Texas Winter 08-09

Friday Oct 31st after a great visit with family and friends and taking care of Doctor and Dentist visits we are on the road again. We will be traveling with our daughter Sharon until Christmas. Sharon is in the process of becoming a traveling nurse and will become a Texan when we get to the Escapees headquarters at Livingston TX. She will change her address, drivers license, vehicle registration, nurses license etc. our first night on the road was spent at Staunton VA.

Sat Nov 1st we left Staunton and traveled to the Escapees Raccoon Valley RV Park at Heiskell TN. We enjoy this park and the bluegrass jam sessions held at the club house.

Monday we left Raccoon Valley and traveled to the Woods RV Park in Montgomery, AL

Tuesday, Nov 4th we traveled on to Summerdale AL and the Escapees Rainbow Plantation RV Park.

Wednesday we took Sharon and went to Gulf Shores and Pensacola beaches and walked on the beach. In the evening we went to Lamberts Café the famous “home of the throwed roll” for dinner. We had a good time with the waiters and their practical jokes.

Thursday we went to Magnolia Springs and Fairhope on a sightseeing trip.

Saturday, Sharon left for Livingston TX to begin the process of becoming a Texan. Sandy and I decided to stay here for the weekend and went into Foley and Heritage Harbor Days where there was lots of entertainment with country and bluegrass bands and the US Navy Band of Alabama performing.

Sunday we returned to Foley to enjoy more entertainment and food at the Harbor Days.

Monday Nov 10th we left Rainbow Plantation and started for Texas, We stopped for the day at Frog City RV Park at Duson, LA

Tuesday we traveled on to Livingston TX and the Escapees Rainbows End RV Park where we got back with Sharon and will be here for a couple of weeks while she takes care of business. We also met up with Lloyd and Bert Christiansen from Iowa who are volunteering at the Care Center here.

While here in Livingston we always meet people we know from before and meet new friends so there is always lots to do and see. We attended breakfasts at the clubhouse, ice cream socials, bon fires etc. We also like to go in town where there are some nice shops and restaurants. One we like is the Out to Lunch Café where they have excellent food.
We had a nice visit with Lloyd and Bert Christiansen before they left for Arizona for the winter.

Sunday Nov 16th was Sandy’s birthday and Sharon took us to Florida’s Restaurant for dinner. This place is out in the country and very busy with good food.

We had a really nice Thanksgiving dinner at the clubhouse. The park furnished the turkey and gravy and every one took a dish. It was a real success. There were some great dishes with about 140 people there.

Thursday Dec.04th we left Rainbows End and headed south stopping at the Lazy Longhorn RV Park in Victoria TX.

Friday we moved on to our destination of Snow to Sun RV Resort at Weslaco TX. where we got a good deal for the month of December.
We found there are quite a few Escapees here at Snow to Sun.

We have been doing some sightseeing with Sharon including So. Padre Island, Santa Anna Wildlife Refuge and Brownsville.

The weather has been very erratic with a couple days in the 80’s then a couple in the 50’s and windy, but we take the bad with the good.

Thursday Dec 18th we went across the border to Progresso, Mexico. where we had a good time browsing through the stands and shops. We didn’t buy too much but we had a good lunch and enjoyed bargaining with the peddlers selling their goods.

Saturday Dec 20th we went to Park Place in Harlingen to Dave and Nancy Crosmun’s, fellow Escapees we met at Weslaco. They were having a get together and invited us to join them.

Monday Dec 22nd we went down to Hidalgo in the evening to see their Festival of Lights.
They have three miles of lights throughout town. This is one of the largest and nicest displays of lights we have ever seen.

Wednesday we had lunch with Chris and Judy Garrett from Iowa. After lunch we went back to their park (Ranchero Village) with them to see the park and their home.

Thursday Christmas day we had a very nice dinner at the park with 450 other residents.
The park furnished the turkey and everyone brought a dish. A good time was had by all.

Friday Dec 26th Sharon left on her way to Pasadena and the Rose Parade. She will spend a couple of weeks in California and then go to Quartzite, AZ the third week of January. After Quartzite she will be ready for her first assignment as a traveling nurse.

End of Wyoming Trip

Thursday Sept. 4th we left Des Moines and traveled east to Davenport IA and the Interstate RV Park.

Friday we went across the Mississippi River to Moline IL and the John Deere Pavilion and world headquarters where they have not only their latest tractors and equipment on display but also a lot of their early equipment restored and displayed.

