Pioneer Days

We've had a great weekend here in Canyonville. People from miles around come to the big "doins" that is an annual event here. Canyonvill is one of the three oldest towns in Oregon. It was a way or supply station for the pioneers heading north, south, or further west after they came thru the mountains. We walked down thru the park on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. We've had homemade Blackberry Cobbler, hamburgers, jambalaya, ice cones, ice cream, fry bread, and that was only Thursday and Friday. It is a very interesting and friendly town. We've had a wonderfull visit with Sharen and Mitch and met many of their friends. It has been warm but a breeze seems to always be drifting thru and the green and mountians make it really nice. It has been so very laid back and peaceful that it will be hard to leave.

Saturday Mitch noticed that our front tires on the RV had worn down badly, so he got on the phone for us and found the right tires, a place to align the front and for the work to all get done on Saturday so that he could go with Keith to show him where to go. After all, this is their area, we know nothing!! After they got the new tires on they called us from Roseburg and we (Sharen & I) put the top down on the "little red car" and met them. We had lunch at Sharen's favorite Chinese restaurant, walked thru the historic main street, found the Information Center, got our history lesson, and napped in the grass. We were having an ice cream at Dairy Queen when the call came in - it was done!! Mitch and Sharen hearded it back to Canyonville for us while Keith & I just had a nice drive in the little car! We then attended a Potluck on Saturday night! MORE FOOD! There was everything from BBQ'd Chicken to the biggest wild blackberrys that I have seen in years!! All was right with the world!!!

Sunday we went to the Canyonville Cafe for breakfast before attending part of the Pioneer Days Sunday Church Service right at the Pavilion. Mitch knows everyone and Sharen is meeting them. After the Service we all came up and took a very nice nap on the new deck that Mitch has just finished building. In the shade with a breeze - does it get any better? Then we woke up and BBQ'd. MORE FOOD!! We have a good joke going because we barely finish one meal before we start talking about the next one!!!
This morning I made a visit to the Chiropractor and he also was a very warm and friendly person. He made the necessary adjustments for my week-long headache and the "driving knots" that I developed coming thru the mountains. I feel wonderful now. Mitch and Sharen are both back to work so Mike is hanging out with Auntie for the day. Unfortunately we won't see Mitch again this trip as he works rather far away for now. Sharen will be back for dinner and since Wednesday is her birthday - I'm trying to think of something unique - other than us being here. But we all know - unique isn't my strong suit!!

Mitch and Sharen have done soooo much work since we were here last July! Flower beds, paths, new arches, new deck. . . . busy, busy. It looks great! Congrats on the new Grandson too!!

We've also been keeping track of Hurricane Katrina as it has made it's way over Florida and is now tearing up the Gulf States. I'm praying hard for those people. I remember vividly what our Lakewood Village was like after Francis and Jeanne blew thru last year. We all need to keep those people who've lost homes, cars, lives, and family close in our thoughts.

Enough for now, everyone take care!!

Diane

Canyonville, Oregon

We are still recovering, I guess. The town is busy setting up for Pioneer Days which is quite the thing for Canyonville. It started at 4 pm today and ends on Sunday so I'll have some good fun to write about. Lots seems to be going on down the hill with the set-up and we got a schedule - it is so close that we can walk to it. Canyonville is a sleepy little town about 30 miles south of Roseburg, where the people have never met a stranger:) All have been so very friendly it's like I've been here 2 years instead of 2 days. At the very edge of town is Seven Feathers Indian Casino and a very large truck stop is located across Interstate 5. I've not made it to the Casino yet but maybe next week when Sharen and Mitch are working. We talked about going up to the Belknap Springs area this weekend - but with so much activity here - why travel some more (it's not like we never go anywhere::)).

Mitch became a Grandfather for the first time yesterday but you'll have to read about that on Knuckles Knoll. Needless to say, they have been gone since last night - and should return shortly. Yesterday we did laundry and cleaned up a little, today so far we walked to the post office and thru town a little. We took Mike with us where he got doggie treats at the Ace Hardware Store (he really got 2) and at Molly B's. Keith didn't take him into any other stores, didn't want to ruin his dinner since he isn't our Dog and we only are babysitting. The Rexall was really nice when Keith asked what we would have to do if my prescription from Walgreens didn't make it in the mail by Monday. Don't believe it when they say there is a Walgreens everywhere, there isn't one listed for the entire area here. I should've listened to Dr. Anthony when she said she would write me an extra paper prescription. Another lesson learned!! Boy, I learn them constantly.

