Well, we arrived a day earlier than we originally scheduled. Called the campground we had reservations with to see if we could check in a day early and unfortunately they were booked solid for the night. So we stayed on the street outside of Mike's mom's place for the night.
Had dinner with Mike's mom, his sister Valerie, and his brother-in-law Leroy. It was so nice seeing them again. Spent a few hours visiting with them and then headed back to Mike's moms' house to help her pack up a small overnight bag so she could head out today (Saturday) to the Haas Family Reunion. Mike and I chose not to go since we had so much to get done here in Bismarck. So Mike's sister Katherine and his brother-in-law Bob came up and took mom with them to the family reunion.
Today we were able to check in to the campground we have reservations with. This is the first time we are trying this campground. We have stayed at the KOA here in Bismarck each year for the past 10 years. They are getting a bit pricey, so we checked out Hillcrest Acres last year and discovered that they are half the price. Checked in to Hillcrest Acres this afternoon. Thus far, the place is really nice. Nice long pull thru RV sites with nice trees and grass. What more can one ask for when all they are doing is using their motorhome for is a hotel room at this point in time!
After we got all checked in and everything hooked up, we took our little car back to Mike's mom's house to give it a bath. Wow did it need it! We washed Mike's mom's car too. Two cars in two hours! This created two very tired people!
Mike's sister Valerie and his brother-in-law Leroy stopped over to bring us caramel rolls for breakfast in the morning. We all sat and visited for a couple of hours and then we all headed our separate ways. Valeie and Leroy back to their house, and Mike and I to Arby's for dinner.
Now back in the motorhome listening to fireworks being set off in the distance. Don't these people know it's not the 4th of July yet???????????
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Sightseeing in Colorado
After we left Colorado Springs, we packed Mike's mom up with her belongings and headed to Colette's in Lone Tree. Lone Tree is a suburb of Denver. We stayed outside of Colette's in our motorhome from Monday, June 25th through Thursday, June 28th.
Tuesday, Colette played the part of the perfect tour guide. She took us to see Red Rock. Wow! Yes, indeed it is red rocks, but the formations that Mother Nature created are phenomenal. We couldn't drive in to see the amphitheatre because they were getting it set up for a concert that evening. So we opted for the git shop instead. From there she drove us to Mother Cabrini's Shrine. Mother Cabrini was a Catholic nun who opened an orphanage outside of Denver. The shrine is really something else. Mike and I climbed the 373 steps to the top. One really finds out that they are in very bad shape when they attempt something such as this on a day that is 105 degrees in addition to the Denver altitude!!!!!! We made it and we highly recommend this as a site to see when you are in the Denver area. The views from the top are spectacular!!!
Just as we were coming out of the gift shop it began to rain. So we decided to skip going to Buffalo Bills' gravesite. After we made our decision Colette let us know that we would have had more climbing on winding trails to get up to his gravesite. Boy were we glad we made to decision to wait and see it the next time we come through the area! Phew!!!! Someone might have had to call the paramedics to come to the aid of these two old retirees!
Wednesday we went to the Hammond Candy Factory and toured the facility. This was so fascinating because Mike and I have seen a few episodes on television programs (Unwrapped on the Food Channel and How's It Made on the Science Channel) where this factory has been featured. Hammonds' specialties are candy canes, the large candy swirled Christmas trees, the hard candies with the flowers, flags, and other designs in the middle of the candy, and the traditional ribbon candy. They also make many other candies, but they specialize in these areas. Of course we couldn't leave without buying some candy, even though they had plenty of free samples all over the place. From the candy factory we went to the Denver Cathedral. Mom Hoerner really wanted to see it. So we went and she was lucky enough to be able to attend mass there as well. The cathedral is just beautiful! The stained glass windows are truly breathtaking.
Thursday morning we packed up the motorhome, hooked up the car to the back to be towed and headed out for North Dakota. We drove north out of Denver to Cheyenne, Wyoming and then on to Gillette, Wyoming where we stopped for the night. Talk about hot and muggy!!!!! One could almost imagine that they were in Florida and not in the middle of a northern plains state! It was a bit uncomfortable for sleeping for a bit and then cooled off quite nicely.
Friday morning we headed out to complete the last lag of our trip with Mike's mom on board with us. Bismarck, North Dakota here we come.
