Surprise, Surprise!

   It was a beautiful day for Uncle Bob's celebration.  We traveled to Monponsett Inn in Halifax, MA, Gene
let me out at the doorway and parked the RV.  I was delighted to see cousins, aunts and uncles whom I haven't seen since 2008.  I was standing in a group with my cousin Matt when I heard him say, "Hi, Faith".  I turned and had the surprise of my life - there was my sister Faith and her husband Len from Tallahassee.  I was speechless for a moment as questions ran through my head.  "How did they get here?",  "Where were they staying?",  "Did I miss an email?"    Oh, no, she and Aunt Betty had been planning this surprise for months!  Faith and Len had purchased an Apex travel trailer and driven up on what she hoped was a different route from us so we wouldn't end up in the same campground and spoil the surprise.  She said she was going for "shock and awe".  She hit it 100%!  I cannot put into words how special it was to share that time with our family together with her.  We reminisced with cousins, Lynn, Janice and Beth at our table.  We were delighted their mother, Aunt Ruth, could be there also.  We were able to meet Janice's husband, Marty and many grown children of our cousins.  Lynn gave us a "Cradle Roll Certificate" with Dad's name on it.
I saw my cousin Daniel who had come from Oregon and gave him family pictures for him and my cousin Peg.

Uncle Bob & Aunt Ruth brother & sister

Faith, Glenna, Len, Uncle Bob & Aunt Betty table behind

Uncle Bob played two beautiful pieces on his violin before our meal.  He has played and crafted violins for many years.  It was inspiring to hear him play and watch his nimble fingers.  Aunt Betty did an outstanding job of planning the event with help from daughter, Ty, and daughter-in-laws, Mary, Maureen and Theresa and other family members.
When the meal was over, two citations were presented to Uncle Bob for reaching 90 years of age by the State Senate and the State House of Representatives.  After a wonderful time of visiting, we followed Faith and Len back to their campground to see their trailer and hear the details of the surprise planning.  We made plans to go to the Freetown Historical Society Museum after brunch at Aunt Betty's the next morning.  What a wonderful, exciting day we had and more to come.       next post "A Walk Down Memory Lane"                                                            

A Busy and Wonderful Trip

    It started with an email from Aunt Betty in the Spring.  Uncle Bob would be celebrating his 90th birthday in July and she was planning a party.   I thought about it for a whole day, then decided I really wanted to go.  The "planning ball" was set in motion - maps from AAA (backup for the GPS) and reservations made from here to Massachusetts.
   On July 4th we left for Kingsland, GA to visit and spend the night with Julia, Gene's step-mom.  Sunday night we stayed at a Passport America park, Jolly Acres, in St. George, SC, and then traveled to Raleigh, NC to visit our friends, Tom and Nancy.  They treated us to a delicious meal at Sardis' Den Monday evening and Tuesday morning we watched Tom fly his Phantom helicopter.  It was impressive!  Afterwards, he played three pieces on the piano, which I always enjoy.
   We were headed for VA when a little blip on the screen of life occurred.  We exited I-85 at Oxford, NC to check the gas price at the BP station.  Gene needed to move up to the next pump (one that would accept our card) and the RV wouldn't start - just made a pathetic "click-click-click" sound.  The good news was that we were right across the street from a Chevrolet dealer.  The bad news was that they didn't want to accept liability for towing us over there.  Gene called AAA and then called Tom and Nancy, who graciously came and picked me up.  Eventually AAA arrived, loaded the RV onto the ramp of the truck and took it across the street.  We thought it was the starter, but by 5:00 they had determined it was the battery, installed a new one and Gene was on his way back to Raleigh to pick me up - about a 45 minute drive.  Nancy had fixed a sandwich for Gene, which he gratefully consumed, and I enjoyed his left over bar-b-que ribs from the previous evening.  We were on our way again and made it to the campground in Williamsburg, VA by 10:15.
    Wednesday we traveled into Maryland and crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  They funneled six lanes of traffic through the toll booth into two lanes to cross the bridge.  The process took about twenty minutes before we reached Kent Island, the first English Settlement.  The bay was pretty and I took several pictures of it and the bridge.  We stayed at Holiday Park Campground in Greensboro, MD, another Passport America park.  It had spacious, shaded lots, a very clean bathhouse and was nice and quiet.  Just what we needed after Tuesday.
     Thursday we drove through Delaware and into NJ and stayed at Timberland Lake Campground in Jackson, NJ - another nice Passport America park.  It rained awhile and I drifted off to sleep with the pleasant sound of rain on the RV roof.
     Friday we traveled across the George Washington Bridge into NY.  The potholes on I-95 were really bad and traffic was bumper to bumper all the way into CT.  Not our favorite driving conditions, but we survived.  We finally arrived at Gateway to Cape Cod Encore Resort in Rochester, MA.  It was good to be settled in one spot for a few days.
    continue to next post "Surprise, Surprise!"

