In California again!

2010 October and November
Entering California


We had planned on heading west to Seattle, slowly going down the coast through Washington and Oregon. Watching the weather on line, rain predicted for 7 days straight and temperatures in the 60’s, we made the decision to go down Hwy 5 and take our time. We were still in summer mode. We have driven Hwy 5 between the Bay Area and Oregon several times. Always on a time schedule and barely seeing the country. This would be different.
We stayed in La Pine OR and it was not a friendly park. Lots and lots of rules and the lady at the desk read all of them to me. Like Korkie could not walk inside the park. I was to carry him to the highway to walk him??? Nice green grass and signs that said “Do not walk on Grass.” Spent one night and was glad to leave.
I really enjoy Klamath Lake. This lake is just before you get to the CA border. It goes on for miles along the highway. Nice scenery.
Our first stop in CA was Mt Shasta City. A nice park in the woods called Abrams RV. We took nice walks and stayed 3 nights.
We then proceeded into Redding. We have a friend who has a shop there and has always told us to come by. Well, we had a small problem in the back of the RV which required some body work. Our friend’s shop neighbor does custom body work. They got together and found a nice place for us in the parking lot and went to work. We stayed in the parking lot for several days and our rear end looks wonderful!
We stayed at the Hat Creek Hereford RV Park by Burney CA. It really is a working Hereford ranch. We were surrounded by lush green grass. Never did see the cows. We drove up to the Burney Falls. They are absolutely beautiful. The season was over, so except for the General Store, things had shut down. It was a nice warm sunny day. We went down to the lake. The paddle boats and canoes were all tied up on the dock. No one was around and it was very quiet and beautiful. Korkie and I walked out on the small pier. I was admiring the scene. The lake was calm and clear. Not a ripple in the water. The trees were reflected in the water and the sun was warm on my face. It was total serenity. I then heard a splash and looked down and Korkie’s in the water! He has a very scared look on his face. I pulled him out, not sure what really happened. We ran to the car and wrapped him in a towel. He is now shaking. We got him tried off, warmed up and calmed down. He stayed really close to us the rest of the day.
We drove through Mt Lassen. Very interesting country.
We wanted to visit Bob’s Uncle Jack who lives in Chico. We did have a park in mind and I thought Bob had dialed it into the Garmin. So on a very busy intersection as the light is turning green, the driver (Bob) yells out, “Where do I go?” In a panic, I said “straight ahead.” Well we drove and drove. Asking directions or checking with the Garmin is against the rules. (I am not sure whose rules, but we do not do it.) We finally ended up in Paradise! A really pretty town. We then made plans to meet Jack. Our problem intersection was 1 block from his apartment. We had a nice lunch with him and saw some really pretty country getting back to Paradise.
We spent a couple of days in Yuba City visiting Bob’s brother and family. Bob’s nephew had just graduated from Marine Corp Book Camp. We were there for a celebration dinner.
We then drove up to Arnold CA. Stayed in Jim and Shay’s drive way. Nights were starting to get a bit nippy this time of year.
We arrived at the Alameda County Fair Grounds Oct 11. It’s always fun to come here. First week end was a Dog Show. The park gets filled up and lots of dogs are here. The grooming tables and pens get set up. It’s really fun. Two weeks later is the Good Guys Custom Car show. We are surrounded by beautiful custom original cars. It is quite a show. We are getting together with family and friends. Had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Bill and Lynda’s house. There were 20 of us. We had 6 out of 8 Granddaughters with us. A very lovely day. I also got to go to the Stanford Oregon Football game! It was cold that day but had a really good time. I got to see the Stanford Band do their stuff. Stanford did win and will go on to the Rose Bowl.
Our plans have changed some. The shop is going through some changes, and Bob found out he still loves machining so Rick put him to work! We are planning on staying here until end of January.

