Left Lodi early this morning. Stopped by the office and they weren't open yet. So we dropped off our comment card in their comment card box and hit the road.
Kept driving south on Interstate 5. Not going to take the 99. The 99 about beat our motorhome to death the past two years, so not going to take that road and have it happen again this year.
It was quite hot outside and we were worried about climbing the Grapevine. Not pretty. Especially with me so dang worried about breakdowns. Just kept my finger crossed until we started to hit the traffic around LA. Yup, you guessed it. My favorite thing. Traffic in highly congested urban settings. Just love it. NOT!!!!!
Traffic only slowed once or twice and we took the 210 all the way in to Rialto.
Got home about 3:30 p.m. Very happy to be home. Don't even want to unpack the motorhome we are soooo tired. Tomorrow is another day and we will unpack then.
Ta Ta for now till our next RV Adventure.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Leaving 7 Feathers Oregon
Well, as if finding this place for the overnight stay wasn't good enough, as we were leaving this morning and talking about finding a gas station to fuel up we looked up and they had a gas station right there before you enter the highway. How convenient was that????? We will definitely keep this place in mind for future trips!
Heading on down into California. Things just don't seem to change that much. You know that highway work that was going on last year?? Guess what, it is still going on. Not much progress being made at all. The only thing that seemed to change alot is the amount of snow still on Mount Shasta. Way down from last year. And Shasta Lake is so far down from the past two years it is almost terrifying! So sad to see. The water is all yucky and muddy looking too.
Decided not to make any stops at the resorts that we visited two years ago. Really just want to get home. I think we are tired. So we looked at the map and decided to stay in Lodi. Found two campgrounds in Lodi and I called them. Made reservations for the night at Flag City RV Resort.
Arrived at the campground around 5:00 p.m. Yeah, driving through Sacramento was almost as fun as driving through Portland. Can you tell, I am not a fan of driving through densely populated areas during busy freeway times. I just want everyone to STAY CLEAR of our motorhome. Is that really too much to ask?????
OK, I digress. We arrived at the campground around 5:00 p.m. Gorgeous campground and very friendly office personnel. I am surprised this place is only $48 a night. It truly is a resort. Got all checked in and assigned our spot. Drove to the spot and pulled in. Mike got us all hooked up so that we could get the air conditioners started. Of fun. The circuit breaker on their power pole keeps popping. Mike called the office and they sent the manager to our site. What a rude, rude man. Tried to tell Mike he didn't know what he was talking about. Yeah, that's right. Mike is only a retired electrical engineer. Hmmmmm. Me thinks the man knows electricity. Anyway, the manager wouldn't change out the extremely old breaker. So Mike put our 50 amp adapter on and found out that the park had two 50 amp services on the pole rather than one 30 amp and one 50 amp. Yeah, who doesn't know what they are talking about??????????
Decided we will spend the night here tonight since it is already paid for, but will definitely write a letter of complaint to Good Sam's Club since they are an affiliated park.
Heading on down into California. Things just don't seem to change that much. You know that highway work that was going on last year?? Guess what, it is still going on. Not much progress being made at all. The only thing that seemed to change alot is the amount of snow still on Mount Shasta. Way down from last year. And Shasta Lake is so far down from the past two years it is almost terrifying! So sad to see. The water is all yucky and muddy looking too.
Decided not to make any stops at the resorts that we visited two years ago. Really just want to get home. I think we are tired. So we looked at the map and decided to stay in Lodi. Found two campgrounds in Lodi and I called them. Made reservations for the night at Flag City RV Resort.
Arrived at the campground around 5:00 p.m. Yeah, driving through Sacramento was almost as fun as driving through Portland. Can you tell, I am not a fan of driving through densely populated areas during busy freeway times. I just want everyone to STAY CLEAR of our motorhome. Is that really too much to ask?????
OK, I digress. We arrived at the campground around 5:00 p.m. Gorgeous campground and very friendly office personnel. I am surprised this place is only $48 a night. It truly is a resort. Got all checked in and assigned our spot. Drove to the spot and pulled in. Mike got us all hooked up so that we could get the air conditioners started. Of fun. The circuit breaker on their power pole keeps popping. Mike called the office and they sent the manager to our site. What a rude, rude man. Tried to tell Mike he didn't know what he was talking about. Yeah, that's right. Mike is only a retired electrical engineer. Hmmmmm. Me thinks the man knows electricity. Anyway, the manager wouldn't change out the extremely old breaker. So Mike put our 50 amp adapter on and found out that the park had two 50 amp services on the pole rather than one 30 amp and one 50 amp. Yeah, who doesn't know what they are talking about??????????
Decided we will spend the night here tonight since it is already paid for, but will definitely write a letter of complaint to Good Sam's Club since they are an affiliated park.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Leaving Poulsbo Heading South
Got everything all packed up and headed south this morning. Heading home. Still haven't decided if we will stops along the way. I personally still don't trust that the motorhome won't bread down on us again.
As we drove in to Oregon we noticed that the fuel prices were quite a bit cheaper than in Washington. We knew they were cheaper than what we were going to purchase in California so we decided to make sure to purchase fuel in southern Oregon before we hit the California border.
You know how I said that I hate driving through Spokane? Well, guess what????? I absolutely abhor driving through Portland!!!!!!!!
Decided we were going to drive as far as Roseburg and park overnight in the Walmart Super Center parking lot. Wow, when we pulled in to the lot there were more "No Overnight Parking" signs than I have ever seen. I swear they were every 10 feet. We saw a Walmart employee and asked if there would be a problem with us parking the night and he told us that we could NOT. So, off we went. We decided that we would take our chances and go further down the road to Grants Pass to their Walmart Super Center.
As we were driving along I noticed a "Rest Stop" sign. I pointed it out to Mike and asked him if he wanted to stop for a cigarette break there. In other states where they have "Rest Stop" signs, it usually indicates that there is a gas station and a fast food restaurant with a large parking lot for you to park and come in and purchase something from them. It is not actually a Rest Area like we are all used to. Anyway, Mike said that he really didn't need to and that he was just going to keep going to Grants Pass.
As we got closer to the Rest Stop turn off Mike changed his mind and exited the highway. We found out that this Rest Stop was affiliated with the 7 Feathers Casino and RV Resort. However, as we kept driving into the area we noticed that there was a motorhome and a couple of semi trucks parked in a lower parking lot. Mike kept driving to the upper parking lot and we noticed signs that stated "No Parking Longer than 12 Hours." We decided well, we wouldn't be there that long so we decided to stop for the night. Much to our surprise we discovered that this parking lot had a 24 hour security guard who took note of who came and went, wrote down license plate numbers, the whole deal. Talk about feeling safe. We had dinner and are staying the night. So happy we found this place!!!!!
As we drove in to Oregon we noticed that the fuel prices were quite a bit cheaper than in Washington. We knew they were cheaper than what we were going to purchase in California so we decided to make sure to purchase fuel in southern Oregon before we hit the California border.
You know how I said that I hate driving through Spokane? Well, guess what????? I absolutely abhor driving through Portland!!!!!!!!
Decided we were going to drive as far as Roseburg and park overnight in the Walmart Super Center parking lot. Wow, when we pulled in to the lot there were more "No Overnight Parking" signs than I have ever seen. I swear they were every 10 feet. We saw a Walmart employee and asked if there would be a problem with us parking the night and he told us that we could NOT. So, off we went. We decided that we would take our chances and go further down the road to Grants Pass to their Walmart Super Center.
As we were driving along I noticed a "Rest Stop" sign. I pointed it out to Mike and asked him if he wanted to stop for a cigarette break there. In other states where they have "Rest Stop" signs, it usually indicates that there is a gas station and a fast food restaurant with a large parking lot for you to park and come in and purchase something from them. It is not actually a Rest Area like we are all used to. Anyway, Mike said that he really didn't need to and that he was just going to keep going to Grants Pass.
As we got closer to the Rest Stop turn off Mike changed his mind and exited the highway. We found out that this Rest Stop was affiliated with the 7 Feathers Casino and RV Resort. However, as we kept driving into the area we noticed that there was a motorhome and a couple of semi trucks parked in a lower parking lot. Mike kept driving to the upper parking lot and we noticed signs that stated "No Parking Longer than 12 Hours." We decided well, we wouldn't be there that long so we decided to stop for the night. Much to our surprise we discovered that this parking lot had a 24 hour security guard who took note of who came and went, wrote down license plate numbers, the whole deal. Talk about feeling safe. We had dinner and are staying the night. So happy we found this place!!!!!