Saturday we moved on east to Elkhart IN and the Elkhart RV Park.

Sunday we ran into Bob and Marie Smith who are at RV Master Tech having some remodeling done on their motor home, we went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse with them.

Monday we went down to RV Master Tech to see if they would do an alignment on our motor home and set up an appointment for Tuesday. Master Tech does all kinds of work on RVs from collision repair, full body painting, inside remodeling including cabinetry, flooring, furniture etc.

Tuesday Sept 9th we went to Master Tech and got our alignment taken care of and it made a great difference in handling.

Wednesday we left Elkhart and headed for Farragut with an overnight stop at Mercer, PA.
Thursday Sept 11th we arrived at Farragut and the beginning of a nice visit with family and friends.

Douglas, WY to Kearney, NE

Tuesday August 19th we left Douglas and traveled south to Cheyenne WY and the AB RV Park.

Wednesday we took a ride to Laramie and visited the old Territorial Prison which was the predecessor of the new prison in Rawlins. The state has made the old prison site into a park with a town site and other attractions. One of the most famous guests at the prison was Butch Cassidy.
From Laramie we drove west to the town of Centennial and the Snowy Range with elevations of nearly 11,000 feet and many beautiful mountain lakes and snow capped peaks. We also stopped at an old abandoned gold mine. This was another beautiful drive.
In the evening we went into Cheyenne to the capitol building which was designed to look like the US capitol in Washington DC. Cheyenne is also home of F.E. Warren Air Force Base.

Thursday August 21st we took a day trip down into Colorado and Estes Park and Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park. We traveled up through Thompson Canyon into the Park and traveled the scenic Trail Ridge Road which is the highest major highway in the U.S.
The highest point on the road is 12,183 feet and you are looking down on snow capped peaks. We have always wanted to see this part of the Colorado Rockies and it is as beautiful as we have always been told.

Friday we went to downtown Cheyenne and looked over the historic district and also went in the Nelson Museum of the West. This is one of the nicest small western museums we have visited. There is a really nice collection of cowboy and Indian, U.S. Calvary and some real nice Remington and Russell paintings and the owner of the museum is a dedicated big game hunter, so there is a large number of big game mounts from around the world.

Saturday August 23rd we left Cheyenne and moved east to Kimball, NE. This is near Sidney which is home and headquarters of Cabela’s Outfitters. We took a ride over to see the store and corporate offices etc. I thought this may still be the original store, but they are now in a modern building like all the other Cabela’s. The old store is still down town and is used for offices and storage.

Sunday we went up to Scotts Bluff at Gering, NE which is on the immigrants trail and you can still see the ruts here of the thousands of wagons that passed through on the journey west.
From Scotts Bluff we traveled east to Chimney Rock possibly the most famous of the landmarks on the immigrant trail. Chimney Rock is on the Nebraska state quarter minted in 2006. We then traveled on east to Bridgeport NE where we saw Courthouse and Jail Rocks, two more trail landmarks. Bridgeport got its name from Camp Clark Bridge where the Sidney-Deadwood trail crossed the North Platte River. We saw many fields of sunflowers growing in this area.

Monday August 25th we left Kimball and moved east to Ogallala NE where we picked up our mail and took a ride out to Lake McConaughy on the North Platte River. This is Nebraska’s largest reservoir.

Tuesday we left Ogallala and traveled east to North Platte, NE and the Holiday RV Park.
While in North Platte we went to Scout’s Rest, Buffalo Bills Nebraska ranch. He built this ranch during the heydays of his famous touring Wild West Show. The house was built in the 1880s for $3,900 on 4,000 acres. He then built the large horse barn that took seven train car loads of lumber to build. The house and barn have been restored and a wealth of Buffalo Bill memorabilia is on display.

Wednesday we went to the Union Pacific RR Bailey Railroad Yard and the new eight stories high Golden Spike Observation Tower. The Bailey Yard is the world’s largest classification (taking cars from one train and building new trains for various destinations.) yard handling 15,000 cars in a 24 hr period. There are 120 sets of tracks. Container trains and coal trains only stop to change crews and do not go through the classification process. We learned that 36 full coal trains and 36 empty coal trains pass thru each day moving to and from the Wyoming coal fields.
We also went to the Lincoln Co. Historical Museum, home of the famous WWII Canteen.
Women in the community worked hard to make soldiers passing through on the way to war feel welcome. They provided food, baked goods and hot coffee including birthday cakes.
There is also a Western Heritage Museum and village including a Sears Roebuck Catalog house costing $2,300. complete. There is also a section telling of the life and accomplishments of William Jeffers one time president of the Union Pacific Railroad. Mr. Jeffers also became known as the Rubber Czar for his work in developing the synthetic rubber program during WWII.