August-September Montana to Oregon

2010 August and September Montana to Oregon

Did the summer go really fast this year, or was I not paying attention. The weather has begun to dictate where we go. Our original plan was to from Montana to Seattle. Then down the Oregon coast. However we began to check the weather on line. Cold temperatures and constant rain changed our minds. So we followed another path.
We left the Red Tail Campground in Medora ND on Sunday August 29th. It was getting cooler. We arrived in Glasco MT and the park lady told us that they had not had summer this year. Korkie had to wear a sweater to keep warm. Next day we were on our way to Havre MT. Havre was a very interesting town! We went to “Havre beneath the Streets.” In 1904 a huge fire destroyed downtown. Many of the businesses moved their operations underground. The basement spaces are lit by glass blocks on the sidewalk above. Some are still there. It was a fun tour.
We then went on to Helena MT. My Sister-In-Law Diane lives on top of a mountain in Clancy. Clancy is south of Helena. Beautiful scenery. Some heavy rain storms had washed out the turn off to her house, Bob filled in what he could but another rain storm washed it out again. They still have the Bark Beatle problem which is attacking the fir trees in the area... To get rid of the Beatles they need some -20 degrees (that is minus) weather to kill them off. So that area must get really cold this winter. Helena has a nice down town. Lots of fun shops, restaurants and a nice park. We also visited Tizer Botanic Gardens. A wonderful place to stroll. The Gardens are all prenenails. We spent a week visiting Diane and doing fun things. Then one morning it looked like cold and rain. Time to get off the mountain.
Our next stop was Arco Idaho. Quite a place! This was the first city in the US to have complete Nuclear power. We also enjoyed looking at the paint wall. North end of town is a high rocky hill. Each High School graduating class may paint their year on a rock. This has been going on for many years. We also visited the Crater of the Moon.
And on to Ketchum ID. I had been there quite a few years ago and remember how nice it was. Found a nice park to stay in and took in the sights! Beautiful. We toured the shops. The park manager told us, “don’t bother with your bank card, just bring your bank.” I did find a pretty cotton jacket on clearance reduced from $700 to $350. No, I did not buy it. We toured the Lodge and looked at all the old pictures of famous people and Olympian’s who had skied and Ice skated at Sun Valley Id. We had gone over one afternoon and watched some Ice Skaters. So the next day we decided to have lunch at the rink. Well the skating didn’t start until after 2:30. So we had a nice lunch in a beautiful place.
We then went to Vale Oregon, We only planned on staying 1 night however we ended up staying 4 nights. The weather was warm with beautiful evenings. It is a small farming town. The farm equipment went by us several times a day. We just liked it. We did not disconnect the car until the day before we left. Vale is famous for their murals painted on the side of buildings depicting the history of the town and the different groups of settlers who came. The people in the office told us about the Owyhee Reservoir. So we took a ride and went off to see it. We crossed the Oregon Trail and walked on it for a while. Tough people those settlers!
On our way back to Pleasanton for a while.

