We left Cloud 9 Ranch in Caulfield, MO on Sunday morning and arrived at the Escapees 52nd Escapade in Sedalia, MO that afternoon.
I was delighted to see Marty (Vice-President of Florida Chapter 57), wife Peg and friends Fred and Barbara (Volunteer Club Representatives) at the registration desk. Friendly, familiar faces are always wonderful.
It was pretty much non-stop from there on out. The entertainment that evening was Yakov Smirnoff, who performs at Branson. He was hilarious and thought provoking as he recounted his family's adjustment from Russia to USA. It makes one truly appreciate the fact that we live in a free country. He signed books afterward and Gene took our picture. I'd love to post it, but the "add attachment" seems to have disappeared.
The rest of the week was filled with seminars on a myriad of subjects from RV Safety, Engine Performance, Fire & Life Safety to Working in Picasa, Identity Theft and Health Living, etc. Whether you are a newbee or have been full-timing for years, there was something to learn.
Gene volunteered to drive one the golf carts that picked folks up from the campground and delivered them to the various seminars and then back "home" again. He did this on Tuesday from 11:30 - 2:45. I can assure you I was very thankful for those golf carts as we were parked about 3/4 of a mile away. I did get plenty of exercise, though, going from one building to another. On Wednesday he volunteered for Security for a couple hours.
The Christian Fellowship group met every morning for a one hour devotion, singing and fellowshipping. It was great to meet Christians from other parts of the country and share our testimonies. We all went out to eat Thursday evening at Kehde's Barbeque. It was a unique experience eating in the Katy Flyer Dining Car. I had a moment when I was sure the train car was moving, but it was quite stationary on the ground. The food was delicious and we enjoyed getting to know Richard and Glenda, who gave us a ride over there.
Friday morning we said our goodbys to old and new friends and headed for Wentzville, MO. We chose the backroad routes and came upon a Lewis and Clark Marker at the Marion Access to the Missouri River. William Clark's servant, York, swam out to the sandbar to pick greens (probably cress) to give them some good green leafy supplement to their diet. We ate our lunch there, (no, I didn't send Gene out to the sandbar for cress) and then continued on our way. We saw little farms, large farms, soybeans, corn, little towns and large hills in the distance -it's my favorite kind of countryside. We stopped a little later so I could take more pictures of the Missouri River, and met four folks who are bicycling the Katy Trail. They will spend six days on the Trail and end up in St. Charles, MO. What stamina and energy!
We had a great visit with our friend, Bill and his daughters Ginny & Dorothy and husbands Mike & Tim. We spent the night in our Roadtrek in his yard and then out to breakfast the next morning and on the road again back to Cloud 9 Ranch.
We attended the Cloud 9 Ranch Chapel this morning. It's 25 miles into town, so I really appreciate having a church service right here on the premises. This afternoon we'll go down to the Fogey Hollow Campground and set up right by the water - my favorite place. I can sit outside and watch and listen to the water rushing over the rocks - so very peaceful.
That brings this edition to a close. "Talk" to you next week.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Whoohoo On The Road Again
It seems like forever since we've been on a trip - actually since 2010. We're delighted to be in our Roadtrek heading down the highway.
We had a bit of a late start due to a "metal on metal" sound we noticed as we were running last minute errands. That's something we didn't want to ignore, so off to Palm Chevrolet to let them check it out. The front sway bar link bushings had dry rotted. An hour later we were on our way.
We spent the first night at Chiefland RV Park - a nice, quiet Passport America park just a little off Hwy 27. It was only 65 miles from home, but at least we were on the road.
Saturday we drove on to Tallahasse to visit my sister Faith and brother-in-law Len. They treated us to lunch at Hopkins and we spent the rest of the afternoon visiting. It's always great to spend time with them and catch up on
"sister" talk. We traveled a little further to Quincy, FL and stayed at Beaver Creek Campground. We were surprised to see another Roadtrek there. Claude and Lise are from Montreal and we enjoyed comparing "Roadtrek" notes.
Sunday morning we were up and running. We stopped a couple times to stretch our legs, buy a few things at Wal-Mart, have a picnic lunch, refuel, etc. and actually made it out of Florida to Robertsdale, AL. Wilderness RV Park is another Passport America park - nice and quiet. We debated spending another night there, but decided to head on down the road.
We passed through Mobile, AL and due to a wrong turn (I don't always comprehend what Nuvi wants us to do), we were able to get a good picture of the USS Alabama at the Battleship Memorial. Back on track, we made it out of Mobile without any further sidetrips. We had picked the next stopping place because it was approximately four hours driving time. We have determined to make this a leisurely trip. Okatoma Resort and RV Park is a jewel tucked away in Hattiesburg, MS. Thanks to the GPS coordinates listed in the Passport America book, we found our way there. It is a beautiful, peaceful place with a little lake, ducks & ducklings waddling around, a nice pool, cafe and even cabins. We definitely wanted to stay here for a couple nights. We relaxed, I did a little housekeeping, we swam in the pool and Gene was even able to watch the men's finals of the U S Open. We left Wednesday morning much refreshed. We highly recommend this lovely RV park.
