We're At Cloud 9 Ranch

I'm going to get caught up on my blog!  We left Council Bluffs, IA on the 11th.  (We actually were in four states that day).  We entered Missouri and saw an exit for Watson, MO.  You know we had to check it out. It was a tiny town on the Missouri River.  We saw the Lewis and Clark historical marker arrow and were on our way down a gravel road between very tall fields of corn.  We ate our lunch there and then back onto the main highway, into Nebraska and then to Hiawatha, KS  We had read in Nick Russell's Gypsy Journal of a monument built by John Davis for his wife Sarah in the 1930's at Mt. Hope Cemetery.  There are several theories why he spent so much money on this monument.  They were childless and because Sarah's family disowned her when she married him, he did not want to leave any money to her family.  For whatever reason, it is an impressive monument.

We looked in our GPS for a state park and found one in Atchison, KS.  We learned there are two types of state parks in Kansas.  The one we found was a "Fishing Lake" state park.  We traveled over 3 to 4 miles of gravel roads to a lovely little lake.  There were no electric or water hookups, but there was also no fee. We parked on a little hill overlooking the lake, I sat outside and enjoyed the view and Gene took his exploring walk.  The next day we drove into Atchison and toured the Amelia Earhart Birthplace and Museum.  A beautiful home with period furnishings - I loved the wallpaper.

Amelia Earhart's childhood room

We were off again to Moon Marble Co. in Bonner Springs, KS.  Another place Nick had written about.  We watched Ernie make a marble with intricate designs of flowers and vines - amazing to watch.  After the demonstration, we browsed through the shop which had marbles and a myriad of other toys.  Gene found 5 large marbles that he really liked, so we have our memory of the tour.
We ended our day at USI RV Park in Wichita, KS.  A very nice park recommended by friends Kat and Paul who live in Wichita.  Gene met them on Facebook when he was playing Backyard Monster and we wanted to meet face to face since we were in the mid-West.  They treated us to a delicious meal at Piccadilly the next evening and it was a delight to get to know them. 

Thursday we left Wichita and headed for Independence, KS to see the site of Laura Ingalls Wilder's  house on the prairie.  It was the last of our Laura tour.  Now when I reread the books, it will be even more special as I have visited all these places where she lived.  That night we were in Bartlesville, OK - just over the Kansas stateline at Riverside RV Park. Another nice Passport America park, but I was now in the "go mode" to get to Cloud 9, so we only stayed one night.
Friday afternoon we were finally here.  On Saturday we put up the screen room, put out the awning, I put the tablecloth on the picnic table and sighed a sigh of relief.  Now I can get lazy and just sit and read.  We have been in touch with old friends, Scott and Rose, and made new friends, Ron and Carolyn. 
And with that, I am up to date.  Did you think I was ever going to make it?
Until my next post, God's blessings to all our friends, new and old, and our family.