Monday, July 15, 2013
Touring Seattle
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| Mike on the ferry boat leaving Bainbridge Island |
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| Patty on the ferry boat coming in to Seattle |
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| Seattle skyline from the ferry |
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| View of the Space Needle from the boat |
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| Larry and Hana on the Argosy Harbor Cruise |
After we finished the cruise we said our goodbyes to Larry, Hana, Paul and Diane. It was Diane and Paul's first time in Seattle so they wanted to go see alot more sites. Mike and I used to live there so we decided to go and see one site we hadn't seen before and then head on back to Poulsbo.
We went to Pike's Market Place. This is the place that you see featured on TV where the fish mongers actually throw the fish from person to person when one is purchased or delivered. It is also where the original Starbuck's Coffee is located. Yup, it all began right there.
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| Pike's Market Place |
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| The crowd in Pike's Market Place |
Once our feet began to hurt we decided to head on back to the Ferry Terminal and catch the ferry back to Bainbridge Island, picked up our car in the parking lot, and drove back to the campground. We did decide to go out to dinner and then concluded our evening at the wonderful Poulsbo Central Market. Just love that store!
Tomorrow we are taking off for home sweet home. Looking forward to getting there.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
A Little Bit of Touring Around the Bremerton Area
Since Larry and his folks are going to their church today and won't be back until early afternoon, Mike and I decided that we would do some things on our own. Went to mass in Poulsbo and then headed into Old Poulsbo to go to the fabric store I have going to for the past two years. I couldn't believe it when we walked in and they had less than half of their inventory! They are closing their doors because the ladies that own the shop are planning to retire. I will sorely miss this shop. They have awesome fabric. I did purchase a few items and then we went down the street to Mike's favorite shop, "The Cargo Hold." It is a shop full of nautical and Naval items. We purchased several things for the motorhome. I have decided to change my decorating decor to represent us better. The motorhome is now going to be know as our Land Yacht. So we purchased a brass plaque for the bathroom door that says "Head," some anchor robe hooks, and a couple of new keychains for our motorhome keys. I am going to have so much fun with this decor! Can't wait to get home and get it all started!
From Poulsbo we drove over to Port Orchard to find a fabric store I have been planning to go to for almost a year. Found it, and boy did I spend a bundle! Mike is going to get five new shirts as well as a couple of new pairs of shorts. At least this way he can't complain about how much I spent. See, my old brain is still working!!!!
As we were driving over to Port Orchard we had the perfect picture opportunity to take pictures of the Naval ships in the Bremerton Ship Yards. Such an awesome sight. Once you've been in the Navy, it never gets out of your system!
I know one of those carriers is the USS Ronald Reagan, but I am not sure which one.
We drove over to Larry and Wendy's apartment and spent the rest of the day visiting and playing cards. Went out to dinner at Red Robin. That turned out to be a horrible fiasco. Took forever to get our food. Once we got it it was ice cold. Even the cheese was congealed. Yuck. We got new food and the manager paid for everything. Love Red Robin. They stand behind their product and service and make it right when things go wrong.
From Poulsbo we drove over to Port Orchard to find a fabric store I have been planning to go to for almost a year. Found it, and boy did I spend a bundle! Mike is going to get five new shirts as well as a couple of new pairs of shorts. At least this way he can't complain about how much I spent. See, my old brain is still working!!!!
As we were driving over to Port Orchard we had the perfect picture opportunity to take pictures of the Naval ships in the Bremerton Ship Yards. Such an awesome sight. Once you've been in the Navy, it never gets out of your system!
I know one of those carriers is the USS Ronald Reagan, but I am not sure which one.
We drove over to Larry and Wendy's apartment and spent the rest of the day visiting and playing cards. Went out to dinner at Red Robin. That turned out to be a horrible fiasco. Took forever to get our food. Once we got it it was ice cold. Even the cheese was congealed. Yuck. We got new food and the manager paid for everything. Love Red Robin. They stand behind their product and service and make it right when things go wrong.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Bremerton Beer Fest 2013
We headed over to Larry and Wendy's apartment around 10:00 this morning. Larry had arranged to have a babysitter baby sit Hana while the five of us went to the Beer Fest. So when he got home from dropping Hana off, we all piled into Diane and Paul's van and headed on down to Bremerton to the Fest.
Didn't quite know what to expect. There were live bands playing and over 30 microbreweries providing tastings of their products. Wow! Mike and I are not beer drinkers per se, but we sure tasted some pretty yummy and some pretty gaggy products.
Mike had to buy one of the pretzel necklaces. He thought they were pretty darn cool. Of course they were very tasty and nothing goes better with beer than pretzels. He says he is planning to make some of these and take them to the club the next time we go camping. Hmmmmm, I think my creative side is rubbing off on him!
After the Fest we went back to Larry and Wendy's apartment. Larry went and picked up our little Hana. I spent some time playing with her. We also played cards and visited with Larry, Paul and Diane.
Didn't quite know what to expect. There were live bands playing and over 30 microbreweries providing tastings of their products. Wow! Mike and I are not beer drinkers per se, but we sure tasted some pretty yummy and some pretty gaggy products.
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| Larry, Diane, Mike and Paul |
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| A bit of a crowd! |
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| My pretzel King! |
After the Fest we went back to Larry and Wendy's apartment. Larry went and picked up our little Hana. I spent some time playing with her. We also played cards and visited with Larry, Paul and Diane.
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| Cutest little girl around! |
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| Just way too precious! |
Friday, July 12, 2013
Poulsbo Here We Come!
Left Moses Lake pretty early this morning. Got to Poulsbo mid afternoon. We got all checked in to the Eagle Tree RV Campground. We got the same spot we had last year. It is really a nice spot here in the woods. Lots of trees and an end site. It is one of the larger sites so we are very happy.
Headed over to see Larry and Hana in Silverdale. Larry's parents Paul and Diane are visiting from Michigan so we finally got the opportunity to meet them. We spent a few hours visiting and then decided to head on back to the motorhome to get some sleep. Pretty tired and tomorrow we are going to the Bremerton Beer Festival. Should be fun. Mike and I have never been to a beer festival before.
Headed over to see Larry and Hana in Silverdale. Larry's parents Paul and Diane are visiting from Michigan so we finally got the opportunity to meet them. We spent a few hours visiting and then decided to head on back to the motorhome to get some sleep. Pretty tired and tomorrow we are going to the Bremerton Beer Festival. Should be fun. Mike and I have never been to a beer festival before.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Leaving Montana, Going Through Idaho, Entering Washington
We left Missoula pretty early this morning. Planning to stop for the night in Moses Lake, Washington at, yup you guessed it, a Walmart Super Center parking lot. We stayed there overnight last year. We will see what we find when we get there.
As we were driving through the Rocky Mountains we noticed one thing you just don't see in California. Well, at least in the flat lands of California. Snow measurement poles. These are located all along the side of the road for the snowplows so they can see just how deep the snow is as well as where the edge of the road is. We stopped in a rest area and they even had them in there so I just had to have Mike stand beside one so the I could take a picture of him.
That skinny pole that appears to be coming out of Mike's shoulder is the snow measurement pole. Gee ya think they get snow up here in them thar hills????
Driving through Spokane wasn't as bad as it has been in the past. Thank goodness we didn't hit it during rush hour. I hate driving through that town. The people there just don't seem to know how to drive. Especially when they see a very large motorhome beside them, or in front of them, or behind them. People please take note. We are almost as large as a semi truck. They cannot stop on a dime and neither can we. Sheesh!
Well, we made it to the Moses Lake Walmart and guess what?????? No signs. Yay!!!!!! We are parking this sucker, going inside to shop a little bit, and then eating at the Subway inside. Perfect evening if I do say so myself. Even if we have to park in a parking lot right beside a busy and noisy road.
I think I will rethink posting on Facebook the fact that we have stopped at another Walmart Super Center parking lot to spend the night. Man am I taking heat from all of our friends about the quality places we stay. LOL!
As we were driving through the Rocky Mountains we noticed one thing you just don't see in California. Well, at least in the flat lands of California. Snow measurement poles. These are located all along the side of the road for the snowplows so they can see just how deep the snow is as well as where the edge of the road is. We stopped in a rest area and they even had them in there so I just had to have Mike stand beside one so the I could take a picture of him.
Driving through Spokane wasn't as bad as it has been in the past. Thank goodness we didn't hit it during rush hour. I hate driving through that town. The people there just don't seem to know how to drive. Especially when they see a very large motorhome beside them, or in front of them, or behind them. People please take note. We are almost as large as a semi truck. They cannot stop on a dime and neither can we. Sheesh!
Well, we made it to the Moses Lake Walmart and guess what?????? No signs. Yay!!!!!! We are parking this sucker, going inside to shop a little bit, and then eating at the Subway inside. Perfect evening if I do say so myself. Even if we have to park in a parking lot right beside a busy and noisy road.
