

We bought a new (to us) fifth wheel hitch from our friends Tony and Erika and got it installed with help from Tony and Tom. The hitch went in with few problems and it has worked out perfectly. I know that I'm getting out of sequence here, but we towed with it today and it is perfect! No annoying rattles and creaks, no pops when turning corners, and it is one of the best additions that we have made. I tried to sell the old hitch, but when it didn't sell I took it to a hitch dealer that I know in Elkhart but was told that it was too light (16k capacity) for him to buy and recommended selling it for scrap, which I did. The scrap yard was a mud hole and I was  glad to get out of there. Also luckily I didn't pick up any unwanted pieces of metal in my tires.

Speaking of additions, remember the problem that I have been having with the Winegard antenna? While here at the rally, I attended a seminar on Winegard antennas and met their sales manager. After explaining my problem to him, he made arrangements for a local technician to come by to check it out. The tech, Jamie, came over about 12:30 on Saturday. Long story short, he worked all afternoon before deciding that the antenna was indeed the problem and he and his boss agreed to sell us a new one at a greatly reduced price. It works perfectly. 

We had lots of good food at the catered meals along with good entertainment. There was a DJ that played lots of 50's and 60's music and everyone enjoyed that. Many people "cut a rug" dancing to the music. We had a Beatles group called Cavern Beat that not only looked like the originals, they had many of their mannerisms down and they sang pretty well too. It was a good time for all.

As I said, we had lots of good food, so Sunday afternoon we had a potluck dinner of leftovers. There was so much food that not only did about 100 people get fed, we were all given bags of food to take with us. I'm sure that there was still some left over, but we got all we wanted.

Just before the potluck dinner Sunday afternoon, we had a meeting with the remaining chapter leaders still at the rally, whom I've asked to be on my team for the Regional Rally in Branson MO in April of 2016. We got a lot of work done and discussed our plans for the rally. I think all of us are excited about it. I know I am.

We came home tonight to sit outside and say our goodbyes to the many friends that came by. We enjoyed the rally and seeing so many friends here. We will see some of them in the next couple of years, but most won't be seen until the next Goshen rally in 2017. We'll be looking forward to it!

So long.

Thursday June 18, 2015-Elkhart County Fairgrounds

The rally has been going very well and we are having a good time. So many old and some new friends to see! We bought a hitch from friends Tony and Erika and got it installed this morning. I stepped up from a 16K (barely enough to pull our trailer) to a 20K model, which will be plenty of hitch for our trailer and anything we might buy in the future. My friend Tom and Tony jumped in and before you knew it, the new hitch was in place. It's good to have such good friends that can help an unmechanical me.

Soon after getting the hitch installed, we had a club leadership meeting to attend. We covered many topics in the meeting and considered several issues. We had some lively discussions and gave Jim and Julie something to think about.

We were invited to a luncheon put on by the Michigan chapter this afternoon but had made other plans and were not able to attend. We are very flattered and gratified by several invitations from chapters in the north central area from good friends that we made there when we were over these chapters. 

Tonight we went to the Talley's trailer for a beer tasting party. They had asked for people to bring an assortment of beers for folks to try. We drove by the party and were invited, and when we got there, I don't know when I've seen more oddball beers. I tried beer from all over the world but I think my favorite was a Canadian semi-dark brew. Thanks to Malcolm and Val for organizing this event.

Our hearts go out to the people killed and injured in South Carolina. What a terrible thing to have happened in a church! When will this terror stop?

So long.

Tuesday June 16, 2015-Elkhart County Fairgrounds

Our good friend Bernie has been very ill since being here and was put into the local (Goshen) hospital on Monday with dangerously low blood pressure. We then learned Monday night that he had been moved by ambulance back home to St. Louis MO to continue his treatment. Bernie's wife Judi and his trailer were still here, so a group of us decided to take them home on Tuesday. 

Larry, Roy and Mike and I met at their trailer Tuesday morning to get things put away and loaded up. We had things ready to go soon and after filling up Bernie and Larry's truck, which we would use as a chase vehicle to bring us back to Goshen. 