August 2010 North Dakota

When you are in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota you have the North Woods all around you. On both sides of the Hwy and bordering campgrounds and yards and everywhere there are thick trees, bushes and ground covers. These are so thick you would have to have a hack saw to get through.
In August we headed into North Dakota. We have left the woods behind us and are surrounded by fields of wheat, soy and some corn and oil wells! It is lovely to see these fields and an oil well or two in the fields.
We spent 2 nights in Grand Forks ND. The road to the park was gravel and it was a very hot dusty day. Our car and RV was covered with dust. The park had lots of “NO” signs and a large fine if you rinsed your vehicles off. So we stayed with the dust. That night we had a storm with thunder and lightning and lots of rain. Next morning our vehicles were sparkling and clean!
We are traveling across Hwy 2 in ND. We came across the Devils Lake area. This is a huge lake and we saw a sign for Spirit Lake Casino, Resort and RV Park by the Lake. That sounded pretty good, so we drove several miles on a levy road to the Resort. We had not been out for a while so decided to go to out to dinner in the “View Room”. We met some RV neighbors and they said “not too good and very expensive.” Also it was an “Indian No Alcohol Zone.” So we had a 5 Star dinner at home with wine. After dinner we gussied up and went over to the Casino. I had a $20 bill which was burning a hole in my pocket! Well the casino was nice but 95% of the machines were that new kind with the funny pictures. Last year I had won a little on one but have no idea how it worked. Not going to do that again. A couple of tables and no one was at them. There were 4 poker machines all taken. We walked around for a while then went home.
We wanted to spend some time in Stanley ND. Fields of Sun Flowers are grown around Stanley. This is where Teri, our Daughter-in-Law’s family is from and we had heard about the wonderful Ice Cream at the Drug Store. It was bad timing. Stanley’s Main Street is a huge hole. They are replacing everything underground. This is an oil well area. Between the Oil workers, road construction crews, and major construction going on in town there was no place to park. We then went on to Williston. Well, same thing in Williston. We called every RV Park in area and they were all full. Checked our book and saw Lewis and Clark State Park. I called and they said, 1 opening for 1 night only. I said we will be there in 30 minutes. Please hold it for us. It was a really neat place. We talked to the Ranger there and she told us, where you are parked, it is reserved. If you want to stay, move to this next area. We had talked to some people who we know were leaving in the morning, so we parked behind them. Great place and we stayed 5 more days! It is on the Sakakawea River this is where you go when you have a camper and a fishing boat. A small marina and boat launch about ½ mile down the road. Large camp spots, so you can keep your boat next to your camper or tent. The week end was filled up, Sunday afternoon only a few of us left. We try to travel during the first part of the week so we are settled in on weekends.
We had started to listen to the radio and the farm news in the morning. North Dakota has big problems. Oil Wells gushing oil, so they need a large labor force. Road construction for the many trucks needed to transport the oil and large equipment needed. New road construction is necessary for the heavy traffic. The incoming work force needs housing. There is not enough housing. Maybe we could round up the empty houses in CA and ship them and the “out of work” people to ND? Just an idea.
We were headed to Killdeer ND and the Killdeer Mountains. The Killdeer Indians called it Tah-Kah-O-Kuty “The place where we kill deer.” This is where my Mother was born and raised. We had made trips here when I was a child, then in the early 60’s Bob & I took our family back. We stayed at the “Little Missouri St Park.” It’s a Campground with horse corrals. Public and private owned. It is located on a long grassy plateau overlooking the Badlands. At each end in a large circle were camp grounds large enough to hold RV’s and horse trailers. The camp had corrals set up at each end. We stayed in the center with just grass. Korkie really enjoyed the horses. He barked and thought he was their leader! The park had “Trail Rides” and the riders got to know Korkie and waved to us as they went by.
One day we headed into town to get gas in the car. Our campground was about 19 miles north of Killdeer. On the highway there was a sign telling about the Killdeer Battle Field located 6 miles from the highway. So off we headed to see the battle field. We then saw a sign to see the “Medicine Hole”. So we went to see that also, knowing we were only 6-7 miles off the highway. Well after seeing these History spots, headed back to the highway. Now if any of you have been off the highway in farm country you know that unless you know the area, it all looks the same. We came to a ‘Y” in the road and thinking we turned left toward Hwy 22, we got turned around and went right. We drove and looked over fields and thought the town of Killdeer was just over the next hill. We watched the gas gauge get lower and lower. We then spotted a sign saying we were in McKenzie County! We finally found a sign and saw that we were on Hwy 200 going the wrong way. Looking over the tourist map of the area (we had left the Garmin and Atlas at home) we realized what we had done. We turned around and started back and then the gas gauge made a Bong sound. It was empty. Fortunately the gas did hold out and we coasted into Killdeer’s gas station!
We had heard from other travelers be sure to see Medora ND. So off we went. What a neat place! This is where the Theodore Roosevelt National Park is. We went out one afternoon to see the Bison, but only saw a few from a distance. Back at our RV Park a neighbor (from Pleasanton CA) told us to go in the late afternoon. So we took his advice and headed out late. Well the groups of Bison were all over and standing in the road looking at the cars which could not move because of them! Pretty exciting.
When we went into our RV Park, they asked would we mind being parked across from the Office. Why no, I said. Well she then told me that there was live entertainment every night at the office. I asked what kind? Well it was a 79 year old man and his wife singing and playing guitars from 5:45 to 9:45PM.We truly enjoyed them. They had been coming to that park 27 years to entertain every night during the summer!
And of course we went to the Medora Musical. It is held in an outdoor Amphitheatre. Looking down on the western style stage you see the Badlands beyond. The show has dancing, singing and live horses on stage. The show is dedicated to the legacy of America’s 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, and the time he spent in ND Badlands. Each show pays tribute to American patriotism and the old-west way of life. It was a wonderful show! While waiting for the show to start, we began talking to the lady next to me from Bismarck ND. I mentioned my favorite Aunt was from Bismarck. Turned out she had known her and they belonged to same church! A small world.
So if you are ever in North Dakota, go to Medora. The town is fun and quite unique and lots of history. http://www.medora.com/ Check it out!