We had about an hour and a half of driving behind us when Gene spotted Donna's # 6 Produce in Florence, MS. He loves boiled peanuts, so that was as good a reason as any to stop for a break. He had an ice cream cone and bought 2 lbs boiled peanuts and some nectarines for the road. I have never seen such huge peanuts! We both enjoyed them immensely. We drove over to Greenwood, MS to Florewood State Park. We had been there about 20 years ago (or longer) when it was Florewood River Plantation. There were folks in period dress who explained the running of a cotton plantation in the 1860's. We were looking forward to seeing it again. However, a few years ago the state renovated it and turned it over to the county and then it closed within the year. We headed back to I-55 and onto Coldwater, MS where we stayed at Memphis South RV Park - right off I-55. I was concerned the interstate noise might be too loud, but we found a site on the far side of the park and it was fine.
Thursday morning and only four hours from Cloud 9 Ranch Campground in Caulfied, MO! This is a membership campground we belong to, and one of our favorite places. With stops for gas and lunch, and milk & DVD's (love that $5.00 bin) at Wal Mart, we made the trip in five and a half hours. We really know how to stretch out a trip. We got settled into a nice shady spot and rearranged our stuff. When we're driving, extra items are stored on the bed. When we're stopped, everything shifts to the front seat. I don't mind this minor inconvenience when compared to the ease of driving, parking and gas milage (average 16 mpg) of our Roadtrek camper van.
Today has been laundry and catch up day. Sunday we will travel up to Sedalia, MO for the Escapade. It's great to be on the road again.
We had a bit of a late start due to a "metal on metal" sound we noticed as we were running last minute errands. That's something we didn't want to ignore, so off to Palm Chevrolet to let them check it out. The front sway bar link bushings had dry rotted. An hour later we were on our way.
We spent the first night at Chiefland RV Park - a nice, quiet Passport America park just a little off Hwy 27. It was only 65 miles from home, but at least we were on the road.
Saturday we drove on to Tallahasse to visit my sister Faith and brother-in-law Len. They treated us to lunch at Hopkins and we spent the rest of the afternoon visiting. It's always great to spend time with them and catch up on
"sister" talk. We traveled a little further to Quincy, FL and stayed at Beaver Creek Campground. We were surprised to see another Roadtrek there. Claude and Lise are from Montreal and we enjoyed comparing "Roadtrek" notes.
Sunday morning we were up and running. We stopped a couple times to stretch our legs, buy a few things at Wal-Mart, have a picnic lunch, refuel, etc. and actually made it out of Florida to Robertsdale, AL. Wilderness RV Park is another Passport America park - nice and quiet. We debated spending another night there, but decided to head on down the road.
We passed through Mobile, AL and due to a wrong turn (I don't always comprehend what Nuvi wants us to do), we were able to get a good picture of the USS Alabama at the Battleship Memorial. Back on track, we made it out of Mobile without any further sidetrips. We had picked the next stopping place because it was approximately four hours driving time. We have determined to make this a leisurely trip. Okatoma Resort and RV Park is a jewel tucked away in Hattiesburg, MS. Thanks to the GPS coordinates listed in the Passport America book, we found our way there. It is a beautiful, peaceful place with a little lake, ducks & ducklings waddling around, a nice pool, cafe and even cabins. We definitely wanted to stay here for a couple nights. We relaxed, I did a little housekeeping, we swam in the pool and Gene was even able to watch the men's finals of the U S Open. We left Wednesday morning much refreshed. We highly recommend this lovely RV park.
We had about an hour and a half of driving behind us when Gene spotted Donna's # 6 Produce in Florence, MS. He loves boiled peanuts, so that was as good a reason as any to stop for a break. He had an ice cream cone and bought 2 lbs boiled peanuts and some nectarines for the road. I have never seen such huge peanuts! We both enjoyed them immensely. We drove over to Greenwood, MS to Florewood State Park. We had been there about 20 years ago (or longer) when it was Florewood River Plantation. There were folks in period dress who explained the running of a cotton plantation in the 1860's. We were looking forward to seeing it again. However, a few years ago the state renovated it and turned it over to the county and then it closed within the year. We headed back to I-55 and onto Coldwater, MS where we stayed at Memphis South RV Park - right off I-55. I was concerned the interstate noise might be too loud, but we found a site on the far side of the park and it was fine.
Thursday morning and only four hours from Cloud 9 Ranch Campground in Caulfied, MO! This is a membership campground we belong to, and one of our favorite places. With stops for gas and lunch, and milk & DVD's (love that $5.00 bin) at Wal Mart, we made the trip in five and a half hours. We really know how to stretch out a trip. We got settled into a nice shady spot and rearranged our stuff. When we're driving, extra items are stored on the bed. When we're stopped, everything shifts to the front seat. I don't mind this minor inconvenience when compared to the ease of driving, parking and gas milage (average 16 mpg) of our Roadtrek camper van.
Today has been laundry and catch up day. Sunday we will travel up to Sedalia, MO for the Escapade. It's great to be on the road again.
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