June 9, 2011 House of Interest

Larry, my brother, had a painting business from which he retired. A property near Gettysburg, Pa. was in need of painting and Larry had been asked by a friend if he would do the job. Being the person that Larry is, he agreed. The house is quite unique and intriquing. Larry had told Tom and I about this place and said that we should come up one day to see it. Yesterday morning we arranged to meet Joanne so she could show us the way to this place. Driving into the property there is a large barn and other farm buildings with the house located at the top of a hill beyond the farm buildings. The house was built in the 1930's but outwardly looks newer than that time. It is a stone structure on one level plus the basement. Inside the house there are, I believe, 4 units each consisting of a bedroom with a fireplace and a bathroom and several, also, have a living room. The exterior walls looked to be at least a foot thick, exterior doors were 2.5-3 inches thick. In a central area was a large kitchen. In the basement there were a large walk-in freezer and refrigerator and a huge water tank probably 3o feet long and 8-10 feet in diameter. One side of the basement had garage doors that cars could be pulled into the basement. The basement windows were all bricked up. The known people that lived here when first built were a German man and wife by the name of Lovejoy. Pictures have been found of Lovejoy in German military uniform. Aerial view of the house looks very much like a swastika. The Lovejoys were said to stay to themselves not having any interactions with the neighbors. Mr. Lovejoy died of a sudden heartattack and Mrs. Lovejoy ended her days in a nursing home. The last owner was a Sterner connected to Snyder's of Hanover. The present owner/group is rehabbing the property for a business venture of some sort.
There seems to be a mystery about this property and just what it was used for. Speculations are there was some sort of spy operation from here. The structure suggests that they were prepared for a major distructive act should it occur. The prior owners had painted the rooms very bright colors that often did not contast well together. The colors that Larry is painting are various shades of browns and terra cotta reds. It will be a beautiful house once the renovations are completed. The location is beautiful- situated on a hill the views are of rolling tree cover hills, wildlife is frequently seen and this will be a haven for them.


The property is loaded with security. As soon as we drove into the driveway of the house we were followed. Larry working in the house heard reports of our driving up the driveway and knew we were on the way up. Throughout the house are security cameras and a sophisticated system of cataloging folks that come onto the property.

June 7,2011- June Traveling Americans Weekend

Friday, June 3rd, Tom and I left home once again for a weekend of camping with the Traveling Americans. This was the 5th weekend straight that we had been away for the weekend. We went about 160 miles to Sandy Hills campground on the Eastern shore of Maryland. Sandy Hills campground is an old facility with many permanent sites but it is located on the Nanticoke River which is quite a picturesque area. Larry and Joanne had gone down earlier in the week to attend Joanne's granddaughter's graduation from high school. Before we arrived they had contacted us and said not to stop for lunch that they had lunch for us when we got there. So shortly after noon when we got to the campground we had a lunch of steamed crabs and corn-on-the-cob. How nice! There were only 5 units in attendence this weekend with 1 of the units being guests of another unit. Several of the members had graduations of grandchildren this weekend. Friday evening Larry, Joanne, Tom and I went out to dinner at a local restaurant Boonies which had an outside patio area called the Tiki Bar that we were seated.

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

It was a really nice evening for eating outdoors. Good food, good company and a nice atmosphere could not ask for anything better.
Saturday morning the Hagans, Libby and Dave, and Larry and Joanne, hosts for the weekend, had a continental style breakfast of hard boiled eggs, doughnuts, English muffins, fruit and juice and coffee. During the day we all went in different directions exploring the area. Tom and I went down to Crisfield, Maryland by way of a road that crossed a river at Whitehaven with a small 6 passenger, up to 3 cars free ferry.

From 2011-06-05 Eastern Shore Weekend

Crisfield is indeed a fishing area. We stopped at the town pier and watched folks fishing and crabbing before grabbing a bite to eat at a restaurant in town.

From 2011-06-05 Eastern Shore Weekend

From 2011-06-05 Eastern Shore Weekend

For dinner Libby Hagan had made reservations for the group at another local restaurant, the Red Roost. Unfortunately, it was only the Hagans and Tom and I that went since others had other plans but we still had a nice evening with good food.
Sunday morning we again enjoyed a continental style breakfast and then the others packed up to go home. Tom and I decided to stay Sunday night and leave on Monday- we felt the traffic crossing the bay bridge would be better. After the others had left Tom and I again went for a drive out to Deal Island, and again we had to take the ferry at Whitehaven. Before getting on the ferry we stopped at an old school in Whitehaven that a flower sale was going on and I purchased a Bleeding Heart and a small pot od basil.

