Cheryl:
Hi Everyone,
We've been trying to let you know you can click on the photos we post to see them full size. However, the editing software won't let us republish our only post so far with pictures. So now you know. So there!
Today we'll be on the road to a little town called Mulberry Grove just east of St. Louis. We've been planning for about six hours travel time per day and always have a RV spot reserved when we leave the last one. Frank prefers to "fly by the seat of his pants," but he has been gracious enough to let me schedule us just a bit. I'm much more relaxed when I know where I'm going to land in the evening.
It's very, very hot and humid here in Topeka, Kansas. Deer Creek RV Park is only four years old and very CLEAN! In fact, there is so much cement here that it feels sterile. We're surrounded by woods because formerly this area was a corn field. It's a very nice place, but frankly, I prefer things to be a bit more "homey." Frank will tell you more about how this place came to be. Once again, we're paying $31 per night. We've decided that this is the year of campground rate increases.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
A few photos. Finally!
We stopped by a Radio Shack and I bought the cutest little photo card reader! It plugs directly into the USB port and works just fine. So here are a few photos.
Some days are diamonds . . .
Cheryl: some days are stone . . . like yesterday mushing across Texas and part of the Oklahoma panhandle to Kansas. We drove and drove and drove through endless grassy prarie dotted with corn, alfalfa, and wheat fields to get to Dodge City, Kansas. In our book, Dodge turned out to be a bust, and this morning we're ready to get the H... outta, well you get my drift. Can you say, "tourist trap?" Frank will post pictures, and you'll get the idea. We ate dinner at Matt's Steak House which turned out to be a "family" kinda place filled with, well kids and parents. My filet was excellent, but we both decided Matt's is the kind of place where they shovel food rather than serve it. Sigh. Sorry we don't have something more exciting to report, but at least today has started out cool and breezy. Walking the dogs quickly turned into pure pleasure looking out over the golds and greens of the Kansas landscape from high on a hill. It seems life's simple pleasures come along at just the right time to save us from our "great expectations" and remind us to savor just being alive and breathing. A cuppa tea outside at the picnic table under the trees sure made for a promising start to another day on the road.
Frank: The actual mileage from Tucumcari to Dodge City was 288 miles, not 188, so I'm really glad we stayed there instead of trying to get here from Gallup. The drive was a lot of long open miles like Chery said, but I liked it! I an constantly amazed by the amount of open space out here.
We stopped at in a little city park in Liberal, Kansas, made a nice lunch, walked the dogs, and sat under a big old shade tree. Small town America! It's great!
As we approached Dodge City I said to Cheryl, "We may have to stay over an extra day to be able to see it all," as I was expecting something like Tombstone only four or five times larger. Ha! My bad! "Dodge City" is a modern simulation of a reproduction of a fake, mock-up, theatrical set, of a stylized western "town" about the size of a small strip mall. Fifteen minutes and you've done it all. They wanted $10 a head to go into the "town" for a walk abound so we bought two sqished pennies and passed. I took a photo through the fence but I have to buy a cable for my camera to off-load it so I will try to do it later.
Catch you on the flip side,
Frankie, Cheryl Kay, Peanut and the Rapper
Frank: The actual mileage from Tucumcari to Dodge City was 288 miles, not 188, so I'm really glad we stayed there instead of trying to get here from Gallup. The drive was a lot of long open miles like Chery said, but I liked it! I an constantly amazed by the amount of open space out here.
We stopped at in a little city park in Liberal, Kansas, made a nice lunch, walked the dogs, and sat under a big old shade tree. Small town America! It's great!
As we approached Dodge City I said to Cheryl, "We may have to stay over an extra day to be able to see it all," as I was expecting something like Tombstone only four or five times larger. Ha! My bad! "Dodge City" is a modern simulation of a reproduction of a fake, mock-up, theatrical set, of a stylized western "town" about the size of a small strip mall. Fifteen minutes and you've done it all. They wanted $10 a head to go into the "town" for a walk abound so we bought two sqished pennies and passed. I took a photo through the fence but I have to buy a cable for my camera to off-load it so I will try to do it later.