Sharen put Carne con Chili in the crockpot before she left and I can hear the loudspeakers from the Park. The flag raising will be held in just a few minutes - gotta go see what I can see.

Have a good weekend all - I know I will!

Diane

Bend to Canyonville

We made it! We got to Roseburg about 2:30 and had lunch with Sharen. The drive from Bend was beautiful. Keith hung onto his seatbelt while we did the Diamond Lake Highway - but he didn't stay anything. I can tell when he is nervous - again by how many pictures he takes. He took 134 pictures before the battery gave out just above the Douglas County line. That was about 40 miles from Roseburg. He was as amazed as I was when we saw a sign that said "signal ahead" in the middle of the forest. There was a stoplight strung across the road instead of flaggers in a spot that roadwork was being done and the road was 1 lane!! I couldn't hardly contain myself. Here we were in the middle of nowhere at a red light!! It makes sense - but it was funny anyhow. The drive from LaPine west is beautiful. We took 97S to 138W. Mt. Thielson was huge on our right and Diamond Lake was on our left. The Diamond Lake Boulevard is 2 lane with HUGE trees or rock walls on both sides. This is the Oregon that I know. The deserts of yesterday were completely foreign to me. I will sort and upload some of the picutes. Don't know that we really need a picture of each and every curve and sign. He was amazed at the some of the signs that showed the complete right angle curves. There was a "Congestion" sign where a little fishing motel was and he got a giggle out of that.

We actually got to Mitch and Sharen's about 4:30 and were all set up by the time she got home from work. We did 201 milesfrom Bend to here. We had a good visit, ate pizza, stayed up to late, and caught up on news that just doesn't get said unless there is lots of time. Mike got left in my care and he took off to the park - so I wound up with a nice little walk about dusk.

We will spend today getting laundry and other sundry items done and plan to be here about a week. It is 54 in Roseburg and Keith has his sweatshirt on. It will warm up and hopefully he will be more comfortable.

So far we have traveled about 3,600 miles and are ready for a few days in one spot. We haven't "planned" anything yet. Will wait until Mitch gets home on Thursday for that. I'm sure they will have something up their sleeves for us to do:) They are definately "doers" not "setters" :)!!

More later,
Diane

Caldwell to Bend, Oregon

This isn't the nicest campground we've been in - we are across from the propane tank and right next to the dog walk area. The State Fair was in town so "pickin's" were poor and we were glad to get what we got.I was outside with coffee while many of the other RV'ers were taking their daily walk. I've noticed that they seem to do that in about all the parks. Not me - I'll talk to them while they do the walking!! Met 2 couples from Washington, one man and sister from Michigan, and a truck driver that actually lives in Caldwell. RV'ers are a friendly bunch and I enjoyed hearing their stories. Got good information from them all!! We even got the awning down in a matter of seconds instead of the hour it took last time. I'll bet we use it more often now that we know who to work it. We left Caldwell about 9 am headed for Oregon.

Sorry that this post has broken up so much - I saved it as a draft and then posted the draft, then tried to edit it (3X's now) and lost it into cyberspace so not I've "posted" it every few minutes". Just to get thru this one post has taken a long time.

We hit the Oregon border about 10 or so - it wasn't far! We should have gone back and gassed up in Idaho. The first gas in Oregon was $2.69 a gallon. We came into Oregon in a green area. Farmland and ranches - but that didn't last long. We started climbing and boy! does it change. I lived in Oregon for years but didn't know this "side" of the state even existed!! Miles of desert, hills so high that old "Bessie" does not want to go clear up them. Anyhow, as usual, Keith took lots of pictures. Some that I remembered I labled. I hope.

We got here to the Crown Villa RV Park in Bend about 3:30 and what a difference from last night!!! It has all the amenities of a hotel and you have all of your own "stuff" in your RV. Even has coffee for you in the mornings. We laid in the Covered Spa (us old folks aren't supposed to get to much sun!!) and I soaked my shoulders. Soooo nice!! We've got another 292 miles on our butts tonight!! We hit some wind coming across the mesas. If you think wind is hard driving a van - try holding this thing on the road in gusty winds. My back, neck, and shoulders sure appreciated that spa.

We've changed our route again. We are going down the mountains via Diamond Lake instead of over by Sisters. It has just as many mountains to go over, but I don't think they are quite as high. And it is a more direct route. We will be getting into the trees and forests soon - the photos should look drastically different soon. About 5 hours driving and we should be in Roseburg!