From 2011-06-05 Eastern Shore Weekend

From 2011-06-05 Eastern Shore Weekend

After our drive to Deal Island, we drove into Salisbury for dinner at a Mexican restaurant. As we were heading back towards the campground we saw signs about blueberry picking and decided to stop. It was late afternoon so we were told that we only had 15 minutes to pick as they were closing at 4pm. So we took a little bucket and picked for 15 minutes and had all the berries that we wanted. The bushes were really loaded with berries and they are real tasty.

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

After returning to the campground I walked out to the waters edge to see a very pretty sunset.
Monday morning we packed up and headed for home. It was cloudy on the Eastern shore but sunny on the Western shore. The traffic was light going across the bay bridge. We hit some areas of congested traffic around the Baltimore beltway which is not unusual.
We are now home for a spell. It was fun going out these past several weekends camping with the various groups of folks but it feels good not to be facing another weekend for a spell. We now have time to do other things besides mowing grass at home.

June 1, 2011 Maryland Samboree

A week ago today, Wednesday, we left home and traveled the 25 miles to Frederick Fair Grounds in Frederick, Maryland for the Maryland Good Sam Samboree. We went in early to help getting things readied for the weekend. Woody and Linda Woodruff, members of the Traveling Americans, also came in on Wednesday. Wednesday afternoon we walked around tables with pamphlets and trinkets filling the "goody bags" that are given to the Samboree attendees upon arrival. In the evening a group of about 12or more went to a local restaurant, Mountain View Diner, for dinner.
Thursday was arrival day for "early birds". We made a run to Sam's Club to pick up some items for ourselves. More of the Traveling Americans arrived on this day- Art and Joy Welsh, Bill and Rita Fordham, Bruce and Cricket McGinnis, and Ed and Barb Perry. In the evening our group walked across the street to the Moose Club for dinner. A husband and wife retired schoolteachers provided the entertainment in the evening. We won a door prize of a $25.00 gift certificate to Lohr's Diner.
Friday morning Tom, Bruce McGinnis, Bill Fordham and Ed Perry went to play a round of golf. So without husbands around the wives just spent a leisurely morning. In the afternoon Cricket, Rita and I joined a walking 2.5 hour tour of Frederick. We had taken a tour with a different tour guide once before that we felt had done a better job with keeping the tour moving but it was a nice way to spend the afternoon. As we were headed back we passed an ice cream store, the 3 of us decided that we were leaving the tour at that point and stopping for a treat. As others saw what we were doing they also opted to make the stop. Returning back to the fair grounds the golfers had returned and then we went to a local diner within walking distance for dinner, Lohr's Diner, (we used our $25.00 gift certificate). Opening ceremonies were held in the evening in which Tom and I carried the Traveling American flag.
Saturday and Sunday we had various activities at the Samboree- flea market, a parade of sorts with folks dressing in costume according to the theme of "Nursery Rhymes", a Chinese auction and a few seminars and fewer vendors. Sunday morning there was a pancake breakfast which I got up early (6:15am) to help with the mixing of the pancake batter. Tom and I received patches for the Triboree (attending West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland Samborees) as well as a flower patch for attending 10Samborees. Patches are the awards given out by Good Sams. We have accumulated quite a few but have not decided just what to do with them. Most folks have vests that the patches are sewn onto and then worn at Samborees. Bill and Rita Fordham unfortunately received word that a family member had died causing them to leave on Sunday.
Monday morning was closing ceremonies and then we all departed scattering to all directions to home or elsewheres. We came home to a yard that needed to be mowed.
Again this week we will be home until the weekend and then we will be going camping with the Traveling Americans.

Monday, May 23, 2011 The Virginia Samboree

Thursday, the 26th, we drove to Urbanna, Virginia to BethPage Campground for the Virginia Samboree, our first time of being in this area.  It was about a 200 mile trip taking about 4.5 hours.  Driving into BethPage Campground almost took my breath away with the beauty of the campground.  Pretty ponds or lakes were at the entrance way, a huge water park and an overall neat and clean environment.  Other members of the Traveling Americans, the Woodruff’s and McGinnis’,

From 2011-05-21 Virginia Samboree

arrived a little later in the day.  We were fortunate to be able to be parked together.  Thursday evening the McGinnis’ and us , the Woodruff’s did not arrive until late, went into Urbana for dinner at Cafe Mojo.  Dinners were very good although a little pricey.  Tom and I each had a shrimp and scallop pesto penne pasta- very flavorful, had 3 scallops and 3 shrimps- for $24.00. 

Friday we walked about the common area of the Samboree checking out the vendors and talking with other attendees.  The 3 couples of us went into Urbana for lunch at a cafe.  In the afternoon, Tom and I and the McGinnis’ and about 40 others took a boat ride offered by the campground. 