Tuesday, Colette played the part of the perfect tour guide. She took us to see Red Rock. Wow! Yes, indeed it is red rocks, but the formations that Mother Nature created are phenomenal. We couldn't drive in to see the amphitheatre because they were getting it set up for a concert that evening. So we opted for the git shop instead. From there she drove us to Mother Cabrini's Shrine. Mother Cabrini was a Catholic nun who opened an orphanage outside of Denver. The shrine is really something else. Mike and I climbed the 373 steps to the top. One really finds out that they are in very bad shape when they attempt something such as this on a day that is 105 degrees in addition to the Denver altitude!!!!!! We made it and we highly recommend this as a site to see when you are in the Denver area. The views from the top are spectacular!!!
Just as we were coming out of the gift shop it began to rain. So we decided to skip going to Buffalo Bills' gravesite. After we made our decision Colette let us know that we would have had more climbing on winding trails to get up to his gravesite. Boy were we glad we made to decision to wait and see it the next time we come through the area! Phew!!!! Someone might have had to call the paramedics to come to the aid of these two old retirees!
Wednesday we went to the Hammond Candy Factory and toured the facility. This was so fascinating because Mike and I have seen a few episodes on television programs (Unwrapped on the Food Channel and How's It Made on the Science Channel) where this factory has been featured. Hammonds' specialties are candy canes, the large candy swirled Christmas trees, the hard candies with the flowers, flags, and other designs in the middle of the candy, and the traditional ribbon candy. They also make many other candies, but they specialize in these areas. Of course we couldn't leave without buying some candy, even though they had plenty of free samples all over the place. From the candy factory we went to the Denver Cathedral. Mom Hoerner really wanted to see it. So we went and she was lucky enough to be able to attend mass there as well. The cathedral is just beautiful! The stained glass windows are truly breathtaking.
Thursday morning we packed up the motorhome, hooked up the car to the back to be towed and headed out for North Dakota. We drove north out of Denver to Cheyenne, Wyoming and then on to Gillette, Wyoming where we stopped for the night. Talk about hot and muggy!!!!! One could almost imagine that they were in Florida and not in the middle of a northern plains state! It was a bit uncomfortable for sleeping for a bit and then cooled off quite nicely.
Friday morning we headed out to complete the last lag of our trip with Mike's mom on board with us. Bismarck, North Dakota here we come.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Colorado Springs, CO
Well, here we are in Colorado Springs. We left Sierra Vista, AZ on Wednesday and began heading north. It of course was very hot and we decided to head out early to attempt to beat the heat of the day. Yeah, what do they say about best plans not meeting expectations? It was HOT!!!!!!!!!
I forgot to mention in my earlier blog that when we were driving through Albuquerque we spotted a brush fire starting and heading east toward the highway. By the time we noticed emergency vehicles heading toward the fire, it was well underway. I guess some fire departments just don't realize how quickly these things can spread and move.
We arrived in Colorado Springs a day earlier than anticipated. Mike's sister Joan was home to greet us. Her neighbors were so funny! They kept telling us we could park our RV anywhere near their places. It won't bother us! Funny!!!!! Of course we had to give them a little tour of our home away from home.
When Bob got home from work, he and Joan took us out to a delicious Mexican restaurant in Monument. Mike's niece Tiffany, her husband Dave and their two little boys, Luke and Kyle joined us for dinner. It was so nice. We really enjoyed ourselves. Then we drove over to Tiffany and Dave's house so we could see the new Star Wars decor in the boys' bedrooms. Very cute!!!!!!!!
Friday after Joan got home from work, she drove us to the Air Force Academy. We toured the visitor center and the chapel. So very beautiful as well as extremely interesting. One of the many events we will never forget. That evening two of Bob and Joan's friends Michelle and Jeff joined us for dinner. What a fun and cute couple!! We really enjoyed ourselves.
Saturday Joan, Bob, Mike and I drove to Littleton (just outside of Denver) to go to Mike's other sister Colette's house. We met her boyfriend Bob. Such a nice guy!!!!! Absolutely awesome! We had a really great lunch with them, a nice visit, and then collected Mike's mom and her stuff and all piled back into Joan and Bob's car and headed south to Colorado Springs.
