Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Great to Be Back "HOME" - 8/20/14 thru 8/25/14 - Indian Creek Campground

Bob and I arrived at Indian Creek Campground late in the afternoon last Wednesday, August 20th, 2014.

This is where we stay when we go "Home"; we both love it here. Bob is a volunteer workcamper while we are here. Indian Creek Campground is one of several U.S. Army Corp of Engineer parks in our area that was built when the Mark Twain Lake was made and developed.  Mark Twain Lake was formed in 1984 when the $308,000,000 Clarence Cannon Dam Project was completed, transforming the Salt River Valley into the Missouri's fifth-largest reservoir.  Each year, close to 2,000,000 people visit the recreation areas around the lake.


Mark Twain Lake first reached normal pool of 606 feet above sea level on March 17, 1984.  Boating, fishing, camping, hiking, biking, hunting, waterskiing, canoeing, swimming, picnicking, geo-caching, are all popular outdoor activities here at Mark Twain Lake.  

The lake is located in Monroe & Ralls counties in Northeast Missouri and has 18,600 acres of surface water at normal pool.  The lake is surrounded by 38,400 acres of land managed by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.  The lake is approx. 27 miles in length and has 285 miles of shoreline.

The Mark Twain Lake is not built up & commercialized like the Lake of the Ozarks, as there are building restrictions in place where nothing can be built along the shoreline.  Mark Twain Lake is a more peaceful, nature loving area.

The lake has a variety of fish, with crappie, bass and catfish being the most sought after.

There are two marinas on the Mark Twain Lake.  The Indian Creek Marina is adjacent to the Indian Creek Campground.   There is also the Indian Creek Beach which is open to the campers of Indian Creek Campground.   The Indian Creek Recreational Area is located off Hwy. 24 (7 miles south of Monroe City),
turn on Route HH, and then turn left off Route HH to Indian Creek Recreational Area.   The other marina, Black Jack Marina, is part of  the Ray Behrens Recreational Area.  It is approx. 1 mile South of the Cannon Dam on Route J.  There is a campground near that marina, Ray Behrens Campground that is also popular. There is a beach in that area, John F Spalding Beach.  There is also the Frank Russell Recreational Area that has a campground, and is closer to Perry, MO.   There are a couple of group campgrounds. There is a visitor center near the Clarence Cannon Dam called the M.W. Boudreaux Memorial Visitor Center.  The Mark Twain Lake Project Office is also in the area near the dam.

I grew up in the little village of Indian Creek, MO., and Bob grew up nearby in Monroe City MO.  Bob, his parents, family and friends did a lot of camping, hunting, fishing, and driving around of their four-wheel drive jeep/vehicle(s)  in much of the area of the Salt River before the land was developed into the dam and the Mark Twain Lake.  They spent most of their recreational time at the Salt River and area.  I remember them being apprehensive about the dam and recreational areas when it was being developed because it was going to mess up their "stomping grounds".  He has a lot of memories of the river, land & good times they had before it was developed into the recreational area.

I remember us taking photos of our oldest daughter with the dam under construction in the background.

The area's population & employment boomed during the construction of the dam and the recreational areas; and plummeted afterwards.

Anyway, since we arrived "Home" on Aug. 20th, we have been very busy visiting and being with family.  We went to Monroe City to visit my parents and Bob's mother soon after parking our RV and getting it situated.

The next morning, (Friday), we had some errands to run in Monroe, and went to our daughter's, Kara, to return the deep freezer that we borrowed for our Alaska trip and picked up our couch, end tables, coffee table, several outside folding chairs, my car, etc.  We loaded and unloaded everything, and soon afterward were back on our way to Monroe City to pick up our two grandchildren after school.  They were going to spend the weekend with us.  Our youngest daughter, Kelsey, who lives in Warrensburg MO also came home later that night for the weekend, and stayed with us in our RV. So, we ended up having a full-RV for the weekend.  I prepared some food that night for the weekend.

Saturday, I took Kelsey and the kids to town (Monroe City) to visit Bob's mother and my parents.  Kelsey hasn't been to Monroe City for quite a while and it had been a while since she had seen her grandparents. We came back to the campground, and visited and prepared for our family get-together/dinner in our RV that we had that evening.  The family got together for dinner and visited inside Saturday evening.  Monica, one of Kelsey's first cousins, came to the campground and visited with Kelsey and the rest of us outside later that evening.  Another friend, Heather and her nephew and baby niece, also stopped by the campsite to visit with Kelsey.  It got so muggy outside, we all moved inside to visit.  It was too hot outside for the 2 month old, for sure.  Kelsey and her friends visited for quite a while; and I got to hold the baby...such a cutey! After her friends left, it wasn't long before we all crashed.