From 2011-05-21 Virginia Samboree

The boat ride took us from the campground to the town of Urbana’s marina

From 2011-05-21 Virginia Samboree

and along areas of some big beautiful houses. 

From 2011-05-21 Virginia Samboree

For supper we had hot dogs, beans, and chips and drink at the Samboree.  The official opening ceremonies was held after supper.   Our entertainment was to have been a talk about “Dogs for the Deaf”, an organization that Good Sam supports, but the spokesperson was unable to attend.  A teenage girl entertained with her guitar and voice unfortunately the sound system was only a PA system.

Saturday morning started with a biscuit and gravy breakfast which Tom and I choose to skip eat our own food.   There were some seminars offered but it seemed that all were product oriented (can you say informercials?) so we did not attend.  The vendors were open for business – we had our names embroidered on denim shirts and jackets that have our club logo on.  We also purchased a picnic table and bench covers. And I got a new purse.  A flea market was held around lunchtime with folks trying sell off unwanted goods.  For $2.00 we bought 2 large plastic containers – something that I had been looking for to store my Wii.  Several Virginia Chapters were selling food for lunch.  We had a pulled pork sandwich with chips and cole slaw.  A Chinese auction was held and we did not get anything – just another donation made.  Mid afternoon there was to be a parade – we went and found that we had missed it- but we were shown 2 pictures of the only 2 groups in the parade.  Parade contestants are expected to dress in costume for the rally theme, the theme for this rally was the Samboree’s 35th Anniversary, not an easy theme to costume.  After missing the parade we went to the cakewalk which is really not a walk at all.  Participants sit in a circle and for a quarter given a paper plate with a number on it, the plates are passed around in time to music, the music stops, a number is drawn and the person with that number on their plate wins the cake or cookies. 

From 2011-05-21 Virginia Samboree

Tom was not a winner but I won a pineapple upside down cake.  Bruce McGinnis won a gingerbread.   We had a dinner of barbeque chicken, beans, corn, salad and corn bread and dessert  in the evening.  The entertainment on this evening was the Larkin Family- Dad, Mom and 2 daughters- from Nashville, Tenn.  Good entertainment. 

Sunday morning after eating breakfast in the motorhome we packed up and got ready to get on the road.  We did not stay for the closing ceremony as it would have been after 11am before we would have started our 4 to 5 hour drive home.  The weather was nice all weekend, just a few sprinkles of rain at times.  The campground was very nice but we learned is quite expensive- we were charged $49.00 for Thursday night.  Some folks wanted to stay over on Sunday and were told it would be $75.00 for that night but the campground did back down to give the $49.00 rally rate for Sunday also.  I know there are wonderful amenities at this campground but $75.00 for a campsite seems out of sight.

Next weekend the Maryland Samboree in Frederick, Maryland- much closer to home.

West Virginia Samboree

Last Thursday, May 12th, we traveled to Mineral Wells, West Virginia for the West Virginia Samboree. Mineral Wells is about 300 miles to the west near Parkersburg, W.V. and Marietta, Ohio. Our route of travel was through mountainous regions of western Maryland and West Virginia. It was interesting that one area in Maryland along Keyser's Ridge near Frostburg had trees that had not produced leaves yet. All other areas had trees in full foliage. The rally was held at a fairground near Mineral Wells. Because of the recent rainy weather in that area the grounds were a little soggy. Luckily, we were parked parallel to a roadway on solid ground. For dinner on Thursday a potluck meal was planned so I hurriedly found some chili beans in my food supplies, added some smoked sausage, green peppers and onions and had a dish to take for potluck. There are always so many interesting foods to sample at these meals.
Since the Samboree does not officially start until Friday evening we went exploring the area during the day. Coldwater Creek, a line of women's clothing, has a distribution center in the area so we stop at the Clearence Center so I could do a little shopping.

From West Virginia Weekend

Parkersburg had a farmer's market in the downtown area but since it is early in the season there was little to choose from. From the market we walked to a Jimmy John's sandwich shop for lunch. After lunch we drove a little north of Parkersburg to the Fenton Glass Factory. This factory continues to make beautiful glassware as it has for many years, piece by piece, some molded and some blown.

From West Virginia Weekend

It is a dying art as glassware is being mass produced and sold for less money. We took a tour of the factory which is free, and then we browsed through the gift shop.