I think I will rethink posting on Facebook the fact that we have stopped at another Walmart Super Center parking lot to spend the night. Man am I taking heat from all of our friends about the quality places we stay. LOL!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Leaving Billings and Heading West
We said our goodbyes to Pam this morning. We will see her when we get home to California because she is heading down to see Rick in a few days and will still be there when we get home. Cool beans!
We are planning to drive as far as Missoula today and stay overnight in the Walmart Super Center parking lot again just like we did last summer.
The drive is beautiful. Just gorgeous blue skies and farmland as far as the eye can see. The corn crops seem to be awesome this year. Hopefully that will translate to all of our wallets. Ya right, figure the odds.
This time the new GPS with its updated software didn't route us through all of Missoula. It directed us to the correct exit and we found Walmart with no problems. But what the heck is this?????? Signs that say, "No Overnight Parking?" A city ordinance. Crud. I had to get some groceries and Mike decided to stay with the motorhome. It is so hot we have got to use the generator and get the air conditioner going.
Got my groceries and Mike decided to check to see if there were any campgrounds nearby. He called a KOA to see if they had anything available for the night. $63 really????? For a partial night??????? Luckily the guy asked us where we were and Mike told him we were in the Super Center parking lot but we noticed the No Overnight Parking signs. He told us that those signs went up over 10 months ago and he drives past the parking lot every day on his way to work. The police never enforce the ordinance and he told us to just stay where we were. OK? Really? We saw a Walmart employee and asked him about parking there for the night. He told us that Walmart does not have an issue with it and that it is a city ordinance that has never been enforced so he told us just to stay where we were. Okey dokey. Well, guess what? As the night progressed there were several other campers who came in and spent the night right along with us. We had no problems. Very happy campers!!!! Tee Hee!!!!
We are planning to drive as far as Missoula today and stay overnight in the Walmart Super Center parking lot again just like we did last summer.
The drive is beautiful. Just gorgeous blue skies and farmland as far as the eye can see. The corn crops seem to be awesome this year. Hopefully that will translate to all of our wallets. Ya right, figure the odds.
This time the new GPS with its updated software didn't route us through all of Missoula. It directed us to the correct exit and we found Walmart with no problems. But what the heck is this?????? Signs that say, "No Overnight Parking?" A city ordinance. Crud. I had to get some groceries and Mike decided to stay with the motorhome. It is so hot we have got to use the generator and get the air conditioner going.
Got my groceries and Mike decided to check to see if there were any campgrounds nearby. He called a KOA to see if they had anything available for the night. $63 really????? For a partial night??????? Luckily the guy asked us where we were and Mike told him we were in the Super Center parking lot but we noticed the No Overnight Parking signs. He told us that those signs went up over 10 months ago and he drives past the parking lot every day on his way to work. The police never enforce the ordinance and he told us to just stay where we were. OK? Really? We saw a Walmart employee and asked him about parking there for the night. He told us that Walmart does not have an issue with it and that it is a city ordinance that has never been enforced so he told us just to stay where we were. Okey dokey. Well, guess what? As the night progressed there were several other campers who came in and spent the night right along with us. We had no problems. Very happy campers!!!! Tee Hee!!!!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
The Great Rhubarb Hunt
Yesterday when we were visiting with Pam, I gave her a jar of the Rhubarb Strawberry Jam that Dad and I made as a little gift. She told us that she and her friend had gone on one of their infamous walks on an old homestead out of town and they found an old rhubarb plant that was still producing. She had picked some of the rhubarb and brought it home and cooked it up. She said she thinks she put too much liquid in it because it turned out pretty watery. So then she proceeded to ask us a ton of questions regarding rhubarb and its growth and preparation. We made the decision to go out to the homestead and see if we could find the rhubarb plant, dig it up and bring it back to their house and replant it.
But first we had to find an AT&T store to have Mike's phone fixed. He was trying to set up a password on his phone so if he loses it or it gets stolen, the person cannot access his phone. Well, as he was trying to do this he proceeded to lock himself out of the phone. So he called AT&T from my phone and found out that now he has to go to an AT&T store for them to replace the SD card. Fun! We found the AT&T store and it took the guy about 2 minutes to fix Mike's phone. Phew! Now we can proceed on.
Today is the day of the Great Rhubarb Hunt. It rained pretty good yesterday so we are sure that we will be running into some muddy dirt roads along the way. So we got a bucket to put the plant in if we find it, a shovel to dig it up, and a sheet of plastic to line the trunk of her car to try and minimize as much dirt mess as possible. Off we go!
Pam thought she remembered exactly where the homestead was, but as we were driving she started to question her memory. Not to worry, she drove right up to the spot where we were then able to hike into the property. It is such beautiful country. Can really see why she enjoys her walks. Not too far into the homestead property we found the rhubarb plant all alone and lonely. So Mike dug it up with a lot of the original dirt around the root ball. We lifted the heavy thing into the bucket and headed back to the car. Oh joy, we get to go slip sliding through the muddy road again.
Yup, this is Pam standing beside what used to be her immaculately clean car. This is what happens when you drive out into the country after it has rained. Oh well, we had a blast.
Pam decided where she wanted to plant the rhubarb plant in her yard and Mike dug the hole and we planted it. Now all she has to do is wait for it to grow and she can start harvesting some tasty awesomeness.
We had such a nice day just going around doing a little shopping for Mike and a little fabric shopping for me. Then we decided to go to dinner at the Pizza Ranch. Wow! That was a mistake! The food is so delicious and of course it's a buffet. When you are dieting it is NOT a good idea to go to dinner at an all you can eat pizza and dessert buffet. Needless to say, we all overate and then came back to the Perry house to sit and moan and groan about how full we were.
We hit the road again in the morning heading west to Washington.
But first we had to find an AT&T store to have Mike's phone fixed. He was trying to set up a password on his phone so if he loses it or it gets stolen, the person cannot access his phone. Well, as he was trying to do this he proceeded to lock himself out of the phone. So he called AT&T from my phone and found out that now he has to go to an AT&T store for them to replace the SD card. Fun! We found the AT&T store and it took the guy about 2 minutes to fix Mike's phone. Phew! Now we can proceed on.
Today is the day of the Great Rhubarb Hunt. It rained pretty good yesterday so we are sure that we will be running into some muddy dirt roads along the way. So we got a bucket to put the plant in if we find it, a shovel to dig it up, and a sheet of plastic to line the trunk of her car to try and minimize as much dirt mess as possible. Off we go!
Pam thought she remembered exactly where the homestead was, but as we were driving she started to question her memory. Not to worry, she drove right up to the spot where we were then able to hike into the property. It is such beautiful country. Can really see why she enjoys her walks. Not too far into the homestead property we found the rhubarb plant all alone and lonely. So Mike dug it up with a lot of the original dirt around the root ball. We lifted the heavy thing into the bucket and headed back to the car. Oh joy, we get to go slip sliding through the muddy road again.
Pam decided where she wanted to plant the rhubarb plant in her yard and Mike dug the hole and we planted it. Now all she has to do is wait for it to grow and she can start harvesting some tasty awesomeness.
We had such a nice day just going around doing a little shopping for Mike and a little fabric shopping for me. Then we decided to go to dinner at the Pizza Ranch. Wow! That was a mistake! The food is so delicious and of course it's a buffet. When you are dieting it is NOT a good idea to go to dinner at an all you can eat pizza and dessert buffet. Needless to say, we all overate and then came back to the Perry house to sit and moan and groan about how full we were.
We hit the road again in the morning heading west to Washington.
Monday, July 8, 2013
On the Road Again
Today we headed west on I-94 to Billings, Montana to see our friends Pam and Rick Perry. Rick is currently in California so we won't be seeing him during this visit.
Got on the road by 8:30 a.m., pretty early for me as I have gotten pretty acclimated to getting up around 9:00 a.m. Got to Billings around 3:30 p.m. and called Pam to let her know we were there. We drove right up to their place and parked the motorhome in our permanently assigned camping site (LOL). Pam arrived shortly thereafter. We have to remember that she is still working and not retired yet. Poor girl.
We spent the rest of the evening just relaxing and visiting with Pam and making plans for tomorrow.
Got on the road by 8:30 a.m., pretty early for me as I have gotten pretty acclimated to getting up around 9:00 a.m. Got to Billings around 3:30 p.m. and called Pam to let her know we were there. We drove right up to their place and parked the motorhome in our permanently assigned camping site (LOL). Pam arrived shortly thereafter. We have to remember that she is still working and not retired yet. Poor girl.
We spent the rest of the evening just relaxing and visiting with Pam and making plans for tomorrow.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Final Day at Dad's
Sniff, sniff. It's our last day at Dad's. Today I got some cinnamon rolls baked and Mike got some little things done on Dad's car that he wanted checked.
Once again I am so happy with the results of my dough for the cinnamon rolls. It really turned out soft, moist and fluffy.