We actually pulled out at 9 AM sharp and began our journey with Larry and I in his truck and Roy, Mike and Judi in Bernie's truck pulling the trailer. We drove for about 3 hours before making our first stop. It was a quick stop for bathroom and something to drink and after a change of drivers, we were again on our way. We went on for a few more hours before stopping again, this time for a sandwich for all. This was a much longer stop and it felt good for all of us to walk around the truck stop to stretch out our cramped legs. This time we actually changed trucks, and Larry got his first chance to drive Bernie's new Ram. He was impressed with the new truck and after a few hours, we again stopped and changed drivers and I got a chance to pull the trailer. Of course, while I was driving it began to rain really hard and after we planned to pull over to wait out the rain, it slacked up and we kept going. It kept raining and I kept driving, entering St. Louis and the 5 o'clock traffic! The rain wasn't all that bad, but the traffic was horrible. And never having driven in St. Louis didn't help. We passed right by Ferguson, home of the famous rioters, but we didn't stop.

Judi guided us around to St. Charles, where we soon found their storage lot and put the trailer away safely. We helped Judi transfer her clothes over to the truck and after securing the trailer, we went to a nearby service station to fill up Larry's truck for the trip back. Judi suggested some restaurants for us to choose from for supper, but we decided to continue on with the trip while it was still light. We made another stop and driver change at a Burger King (yuk), and I again drove from there. 

At some point, while still in Illinois, we ran into a traffic stoppage that lasted for about 3 hours. I joked with the guys that my driving "time" was over, but I wasn't tired and stayed behind the whee. It was strange, one minute we were stopped, along with 18 wheelers and other cars and trucks and all of a sudden, we were under way again at normal speeds with no apparent reason for the stoppage. We were just happy to be moving again! The rain continued from a light mist to light rains, just enough to keep the windshield wipers going.

I drove until we again entered Indiana, and we stopped at the Welcome Rest Area where we again changed drivers. This was a great system of switching off so no one tired out from driving. I think I tired more from being cramped up in the back seat than I did from driving. 

We made our last pit stop as we neared Goshen, about an hour and a half out. Roy drove the final leg, and we pulled into the fairgrounds about 5:30AM, about 20 1/2 hours after starting out yesterday. 

We were all exhausted but happy that we had been able to help our friends. The trip had been long but well worth it, over 800 miles in one day!  We will be praying for Bernie's recovery and for Judi to have the strength to get through these trying times. 

So long.

Thursday June 11, 2015-Elkhart County Fairgrounds

I slept in until 8:15 this morning! Everyone says the trains coming by wake them, but I don't even hear them. I hear them during the day, but once inside, I seldom do.

My friend Bob Curry agreed to move my photos from the old computer hard drive onto my new computer, and he came over here about 10 to get started. Stella went to PetSmart with Tom and Marti, so when Bob and I were through with our chore, Tramp and I had the entire place to ourselves. We read, played on the computer and napped at will. Boy, was that nice!

Stella didn't return until about 4 and we began making plans for supper. Marti offered to make tacos, but they had to make an emergency run to a veterinarian for one of their pups, so Stella made us some tortilla wraps. Tom and Marti soon returned-their dos is fine- and we made plans to go out to eat tomorrow night. 

I met Chris, who is  parked across the street from us in a gorgeous Cyclone toy hauler trailer. He custom painted the trailer to match the truck and then had custom graphic wraps made. I'll get some pictures of it and post them here.  I spent some quality time chatting with him. He is a retired New York City PD detective and also served three tours in Afghanistan. He also went through the 911 attack and lost his brother, who was a FDNY member, in the attack. He put a very moving memorial on the back of his trailer. His trailer is the best looking rig that I've ever seen.

We spent the evening hanging out with friends that came by. It is so good to see people that we haven't seen in a long time. It makes the long drive up here worthwhile.

So long.

Wednesday June 10, 2015-Elkhart County Fairgrounds

I slept until after 7 this morning. Three hard days of driving and staying up late with friends last night just simply wore me out. We're glad to be here and looking forward to the rally.

We learned that several people were going to the flea market in Shipshewana today. Tom and Marti wanted to go too, so we all loaded up into their truck and took off. 