From West Virginia Weekend

After returning back to the motorhome and eating dinner in (a soup bean, yes that is how it was named, and cornbread supper was available), we went to the opening cermonies and evening entertainment, The Steve Hussey Band, a local Parkersburg group, performed with a variety of music.
Saturday morning we had a pancake and sausage breakfast, went to a meeting for first timers to the West Virginia Samboree and then went out again to explore the area. We drove across the Ohio River to Marietta, Ohio. Along the river a tow boat was being restored.

From West Virginia Weekend

At one time the Ohio river had quite a bit of commerce boat traffic. The tow boats were used to tow barges on the river. The underground railroad was active in this area as slaves crossed into Ohio, a non slave state. After a lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Marietta we went to another area along the Muskingum river, a tributary of the Ohio, where an old railroad bridge has a pedestrian bridge that we were able to walk on.

From West Virginia Weekend

Crossing the bridge took us into the old section of Marietta originally called Harmar. There were a few shops in this old section. We went into the soda shop that had Coca-Cola memorabilia and a old fashion looking soda shop where lunches could be purchased. We opted for an ice cream cone.

From West Virginia Weekend

Back at the Samboree in the evening we ate a baked steak dinner and then had entertainment by another local musical group that also had a variety of music.
Donuts and coffee were offered for Friday and Sunday breakfast but we choose to eat our cereal instead. After eating breakfast on Sunday morning we packed up and left before the closing ceremonies. Possible heavy rain was predicted and our motorhome has problems with water ingestion in heavy rain and we had almost 300 miles to travel so we didn't want to hang around until after 11am to start home. As it was we did hit some showers of rain but nothing real heavy that caused us any problems. The weekend was a nice time. The West Virginians are a friendly, fun group of folks. The area is a very pretty, green, hilly area. The weather was cloudy for the most part, warmer than we expected,with a few brief showers of rain.

May 11, 2011 Derby is Over, On to West Virginia

Last weekend we were in Lancaster, Pa. at the Old Mill Stream campground with the Traveling Americans group. Thirteen rigs were in attendance, a nice turnout.

From 2011-05-07 Kentucky Derby Weekend

Friday evening we were on our own for dinner. Tom and I along with my brother, Larry and Joanne, went to the Revere Tavern for dinner. Saturday morning the hosts for the weekend provided doughnuts and coffee for a continental breakfast. After breakfast we all scatter in different directions doing whatever. But we started gathering together in the late afternoon and then for dinner we had the derby specialty, Burgoo, a stew type dish in which we all contributed to the ingredients.

From 2011-05-07 Kentucky Derby Weekend

It was tasty and quite filling. Most of the ladies donned their fashionable hats and the men also had some interesting toppers.

From 2011-05-07 Kentucky Derby Weekend

From 2011-05-07 Kentucky Derby Weekend

Prior to the derby some bets were placed but no one placed a bet on the winner.

From 2011-05-07 Kentucky Derby Weekend

Sunday morning we gathered together for a pot luck breakfast that was supposed to be prepared by the men because afterall it was Mother's Day.
Tomorrow we are leaving again for the weekend. Because of the distance we are allowing an extra day to get out to the far reaches of Mineral Wells, West Virginia near the Ohio state line. The West Virginia Samboree is being held at this location and we have never been to their Samboree. The number of Maryland folks going out has dwindled because of the distance. I'm looking forward to this trip as it is in an area that we just passed through but have not spent any time at. The weather has just been about perfect the past several days and I'm hoping good weather will continue through the weekend.

Preparing for the Derby

Our feet are itching to get out in the motorhome. We've spent a couple of weeks home and now it feels like its time to move again. We had a nice Easter Day with family. Todd, Beth and Parker and Larry and Joanne came to our house for the day. Parker had an Easter egg hunt and then kept Grandpa occupied outside much of the day.

From Easter 2011-04-24

Last weekend Tom and I went down to Todd and Beth's to be with Parker Saturday evening as they went to Richmond for the races. So we have gotten a pretty good grandparenting fix. We were sorry that Maddy and Anthony were not there but they had other family to be with.
This weekend we are going to the "derby", no not the Kentucky Derby. We are camping with our Traveling American group near Lancaster, Pa. and the theme is the Kentucky Derby. Saturday evening we are having a derby meal(a stew called Burgoo and I'm supplying the potatoes) and are to dress for the derby. This evening I made a hat to wear. I'm anxious to see the hats the other ladies will be wearing. Tom has located an appropriate hat for the occasion, also, but his lacks the charm of mine. The weekend should be especially nice for the ladies as Sunday is Mother's Day and the men are preparing the potluck breakfast. That seems only fair when the ladies do most of the fixing at the other times.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Busy, busy week! After getting home last Saturday from our winter's journey one would think that we might stay home for a spell but that was not the case. Last Sunday we drove down to northern Virginia to visit Todd, Beth and our 3 grandchildren- Maddy, Anthony and Parker. We had a nice visit and dinner together at a local restaurant. We also got our mail that had been forwarded to them. As the week started we got back into our routine of being home- going to the Senior Center in the mornings to workout, our daily housekeeping chores and Tom's runs to the fire station for calls. Friday a wet rainy day we loaded the motorhome up again and took off for a short trip to Walkersville, Md.- 18 miles away. The Maryland Good Sam's had their annual President's weekend and since Tom is president of our Traveling Americans Good Sam group he was expected to be there. There were about 18 RVs on the site. Linda and Woody Woodruff from Traveling Americans also attended which we were glad to have their company for the weekend. Saturday morning we, along with the Woodruffs, helped the Gerri Watkins with preparation of sausage and pancake breakfast. After breakfast there was a business meeting. For dinner there was a pot luck meal with lots of good food. And then this morning we packed up and returned home in time to change clothes and go to church. We plan to stay put for a couple of weeks now.