We are now on our way to Montana.

July 2010 Houghton Michigan to International Falls Minnesota

July 2010 Houghton Michigan to International Falls Minnesota
So did the pictures confuse you from the last post? The mix up occurs because we do not know what we are doing and because 2 people are working on the same project and do not verbally communicate!!!
The RV Park in Houghton is next to the City Park and beach. So when all the little kids cleared out, I went out to play. When Claire was here with us, we came down and checked out the water to see if it was warm. It was not warm, but quite pleasant. The sunset was in Octanogon along Lake Superior. Do I have to explain the White House picture? Actually it was one of the fun places in Wisconsin Dells called “Top Secret.” The ruler shows snow measurements. Highest recorded snow fall is 390.4 (30’)” in 1978-1979. We have really enjoyed the UP area. I was getting ready to suggest to Bob that “let’s store the RV in a warmer place, drive to the UP and rent a furnished apt for the winter.” Then I realized our heaviest shoes are Tennis shoes and we do not own heavy jackets. They say the fall leaves are beautiful.
New pictures: Sunrise on Pioneer Lake in Wisconsin.
We enjoyed having Claire with us. We were concerned with food but everything was perfect except one night. The menu was to be grilled pork chops, broccoli and baked sweet potatoes. We all OK’d it and Bob went to work. When we sat down, Claire said “The potatoes are orange! I can’t eat an orange potato.” I told her that the sweet potatoes she eats at Thanksgiving are orange and they are wonderful. Claire answered that she never eats them, just passes them on. She did promise that next Thanksgiving she would be sure to taste the sweet potatoes. So guess who will sit on both sides of Claire next Thanksgiving! Claire loves pasta and cooked for us a couple of times. She also makes a mean pizza!
We went to Copper Harbor for the 4th of July. This is the very top of the UP in Michigan. We stayed at Fannie Hoe Lake. We walked 2 blocks into town for the parade, then found out it came through our camp ground. Very warm that day. Wonderful display of fireworks that we could see from our windows!
While in Copper Harbor we went to see Fort Wilkins Historic St Park. An Army post established in 1844. Costumed staff members portray life at the fort in the 1800’s. If an inlististed soldier had a wife with him, she had to do laundry or another job to get money for their food. So Claire was asked if she wanted to help. “Sure” she said. Remember, this was a very hot day. So they carried wood buckets to the stream, filled them and carried them back.
With the weather so warm we went back to Ontonagon so we could swim in Lake Superior. Then back to Houghton to put Claire back on the plane for home. The RV seems kind of empty without Claire.
We found out that my Sister-in law Diane would be coming from Montana and Lisa and Brian and family would be coming from New York and would be in Mercer WI in July visiting Brian’s parents. We were in that part of the country so we made plans to meet them. We found the Loon Lagoon campground in Mercer, settled in and did some site seeing, then on Sunday ran into Diane and Lisa at the grocery store! We had been invited to the Shearer’s home on Monday. Had a delightful evening. A romantic story, Brian’s Mom, Vicky parents saw the perfect lake on their Honeymoon in the mid forties. They bought some land and proceeded through the years to build a cabin. Well the cabin has been added on to, remolded and now there sits a beautiful home facing the lake. We made a lake tour on the boat and saw 2 Loon’s and our presence did not bother them. Then a large eagle came swooping down and the loons scattered! An amazing site! We had found Copper Falls State Park campground which was closer to the Shearer’s home so moved over. Diane spent a night with us and then took off on her travels.
These small towns in the North Woods are really nice. Lovely old homes, lots of flowers, and beautiful kept yards. They are having problems now because of the mining and logging industries are gone. Beautiful country. Lots of lakes, waterfalls, hiking, fishing lodges, canoe and kayaking. And then there are the winter sports. Marked snow mobile and cross country skiing trails.
We went on to Superior WI. This is where Bob was born. We saw the building where his Grandfather had a store 100 years ago! We found the cemetery that had his Mother’s and her family’s grave markers. He had been back as a small child and did remember a few things.
On our way to Superior, I had heard from Diane about Bayfield WI. Well we picked our campground, and then could not find it. Hwy 13 closed due to construction. It is a cute town on the shore of Lake Superior with narrow curvy street and lots of people walking around. It is hill country. Well it is not fun driving a RV and towing a car and in these conditions, so we got turned around and went on to Superior. So after Superior, we decided that we really had to see Bayfield and the Apostle Islands! Found a nice campground south of town and am enjoying the town. Fun place to walk around with lots of nice shops, places to eat and a beautiful marina. Lots of boats here with sail and fishing charters available. We tried to get a Cruise ship island tour but trips were booked. The Northern Lights were to be bright one night when we were there. So we located the North Star for our direction. Our camp ground was in a forest so our view was limited. We could not see the lights. Around midnight we took off in the car looking for a place without trees and any lights. We never did see the lights.
We spent a few days in Two Harbor Minn. This is where Bob’s parents were married in 1928. A really cute town. We saw the Iron Ore docks and they are still being used. We would have stayed longer, however the Kayak Festival was going on and all RV spots were filled up!
On Saturday, August 7th, we took our last scenic look at Lake Superior in Silver Bay Minnesota then headed west to International Falls Minnesota. This is the home of the Boise paper mill. It’s a nice town where fishing and canoeing are very popular. 90% of all vehicles are towing fishing boats. Except for tourists the rest have canoe’s strapped on top of their cars. We saw Voyeur’s National park. We plan on following Hwy 2 west parrell to the Canadian border.
On our way to North Dakota!