See ya again tomorrow,
Diane

Utah to Caldwell, Idaho

No pictures tonight. I'm to tired to download them. I'll put them in Flickr in the morning. We left Ogden this morning at 10:15 - Keith keeps good records! Gas was $2.45 and we needed 44 gallons. I've got to keep my foot off of the gas on those "hills"! We about crawl up them - but coming down I have to downshift or ride the brakes - no happy medium for them.

Most of today was going thru mile after mile of the "Snake River Prairie" that was boring and flat. We caught a couple of short glimpses of the Salt Lake before we climbed another hill and rode for a hundred or so miles looking along the ridge that used to be the shoreline of the Bonneville Lake that once covered that whole area. We hit Idaho about noon and the scenery didn't change any. It had some really interesting spots and we are still traveling the Oregon Trail.

We think maybe we've changed our route. I don't think we are going clear to the Oregon/Washington line to drive along the Columbia. We've been looking into just cutting across the halfway point and going thru Bend. It will cut about 400 miles off which could possibly cut our gas bill greatly. Who says the cost of gas isn't effecting anyone yet? We will decide tomorrow when we get to the turn-off on I84.

After 329 miles, we got to Caldwell about 4:30, it was 99 degrees and found that not only isn't our sewer hose long enough, neither is our water hose. We were trying - not to effectively- to put out our front awning and the men setting up their campers behind us came over and showed us how. They got quite a great laugh out of watching us - but took pity anyhow. We haven't had the awning out since Charlestown because it is such a pain to do. So no we know how to do that also. The directions don't show the easy 123 steps. Those guys had the awning out in about 30 seconds - laughing the whole time. They said they would also be around in the morning to show us how to stow it again = NOVICES!! The couple next to us had an interesting story about what happens when you try to back up the trailer with the car still on it (I've had to do it several times at gas stations). His wheel just rolled off of the rim - he really had a mess. Maybe I'll try harder not to do that anymore :(

So anyhow, we decided to bite the bullet and find a WalMart. Walmart is air conditioned :) Got some other supplies and the gear we needed and got back here about 7:30. We just did McDonalds for dinner - so I put the pork chops in the crock pot and they will be ready tomorrow! One day at a time!!

Keith is sleeping and I'm tired to. . . More from Bend - God willing.

Diane

Rawlins, Wyoming to Ogden, Utah

Wyoming 27
Originally uploaded by Diane 0500.

Got up this morning and he was cold! It was a little windy and the gravel RV park is on top of a little hill. Couldn't resist this picture!! We've traveled 2,700 miles and seen sooo much. It is hard to believe that our Country has so much to see and so much history.

We got back on the Interstate and the "check engine soon" idiot light came on. About gave Keith and I heart attacks!!! At the next stop Keith paid $2.49 for mid-priced gas hoping that it might take care of the problem. Guess what! It did, and we didn't have to spend another week with it in the shop! We still have the ABS light on but didn't want to sit in St. Louis for them to get the part.

We went thru some amazing country, saw another set of windmills, the Badlands of Wyoming, and miles of bare rocks that (according to the ladies at the TIC's) are millions of years old and used to be underwater!! Since we are traveling at 5-6,000 ft elevations, it is awesome!!!

I tried calling Sharen and of course, she wasn't home and I got S'te's voice mail. S'te called back just as we were getting ready to cross the Wyoming/Utah state lines - so I had to drive hard. Sorry, S'te.

Coming into Utah was amazing!! We dropped a 1,000 feet in just a little while! As well as driving, I was pointing out all the awesome sights that I wanted Keith to take pictures of! He did a great job of catching things but I'm not exactly sure just what they are of since I didn't have time to do any research on Utah. Here is a link for some of the pictures Keith took of the Red Rocks when we first came into Utah. It is really interesting.
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/Glaciers/IceSheets/description_lake_bonneville.html

After driving 285 miles we stopped at Ogden, Utah. We chatted with a couple that also stayed in Rawlins last night and I understand there are more amazing things to see on the way to Canyonville. The man we talked to went to school in Myrtle Point in 1951 but only spent one year there before moving around more. They are from Washington and on their way home after going out to Ohio to visit relatives.

We should be hitting my sisters mid-week if all goes well.

More later,
Diane

La Platte, Nebraska to Rawlins, Wyoming

We actually got up an on our way fairly early this morning. We were at the gas station at 9:30. Gas there was $2.69 a gallon and we needed 27 gallons to fill up!! Not to many trinkets at the price of gas. All my trinket budget is going into the tank!!

