Sunday June 29 - Visit to Custer, South Dakota

Yesterday began in the usual manner, coffee and computers.

Late morning we decided to take a ride to the town of Custer via the wildlife loop in Custer State Park. Mostly the wildlife appear in the morning and early evening hours but we ran across a few that could not tell time.

Here is a pic of a Pronghorn, (usually misidentified as an antelope).

Here is a pic of a lone Bison just taking it easy on the side of the road.

It seems like most towns like to have fake animals on the street corners. In Shawnee, OK it was horses, back in Baltimore it was crabs, and here in Custer SD it is buffalo.

Here are some pics of the downtown buffalo.

There are more but this is Ginger’s favorite because it is very colorful.

We walked around the town center for a bit but not much to see. Quite a few of the stores were closed and for sale or rent; typical of most small towns these days.

Since visiting Custer did not take a lot of time we drove south on Rt. 16A also known as the Needles Hwy. The road is very narrow with a couple of low height tunnels. As we approached the first tunnel a tour bus was approaching from the other direction. I yielded the right of way and was amazed a large coach would fit. I have driven passenger coaches before and I cannot imagine driving one on this road.

Here are a couple of pics of the needles.

There are a lot of hiking trails and rock climbing areas along the Needles Hwy. I chose to do my exorcise turning the steering wheel.

On our way back to the campground we came across these mountain sheep.

When we got back to the Inn we had cocktails outside as the weather was just beautiful. Then Ginger heated some leftovers for dinner. Mmm.... just as good as the first time. Just some TV and relaxing for the rest of the evening.

See you down the road.

Saturday June 28 - Lazy Day

We woke up to temps in the Kram-a-lot at 60 degrees; love these mornings!

We tossed around the agenda for today and I won. We did nothing. We sat around all day. I made breakfast, dinner, and the bed. We walked the boys several times, but other then that we were lazy.

We watched our family play Double Dominos via a live video feed from Mitchs computer. We use to meet once a month to play when we lived in Maryland (our home). It was fun to be able to share the time with them, but it only made me more home sick.

I want to see them and get hugs.

It was a great day to just relax. I got caught up on reading blogs and was able to find time to play some games.

I thought I would share a few more pictures

In front of Maryland stone 7th state amitted to the Union in 1788

A woodpecker pecking away at the tree

The way Gutzon made the eyes look real in very interesting. I am not sure I can explain, but he carved a rectangular piece of rock protruding from the eye cavity and depending on how the light shines on them, they look like they are looking at you.

That's all for today

See you down the road

Friday, June 27 - Mount Rushmore National Memorial

We had thunderstorms again last night, but it was not as severe in our area.

Walking the boys before the storm

B4 the storm

We awoke to one of my favorite things a cool crisp morning.

We did our usual morning routine, and decided we would go to Mount Rushmore today and see the sites. After an hour plus phone call from Beth our daughter (she can talk the stripes off a zebra) we were ready to leave about 10am.

We took the scenic route 16A, which took us through tree lined winding roads. Jesse commented on not wanting to bring the Kram-a-lot on these roads; there were some S curves that made me very nervous.

Along the road we saw Burros. They are not native to the Black Hills. They were released into the park after they stopped hauling visitors to the top of Harney Peak. They were very people friendly.

A baby (foal). By the way a baby female is called a Molly and a male baby a John.

We saw Mountain Goats.



We also saw a few wild turkeys off in the distance.

We went through several tunnels on our route which took about 1 ½ hours.

You can see the Monument from this view

The entrance to the National Memorial is free, but there is a $10 charge for parking; the parking pass is good for the whole year it was issued, not bad.:~)

It was a beautiful day to be here, temps were around 70 and there was a breeze, just perfect.

They have an Avenue of Flags as you enter the Memorial that has 56 flags which represent the states, districts, commonwealths and territories of the United States.



We hiked the Presidential Trail which was about ½ mile trail that begins on the Grand View Terrace, and takes you to the base of the mountain and past the Sculptor’s Studio. The beginning was easy all down steps the part after the Studio was all upstairs. We took many pictures of the monument I will show you a few of my favorites.

Same picture close up.

Profile of George Washington

We stopped at the gift shop and Ice Cream shop for refreshments.

Then we went to Wal*Mart for a few supplies and then home. I had started some chicken barbeque before we left this morning, so I just needed to add some baked beans and cold slaw and dinner was served. I made chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert.

We watched a movie (I watched, Jesse napped) until we were off to bed with the windows open.

See you down the road

Thursday, June 26 - A drive to get our bearing

This morning started as usual, walk the boys, and then have coffee while at the computer and discussing our plans for the day.

We are trying to decide how to proceed. They have these bus tours you can take to 8 different attractions you also get breakfast, dinner and a show.
It’s advertised as a foot stompin Western Music Variety Show. The cost is $70 per person and it takes 9 hours.

Also this morning I made Jesse his Father’s Day breakfast, fried matzos. (We were in Branson on Father’s Day and had breakfast as part of the rally)

I also took some pictures of the inside so you could see how we live.

We were ready to leave for the day around noon and decided to just take a drive to get our bearing. We drove to Keystone which is west of Hermosa. There is a small tourist area that is about 5 city blocks with tee shirt and souvenir shops.

How about this one of Jesse, cute huh!