Catch you on the flip side,
Frankie, Cheryl Kay, Peanut and the Rapper
Friday, July 8, 2011
Day 3 - Thursday Morning - Tucumcari, NM
Hello! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and all is right with the world!
Yeah, I got a reeeeeal good night's sleep last night and I feel . . . OK.
Cheryl just finished her 6-gallon shower and the water heater is doing its fast recovery bit, so I shall jump in there in just a moment and continue this metamophosis from grumpy old man to happy go lucky normal self.
So, here are a few odd thoughts I wrote the other day.
1. It’s a fact that when you transition into the nether world of RV’ing a new awareness suddenly manifests itself. You notice that RV’s are everywhere! Big un’s, little un’s, middle size un’s. Everything from huge 50’ long Class A’s towing full size cars to little pop-ups behind mini-cars. And usually there’s an older couple in the big un’ and a family of six in the little un’. My, ain’t life interesting.
2. RV camps are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. Half the time we use the Woodall’s RV Directory and read, select, and call ahead. Half the time we get on-line, find sites and read, select, and call ahead, and the other half the time we just see a little blue RV sign on the side of the road at the right time of the day and follow it to an unknown, take a chance municipal park. In all cases we have variously found ourselves in heaven, hell, and in between.
3. Two years ago in Sturgis a huge rain storm rolled in and I frantically fought to get the Norton into the trailer before the reported hail hit us. I dropped the ramp and gunned the bike hard and don’t’cha know I spun the rear tire and burned a black stripe into the spiffy plastic tiles I had so lovingly installed on the ramp. We finished that trip and the whole next trip to Canada with that black stripe p’ing me off every time I looked at it, which was basically all the time. So this year, just before we left I took the time to cut out the center 24” and installed a two foot wide strip of black, adhesive back non-slip tape. I even outlined it with aluminum edging and it looks real nice.
Our friend Suzanne sent this link to the Phoenix HABOOB: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEUyhLP3nyo&feature=share
You will have to cut and paste it. It's pretty amazing.
Frank & Cheryl
Peanut & Cleo
Yeah, I got a reeeeeal good night's sleep last night and I feel . . . OK.
Cheryl just finished her 6-gallon shower and the water heater is doing its fast recovery bit, so I shall jump in there in just a moment and continue this metamophosis from grumpy old man to happy go lucky normal self.
So, here are a few odd thoughts I wrote the other day.
1. It’s a fact that when you transition into the nether world of RV’ing a new awareness suddenly manifests itself. You notice that RV’s are everywhere! Big un’s, little un’s, middle size un’s. Everything from huge 50’ long Class A’s towing full size cars to little pop-ups behind mini-cars. And usually there’s an older couple in the big un’ and a family of six in the little un’. My, ain’t life interesting.
2. RV camps are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. Half the time we use the Woodall’s RV Directory and read, select, and call ahead. Half the time we get on-line, find sites and read, select, and call ahead, and the other half the time we just see a little blue RV sign on the side of the road at the right time of the day and follow it to an unknown, take a chance municipal park. In all cases we have variously found ourselves in heaven, hell, and in between.
3. Two years ago in Sturgis a huge rain storm rolled in and I frantically fought to get the Norton into the trailer before the reported hail hit us. I dropped the ramp and gunned the bike hard and don’t’cha know I spun the rear tire and burned a black stripe into the spiffy plastic tiles I had so lovingly installed on the ramp. We finished that trip and the whole next trip to Canada with that black stripe p’ing me off every time I looked at it, which was basically all the time. So this year, just before we left I took the time to cut out the center 24” and installed a two foot wide strip of black, adhesive back non-slip tape. I even outlined it with aluminum edging and it looks real nice.