We visited Fort Cody on our way out and it is hard to believe that the wagons that the settlers moved west in were so small. I saw remnants of a couple of the "Schooners" that the rich and elite traveled in and they weren't even as big as this RV!! There is a picture on Flickr with Keith's arms spread out in front of one of them. I got a kick out of the scenery depicted at the Fort. It is a free entry but of course they have lots of souveniors (?).

We got into Wyoming at a decent time and stopped at their tourist info center. It was interesting in itself!! The TIC attendant was again full of great information and history of the area. We discussed stopping at Laramie vs. going on into Rawlins. The attendant said we would have a few "little hills" to go over between them! What an understatement!! By the time we got to the top of the "hill" at Happy Jacks Road, we were at 8,640' elevation. I read that this was the highest we would go on I80 - but that was plenty high enough. There around Happy Jack Road I took pictures of a rock and plaque that is in Flickr. We were at the Vedauwoo Earth-born Rocks. These were magma-created and underwater at one time. It really brings the history of our Earth to life to really see these things!!

Anyhow, back to the drive - Keith figures we got 4 mpg going thru those "little hills" that went on and on and on. It was all amazing scenery for sure. But I was sure glad to get to Rawlins 373 miles later! Keith was too. For every big hill we went up, we went down a little one. He was so nervous he was even taking pictures of the clouds. We even got rained on some. Thankfully, not much. The wind was atrocious tho. My arms were sure tired when we pulled into a really nice campgroundand we found that our sewer hose isn't long enough to reach (guess I will just put some blue in the tank and forget it for now). We need some supplies but I am tired and so didn't do much besides fix dinner, do dishes, clean up a little, log on, and my future plan is to sleep!!

Night,
Diane

Nebraska 030

Nebraska 030
Originally uploaded by Diane 0500.

Here is the corresponding map of our proposed trip and how far we've traveled as of 08.18.05

I can honestly say - it's been a total blast. I'd do it every year - with a different route if I could!!

First Half of Nebraska

Nebraska 025
Originally uploaded by Diane 0500.

We really went on the road today! We traveled 370 miles from St. Joseph, MO to North Platte, Nebraska!! The ladies at the RS/TIC are so helpful and know so much about their areas it is really wonderful. They have told us of the history and interesting facts about the places we are passing. The scenery in Nebraska varied from farmland to miles of rolling plains. No wonder they call it the plains state!! I also saw for myself why there was an old adage about the N. Platte River being useless as it is really “to thick to drink and to wet to plow”! I’ve seen duck ponds with better water! At one Rest Area we notice a big steel “thing” kinda sitting in the pond beside it and went back inside to ask what it was. The lady told us of the sculptures that were in several of the RA’s along I-80 in Nebraska that had been commissioned. She also said that many Cornhuskers were upset when the list of Sculptors was revealed as none of them were even from the state!! She looked a little sheepish, so I’m thinking she must’ve been one of those people.

We stayed at the Holiday RV Camp in N. Platte and I spent the evening trying to resolve the issues on both the Outlook and Outlook Express that will not let us download our mail. Never did get it fixed – but Keith spent the evening talking to several of the other RV’ers that were staying there. They sound like an interesting bunch. Some were headed north, some south, and some east. We were the only ones headed west – at least that I heard about. We had planned to go over to Fort Cody Trading Post (which we passed on our way into the park) but they closed at 7, so we didn’t make it tonight. This made the 2nd night that I spent trying to get this new notebook set up, and I am done until we get to Mitch and Sharens so I can use a “land lind” to contact tech support. The TX at the wireless place says it is a server problem and after and hour the TS at Bellsouth says it is a firewall problem. If anyone else has had the same problem and has a solution – please e-mail it to me!! I can still check mail on the web – but it’s a pain. And I really need to get Keith set up.

It looks like we’ve finally figured out how to pull up to a gas pump without having to unhook the car and reload it every time. That was a real pain in the-you-know-where! If we can’t pull strait in – we just leave and find another station. Gas in N. Platte was $2.69 per gallon!!

I've mapped how far across Nebraska we've come. Still a long way to go!!

Oh, and by the way, Keith has taken over the elite position of navigator and historian. If he doesn't write down what the pictures are - your guess is as good as mine!! Log into Flickr and see our trip in pictures!!

Diane

St. Joseph, Missouri

We picked the RV up at 11 yesterday morning and bought gas :( It was $2.49 a gallon and it took $99 to fill it up!! We figured that we have to fill every 300 or so miles - so I sure hope someone does something with the gas prices!!!!