Thursday August 28th we left North Platte and traveled east to Minden NE and the Harold Warp Pioneer Village Museum and RV Park. Mr. Warp was a collector’s collector. He made his money by developing and manufacturing plastic film and related products.
Pioneer Village has more than 50,000 items covering just about everything you can think of concerning America progress since 1830 to the present. The exhibits are located in 28 buildings on twenty acres. This is nicely laid out in a village theme and also includes a 350 seat restaurant, motel and campground. We spent about seven hours over two days and could have spent longer, but we are about museumed out.

Friday we also went into Kearney and visited the Great Platte River Road Archway. This structure spans I-80 and is the only museum to be built across an interstate highway. Audio/visual effects trace the development of the American west exhibits of pioneers, the transcontinental railroad, the Lincoln Highway US-30 and finally I-80.

Idaho Falls to Douglas, WY

Monday August 4th we left Idaho Falls and traveled west to the little town of Arco ID home of the first Atomic Power Plant in the US and also Craters of the Moon Natl. Park.
After getting set up at the KOA we went down to the Craters of the Moon. This is 750 acres of lava flow from a Volcano that last erupted 2000 years ago. It sure is a weird looking area. We drove a seven mile loop road through the lava flow. One place where there was a vent there was still snow down in the hole.

Tuesday we toured the EBR Atomic Power Plant which first generated usable electricity in 1951 and furnished electricity for the town of Arco. This facility known as the Idaho National Laboratory does a lot of experimental work for military and homeland security. They also operate one of the largest areas to dispose of nuclear waste. The waste from Three Mile Island was transported here.

Wednesday August 6th we left Arco and moved south to Twin Falls ID. We went in town to the visitor’s center located on the canyon rim of the Snake River. The bridge over the Canyon is 750 feet above the water and there were “Base Jumpers” parachuting off the bridge down onto the river bank below. We watched eight different jumpers while we were there. From the visitors center you can also see the ramp Evil Knievel used in his 1974 attempt to jump the canyon.

Thursday we went to the Twin Falls which are claimed to be 50 feet higher than Niagara Falls. They are nice, but not as impressive as Niagara.

Friday we took our bikes and rode the canyon rim trail. Later we went to the mall and checked out the Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Saturday August 9th we left Twin Falls and headed back to Wyoming with stops at Brigham City, UT and Rock Springs WY.

Monday we left Rock Springs and traveled east to Rawlins, WY and the Western Hills RV Park.

Tuesday we toured the Wyoming Frontier Prison in Rawlins. This prison was used from 1903 until 1982. The tour included the cell blocks, kitchen and dining area, gas chamber and gallows.

After the prison tour we took the car and went to Fort Fred Steele State Historic site.
This Fort was on the North Platte River and was built to protect the railroad from the Indians. The fort was in operation from 1868 thru 1886. This area is now used as cattle and sheep ranching.

On the way back to Rawlins we drove by a large Sinclair oil refinery in a town of the same name.

Wednesday August 13th we left Rawlins and traveled north to Casper, WY stopping on the way at Independence Rock which is located on the old Oregon, California and Mormon Trail. Here thousands of immigrants passed here and carved their names in the granite rock. This landmark marked one third of the way on their 2,000 mile trek to their destinations. You can still see wagon ruts near the base of the rock.

After arriving at Casper and getting set up we went to the Historic Trails Interpretive Center. This is a great center showing the history of the trials and tribulations of the emigrants traveling west to new lives. They had a movie and many nice displays showing the obstacles encountered on the way west.

We then went to Fort Caspar on the North Platte River where there is the reconstructed fort along with replicas of the old toll bridge and ferry emigrants used to cross the river.

Thursday August 14th we left Casper and moved east forty miles to Douglas, WY.
At Douglas we visited Ft. Fetterman which was one of the forts built to protect the Bozeman Trail which went up through the Powder River Basin. After the trail was closed in 1867 the forts were decommissioned.