Kelsey left early Sunday afternoon.  The grandkids stayed overnight again because their mom had to work and close, which would mean the kids would get to bed real late on a school night.  Late Sunday afternoon we took the grandkids to Indian Creek Marina to get a ice cream treat.  We sat outside on the deck of the marina while eating ice cream.  Then, we took a ride in all of the campground.  We let the kids ride in the bed of our truck in their little outside folding chairs since we drive slow in the campground.  The kids think that is  quite fun.  We saw a couple of  does with their fawns while on our ride.  After getting back to the campground, we ate some dinner and then got the kids their showers and watched a little TV.  At 8:00 pm, I made the kids go to bed since they have school tomorrow.  I had a miserable night's sleep; Terryn woke me up and was scared, so I moved to the bed they were sleeping in....there's not enough room in that bed for both the grandkids and me.

The alarm went off  this morning way to early for my liking.  I got up and dressed for the day, and then woke up the grandkids.  They got ready good, ate some cinnamon toast that Bob made for them. and then it was time for us to leave in order to get them to school on time.  Bob called the Corp to pick up the keys, etc. but the guy he called was not in, so we decided to go on to Quincy IL, and then back to Hannibal to make it to a 1:00 p.m. appointment Bob had made for oil change & repairs to the truck.  The repair shop gave us a loaner to use while they worked on the truck.  We went to a few stores and we decided we were tired of shopping/killing time, so at 2:30 we went back to the repair place.  We sat in the waiting room for a while when one of the repair guys said he had to order a part and it would be tomorrow or the next day before they would be finished.  They offered to us, the loaner van, to use until they complete the work on the truck.
So, we left and came home and relaxed the rest of the quiet evening.

It has been extremely hot and humid ever since we got back home;  it just about takes your breath away when you step outside.  In addition, this time of the year is usually lousy with horseflies.  There are a lot of them and then they start swarming you and will bite.  We have not seen much of the outdoors due to those conditions since we have gotten here.  The weather forecast tonight said that we will have one more super hot/humid day and then it will gradually start getting cooler.

Tomorrow, I hope to do, absolutely NOTHING......or close to it.  I am exhausted from being on the go the past several days & keeping up with the grandkids.  The day we got back here, my previous employer had left a message with one of my daughter's, that they were needing some part time help and if I was interested in working while I am back, to call them.  So, I called, and this Wednes, Thurs,. & Friday I am going to help them out...not sure what days I will be working next week.  I told them I was interested in working 3 days/week for the next seven weeks (until we leave for Oklahoma &  Texas).   I figured it wouldn't hurt to re-coop some of the money we spent on our trip to Alaska, not to mention, Christmas is not that far away.

That about sums up the last five days since we returned home from our trip.  Like I mentioned earlier, our life is boring, (but busy), when we are not in the traveling-mode.  We are happy to plant our feet in one place for a while; it's nice to be back "home".

Until later.....

Have a good day!


jl




Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Day 100 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/20/14 - Return To Where We Left for This Trip From (Indian Creek Campground in Northeast MO)

This morning we got up and went to Kelsey's house to take her to Whiteman Airforce Base so she could take care of some business.

After she was finished, we took her back to her house and said our goodbyes.  They plan to come home (Monroe City) for the weekend so we will be seeing them again in a couple of days.

We decided that we were going to go ahead and leave out a day early, so we went back to Knob Noster State Park and got our rig hooked up and ready to leave.

While traveling, we stopped at Walmart in Moberly to get some groceries for the weekend, knowing we would have family visiting.

We arrived at Indian Creek Campground around 4:00 pm, unhooked the camper and set up on our site. Plans are to stay here until October 20th.  Bob is a volunteer workcamper here and I usually help him if I don't have something else to do.  This is where we normally stay in the spring and the fall; which works out great for us as we both have family nearby.

After getting all set up, Bob took the hitch out of the truck.  We showered, grabbed a bite to eat and then went to Monroe City to visit my parents, sister & brother-in-law, and Bob's mother.  We got back to the campground after 9:00 pm.

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This 100th day completes our once-in-a-lifetime journey to Canada & Alaska; a 12,641 mile round trip.  We both absolutely loved our trip to Canada & Alaska.   As much as I hated making a commitment to write a daily blog while on the trip, I am grateful that I wrote it and stuck to it until the end. This blog will bring back many good memories of our trip, new adventures, and the fun and exciting times we had.  Thank you for reading our blog and taking the journey along with us.