Anyhow, we got on the road again. We are only a week or so behind our estimated timeline - but we are having a good time. Keith mapped this state on the interstate - so not so much sightseeing as when we went thru all the small towns. I got to stay off of them for awhile anyhow. I think he is tired of the curvy roads :-)

We traveled 291 miles yesterday. We went past acres and acres of corn that is all dried out from lack of rain, lots of huge old houses, and still some hills and curvy roads. About 100 miles out, Keith fired up the laptop to see where he had planned our next stop. It was here in "St. Joe's". I tried a few hours later to turn it on - and nothing!! We managed to find this RV Park - Beacon's - because someone at the gas station knew where it was! So we got here- pulled in the wrong way - got our parking spot- went around the block to come in the right way - and got parked. We did our set-up dance and I tried the laptop with power. Nothing, nothing, nothing!!! Keith talked to the lady at the office - she was very helpful and directed him to the Best Buy (the laptop is still on warranty) "right down the street". He set out to find it while I fixed dinner - this is about 6 pm. About 10 miles down the road and thru every strip mall on the way - he found it. They have to ship the laptop back to - of all places! - St. Louis. They will fix it and then ship it back to us in 3-4 weeks!!! To finish up a long story - Keith gave them S'te's address and bought a new laptop to use while we wait for the other one to get back. So now we also have a Gateway Notebook. Of course, we couldn't just walk out with it - we had to stay here another night so that they could do the data transfer. We need our address books (both of them) as well as our itinerary, AND MY PICTURES that I have spent hours trying to organize. So it would be ready by today at 3 pm.

NEEDLESS to say, Best Buy is at it's usual. They transferred the "Our Documents" file (for $59) and nothing else. I called the tech and told him that he needed to use the export to get both e-mail accounts so that I could import them on this system. He didn't do that - he copied the WAB files for the express only. And I couldn't use that because it isn't in the export/import format. So the third trip to Best Buy was useless. Keith kind of likes them - but I definately am losing my patience (as much as I have) with them. SO I spent the last couple of hours exporting the addresses from Yahoo for him. At least I knew where I could find them in a pinch.

Of course, with the change of systems, I also have to find the picture software that I purchased and downloaded. This should be lots of fun as the receipts are all on the Toshiba in my e-mail folder that he didn't know how to export. And he gets paid for this!!! So I don't know how far I will get on the Cancun DVD's until the Toshiba comes back - but I had good intentions!!!!

We went sightseeing this afternoon. We visited the Pattee Museum and Jesse Jame's House. We spent 2.5 hours in the Museum. It was great. They had a game that we played - picking out things that didn't belong in the exhibits. We found them all!!! We also found a picture of the phone that I found in Mom Beatty's garage!! A 1923 "french" something!! When I get the picture downloaded - I'll add it to this post - so check back if you are interested. We then went for a Mexican (I know no one would've guessed that) lunch, picked up the notebood, and I've been here ever since!!

It's gotta be bedtime and we are off for our next 300 miles tomorrow.

Keep in touch!!
Diane

Last night in St. Louis

We actually got some work done today. I typed in several reports for Keith and the laptop "glitched" and I lost them all. I know they are in there somewhere, but I never did find them!!

We had a great dinner with April (Rick had to stay with the kids, so he couldn't be there). We met her at the "Trainwreck Saloon" in Westport Center. It was a great place. Antiques were all over the walls, there was an electric train running on a track around the place. I can't really describe it but it was a really cool place. We had dinner across from there. One of the fancy places that bring out the cuts of meat and show them to you raw - so you know just what you are ordering. It was a great dinner - they just needed to turn the A/C off. Why do places set the A/C at 70 in the summer when everyone has on summer clothes and then turn the heat on to 80 when we have on sweaters?? It seems like there are more places than not that do this. Anyhow, the food was great but we didn't stick around because it was to cold. We were on our way out when we decided to stop at the "Jazz and Blues". I made it just in time for the last call on their happy hour (2 fer 1). Since I was the only one having anything - Keith and April both wound up sitting there while I finshed them both :) We had a good time, at least I did, and I think April enjoyed herself too. We left just as the band was tuning up.

We said goodbye to April there at the Mall. It's always sad to leave. Then Keith and I decided to go over to the Pink Galleon (across from our hotel) and play a couple of games of pool. I haven't played since Brett and Sharen came to visit in San Diego. I lost every game - I sure need some practice!!!

We are supposed to be able to pick the RV up by 11 tomorrow and should be back on our way across the country!! Anxious to get started!!!

More tomorrow,
Diane

Our Weekend

We are still camping at the Ramada. It seems strange to be "living" across the street from the place I took pictures of on my first trip to Missouri because I'd never seen pink pool tables before!! That was the same winter that I was around snow for the first time in years.