Our first stop was at the Rise N Roll Bakery, a famous tourist stop in the area. We all chose items that are full of sugar and I couldn't finish mine. Just too sweet! We moved on down into Shipshewana and stopped at the E & S food store and the EASH store beside it where they sell outdoor tables and chairs and lots and lots of yard art. Marti was looking for an outside bell that Tom can hear when he's outside doing stuff. She found one but decided to look further at the flea market before she made up her mind. 

There was a miniature horse and a large Belgian draft horse, that is commonly used on the Amish farms in the area. The man that had this display was dressed in Amish garb, but he wasn't opposed to having his photo taken as the Amish people are. Tom tried to pet the miniature but was almost bitten. Marti, on the other hand, loved on and stood beside the much larger horse without any problem.

We went to the flea market but didn't find much that was needed. It seems to me that the market gets larger every time we go there, but it was some good exercise for all and we saw many other Heartlanders who were also shopping there. 

We returned to the EASH store where Marti bought her bell, so we did get one thing accomplished! Please don't get me wrong, it was a fun time, spent with our good friends. And Tom left me sitting in the truck with the motor (and air conditioner) running while they shopped, so I managed to get in a quick nap! Naps are always good!

So long.

Tuesday June 9, 2015-Moving Day-Terre Haute KOA to Elkhart County Fairgrounds, Goshen IN

At last, the final leg of our journey! 

This KOA park offers a cafe for breakfast that we have eaten at in the past. It's a great way to get a nourishing meal before hitting the road, and it wasn't too expensive but as we learned, prices change... Only a few of our group actually showed up to eat, but it didn't take too long for us to eat and be ready to travel.

We learned from the news that there was a fatality accident that had closed the highway that we intended to travel on, so the I-phones came out and a new travel plan was laid out. Mike, Andy and Paul decided to pull out before we and Tom were quite ready to go (one of Tom's neighbors wanted to tour his new Landmark 365) but we were soon on our way. Our new route proved to be a slow one but it was much better than sitting on the freeway while the accident was being investigated. 

We made it through all the little towns that surround Indianapolis and made it to the highway leading to Goshen. It was especially slow because all of the truckers that normally been on the highway were traveling the same route that we are. It was quite tight driving with all the extra traffic!

So, here we were, driving along in the beautiful Indiana Amish countryside when we spied two trailers ahead of us. It didn't take long before we realized that it was Mike and Paul. They had gotten separated from Andy and continued on their way. 

Now that we are hooked up again with our traveling friends, we continued on into the fairgrounds and got registered for the rally and were soon on our way to our sites. It's good to finally be here!

We all went inside after getting set up but slowly we came back outside and before you know it, a party had broken out! Many, many of our friends came by to say hello and sit and visit. It's great to see so many friends again. the party finally dwindled down and we came inside again about 11. I was so tired that I didn't remember drying off after I took a shower. Tired but happy to be here...

So long.

Monday June 8, 2015-Moving day-Hinton RV Park to Terre Haute KOA

We were up and ready to go pretty early this morning. Tom and I went down to a nearby gas station-small truck stop-to top off our tanks. I didn't actually need fuel but decided not to roll into Goshen without a cushion of fuel in my tanks. It only took a few minutes and we came back by the park to pick up the others. We had to wait a few minutes for Mike to get ready, and actually pulled away before he was in line to go. Then there was a miscommunication over a turn, so Mike got onto the freeway way before we did. We caught up with him just before our agreed-upon rest area stop but Tom had stopped before for an unscheduled stop. He soon caught up and after using the facilities and getting our sandwiches we were again off for Terre Haute.

We pulled in around 3:30 but soon learned that we were scattered all over the park. We were parked next to Paul and Nan with Mike and Peg & Andy and JoAnna on the other end of our row. Tom and Marti were on the other side of the park due to some high water in the site they were supposed to be in. We all went to our trailers for supper and met back outside for chats. We sat outside until about 9 before calling it a night. It had been a good travel day.

So long.

Sunday June 7, 2015-Moving day-Sunrise RV Park to Hnton R Park, Sikeston MO

We were up early and pulled out about 8:30 this morning as we have 393 miles to go. We heard from Louisiana Chapter Leaders Andy and JoAnna Grimes, who were meeting us tonight in Sikeston. They had just left the Tom Sawyer RV Park in Memphis along with Tom and Marti Mangum, South Texas Chapter Leaders, who were going on to Terre Haute. We would meet them there tomorrow. A little while later we heard from Tom and Marti and after a bit of talking, they decided to come to Sikeston. I'm certain it had nothing to do with our plans to go to Lambert's Cafe. There was bad weather predicted for Terre Haute, and that was their excuse to change their reservation. At any rate, they called and made their arrangements and we were all set!