There is also a museum of Gutzon Borglum life and his works. He was very talented artist and carved many statues of course the most infamous is Mount Rushmore. We drove past the mountain today on our way to Custer State Park. We both thought they would be bigger, but I guess we were pretty far away.

It was getting late so we decided to get back home. We will come back tomorrow to find where the buffalo roam.

When we got home we grilled beer sausages for Jesse and chicken for me. While eating our weather radio went off warning us of impending tornado watch until 2am. We made sure everything was put away in case of bad weather.

Until tomorrow

See you down the road

Wednesday June 25th- Marilyn's Day and Travel

Happy Birthday Marilyn!!!!



It seems that it is always someone in the family’s birthday, but if you think of it this way:
Jesse has 4 siblings and I have 3. Between them we have 7 Nieces and 8 Nephews and one Nephew is getting married next year. We have 8 Great Nieces and 3 Great Nephews. We have 2 Children and 5 Grandchildren. That’s a lot of birthdays.

Today we were up really early 4:30am. With the time changing yesterday back to Mountain Time, I guess we need to adjust our internal time clocks.

We had a cup of coffee and then took advantage and pulled out of McGreer Park in Big Springs, NE at 6:40am. We had not unhooked the truck so it was a quick and easy departure. It was a cool morning at 66 degrees so we traveled with the windows down and the fresh air flowing in. As the morning wore on the high temperatures got to about 77 degrees.

We drove on I-80W to US-385N. The terrain was not lush like it had been; we saw lots and lots of wheat fields, very few trees.

We arrived at Heartland Campground in South Dakota at 12 noon traveling 260 miles today. We will be here for two weeks before heading back to Pueblo. :~( It is your typical campground park, certainly no “it factor” but it’s a PA park and the cost is $128.50 per week.

First thing I did was clean inside from top to bottom, and then got everything set up. We both took showers and drove about a mile down the road to purchase a pizza and brought it back home.

Once we were done we decided to go ahead and get the laundry done. Thunder storms were moving in and we were hoping to finish before they started, but it was not meant to be. It started thundering and lighting with small hail and lots of rain. We were in the laundry room and the boys were home alone. Bayer and Buddy get upset from the thunder. We did have enough foresight to bring the truck with us, so we took a run for it. We left the clothes in the truck for the night.

We were tired, but not yet ready for bed, so we relaxed for the rest of the evening and watched a little TV.

Can’t wait to explore the area.

Here are the pictures I promised of the condo trailers.

This has 5 units in it and Jesse pointed out that the AC units were on top.




Note: AC units in the windows and satelite out front.







400 foot water slide with the beach area to the right
(This would be a nice place for a family vacation)






The lake and pier



Last one






See you down the road.

Monday June 23, 2008 - POPS Birthday

Today is Jesse Dad’s 93rd birthday. Sorry we can be there to help celebrate, but our love goes across the wires to him.

His cake above

Below is Sondra and Pop

I am writing this on Tuesday while on the road so, I can’t post the pictures from where we stopped for the night www.lakesiderec.org in Assaria, KS.

The most unique thing about this park to me was the 5^th wheel trailers that appear to be set up for migrant farm workers. They have multiple rooms that are about 6x8. Each room has their own door with a window and one trailer had air condition units in each window, and outside each had their own satellite dish all the comforts of home.

The park had free WiFi (very slow) it also had a beach area and a 400’ waterslide. The sites were very small, but for an overnight at $10 (Passport America) we had 30 amp, electric and sewer it was fine.

Our route from Shawnee.OK was all interstate I 40 W to I 35N to I 135N, and was uneventful. We left at 9:15am and traveled 256 miles and arrived at Lakeside at 3pm. We stopped a few times to walk the boys and get lunch.

I made salmon cakes for dinner with salad, and green beans. After dinner we walked to boys around the park, by this time it was 7pm and we relaxed and watched TV until bed time.

We are planning a longer drive today into Nebraska. Can’t wait to see what this day holds for us.

See you down the road.

Sunday June 22 - Final Days with Family

Today is Sunday and we just returned from the home of Brian and his family. We said our goodbyes as we are on the road again tomorrow.




The girls wanted me to take a silly picture of them




We did our usual morning routine and I made potato salad for my contribution for dinner tonight. Around 12:30 we went to see the movie “The Incredible Hulk”. Jesse liked it and I thought it was okay. We returned home and awaited the arrival of Alyssa. It was her turn to be with us and walk the boys. (I will explain later in this entry)

Once the boys were fed and walked the three of us went to the Baker’s. Shannon was making dinner for us again, she was making barbeque chicken, broccoli salad, baked beans, corn and I brought potato salad. I also made homemade lemonade.

Brianna and I helped Shannon prepare the meal, and set the table.







Everything was really good and we were stuffed. We sat and visited for a while. When it was time to leave we said our goodbyes with hugs and kisses.

It was really good to see them all, but it was time to move on. We have changed our plans. We had planned to head to Amarillo (to get my license) then on to the mountains of Colorado. We are now planning to make our way to South Dakota and see the sites.

Yesterday we were up early and at the Baker’s by 7:30am. We were sitting with the girls for the morning.

I made breakfast for Jesse and the girls and then they watched cartoons on TV. I was writing and posting our journal in the kitchen. The girls would come in a few minutes to see what I was doing. They are all so cute.

When I was finished we played Chutes and Ladders Alora won and then put puzzles together. Once Mommy and Daddy returned home Jesse and I needed to go home and walk the boys and Alora wanted to go with us. I asked Shannon if it was okay and she said yes, but Alyssa was very upset that she couldn’t come also.