There has been lots to do as far as sight-seeing goes. I never could get Keith to take me around before - I think April teased him into it for me:)

We made it to the Cahokia Mounds in Illinois on Saturday morning. The place is massive! I love the history of our countryside and it never ceases to amaze me of all the things, peoples, and cultures that have occupied this land so many years before us. It makes me wonder what the people in the future will think of us a thousand years from now. If you are ever in the area and like history, it is definitely worth the trip. We got to see about a fourth of what there was to see in the Interpretive Center before it was time to be off to meet April, Elizabeth, Brennan, and Noah to go and view the "Arch".  A visitor to this blog suggested that I add this link for those interested in more detail about the Cahokia Mounds.  Thank you much for the suggestion.

We met them and I had a wonderful burger while the kids had strawberry sundaes at Joey B's on the Landing in downtown St. Louis. The streets there are all brick. I didn't see ANYONE speeding down those streets!!! After lunch we made our way down to the Arch. I've been asking Keith for 6 years to take me there - but he just ignored me - but April got it to happen for me!! Yeah for April :) He still refused to go up into the arch but in the "basement" is a wonderful museum of the Louis and Clark Journey. I learned that the Arch is actually the "Gateway to the West" Arch. Anyhow, we waited for hours (our tickets for the "cell" was 3:25 and they were running a 1/2 hour late) and got in the 3x3x5 cell that took us UP to the top. I took a few pictures and Brennan was READY :) to go. I was too. They were having a big thunderstorm and we could see the lightening from the little windows up there!! We got back to the bottom, went outside and saw the tree limbs that had been blown down. Had I known all that was going on - I might've just joined Keith at the bottom!!!! Anyhow, we parted ways with the kids after the Arch and made our way down to Laclede's Landing. We visited the Sundecker where we went years ago after the Rams won the playoff game and where we celebrated Keith's 60th (I think) birthday. So we sat there and joked about "old times". On the way home we ran into another big rainstorm - we were glad to get back to our room. A big day for Keith. He was really a great sport about waiting for us all that time. Especially since he was waiting where he got no phone reception and couldn't spend it talking to anyone he knew. Who knows what he did - but he waited. Bless him!!

On Sunday we went to Grant's Farm where Anhauser Busch has turned U.S. Grant's old homestead into a Farm. My idea was to go to his mansion which they are refurbishing - but we went to the farm instead. It was really fun. They had a tram that we rode around the perimeter (so he didn't have to cram his ankle any worse than he does anyway) and stopped at the petting zoo part, saw their animal show. Keith went into the Men's room and I headed for the gift shop - for a minute. In the doorway stood a man holding a giant snake. I backed up at 100 mph and just waited for Keith to come back!! :) That gift shop can do without my business.

We left there and stopped by April's, then went to St. Peters to the Red Lobster. There we finally used the gift certificates that our babysitters gave us for Christmas last year. I had a wonderful dinner. Keith's fish wasn't as good as the VB Legions, so he just kind of picked at it. He is sure getting spoiled!!! We got home in time to watch a little TV before we both conked out.

So there was our week-end. We will see what the week brings us.

Diane

Wednesday & Thursday

We are still camping at the Ramada. We went over to April's for dinner last night.  She fixed her Daddy's favorite - Mexican Pork Chops.  He loved it.  He played a game of Barbie Monopoly with them while I watched.  Rick is taking a class as well as trying to keep up with his work so he didn't get home until just before we left for home. 

 

Got our call from Degel's and the RV is done there.  We went over this morning and transfered it to the RecTec Service Center.  They are going to replace a few things and clean up our learning scars.  We are thinking that we might get back on the road by Tuesday!!

 

I took Keith to work this morning and promptly got lost looking for a car wash :)  I can go from state to state - but don't turn me loose on a city street!!  I had planned to do some laundry as well as wash the car - but by the time I got the car done - I was done.  I did find my way back to the Ramada.  They are remodeling (I think) - the "equipped exercise room" has a treadmill in it.  We did ask about the high-speed internet last night (after we saw it on the sign) - and found that it was hidden behind the dresser the TV is on - so I hooked it up and was able to get a LOT of work done on the Flickr site.  If you need the link for friends sent, let me know.

 

I am learning that quite a few are reading the journal but no one posts any comments!!  That's not fair - I want to know what you are thinking too!!