Lake Ozark MO to Houghton MI

It has been a while since we have updated you on our travels. Reason’s being: time has become unimportant, days drift by, forgetfulness, and we were without Wi-Fi for a while.
Lake Ozark MO is a fun place for kids of all ages. Giant water parks, arcades, race cars and lots of river waterways for boats and fishing. We had a spot facing a nice wide river. Nice place to watch the world go by. We had a nice evening with a couple from Kentucky.
Then on to Hannibal MO which is a quaint old town. We were planning on staying 2 nights, however with gray and drizzle rain all day and the road ahead looked the same we added another day. The weather cleared as promised, we got out and did some sightseeing! Went into town and found the Mark Twain and Becky Thatcher homes. We then took a ride on the Mark Twain Riverboat. We learned some history of the Mississippi river. Samuel Clemens was a licensed river pilot. The boat term “mark twain” is sounded by the pilot when the water is 3 fathoms or 18 feet deep so it is safe to navigate! Bob said “everyone knows this.” Well, I didn’t and I thought you would like to know

We drove though Dubuque Iowa. Set along the Mississippi River, a nice looking town. We could not find a RV park in the area in our book or on line so when we came upon a RV Park in Monticello, about an hour outside Dubuque, we decided to stop. The registration desk was outside of an apartment building. You filled out how long you were going to stay and to put the money in an envelope and stuff in the box. It was a lovely spot with lots of large trees and green grass and a river flowing through it. Only one other rig was parked there. We parked, started setting up and found only electric hook ups. We travel with our water tanks about 1/3 full to keep our weight down. Well, there was a water hose on the road going out. We could hold out. Monticello is a small farming town. Stores leave their goods out overnight and they are not touched. The campground was beautiful however; the river was backwater which created many bugs. Could not sit outside at all and after weeks of grey drizzly rain, it became summer. High temperatures with very high humidity. Our water light is on red and time to get some water at the water hose and get on our way. The hose is not working. OK, so on we go.
When Bob was growing up, the popular vacation place was “Wisconsin Dells.” And he never got to go there. So that was going to be our next place to visit. We had decided that would be a good place to spend the Memorial weekend. Fortunately we had made reservations at the “Sherwood Forrest” campground. Now this camp ground has about 150 camp sites in a nice Robin Hood forest about 2 blocks from town. When we arrived on Wednesday there were about 6 camps filled. By Friday late afternoon, the campground was completely filled. Tents, campers and RV, all shapes and sizes were set up. Lots of groups and families meet here every year. Down town is like Lake Ozark. Huge water parks, beautiful miniature golf courses with waterfalls, duck boat rides. A vacation paradise for kids 5 through 90. On Friday afternoon a young man came in next to us in a brand new trailer. He explained he had bought the trailer on Tuesday and had picked it up that day. He got settled and the explained that several of his buddies would be coming and it may get little nosy. They came in one by one. These guys were in their early 20’s and they had all grown up together in a small farming town. We had a good time with them. They kept coming over to visit with us during “Happy Hour.” And yes, they got nosy but not too bad. It was Memorial week end. There were flags and decorations all over. One man decorated his whole camp site with flags, and then passed out small flag to everyone! His brother had died in Vietnam and this was his tribute to him! In Wisconsin, when you camp, you must have a campfire. In the evenings, the sky is a smoky haze. Wood burning camp fires do smell good.