Once again I am so happy with the results of my dough for the cinnamon rolls. It really turned out soft, moist and fluffy.
Mike is so jealous. He gets this same way every year. He pouts because he says that I never make him these things at home. Well, this year we are both on diets. Does he seriously think I am going to be made to feel so guilty that I will relent and bake him all the same goodies as my Dad gets once we get home???? NOT!!!!! Dad sure is thankful for them though.
Yup, I put these in ziplocks bags too and put them in the freezer downstairs. It's getting pretty difficult finding room in that freezer. At least I know Dad will have goodies at least until Christmas.
Since it is our last day at Dad's we spent the rest of the day and evening just visiting with him. We said our goodbyes around 9:30 p.m. and will leave Dickinson tomorrow morning. Love my Dad so very much and will miss him terribly!
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Yup You Guessed It. More Work at Dad's
Today Mike is planning to mow and trim the grass and I am planning to make a batch of sticky buns for Dad. At least we are keeping Dad from working so darn hard right now. We know he will continue to do all of this yardwork by himself after we leave. Pretty unbelievable with the size of yard that he has and the fact that he is 89 years old!
Well, I got the sticky buns done and they turned out beautifully. The dough was so light and airy and moist. Pretty darn proud of myself!
Well, I got the sticky buns done and they turned out beautifully. The dough was so light and airy and moist. Pretty darn proud of myself!
I broke them into individual rolls and wrapped them each in foil and put them in the freezer downstairs. Now he will have sticky buns for breakfast whenever he wants one. Or at least for as long as he makes them last.
Mike and I had to get things done pretty fast today so that we could get back to the motorhome and get cleaned up to go to church. We met Dad at church for services and then came back to his house. Mike ran out to Wendy's to get dinner and we spent the rest of the evening sitting inside the garage watching the world go by on the street in front of Dad's house. Nice evening. Great company.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Another Busy Day at Dad's
Well, the holiday is over. Mike got back to finishing the trees and bushes today and I went shopping. I could have sworn that Mike and I saw a sign in the mall that said today was supposed to be the first day of Crazy Days, which means fantastic discount prices. Hmmmmm, misread that sign. It doesn't start until next week Friday and we will be gone! Crap!!! Oh well, undaunted I will continue on and see what I can find as far as bargains go.
Well, I found three tops and three pairs of sunglasses and spent a total of $11.00. Not bad! Although that's all that I found on sale. I was able to go and check out some new places that I had never been to before. Dickinson really doesn't have much to offer outside of the mall for shopping. I have heard rumors that the city is trying to revitalize downtown. We will see.
When I got back to Dad's house Mike had completed all of the pruning and trimming. Wow, it looks beautiful!
Mike took his shower and we spent the rest of the evening relaxing and visiting with Dad. Came back to the motorhome at our regular time 9:00 p.m. Tomorrow is another day.
Well, I found three tops and three pairs of sunglasses and spent a total of $11.00. Not bad! Although that's all that I found on sale. I was able to go and check out some new places that I had never been to before. Dickinson really doesn't have much to offer outside of the mall for shopping. I have heard rumors that the city is trying to revitalize downtown. We will see.
When I got back to Dad's house Mike had completed all of the pruning and trimming. Wow, it looks beautiful!
Mike took his shower and we spent the rest of the evening relaxing and visiting with Dad. Came back to the motorhome at our regular time 9:00 p.m. Tomorrow is another day.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Happy 4th of July!
Today is the 4th of July so no work for us! Well, except for cooking for our little barbecue this evening. Making hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, watermelon, and Dad's baked beans. Mmmmmmm, delish!!!
Made the corn on the cob a new way thanks to our friend Velma back in So Cal. Clean some of the husk from the corn, but leave most of it on. Cut off the very tip of the husk and silk. Soak the whole cob with the husk on in water for about 10 minutes. Then you put the whole cob with the husk still on it right on the hot barbecue. Grill it for about 25 minutes. OMG, this is totally awesome. The corn doesn't get squishy like when you boil it in a pot of water. It is cooked all of the way through but still crunchy. Tastes fantastic! I think Dad really liked it. We cut the left over cobs in half and I put them in a ziplock and put them in the freezer so that he can have corn on the cob whenever he wants some in the next few months.
Headed over to the rear of Roosevelt Elementary School to watch the city fireworks display. There were so many fireworks being set off from private citizens all around us. Wow! What a display. I felt like I was watching a tennis match or something. My neck was getting sore from watching this side, then this side, then this side, etc. Finally at 10:00 p.m. on the nose the city started their display. Once again, no complaints, just awesome compliments on the fantastic display this small North Dakota city puts on. Some major California cities could take lessons!!!!!
Once the fireworks were over we went back to Dad's house for a little bit and then headed home to the motorhome. Another day tomorrow. The work will resume.
Made the corn on the cob a new way thanks to our friend Velma back in So Cal. Clean some of the husk from the corn, but leave most of it on. Cut off the very tip of the husk and silk. Soak the whole cob with the husk on in water for about 10 minutes. Then you put the whole cob with the husk still on it right on the hot barbecue. Grill it for about 25 minutes. OMG, this is totally awesome. The corn doesn't get squishy like when you boil it in a pot of water. It is cooked all of the way through but still crunchy. Tastes fantastic! I think Dad really liked it. We cut the left over cobs in half and I put them in a ziplock and put them in the freezer so that he can have corn on the cob whenever he wants some in the next few months.
Headed over to the rear of Roosevelt Elementary School to watch the city fireworks display. There were so many fireworks being set off from private citizens all around us. Wow! What a display. I felt like I was watching a tennis match or something. My neck was getting sore from watching this side, then this side, then this side, etc. Finally at 10:00 p.m. on the nose the city started their display. Once again, no complaints, just awesome compliments on the fantastic display this small North Dakota city puts on. Some major California cities could take lessons!!!!!
Once the fireworks were over we went back to Dad's house for a little bit and then headed home to the motorhome. Another day tomorrow. The work will resume.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Busy Day 2 at Dad's
Today Mike is still pretty much out of commission because his hand is in alot of pain. But I am going to get a second batch of cookies done. Today are the Chocolate Chip Pecan cookies. Let's see how many I can get from a double batch for my daddy.
Not bad. Got a few dozen. Yup, you guessed it. I packaged them up in ziplocks and took them to the freezer downstairs. He's got quite a few packages that should tide him over for a few months after we leave. His freezer is getting pretty full. Got 12 mini rhubarb pies, several packages of the oatmeal date cookies, and now the packages of chocolate chip cookies. He is one happy boy with a big smile on his face.
Headed back to the motorhome at the campground around 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Busy Day 1 at Dad's
Got to Dad's at our regular time, about 10:30 this morning. Got a busy day ahead of us. I am going to get started on baking cookies for Dad and Mike is going to get started on pruning and trimming the bushes in Dad's yard.
Dad already made the rhubarb jam, so all I have to do is pack up the two batches he is giving me. Now to get busy on those cookies. Going to make him his favorites, Oatmeal, Date, Pecan cookies.
Dad already made the rhubarb jam, so all I have to do is pack up the two batches he is giving me. Now to get busy on those cookies. Going to make him his favorites, Oatmeal, Date, Pecan cookies.
Got a few dozen for him. Bagged them all up in ziplock bags and put them in the freezer while they were still slightly warm. Should taste really good and fresh when he takes them out to eat them in the next few months.
Mike got started on the bushes in the front of Dad's house. He did most of them and then decided to take a break. Note to self: do NOT hit the on switch of the electric hedge trimmer while your finger is in the blade portion. OMG!!!!! I felt Mike should go to the Emergency Room to have stitches (which is exactly what he needed). But NO, he just wanted me to clean it up and put a bandaid on it. Gee, do you actually think he should have maybe gone the route I wanted him to take????? Especially when he was going out of the house to go sit in the garage and began running into things because he was going into shock and was getting ready to pass out!!!! I got him to a chair and got him some cold water to drink and that was it. No hospital for Dr. Mike!!!!!
Needless to say, all work ended for all of us. We spent the rest of the evening sitting and visiting. Sometimes I wonder about the man that I married. Sheesh!!!!!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Rhubarb
Headed over to Dad's place this morning around 10:30. Today he and I are going to pick rhubarb so that I can get things set up to make three batches of Rhubarb Strawberry jam as well as some mini pies for him. Dad has got some of the best red rhubarb you can imagine. It truly is awesome. He picked two of the five plants he has in his garden. Once he picked it I carried it back to the garage and began cleaning the leaves and the stem ends off.