We told her that she could come with us tomorrow, they both wanted to walk Mr. B. We told Shannon and Brian we would bring dinner back with us. We were not sure what we were going to bring, the thought was KFC, or pizza. I remembered seeing a barbeque place and thought that would be a good idea. So we went to “Van’s Pig Stand” in Shawnee. We got a family meal which had baked beans, cold slaw, texas toast, ribs, and brisket. It was all very good and Shannon was thrilled to not have to cook.

We visited, looked at pictures and enjoyed our time with them. They are great parents and good people.



Ellie, they have these all over Shawnee, so I thought I would post a few.








See you down the road.

Friday June 20 - More Family Visits

I was really tired when Jesse arose this morning so I said “Do you mind if I stay in bed awhile longer” he said “no”. So that’s what I did. He walked the boys and then they came and got back in bed with me and we slept for another hour or so.

We got up at 7:30 and got dressed right away, as Jesse wanted to go over to the casino for breakfast. They have a special - 2 eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast and coffee for $2.99. Our total with tip and tax was $9.00, what a deal.

After that we played slots for a little while. Then we went back home and relaxed in front of our computers and watched TV.

Around 1:00 we decided to go to Wal*Mart and find a post office. I need to mail birthday cards for Pop (Jesse’s Father) and our niece Marilyn.

Speaking of Birthday’s "Happy Birthday Chad!!" He is one of the sons I was working for in Colorado.

After that, we were home again for a short while, then off to the Baker’s for the evening.

We got GREAT news from Molly and Bob Pinner - they have a contract on their house. We are very happy for them, Now the work begins, to get rid of all their stuff. They are such caring, good folks and we can’t wait for our paths to cross again, soon. Good luck guys!

Here are a few pictures

Brian getting ready to feed the alpaca’s.

Some of the Alpaca's

Shannon working on getting a sand foundation for the swimming pool they are putting up.

This is Alora she is 7

Alyssa who is 5

The youngest Brianna who 2 along with Shannon.

We were late again getting home again. We had a good visit with the Baker’s.

Their airstream camper

We have to be up early tomorrow as we are sitting with the girls at 7:30am. Shannon belongs to an exercise class and they are having guest from the Biggest Loser Couples - Amanda and Neal (white team) and she wanted Brian to go also.

Until tomorrow

See you down the road.

Thursday June 19 - Family, Karate, & Dinner

The morning was our usual. We sat around all of the morning and didn’t leave until 1:00pm.

We walked over to the casino to look around and played a little slots.

We expected our nephew and his three girls around 3:15, so we were back to the rig in plenty of time to walk the boys and grab the camera., before they arrived.

We hadn’t seen Brian in 4 years so it was really good to see him. He is my oldest nephew (my bother’s son). Brian is in the Air Force, stationed at Tinker AFB in avionics. He and his wife Shannon have 3 girls.

They picked us up and we went along to Alora (7) and Alyssa’s (5) Karate practice.

Shannon came by after work to watch the girls and left practice a little early to go home and prepare dinner for all of us. Shannon is a chief and loves to cook. She made us wheat spaghetti and healthy sauce made with zucchini, summer squash, peppers, onions and turkey. It was delicious!

After dinner we sat and visited and got caught up on all the news. Once home we walked the boys. It was 10pm and we were tired and went off to bed.

See you down the road

Wednesday June 18 - Travel to Ok

We were up and on the road by 9:15am. It was an uneventful trip until we arrived at our destination around 3:30pm after 265 miles.

We decided to stay at Fire Lake Casino. Jesse looked on line, they have water and electric only and you can stay FREE. All you need do is go into the Casino and get a 3 day pass. When we arrived we asked a security guard where the campground was. He told us that it was behind the putt-putt golf course. There was no one there. We noticed that they sewer which we were not expecting.

We stopped and walked the area to decide which site to take. We decided and got all set up.

Then we talked to a guy that was cleaning the concrete picnic tables with a power washer. He asked us if we were part of the Festival. What? No. He was telling us that the whole area, where we were parked, was under water from the rains.

Concerned we decided that we better move to higher ground. So we packed up and moved. Again we got all set up, cooled down the RV as it was 90 something and got the boys settled and walk over to the Casino for our permit.

We asked at the Cashiers booth “where do we get our permit for camping”. We were told that we needed to go across the street to the police station and pay our fees. Fees, I thought you said it was free.

While walking across the street to the police station, I thought of Jim Mecham, he would not be doing this.

We were told that the fees were $13.00 per night maximum stay of 3 nights.

Jesse told her what he read on line and we found out we were in the wrong place. The free Casino was the Fire Lake Grand Casino 12 miles down the road.
We decided to stay at least on night.

She said that she wasn’t sure if we could stay more that one night, she would check, as they were expecting the Citizen Pottawatomie Indian Festival was this weekend. So I got my cash out.

THEN they noticed a memo on the wall that said no camping, because they needed to get things ready for the Festival. They would not let us even stay one night. As we are walking back to the truck Jesse made some joke, my reply “I am not happy right now and jokes will not help”. He was very silent after that. So you guessed it, we packed up AGAIN. Good practice?

We are now set up at the Fire Lake Casino Grand. We have our permit and are told we can stay as long as we want, just need to check in every 3 days.

