Big Canoe Travelers

Mitchell, SD to Warrenburg, MO

2010-09-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Today (Wednesday) was a long day of travel - it started off overcast and then we had rain and by the time we ended up in Sr, Joseph, MO the sun had come out. We arrived in Warrenburg and as we prepared to park in the RV section - we became mired in the mud! Fortunately (although our tow strap is in the garage in Big Canoe) the tow bars worked. I had to line up the Land Rover directly behing the motorhome for a straight pull so as to not damage the bars, put the transfer case into low gear and gently put her into reverse while Bill put the motorhome in reverse at the same time. It worked! Nothing like 6,000 pounds pulling our 44,000 pounds! This was as cool as pulling the UPS truck our of the ditch and also a TransAm!
Guess they have had a lot of rain in the area since the Missouri is to crest tomorrow night a few inches over flood stage.
We enjoyed beer and all you can eat Toco Night at the Elks Lodge after we had entertained the members. :)

The Corn Palace

2010-09-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

The Corn Palace in Mitchell, ND is sorta corny but a very old classic. Each year the murels are changed using corn and other materials. We watched the men hammering half ears of corn for a new murel! Very differend and very cool!

Sunday Pictures

2010-09-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

What spectacular views we had and of course a few geocaches!

Cody, Wyoming

2010-09-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

We had a great time in Cody - lots to do and a town created for tourism by Buffalo Bill Cody. The Museum was great and Bill spent two days there - one afternoon was enough for me. It was a fun town to end our caravan and then we headed to Rapid Falls after our farewell breakfast. Along the way we purchased a chain saw bear to replace our current bear wo is rotting away after all these years near the front door. The views have been spectacular all along the way. We stayed at the Rapid City Elks Club and they have very nice facilities - including a golf course.

Wednesday - The Grand Tetons

2010-09-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

Today was the second time we have been to Grand Tetons National Park - the last time was in April of 1988 and was the Spring of the year of the great Yellowstone fires. There was lots of snow on the ground so it was quite different to see it in early Fall.

A Moose Family

2010-09-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

We have been looking all over for moose and although we have seen a cow moose we have not seen a bull moose. Just before lunch today in Moose, Wyoming - we saw this family and there was a moose traffic jam of everyone trying to take pictures. We left the bus and walked back about 1/3 mile to capture these pictures. The dark colored moose is the baby. How exciting!

Yellowstone Canyon - Tuesday

2010-09-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today we headed to the spectacular Yellowstone Canyon which we find more spectacular than our Grand Canyon. We then traveled to Mammouth Hot Springs and then back to West Yellowstone. Bill went with friends to hike into the canyon.
Today we had more animal sightings and one male elk had a huge set of antlers to carry around! We also sw a black wolf and another moose.
This place can only be called spectacular and there have been more visits to Yellowstone this year than any previous year.

Monday in Yellowstone

2010-09-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

We had a great day looking at geysers, mud pots, fumaroles, and hot springs as well as bison, elk, a moose cow, swan, two coyotes, and Canada geese.
We had dinner tonight at the Old Faithful Inn which was built in 1904 and is one of our great park hotels.

This male bison was just walking down the road. The geyser is Old Faithful, and the car was like the one we rode in when visiting Glacier - only this time yellow!

From Butte to W. Yellowstone

2010-09-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

Today was absolutely a beautiful day for traveling and the trip from Butte to W. Yellowstone was spectacular! After getting to the KOA we headed to a Wolf and Grizzly Bear Refuge in W. Yellowstone.
Tonight our team cooked dinner and everything worked out just great.
Tomorrow we will be touring Yellowstone.

Friday - learing skies

2010-09-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Friday we headed west to Grant Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site and we had a picnic lunch there provided by part of our group. We then headed to the old Montana Prison which has now become a museum and also a car museum. The drive was beautiful thanks to the higher locations having received snow during all the rain.

Wednesday to Butte, Montana

2010-09-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

We had an easy drive to Butte and the campground is adjacent to the visitors center and we headed off on the Butte Trolly for a tour of Butte which is an historic mining town.
Mining has pretty much ended in this town except for one open pit mine. Most of the mines are now filled with water and the old original open mine is now a huge pit.
The rain started while we were cruising around on the Trolly and we had to put the sides down for a while.

Tuesday 9/7

2010-09-07T20:31:00.000-07:00

Today we headed off at 7 am to travel 30 miles for a great Montana breakfast at a colorful place called Ekstrom's Stage Station. We then headed to Garnet Ghost Town - an old mining village now managed by the BLM of the US Government. We then returned to Missoula for lunch at the brewery called Bayern Brewing for some brats and some beer - and beer sampling.

The picture of the bear was from yesterday and the sculpture was made of old machine parts and hidden in it was a geocache - John Ham was the finder and we all signed the log!

Monday

2010-09-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

Rocky Mountain Smoke Jumper Base - awesome men and women train and are based here for
fighting forest fires. The amount of gear that they mush carry is enormous and then they drop them the equipment they need. If they land in a tree they must climb down out of the tree, remove the extra gear and then climb back up the tree to retrieve their parashute and then climb back down again!

We then visited a museum after lunch and learned about the great fire of 1910.

Saturday and Sunday

2010-09-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the first travel day on our Glacier to Geysers Caravan and we drove to Missoula in two waves of six coaches each. After settling in we had a putt putt golf tournament and Bill and I won the couples first prise!