I then proceeded to cut it into cubes for the jam batches and to see if we were going to need to pick any more for his mini pies. OK, got the 24 cups for the three batches of jam all separated into their own bowls. Now for the pies. We bought those little mini aluminum pie tins. I made 12 little pies for him. They are raw, wrapped in foil and in the freezer. Now when he is craving a pie, all he needs to do is go to the freezer take out a pie and bake it. Mmmmmmm, fresh rhubarb pie.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing and visiting with Dad. He and Mike discussed what he wanted Mike to do around the yard and with his car. So tomorrow Mike's work schedule begins and mine continues!
I then proceeded to cut it into cubes for the jam batches and to see if we were going to need to pick any more for his mini pies. OK, got the 24 cups for the three batches of jam all separated into their own bowls. Now for the pies. We bought those little mini aluminum pie tins. I made 12 little pies for him. They are raw, wrapped in foil and in the freezer. Now when he is craving a pie, all he needs to do is go to the freezer take out a pie and bake it. Mmmmmmm, fresh rhubarb pie.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing and visiting with Dad. He and Mike discussed what he wanted Mike to do around the yard and with his car. So tomorrow Mike's work schedule begins and mine continues!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Roughrider Days Parade
Today is the Roughrider Days Parade and our class was one of the featured classes on one of the "floats" (a flatbed towed by a large pickup truck). Thank you Bobbie (Weiler) Hauck and her husband Neil for furnishing the truck and flatbed. Not everyone who was at the social last night showed up this morning for the parade. Gee, I wonder why????? What's the matter folks, a little too early??? Somehow, I don't think that is the situation! Me thinks it has something to do with the liquid libations people were partaking in last night. Hmmmmmm!
Thank goodness I never partake in that sort of thing (tee hee).
Although we still had a pretty darn good turnout. The parade was a blast. I can't tell you how much candy we had to throw out to all of the little kiddies along the parade route. After the parade we all took a tour of our high school. Couldn't believe how much the school hasn't changed. Even the same classes are still being held in the classrooms that they were held in when we went to school! After the parade we didn't want the reunion to be over yet. So a group of us decided to go and have pizza together. It was so much fun and the pizza was really, really good. The management told us that we could have all the frozen yogurt and toppings we wanted free of charge. Yup, that's our hometown. And ya'll wonder why we want to move back there????????
We went to the DHS (the public school) Class of 1973 social at the Elk's Club. Wow, what a small turnout. The public high school had four times the number of graduates in the class of 1973 than we did. We had over twice the number of alumni show up for our 40th reunion. We met up with two of our classmates, Tom and Alicia and went to the social. After about an hour we all left and said our goodbyes to them and headed home.
Thank goodness I never partake in that sort of thing (tee hee).
We went to the DHS (the public school) Class of 1973 social at the Elk's Club. Wow, what a small turnout. The public high school had four times the number of graduates in the class of 1973 than we did. We had over twice the number of alumni show up for our 40th reunion. We met up with two of our classmates, Tom and Alicia and went to the social. After about an hour we all left and said our goodbyes to them and headed home.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Trinity High School Class of 1973 40th Class Reunion!
Our 40th class reunion is beginning this evening with a social at the Ramada Lodge at 6:00 p.m. We are really looking forward to seeing who is all going to be there. Told Dad that we probably won't see him for the next three days due to the scheduled events as well as the possiblity of just getting together with classmates.
Not a bad looking group if I do say so myself. Can't believe we are all 58 years old already. Seems like yesterday we were all graduating. Out of a class of 118, 68 actually showed up. That is awesome. We have had 7 classmates pass away. So sad.
Got to spend time with Judy (Pavlish) Duerre. She and I were friends in grade school all the way through high school. She now lives in Texas. Mike had a nice visit with his cousin Randy Rummel. Haven't seen him since the 20th class reunion. Whoa. It is so awesome how the clique barriers have disappeared and we are all just one big group. Had a blast. Really had a great time with Bobbie (Wieler) Hauck and her husband Neil. Also spent alot of time with Tom Keller and Alicia (Jaeger) Keller.
Hated to see the night end. Looking forward to tomorrow morning so that we can get on our class float and ride in the Roughrider Days Parade. The only bad thing is we have to get up so dang early.
Got to spend time with Judy (Pavlish) Duerre. She and I were friends in grade school all the way through high school. She now lives in Texas. Mike had a nice visit with his cousin Randy Rummel. Haven't seen him since the 20th class reunion. Whoa. It is so awesome how the clique barriers have disappeared and we are all just one big group. Had a blast. Really had a great time with Bobbie (Wieler) Hauck and her husband Neil. Also spent alot of time with Tom Keller and Alicia (Jaeger) Keller.
Hated to see the night end. Looking forward to tomorrow morning so that we can get on our class float and ride in the Roughrider Days Parade. The only bad thing is we have to get up so dang early.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Day One in Dickinson
June 26, 2013
Headed to Dad's house around 10:30 a.m. This is going to be he norm for us since I don't get out of bed before 9:00 a.m. unless I really, really have to.
Delivered the items that Dad asked me to get for him because he couldn't find them in Dickinson. While we were in the house putting things away, Mike was outside looking over the yard. He decided that the lawn needed to be edged and mowed, so he got to business and asked Dad where all of the tools were so he could get busy.
Dad and I sat and watched Mike mow and edge the lawn. Once that was done, we all sat and relaxed for the rest of the day.
Pretty uneventful day, but just really nice to visit with my Dad. We know the next few days are going to be filled with our class reunion, baking and more yard work for Mike.
Headed to Dad's house around 10:30 a.m. This is going to be he norm for us since I don't get out of bed before 9:00 a.m. unless I really, really have to.
Delivered the items that Dad asked me to get for him because he couldn't find them in Dickinson. While we were in the house putting things away, Mike was outside looking over the yard. He decided that the lawn needed to be edged and mowed, so he got to business and asked Dad where all of the tools were so he could get busy.
Dad and I sat and watched Mike mow and edge the lawn. Once that was done, we all sat and relaxed for the rest of the day.
Pretty uneventful day, but just really nice to visit with my Dad. We know the next few days are going to be filled with our class reunion, baking and more yard work for Mike.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Day 2 on our way to North Dakota
Can't remember the last time we saw this area so green. They have been getting allot of rain and it truly shows. It is just so beautiful.
I think I am going to have to call the campground in Dickinson to let them know that we are more than likely going to arrive a day earlier than anticipated. Guess we didn't calculate our travel time correctly. We gave ourselves 2 1/2 days to get there and it is really looking like we are going to get there today. Oops!
Ate lunch at the rest area right on the edge of Buffalo, South Dakota. Getting into and out of that place is a nightmare. Very steep dirt roads going in and going out. Yikes!
While I was making lunch Mike was outside checking to make sure all was ok with the motorhome and car. He started talking to a couple who had gone to North Dakota to work in the oil boom. They had been there for some time and were now leaving. They told Mike that they were both working full time jobs and that while they were both getting paid quite nicely, the cost of rent, groceries and fuel were unbelievable. They said that they were just making ends meet, but weren't getting ahead at all. So they were going to Texas. Somehow I don't think this will be the first of this type of story we will hear. Very sad.
Left Buffalo and sure enough, we are going to get to Dickinson this evening. As soon as we drove through Bowman, North Dakota I got on my cell phone and called Northpark Campground to check to see if there would be a problem with us coming in a day earlier than anticipated and reserved. Nope, no problem. Thank goodness for cell phones!
Lots of new construction going on just outside of Dickinson along Interstate 94. We will definitely have to check this out and see what is going on!
Arrived at the campground and got checked in. Yikes $420 for two weeks!!!!! Yup, the oil boom here in North Dakota is a good thing! Somehow I think that is questionable.
Called my Dad to let him know we are here a day early. Told him we would be up after dinner unless he wanted to come to our place to eat. He already had dinner on the table, so I guess that was a no.
Got all settled in, ate, and then went to see my Dad. He is looking really good. Getting a little slower, but other than that, doing great. Sat and visited with him for a little while then headed back to the motorhome for some much needed sleep. Nighty night everyone!
I think I am going to have to call the campground in Dickinson to let them know that we are more than likely going to arrive a day earlier than anticipated. Guess we didn't calculate our travel time correctly. We gave ourselves 2 1/2 days to get there and it is really looking like we are going to get there today. Oops!
Ate lunch at the rest area right on the edge of Buffalo, South Dakota. Getting into and out of that place is a nightmare. Very steep dirt roads going in and going out. Yikes!
While I was making lunch Mike was outside checking to make sure all was ok with the motorhome and car. He started talking to a couple who had gone to North Dakota to work in the oil boom. They had been there for some time and were now leaving. They told Mike that they were both working full time jobs and that while they were both getting paid quite nicely, the cost of rent, groceries and fuel were unbelievable. They said that they were just making ends meet, but weren't getting ahead at all. So they were going to Texas. Somehow I don't think this will be the first of this type of story we will hear. Very sad.