Now its 7:30pm we need showers and food. I cooked a pasta dish I had in the freezer. We took showers, ate and just collapsed.

WHAT A DAY!

This was the 1st time I thought “Why do I want this lifestyle” :~) Taking the good with the bad I wouldn’t change a thing.

See you down the road.

Tuesday June 17 - Having Fun with Friends

Today was a fun day.

We got back to our usual routine of walking the boys then relaxing with coffee and our computers.

We took our time getting showered and dressed for the day and headed out around noon. We took the trolley to Wanderlust, which is the campground that Mike & Leslie and Don and Cheryl are in. We all then took the trolley into the town of Eureka Springs.

We were all hungry and were told by Ed and Marilyn that Mud Street Café was good, so we exited the trolley at the station and walked the few blocks to the restaurant. It was a unique place much like an old speakeasy. You entered at street level and went down a flight of stairs. The walls were all stone and the food was good. We all ate our sandwiches while talking and telling our stories.



Jesse and Mike were discussing several ways to make a living while on the road. One idea really intrigued me. I will have to look into it further before discussing.

Once finished our lunch we were all stuffed and ready for the day’s activities.

The trolley system has three different routes- Blue, Purple, and Red. I suggested riding the other two trolleys to be able to see all there is to see and everyone agreed. We arrived on the Blue, so we took the Purple 1st.



The Purple route took us to Thorncrown Chapel, built in 1980. It is nestled in a wooded setting and contains 425 windows over 6,000 square feet of glass. You are able to go inside and sit for as long as you want. It is a very neat place.

We then took the Red Route, it will carry you though the largest historic district in Arkansas, the residential narrow streets that have many Victorian homes and Bed and Breakfast’s. It moves too fast for pictures, I am sorry to say :~(

We also got off at Crescent Hotel and Spa . It had beautiful grounds that were well manicured. It was remodeled in the early 1900’s.

By this time it is 4pm and we went back to the RV via the Blue Trolley so we could walk the boys. We were all planning to meet for dinner at a barbeque place just east of out campground,

then on to the Great Passion Play. (Pictures were not allowed) The restaurant was nothing fancy, but everyone liked their food.

The play is held outside in an amphitheater. Jesse and I have never attended anything like this before; we thought it was a bit slow. The cost was reasonable at $46.50 for both of us.

We said our goodbyes to the Catoe’s and Kennedy’s; it was great being able to spend this time with these good people. They are both staying one more day and we are moving on to Oklahoma.
This is a different look for McDonalds.

See you down the road.

Monday June 16 - Short Travel Day

Today was a travel day, but we only were traveling 54 miles. Our drive was very scenic; it is so lush and green in this area of the USA. We arrived at Kettle Campground around 12:30.

We parked into our very tight site # 55 with the assistance of the owner.

The park has lots of trees, is small but cute. It is a Passport America park, so without reservations you can get ½ off.

After we got set up we decided to drive into town to get something to eat. They have a trolley that will pick you up right at the campground for $4.50 per person per day. We really just wanted something eat so we thought we would drive into the town.

The problem with that-no place to park. So we came back to the campground parked the truck and were going to take the trolley. By this time it is 3:00pm and after purchasing the ticket we find out that the trolley only runs until 5pm. :~( But it was enough time to go into town eat and return. :~)

We saw Don & Cheryl Catoe when we were getting off the trolley. (They were getting on) They offered to drive in and get us if we miss the bus. That was so nice of these special people. They even called us once they got home to make sure we had their number in case we needed a ride. Thank you Don & Cheryl!

Mike & Leslie Kennedy are also here and we all plan to get together tomorrow.

Eureka Springs is located in the Ozark Mountains. It is a very charming Victorian Village. We plan to take the trolley tomorrow around the town, to see more sites. I am sure we will have more pictures.

We had sandwich at Local Flavor Café. The service was slow, but the food was good. We were back home for the evening about 5:20pm and just hung out for the evening.

You can see the trolley depot in the back ground.

See you down the road

Sunday June 15 - Fathers Day - Last Day of Rally

Happy Fathers Day!!

Today was the last gathering of the 1st RV-Dreams Rally. Many of the participants are leaving today and check out is 11:00am therefore breakfast was from 7-9am.

It was such fun getting to know all our new friends and sad to so goodbye. There were lots of hugs and handshakes and a few tears. Jesse and I look forward to see you all again soon.

When we returned to the rig we did our laundry and relaxed for a while. When we were getting hungry we decided to go to Lamberts, it was about 35 minutes away. I called ahead to see if they were open. They were open alright and were on a 1 ½ hour waiting list and you had to be there to put your name on it.

Jesse changed his mind and we went to a Mexican restaurant that Ed & Marilyn had recommended to us. It was very nice and we shared an appetizer that was ginormous. It had steak, shrimp, chicken quesadilla’s, 2 tacos and some guacamole. Jesse and I both decided to taste the guacamole and we liked it. We both thought we didn’t. Anyway it was all very good. For dessert Jesse had creeps and I had flan.

After dinner we went to the new Super Wal*Mart for a few grocery items then home. We relaxed some more until around 8pm when we went over to the big top and watched video that the Geeks had put together of the activities from the past few days. Thanks Chris and Jim !!

We had more hugs and handshakes to say goodbye to our friends. Then home again.

It was a great time and we both are sooooo glad that we came.

Here are a few of the pictures we have taken:

See you down the road.

