USA by RV

We arrived here last Friday afternoon after spending 2 nights in Wisconsin Rapids visiting some of Lorna’s family.  Saturday we went to the wedding of the daughter of friends from the yacht club.

Yesterday, I took Lorna to the airport where she flew to St. Paul for 2 nights.  Tomorrow she flies to Anchorage, AK, to begin a 2 week land and sea tour of Alaska.  She will be accompanied by a old friend of hers from West Palm Beach, FL.  I will be here with Sasha trying to enjoy our solitude until she returns on June 19.

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We’re parked at the Lebanon Hills Campground, a Dakota county park facility that we’ve stayed at several times in the past. We’ll be here for 2 weeks visiting Lorna’s family in the area and waiting for the warm weather to catch up to us.

After we left Spring Branch on Saturday, each day got colder as we moved north. We missed the tornadoes in OK by one day, but had rain most days.  From here, we’ll head to Wisconsin Rapids to visit Lorna’s cousin for 2 nights, then on to Milwaukee for the summer.  We’ll be parked in Oak Creek on Friday, May 28.

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Everything is packed up, the lot is secured for the summer, and we are ready to hit the road.  Tomorrow morning all that’s left to do is shut off the water and electric, hook up the truck, and head out.  We had a delicious meal at the Guadalupe Grill tonight, brisket tacos, and a Shiner Bock.

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We’ll be leaving the lot on Saturday, May 8, and heading north. On the way we’ll stop to see friends and family and spend about 2 weeks in the Twin Cities area visiting more family. We will be in Oak Creek on May 28 and stay there for the summer. Lorna starts her Alaska cruise about June 4 but Ned will stay in Milwaukee while she’s gone with her old roommate to Alaska.

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We arrived back at our lot today about 11:30am.  It’s been a fun 2 months mostly in AZ visiting with old friends, new friends, and seeing familiar places again.

It’s good to be back and we’re looking forward to several friends stopping by in the next few months.

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We’ve been traveling since Dec. 15 but I’ll let Lorna write up those details for a later posting. Right now, we’re on the last day of our RV Forum rally in Quartzsite, AZ. We had planned on going to Death Valley with several other RVs but most of the roads in DV are closed as a result of the recent storms, so we’ve canceled that trip for this year. On Thursday this week, we had the worst weather we’ve ever seen here in Quartzsite in the 14 years we’ve been coming out here. Nearly 2″ of rain that day and a peak wind gust of 61 mph. Lots of water in the washes that night and the next day.

Yesterday was our pot luck dinner and although it was a bit chilly at 60F, we had clear skies and just a little wind. Today is calm and cool, just 54F at 11:00am, but no wind and clear skies again.

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Since returning to the lot it has been a very busy time for us.  There was lots of yard work to catch up on since it started to rain at the end of August.  Texas prairie grass, which is what I call it, had to be cut, then there were more cedars to cut and several wood piles that had to be moved.  As of now there are no more cedars to be removed from the lot, yeah.  All the wood has been cut up and piled in the new location.  The reason for moving the wood piles is that Ned promised to get us a screened gazebo next winter and wanted to put where the wood had been piled.  Since there is no burn ban on right now all the brush and stumps have been burned.  We had someone in the neighborhood come and remove most of the stumps several weeks ago.  Since we now have our friend, Karl’s, old wash tub from his washer/dryer we have been burning some of the wood.  The lot is looking really great, but we still have lots of rocks.  So if you need any rocks just come and get them!!!!

We have had lots of company during October and November.  Our friends from Milwaukee, Vic and Moe Wexler were here in the middle of October.  They spent about a week with us which was very enjoyable.  Jackson and Liz Pearce were here the end of October for a couple of weeks, which was wonderful.  Jackson helped me cut down a couple of very big cedars and burn the brush from that.  He also helped me move a couple of rows of the wood pile.  We had plenty of visiting time with them too.  Ned was able to help Liz with their computers.  At the beginning of November Frank and Barb Weimert were here for almost a week.  During their visit Frank was able to help Ned install a motion detector light on the shed.  They also installed an exhaust vent for my dryer which took care of all the dust and lint in the shed.  It is always great to see Frank and Barb and this was their second visit.  We will try not to make them work the next time they visit us.  Last year when they were here Frank was able to help Ned install electric in the shed for lighting and the washer and dryer.  It keeps the guys out of trouble!!!!  Last week Jeff and Sue Cousins were here over night on their way to Happy Trails in Arizona.  That was much to short of a visit, but they did promise to come back again.

During November, Ned was able to have cataract surgery done on his left eye.  The surgery was very successful and he choose to have close vision correction.  He is very pleased with the results and can’t wait to get the right eye done.  That will happen the end of February after we return from Arizona.  He doesn’t have to wear glasses for reading or working on the computer.  He will have to wear them outside and for driving.  Next week when he goes in for his three week post-op checkup he will order glasses and have them sent to Arizona.