And, to our friends, Jesse & Ginger, who traveled along with us, "thank you .....we enjoyed your company and the journey we took together".

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While we were in Alaska, a fellow RV'er said that some people fly in to Anchorage and there is a RV rental company (I believe based out of Seattle WA), that rents Class C Motor Homes that need people to drive them from Anchorage back to Seattle where the majority of them are rented out. This company (I am told) will give the person(s) driving the Class C back to Seattle a max. of 30 days to get it back to Seattle.  That might be a more economical way to be able to vacation Alaska.  You wouldn't have the wear & tear on your vehicle because you would fly in to Anchorage and I suppose you would then have to fly home from Seattle.  You would have use of the Class C for exchange of getting it back to Seattle, and could tour Alaska & be back in 30 days.  I'm guessing that you would have to pay the fuel from Anchorage to Seattle (and in between). 

IF we were to ever go to Alaska again, we will definitely research this and see if it is viable.  Sounds like a way to make a trip to Alaska more economical.  I do not know the name of the rental company, but I'm sure you could search the internet.

We were shocked at the number of rental Class C's we saw in Canada and Alaska.  It is definitely a good business up north.

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We plan to continue writing our blog and posting pictures, but it will not be a daily blog.  It may be only a weekly summary because our life, even though we are full-time RV'ers, is not real exciting.  The blog is a good way to keep our family updated on where we are & what we are doing.  If we are sightseeing, we will write daily, but we don't want to bore you with our daily tasks.

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Have a great day.....and remember to stop and smell the roses!  Slow down and think about what is truly important in your life.  Live a simpler life, and start enjoying it.  Lose the stress.  Keep negativity out of your life. Look around you and count your blessings.


jl

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Day 99 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/19/14 - Spend the Day with Our Youngest Daughter, Kelsey

We arrived at Kelsey's house by 8:30 as planned.  The three of us went to Whiteman Airforce Base to the Visitor Center to get passes for Bob & I.  Kelsey had an appointment at the clinic to get IV Saline Treatment which usually takes a couple of hours.  She has P.O.T.S. (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) & recently diagnosed with MS.  She has been in a wheelchair for 1 yr. 4 mos. and was recently medically discharged from the Airforce after serving 6 years.

Bob and I ran some errands while Kelsey was at the clinic.  After we picked up Kelsey, we ran a prescription to the pharmacy, and then went back to Kelsey's house until it was time to take her to her physical therapy appointment.

While Kelsey was in that appointment, we went to a couple of nearby stores to kill some time.  After she was finished with that appointment, we stopped by the pharmacy to pick up her med., then we went back to her house.

This is a wreath Kelsey made
using burlap.  Looks so nice!


We watched TV until Brett got home from work & showered. Then we left together as we had plans to eat dinner at Cupinis, an Italian restaurant, in Warrensburg. We all placed our orders, visited and enjoyed our meal.

We took Kelsey & Brett back to their house and we went back to the campground for the rest of the evening.  Bob watched TV and I worked on putting some more stuff up and worked on our blog as I was a couple of days behind on it.

Have a good day!!

Fd $41.13

jl



Day 98 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/18/14 - Leave Jacomo Campground and Go to Knob Noster State Park

We got up and got ready to leave Jacomo Campground and go to Knob Noster State Park in Knob Noster, MO, where we have reservations for the next 3 days.

When we arrived at Knob Noster State Park, the site we had reserved was occupied but they were preparing to leave.  Bob backed our rig into a site near a water hydrant and we filled up the water tank while we waited for the people to leave.  They were out of the site about the time our tank was full so it all worked out well.  We got parked in our site and I started working on organizing and finding a place for some more of our belongings.

After Kelsey & Brett returned from St. Louis, they had hair appointments to go to and then came by our campsite to see our new 5th wheel and to visit.  Brett left to play some golf and later came back and visited some more.

We made plans with Kelsey to take her to some of her appointments tomorrow before they left to go home.



jl




Day 97 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/17/14 - Took the Grandkids back to Warrensburg, Shopped a Little, and had Dinner at the Main Slice, Lee's Summit

We got up this morning, the two of us and our 2 grandkids, and got ready and left to take Terryn & Kolton back to Warrensburg so that they could go back home with their parents when they were ready to leave. Before we left, we took a few pictures and Terryn took a picture of us with our new camper.