Saturday June 14 - Last Full Day of Rally

After coffee and donuts the 1st class was on RV tips and tricks. Next was Linda & Howard on working on the road. Then they did an informal hour on buying your full-time rig and ask them anything.

After we had free time to do whatever. We relaxed with others under the big top until 2:00 when Linda and I were teaching another class on T-Shirt braiding. Soon after it was time to go to dinner.

The camp ground had been cooking beef on the grill since early morning. They also served baked beans, green beans, cold slaw, a corn muffin, and ice tea. For dessert they had cherry cobbler.

Then it was time for entertainment and the Hillbilly Party. Some of our group dressed up, but most did not. They had some professional singers, guitar and banjo players and they were really good and funny. They were very entertaining.

We were very tired when we returned to our rig. We walked the boys then off to bed. Tomorrow starts at 7:00am with a farewell breakfast. I am sure there will be tears as we have to say

"See you down the road" to all our new friends.

Friday June 13th - Day 3 of Rally

Today was another day of Rally which started at 7:30am with coffee and donut. They were provided by Good Will Ambassadors from Camping World. Again Jesse went ahead I stayed behind and took my time getting ready for the day.

First Class was RV Weight Safety from Weight-It, Jesse said it was interesting, but it was some what of a refresher course, as he had learned a lot of it when he drove over the road with Coors Transportation, when we lived in Kansas.

Second Class was from Geeks On Tour. Jim and Chris told the options for internet connection service. They had lots of information to share with everyone.

Third Class was from Linda on the emotional aspects of leaving home, family friends and community. For me this is a no brainier. I am not attached to our house or our community. We do not really have friends in Pueblo, so the only attachment is the children and grandchildren. Even though that is a big one and we will miss them very much, this life style will allow us to be home in Maryland and in Colorado as much as we want. So we will be able to travel and visit family and friends all over the USA.

Fourth and final class for today was on suspension from Gary Wheeler.
Jesse attended this, but I went back home to start preparing the food for our potluck dinner tonight.

I made pork bar-b-q, macaroni and cheese and I baked a pineapple upside down cake.

When Jesse returned from class I made him some lunch and continued to prepare my dishes. While I was cleaning up the dishes there was a knock at the door and it was Molly.

She wanted Jesse to come by the motor home to see if he thought they could pull up their carpet and have laminate floor installed. She waited until I was done with the dishes, because I wanted to see their rig also.

It rained off and on all day today (mostly on). We walked to their rig and were visiting with Bob & Molly. They are really good people and we know we have made new friends. Then Barb and Roger came by and before long Chuck and Kathy were there. We were having our own mini rally in their rig.

It had begun to rain really hard and we were waiting for a break in the rain, as I still needed to bake my cake. We had to make a run for it and got pretty wet.

At dinner there was soooo much food and everything was really good. Then it was Karaoke and talent show time. We had a wonderful time.

We went home walked the boys and on to bed.

See you down the road.

Thursday June 12th - Day 2 of Rally

Now I thought this full-timing life style was suppose to be freeing. No clocks, no up and dressed in an hour ready to walk out the door…… I may have to re-think this…for a while….okay that’s enough……. LOL :~) I am loving this life style.

Today started at 7:30am with coffee and donuts. (I skipped this part)

For our first hour Howard and Linda talked about getting ready to fill-time. They touched on all the things you should and shouldn’t do when you begin.
Then on to insurance, our speaker was from Miller RV Insurance, very informative.

Our third hour was money management with Laura Clark from Merrill Lynch.

After all that information it was time to break for lunch. We went home and I made us a salad and left over steak and pork. Then we straighten up our home because we were allowing our home to be part of the walk through.

We had many people come visit us, mostly to see the floor that Jesse put down. It was great fun sharing our home with all our new friends. RVing is so much FUN!!!!

Dinner was catered by Merrill Lynch and was very good. After that there was a fashion show. The participants were asked to dress up in something they wear to do a specific chore. It was hysterical.

Then we were on own. We walked the boys then went down to the big top to visit. We ended up playing cards (hand and foot) and listening to the chatters in the chat room.

For pictures go to RV Dreams Rally Photos

It was a good day!

See you down the road.

Wednesday June 11 - 1st Day of Rally

I was the bookkeeper (imagine that) for the registration today. It all went great, everything was well thought out and organized. I really enjoyed doing my "JOB" today because I was able to meet everyone as they came through the line.

We had the pizza/ice cream social later in the evening. Howard and Linda welcomed everyone and gave us the itinerary for the next few days. Then sat around visiting. I also played Double Domino's as a relief player.

About 10pm went home we were very tired so off to bed we went. We need to get to class early@ 7:30am tomorrow.

Until then
See you down the road.

Tuesday June 9 - Too Busy, Much too Busy

Just wanted to pop in to let everyone know we are all fine and having a WONDERFUL time.

Way too busy having fun to sit here and type.

A few pictures

See you down the road.

Monday June 9, 2008 - Rain and more Rain

Another Pre-Rally day, it rained most of the day.

We did our usual morning routine. About 10:30 Linda and I when into town to run errands and go to the grocery store. We were very lucky that the rain waited until we got back.

When we got back Jesse and I hung out at home. I had a headache so we just sat listening to the rain on the roof of the Kram-a-lot. A while later we decided to take a ride into town. We loaded the boys in the truck and off we went.

When we drove past H&L's rig we saw that the big tent was going up.