We then went over to Ayers Natural Bridge State Park, which is a natural arch in the stone over LaPrele Creek. This is a beautiful park in a red rock canyon. This park is located just off I-25.

Friday August 15th we took a ride to the Oregon Trail Ruts National Historic site near Guernsey WY. These are the deepest wagon ruts of the trail system, cut into solid rock at a location to avoid fording the North Platte River. We also went to Register Cliff another site where many emigrants cut their names into the rock surface.

From Register Cliff we went to Fort Laramie Nat’l Historic Site. This fort served as a staging area for both peaceful and hostile dealings with the plains Indians including Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

Saturday we went into Douglas and the Railroad Interpretive Center located at the old, but nicely restored Railroad Depot. They have several restored rail cars plus a large steam locomotive on display. Douglas was once the end of the line on what is now the Casper spur.

Monday August 18th we visited the Pioneer Museum in Douglas. This is a very nice museum with an amazing amount of displays. In the afternoon we did laundry.

Fort Bridger to Idaho Falls

Saturday July 26th we went to the post office and got our mail. We then went back up on White Mt. to see the horses again. We didn’t see any this time and we continued on the mountain road and into Green River WY. Green River has a major Union Pacific RR switch yard. There is a walkway over the tracks where we watched them break down and make up trains.

Sunday we left Rock Springs and moved west to Lyman, WY near Ft. Bridger State Park which was established originally by mountain man Jim Bridger as a trading post and later as an Army fort to protect travelers on the California and Mormon trail. This is a real nice and informative site.

Monday we moved on west to Evanston, WY. where we stayed at Phillips RV Park. We visited a real nice museum and the train station and roundhouse that is being restored.

Tuesday July 29th we traveled on to Brigham City, UT and the Golden Spike RV Park. We arrived here early in the afternoon and took time to wash the car and look around town.

Wednesday we went to the Golden Spike National Monument where the first transcontinental railroad was completed. The Union Pacific was laying track from Omaha, NE and the Central Pacific was doing the same from Sacramento, CA. On May 10th 1869 the two Companies met at Promontory Summit, Utah. The Central Pacific laid 690 miles of track and the Union Pacific 1,086. They had crossed 1776 miles of desert, rivers and mountains to bind together East and West.
We also came upon a rocket assembly and test site near Promontory. It is an ATK facility, and they have number of different rockets on display.
This part of Utah is irrigated agriculture. There are many acres of hay, corn and wheat grown in this area.

Thursday July 31st we left Brigham City and moved north Pocatello ID. and the Cowboy RV Park. We took a ride to American Falls Dam on the Snake River and saw many acres of Idaho potatoes along the way.


Friday we left Pocatello and moved on north to Idaho Falls and the Snake River RV Park.
After getting set up we went down town and did some sightseeing and stopped at the Outback Steak House for an Onion Mum.

Saturday we took a ride up through Rexburg and over to the Tetons. We had never seen the west side of the Tetons. Since we were this close we decided to drive over to Jackson, WY for lunch. It’s a nice drive over Teton Pass with the car; it wouldn’t be as nice with the motor home. (ten percent grades). It was a great drive over and back. We saw miles and miles of potatoes, Barley and wheat along the way.

Sunday we went to Wal-Mart and Sandy got her hair cut and then we looked around town some more.

Lander to Rock Springs

Sunday July 20th we’re still at Lander and we went up to the cemetery where Chief Washakie who was a highly respected friend of the white man is buried. Chief Washakie lived to be over one hundred years old and was chief of the Shoshone for more than sixty years.
Also nearby is Sacagawea’s gravesite and memorial which is a life-size bronze of her.

Monday we went for a tour of the Eagle Bronze Foundry in Lander. This is a very prestigious company that produces some of the largest bronze sculptures in the world.
They have produced for many companies, cities and states including Dallas TX, New York City and businesses including Cabelas. After the foundry tour we went through their gallery and saw more of their finished products.

Tuesday we returned to South Pass and visited The Willie Handcart Co. Monument which is dedicated to the seventy-five members of the group headed for Utah who lost their lives in an early October 1856 winter storm. This is another spot where you can still see the wagon ruts of the westward migration.

Wednesday July 23rd we left Lander and traveled southwest over the Great Divide to Rock Springs, WY

Thursday we took a beautiful ride (about 150 miles) around the Flaming Gorge Nat’l Recreation Area which is partly in Wyoming and partly in Utah. This includes the dam on the Green river which forms a ninety-one mile long reservoir with many scenic vistas including deep canyons and mountain meadows. It is a beautiful area.