Warrensburg is about 45 mins. from Jacomo Campground.  We took the kids in Kelsey's house and stayed a while, then said our goodbyes and left.  Kelsey & Brett were going to St. Louis today for an appointment at 9:00 in the morning, so we knew she had to pack and get ready to go so we didn't want to hang around there long.

We went to Camping World  in Blue Springs on the long way back to the Campground.  They didn't have what Bob was looking for. We also went to 2-3 other stores, but were looking around because we didn't have all the measurements we needed.

After we got back to the camper, we took about an hour siesta (a much needed siesta).

We were invited by Alex & Melanie (our niece & her hubby) to go to the Main Slice in Lee's Summit.  It is a newly opened pizza restaurant that is located at 235 Main.  They serve other food also.  We had stuffed portobello mushrooms, two kinds of pizza & ice cold beer.  The food was very good, and the atmosphere was nice; having big screen TV's for the sports fanatics.  We highly recommend this new establishment.

Alex & Melanie brought their little son, Lerner.  He sure is a cute little guy.  He ate the pizza as well; also watched everyone.  We enjoyed our visit with them.

When we returned to the camper, we watched a little TV and then called it a night.

Have a good day!!

Diesel ($3.659/gal x 38.262 gals. = $140.00 Chs)
Fd $28.00 US

jl










Sunday, August 17, 2014

Day 96 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/16/14 - Surprise Grandkids at Kelsey's in Warrensburg MO

At 8:00 am, we left the campground near Lee's Summit and headed to our youngest daughter's house in Warrensburg, which is about 45 minutes away.  When we arrived in Warrensburg, we stopped by a donut shop and purchased some donuts to take with us.  We were on a  mission to surprise the grandkids who stayed overnight at Kelsey's.

We pulled up in Kelsey's driveway a little after 9:00.  We went to the front door and opened it.  Kelsey & Terryn was sitting on a bar stool in the kitchen, and Kolton was laying in a chair snuggled up in a throw. When Terryn glanced up and saw us, she ran and jumped on me almost knocking me down and gave me the longest bear hug.  She was not expecting us.  She, then jumped down off got me and gave Bob a huge hug. Kolton was grinning ear to ear in the chair, so I went over there to him and gave him a big ole hug and a kiss.
Mission Accomplished!!! We surprised them.  Kristyn was asleep down the hallway and heard our voices...she, too, was surprised to see us.

Kelsey lives here

Our youngest daughter, Kelsey


Our intention was to go there and surprise all of them, Kelsey included, but yesterday evening Bob was chatting with Kelsey, and Kelsey suggested we might want to come surprise the kids at her house, so Bob told her of our plans to go there in the morning.

It was so nice to see them.  Kristyn, Terry and the kids had gotten to Kelsey's last night to spend the night and had plans to go to the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia which is about a half hour from Kelsey's.  The kids had won armbands to ride the rides.

We visited and after Kristyn, Terry and the kids left for the fair, we went to the grocery store to get food so we could have a barbecue for dinner when they got back from the fair.

Bob and I visited with Kelsey and Brett during the afternoon while we made preparations for the barbecue.

Around 5:40, Kristyn called and told us they were on their way.  Brett did the barbecueing and did a great job.  We were all hungry so things got fairly quiet while we were eating.

It was so good to see everyone, but wished our other daughter, Kara, and her husband would have been there.  Hope we can all get together next weekend at Indian Creek Campground, where Bob & I will be staying for the next few weeks.

We visited for a while longer and then said our goodbyes about 7:30.  Terryn & Kolton wanted to spend the night with us so we let them.  They were anxious to see our new RV as well.

When we got back to Jacomo Campground, we watched a little TV  and then soon crashed...we were all tired.

In all the excitement, we didn't even think about taking any pictures.

Have a great weekend!


jl

Friday, August 15, 2014

Day 95 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/15/14 - Leaving Coachlight RV Park in Carthage MO; Traveling to Jacomo Campground near Lee's Summit, MO

We had plans to get up this morning and be ready to leave by 9:00 a.m. to go to Colaw RV Parts in Carthage.  They sell new RV parts & RV related supplies, used RV parts and RV's.  We had heard of this business and wanted to check it out, so we did.  I purchased a small black folding stool that I can stand on to get to things in my taller cabinets, a telescopic handled broom w/dustpan so I can put my broom & dustpan in a cabinet & some white tension rods to put in my frig. to keep stuff from falling off shelf end while traveling.  All of these items were new. They disassemble wrecked vehicles for used parts.  If someone was refurbishing a camper or needed a replacement part they might just find it at this store.  Bob told me that he has called to see if they had something he wanted before, but had no luck, but I'm sure that they have an ever-changing inventory of used  parts.