Saturday, April 2, 2011 Nappanee to Taneytown, Maryland

Friday morning a little past 7am the Newmar tech was at our motorhome door ready to take it for its water testing.  Tom and I went to downtown Nappanee for breakfast and then returned to the factory customer service center to wait for the return of our motorhome.  It wasn’t too long before the motorhome was returned and we were able to pay our bill and be on our way.  Thursday evening I question the tech about the charge for the roof leak and was told that there was only a 90 day warranty for a roof, needless to say we were disappointed in this as this was not the service provided by Newmar in the past.  When we paid the final bill our tech said that he further questioned about the roof and since it has not been a year we would not be charged for the roof repair and the inside ceiling repair, this is what we would have expected from Newmar- our faith in the company was renewed.  Before hooking up the car to move on, Tom drove to a propane dealer and had the tank filled.  It has been cold in Nappanee and during the night we keep the furnace on so we felt we were getting a little low on propane.  When he returned we hooked up the car and headed east to Fayette,Ohio, the home of Tom’s sister, Julie and her family.  Just before getting off the turnpike our tire monitoring system sounded an alarm that one of our motorhome tires on the rear duels was loosing air.  After exiting we found a gas station to pull off and Tom checked the tires to be sure there was indeed a problem.  He then asked about a tire repair facility and sure enough there was one (Hutch’s Towing and Recovery) in the opposite direction from which we were headed.   We turned around and a short distance away we found a truck repair facility and immediately someone went to work fixing the tire.  We were back on the road headed for Harrison Lake State Park, a very nice campground that is only a mile or so from Julie and Tim’s.  We got in set up and then Tom found the fixed(?) tire was leaking air at the valve stem extension.  So we tore down and returned to Hutch’s.  Again the tire was taken off the motorhome and the extension was put on before being mounted not afterward as was done the first time.  Back to Harrison Lake to set up again.  We went to Julie and Tim’s had a nice dinner with their family and visited for awhile.  A nice evening of catching up on family news.

Today Saturday we left Harrison Lake continuing on eastward.  It was cloudy most of the way through Ohio.  In Pennsylvania we thought at first the skies were lightening up but then we began seeing some dark clouds.  We stopped at a rest area north of Pittsburgh for lunch after traveling through some rain showers.  Leaving the rest area we again encountered rain showers but as we continued on the rain turned to snow.

The roads were wet, snow was not sticking to the roads but the hillsides were covered.  The snow fell harder as we traveled on, visibility at times was limited due to the snow fall. 

We hoped that when we went through the tunnel in the Somerset area that the snow would be stopped on the other end but that didn’t happen.  Finally the snow turned to rain again and before we hit the Bedford area the sun was shining and continued the rest of the way home.  It was a long trip today, about 500 miles and close to 10 hours, but it is good to be home.  We have driven the motorhome in snow more this trip  than we have all the times before.  I don ‘t think we will be taking this northerly route again at this time of the year if we can prevent it.

Thursday, March 31, 2011 Nappanee, Indiana

Monday morning we left the campground north of Indianapolis and traveled north to Nappanee, Indiana where we settled into “Camp Newmar”.   “Camp Newmar” is a name given to the area at the Newmar factory where Newmar owners can camp while having service work done on their units.  Nappanee is in the heart of the Amish country of Indiana where there are numerous horses and buggies and bicycles on the roads.