And We're Home

The last few days at Cloud 9 were beautiful, almost fall days.  We had enough rain Monday to have the fire ban lifted, so Ron and Carolyn had a campfire Thursday night complete with s'mores.  Rose, Maggie and Noah came Friday afternoon for a visit.    Saturday it looked like rain again, so we took down the screen room, brought in the chairs and took the tablecloth and seat covers off the picnic table.  Gene rode up to the Big Top with Ron and Carolyn for the Chili Cook Off and Employee Appreciation get together.  After that they packed up and left for home.  We were the only campers left at Wilder Springs 2.

Sunday, Rose picked us up for the Chapel service - such a blessing to us.  After church we said our good-byes.  It's always a bittersweet time.  That afternoon I started the "getting ready to travel"  rearranging.
On Monday morning, 8th, we left Cloud 9 and met Rose at the Dollar General in Caulfield.  Maggie had lined a picnic basket with red and white cloth and arranged fruit, cheese and crackers in it.  Noah had made delicious cookies and added them to the basket.  Such a thoughtful gift for snacking as we travel.  Again we said our good-byes and headed down the road.

That night we stayed at Memphis South RV Park in Coldwater, MS, Tuesday we traveled to Okatoma RV Resort in Hattiesburg, MS with a stop at Donna's 6 Produce in Florence.  They have delicious hand dipped ice cream and it's become a tradition to stop there for a treat.  Usually we spend two nights at Okatoma, but we were in the "go mode", so traveled on to Florida Springs RV Park in Bonifay, FL and met my sister, Faith and brother-in-law, Len in Tallahassee for lunch on Thursday.  They gave us a good amount of venison for ourselves and to share with the family.  All of us appreciate it so much.

Thursday afternoon we were back in Ocala.  Gene felt it a good idea to get an oil change as we had been 8400 miles.  I would have preferred coming straight home, but he was driving, so we stopped.  Finally reached our driveway at 5:15 and the unloading/unpacking began.  It takes several days to get everything put back in it's place - I'm still working on it.  Brad had mowed, trimmed, cleaned up our yard and it looked great.

Yesterday we had a joint birthday party at Brad and Candy's for Jennifer (daughter), Gene and me.  It was wonderful to spend time with our family.  Methinks we won't take a three month trip again - I really miss being with them

So, that brings to a close the trip blog for this year.  We had a great time visiting the sights, meeting new friends, and seeing old friends.  Until next year, God's blessings to all our friends and family.

We've Been Relaxing

It has been a nice 2 1/2 weeks here at Cloud 9 Ranch in Caulfield, MO.  Usually we move from campground to campground, but this time we have stayed at Wilder Springs.  Gene set up my screen room, put out the awning and we have stayed put.  My view has been of the little meadow, the section of the creek where the ATVs cross over, birds, butterflies, a deer sighting and even the groundhog showed himself a couple times.  The weather has been hot and only on Monday night did we get rain.  Hopefully enough so the burn ban can be lifted and we can have a campfire.
Our new friends, Ron and Carolyn, enjoy the fishing here.  On Monday, 18th, we joined them for a grilled fish dinner.  It was great getting to know them and we've spent time visiting back and forth.  
Our friend Rose invited us to her home on Sunday, 24th, with other friends, for a delicious meal and fellowship.  She homeschools her teenage children, Maggie and Noah, and they are all a blessing to be around.
On Wednesday, 27th, RVs started pulling in for the Labor Day weekend.  By Thursday evening, the ATVs were out in good number and the rest of the weekend was pretty noisy from before dawn to after midnight.  The bright spot of the weekend was the Elmores concert at the chapel Sunday morning.  They sing a variety of Southern gospel and inspirational songs and it was most enjoyable.
Today we drove into Caulfield, about 6 miles, ate lunch at The Hitchin Post, and bought some groceries  at Dollar General.  Since we were out and about, we stopped at the Clubhouse so I could check my emails and post my blog.  Gene has walked up to the Clubhouse several times to watch the US Open and has been able to get wifi at the bathhouse at the other end of the Wilder campground.  I have not been that ambitious.  I have enjoyed sitting in my screen room, reading and generally taking it easy.
We plan to leave Cloud 9 Ranch on Monday, 8th and take our time traveling home.  My Mommy, Grammy, Great-Grammy heartstrings are being pulled upon and it's time to go home to see everyone. 
So, until my next post, God's blessings to all our friends and family.