Left Buffalo and sure enough, we are going to get to Dickinson this evening. As soon as we drove through Bowman, North Dakota I got on my cell phone and called Northpark Campground to check to see if there would be a problem with us coming in a day earlier than anticipated and reserved. Nope, no problem. Thank goodness for cell phones!
Lots of new construction going on just outside of Dickinson along Interstate 94. We will definitely have to check this out and see what is going on!
Arrived at the campground and got checked in. Yikes $420 for two weeks!!!!! Yup, the oil boom here in North Dakota is a good thing! Somehow I think that is questionable.
Called my Dad to let him know we are here a day early. Told him we would be up after dinner unless he wanted to come to our place to eat. He already had dinner on the table, so I guess that was a no.
Got all settled in, ate, and then went to see my Dad. He is looking really good. Getting a little slower, but other than that, doing great. Sat and visited with him for a little while then headed back to the motorhome for some much needed sleep. Nighty night everyone!
Monday, June 24, 2013
On the Road Heading to North Dakota
June 24, 2013
After five days of relaxing, shopping, eating, and visitng at Colette's it is time to start heading to North Dakota. Got our 40th class reunion starting the 28th.
As we were doing all of our normal pre-trip preps I noticed that the tire pressue monitor was telling us we had a low tire. Well, anothe tire mounted monitor had bulged and gone bad. Thankfully Mike brought along three new ones. So he put a new one on and then proceeded to try to blow up the tire with air. Every time he tried to use Colette's big air compressor in ther garage, he blew a circuit! So, we had to use our little compressor in the motorhome. Took a little longer but it got the job done.
Said our goodbyes to Colette and Mom and got into the motorhome. So now, it is time to get on the road again.
At least Mike timed things so that we got out of the Denver area without hitting rush hour traffic! I hate driving through Denver in heavy traffic. At least they seem to have widened the lanes on the highway. Now I don't feel like we are threading a needle with this monster on six wheels!
Got into Wyoming and stopped at a beautiful rest area outside of Douglas to have lunch.
They must have had a really mild winter here in Wyoming. I can't remember ever seeing this many deer and antelope in the past. We drove past one field and at first I thought it was a sheep herd. Then I realized, no it is actually antelope. I lost count after 50 some. The little babies are so cute.
Other than looking for deer and antelope and looking at the green fields, there really isn't much else to see on our route here in Wyoming. We have taken this one quite a few times.
Decided that we would stay the night in the parking lot of the WalMart Super Center in Gillette. Also decided that we would eat dinner at the Perkins Restaurant beside the parking lot as well. Of course once we got there there were alot of RVs already parked for the night. Of course Mike chooses to park right by the entrance to the parking lot. We got to listen to cars, trucks, and motorcycles coming and going all night long. It was so pleasant. NOT!
After five days of relaxing, shopping, eating, and visitng at Colette's it is time to start heading to North Dakota. Got our 40th class reunion starting the 28th.
As we were doing all of our normal pre-trip preps I noticed that the tire pressue monitor was telling us we had a low tire. Well, anothe tire mounted monitor had bulged and gone bad. Thankfully Mike brought along three new ones. So he put a new one on and then proceeded to try to blow up the tire with air. Every time he tried to use Colette's big air compressor in ther garage, he blew a circuit! So, we had to use our little compressor in the motorhome. Took a little longer but it got the job done.
Said our goodbyes to Colette and Mom and got into the motorhome. So now, it is time to get on the road again.
At least Mike timed things so that we got out of the Denver area without hitting rush hour traffic! I hate driving through Denver in heavy traffic. At least they seem to have widened the lanes on the highway. Now I don't feel like we are threading a needle with this monster on six wheels!
Got into Wyoming and stopped at a beautiful rest area outside of Douglas to have lunch.
They must have had a really mild winter here in Wyoming. I can't remember ever seeing this many deer and antelope in the past. We drove past one field and at first I thought it was a sheep herd. Then I realized, no it is actually antelope. I lost count after 50 some. The little babies are so cute.
Other than looking for deer and antelope and looking at the green fields, there really isn't much else to see on our route here in Wyoming. We have taken this one quite a few times.
Decided that we would stay the night in the parking lot of the WalMart Super Center in Gillette. Also decided that we would eat dinner at the Perkins Restaurant beside the parking lot as well. Of course once we got there there were alot of RVs already parked for the night. Of course Mike chooses to park right by the entrance to the parking lot. We got to listen to cars, trucks, and motorcycles coming and going all night long. It was so pleasant. NOT!
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Space Foundation Exhibit - Colorado Springs, CO
Drove to Colorado Springs today. We are going to the Space Foundation Exhibit with Mike's sister Joan, brother-in-law Bob, nephew-in-law Dave, and great-nephews Luke and Kyle.
Mike has always wanted to travel out into space, so couldn't resist taking a picture of him beside the spacesuit exhibit.
Think it would fit him??????? Man that astronaut had to be a short guy! The exhibit was really quite interesting. They even had four different astronauts there to sign autographs for all the little future astronauts. Luke and Kyle loved the stomp rockets that they made. That was so much fun watching all the little kids make the rockets and them stomp on a 2 litre soda bottle to make the rockets fly. Wow, some really made it up there.
After the exhibit we went back to Joan and Bob's house for a barbecue. Dave and the boys came over and so did Brian (Mike's nephew) and TK (Brian's wife). Brian is currently serving in the US Army and had just returned from a tour in the Middle East two days prior to our visit. It was so nice of them to come by just to see us. Love those kids.
After dinner the Nelson's left and Joan, Bob, Mike and I went into their hot tub for a little bit of relaxing. That sure felt good!
We called it a night and said our goodbyes. Headed back to Lone Tree to our motorhome and some badly needed shut eye.
Mike has always wanted to travel out into space, so couldn't resist taking a picture of him beside the spacesuit exhibit.
Think it would fit him??????? Man that astronaut had to be a short guy! The exhibit was really quite interesting. They even had four different astronauts there to sign autographs for all the little future astronauts. Luke and Kyle loved the stomp rockets that they made. That was so much fun watching all the little kids make the rockets and them stomp on a 2 litre soda bottle to make the rockets fly. Wow, some really made it up there.
After the exhibit we went back to Joan and Bob's house for a barbecue. Dave and the boys came over and so did Brian (Mike's nephew) and TK (Brian's wife). Brian is currently serving in the US Army and had just returned from a tour in the Middle East two days prior to our visit. It was so nice of them to come by just to see us. Love those kids.
After dinner the Nelson's left and Joan, Bob, Mike and I went into their hot tub for a little bit of relaxing. That sure felt good!
We called it a night and said our goodbyes. Headed back to Lone Tree to our motorhome and some badly needed shut eye.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Heading to Lone Tree, Colorado
June 19, 2013
Took off from River Dance RV Resort this morning on our way to Mike's sisters' in Lone Tree, Colorado. So far the motorhome seems to be running just fine since its repair. Hoping this pattern continues.
OK, I knew Colorado had mountains. But seriously?? This many? And why do they have to be so dang high? Don't they know I don't want to stress out my little motorhome engine? Sheesh!
It is just so much fun traveling up these passes at 20 miles per hour! Thank goodness people can still get around us or else we might have some really ticked off drivers. Wow Vail Pass the motorhome was like the little engine that could, I think I can, I think I can. . . . . . . .
Took off from River Dance RV Resort this morning on our way to Mike's sisters' in Lone Tree, Colorado. So far the motorhome seems to be running just fine since its repair. Hoping this pattern continues.
OK, I knew Colorado had mountains. But seriously?? This many? And why do they have to be so dang high? Don't they know I don't want to stress out my little motorhome engine? Sheesh!
It is just so much fun traveling up these passes at 20 miles per hour! Thank goodness people can still get around us or else we might have some really ticked off drivers. Wow Vail Pass the motorhome was like the little engine that could, I think I can, I think I can. . . . . . . .
I CAN!!!
OK, now it's downhill. Hoping this keeps up. Can't help but worry about the stress on the engine. As we drove through the edge of Vail, you can't help but notice the beautiful hotels and the ski slopes where all of the celebreties and beautiful people hang when they visit. Should I be impressed?
Oh no, we are heading uphill again. I think I can, I think I can. . . . . . .
I CAN!!!
And to think we thought Vail Pass was bad!
Made it to Colette's safe and sound and the motorhome performed wonderfully (except for the climbing at 20 mph part).
Now it is time to relax and visit with Mike's sister and mom.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
June 18, 2013 - Vacation 2013
Back on the road again. Keeping our fingers crossed that everything is fixed and working fine and that the secondary fuel pump doesn't go out (the Cummins service manager warned us that this could be a possibility).
Stopped in Parachute, CO to take a break and mail a letter to Cummins to make our 10% discount official.