Then, we went to another store that we thought might be interesting to go to in Carthage, but we were not too impressed.

I did notice that Carthage has a really nice, looks to have been recently renovated, architecturally beautiful courthouse in the middle of the town square.  It really looks nice on the outside; bet it looks great inside as well if the inside was renovated as nice as the exterior.  I had my camera with me but didn't even think of taking a picture of it.

We grabbed a quick bite at Taco Bell and then went back to finish getting things ready in camper for the travel mode...our check out time was noon.  By the way, we really liked the Coachlight RV Park in Carthage....a very nice, well-kept RV park.  We will be back, and next time I want to stay at least 2 nights or more because I saw a few shops that I would like to go explore in the Carthage/Joplin area.  We stayed overnight in a campground in Carthage early last spring and went to the Precious Moments Chapel (which is a neat place to tour if you are in the area).  Joplin, which is nearby, is larger and has a lot of restaurants and good shopping.

We were on the road again, drove to Lee's Summit; about 150 miles away. Bob said the 5th Wheel pulled real good.

Saw this large mushroom along the highway we traveled....think'in it would probably get a blue ribbon at the State Fair.


Bob had made reservations online a while back so we knew we had a spot.  We have camped at Jacomo Campground ($28/night Full H/U) before and really liked this campground. It has large trees, not a lot of traffic in and out, and shade if you get the right sites.  Luckily, we had reservations, because by the time we got there this afternoon, the full hookup sites were all taken.  In our opinion, we have the best site in the campground and were very surprised it was available when Bob made the reservations.  Last time we were here we walked around with a map of the sites and made notes as to the sites we liked best, the sites we liked and could fit in, etc.  We have got a view of the lake at the site we are on and shade...can't get much better than that! Oops!  I forgot to take pictures of the campground and our site.   I'll take pictures of our si sometime in the next two days while we are here.

We have some nieces that live in this area that we hope to see since we are here; one of them we think is out of town though. There's a couple of stores that I want to go to and a few items on our shopping list to get while here.

We are just planning to chill the rest of today.

Have a good day!!

Fd $9.45 Csh/
Diesel $3.659/gal x 33.997 gal = $124.48

jl

      







Thursday, August 14, 2014

Day 94 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/14/15 Leave Rolling Retreats RV Sales in Elk City, OK & travel to Carthage MO

This morning I was up, dressed and ready to leave by 8:30 a.m.   Bob wanted to speak to Slade before we left about a couple of issues.  Our neighbor told Bob that Slade had just left to take a RV to a local paint shop where he would drop that RV off and pick up a different RV and bring it back.  We stood visiting with our neighbors for quite a long time.  Bob decided to walk and see if he could locate Slade.

Bob found him and talked to him.  I think it ended up being 9:54 a.m. when we left.

We are traveling to Carthage MO which is  about 5 hours away.

While traveling I called Ginger as I knew she would be interested in our RV because they, too, have a new RV on order and it is probably about due to being delivered to the dealer.

We made it there with no problems. Bob said the new RV pulled good.

After getting set up, I made it to my recliner and ended up falling asleep and woke up at 7:00 p.m.

Bob & I soon left to eat at a chicken wings place in Joplin, which is close by. Ater returning home I decided to catch up on my blog, and got that done.

I'm exhausted so I am calling it a day.

Good night!!

jl

Day 93 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/13/14 - Moving Day

Today, I slept way later than I should have.  I set my alarm (I thought) for 7:50 a.m.; but unbeknownst to me, I woke up to voices in the living room and the clock said 10:50 a.m.  I had gone to bed at 2:30 a.m. so I'm thinking I must be needing the sleep.

The voices in the living room were Bob & Slade.

I had to take care of some business that took practically the entire afternoon.  When I got finished, Bob & I went to Billy Sims BBQ for dinner.

After we got back, I finished getting things put away from our move.  We plan to leave tomorrow at 8:30 and travel to Carthage MO.

Good night folks!!

jl

Day 92 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/12/14 - Another Moving Day

Today we were busy the entire day moving and getting things organized, as well.  It is hot so the heat is getting to me because I'm in and out of both campers.

We got a lot more accomplished.  Alicia invited us out for dinner so we had to stop and take showers and clean up around 4:30.

Alicia came to our RV to pick us up for dinner.  We went to one restaurant and it was not opened.  So, we went to Portobellos.  We visited and had a tasty dinner.  Thanks Alicia.

After we got back to the RV, I changed back into my old clothes and finished my goal of having all of our stuff out of our old rig.