On Sunday we headed to the National Bison Range and we were fortunate in seeing quite a few Bison, a few Pronghorn Antelope and one elk! The antler collection is from the elk which shed their antlers each year.

More Glacier Pictures

2010-09-07T20:02:00.000-07:00

Glacier National Park Sept. 2, 3, & 4

2010-09-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

We spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at Glacier National Park and it is indeed a national wonder! Please note we are dressed for the cold - even long johns for me!

We had the group of us in two of the Glacier long red buses - they have been reworked as dual fuel vehicles. We took the tour boat on Lake McDonald, went for a short hike on one of the trails, and Bill took a few to Polebridge to visit the bakery there.

8/31 & 9/1 Off to West Glacier, MT

2010-09-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

We departed Fort Stevens at 7 AM and we traveled east along thee Columbia River and fortunately we had a overcast day for traveling east. We spent Tuesdaay night at the Elks Lodge in Spokane, Washington and arrived in time for their weekly Taco and Chili night. Paul and Betsy Hughes were traveling with us. We arrived in West Glacier shorty before Happy Hour started and we were the last of the 12 coaches to arrive (John and Rita Ham arrived the next morning). This trip was surprisingly beautiful with rivers, mountains and lakes.

Farewell Beautiful Oregon

2010-09-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

Parting shots of waterfront in Astoria, the bar pilots boats, and our master chief - Stan Jones!

Columbia River Views

2010-09-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Spectacular views, great lunch, and a waterfront trolly ride!

Finale of Beautiful Oregon

2010-09-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 30th was our final full day of the Beautiful Oregon Caravan and a spectacular day it was because we visited the Maritimes Museum in Astoria - the oldest city west of the Rockies. Awesome displays and what a job the Coast Guard and Bar Oilots do!

Fort Stevens

2010-09-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

Go fly a kite! Each of our 11 motorcoaches were given a kite and we managed to fly ours several times - it crashed shortly after this picture was taken!
The entrance from the Columbia River into the Pacific Ocean is one of the most treacherous maritime crossings in the world because of they call "The Bar". This is a ppicture of the south jetty and one across to Washington State.

Sunday at Seaside

2010-09-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

We visited Seaside on a very busy day - this is the annual Mt. Hood to Seaside Relay and the finishers were arriving while we were wandering around after a wonderful lunc. We got a laugh at sun bathers wrapped up in beach blankets trying to stay warm.
We then drove further south to enjoy Cannon Beach which we preferred. Great views, great kite flying, and would like to return there for a vacation. Unfortunately I left the camera in the car!

Sat Aug 28th Fort Clatsop

2010-09-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

We visited Fort Clatsop where Lewis and Clark spent the winter after their successful trip to the Pacific Ocean from St. Lewis. Amazing feat!

Fri Aug 27th

2010-09-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

Off to Fort Stevens in the uppermost NW corner of Ogegon and on the way we stopped at the Tillamook Dairy. We are carrying a container of Black Walnut Ice Cream back to Georgia for Janet Paine!

Aug. 26th Anne's Birthday

2010-09-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

The guys and some of the gals carpooled to McMinnville to Tour the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. We were there earlier this month but this time Bill got to sit in the pilots seat of the Spruce Goose - obviously a thrill!

Where does the time go?

2010-09-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

We have just had a spectacular time and the chance to updatee the blog has been most difficult because of our activities and not having high speed WiFi at the various parks. My AT&T wireless doesn't work very well in some of the areas - especially when we have been in very rural areas.

These pictures were taken as we drove up the Oregon coast and at the Lincoln City Culinary Institute where we had a delicious six coure dinner.

Cape Arago

2010-08-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

The botanical garden was beautiful! This is now part of a state park

Sea Lions and Whale

2010-08-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

This was really cool!

The Oregon Coast

2010-08-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the coast again and saw lots os Sea Lions and a whale!
The sea lions sure are noisy!

Having Fun

2010-08-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

Stan Jones going down the bear slide, geocaching with the Ham's and a night on the town!

Lighthouse Exploration

2010-08-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we started our exploration of the Oregon Coast at the Umpqua River Lighthouse which we climbed and Bill even climbed into the light!

Crater Lake to Coos Bay

2010-08-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

Today was a long driving day and through some spectacular scenery and we ended up at the Mill Casino where we will be staying while we explore this area.
We had a great dinner at the casino and then attended the Kenny Loggins Concert which was held outdoors and the wind was blowing! We didn't last too very long and the rest of the group returned to the coaches shortly afterwards. At least this gave me time to catch up on the blog!

Our caravan has an official blog and it is www.oregoncaravan.blogspot.com - just click on the link to see some really good photos!
I just placed the memory card back in the camera and now to bed!

Crater Lake

2010-08-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

Crater Lake is a real national treasure! We spent the morning touring and circling the lake. How do you like this little island?

La Pine to Prospect, Oregon

2010-08-20T22:05:00.000-07:00

This was a beautiful drive and the Crater Lake RV Park was beautiful. Our dinner was at a old restored stage coach inn.

Hail and Big Tree

2010-08-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

More pictures from evening in LaPine

Having fun!

2010-08-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

The Newberry Volcano has two lakes in its calderra and we visited them in the afternoon after I discovered that I had lost my VISA card. Had to wait until we found a spot with cell phone service to phone the bank. Very fortunately the person who found it had called the bank and the account had been cancelled. New cards were then overnighted to us.
While on the volcano a storm arrived with some lightning and thunder. During dinner we had more storms and we learned the next day that three fires were started.