Next we headed up to Eau Claire to Bob’s sisters home. His brother and wife from Yuba City met us there. We visited with Phyllis and enjoyed her family and had some BBQ’s. We celebrated Bob’s Birthday there. The Eau Claire airport is about 2 blocks from their house and the Blue Angels were performing that week end. Quite a thrill! And we were so impressed with the Acardia “Soldiers Walk” we went back.
From Eau Claire we and Bill & Joann drove up to the Maple View Resort on Pioneer Lake. It is located north of Eagle River and about 10 miles from the Michigan border. They were in a cabin and we pulled the RV in next to them. We are facing the lake. It was a wonderful view. The first few days it was cold with overcast grey skies, drizzle in the afternoon and rain at night. It was to clear Wednesday afternoon. Well at 7:00PM it was still cold, overcast and hinted of rain. Through “Happy Hour” we were moaning and groaning. All of a sudden on the west side of the lake, a very bright sky appeared just above the trees. The lake became very smooth and glassy. On the east side of the lake, the trees became bright green with light!! It was thrilling and then the sky cleared and was blue. At 8:00PM, the sunshine came out. People came out of their cabins and RV’s to see this sight!
We had access to a pontoon boat for fishing and everyone around us are catching fish, however so far we did not have much luck in the fish department. The people who were catching said “5:00 PM is the best time to go out and fish in this lake.” Well you all know what 5:00PM means. It’s all a matter of priority. We did not catch any fish big enough to keep.
Early one morning around 5:00AM I heard a strange sound. I was awake, so I threw on some clothes and grabbed the camera. Came out to follow the sound and there in its full glory was the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen! Timing was perfect. I took pictures, then came back to bed and went back to sleep. The funny sound was a woodpecker and I did not see him.
Bill and Joann headed back west and we headed for Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. People at the lodge suggested we see Ontonagon which is on the west coast of Lake Superior. We had a park picked out, however if a bridge has been built or highway change has occurred in the last 5 years or so, Garmin does not know about it. We could not find the park in this small town. However we did see a sign about city park and RV camping. So we followed that sign. What a great place. We were on the shore of Lake Superior. A beautiful location. Amazing sun sets. In June sunset is about 10:30 or later. One evening we took our wine and sat out on the beach. The air and sand were warm from the sun. The fog came in and we were surrounded by white fog. Only a glimmer of sunshine was visible on the water. What a sight.
We are now in Houghton MI. When Bob was a small boy he spent a year here with his Grandmother and Uncle Bev. Houghton and Hancock are set on the banks of river. The Ranger III which goes out every day to Isle Royal is docked here. Both cities are quite hilly. I wonder how they manage in the winter with lots of snow. Houghton is the home of the Michigan Technological University and Hancock is the home of Finlandia University. On the main street, Finnish flags fly next to the US flag. And the MTU has its own ski run which is free to its students!
We are picking up Granddaughter Claire tomorrow night. She will be spending some time with us. We will are going to Copper Harbor MI for the 4th of July! It’s on the northern tip of the Upper Peninsula.