We had been in Branson about 20 years ago and we both thought that the main road looked very much the same…Lots of traffic..newer shops...lots of traffic.

We saw a store that sold frozen custard and decided to stopped. Jesse got a lesson on custard making. He learned that “good custard” is dipped not dispensed from a machine. I am not sure if I have had custard before, but this was delicious.

When we got back from town we hung out at home again, until Howard came knocking at the door inviting as to gather under the tent and visit. So in the rain we took our chairs and went to the big top. There was quite a crowd, but no one stayed for very long, as it was dinner time. Most seem to pair off and head to dinner somewhere.

We went back to the rig and just hung out for the rest of the evening.

Tomorrow promises to be a hot-humid day.
See you down the road.

Sunday June 8 - Relaxing and Visiting

Today was a very nice hot day of sitting around getting to know all our new RV friends.

It started as most do walking the boys, then coffee. I wrote the journal and prepared macaroni and cheese for our group lunch today.

I caught a picture of Ellie and Jim in front of the Castle enjoying the morning.

I wonder is she reading or writing.

Mid morning we went over to the Castle where people started to gather. That is where we were for the rest of the day. Everyone sharing their stories about how, and why, they started fulltiming, or when they will begin there adventure.

It was a lot of fun just relaxing and sharing. It almost made you forget how hot it was. But for most of the day there was a breeze, so if you were in the shade it was bearable.

Around noon Ellie and Jim hosted a group lunch for anyone that wanted to attend. She had made potato salad and beans. (The beans were very good, similar to a 3 beans salad but much better. I want that recipe! Please :~) Jim was grilling Brats; I made mac & cheese, while others brought chips, vegetable tray and fruit. Thanks Ellie & Jim for hosting and cooking. Everything was very good and great fun.

Jesse just hanging out

As new people arrived and got their rigs set up they would come over to sit and visit.

Mid afternoon Linda decided to do an impromptu tee shirt braiding class. Those ladies that wanted to learn were instructed on what supplies they needed and we gathered in the game room. (Linda had taught me how to do this last year when we were camping at Woodland Park, CO).

When I came out Jesse was playing horseshoes with some of the other guys. I went to get the boys for a walk. When I got back Jesse had finished his game and we all went back to our rig.

I made the boys there dinner and made some tuna salad for our dinner. We showered and then ate a sandwich. By this time it was 7:00. Again where did the day go?

We walked the boys again and all 5 of us went back to visit and meet the new arrivals.
After awhile we decided to retire for the evening, said goodnight see ya tomorrow. We couldn't believe when we got back to our home on wheels that it was 10pm.

It wasn’t long before we were in bed for the night.

See you down the road

Saturday June 7th - Travel and Fun Day

Today was a very long but fun day. We were up earlier then usual; I guess we just wanted to get started. We left the park at 6:50am, got fuel and we were on our way to Branson. We drove 318 miles and got 12.07 mpg.

We finally figured out how to use Miss English (our GPS) correctly. So along with our map quest directions we arrived without incident to ABC Campground at 1:30pm.

When we arrived we saw and waved to Linda who was visiting with Ellie and Jim outside the Castle. We proceed to get everything set up. Just as we were going finishing up and getting ready to shower there was a knock at the door.

It was Chuck, the guy we meet in Livingston. Kathy his wife and I had communicated through email because they were also going to be in Branson and I had given her the link to RV-Dreams Journal. Much to my surprise they contacted Linda and are participating in the Rally.

Then another knock – Ellie came to welcome us, another knock – Linda also came to welcome us – and another – Jim was also here, and last but not least, you guessed it another knock – Howard was here. Howard was the only one I didn’t mine hugging. He was as sweaty as I was because he had been playing one on one basketball with Ed Dray.

We all visited for a short while and they gave us the plan for dinner tonight and they left so we could get showered.

Today was Howard and Linda's wedding anniversary.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

We were all meeting at 4:30 at their rig and going to the Landing an outdoor shopping mall area (for those in Baltimore it’s much like the Avenue at White Marsh only bigger) to have dinner at White River Fish House.

There were 17 of us; we all carpooled the 5-10 minutes to the Landing. We parked as far away from the restaurant as possible (not intentional) and after making our way to the restaurant and some confusion we were seated within 5 minutes.

Our new friends Chuck and Kathy

In the background you can see the back of Jesse's, head. Ed and Marilyn - Linda Payne standing - Bob and Lynda - and the backs of Carl & Linda. (Lots of Linda)

I think we all enjoyed our meal and the company was unsurpassed. When we finished dinner we went to see the water, light and fire show at the mall.

Part of our gang

Then most of the women were off to Bath and Body Works. After the shopping was done 6 of us (Howard & Linda, Jim & Ellie, and Jesse and I) decided to go to a club to listen to the “Dueling Pianos”.

It was something I had never seen before and I expected these two musicians to have a contest of sorts. That was not the case. People request songs and they play and sing, mostly they each do their own thing but they did some songs together. It was entertaining.

Once we were home we walked the boys and relaxed in front of the TV for just a short while then off to bed.

I the words of a fellow RV’er “can’t wait to see what this day has in store”.

See you down the road.

Friday June 6, 2008 - Shopping and Movie

Well we got done just what we wanted to today. We had our coffee and I wrote the journal. Then I made us some scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast.

When we were dressed we walked the boys and we were off.