Tuesday - Newberry Volcano

2010-08-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

We started off Tuesday with a lecture at the Lava Lands Visitor Center and we also drove to the top of the Lava Butte followed by a picnic lunch. We then hiked into a lava tube using Coleman lanterns and we even crossed under te highway. Pretty impressive and a nice cool adventure - temp was a cool 45 degrees.

Start of Caravan - Beautiful Oregon

2010-08-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

We gathered together in La Pine, Oregon at a beautiful campground and after cocktails we had a wonderful steak dinner.
On Monday we headed to the High Desert Museum and it was most interesting. We then headed to the Trout House in Sunriver Village for lunch and then did some exciting white water rafting! I left the camera behind so it would not be damaged but the others had some waterproof containers and I will try to get some pictures to add.

Salem and trip to Redmond

2010-08-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Before the Salem Rally started we had the time to sit aroound with friends. We drove past the Oregon State Capitol but did not have the time to explore.
This is a beautiful state as you can see from the pictures as we drove through the Cascade Mountains to Redmond. Snow in late July and August!

The coach is repaired!

2010-08-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

At last I have fast enough Internet to resume my blog postings and some time to work on it!
We headed to Eugene, Oregon when we arrived and went to Gordy's body shop and he got us into the garage and we moved into the motel for the week with Smokey!
On Friday the coach was repaired and we headed to Salem for the Monaco International Rally. We arrived after the first party had started and we were on the run until we departed for the FMCA Rally in Redmond. Again we were busy with meetings, seminars, and entertainment. It was fun at both rallies to see friends we had not seen for a while.

Following the GPS to "home"

2010-07-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

What a delightful surprise as we headed back to Kaizer and the coach when we ended up needing to cross the river - via a ferry! We enjoyed watch many playing in the river as we waited and fortunately we were on the second trip in our direction. There was a very long line going the other way!

This area of Oregon has many wineries and is actively growing many crops. This valley must be or was very fertile and has good irrigation available from the river.
Now to sample the local wine!

Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum

2010-07-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

Next stop was McMinnville, Oregon to visit the Evergreen Aviation Museum and especially to see the Spruce Goose built by Howard Hughes and only having been flown once. This is a most interesting story and worth Googling.
We were most impressed by the story of Evergreen International Aviation Company and its founder. What an inspiration.

Portland

2010-07-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

We crossed the bridge on the Willamette River and parked by the Museum of Science and enjoyed watching a city at play. We then stopped for a late luch at Elmer's Restaurant and not only were the flowers beautiful - the food was great.

A Day Sightseeing

2010-07-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

On Friday we just hung out with our friends and did little chores around the coach and did some shopping. Saturday we headed off to explore Portland and our first stop was the Japaneese Garden followed by The Rose Garden. They are located on a hill overlooking the city and Mt. Hood is in the background - didn't show up well in the picture.

Traveling down the Columbia River Gorge

2010-07-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

This morning we pulled out of our campsite and headed down to Portland to our destination in Keiser where we have met up with friends at the Elks Club for steak night,
Again, we were most impressed with the trains and then we saw Mt. Hood in all her 11,240 feet! How do you like that snow in late July?
We will be remaining here until Sunday sightseeing and doing RV maintenance (like cleaning) until Sunday when we will relocate to Eugene so the repair work of the coach's "boo-boo" can get done.

Discovering the Columbia River

2010-07-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning we went on an Undergrounf Tour of Pendleton which included old gambling establishments, brothels, and bars - was a fun time. We then departed and drove along I-84 which follows along the banks of the Columbia River. On each side of the river were railroad tracks and numerous long trains going and returning from somewhere!
We then drove down to the area of John Day Dam and camped at the Army Corps of Engineers Campground.What a delightful spot with swimming. The last two pictures where from our campsite and the first was the dam. To the left of the dam picture is the locks for the boats and the curved area is the salmon so they can swim upstream. The dam can produce hydroelectric power and if you look carefully you can see the numerous wind mills above the dam also producing electricity.

Welcome to Oregon!

2010-07-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

Well folks, we made it! Oregon we have arrived! What a difference this has been traveling in a luxury motorcoach on great roads compared to the times long ago when the immigrants traveled to Oregon on the Oregon Trail! I am still readin the book and they are still struggling.
Our destination on Tuesday was Pendleton, Oregon - the home of Pendleton Woolen Mills which we toured. Can't believe that we were in the store and left empty handed!
We spent the night at the Elks Club which was across the streeet prom a pretty park and also along a walking/biking trail that ran along the river.

Afternoonin Boise

2010-07-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

After lunch we visited the Capitol and it is beautiful! It has just had a major reconstruction that has taken a few years and they have added two wings - underground! We were happy to see the Georgia red marble that decorated the floors. This reconstruction came in ynder budget and ahead of time. It was fully paid for with cigarette tax money.This is an amazing state - zero based budgeting. If they don't have the money they don't do it! More states have been sending folks to learn how they do it.
We then visited the World Center for Birds of Prey. We saw our first Callifornia Condors and they have a big breeding program. This year they will release an additional 17 chicks in the Grand Canyon.

Falling in Love With Boise

2010-07-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

Boise, Idaho is a wonderful city - Bill says he has fallen in love with it. We started off our morning at a park with a lovely rose garden and the departure spot for a Trolly Tour which we were on. We toured on the trolly for about an hour and then headed over to Boise State and Bronco Stadium so Bill coould check out the blue football field - and it was bluer than what you see on TV! It is so blue that birds come in for landings expecting it to be a lake!
We then had lunch downtown and then toured the Capitol.