As we were driving back to Colorado Springs, Bob noticed what appeared to be smoke from a brush fire on the mountain ridge just to the west of Colorado Springs. Once we got back to Joan and Bob's and ate dinner we spent the rest of the evening on their deck watching the fire and listening to the news. Pretty darn devastating. By the time we went to bed, the fire had grown to 2000 acres and was 0% contained.
This morning we woke up to the smell of smoke in the air and some ash falling on our RV and car. They are still battling this fire. There have been mandatory evacuations and highway closures going on all day long/
Mike's nephew Brian, who is currently serving in the U.S. Army has been on bivouac near Pueblo all week. He wasn't due to come back until after we left and it looked like we weren't going to be able to see him./ All of a sudden this afternoon, Bob got a telephone call from Brian saying that he was going to be able to come in for about two hours to take a shower and do laundry and then had to report back. So we were able to see Brian after all. It meant so much to us that he made that much of an effort to see us. Unbelievable! After Brian left to head back, his wife TK stayed, Dave and the boys came, and we all had a barbecue. When Tiffany got off work, she came over, so Mike, Me and Mike's mom got to see all of the kids and spend a little bit of time with them before we head out to Littleton tomorrow.
Here I am, signing off. Futures travels ahead!
I forgot to mention in my earlier blog that when we were driving through Albuquerque we spotted a brush fire starting and heading east toward the highway. By the time we noticed emergency vehicles heading toward the fire, it was well underway. I guess some fire departments just don't realize how quickly these things can spread and move.
We arrived in Colorado Springs a day earlier than anticipated. Mike's sister Joan was home to greet us. Her neighbors were so funny! They kept telling us we could park our RV anywhere near their places. It won't bother us! Funny!!!!! Of course we had to give them a little tour of our home away from home.
When Bob got home from work, he and Joan took us out to a delicious Mexican restaurant in Monument. Mike's niece Tiffany, her husband Dave and their two little boys, Luke and Kyle joined us for dinner. It was so nice. We really enjoyed ourselves. Then we drove over to Tiffany and Dave's house so we could see the new Star Wars decor in the boys' bedrooms. Very cute!!!!!!!!
Friday after Joan got home from work, she drove us to the Air Force Academy. We toured the visitor center and the chapel. So very beautiful as well as extremely interesting. One of the many events we will never forget. That evening two of Bob and Joan's friends Michelle and Jeff joined us for dinner. What a fun and cute couple!! We really enjoyed ourselves.
Saturday Joan, Bob, Mike and I drove to Littleton (just outside of Denver) to go to Mike's other sister Colette's house. We met her boyfriend Bob. Such a nice guy!!!!! Absolutely awesome! We had a really great lunch with them, a nice visit, and then collected Mike's mom and her stuff and all piled back into Joan and Bob's car and headed south to Colorado Springs.
As we were driving back to Colorado Springs, Bob noticed what appeared to be smoke from a brush fire on the mountain ridge just to the west of Colorado Springs. Once we got back to Joan and Bob's and ate dinner we spent the rest of the evening on their deck watching the fire and listening to the news. Pretty darn devastating. By the time we went to bed, the fire had grown to 2000 acres and was 0% contained.
This morning we woke up to the smell of smoke in the air and some ash falling on our RV and car. They are still battling this fire. There have been mandatory evacuations and highway closures going on all day long/
Mike's nephew Brian, who is currently serving in the U.S. Army has been on bivouac near Pueblo all week. He wasn't due to come back until after we left and it looked like we weren't going to be able to see him./ All of a sudden this afternoon, Bob got a telephone call from Brian saying that he was going to be able to come in for about two hours to take a shower and do laundry and then had to report back. So we were able to see Brian after all. It meant so much to us that he made that much of an effort to see us. Unbelievable! After Brian left to head back, his wife TK stayed, Dave and the boys came, and we all had a barbecue. When Tiffany got off work, she came over, so Mike, Me and Mike's mom got to see all of the kids and spend a little bit of time with them before we head out to Littleton tomorrow.
Here I am, signing off. Futures travels ahead!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Road Trip 2012 - The Beginning
Here it is, our 2012 Road Trip. We started out from Rialto on Monday, June 18th, the day after Father's Day. We were on our way!