We had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving with our neighbors, John and Kay Hasty.  Since they now have a real house it was nice to have dinner at their new home.  Christmas will be in Arizona.  We will leave next Tuesday, December 15, and spend part of the holidays at Mission View in Tucson.  New Years will be at Catalina State Park, north of Tucson, with friends from the RV Forum.  We are really looking forward to seeing all our long time friends from the RV Forum and other friends and family.  We haven’t been to southern Arizona in almost two years and it will be good to go back.  Sure hope it is warmer there, because it has been a little chilly here, but no snow thank you.

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Ned and I are back at the lot for a couple of months. There is much to be done on the lot, especially the drive which has washed out some with all the rain we have had during the month of Sept. and the beginning of Oct. Also, the rain has turned everything green including the weeds and the Texas prairie grass which grows tall over night. Because of all the stones the grass has to be cut with a weed eater. Thankfully it doesn’t cover the whole lot. On the other hand, the rain was and still is needed. Canyon Lake is still down 17 feet and may never catch up since so much of the water is needed down stream. The lake was down 20 feet before the rain started the end of August.

The month of September was a very busy one while we were traveling back to the lot. Our first visit stop after leaving Ham Lake was in Lewistown, MT to spend a day or two with friends from the RV Forum, Ron and Sam Ruward. Ron had a stroke the beginning of June and is in a nursing home, hopefully, temporarily. His progress is very slow with complications of eating and a hematoma in the groin area. He is able to speak but the short term memory has been affected. We were so glad that we had the time to visit with them. Sam really needed to have friends to visit with.

Next was our weekend in Bozeman, MT for Ned’s fraternity brothers reunion which was planned by Neil and Nan, who live in Belgrade. They did a wonderful job of planning some great trips for us. A big thanks to Neil and Nan for planning the whole weekend. The couple that came the farthest was from Australia. There was a pizza party on Friday for everyone to renew friendships.

Saturday was a trip to Virginia City, MT which is an old gold panning area. It also served as the territorial capitol from 1865 to 1875. There is an opera house where we attended a play. The group went on a tour of the town in an old fire engine that came from Waukesha, WI. This was a surprise to all of us since that is where the brothers and some of their spouses went to Carroll College which is located in Waukesha.

On Sunday there was a trip planned to the southern loop of Yellowstone NP. We met at 7am and drove to West Yellowstone where we boarded a tour bus for the drive along the southern loop. It was a beautiful day and we saw many bison but very little other wildlife. We stopped at several geyser basins including Old Faithful. Our stop at Old Faithful had an extra bonus because Beehive Geyser also went off while we were there. That geyser was more spectacular than Old Faithful. Our last stop was Artist Point which is so beautiful. At this point we had to turn around because there are two bridges out for rebuilding along the cross over. So because of this it made for a very long but enjoyable day. We had made arrangements with the owner of the campground to let Sasha out which was good since we didn’t get back to the park until 10pm.

On Monday there were no plans until late afternoon so some of the group came to check out our “Nana’s Wheelhouse”. Some went to museums in the area. The last get-together was at Neil and Nan’s house for more visiting time and then all of us walked across the street to the community center for a catered dinner. After dinner there was a special treat for us done by Neil and Nan with the release of a flock of white doves, very nice. Then it was back to the center for a song fest because this group was known for their singing group, lots of fun. All in all it was a wonderful weekend and Ned’s comment was “We picked up right where we left off 45 years ago”.

While we were in Bozeman we had a chance to get together with our neighbors, Jim and Judy from the lot, for lunch. We got together with Jim and Pat Godward, friends from the RV Forum, several times for lunch or breakfast.

When we left Bozeman we drove to Tetonia, Idaho on the west side of the Grand Tetons. I have been trying to see them for forty some years and was thrilled to be able to see them and spend time on both sides of the Tetons this year. The west side has less tourists but there isn’t as much to do there either. While there we back-tracked about 50 miles to see Mesa Falls State Park which was worth the trip.

After spending two nights at Tetonia we drove over Teton Pass to the east side to meet up with RV Forum friends, Don and Mary Ann Nesbett. We spent several days with them. They took us on a driving tour of the park the first afternoon. The next day Don, Mary Ann and I did a 5+ mile hike at Jenny Lake up to Inspiration Point which started at about 6000 ft. in elevation and the high point was between 6500 and 7000 ft. Great views from up there and we even had a chipmunk who tried to steal our lunch at Inspiration Point. Hidden Falls was awesome and worth the hike to get there.

The next day we hiked another 5+ mile hike to Taggert Lake, a very peaceful place with not too many tourists. Considering that I haven’t done any hiking in three years I did very well on both of these hikes. We had a great time with Don and Mary Ann and hated to see them leave the day before we left. They were heading for Glacier NP and we were going on to Denver. While we were there we did get to see elk, moose, bald eagles and other wildlife. However, considering I had waited so many years to see the Tetons I was disappointed even though they are very majestic and the area is beautiful. Maybe if I had never been to the Icefield’s Parkway and the Canadian Rockies I might have been more impressed.