Crossing Utah and Idaho

2010-07-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

Yester day we traveled more than 400 miles. crossing Utah and Idaho (almost) and ending up in Boise, Idaho for two nights.
We witnessed at high speed a real cattle drive with cowboys on horseback crossing a huge number of cattle across the main Union Pacific railroad lines in Utah - unfortunately there was no pull off or exits to watch as we were traveling through a canyon.
We saw fields of potatoes and wondered how Dorothy's science fair project was doing! We had gotten off I-64 and had taken US 30 into Twin Falls and the area is well irrigated and producing lots of crops!
You younger ones most likely never heard of Evel Kenibel and his crazy stunts, including trying to jump this canyon in Idaho on his motorcycle! Did he make it? You might want to Google this or see on You Tube!

Camping in Evanston, WY

2010-07-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight we checked into a campground and we were parked 50 feet from a highway - we ask for and received a refund and headed for Walmart! Half the trucks and campers were already there and we noticed a vacant Sonic Restaurant - and here we are for the night!
Shopping has been most convenient and we have yet to see how well we sleep with the trucks, railroad, and highway (but further away).

Crossing Wyoming

2010-07-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

Today we crossed Wyoming and had an interesting day enjoying the western views that are so different. From frequent signs that "if lights are blinking, exit I-80 because it is closed ahead". We saw snow on the tops of mountains and lots of snow fences along the way. I missed taking a picture of a huge shovel that was at a mining operation - it must have been 7 stories tall!

Cheyenne, Wyoming

2010-07-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today we only traveled a short distance - from Sidney, NE to Cheyenne, WY and what a delightful state capitol this is! Everything is very accessable and no parking meters with lots of parking available downtown.
We visited the State Museum and then Bill went into the State Capitol and even met Max Maxfield, The Secretary of State! My knee had decided that enough walking was enough and I missed the fun.
We are spending the night at the Moose Lodge with 30 amp service, water, and WiFi.
This evening we headed back downtown for dinner and there was a concert going on in the park across from the old railroad station which is now a Pub and Museum.
We found a geocache and a neighbor came out to see if we needed any assistance - very friendly and then he directed us to see the Big Boy Locomotive in a park. It was delightful to see all the people and the families enjoying the park and it was near sundown.
We have been enjoying all the "Big Sky" views - this cumulus cloud was spectacular and yet quite a distance away. It feels like you can see forever!

A Day in Sidney, Nebraska

2010-07-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

Last night and again tonight we are camped in the Cabelas' Campground. This is the original store location and the corporate headquarters. This morning our mail arrived thanks to Barbara and we followed its trip from Big Canoe to Sidney on a USPS app for the phone - very cool. We had heard about a train derailment when we were at Bailey Yard and today we saw it in Sidney - quite a collection of wheels and cars. We wondered if a crane had moved the cars into a nice pile for future removal.
Shopping in Cabelas was our afternoon adventure - but mostly looked and had lunch there. Might get in some geocaching later - need a few caches from Nebraska!

Making Hay Bales

2010-07-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Did you ever wonder how they make the hay bales? We enjoyed watching this operation. First the tractor raked the cut hay into long piles. Next the baler drives along and rolls the bales and then stops and dumps them! Next the truck loads the bales and moves the bales to the collection area and dumps them off - all pretty cool!

North Platte's Bailey Yard

2010-07-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we departed Lincoln and headed to Sidney, NE with a long stop in North Platte, NE to visit Bailey Yard which is the largest railroad yard in the world. We enjoyed the humping of the railroad cars (both east and west bound) to form new trains and the moving around of the engines. Their locomotive repair facility can handle around 85 engines for routine maintenance or rebuilding at once. A retired employee of Union Pacific was in the tower answering all the questions of the visitors. The yard is 8 1/2 miles long and 2 1/2 miles wide.

Lincoln, Nebraska

2010-07-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

We arrived yesterday and we are parked at the State Fairgrounds Park with full hook-ups which has enabled us to tackle the laundry. We had to head to the car wash and get the Land Rover cleaned up - it was fifthy from being towed in the rain behind the coach.
Today is a beautiful sunny day with the wind blowing and we have used the day for sightseeing and shopping. We visited the Home Depot for more Gorilla Tape and restocked the food at a local grocery. This is one of the fun ways to see the local people and they are most helpful and extremely friendly - just as we have found all people we have ever met from Nebraska. Outstanding people!!!
The State Capital is most impressive and of course Bill checked out the U. of Nebraska Stadium! The campus is very pretty (at this time of year). At the book store they were selling foot warming booties, mittens, and all sorts of cold weather gear!

Independence, MO

2010-07-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

Today's plan was to visit downtown Kansas City in the morning then to head over to the Truman Library at noon. Guess all good plans are for changing your plans for the morning brought very heavy rains and thunder that went on for long periods. The new plan of the day was to sleep-in and read. By noon the heavy rain had mostly stopped although we did get wet getting into the Truman Library. We were at the library for several hours and then headed to the Trails Museum. To go West you generally headed to St. Louis and then went by steamboat to Independence, MO. Here is where the California Trail, Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, and the Mormon Trails all started. Before departing Independence all the provisions needed to be purchased and loaded, wagons obtained, and animals obtained as well as scouts to lead the way. Our great prairies start here and you do not need to cross the Missouri since it turns north. The railroad eventually came here as well and replaced the wagon trains.
I wonder how many of current day Americans would have the strength of character to attempt this trip. I am reading the book Oregon Trail as we travel and it is amazing what people accomplished along the way.