Our first stop was Kohl’s. I was able to find what I wanted there and we were only there about 30 minutes. Jesse was very glad that I didn’t need to shop anymore, shopping is not his favorite past time like most guys.

Then we went to see the new Indian Jones movie. I liked it very much; I think Harrison looked very good for a 65 year old guy.

After the movie we went to Chili’s for some Linner, then on to Wal*Mart for groceries.

I made us some dessert and we relaxed for the rest of the evening. Tomorrow we have a long drive to Branson.

Until then
See you down the road

Thursday, June 5 - Travel Day

Wouldn’t know it rained last night. Not a lot just a light shower, but enough to make everything wet and mess up all of Jesse hard work washing the vehicles.

Today was an uneventful travel day, not much to write home about. We were up at the usual time 6am. It’s like an alarm clock only we don’t set one. I made coffee we and we walked the boys.

For most of the breakdown there was a light drizzle just enough to be annoying.


They have a free air station here so we pulled around to it so Jesse could make sure we were at the correct pressure instead of using out compressor.

Then we went to the office. When we arrived I forgot to mention that in addition to the $75.00 per week you have to pay for electric. You read the meter when you arrive and then when you leave. We used 287 K-watt hours and paid an additional $31.86, which made our nightly rate at $15.27 per night – Still not bad.

During our travel for most of the morning there was rain ahead of us, we actually never got rained on, but it meant we got all the over spray from the autos in front. We left at 9:20 and arrived at 2:00 and traveled 234 miles.

Shady Pines RV Park is a very nice well maintained park. Concrete pads with a little grass in between. It’s about 6 miles west of US 59. They have a beautiful club/meeting room. There is also a lake that you can fish in. We decided to stay here because it’s close to shopping and a movie theater, which is what we are doing tomorrow.

I heated leftover for dinner. And we just relaxed for the evening and watch TV and got caught up on blogs.

Here are some pictures of Shady Pines.






The Office/Meeting Building








Right next door to the park is Shady Pines RV Center. So that is what you are seeing in the back ground of the lake.










See you down the road.

Wednesday June 4 - Last Day in Livingston

Today is our last day here in Livingston. We were up early, walked the boys and did our normal routine. It is so nice to be able to just sit and relax, not have to rush to get dressed and begin your day.

While I was sitting at the computer I was watching this squirrel play and eat. That is an orange he has.

I made the calls to set up our reservations for the next few days. We are going to stay in Texarkana for two nights then on to Branson early. We are arriving on Saturday June 7 instead of Monday June 9.

After Jesse had breakfast (leftover donuts) I gave him a haircut.

Then he went out to wash the Kram-a-lot and the truck. It’s a big job and he wanted to get it done before it got too hot.

I straighten up the inside and did a few sewing projects.

After he was finished and showered we decided to try our 1st Geocaching. Jesse downloaded the coordinates for one that was supposed to be in the park and off we went. At 1st we couldn’t find it and I gave up and went back to the truck with the boys. Shortly after, Jesse is dancing around saying “I found it, I found it”.

We then took the truck to get fuel then went home. One thing off the checklist.

I finished my sewing then made dinner. After dinner we did laundry. The facilities here are very nice. There are 8 washers and 8 dryers and they are very clean.

After all the clothes were put away I took my shower and relaxed the rest of the evening.

Here are a few more pictures of the park.

The Park Office

Someones House

And Another

The Activity Center

See you down the road

Tuesday June 3rd - Just Another Day

Today started like most. Jesse and I were up by 6am, walked the boys and had our coffee while talking, reading and writing.

We researched where to go when we leave here on Thursday. We think we are going to Texarkana for a couple of nights, then on to Branson arriving on Saturday instead of the planned Monday. I will make some calls tomorrow to finalize our plans.

Jesse gave me the option to stay behind while he goes to get his Texas drivers license and I took him up on it. So the boys and I stayed home. After about 15 minutes Jesse calls “where is my birth certificate?” my reply “here” “I will see you in a few minutes” says Jesse.

I met him at the truck when he pulled in and to my surprise he was not aggravated, but came in to fill out the form, then back to the tax office. I have to say that this retired life style really agrees with him. He seems much more relaxed.

While he was gone I straighten up the Kram-a-lot.
When he came back he was an official Texan “Ya’ll”



He brought Shipley Donuts. (Greg, they are suppose to be the best here in Texas) Jesse thought they were really good; I am not a donut lover, but they were good.

We messed around here at home for the rest of the day. I stayed home all day; only when out to walk the boys. For dinner I made some pasta salad and BLT’s.

I watched this cardinal play around the our site today

And another

Tomorrow we have no plans, so it should be more of the same.

See you down the road

Tuesday June 3, 2008 - Kacie's Birthday

Today is our Granddaughters'

13th Birthday

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday Dear Kacie,

Happy Birthday to YOU!!!

Sorry we can't be with you...

You are officially a teenager now

We send you much love,

Gramps and Gi Gi

Monday June 2, 2008 - Getting Registered-Visiting

Yesterday was a lazy Sunday. We hung out here at home most of the day. Finally about 3pm we were showered and dress for a run to town. We decided to try a restaurant in town called Shrimp Boat Manny’s. Jesse got a combo of fried shrimp, chicken strips and French fries and liked his; I got fried shrimp and I thought it was just OK but reasonable at $30.00 with tip.