 

By the way, being Novice RV'ers we now have over $1,600 into the brakes that the dealter assured us were in good shape.  We left it 3 extra days for them to do an "inspection".  According to Degel's - the money we spent today was the result of the brakes overheating so badly that the sensors were damaged, calipers were warped, rotors had to be turned, etc.  Midas (Back in Florida on 7/23) said the reason the brakes overheated was because the rear reseviours (whatever) were empty, dirty, and the lines were plugged with mud.  Now, if they were "Inspected" by the dealer -

 

THe moral of this story - don't believe a used RV dealer any more than the proverbial used car dealer.  Do you own inspection and service.  Or don't buy a used vehicle. :)

 

Keith has gone to one of his Double A meetings so I'm "home alone" for an hour or so.  Camping at the Ramada is getting boring.  We plan (or hope) to go see the Cahokia Mounds on Saturday.  They are Indian Burial Grounds.  We'll see if we make it there.  We are planning for April and the kids to join us.  I need to get a new picture of Elizabeth for this - she has grown so tall - it's hard to believe that she is as young as she is.

 

If you are interested here is the site:  http://www.cahokiamounds.com

 

So, until tomorrow :)

 

Diane

St. Louis - Tuesday

Getting caught up on this journal - if nothing else - I have internet here in this room!!

Got the "NEWS" from the shop regarding the RV. Guess what!!! It needs new brakes, a rotor turned, sensors, etc. I don't know what we've had fixed in Ormand Bech and in Clayton - but now we're getting more brake stuff done :( They "think" it'll be done tomorrow but you know how that goes. . . . We also checked out the service center for the rest of the work - and maybe we will be able to move back into the RV by Saturday. I'll be glad.

But I got Keith to Burlington Coat Factory here at the Mall - and he actually got TWO pairs of LONG pants. Of course the only reason for that is because he can't wear shorts to work. He has several pair of pants in Vero - but didn't bring any - except for one pair of jeans!! He actually bought clothes without an argument. Horrayy!!

We went over to April's for spaghetti and watched the kids play for awhile before coming back here to watch House.

So much for our "sightseeing" trip across the US. We've spent more time waiting for the RV than driving. But maybe this is the last time for a month or so. At least it's getting done before we don't know where we are!

I still hope to see everyone on our list before we have to head back towards Florida. The hope is still Oregon before the end of this month and California mid-Sept.

Keep checking in for our progress.

Diane

St. Louis - Monday

We made the move from Granite City KOA to Hazelwood Ramada Inn today. The RV is in for "service" before we make the longest portion of our trip. Keith is also working this week as a consultant on his old job. He got the RV in today instead of tomorrow, so there went my "plan" to kick back at the pool and do nothing. Instead I unhooked, packed, and got the "camp" broke down - If I'd known we wouldn't be there 24 hours I would've just plugged in the electric and called it good!!! So instead I packed clothing and stuff for a couple of days - and unpacked it again in the room!!

So we brought the thing into the shop to get the ABS brake idiot light fixed, then over to RecTec to get serviced (oil change, awning latch, broken lock, 2 new scratches cleaned up, etc.). They need to have it about 2 days. So looks like I'm "camping" in the hotel room for awhile. :)

I haven't gotten to do any sightseeing this trip to the St. Louis area either. Keith takes the car to work and I don't know my way around anyhow. Maybe this week-end!!!

More tomorrow!!

Red Hills State Park - to Granite City

It is really nice here. The birds and crickets woke me at daylight. Of course I got enough sleep yesterday, it was definately time for me to wake up. We rode down by the lake, people were up fishing at dawn. Boats, kids, and dogs are plentiful. The Camp Hosts said that it had been fairly quiet for the last few weeks because of the heat but busier since it cooled down a bit. I understand heat. I didn't notice a lot of humidity but there was LOTS of shade. Like in Indiana, the temperature was probably in the 90's but the humidity wasn't quite as high as in Florida so I was more comfortable.

We took off about 9:30 for the rest of our trip across Illinois. I drove thru the hills and valleys watching all the beautiful trees, crops, old homes and of course, the road. Keith has decided that when I'm ready to go "Interstate", he'll drive. The rest is up to me. He takes pictures of the roads, signs, and other funny sites. He has quite a cute little routine he has built around the travels so far. His own description of the roads. He makes me laugh every time he goes into it.

We got to the KOA in Granite City about noon and set up again. This is an ok site, but I'm glad we aren't spending lots of time here. It's dusty and looks kind of run down.

I finally made it to Arby's. I've been pointing Arby's out since we left Florida and this is the first time we've stopped. Of course we were in the car, not trying to herd the RV around in the parking lots!!