Now, we have everything in our new RV---not everything is put up but a good part of it is.

Goodnight


jl

Day 91 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/11/14 - Travel from Amarillo TX to Elk City OK

This morning we got up and  headed to Elk City.  This is a exciting day for us, as we are picking up our new 2015 DRV Mobile Suite 38 RSSB3.

As we were traveling I took some pictures of sights along the way.







We drove in to Rolling Retreats RV Sales in Elk City around 9:30 a.m.  Slade Tennery, one of the owners, met us in the driveway and directed us where to park our RV.  He showed us our new unit and then left us so we could start making the move.  After he left, Bob and I looked it over ..... it was what we wanted.  I, now, have a kitchen with a lot more counter space & a residential refrigerator which is what I wanted and we were both happy with the extra space that we will have between the recliners.  The bathroom is pretty much the same as our 2011 RV. We decided to go from a king size bed to a queen size bed so hopefully we won't regret that choice.  Our bedroom closet is a walk in closet with more storage area. We both love the outside custom paint job...adding a maroon color so it would go good with our truck.

Our NEW Mobile Suite

Shortly afterwards, Bob & I were starting the move in process.  Alicia, (Slade's wife & our sales person), stopped by to see if we were pleased with the RV.  Bob soon had several totes of stuff brought in to the new camper for me to find a place to put it.  I wiped out and lined the cabinets as I put items in the cabinets.

Bob and I worked on moving stuff into the camper the rest of the day until we were ready to crash. Slade & Alicia are letting us stay overnight here until we have everything moved.  That is making our move much more convenient..

I will take some inside pictures in a few days after we get settled in.

Have a good day!!

jl



Day 90 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/10/14 - Day in Amarillo TX

This morning after I woke up and got dressed, we decided to eat breakfast out.  First, we stopped by Cadillac Ranch.  We have driven by it several times but have never stopped so we wanted to stop and put our touch on one of the cadillacs.  For those of you who do not know what Cadillac Ranch is, some old guy partially buried 10 cadillacs in the middle of a field along Hwy 40 on the west edge of Amarillo, TX.   The front end of the cars are buried and the remainder of the cars is sticking up out of the ground at a slant.  It is a tourist attraction as there seems to always be numerous vehicles parked along the outer road.  To enter the field you go through a narrow gate that leads you to a wide dirt path through the field to the site of the 10 caddies.  The cars all have been spray painted with graffiti numerous times and it is customary to bring a can or cans of spray paint to put your artistic touch on the cars.  The paint on the cars have become very thick as the paint changes daily.  The negative side to this site, is it has become very trashy…some people just throw their paint cans and other trash down among the partially buried cars, the pathway and the roadside where they pull over to park their vehicles.









After stopping by there, we went to eat breakfast at Cracker Barrel.  It was super busy.  I love their pancakes with blackberry topping; I always order the same thing.

After eating breakfast, Bob filled the truck up with diesel.  Then, we located a car wash and washed the truck.

Then, we went back to Oasis RV Park and worked the remainder of the day until we went to bed, getting ready for the big move tomorrow.


Bob was outside doing some chores when he noticed a Mobile Suite real similar to our new one we pick up tomorrow.  The couple was outside so Bob went over and visited with them.  The man was not familiar with the LevelUp System so Bob showed him how to work that.  They talked about different things with the Mobile Suite.  They invited him in to see it, so of course Bob went in and looked at it.  It was a different Model but was the same make and size.  They got talking about the wheel beearings and Bob told him that he knew a couple that lost their RV to a fire due to the bearings overheating.  Anyway, come to find out, the couple that Bob was talking about that lost his RV to fire (our friends Ed & Marilyn), that couple had met them at a park near San Antonio.  Small world!!!
                                                                                       
I finally went to bed around 12:30 a.m.  I have my alarm set for 5:50 a.m; hope I can sleep.  Bob wants to leave in the morning at 6:30 a.m.  to go to Rolling Retreats in Elk City OK  to pick up our new home-on-wheels.

Have a productive week!!

Fd $20.74 Cab/$13.74 Csh/
Diesel ($3.699/gal x  47.310 gal = $175.00 Ch)

jl

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Day 89 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/09/14 - Oasis RV Resort in Amarilllo, TX

This morning I got up and started getting the kitchen ready for a more organized move.  I bagged the contents of the drawers & cabinets and took the old lining out, and wiped the bottoms of the drawers and cabinets.