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.

Badlands and DeSmet, SD, into NE and IA

We left Arrow Campground on Monday, August 4th and drove the Badlands Loop road.  It was another one of those WOW moments as soon as we drove through the entrance and parked in the overlook section.  The incredible rock formations looked like we were on another planet!  There were buttes, jagged peaks, a stark barrenness and then beyond that lush grasslands.  It was another major picture taking day.  Each rock formation was different and I didn't want to miss any.  I did the same thing with fall leaves when we were in New England a few years ago.  Gene asked if I was going to take a picture of every tree from New England to Florida.  I tried to.  We took about four hours to travel about 40 miles, with many, many stops and then stopping at the Visitor Center to view their exhibits.

We traveled on to Ft. Pierre, SD and stayed at Oahe Recreation Area.  It used to be a COE, but is now managed by the State.  They had nice clean restrooms, which I always appreciate.  On previous trips, I have always wanted to know where I was going to spend the night and have a reservation, if possible.  This trip I have learned to relax more in that area.  There have been many times when we just arrived at a state park, county or city park or corps of engineers park without a reservation, paid our fee and settled in for the night.  It does reduce the stress of keeping to a schedule "have to be in such and such a place tonight".  So, I'm living proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Tuesday and Wednesday we stayed in DeSmet, SD - the "Little Town on the Prairie".  Laura Ingalls Wilder actually wrote four books about her time spent in DeSmet.  This is the town where Pa and Ma finally settled.  Pa had the homestead, but also owned several stores there at various times.  Laura and Almonzo Wilder met and married here, then later moved to Mansfield, MO.  We visited the cemetery and saw the graves of Charles, Caroline, Mary, Carrie, Grace and Laura and Almonzo's baby boy.  I normally don't visit cemeteries, but this was special.  Many of the buildings have placards in the window giving the history of the building in relation to Laura's books.  The streets were very wide.  When we asked one of the long time residents, she said, "They needed to be wide enough for the horse and wagons to pass". We met very friendly people there.  It has the wonderful small town, "everyone helps everyone" atmosphere.  Gene didn't want to leave.  Were it not for the dreadfully cold winters, it would be a lovely place to live.

Prairie grass in the Big Slough

We headed south to Gavin Point Dam.  As we crossed over the dam, we entered Nebraska.  Usually when we enter a state I take a picture of the state sign.  As they were doing work on the road, there was no sign, so we didn't realize we were in a different state until we went to the Gavin Point Dam/Lewis and Clark Visitor Center.  They had an excellent history about the Army Corp of Engineers, which began back when George Washington was president.  They actually worked on the White House and Washington's Monument.  Off again the next morning heading for IA.  We stopped at Sioux City and visited the Sgt. Charles Floyd monument.  He was the only member of the Corps of Discovery (Lewis and Clark Expedition) who died on the trip.  (They think it was a ruptured appendix).