Hot Springs to Independence, MO

2010-07-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a day of rain on and off as was today, and this empty log truck ran into a little bit of trouble! After the State Trooper arrived h was able to back up a number of vehicles and then the truck was able to head uphill. We think he originally was going the opposite direction. No question about it - you need to go slower in wet weather! Only damage was to the front fender of the flatbed truck. We had a great vantage point to safely watch.

The only really impressive part of Arkansas is the NW section and once again we enjoyed the trip up the road through there.

We arrived at the Moose Club in Independence and settled in and then headed out to explore Independence. How do you like the steeple of this break-away Morman Church? It was most impressive.

We visited the Visitors Center and checked out downtown where Truman walked every day after he had retired back home to Independence.

Hot Springs Bathhouse Row

2010-07-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hot Springs used to be all about the hot spring and people came from around the world to bathe in the waters to cure all sorts of ailments before there were medicines to do it. The US Government purchased a 4 square mile area around the Springs to protect the area as a National Treasure and it became a National Park while Woodrow Wilson was President. People came by horse back and waggons and then the trains arrived in 1875.
We headed to the Buckstaff Bathhouse, paid our money, and theroughly enjoyed the next hour and a half! First was a soak for twenty minutes in a private bathtub with ets, then a sitz bath tub, a short time in a steam cabinet, cooling down on a table with icey towel aroound my head and a hot towel on my knee. Then off to the needle shower and finally the massage! They were experts in keeping you modestly covered with sheets and towels and given lots of cold ice water to drink. This might be one of the few things the government has done correctly!

A Day in Hot Springs

2010-07-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here is the Elks Lodge, and to the left is where we are camped with 30 amp electric and water.
The water leaves the ground in multiple springs (mostly protected) at 145 degrees and is so pure that many travel to the filling stations around around the downtown historic district. The water is free and we watched many people with a large amount of containers getting the pure water for drinking. We purchased two plastic jugs for our own supply. Great tasting and no chlorine.

Troubles Come in Threes!

2010-07-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

While stopped for lunch in Greenville, our step cover failed to retract giving us access to the exit steps. Bill climbed out over the step cover and discovered that a nut had come loose and disappeared so we headed into Arkansas seeking and finding a hardware store and repaired the step cover. Our right passender rear view mirror and been vibrating and Bill checked it our only to discover that it had broken its holding clips. Our side mirror has three sections and it was our middle one that was loose and is now attached with Gorilla Tape! After the two repairs were made Bill drove the coach around a building and yes, he failed to clear the corner and tore out about a six foot section of the roof side. This time the repair was duck tape and more Gorilla Tape and it doesn't look too bad and hopefully the tape will stay on and keep the water out until we get it repaired. This nice black guy helped toss us supplies and caught the broken pieces of fiberglass for the dumpster. He kept us smiling when we didn't feel too happy! Guess we entertained all the building residents and they all had to tour the coach. This will give them something to talk about in Lake Village, Arkansas this week!

After the repairs we headed on to Hot Springs, Arkansas and managed to stop and stay at the Elks Lodge. Fortunately for us they were having a chicken dinner and free drinks for first time visitors - we enjoyed both and after a good night's sleep tonight we will be off to explore Hot Springs tomorrow and perhaps a bath in the Springs and a needed message! :)

Oregon Bound!

2010-07-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

We departed Big Canoe on Monday, July 5th and headed to Hoover RV Park in Alabama where we could empty the water tank and reload with fresh water, dump the grey and black tanks, fuel up, shop at Publix Grocery and Costco!
Tuesday we headed over to visit with Sonny and Sally Richardson in Starkville, Mississippi and enjoyed being with them and touring Mississippi State Campus - especially since Jordan will be starting there later this summer.
This morning we headed across the Mississippi River on the Route 82 Bridge at Greenville and this narrow bridge will be shut down and dismantled starting later this month when this very pretty multilaned bridge officially opens and is dedicated on July 28. This is the first new bridge spaning the Mississippi in many years and it looks beautiful.

Big Tex

2010-03-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

It didn't look as if Big Tex loaded on the past page. Perhaps he feels he needs a page of his own!

Tightwaad Air Ranch

2010-03-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Tightwaad Air Ranch mid afternoon on Sunday and enjoyed the trip with a lot less wind!

Monday we had a fun time exploring the local area with Judy and Ed and then introduced them to Geocaching. This plaque was recently set up to commerate yjr Chisholm Trail and the Bufferfield Stage Routes.

This spring they have three new calves and of course "Big Tex" is King of the Ranch!
Two new litters of kittens have arrived and the mamas still have them hidden.

Ed Morrison has been a friend of Gramps since they were in high school and also at the University of Rochester. He was one of our ushers at our wedding - now almost 51 years ago. It is such fun to see "old" friends.

Friday and Saturday

2010-03-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

Friday morning we departed A;buquerque and headed directly to Amarillo via I-40. As the day advanced, we had increasing winds as the big storm center affected the high plains. We were in the campground before 3 pm and Wilt and Barbara Greenwood camped next to us. Barbara cooked supper for the four of us and then we had fun playing the game Password which was new to us. and the coaches rocked with the high winds all night.
Saturday morning we headed to Crowell, Texas with a good tail wind on route 287. Barbara and Wilt stayed in Amarillo since they would have heavy side winds. We arrived at the Longhorn RV and Steak House and we were the only paying RV guests. The restaurant looked pretty deserted but come dinner time the parking lot filled up and so did the restaurant. Our dinner there was outstanding and we could cut our steaks with our forks.