Then we shopped for the items we needed at Wal*Mart; then we went back home. We decided to go to the ice cream social at the club house. For 75 cents each you received a dish of ice cream and they had many different toppings. We were surprised that most attendees ate their snack and then left, not much socializing was done. We looked around the video and book library then back home for a quite evening.

Today was much busier. We were up and packed up by 8am and off to get weighed and inspected. We went to a place right outside of the park called the Red Barn. No waiting. The cost per vehicle was $10.00; we weighted a total of 22,520 and the 5er weighted 14,360. More then Jesse expected.

Then we were on our way to The RV Shack to be inspected. They were not very customer service friendly especially if you have dogs. You have to get out of your RV and truck in the front so they can pull it around back. They have no place to sit inside or outside and wait; they do not want you to be on the sides or back of the building. They have a dog on the inside running free so going in didn’t seem like an option.

The building is right on the frontage road with vehicles zipping by and it is sunny with no shade except on the sides, that is where we waited most of the 30 minutes we were there. We wandered toward the back of the building and were asked to move from that area.

We met a very nice couple Kathy and Chuck; they were next in line after us. They also have a Montana, but a 2008 model. They started fulltiming recently from California. They planned to stay through Wednesday just like us, but say if they get everything registered and licensed today they are leaving in the morning. They do not like the weather. Chuck is retired Air Force, so they are heading to Shreveport, LA. They are on there way to Brandon, so I gave them a card and may meet up with them while we are there. We wish them happy travels, nice people.

Once we paid our $31.00 and received our inspection tickets, we headed back to our site. I cleaned before setting things up inside. We both had a bowl of cereal and sat for 5 minutes. Then Jesse walked the boys while I washed my face and changed my shirt.

Off to the County Tax Office. When we got there our new friends Kathy and Chuck were already there filling out their paper work. We were directed to Benny Gonzales. He was very nice and saved us sooooo much time, because he filled out our paper work. Thanks Benny!! He knew just which parts to fill out and we just needed to give him our paper work.

We find out while there that we didn’t need to get weighted. Just bring a brochure for your RV/Motorhome and they make a copy and use the weight on that. Also you must know the lien holders address and date the lien started. I was able to get on the phone to get that information on our RV. (Kathy and Chuck had to go back to their RV to get more information) Anyway after our time of 1 hour 15 minutes and paid $442.29 we had our tags for the truck and RV. (Kathy and Chuck were back and at another window)

That makes a total of $493.29 and about 4 hours, counting breaking down and set up. (not cleaning time) It cost us $1,230.57 last July to register the truck and RV in Colorado.

Here are a couple of more pictures from the park.

This one has cute totem pole like statues to the entrance of their place.



I think the colors are really pretty on this Motorhome and auto, they are color coordinated.



After our busy day we were back home showered and dressed to go out to meet a friend for dinner. Terri lives in Texas City which is 2 hours from Livingston, so we met in Dayton in the middle. We knew Terri from Baltimore I hired her as my assistant and we became friends. She has moved around over the last 10 years, but settled here in Texas, her home state. We had a good Mexican dinner and got caught up on her family and ours. It was really good to spend some time with her.

Once we were back home, we walked the boys, and relaxed. Jesse was in front of the TV I went into the chat room for a while, and then got caught up on a few blogs. We watched some HGTV then off to bed.

Tomorrow Jesse will get his drivers license.

See you down the road.

Saturday May 31st - Lazy Day

Today was a very lazy day. Jesse was up at 5:30, but I stayed in bed until 6:30. We did our usual routine with our coffee until it was gone.

We took the boys for a long walk around the park, as I wanted to take some pictures to show you the home’s they have here.

This is our site #32 in the ares called "The Trees"

Look at this antique, it's parked just behind us.

Note this Montana is conected to the permament structure

This was is just parked, it's not connected.

And one without a RV parked.

Once back from our walk we watched a little TV and Jesse napped. When he awoke he was hungry so he made us toast and jelly for brunch; we played with the boys, overall just a lazy morning.

Then around noon Jesse decided to work on the toilet. It had stopped holding water after our second day on the road. I straighten and rearranged the pantry items.

Toilet Fix Tools needed: One flat head screwdriver

He could tell that there was a crimp at 12:00 on the seal. (If you are facing the toilet) So he loosened the hose clamp and took the top ½ of the commode off exposing the seal. He removed the seal and took it outside to clean it off. The seal is actually 2 pieces and the crimp was on the inner piece. When he replaced the inner seal he turned it 180 degrees so that the crimped part would always be in contact with the ball. Then he replaced the commode and it now holding water again. His comment was “he had not been so up close and personal with a toilet since the 70’s and a bottle of Boones Farm Wine”.

After that we decided to shower and get dressed and go to Lowe’s. There were ants around the front of the Kram-a-lot and we wanted to get some spray so they would not get inside. He also wanted to pick up a latch for the area under the refrigerator as it opens when we are traveling. I guess the magnets are not strong enough to hold it.

When we got home we had cocktails and made dinner. I had some chicken marinating that were going on the grill along with potatoes and onions cooked in our ½ time/microwave/convection oven (which by the way I love the ½ time part) and a salad.

After dinner we took the boys for another long walk around the park. About 6 weeks ago they completed a dog run. It is very nice area for your dogs to be loose and just run around.

We watched a movie and then off to bed.

It is amazing to us how time flies. It seems you just get up and then its noon and we get up fairly early. I could tell that Jesse was feeling guilty for just wasting the day away….But we can do that in this life style and it’s OK.

See you down the road