Tuesday morning we drove a little farther north to Elkhart.  We had an appointment at Bradd and Hall’s, a business that does rehab work on RV’s, that had replaced our carpeted floor with laminated flooring a few years ago.  An area had become spongy feeling and had a spot that looked like something under the floor was pushing upward.  After the technicians checked the floor it was found that a subfloor bolt was protruding.  They were able to cut the bolt and the flooring was able to flatten out.  While waiting around for the work to be completed we checked out the furniture and window shades in the show room.  We replaced our old worn recliner chair with a newer one.  The window shades we were looking at (MCD) could not be fitted under our wood valances so we will stay with the pleated day/night shades.  After a lunch at Olive Garden we returned back to Nappanee.

Wednesday we stayed at the motorhome most of the day.  Time to catch up on laundry, housekeeping and maintenance.  There were a couple of malfunctioning lights that Tom replaced.  We were scheduled for some factory work on Thursday.  We did take the factory tour at 1pm.  We had taken this tour previously and were surprised at the reduction of production.  At one time this factory had 20 plus units a day going out the door with about 1000 employees, today there are 3 units a day being produced with 400 employees- but they have continued to remain in business when others in the industry have had to close their doors.

Today, Thursday, we had to be up bright and early.  I heated up some coffee in the microwave and noticed that the turntable was not working and there continued to be a strong smell that we had noticed a couple days before coming from it.  After checking the turntable we found the mechanism that turns the turntable had melted off.  Service work starts at 6am and sure enough a little past 6am there was a knock on the door.  We had had our roof replaced May 2010 and had episodes of water leaking through to the ceiling.  Now that the microwave was broken we needed that to be replaced.  The shower drain was in need of being replaced and a panel door needed to be repaired.  The motorhome was taken into the service area and we went to a local diner for breakfast.  We returned to the service center and waited until a technician came to give us an estimate and reported that the leak was due to a solar panel(5 watt panel used to charge chassis batteries).  We then drove to some local stores and to Shipshewana to a few more stores and then lunch.  When we returned to Newmar facility our motorhome was parked on the lot.  The repairs had been made, the ceiling had been cleaned removing the water spots, a new microwave had been installed, the shower drain replaced and panel door repaired.  Because of the roof work a water test needs to be done in the morning but we could stay in a little longer, the motorhome won’t be picked up until 7am.

Sunday, March 27, 2011 Illinois to Indiana

The sun was shining when we got out of bed this morning but it was really cold- temperatures in the 20’s.   Brrrrr- let’s get back to the southwest!  No, we had to keep going east.  The snow that fell yesterday had been a wet snow and then during the night the temperatures dropped causing  icing under the snow.

The awning over our slide out had ice under the snow that prevented the slide-out from being pulled in.  Tom used brooms to try to move the snow and ice and finally we got the slide in.  The awning did not coil up as tightly as it should but well enough to travel.  The roads were clear of snow.  The snow along the roadsides hung in the trees and covered the ground most of the way through Illinois.

We followed a trucker that had a sign on the back of his truck that he would throw things at tailgaters- we weren’t tailgating but he still threw ice from his roof of his truck.

We stopped for lunch in Terre Haute, Indiana at a Mexican restaurant, Real Hacienda, that had very good food.  Tom had carnitas, a pork dish, and I had camarones a la Diablo,a hot, spicy shrimp dish.  We had parked in a vacant lot across from the restaurant.  When we returned to the motorhome after eating we put our slide-out out and then retracted it with the awning coiling up tightly as it is supposed to do.  We are camped north of Indianapolis at Timberline Valley RV Park, just off I-69, a very neat, well maintained Passport America park.  Just before getting to the campground we realized that we had crossed from Central time to Eastern time and lost an hour.

Saturday, March 26, 2011 Branson and onto Illinois

Early Friday morning, about 4:30am, we were awakened with the sound of thunder and the presence of sharp lightning and then the pounding rain.  After we had gotten up and had breakfast the rain ended but the clouds remained.  We went to the Corps of Army Engineers Visitor Center.  The Corps built the Table Rock Dam for flood control and a source of electrical power. 

There are numerous campgrounds around the lake that were built and are managed by the Corps, unfortunately, they were not open until April or later or we probably would have stayed there.  We had lunch at “Shorty Small’s”, a barbeque restaurant, that we thought had good food- brisket, catfish, pulled pork and sausages with sides- and plentiful.  We took in a show in the evening, SIX, which featured 6 brothers performing without musical instruments but sounded like musical accompaniment.

This show was named the “Best Entertainment for 2010”.  The theater looked to be full- the other shows we had been to had not been full but maybe it was because of being on Friday evening.