Museum of Nuclear History Monday

2010-03-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

We spent a few hours today at the Museaum of Nuclear History and these are models of the two necular bombs dropped over Japan. I wondered where the fuse was since my Dad worked on it and they were produced at Picatinney Arsenel if my memory is correct.

I also wondered about Uncle Jack and his telling us he worked on the Manhatten Project. We still wonder if he did or didn't.

Tonight we had happy hour at the Elks Club parking lot outside our coaches and then headed to Papadeaux Restaurant with three other couples for dinner - was good food. Loved the spicyness but was almost too spicy for Bill.

Tomorrow the convention actually starts although there were a few activities today.

Staying at the Elks Club

2010-03-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

This area of Albuquerque is called Nobs Hill and one of our friends have changed it to Snob Hill because we have such a great location and plan on staying here for the whole rally! Tonight we have 3 motorhomes here and we are the second one over. We have 30 amp electricity and water and a dump about 2 miles away.

This view is great and especially so at night.

Tucson to Albuquerque

2010-03-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

We had a leasurely departure from Tucson and had difficulties with the switch that brings in Bill's side of the bedroom (slide) and Beaudry, Monaco, and the supplier were all out of stock. Fortunately Brett Howard had one and they overnighted it to the Elks Club in Albuquerque since we needed a street address for delivery. Balloon Fiesta Park just did not have a location for us!

The day started off as a beautiful day but as we crossed from Demming on Route 26 to Interstate 25 our beautiful day became VERY difficult! I was driving this stretch when the winds and clouds picked up and the sand storms started. Tumbleweeds and sand were flying across the highway aand the visability dropped to about zero. I finally found a place to pull off in Nutt and Bill continued the driving - very carefully! We made it to our destination in Truth or Consequences, NM safely but the winds made driving most difficult!

Saturday started off as a lovely day but a phone call from friends allerted us to the snow and closing of I-25 north of Albuquerque and of I-40 east of Albubuerque. As we stopped at a truck stop we learned of motorists stranded for 14 hours and tents being set up to protect the travelers.

We phoned ahead to the Elks Club to allert them to the fact that we had a package being shipped and it had already arrived! We stopped and loved the location, when for fuel and returned!

Whoever planned this location for a convention has to be half crazy because it is in two venues about 8 miles apart. All the seminars and vendors are at the Expo (about two miles from the Elks Club) and all the RV parking is at the Balloon Fiesta Park. Parking due to 4 inches of snow at the Balloon Fiesta Park was very backed up and many had to be relocated due to the softness of the ground. The more we heard the better our location at the Elks Club seemed - they were even serving pizza for dinner at $6.00 per person!

Unfortunately we did not take pictures of the bad road conditions on Friday or Saturday morning. We had to drive through some falling snow but nothing was sticking to the roadway.

We had the opportunity to enjoy some of the miles by chatting with Lindsay who was enjoying her Spring Break with Tom visiting colleges.

Rally in Tucson (Sat through Fri)

2010-03-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

We had a busy week in Tucson with Bill's conductioning (as President) the Monaco's In Motion luncheon business meeting on Tuesday and my having a board meeting Tuesday morning and being reelected on Thursday morning at the general meeting of Monaco International. It was a busy and fun filled week with friends old and new.

Brett Howard on right in top picture is our wonderful friend that fixed our door and had his company overnight us a switch for Bill's bedroom slide.

Music, entertainment, drinks, and food - great week!

Saturday - off to Tucson for the Rally

2010-03-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

Something we don't see in Georgia are the check points along the roads looking for the "illegal aliens" and the Stat Patrol Cars with cameras that mount on poles that take pictures and send you tickets for speeding!

Old Friends Are The Best!

2010-03-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

We headed to Sierra Vista to visit with Kay and Bob Stain. We had not seen them in years and it was such fun to be with them again. Bob took us to the old mining town of Bisbee which is now a very colorful hippie town. Karen joined us for dinner with her husband and I forgot to take pictures. Couldn't believe she is 55. It seems like yesterday when we all lived on Kenneth Street in Monsey!

Tombstone, Arizona

2010-03-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

We visited Tombstone, Arizona and of course had to see the reinactment of the gunfight at the OK Corral!

Kartchner Caverns State Park

2010-03-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Kartchner Caverns State Park by mid afternoon and were able to join a tour. We had a most knowlegable guide and this cavern was discovered by two students in the '70's and now is a well protected treasure!
We awoke in the morning to snow - too bad I didn't think of taking a picture before it started disappearing. It did not seem to melt but just dissapear in the dry atmosphere.

Dinner Companions

2010-03-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

It is rare when I take my camera for dinner but not every night do you have such interesting dinner companions. The roadrunner was really cute and we assume the cat was a domestic one but well fed. The peacocks posed beautifully and displayed their full fans and strutted around and then flew up onto the roof as the cayote arrived. They all feasted on steak - as we did only ours was cooked!

Cattleman's Steak House - Fabens, Texas

2010-03-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

Once again we headed to the Cattleman;s Steak House and once again enjoyed not only the food but the setting. Even the old dog was still around guarding the place!