Friday we went up behind our campground at Rock Springs on a road that makes the back side of Little Bear Creek look like a turnpike to see some of the wild horses that live in this area. We got to see eighteen horses in groups of two to eight. It makes you wonder how they thrive with only high desert plants to eat, but they look healthy and reproduce as we saw three colts with them.

Cody to Lander

Monday July 14th our 6th day at Cody we caught up on laundry and housecleaning, then went downtown and took a walk.

Tuesday we took a ride up the Shoshone River southwest of Cody. This was another pretty drive on a sixty mile deadend road that takes you past some beautiful ranches and up into the mountains. We thought we would see more wildlife, but we only saw 5 or 6 mule deer and a few antelope.

Wednesday we left Cody and moved down to Thermopolis WY. and the Eagle RV Park.
We went in town to the Prospector Restaurant and had a good Italian dinner. We then went into the Hot Springs State Park where they claim to have the worlds largest hot springs. They have public bathhouses where the water is 104 degrees. The sulfur odor didn’t appeal to us so we didn’t go in the water.
Thursday we went back in town and went to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center where there are many exhibits of the fossils that have been discovered and retrieved from the digs in Wyoming and surrounding states.

Friday July 18th we left Thermopolis and traveled south through the Wind River Canyon to Lander and Sleeping Bear RV Park. which is located on a hill overlooking downtown Lander with snowcapped mountains in the background.
After getting settled in the campground we took a ride to the site of the former Fort Washakie and the burial site of Sacagawea who guided the Lewis and Clark expedition.
We then stopped at the Museum of the West in downtown Lander which is still a work in progress, but will be great when completed.

Saturday we took a ride up through Sinks Canyon State Park where you witness the mystery of the Po Po Agie River disappearing into the side of the mountain and reappearing one quarter of a mile down the mountain two and one quarter hours later.(checked with dye)
From there we traveled on up the canyon and over the top of the mountain which was dotted with numerous lakes and beautiful scenery. This road descends the south side of the mountain onto Wyoming Rt. 28 near South Pass WY. which is a twenty mile wide gap through the Rocky Mountains and is where the Oregon, Mormon and California Trails as well as the Pony Express went through the mountains. It’s pretty interesting to stand on the tracks where thousands of wagons passed on there way west.
We visited Atlantic City so named because it’s located on the Atlantic side of the great divide. From there we traveled west several miles to South Pass City where there are the remains of a gold mine which the state is in the midst of restoring and adding a museum as well as a town restoration.

Cody Wyoming

Thursday July 19th we left Deer Park in Buffalo and traveled across the Big Horns (Rt 16) and made our way to Cody, WY This is a beautiful drive but lot turns and six percent grade for eighteen miles going up and then down but the scenery is worth it. We arrived in Cody and the Ponderosa RV Park About 3:00 PM and got settled in.
This is a very nice park and is close to all the downtown attractions.

Friday we took a ride north up the Chief Joseph Highway and up over the Beartooth Pass
(10,947’) where we saw lots of snow and more breath taking scenery. This is some of the best scenery since Alaska. We went on north to Red Lodge, MT where we had lunch and browsed a couple of shops. We then returned to Cody by the same route and took in the views from the other direction.

Saturday we went to the Buffalo Bill Historical Museum. This complex has five separate museums under one roof (Buffalo Bill, Natural History, Plains Indians, Western Art and the Cody Firearms Museum.) We were here four years ago and this visit was just as interesting as the first time. After dinner we went to the Cody Rodeo.

Sunday we returned to the Buffalo Bill Museum and finished what we didn’t see on Saturday. Later we went to the Proud Cut Saloon and had dinner. We then walked down to the Irma Hotel (Built by Buffalo Bill and named for his daughter) and sat and listened to a country band perform.

Buffalo, WY and the Bighorn Mtns.

We left Gillette Sunday and traveled west to Buffalo, WY and the Deer Park Campground. We stayed here four years ago when we were passing through.
Monday we took a ride down to Kacee and over to Sussex and took a back road up the old Bozeman Trail which led us back up to Buffalo. This was a beautiful ride with several historical sites along the way and the Bighorn mountains in view off to the west.
We saw numerous deer and antelope along the way. At one point we had to stop and wait for some cowboys to drive a herd of cattle up the road to new pasture.