After getting all set up, Keith was anxious to see April and the kids so we went over there. Elizabeth had a birthday party to go to but we (mostly Papa) played Power Rangers with Brennan. He is quite the big boy.


He's getting ready to turn 4 YEARS OLD. It dosen't hardly seem possible.


So ended another day with no major problems!!!

Diane

Leave Indiana - Headed for Illinois

We broke camp and left Charlestown today. We are getting so good at getting things packed up, we were ready by 10:30. Keith's Mom and Sisters wanted to come out and say good-bye, and bring the things we left at her home, but almost missed us. Mom Beatty said they would be out between 10 and 11. Of course we were ready to go before that and Keith isn't a real good "waiter" when he is ready to go!! We were on our way out of the park at 11:10 when we passed them on the road. They had almost made it!! They turned around and met us at the gas station. This thing is a real hog. It wants gas often!! We said our good-byes and left town. We are traveling across Illinois on the #150. We had some beautiful sights of farmland and, according to Dolores, went right thru Amish country. We even saw signs depicting the horse and buggy but saw none. I guess they had better things to be doing than riding around on a Saturday afternoon :(.

We got to Shoals about 1 and Keith saw a "Fried Chicken" sign on a restaurant. So we went around the round-a-bout in town backtracked and finally found a spot along a road to park this thing and walked over to the restaurant. Funniest looking fried chicken I've ever seen!! They had pizza and salad bar.

We arrived at the Red Hills State Park just outside of Lawrenceville, Illinois about 3 and checked in. We hooked up the electric and called it good. The flies here REALLY bite. I had 4 bite and draw blood!!! I guess I'll stay inside :) We are only staying here for one night. Keith asked what TV channels we get and the answer was 2,7,10, and 22. For us it was 0. So we watched 3 vcr movies that we brought and called it a night.

Oh, we made it a whopping 142 miles today. At this rate, we will make it to the west coast by Christmas :-).

Another big day on the adventure trail,

Diane

Finishing up in Charlestown

We tried hard to finish up the odd jobs we started at Mom Beatty's house. Keith used up the rest of the concrete paint on Mom's foundation, I scrubbed the floors in the bath and kitchen and got what buildup I could off of them. If nothing else, we got some of the "honey-do's" done and others in the works. Two things I've found out about Indiana, 1. even tho' it is hot, the humidity is bearable and I can still work outside and 2. the flies bite.

Keith's sister Joy and her family came over this evening. I fixed Fish Taco's using the Mahi that we had in the freezer. I decided I'd better do a backup with ground beef in case no one like fish. Good thing too! Mom, Heather, and Timmy are the only ones that even tried them. Of course, Keith ate them, but he already knows he likes them so it wasn't a big thing. We had enough leftovers to feed Custer's army, so I bagged what I knew they wouldn't eat and put the rest in the fridge. Joy's family does the upkeep on Mom Beatty's yard so they went to work. They are headed for vacation next week so the kids had incentive. It always seems to work better that way for teens - wonder why :-)? Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the rest of the family working before Keith was ready to go. To many people in to small a place - I'm guessing.

We stopped at The American Legion Post on the way back to the campsite and got some good direction and insight on the next leg of our trip. Hwy 150 to 50 is the most scenic - so Keith says we can take that.

So, ended another day.

Diane

Working Together

DSC00432
Originally uploaded by Diane 0500.

We've been here for a week now. It has been a very, very busy week. Mom Beatty had a whole list of "Honey-do's" saved up for her son! There even has been a few things that she hadn't mentioned. So in the week of visiting we've ordered a door so she can access her patio without going all the way around the house, got some new carpeting for the family room in the works, power washed the outside, painted the concrete block foundation and steps, fixed the toilet and tub, rehung a closet door, contracted to get the grape vine hedge taken down, replaced a clothesline, and done other miscellaneous things around when we weren't busy. I got to do some flower gardening - which I love to do. Monday will be a busy day for her as the carpet people and the door people will be here to measure. We've had a great time catching up and listening to all the stories she has to tell. Dolores and Kenny came up both Sunday and Tuesday to visit. On Tuesday they brought grass seed and straw so Keith, Heather, Dolores, and Kenny spent the evening sowing seed and straw before we all went to the Mexican Restaurant for dinner. I think Keith was having withdrawals or something. We went for dinner that night, lunch yesterday, and lunch today. He should be getting filled up with Mexican for a few days. Dolores told us of an Amish Community between here and Missouri, so we plan to go that way when we leave. It might take a few extra hours, but I'm sure it will be worth it to see.