Monday and Tuesday

2010-03-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

On Monday we spent the day sightseeing in Fredricksburg, Texas with Bill enjoying the Nimitz Museaum and especially the new section that opened on Dec. 7th of 2009 and was dedicated by George H. W. Bush . Bill could have spend much more time there - I visited the local stores and we met for lunch at the local Brewery call The Pub.
On Tuesday we drove across the Texas plains to The Cattleman's Steak House and enjoyed the different scenery along the way. The wind mill farms are most interesting.

Lyndon Johnson Ranch

2010-03-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning we departed the lovely city of Austin and headed west to Kerrville, Texas and on the way visited the Lyndon Johnson Ranch. The first picture is of the house where he was born and the final picture is the house where he held many meetings and where he had a landing strip in the back.

Will and Friends on Saturday - Final Day

2010-03-21T21:56:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed watching Will with his friends from Tampa Bay enjoying their time together at the side of the pool. As we older folks know too well, winning isn't everything and friendships are so much more important.

Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library

2010-03-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

As you most likely have notices, we enjoy viviting the various Presidential libraries around the country. It is a wonderful time to review the history of what was happening during the term of office. This library is on the campus of the U of Texas and we could visit it after Will swam.

Will swimming

2010-03-21T21:45:00.000-07:00

It is hard for a grandmother to remember when to take pictures and when to cheer! Can't get a good picture unless I am standing still so the score board is a split time and not the finish.
You can see for the 200 meters the pool has been changed - very cool!

Exploring University of Texas Stadium with Matthew

2010-03-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

Between Will's swim times we had the opportunity to explore the University of Texas Campus and we had Matthew with us to check out the UT Stadium. It was big.

A Great Day - Thursday, March 4th

2010-03-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

Today was great! First we arrived with the motor coach at Freightliner at 7am and they installed the new fuel filters and we departed by 9am - everything working great and we didn't even miss Will swimming!

After testing out the coach we quickly returned to the Elks's Club and they headed to the U. Of Texas wonderful swim center. What a facility! In the second picture you will see how they run a meet for 25 yard competition. They then remove the center section, divide it and lift it into the two black sections of the ceiling and have 50 meter competition! Impressive.

What was most impressive is watching Will swim. He bettered three personal best times and was competing with other young mem up to age 28 and many college swimmers. There were maybe two 14 year olds also swimming. Will had just turned 17 and we were most pleased that he did so well.

Difficult day - Wednesday

2010-03-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

We departed the Elks Lodge in Beaumount (which is across the street from an Exxon-Mobil refinery with great ease and headed to Austin. This is a very nice lodge (inside) - it has been rebuilt after hurricane Rita when the power went back on it created a short and the whole place burned down. Gettting around Houston we decided to take route 8 which was under construction for about 50% of the arc. As we departed the toll booth the coach started "bucking" on acceleration - this was minor at first and the problem onjly increased so that by the time we got to Austin it stalled out several times. Our good helper at Cummins South thought our problem most likely was the fuel filter (we use two) and fortunately we carry extras with us and we were able to schedule a 7am visit to freightliner for the next morning.
With the luck of the day we headed to the Austin Moose Club - big mistake and the big hint should have been turning off Martin Luther King Boulevard! First Buster (our GPS) had us turn the wrong way and we ended up going up a steep hill (stall) with no exit but had to go down the hill to a small cul-de-sac to turn around which meant unhitching the car and the hitch didn't like coming loose with the steep angle but finally did. The house had a large panel of plywood protecting (or replacing) the window and was decorated with foreclosure! Bill had to drive back up the short steep hill (stall again) and followed me unhitched to the Moose hall. It was an easy decision to search another location. I should have taken pictures but never thought of it as we just wanted safety!
Off we went to the Elks Club which sat as you most likely guessed it at the top of another short steep hill (stall again) and this location was great. After parking we were happy to visit the bar at the lodge for great hamburgers and a pitcher of beer! We stayed in the Lodge parking lot for four nights and enjoyed the easy access to the U. of Texas swimming center. The members were most cordial and kept checking on Will's progress.

Loblolly Lane, Warren, Texas

2010-03-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

It is always an adventure to visit Barbara and Wayne McCray - the roads are not paved all the way and their driveway is about 1/2 mile long but seems like two miles! We have yet to drive our motorhomes in since each time we arrive they have had a lot of rain just before our arrival! Todays entertainment was the arrival of a huge propane tank to supply fuel for Waynes new generator. Since his generator is considered a commercial one because of its capacity, the Texas Raailroad Commission inspector must come out and inspect before he can get his first delivery! Now what do the railroads have to do with propane?

Monday, March 1st

2010-03-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

Today we departed Louisiana and headed into Texas. We were able to hook up and depart before the rains arrived. Driving conditions were most difficult with driving rain and we saw two vehicles that had slid off the road. Our destination was Beaumont, Texas and we arrived safely.

"Camps"

2010-02-28T15:47:00.000-08:00

We have enjoyed the various "camps" that are floating and on the levee ground. The floating ones are pretty cool - note the air conditioner and camping trailer! With aligators and water moccasins - who would ever swim - not me!

Cypress Forest

2010-02-28T14:54:00.000-08:00

The cypress trees with the Spanish moss creat an eerie beauty. Calm and quiet - the exact oposite of the overtime of the Olympic hockey game on our TV! The water is 3 - 4 feet above normal. Canada scores - the stadium goes wild and the USA has to settle for silver - bummer!

Cruising Under I-10

2010-02-28T14:38:00.000-08:00

The second longest bridge in our country is this I-10 bridge that took six years to build (1967 - 1973) . The Lake Ponchertrain Bridge is longer and took 7 years to build. This was most impressive!