On Tuesday we took a ride up in the Bighorns with the intention of driving down Crazy Woman Canyon, but after going about half way down we found men working on the road and they said the road would be closed for up to two hours and there were also ranchers driving cattle up the road further down. We decided to turn around and go back the way we came, We then took a ride on up to Powder River Pass which is 9,660 ft. and there is still lots of snow up there.
From there we returned to Buffalo and visited a real nice museum and then stopped at the old Occidental Hotel and had a drink at the same bar as Butch Cassidy, The Sundance Kid, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill and numerous others drank and stayed while in town.

On Wednesday we went to Fort Fetterman and the Wagon Box Battlefield on the old Bozeman Trail. We then went on to the town of Story, WY which is a neat little town with great General Store Restaurant with most anything you can imagine in it.
From there we went to Big Horn WY and Bradford Brinton Ranch Museum, which is at the foot of the Big Horn mountains with an awesome view of the mountains. The museum is filled with Russel and Remington paintings. The ranch house is still filled with 1920s and 30s furnishings.
We then drove on up to Sheridan and checked out the main street. This is the first time we actually stopped in Sheridan which is really a progressive town with lots of activity on the streets. There Rodeo is to start tomorrow.

Gillette Escapade

We have had a busy week attending seminars, meeting old friends and making new ones.
Sandy and Sharon went to beading classes one day and tatting classes the next.
We went out to eat with our Iowa friends Tuesday night. There was entertainment at the Escapade every night.
On Friday July 4th we went down town and watched the parade and then went to a Hot Dog Feed the town put on. This was free for the public, everyone got two hot dogs, chips and soda. In the evening there was an excellent fireworks display right here at Cam-Plex, so we had a busy day.
Sharon left for PA Saturday at 6:00 am. And we just took it easy and did some cleaning and maintenance. Sunday we will leave here and move on west to Buffalo, WY. where we will settle for a few days and tour with the car from there.

Hart Ranch

While here at Hart Ranch we have had entertainment at the activity center and card games at night. There are lots of activities right here at the park.
Tuesday we went to Fuddruckers for lunch with our Iowa friends Lloyd and Bert Christiansen and Jerry and JoAnn Putz.

Wednesday the Christiansen’s and us went to Spearfish Canyon, Lead and Deadwood and then to Custer State Park where we saw buffalo, pronghorns, deer and turkeys. We stopped at the Alpine Restaurant in Hill City for dinner and returned to the park by way of Keystone and got a look at Mt. Rushmore.

We have been to most of these places before but they are so interesting and beautiful it’s like going for the first time. We will leave here Friday and move west to Sundance WY. where we will meet Sharon on Saturday to go on to the Gillette Escapade.

Wyoming 2008 Part 2

We left Elkhart campground Sat June 14th and traveled west to Davenport Iowa and the Interstate RV Park. We learned I-80 was closed westbound due to flooding. There was a detour north to Dubuque then west to I-35 and south to Des Moines and back on !-80. We decided to leave Davenport Monday morning, but due to the severity of the flooding we decided to continue on north into Minnesota and I-90. We saw some major flooding on our way across the state. We spent the night at Hayward, MN.

Tuesday we traveled west to Mitchell, SD. And the R & R RV Park. Wednesday we went to the Corn Palace where the building is decorated with ears of corn. This corn is changed every year with a new theme. This year the theme is “Everyday Heroes” When we were here in 2004 it was “Lewis and Clark”. We then went to the Cabelas’ store and helped their economy.

Thursday June 19th we traveled on west to Hart Ranch RV Resort at Rapid City, SD. This is the third time we have been here and this may be our favorite park in the whole country. We will be here for a week and then it will be time to meet Sharon and go on to the Escapee’s Escapade in Gillette, WY. next Saturday.

Wyoming 2008

Wyoming Summer 08

We left Farragut on Monday June 9th after a nice visit with family and friends. We will spend the summer in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Idaho.
We traveled as far as Mercer, PA the first day.

Tuesday we moved on west to the Elkhart Campground. We planned on spending two days at Elkhart, but due to stormy weather in Iowa we decided to wait until Saturday to move further west. The Indiana chapters of the Holiday Ramblers are having a rally here so there is lots of activity here. The weather has been very nice here so far and we are hoping the weather will clear long enough for us to get across Iowa and Nebraska.