Of course, we were the last to arrive, having the longest distance to drive. We did have a long way to go but it was freeway all the way and we made very good time and arrived just after 4. We had also been joined by Mike and Peg Finegan and Paul and Nan Lineen, so we had a party. 5 rigs and 10 people!

After getting hooked up, we went in to rest for a bit before the Lambert's van was called to pick us up or the ride to the restaurant. Not only was the ride convenient, they expedite a table for their guests. In no time we were seated and ordering our food. Of course, the first course was throwed rolls for all. Then the pass arounds came out and then our food. We had a great time with our friends and the food was pretty dang good too. 

After stuffing ourselves we lumbered out to the van and managed to climb back aboard without tumping it over for our ride back to the park. We had a short chat about the trip route for tomorrow's drive to Terre Haute. It's only about 215 miles, so it should be a good driving day.

So long.

Saturday June 6, 2015-Moving Day-Bay Colony RV Resort to Sunrise RV Park, Texarkana AR

We were up and working on putting things away around 7 this morning. I had already put away everything outside except the necessary utilities, water, sewer and electricity. I helped Stella for a bit before going outside to knock out my chores. We were actually packed up with the trailer loaded onto the truck about 8:45. I heard from Jennifer and Melissa that they were coming over to see us off and to pick up some family photos that we had. They are going to scan the photos to a disc or CD so we can all have access to them.

After lots of hugs, we were on our way and they were on their way to the beach in Galveston. We made good time into Houston but our planned route soon had an issue. There was road construction on the big ship channel bridge, and we were detoured around to the 610 loop to get to Hwy. 59. We saw many road closure signs and construction sign for various roads and highways, and it began to look as if we should have avoid Houston altogether. It's hard to get out of Houston when you're the 610 loop!

At any rate, we found a way to get on 59 and made good time. We missed a tiny sign for a new rest area and ended up in one of the many truck stops for our first stop. We picked up some good old truck stop burritos, which I love! before continuing on toward Texarkana. 

We stopped at another small rest area around Bivins TX, near Texarkana. It was the perfect stop for me, nice clean rest rooms with two Munzees about 400 feet apart, a good distance to walk and stretch my legs and clear my drowsiness. 

We pulled into our destination, the Sunrise RV Park in Texarkana Arkansas. We have stayed here several times in the past but the place is almost empty compared to last times we were here. We had a bit of trouble when we got to the assigned site and found that there was no working water in the site. Stella called the office but got no answer, so we elected to change sites to the one next door and had good water. It was burning hot today and I don't know when I have sweated more! I was frustrated over the water and the heat didn't help.

Once we moved, everything went pretty well. Stella finally heard from the office and informed them of the change but they didn't have a reason why it didn't work.

We soon got a neighbor, who soon came over to ask for help with his television reception. I went over and helped him change out his cable and after he got his TV boxes and switches arranged properly his TV tuned right in. I really didn't do too much, but his TV now works!

Another travel day tomorrow.

So long.

Friday June 5, 2015-Bay Colony RV Resort

Well, this is the day that we stayed here for, Tyler's high school graduation! In the morning, I did some last minute cleaning of the truck-cleaned and Rain-X'd the windshield and cleaned the inside glass. We filled up both fuel tanks, and I think we're ready to go!

Lots of family came in to see Tyler get his diploma; Jennifer, Ian and Melissa from Garland and Mesquite, Michael, Lisa and Savanna and Janna all from Blessing. It was very nice to get this many family members together and we all met at Kim's house for a short visit before going to Beyond Burgers for supper. since we had such a large group, they were able to get us into an area by ourselves, which wasn't available at other local restaurants. That's all right, they didn't get any of our money!