We spent a very enjoyable weekend in Denver visiting with my nephews David and Joel and their families. David and Kristen took us downtown Denver to a pizza place that had very tasty pizza on Saturday evening and then back to the coach for visiting. On Sunday they had a cookout for us that Joel and family and friend Mark were able to join us. It was really wonderful to be able to visit with everyone. It has been some time since we saw all of them. Thanks again for taking the time out of your busy schedule to spend time with us.

We spent several days south of Albuquerque with friends from the Rv Forum, Jackson and Liz Pearce, also, Bob Maxwell and some of his family. It was a very sad time for us because Bob had lost his wife that Monday after several years of fighting cancer. We arrived there on Wednesday and were able to spend Thursday afternoon with Bob and his family. On a happier note, on Saturday we drove over to Pie Town in western New Mexico to visit RV Forum friends, Jim and Ann Dorough. They live out in the middle of ranch land and really love the area. It was great to see them again and hopefully they will make it to Quartzsite in January. We were glad to be able to visit with all of these friends even if it was a sad time.

Our second last stop on the way back to the lot was up in the panhandle of Texas at Palo Duro Canyon State Park. It is an amazing canyon since all the land in the panhandle is flat, flat, flat!!!! We did several drives through the canyon to get pictures at sunset and sunrise. It was much to hot to do any hiking and probably wouldn’t have done any since there are rattlesnakes in the canyon and I don’t do any kind of snakes.

The last stop was at Buckhorn Lake RV Park in Kerrville, TX for some work to be done on the coach. We love this park because it is very well laid out with concrete pads to park on. The work was finished that afternoon so we could leave for the lot the next morning. RV Forum friends, John and Jane Canfield drove in from their mini-ranch west of the park to visit with us and go out to dinner. It was great to see them again since we hadn’t seen them since last spring at the Hill Country Rally.

During all this traveling and visiting with family and friends Ned did find time to do work for his client. They have been keeping him very busy during the summer and this fall. Of course, he will find time to start the weed-eater and the chain saw so I can catch up with work on the lot.

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The past weekend was spent enjoying a reunion of my fraternity brothers from the classes of 1959-1965.  I hadn’t seen or talked to most of these brothers for 45 years and it was quite an experience.  The event was hosted by Neil and Nan, who live in Belgrade, and they planned a full weekend for us.  It started on Friday evening with a pizza party at the C’mon Inn in Bozeman where we renewed many old friendships and ate some great pizza.  Saturday was a trip to Virginia City, including a tour of the town on an old Waukesha Fire Department fire engine.  That was quite a surprise, as we all went to Carroll College in Waukesha, WI.

Sunday we drove to West Yellowstone and took a bus tour of Yellowstone NP.  Our tour guide, Brad, was very knowledgeable about the park and we learned much from him.

Monday was mostly free and many of the brothers and their wives came to visit us at the campground to see our motorhome.  In the evening, we gathered at Neil and Nan’s house for beverages and then proceeded to the local senior center where we had a catered dinner.  After dinner we enjoyed a lovely songfest where we sang many of the old songs from our college days.

It was a fun and relaxing weekend for both of us.  We’re looking forward to the next reunion, probably in 2011.

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The last week has been spent on the road after leaving Ham Lake.  We met friends Jerry and Karen in Coon Rapids for breakfast on Sunday then stopped in Barnesville, MN, for the night.  There is a very nice campground there with 28 large, grassy, full hookup sites.  This campground is not in any of the guides either.  Monday night was in Medora, ND.

We stopped in Lewistown, MT, for two nights to visit longtime forum friends Ron and Sam.  Ron is recovering from a stroke and Sam needed some company.  It was good to see them again, but it’s sad to see Ron in his present condition.  He has speech but very little control of his left side.  Too many of our friends are either sick or dying these days.  Old age is not for sissies.

We’re in Bozeman for the next week for my fraternity reunion.  That starts tomorrow with a pizza party at a local inn.  Saturday we will go to Virginia City to see a play at the Virginia City Opera House followed by dinner in Bozeman.  Sunday starts very early as we drive to Yellowstone NP for a bus tour of the south part of the park.  Dinner in West Yellowstone and back to Bozeman in the late evening.  Monday is mostly free with a bar-b-que at one of the brothers’ house in Belgrade.

Our next door neighbors from Spring Branch, Jim and Judy, are in Gardiner this week and we expect to get together with them either tomorrow or Monday.  It’s going to be a busy weekend and temperatures are forecast to be in the 80s but no rain.  We also will be seeing forum friends Jim and Pat who are home in Belgrade.  That will probably have to wait until next week.

Somewhere while here I have some work to do, but it’s a holiday weekend so I’m not in any hurry.

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