We paid a guy that has a Mobile RV Wash to wash our rig ($2.00/foot x 36 feet = $72.00 Csh).    He came at 9:35 a.m. and was probably here 1 1/2 hrs. or so.  He had 2 big tanks of soft water, and 3 pumps on his truck.   Even though we washed our rigs a few times on our trip in Canada and Alaska, it hadn't been washed since we got back to the states so it was dirty.

A lot of campgrounds in Alaska have a RV Power Wash, which I think is such a great idea.  We don't see many campgrounds in the US that have those.

Some campgrounds have made arrangements with an outside person(s) or mobile RV wash that they have approved and allow you to call and come to the campground and wash/wax your rig for a fee, but those campgrounds will not permit you to wash your rig.

Very few campgrounds allow you to wash your own rig in the campground (probably due to the amount of water used doing it).   We have been to some campgrounds that will charge a fee (like $10), and they allow you to wash your own rig; I like that because we can wash/wax it instead of hire it done.  It also gives you something to do when you're outside.

In the Valley (south Texas), the resorts we have stayed at in the winter, allow pre-approved Mobile Wash companies or people,  come in to the resorts and wash/wax the rigs.  We have been very pleased with their service & they usually charge $100-$125 for our 36 foot 5th Wheel RV; and that is normally a hand wash & wax.

After the guy left that washed our rig, Bob & I went to Sams Club to get a few things we needed.  We purchased a queen-size memory foam topper for the bed in our new RV that we move into Monday.  One side of it has a cool touch layer, and the other side is just the memory foam.  It is made to flip, so that you can have the cool side up, or flip it to the other side that does't have the cool touch layer.  We have a memory foam topper on our present bed, and it makes a big difference if you can't get comfortable on your mattress.

When we got back from Sams, I got back to work on bagging stuff & cleaning.

Around 5:30, we went to Saltgrass Steak House to eat dinner.  We had never been to a Saltgrass Steak House, but two of our daughters ate at one when they were in Dallas TX and raved about how good the food was.  Well, we definitely agree with them; the food was excellent.  Bob doesn't order steak very often because he has problems digesting it, but he wanted to try it & ordered prime rib and he was able to eat it ...he said it was probably the best and most tender steak he has ever eaten.  I ordered a ribeye topped with   their Smothered Steak Topping (garlic butter & sauteed mushrooms & onions) and it was very good & tender also...maybe not quite as tender as the prime rib, but close to it.  They serve a very tasty & soft, warm Shiner Bock Beer Bread that I really thought was very good.  I could make a meal on the bread.  Of course, we did not have room for dessert but Bob said he saw some being served at other tables and it looked like they had some good desserts.

I'm going to be looking online for a copy cat recipe for that beer bread.  The waitress said that the recipe has Shiner Bock Beer (flat) in it.

After we got back after eating dinner, I changed clothes and got back to work.  My goal today was to get the kitchen/dining area bagged up & cleaned; at least everything that I can do beforehand.

Well, that about sums up our day today.

Hope you are having a good weekend!!!

jl

    




Friday, August 8, 2014

Day 88 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/08/14 - Left Mountaindale RV Resort in Colorado, Traveled to Amarillo TX

This morning we left Mountaindale RV Resort at 8:55 (mountain time) after visiting and saying goodbyes to Ed & Marilyn and Jesse & Ginger.  We will see Ed & Marilyn again in September, and Jesse & Ginger the end of October.

Bob & I traveled 381 miles today.  We traveled in the states of Colorado, New Mexico & Texas today. Bob drove it all today; I offered to drive some but he didn't take me up on it.

Colorado was greener this year than when we were there last, and New Mexico and this area of Texas is green...so they must be getting moisture.   It rained on us in Texas.

Some pictures I took today:

Colorado







New Mexico








Texas



Destination:  Amarillo, TX 

We arrived at 4:45 p.m. (central time) at Oasis RV Park in Amarillo TX where we will stay 3 nights. ($32.85 x 3 nights = $98.65 Cab w/ Good Sam Disc - 50 amp/F HU/Cable TV/WiFi ).  We have been to this RV Park at least twice before.  It is a nice clean RV Park but not a camping-type park.



We got our WHATABURGER Patty Melt fix tonight for dinner... hadn't had one since March. (A burger & fries in Alaska was $15.95 plus. A patty melt double burger, fries & drink at Whataburger in Texas is $7.39 plus tax.  Alaska is expensive!!)

After we got back, we spent the evening chillin/relaxing &watching TV.

Have a Good Weekend!!!