Drove to Sierra Vista, AZ to visit with Mike's friend from work, Walt and his wife Bea. This was the first time that I got to see their place in Sierra Vista. Very nice. Bea, I can't believe the scrapbooking supplies you have!!!! Wow!!!! We arrived in Sierra Vista around 4:00 in the afternoon. Talk about HOT! Even coming from So Cal can't prepare you for that heat. 116 going through Phoenix and about 113 in Sierra Vista. Mike kept telling me that it would be cooler in Sierra Vista because they are at a higher elevation. Liar!!!!!! I don't think the three degree difference was all that much and you sure as heck couldn't feel it!
Tuesday the 19th Mike and I went to Tombstone to see the historical sites. Guess what folks, you can't even see the OK Corral unless you pay to go inside. Yup, they have about a 10 foot high fence all around it. Wow, people let's all pay to see history. Very interesting to say the least. Although Tombstone was really a neat place to visit. Loved the shops as well as the actors walking the streets playing the part of cowboys, western ladies and saloon girls. After we went through old Tombstone we decided to go visit the Boothill Cemetery. That is where the Clayton brothers and their friends are buried. It was fascinating to see that the majority of the cowboys and women who are buried there died between 1881 and 1886. A tough life for sure. After Tombstone and the cemetery we drove over to Bisby, AZ to tour the Queen Copper Mine. The mine closed its mining operations in 1945. With the price of copper now you would think that the mining company would reopen and start mining again. Nope. Guess they don't think it is fiscally sound quite yet. Interesting to say the very least!
We left Walt and Bea's house early this morning heading north. Thank you Walt and Bea for being such fantastic hosts! We had such a great time seeing you and spending time with you.
Yet another hot day of driving. Decided to spend the night at a KOA in Bernalillo, NM. This little town is a suburb of Albuquerque. We hit the pool as soon as we got the motorhome parked, leveled and hooked up. Of course the pool isn't heated. Shiver time!!!!!! Even though it was well over 110 when we went in.
Didn't do much or see much today. Just what we could see from the windows of the motorhome as we were driving.
Looking forward to getting to bed and having a good night's sleep. Tomorrow is another day of driving. Heading to Mike's sister's house in Colorado Springs, CO.
Till tomorrow. Enjoy life, we only get one chance to do it right!
Drove to Sierra Vista, AZ to visit with Mike's friend from work, Walt and his wife Bea. This was the first time that I got to see their place in Sierra Vista. Very nice. Bea, I can't believe the scrapbooking supplies you have!!!! Wow!!!! We arrived in Sierra Vista around 4:00 in the afternoon. Talk about HOT! Even coming from So Cal can't prepare you for that heat. 116 going through Phoenix and about 113 in Sierra Vista. Mike kept telling me that it would be cooler in Sierra Vista because they are at a higher elevation. Liar!!!!!! I don't think the three degree difference was all that much and you sure as heck couldn't feel it!
Tuesday the 19th Mike and I went to Tombstone to see the historical sites. Guess what folks, you can't even see the OK Corral unless you pay to go inside. Yup, they have about a 10 foot high fence all around it. Wow, people let's all pay to see history. Very interesting to say the least. Although Tombstone was really a neat place to visit. Loved the shops as well as the actors walking the streets playing the part of cowboys, western ladies and saloon girls. After we went through old Tombstone we decided to go visit the Boothill Cemetery. That is where the Clayton brothers and their friends are buried. It was fascinating to see that the majority of the cowboys and women who are buried there died between 1881 and 1886. A tough life for sure. After Tombstone and the cemetery we drove over to Bisby, AZ to tour the Queen Copper Mine. The mine closed its mining operations in 1945. With the price of copper now you would think that the mining company would reopen and start mining again. Nope. Guess they don't think it is fiscally sound quite yet. Interesting to say the very least!
We left Walt and Bea's house early this morning heading north. Thank you Walt and Bea for being such fantastic hosts! We had such a great time seeing you and spending time with you.
Yet another hot day of driving. Decided to spend the night at a KOA in Bernalillo, NM. This little town is a suburb of Albuquerque. We hit the pool as soon as we got the motorhome parked, leveled and hooked up. Of course the pool isn't heated. Shiver time!!!!!! Even though it was well over 110 when we went in.
Didn't do much or see much today. Just what we could see from the windows of the motorhome as we were driving.
Looking forward to getting to bed and having a good night's sleep. Tomorrow is another day of driving. Heading to Mike's sister's house in Colorado Springs, CO.
Till tomorrow. Enjoy life, we only get one chance to do it right!
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