Route 66: CA to MO

CA to MO on Route 66:
Our first venture on to Route 66 out of Barstow we encounter a washed out bridge. OK, back onto Hwy 40. Down the Hwy we again took Historic Route 66. Well, the road had weeds growing in the cracks. We then knew we should not be there. We were parallel to Hwy 40, but could not find a place to get back on. After a few miles, there was an on ramp and on we got!
We decided to spend a few days in Lake Havasu. One day we drove up to Oatman AZ. It was really fun! It’s a funky little town. Burros wander in the street and you can buy carrots and hand feed them. There was a baby burro resting on the ground with several motor cyclist guys keeping watch over him. Korkie barked and tried to scare them but they ignored him. There are a lot of motorcycle groups in this area. Great scenery and fun roads.
Then back on our Route 66. We followed our book maps, checked out some old towns, stopped at some interesting sites, gift and Indian shops. Saw many old filling stations, old cars and old motels. Pretty soon they all looked alike and we started to get a little bored with it.
Then along came the “Meteor Crater” by Flagstaff AZ. We had wanted to see this for years. The crater was formed nearly 50,000 years ago by a meteorite. The crater is 550 feet deep, 2.4 miles in circumference and nearly 1 mile across. The meteor, estimated to have been 150 feet across and weighing several hundred thousand tons slammed into the rocky plain and left a crater. NASA once trained Apollo astronauts here. The tour was really good.
After driving for 2 days in a row, and windy conditions, we decided to rest for a couple of days and found ourselves in Santa Rosa NM a nice small town with several lakes in the area. It also has the “Blue Hole.” This is a sink hole in the desert fed by an underground water supply. The hole is 80 ft. diameter and over 80’ deep. You can swim and scuba dive in it. Of course when we got close to Amarillo TX we had to see Cadillac Ranch.
Oklahoma is beautiful! Green pastures, lakes and ponds. Quite a change from the desert plains we had been on. We drove around Oklahoma City. The roads in Tulsa were all under construction. We had lost track of time changes. We thought it was 2:30 and it was actually 4:30, so we got mixed up in the rush hour traffic. We arrived in Claremore OK at 5:00PM. Either the RV Park we tried to find was not there or Garmen was truly mixed up. So we kept on driving. About 20 miles north in Big Cabin OK we spotted “RV Park”. It was a great find. It was a combination RV Park and Diesel Service garage. Bob had wanted to get the oil changed but the place and time were never compatible. We arrived on Thursday night and on Friday he checked into the office for an appointment. The earliest they could get us in was Monday at noon. Perfect. We had a great view of green grazing fields and cows. So much open grass around that we would let Korkie off the lease and he would run all around and in circles. At one point, Bob came in and said “Korkie got himself in a pickle and I cannot help him.” I came running out and there he was in the field barking at the cows. He finally came back under the fence. We made some trips into Claremore where the play and movie “Oklahoma” was based on. We went to the Will Rogers Memorial and Museum and the J M Davis Museum where the world’s largest private firearm collection is housed. Very interesting town. Well Monday came, the RV got serviced and we left Tuesday AM.
We had met a couple in Santa Rosa NM who were going to spend a month in Ozark MO which is very close to Branson MO. They have family here. We made plans to meet there. Chuck and Connie had lived in Denver then moved to Tucson AZ. We have had a great time with them. They are here working on their daughter’s home during the day, then we meet for “Happy Hour” on our patio, when the weather is good. Branson is quite a place! Hundreds of live shows to go to. We picked two. We went to a “Broadway Dance Musical” then saw the “Sons of the Pioneers” perform. Both were great shows. We heard the saying several times that you never see a bad show in Branson. Great entertainment.
Our weather has been interesting. When we first got here we had nice warm days and evenings. Then we got lots of thunder, lightning and rain, like heavy rain. Last Thursday around 6:30 AM we hear a siren. We had been told that a siren will sound for a tornado warning! Chuck and Connie had said that if a siren goes off, grab Korkie and they will take us to their daughter’s home which has a basement. So we jumped up, got dressed and turned on the computer. It looked like the front had almost passed over so we declined their offer and stayed home. We have found out since we are in the area known as “Tornado Alley” and the peak season is May and June!!! Korkie spends a lot of his time under the chair. He is afraid of rain, thunder, wind shield wipers etc, etc, etc but not big dogs and cows!
In Ozark there is a restaurant called “Lamberts”. On week- ends there are lines of people waiting to get it. We went on a Tuesday night. When you first sit down, a server tosses a made from scratch freshly baked dinner roll to you. Remember this is down-home cooking country. After your meal comes, servers come by with pass-arounds like black eyes peas, mac and tomatoes, fried onion potatoes and sorghum for your roll. Country music plays and when you leave, you roll out. It was fun.
On Saturday the 15th, we left our good friends Chuck and Connie and headed north to see Lake Ozark. Grey overcast day but no heavy rain. We are parked facing a river at Lake Ozark. Then on to Jefferson City and Hannibal MO. Depending on the weather. We need to get to some warm sunny weather very soon!