McGee's Landing Shots

2010-02-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

Technology of my lifetime! When we were children in Verona, Mom's new washing machine looked like this - I loved the wringers as the clothes left the washer and went into the rinse tub - and then through the wringer into another rinse tub. Then through the wringer again and into the basket to be taken out to our clothes line. I was not allowed to feed the clothes into the wringer, Mom did that, but I could pull the clothes out the other side!
Now the technology of my senior years - the satellite dish. Kinda cool!

Atchafalaya Swamp

2010-02-28T14:06:00.000-08:00

21 States and 2 Canadian Providences drain water into what area? The Red River and Mississippi River also drain into this area. Have any of you heard about the Atchafalaya Swamp? Have any of you heard of the famous 1927 flood? Today we lunched along its banks and enjoyed learning about the history of the area and its people, enjoyed lunch along the water, and then had a boat tour of the swamp.

How do you like this house - note the wring washing machine on the right side of the porch. To the left of it are the washer tubs with the Marti Gras beads hanging from it. Very colorful!

McGee Landing is where we had lunch and the tour boat is to the left.

The music is fun and lively and the lunch crowd was up and dancing as soon as the music started. Such fun. Jack Ehlenberg told us all the restaurants have cajun music on Sunday afternoons. He gave us the names of a number of places to visit - sounds like we could use several weeks here!

The Way Home

2010-02-28T07:31:00.000-08:00

We had been warned by the staff at the State Park to not arrive via the levy road from the south as it is quite an adventure and not paved. Those using GPSs for navagation are in for surprises. Of course with a Land Rover that spelled adventure and fun so... From Jeanette we headed south and then finally crossed a bayou or canal and then continued along on the other side with lovely homes and then a few more turns and a crossing across a bridge that was narrow and I don't know how much weight it can handle and then onto the levy road! For 12 miles we followed the bayou, Lake Fausse, "camps" of all sorts along the water, a number number of bee hive boxes (groups of about 30 hives), pickup trucks and a number of people driving their ATV's along the top of the levy. We drove through semi dry areas and lots of mud ruts and some were pretty deep and we knew not to stop. Today we just might need to find a car wash or wait for tomorrow's rain!
Saw this bicycle contraption in Jeanette - not sure what it was or is but suspect he was collecting cans.

Rice Factory

2010-02-28T07:19:00.000-08:00

Next we headed back to New Iberia and checked out the Conrad or Konriko Rice Mill. We missed the noon tour so they sent us to the local favorite cajun restaurant (if you can call it that). This was a most colorful place with a huge volumn of locals and take-outs. We had seafood gumbo and shrimp po-boys followed by bread pudding. Fortunately the lady at the rice factory had told us the servings were huge so we shared everything and still had extra shrimp that fell out of the roll! Was the best po-boy I have ever had.
We then headed back to see how the rice is processed. The plant was not running since it was a Saturday but it was still interesting.

Avery Island

2010-02-28T07:10:00.000-08:00

This morning after hearing cajun music in the campground, we headed to Avery Island which is a large salt mound that was uplifted in this flat area ages ago. This is the location of our country's first salt mine and it will be mined for many more years. The salt starts 12 feet below the surface. The reason for the trip was to visit the home of Tabasco and tour the plant. All the Tabasco (and it is sold in 160 countries around the world) is bottled here. In the general store they even had two ice creams made with Tabasco and many other products I had never seen before. Had a great time sampling!

Camping in a swamp!

2010-02-26T18:00:00.000-08:00

Praying the water doesn't rise too far! The park staff said not to worry the water level marks on the trees is where the water was last week...

Traveling through Southern Louisiana

2010-02-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

The sightseeing today sure was different with many miles of elevated roadway over the swamps, many bridges over waterways and even a refinery or two.

Who chose this route?

2010-02-26T17:52:00.000-08:00

Holy s**t! A rusted high under construction with temporary sides and we are in motorcoach crossing the Mississippi!!! Original sides are in top picture which are replaced by the temporary ones! Fortunately the navagator did not choose this route (US 90) over the Huey P. Long bridge so the driver could only blame himself! A railroad bridge section is above and two the left. A long freight train had just crossed as we approached the bridge. And yes, we did go see the sight on the collapsed I-35 bridge in Minneapolis and that one wass not only much shorter but much lower.

New Orleans Elks's Club #30

2010-02-26T17:41:00.000-08:00

Last night we parked in the Elks #30 Lodge parking lot with the Marti Gras floats! This is one of the oldest lodges in the country.

Off to New Orleans

2010-02-25T20:20:00.000-08:00

Beautiful sunny but cool day as we traveled to New Orleans where we have set up camp at the Elks Club in Metarie. Dinner tonight was wonderful and at the suggestion from the Elks Club we headed to a family seafood restaurant called Jaegers on Clearview Parkway in Jefferson. I had crayfish and chicken gumbo with jumbalaya while Bill had seafood gumbo and shrimp and catfish plate. Wow! We then shared some bread pudding and then waddled out to the car! Now we need to run a half marathon tomorrow!!!!

Grayton Beach - Great as usual!

2010-02-25T20:04:00.000-08:00

Our return to Grayton Beach was exciting since this was our first return since the new area was completed. The day was beautiful when we arrived and unfortunately I did not take any pictures. Wednesday was a cold windy and wet day. We drove past the Selden cottages, Contentment and Sistah, and it was odd to see no one at home! Guess Smokey had the best idea - take over the couch! We spent most of the afternoon reading The Blind Side and staying warm and dry!