Went into the little gift shop. Overpriced????? You'd better believe it. Did see a really cute handbag made from license plates and duct tape though. Just may have to try and make one of those if I can find the Navy Mom license plates that I want.
The Parachute rest area had these wonderful "palm trees." Well, at least they looked like Colorado's version of palm trees until we were walking back from the gift shop. It was then that we noticed that they are actually decorative solar panels to power the information center building in the rest area. Gee, ain't they purty?
Well, let's get on the road and try to make up some time. We were planning to go to a spa resort for a couple of days before we are scheduled to get to Mike's sister's house in Lone Tree, CO. But thanks to the motorhome issue, we won't be able to do that. So it's looking like we will need to scope out a campground on the route to spend the night.
Stopped in Parachute, CO to take a break and mail a letter to Cummins to make our 10% discount official.
Well, let's get on the road and try to make up some time. We were planning to go to a spa resort for a couple of days before we are scheduled to get to Mike's sister's house in Lone Tree, CO. But thanks to the motorhome issue, we won't be able to do that. So it's looking like we will need to scope out a campground on the route to spend the night.
Some very beautiful country with spectacular views whichever direction you turn. Gonna stay at the River Dance RV Resort tonight. Looks to be very, very nice.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Cummins Please Be Kind - Vacation 2013
June 17, 2013 - Vacation 2013
Woke up to an awful noise this morning. Oh, it is only the alarm clock. Hate those things but have got to get cleaned up and dressed early so that we can go into the Cummins office to talk to the service manager. They are expecting us because of the wonderful lines of communication yesterday. Yay!
OK, now what?? Oh we get to sit in the customers lounge while they analyze what is wrong with our motorhome. At least it has really nice comfy black leather chairs, a TV, and a fridge full of soda and water!
The luster has worn off of the perks in the customer lounge. Yes, the chairs are comfy, but you stick to them if you are wearing shorts. Yes, the fridge has cold diet sodas, but the date on the can is over a year old and they taste like it. Yes, the TV has multiple channels to choose from, but it is Dish Network and not DirecTV and I cannot figure out how this stupid remote works. Hopefully Mike will come back here soon and show me how this dang thing works!!!
It's past 9:30 a.m. and they haven't even started on our motorhome yet. They have talked to Mike and let him know what they think it could be, but of course they haven't done anything to confirm their suspicions yet. At least Mike came back into the lounge and showed me how the stupid remote works.
Getting hungry and all of our food is in the motorhome that I am unable to access. Hmmmmm, I recall a Carl's Jr. down the road a bit. Maybe Mike would like some breakfast?????
Yup, he started drooling as soon as I asked him if he wanted me to drive over to Carl's Jr. and get some breakfast. On the way I noticed a billboard sign that was advertising an egg white egg mcmuffin at McDonald's. Since we are both doing Weight Watchers I thought, hey why not? Pulled into the McDonald's. That was a huge mistake. I stood in line and waited and waited. One register open, old guy who already ordered and paid for his food wouldn't move from his position by the counter right in front of the register. McDonald's employee doesn't have the sense to ask the old guy to move to the side to wait for his food so she can wait on other customers. She just stands there and looks around at everyone. Little boy walks up to the counter and stands beside old guy. McDonald's employee asks him if she can help him. Never mind that there are three people in line waiting behind old guy. Little boy tells McDonald's employee that he wants three breakfast burritos. She taps the order into her register, collects the money from little boy and gets him his food. Old guy finally gets his food. McDonald's employee looks at me finally and asks me if she can help me. I ask her where they have the breakfast menu posted because it is nowhere to be seen. She looks at me like I am an alien from another planet and then turns to her manager and asks if they are still serving breakfast. McDonald's manager tells me they are no longer serving breakfast (it is 10:00 a.m.), but she can check to see if they have anything left over in the back. Ummmmm, let me think!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!! Turned and walked out and got in my car. Drove down the street a little further and pulled into Carl's Jr. Guess what? They are still serving breakfast! Ordered our food, paid for it and got back in the car. Drove back to Cummins. Mike is still sitting in the Customer's lounge and they still haven't started working on our motorhome yet!
After eating our wonderfully greasy, calorie ridden breakfast Mike left the lounge to go talk to the service manager and I sat and watched TV. Mike came back in and informed me that they had finally started working on our motorhome and asked me if I wanted to drive over to the mall and do some shopping while he sat there in the lounge. Well now, you don't have to ask me twice. I knew I fell in love with that man for a reason. So I took the car and left.
Three hours later, I arrived back at the Cummins repair facility. Mike was shocked, I came back and didn't spend a penny. Yes, three hours of shopping and I didn't buy a thing. Could it be I was a bit worried about what the bill for this repair is going to be and our vacation is just starting??????
Looks like they found the problem and are repairing it. Guess this little motorhome of ours has two fuel pumps. The initial pump gave up the ghost. Of course, now we get to worry a little bit more. They informed us that some times when the initial pump goes out, the secondary pump can get damaged. Keeping fingers crossed that that is not the scenario. I am seeing $$$$$$$$ flying out the window!!!!
New initial fuel pump installed. Service manager taking motorhome out for test drive to see if all is ok. Prayers, prayers, prayers.
Service manager is back and he says all looks ok thus far. OK, now pay the bill!! OUCH!!!! $1000 later we have a lovely piece of paper in our hands saying that the motorhome has been repaired. Guess what, it is past 6:00 p.m. Too late to get back out on the road. So we are going to spend another lovely night in the Cummins parking lot. Oh joy!
Please let tomorrow bring smiles and joy back into our lives!
Woke up to an awful noise this morning. Oh, it is only the alarm clock. Hate those things but have got to get cleaned up and dressed early so that we can go into the Cummins office to talk to the service manager. They are expecting us because of the wonderful lines of communication yesterday. Yay!
OK, now what?? Oh we get to sit in the customers lounge while they analyze what is wrong with our motorhome. At least it has really nice comfy black leather chairs, a TV, and a fridge full of soda and water!
The luster has worn off of the perks in the customer lounge. Yes, the chairs are comfy, but you stick to them if you are wearing shorts. Yes, the fridge has cold diet sodas, but the date on the can is over a year old and they taste like it. Yes, the TV has multiple channels to choose from, but it is Dish Network and not DirecTV and I cannot figure out how this stupid remote works. Hopefully Mike will come back here soon and show me how this dang thing works!!!
It's past 9:30 a.m. and they haven't even started on our motorhome yet. They have talked to Mike and let him know what they think it could be, but of course they haven't done anything to confirm their suspicions yet. At least Mike came back into the lounge and showed me how the stupid remote works.
Getting hungry and all of our food is in the motorhome that I am unable to access. Hmmmmm, I recall a Carl's Jr. down the road a bit. Maybe Mike would like some breakfast?????
Yup, he started drooling as soon as I asked him if he wanted me to drive over to Carl's Jr. and get some breakfast. On the way I noticed a billboard sign that was advertising an egg white egg mcmuffin at McDonald's. Since we are both doing Weight Watchers I thought, hey why not? Pulled into the McDonald's. That was a huge mistake. I stood in line and waited and waited. One register open, old guy who already ordered and paid for his food wouldn't move from his position by the counter right in front of the register. McDonald's employee doesn't have the sense to ask the old guy to move to the side to wait for his food so she can wait on other customers. She just stands there and looks around at everyone. Little boy walks up to the counter and stands beside old guy. McDonald's employee asks him if she can help him. Never mind that there are three people in line waiting behind old guy. Little boy tells McDonald's employee that he wants three breakfast burritos. She taps the order into her register, collects the money from little boy and gets him his food. Old guy finally gets his food. McDonald's employee looks at me finally and asks me if she can help me. I ask her where they have the breakfast menu posted because it is nowhere to be seen. She looks at me like I am an alien from another planet and then turns to her manager and asks if they are still serving breakfast. McDonald's manager tells me they are no longer serving breakfast (it is 10:00 a.m.), but she can check to see if they have anything left over in the back. Ummmmm, let me think!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!! Turned and walked out and got in my car. Drove down the street a little further and pulled into Carl's Jr. Guess what? They are still serving breakfast! Ordered our food, paid for it and got back in the car. Drove back to Cummins. Mike is still sitting in the Customer's lounge and they still haven't started working on our motorhome yet!
After eating our wonderfully greasy, calorie ridden breakfast Mike left the lounge to go talk to the service manager and I sat and watched TV. Mike came back in and informed me that they had finally started working on our motorhome and asked me if I wanted to drive over to the mall and do some shopping while he sat there in the lounge. Well now, you don't have to ask me twice. I knew I fell in love with that man for a reason. So I took the car and left.