Fd 4.54 Csh/$13.83 Cab/

jl



Thursday, August 7, 2014

Day 87 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/07/14 - Enjoying Mountaindale RV Resort for the Last Day

Today is our last full day at Mountaindale RV Resort....another peaceful day.  I mustered up some energy to bag up some more stuff for our move.  Bob also got some things accomplished.

We made reservations to be here at Mountaindale for July & August 2015 to escape the heat and humidity. Bob and I plan to take our two grandchildren to Disney World as soon as their school gets out in May 2015 and take our time getting them back home.

It is kind of nice to have plans made for the next year and know where we are going to be.  Of course, we never know when plans will need to be changed.

This afternoon at 4:00, the gang met at Pizza Madness in Canon City to eat early dinner together and visit. It was a busy place and the food is good.







When we got back to the campground after having pizza, there was a doe directly across from our site grazing on the green grass & weeds.



Bob filled up truck with diesel ( $3.669/gal x 35.432 gal = $130.00 Ch)

Have a good day!!!

Fd $27.84 Cab/
Groc $31.20 Cab/

jl 


Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Day 85 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska 8/05/14 - Travel Day to Mountaindale Cabins & RV Resort Outside of Colorado Springs

This morning we left Rawlins, Wyoming at 8:30 a.m. with our destination being Mountaindale Cabins & RV Resort in rural Colorado Springs.

We arrived at Mountaindale at approx. 2:22 p.m. and only took one 10-15 minute break.  We went in the office and the desk clerk was on the phone with a customer so we went ahead and went to our site and parked & set up the RV.  After we were finished, Bob & I walked up to the office and paid for the three nights we are going to stay here. ($23.38 w/ Passport America x 3 nights = $69.11 Cab)


We stayed here a couple of years ago for a several weeks of the summer and love it here.  So we are familiar with the campground and the area.  We love this place.

our nice, roomy site at Mountaindale

nicely landscaped & peaceful 

Then, we walked to Ed & Marilyn's site to say hi and visit with them.  They were there and we greeted each other and exchanged hugs.  Ed & Marilyn mentored us on this full time RV'ing lifestyle.  They graciously took us under their wings over three years ago and we have become very close friends.  They have been full-time RV'ers since end of Sept 2006 (8 years next month).  We have traveled together and they have introduced us to many of their RV friends, including Jesse & Ginger that traveled alongside us on this trip.  They know the good RV parks, the good restaurants, the best highways to travel, neat places to go & see...you name it, they are full of great knowledge. They opted not to make the Alaska trip as they have been on a cruise to Alaska.  It was so good to see Ed & Marilyn again.  Bob & I both enjoy their company; they are a lot of fun with lots of stories to tell. They, too, will be wintering in the same area as Jesse & Ginger, and Bob & I this coming winter...it will be nice having everyone so near  to each other this winter.  The more, the merrier.



We sat outside and visited and Eddie stopped over to say hello. We met Eddie & Jan (his wife) this past spring in the Hill Country of Texas.  He visited with the four of us.  Jesse & Ginger walked to Ed & Marilyn's site and sat and visited.  Eddie left after a while to help his wife fix dinner.  Ed & Marilyn invited Bob & I and Jesse & Ginger for dinner.  They had BBQ beef sandwiches, slaw, potato salad, and chips; everything was very good.  Thanks Ed & Marilyn!!!

The traffic today in the Denver area was very busy.  I thought I was gonna have to pry Bob's hands off the steering wheel; he doesn't like busy city traffic, especially while pulling the RV...too much lane changing and crazy drivers.


Some pictures I took while traveling today:








This marks the 84th day and end of our journey with our friends, Jesse & Ginger.  They left out from Mountaindale RV Resort and this afternoon have returned to Mountaindale RV Resort. They have family in this area.   Bob and I can both honestly say that we are glad that they went along on the journey with us. We all got along very well considering we were together for close to 3 months. It was great, fun-filled time, a once in a lifetime trip, and we'll definitely cherish all the memories.  


Bob and I still have a few days of travel left before we get to the point where we started our journey from (Indian Creek Campground in Northeast Missouri).   On the way there, we will be taking possession of our new home on wheels... 2015 DRV Mobile Suite 38 RSSB3.  We are very excited to get our new home...for me I am anxious to get more counter space in the kitchen area, a residential refrigerator, and more closet and storage space.

We are both very excited to be going back to family.  I know, personally, I have my limits of how long I can be away from family...and we have exceeded that time.  We have been full time RV'ers for over 3 years and I still get homesick...highly doubt that will ever change.  I love traveling and seeing new places but I get teary eyed when I leave and I beam with joy when I get home.

Have a wonderful day!!!

jl