About 6:30am this morning we had a repeat of yesterday morning’s thunder and lightning- and we were leaving Branson.  What fun to tear down in the rain and it was really pouring.  Even with raincoats on Tom and I both ended up getting wet.  Nervously and with dry clothing, we left Branson.  Our  motorhome does not run well in rain as it ingests water and we had some real hills to go up and down from Branson to Springfield.  Fortunately, it ran pretty good only missing a couple times. At one point we had pea-size or a little larger hail coming down covering the ground with the pellets.   Unlike yesterday, the rain continued with no let up and as we got about 90 miles from St. Louis the rain turned to snow.  The snowflakes were so large they looked like snowballs falling and the ground was soon covered.

The roadways had accumulations and drivers not slowing down were ending up in the ditches or flipped over.  We believe we saw 2 dozen or more such accidents through our travels today.  As we neared the St. Louis area the snow flakes were smaller and snow was not falling as fast.  Our plans were to stay at a campground at the Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois and we were more than ready to call it a day when we arrived there but the campground was closed and would not be open until Memorial Day weekend.  Our directory had stated the campground was opened March through November.  A security guard directed us to an area that we could have dry camped with truckers but we opted to move on.  About 10 miles east we found a campground that we were able to stay the night with full hook-ups which should be more comfortable in this wintry environment.  It is 7:40pm as I write this it continues to snow.  According to the weather forecast it is to stop tonight, we hope so as we need to continue on toward Elkhart, Indiana where we have an appointment on Tuesday for some repair on the motorhome.

Thursday, March 24, 2011 Branson, Missouri

Branson, Missouri is a town of shows- music, comedy, Chinese acrobats, karate, animal, and variety.  It was overwhelming trying to decide what to see and do.  The campground made our first selection easier by giving us vouchers for $15.00 off each ticket at the Rankin Brothers show at the Mickey Gilley Theater.  So Wednesday evening we went to see the 2 Rankin Brothers, Matt and Mark.  Both brothers are wonderful musicians, Matt plays the guitar really well and Mark has a voice with a wide range. 

 

The music they played was from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.  They were backed up with 5 instrumental musicians and 3 female singers, one of the females is Peggy Lennon’s (Lennon Sisters) daughter.  It was a really nice show.  Today, Thursday, we went to the Jim Stafford show at the Jim Stafford Theater, another fine show.

Jim Stafford plays a mean guitar including classical, good story teller and comedian.  He includes in his show his daughter, G.G., who plays the piano, harp and keyboard, and his son, Shea, who also plays the piano and then later the violin.  Stafford sang his song “Cow Patti” and tossed cow patti’s out into the audience and we were the receiver of one- it was Styrofoam.   We have been lucky getting tickets to the shows and having great seats, both times we have been in the middle of a row, Rankin we were in row 7 and Stafford we were in row 4.  Obviously, this not the busiest season.  It is possible to go to a show in the morning, the afternoon and then in the evening but we feel a show a day is enough for us.

Besides the shows, there are other things to do in this area.  Yesterday we went to a couple of the shopping areas, a pedestrian mall downtown Branson and outlets malls.

We ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant and rode around the area.  This morning we went to a state fish hatchery that raises Rainbow and Brown Trout for streams throughout Missouri, quite a large operation.

We had lunch at a Culver’s, a good hamburger and custard restaurant.   The weather has been pretty nice- yesterday we were in shorts but last night the temperature dropped that today we were in long pants even though there was lots of sunshine. 

Monday, March 21, 2011 Amarillo, Texas to Enid, Oklahoma

We were back on US 60 again traveling east toward Oklahoma.  As we were leaving the Amarillo area we saw 6 or more trains sitting idly on the tracks.  Then we saw maintenance equipment moving on the tracks and at one spot there was numerous pieces of equipment and men working on the tracks.  There must have been some major problem that was being worked on.  Trains were being stopped on the east side of the work area as well.   The land was very flat until we were around Miami, Texas where hills appeared and continued through western Oklahoma.  As we drove through Oklahoma we saw buttes and mesas along the way.

Roadwork was being done and the dirt that was being moved was the reddest dirt ever as well as the rocks along the way.  Ranches and farms that were using irrigation had large fields of wheat growing,  these big green fields were a standout in the otherwise area of dried brown grasses.  We stopped for lunch in Seiling, Ok. at a local café, both of us having chicken dinner.   We are camped at a Moose Lodge in Enid, Oklahoma.  There is a nice camping area here with electric hook-ups.  The weather today has been cloudy with some fog this morning and strong winds.  We were traveling west to east, the winds were blowing south to north, so we were broadsided the entire way.  Even tonight the winds are still blowing and the forecast is for winds again tomorrow.

Sunday, March 20, 2011 Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

About 20 miles south of Amarillo is Palo Duro Canyon State Park where we spent the day.  Palo Duro is a beautiful canyon in this otherwise flat land.  The road goes down into the canyon.  At 6 places a creek maybe flowing over the road, today only one crossing had water flowing over the road.