After  very nice meal, Kim and Ray had to take Austin and Tyler to the school, Austin for the band and Tyler to get ready. The rest of us stayed at the restaurant and visited until time to go to the outdoor stadium. We got there just before the sun went down and boy, was it HOT! We had to get there at 7 to get good seats, so we sweltered on the hard benches of the high school stadium for an hour before the ceremonies began. 

Go ahead and call me a wimp, but I went to the truck soon after Tyler got his diploma. My old bones couldn't take any more, so I went and sat on the soft seats of my truck. As soon as everyone had gotten the diplomas, I came back to the seats to wait for Tyler so we could take some photos. As soon as we got the pictures taken, Stella and I came home, so we can get some rest. We leave tomorrow for the first leg of our journey to Goshen Indiana.

This new computer doesn't seem to like Windows 8.1 and Picassa for photo storage, but I'll get it worked out and make a photo-only post to catch up.

So long.

Thursday June 4, 2015-Bay Colony RV Resort

Okay, here I am again, playing catch up. We have been pretty busy, visiting with friends and family in the area and I've just been lazy and didn't take the time to make a new post. 

It didn't help things when I had computer problems and was without a 'puter for several days while they checked out the BRAND NEW computer that I bought from Best Buy. I have  14 day return policy and took advantage but accepted their advice about keeping the old one. I changed brands, now using a Dell, again on the advice of the Geek Squad guys that recommended it over another Toshiba. We'll how this works out in the long run. This one's not perfect and I'm having to relearn a different keyboard, but I think in time it will be okay. Like so many others, I hate Windows 8.1 but it's the only game in town and when Windows 10 comes out, I'm told the upgrade will be free. Wait and see...

We were sad to hear that our old friends Harry and Judy plan to sell their trailer. They weren't been able to travel for awhile because of Harry's health and Judy took a job that she apparently likes, so they're gonna put down roots again. Sorry to see them come off the road, but they have to do what's right for them. If you know anyone that wants a nice Carriage "Emerald" trailer, give Harry a call or drop me a note and I'll pass it on.

We have been out to eat several times with friends to a lot of different places: Tookies, Spring Creek Barbecue, Monterrey Tex Mex, Kelly's Country Cookin', Topwater Grill, Center Buffet (oriental) and had great food at all of them. The best thing was the company, our many friends. 

We took the truck and had it all serviced up and ready to go north. We took it back to Ripley's Service in Spring for  brake check. We took our GMC there for a brake job many years ago and got some good work done at a reasonable price. This time was no exception and we were pleasantly surprised at the low prices. We didn't need a brake job after all and they didn't try to stick us for work that wasn't necessary. 

We've got to completely fill the truck with fuel before pulling out, but that's all that we need to get done. Now to get Tyler all graduated!

So long.

Monday May 25, 2015-Moving Day-Alamo Fiesta RV Park to Bay Colony RV Resort

With all the rain that we've had, we were all a bit wary when another big storm was forecast and seen on the radar, so we were all up and packing up early this morning. Tommy and Bill were up and gone by 7 and Ted wasn't too far behind them. We were the last to leave and pulled out about 8:45AM. We had fueled up the night before and were ready to go much earlier than normal.

We made good time down the road and through San Antonio on Loop 1604 to I-10. Traffic was surprisingly light and we made the mandatory stop at Buccee's in Luling for the first stop. I got a few Munzees and Stella picked up some coffee refills and a couple of kolaches for breakfast. 

We continued to make great time and decided to stop at the rest area bear Columbus for Tramp's comfort. Gotta take care of the boy! I gathered a few more Munzees, in fact, all of them on this side of the freeway. There are still a few on the westbound side rest area. I guess that's the good thing about traveling on the same roads.

We didn't hit traffic until we got into Houston, and it was slow going until we hit the Gulf Frwy. We were back at Bay Colony about 2:30 and everything was exactly how we had left it. We had left the porch and steps behind when we left, so set-up was a breeze. It's HOT down here, and I was glad to be back inside and cooling off. We're not used to the Texas heat any more, but we'll be moving north soon.

We dodged the bullet of the heavy rain while on the road, but about 10 it began to rain and continued all night. When I went outside in the morning I had 5" of rainwater in my gauge. There were no problems from the rain but we're rapidly filling all the lakes and ponds. I know the people with expensive waterfront property are thankful to have water at their docks. It's good to be back...

So long.