We will try to leave here Saturday morning

Florida 2007-08

Wednesday Dec. 12th we left Rainbow Plantation, AL. and traveled across the Florida panhandle to the Ho-Hum RV Park at Carrabelle FL. This is a real nice park right on the gulf with sites facing the water.

Thursday we moved on south to Silver Springs and Wilderness RV Park where we visited with Jim and Sue Straub, Holiday Rambler full timers we first met in Colorado in 2004. They own a lot here now and are spending all winter here. This is a very nice park.
Saturday we moved on south to Bushnell and the Escapees Sumpter Oaks RV Park.
We found several of our friends here including our Iowa friends Lloyd and Bert Christiansen and Jerry and Joann Putz.

While at Bushnell we toured the surrounding area, including Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park where we saw a nice display of Florida’s Wildlife including manatees. Another day we went to Disney World with the Christiansen’s and Putz’s.
We spent Christmas and New Years here and had nice meals at the club house both days.
There are lots of activities at the park and surrounding areas.

Sunday January 20th we left Bushnell and moved up to Ocala where Sandy was scheduled to take the RV Driving Course which is an eight hour course over two days including classroom and hands on driving. This was a great class with a very good instructor. Sandy did real well and it was a great confidence builder. There was an excellent place to practice turning and backing nearby so we stayed an extra day here and Sandy practiced some more while everything was fresh in her mind. The name of the Company is the
RV Driving School owned by Dennis Hill and we highly recommend them if anyone wants professional training.

Friday January 25th we left Ocala and moved to Outdoor Resorts at Clermont where we visited with Earl and Dottie Wharton friends from Mifflinburg, PA. We went to Disney in the evening to see the fireworks and light parade.
Sunday we went to church service and out for dinner with Whartons.

Tuesday January 29th we left Clermont and moved south to Zolfo Springs and the Escapee’s RV Resort where we stayed for two months. We had a great time visiting most all the attractions and towns in the south-central area of Florida. One day we went over to North Port and had lunch with cousin Lin McClain and had a nice visit. We also checked out many of the RV Resorts in the area for future reference. We took part in many of the activities at the resort, went to the Florida Fly wheelers antique farm equipment show, went to see the space shuttle lift off from Kennedy Space Center and visited the winter headquarters of the Royal Lipizzan Stallions which was a great show.

Monday March 31st we left Zolfo Springs and moved south to Fort Myers and Siesta Bay RV Resort. While here we spent some time on the beach, visited the Edison Ford Museum and laboratory and did general sightseeing. We also had a nice visit with Harold and Susan Burns, friends who moved to Cape Coral some years ago.

Tuesday April 8th we left Ft. Myers and traveled across the Everglades to Homestead FL and the Goldcoaster RV Resort. While here we took the beautiful drive out to Key West and did the trolley tour around the city. We had a very enjoyable day in this neat city and the drive out the keys was great.

Friday April 11th we left Homestead and moved north to Port St. Lucie and Outdoor Resorts St. Lucie Resort. While at the Tampa RV Show in January we received a coupon foe three free nights at this resort. This is a beautiful luxury resort with lots selling from $125,000 to $200,000 dollars. Needless to say we didn’t buy a lot, but it’s nice to see how the other half lives. While we were here we went up to Vero Beach and had lunch and a nice visit with Harry and Carol Ridell who live in Allenwood, PA and spend winters in Vero Beach.

Monday April 14th we moved up to Jetty Park at Cape Canaveral where we could see cruise ships go in and out of port from our campsite. This is a great park with a nice beach and fishing pier. One morning we just missed a submarine go out. We went to the famous Dixie Crossroads for seafood on night.

Friday April 18th we moved on north to St. Augustine and Stagecoach RV Park. We took the trolley tour and got to see and learn the history of the oldest city in the US. We had never been here before and it was real interesting.

Sunday April 20th we traveled north to Santee Lakes Campground in Summerton SC. where we spent the night.

Monday April 21st we moved on over to Myrtle Beach and Apache Campground where we had a site right on the beach. While here we traveled up and down the Grand Strand which is miles and miles of stores and restaurants. We also had a nice visit with Bob and Ollie Salines, our daughter in law Michelle’s parents.

Thursday April 24th we left Myrtle Beach and traveled north to Ashland VA where we stopped for the day.

Friday we returned to Farragut, PA arriving about 4:00 PM. PA is beautiful in the spring and it’s great to see the kids. We will be here a few weeks before heading for Wyoming.