There are campgrounds, picnic areas and trails for hiking, biking and running. We did not get to the Visitor’s Center as it did not open until later in the day but we did stop at snack /gift shop.  A dugout used by Col. Charles Goodnight as he was settling this area is a short walk from the roadway.

Tom and I hiked a 2 mile  Sunflower Trail that was easy walking on fairly flat land.

It was very warm hiking as the sun was real bright today and temperatures reached into the 80’s.  I thought about rattlesnakes as we were walking but thankfully we did not hear or see any snakes or other wildlife.   Bicyclists also use the trail and we encountered families and individuals bicycling as well as other hikers.  As we were leaving the park a ranger was feeding some Texas Long Horn cattle in a field by the entrance gate. The horns on those cattle are indeed long!

Returning to Amarillo we stopped for a late lunch at Dyer’s Barbeque.  I had a brisket dinner, Tom had Brisket, pork and sausage dinner and we were not disappointed.  Even the sides of potato salad, cole slaw and beans were some of the best tasting that I have ever had.  Tomorrow we are leaving this area and moving on east probably stopping in Oklahoma.  We’re planning to continue on US 60 instead of the Interstate Highways that we have traveled on before.

Saturday, March 19, 2011 Amarillo, Texas

We have decided to spend the weekend in Amarillo so we went to the downtown area to see whatever.  The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum was our first stop. 

 

The building was quite impressive.  The Grand Hall  is dedicated to all the inductees of the Hall of Fame and is quite grand.

There are several galleries with exhibits.  We found the gallery that had write-ups about “remudas”, groups of working horses bred by ranches specifically to work with cattle”, to be very interesting.  Large ranches with thousands of acres and hundreds to thousands of head of cattle continue to use cowboys for rounding up cattle in the dense thick brush as they always have done.  Each cowboy is given a supply of  horses (6-8, depending on what each ranch decides on)  that he uses for his ranch work.  A theater showing a short 10 minute movie tells about the origins of the quarter horse. Other galleries showcased champion horses, hall of fame inductees and equipment and tack used with the horses.

Our next stop was at the Amarillo Art Museum which had a nice display of international art as well as some local.  We drove around the downtown area and was surprised how died it was.  We then drove to an area along the major highway with restaurants, Wal-mart and such and found that area bustling.  We had some sprinkles of rain this morning  and now at 6pm the sun is shining and it has gotten windy with temperatures reaching upper 60’s today.

Friday, March 18,2011 Roswell, New Mexico and Amarillo, Texas

Thursday, we spent the day exploring Roswell, New Mexico, that proclaims itself as the dairy capital of New Mexico.  We first went to the UFO Museum, this is what we think of when we hear Roswell, New Mexico, not dairy.

In 1947 there was an event in the Roswell area that has been unexplained and many people believe a UFO landed with aliens.  The US Air Force investigated and many feel whatever occurred was covered up.  We found the museum to be interesting and thought provoking.  We had lunch at a restaurant that was recommended by the campground as being the place that locals go, Peppers Grill and Bar, but we were not overly impressed with the food.  After lunch we stopped at the visitor’s center and had pictures taken with some “aliens”.

We then went to the Roswell Museum and Art Center.  Art of local artists was on display.  An artist was in the museum working on an art project using material that would be inflated she was busy cutting and sewing.

The museum area had displays pertaining to the Native American Indians and the ranchers of the region.

The weather  was very warm close to 90 degrees with lots of sunshine.

Today, Friday, we traveled a little over 200 miles from Roswell to Amarillo, Texas.  Most of the country was flat and sparsely populated.  We passed large feed lots of cattle with the aroma to go along with it.  The town of Portales, New Mexico had a sign stated it was a town of “17,000 friendly people and 3 or 4 grouches”.   Friona, Texas had a sign declaring it the “cheeseburger capital of the world” but we didn’t see any place selling cheeseburgers.  Then Hereford, Texas declared itself as the “beef capital of the world”.  Going through Hereford we remarked that we had not seen any trains in our travels today and then we hit a detour where we were stopped at a railroad crossing as 2 trains side by side were traveling through and then a third train came through.  From this point on we were seeing trains most of the remainder of the way to Amarillo.  After getting to the Amarillo "Best” Wonderland RV Park we unhooked the car and went to a nearby restaurant that is known for catfish for a late lunch of catfish and the trimmings.  We then returned to the campground and set up the motorhome.  We lost another hour of time today as we moved into Central Time.  It is cooler in Amarillo, temps in the high 60’s and rain (something we have not seen for weeks) is predicted for tomorrow.