That evening we stayed at Lewis and Clark State Park at Onawa, IA.  There we met another Roadtrek couple, David and Sally, from SC.  One usually does not see many Roadtreks, so there is an instant bond when you cross paths.  After a nice visit, we went over to the campfire of another  group of  folks who meet together once a month at different campgrounds.  They are all from the Iowa area and we enjoyed spending time with them.  Off and running the next morning to Missouri Valley, IA, on the Loess Hills Scenic Byway where we stopped at the Lavender Farm.  The owners were visiting in Sequim, WA and saw the lavender fields there, came back, waited for land to become available and started their own farm in 2009.  This past year the winter was so hard that they lost 1200 plants.  They have replanted and the fields should be blooming again next year.  There was still the very relaxing fragrance of lavender in the store and we had to make a few purchases. 

While there, Deb told us of Watson Station in Missouri Valley.  Well, you know we had to go check it out.
There was a city park with electric hookups, so we decided to spend the night.  They have a little train you can ride and a museum relating to the railroad history in the area.  At that point I was rather weary from the constant pace we've kept, so a long nap was more appealing to me.  Gene took his usual "walk around and explore" jaunt.  We later learned that this is a hub for engine and engineer exchange.  The brochure said "70 trains pass in a day."  I can assure you they pass in the night too!  I understand they must blow the whistle for safety's sake when they come to a crossing, but that still doesn't make for a restful night.

The next morning, somewhat bleary eyed, we were on the move again.  We had a great breakfast at Penny's Diner (where Gene had wifi and could play his game and check Facebook) before going to the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge.  In the 1800's the steamship Bertrand was headed for Wyoming when it struck a submerged log and sank there in the Missouri River.  In 1968 and 1969, they were able to retrieve the ship with over 200,00 items.  Many of these items are now on display at the Refuge.  It was a many varied collection of glassware, clothing, tools, mining equipment, etc.  We then went to Council Bluffs, IA.  There we found the Lewis and Clark monument where they had indeed had a council with the Oto Native Americans.  It has been intriguing to stop at so many places where Lewis and Clark also stopped.  It really makes history come alive.

That evening was our last night in Iowa at Lake Manawa State Park, Council Bluffs.  So, this is a good stopping place for now.  Until my next post, God's blessings to all our friends and family.
  

Devils Tower, Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial

And I have wifi again!  We are currently in Wichita, KS, but we've been to and seen such wonderful sights that I just can't leave them out.  On the 29th of July we left North Dakota (after 21 days) and traveled into South Dakota to Belle Furche with a side trip to Devils Tower in WY.  Gene walked the trail around it while I viewed the exhibits.  When he came back, I walked with him to the first plateau - not a long walk, but up a little hill.  In the high altitude, it was enough to get me winded. 

The following day we drove down to Spearfish Canyon - such a diversity of canyon walls and timbered hills.  We pulled off many times at the overlooks to marvel at the beauty and take pictures.  This drive took us to Lead and on to Deadwood.  This happened to be the week before the Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis and many of the motorcyclists were also out enjoying the sights.  When we arrived in Deadwood, the streets were lined with cars and cycles and people everywhere.  I'm not fond of crowds,  so decided there wasn't really anything there I needed to see.  At least is anyone asks, I can say I've been there.

On the 31st we were able to meet our friends Mark and Sharleen in Rapid City at Applebee's.  We first met them at a Gypsy Journal Rally in Selina, Ohio in 2009.  It had been a couple years since we had seen them, so it was great to spend time with them.

.                                                                                                                                                                              Our next big event was the visit to Mt. Rushmore.  We drove up the winding road, around a corner and caught our first sight of it.  It was a breathtaking moment.  We thought we could be satisfied with a few pictures from a distance, but not so.  We gladly paid the parking fee of $11.00 and walked up to the viewing area.  I'm so glad we did.  It was one of those moments when you realize how blessed we are to be able to travel and see these marvelous places.   We rested up a couple of days at Country Charm near Custer, SD and then headed back north to Crazy Horse Memorial on Saturday.  They had wonderful displays of Native American items.  The highlight for me was the Native American dances done by Jumping Buffalo, a sixth generation descendent of Sitting Bull, his son and other family members.  It touched me deeply!

We traveled from there to Wall, SD and stayed at Arrow Campground for two nights.  On Sunday, we ate a delicious breakfast at Wall Drug,  attended First United Methodist Church and then browsed through the shops.  That was the last time I had wifi, so will continue to play the "catch up" game. 

Until the next post, God's blessings to all our friends and family.