Three hours later, I arrived back at the Cummins repair facility. Mike was shocked, I came back and didn't spend a penny. Yes, three hours of shopping and I didn't buy a thing. Could it be I was a bit worried about what the bill for this repair is going to be and our vacation is just starting??????
Looks like they found the problem and are repairing it. Guess this little motorhome of ours has two fuel pumps. The initial pump gave up the ghost. Of course, now we get to worry a little bit more. They informed us that some times when the initial pump goes out, the secondary pump can get damaged. Keeping fingers crossed that that is not the scenario. I am seeing $$$$$$$$ flying out the window!!!!
New initial fuel pump installed. Service manager taking motorhome out for test drive to see if all is ok. Prayers, prayers, prayers.
Service manager is back and he says all looks ok thus far. OK, now pay the bill!! OUCH!!!! $1000 later we have a lovely piece of paper in our hands saying that the motorhome has been repaired. Guess what, it is past 6:00 p.m. Too late to get back out on the road. So we are going to spend another lovely night in the Cummins parking lot. Oh joy!
Please let tomorrow bring smiles and joy back into our lives!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Father's Day on the Road - Vacation 2013
June 16, 2013
Happy Father's Day! And what a day it was!!!!
Left Shady Acres Campground this morning. All seemed to be going just fine, at least for a few miles. Then all of a sudden Mike noticed that the engine was lagging and we were losing power. Of course, some might think that the reason for this is the hills we were climbing. Nope, not the reason.
Mike pulled over onto the shoulder and turned the engine off to check things out. All seemed to be okay, just a decrease in power. Engine back on, pull back onto the highway and away we were. Welllllllll, at least for a little while longer. Limp, limp, limp into the rest area on top of the little hill. Hello AAA??? We need a tow truck. Nope, not just your simple tow truck. Ummmmm, we are driving a 37 foot motorhome and we are pulling a car. Soooooo, I'm kinda thinking we need a flatbed tow truck. Oh, and by the way, we need to be towed into Grand Junction, CO as they seem to be the nearest location with a Cummins authorized repair facility. Oh yeah, we are currently still in Utah.
Several phone calls later to AAA and them calling us back, Jake showed up at the rest area with his lovely flatbed tow truck. Excuse me??? You want Mike to drive the motorhome up onto the flatbed and you'll direct him? Oh this ought to be exciting!
Jake even asked if I was nervous when Mike was driving it up on the flatbed. Of course like any good wife I said, "No, he knows what he is doing." I mean, what else was I going to say?
All loaded, now we get to follow Jake with our motorhome on the flatbed he is towing with his semi truck tow truck into Grand Junction, Colorado. What a heck of a Father's Day for Mike and Jake!
One of the funniest, yet sadest sights to see is the front end of your motorhome traveling backwards away from you on the highway!
We arrived at the Cummins repair center in Grand Junction. Now Jake tells Mike he gets to drive the motorhome off of the flatbed. This time I got to witness everything close up! Holy Crap!!!!!!!! The inside tires on the back of the motorhome drove over thin air. I mean, they weren't touching anything. The front tires had to be driven over tires that were the same width. There was no wriggle room for any type of error. Once Mike got the motorhome off the flatbed and onto solid ground I told Jake it might take Mike a few minutes because I was sure he was in the bathroom changing his underwear!!!!!
Jake was such a nice guy he was even concerned about what kind of food we like so that he could steer us in the right direction to get something good to eat. Once I found out there was a Red Robin nearby, I knew where I was going to take Mike for dinner to try and salvage some of his Father's Day. Red Robin, Yummmmmmm!
Thank you Jake for taking the day to spend with us rather than your wife and 7 month old son!!! We greatly appreciate it!
Now off to Red Robin to get dinner and then back to the Cummins parking lot to our hotel on wheels so that we can get some sleep before we get to see what type of problem we will face in the morning. Yay!
Happy Father's Day! And what a day it was!!!!
Left Shady Acres Campground this morning. All seemed to be going just fine, at least for a few miles. Then all of a sudden Mike noticed that the engine was lagging and we were losing power. Of course, some might think that the reason for this is the hills we were climbing. Nope, not the reason.
Mike pulled over onto the shoulder and turned the engine off to check things out. All seemed to be okay, just a decrease in power. Engine back on, pull back onto the highway and away we were. Welllllllll, at least for a little while longer. Limp, limp, limp into the rest area on top of the little hill. Hello AAA??? We need a tow truck. Nope, not just your simple tow truck. Ummmmm, we are driving a 37 foot motorhome and we are pulling a car. Soooooo, I'm kinda thinking we need a flatbed tow truck. Oh, and by the way, we need to be towed into Grand Junction, CO as they seem to be the nearest location with a Cummins authorized repair facility. Oh yeah, we are currently still in Utah.
Several phone calls later to AAA and them calling us back, Jake showed up at the rest area with his lovely flatbed tow truck. Excuse me??? You want Mike to drive the motorhome up onto the flatbed and you'll direct him? Oh this ought to be exciting!
We arrived at the Cummins repair center in Grand Junction. Now Jake tells Mike he gets to drive the motorhome off of the flatbed. This time I got to witness everything close up! Holy Crap!!!!!!!! The inside tires on the back of the motorhome drove over thin air. I mean, they weren't touching anything. The front tires had to be driven over tires that were the same width. There was no wriggle room for any type of error. Once Mike got the motorhome off the flatbed and onto solid ground I told Jake it might take Mike a few minutes because I was sure he was in the bathroom changing his underwear!!!!!
Jake was such a nice guy he was even concerned about what kind of food we like so that he could steer us in the right direction to get something good to eat. Once I found out there was a Red Robin nearby, I knew where I was going to take Mike for dinner to try and salvage some of his Father's Day. Red Robin, Yummmmmmm!
Thank you Jake for taking the day to spend with us rather than your wife and 7 month old son!!! We greatly appreciate it!
Now off to Red Robin to get dinner and then back to the Cummins parking lot to our hotel on wheels so that we can get some sleep before we get to see what type of problem we will face in the morning. Yay!
Saturday, June 15, 2013
On the Road Again - Vacation 2013
June 15, 2013 -
Well, here we are again heading out on our annual vacation to visit family and friends.
On the road by 5:30 a.m. Just love seeing the sun come up! Nope, not really! When you are retired and enjoy being able to sleep in each morning, you would expect sunrises to be way more spectacular than they actually are.
Seem to be making really good time, even though Mike keeps telling me that he is keeping it at around 62 to 63 miles per hour. Sheesh, it's only 1:30 in the afternoon and we are already in Utah. I guess it's just that we have traveled this route so many times in the past, I seem to be paying less attention to the scenery. Jeesh, I've seen it how many times in the past 35 years????? Hmm, Las Vegas has constructed yet another new casino. Go figure! The Virgin River Gorge still has only a trickle of water flowing in the river. Hmm, could it be that the reason is it is only 110 degrees outside?? St. George has gotten bigger, yet again. That place grows every time we have driven through it.
Oh, wait a minute. We are doing what?? We are turning east onto Highway 70? Well now, this is a new one!
Got to see some new and beautiful scenery. Of course, God forbid we can't stop to really take a good look. I get to take pictures through the windshield. Maybe that's why so many of our vacation photos have bug spots in them!
Spending the night in Green River, Utah at a lovely campground called Shady Acres. Now isn't that appropriate for the retired crowd?? Hey, at least we got coupons to go to Blimpies Subs. Nummy.
On the road again in the morning. Tomorrow is Father's Day!!
Well, here we are again heading out on our annual vacation to visit family and friends.
On the road by 5:30 a.m. Just love seeing the sun come up! Nope, not really! When you are retired and enjoy being able to sleep in each morning, you would expect sunrises to be way more spectacular than they actually are.
Seem to be making really good time, even though Mike keeps telling me that he is keeping it at around 62 to 63 miles per hour. Sheesh, it's only 1:30 in the afternoon and we are already in Utah. I guess it's just that we have traveled this route so many times in the past, I seem to be paying less attention to the scenery. Jeesh, I've seen it how many times in the past 35 years????? Hmm, Las Vegas has constructed yet another new casino. Go figure! The Virgin River Gorge still has only a trickle of water flowing in the river. Hmm, could it be that the reason is it is only 110 degrees outside?? St. George has gotten bigger, yet again. That place grows every time we have driven through it.
Oh, wait a minute. We are doing what?? We are turning east onto Highway 70? Well now, this is a new one!
Got to see some new and beautiful scenery. Of course, God forbid we can't stop to really take a good look. I get to take pictures through the windshield. Maybe that's why so many of our vacation photos have bug spots in them!
Spending the night in Green River, Utah at a lovely campground called Shady Acres. Now isn't that appropriate for the retired crowd?? Hey, at least we got coupons to go to Blimpies Subs. Nummy.
On the road again in the morning. Tomorrow is Father's Day!!
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