Our friend Suzanne sent this link to the Phoenix HABOOB: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEUyhLP3nyo&feature=share
You will have to cut and paste it. It's pretty amazing.
Frank & Cheryl
Peanut & Cleo
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Day 2 - Crossing New Mexico
Frank: OK, you know how I said RV parks are like a box of chocolates? Well, think about that piece of candy you bit into and it tastes like chocolate-covered cow poop. The one you can’t spit out because there are too many people around you. That’s our RV park for tonight. Grim city. Hot. No trees. Dusty, another Woodall’s directory success story.
We stopped here because it’s another 180 miles to Dodge City, Kansas and that was just too much farther to go today.
That’s it. I’m tired. Here’s Cheryl.
Cheryl: Okay, so somebody I know is very tired and grumpy tonight. At least we have a cable TV hook up and a sketchy Wi Fi connection that may or may not allow us to post this blog tonight. I’m just glad we’ve come to ground and can watch the news and cozy up with our favorite DVDs we brought along. I wet the dogs down so they would cool off while the trailer cools off, and I’ve got a cold cloth on the back of my neck. Hey, life is good! Besides I just talked with daughter, Stacie, and it’s her 42nd birthday. Just thought I’d share that little tidbit with the world. She’s going out to dinner with the kids and having chocolate cupcakes later on to celebrate.
So far, my preplanning has worked out (if you overlook the “grim” campground that had a glowing description and is a Good Sam park). I had planned the first night for Gallup and as you heard, we scored big and the 2nd night for Tucumcari. After that my planning went wrong because I forgot we were avoiding Oklahoma due to the disaster we had two years ago when the huge trailer hitch we have actually got bent from the way Route 40 caused the trailer to porpoise and us to scream and yell. No more Oklahoma for us. We had a bit of a wavy, scary ride with proposing around Albuquerque today, but managed to survive with only a few things dislodged inside the trailer.
All in all there's not much to report about New Mexico. We're just glad to be moving on tomorrow morning. Catch you later.
Love and hugs,
The Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Ernie and Deputy Dawg
We stopped here because it’s another 180 miles to Dodge City, Kansas and that was just too much farther to go today.
That’s it. I’m tired. Here’s Cheryl.
Cheryl: Okay, so somebody I know is very tired and grumpy tonight. At least we have a cable TV hook up and a sketchy Wi Fi connection that may or may not allow us to post this blog tonight. I’m just glad we’ve come to ground and can watch the news and cozy up with our favorite DVDs we brought along. I wet the dogs down so they would cool off while the trailer cools off, and I’ve got a cold cloth on the back of my neck. Hey, life is good! Besides I just talked with daughter, Stacie, and it’s her 42nd birthday. Just thought I’d share that little tidbit with the world. She’s going out to dinner with the kids and having chocolate cupcakes later on to celebrate.
So far, my preplanning has worked out (if you overlook the “grim” campground that had a glowing description and is a Good Sam park). I had planned the first night for Gallup and as you heard, we scored big and the 2nd night for Tucumcari. After that my planning went wrong because I forgot we were avoiding Oklahoma due to the disaster we had two years ago when the huge trailer hitch we have actually got bent from the way Route 40 caused the trailer to porpoise and us to scream and yell. No more Oklahoma for us. We had a bit of a wavy, scary ride with proposing around Albuquerque today, but managed to survive with only a few things dislodged inside the trailer.
All in all there's not much to report about New Mexico. We're just glad to be moving on tomorrow morning. Catch you later.
Love and hugs,
The Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Ernie and Deputy Dawg
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Day 1 at Gallup, New Mexico
End of Day 1. We haven't killed each other yet . . . there's still time.
No wait, that was the first year! This our fourth year, and we're just fine.
We got out of Phoenix at exactly 11 o'clock, a little later than we planned, but we had last-minute things to be taken care of. Like cleaning the dust out of the pool after last night's HABOOB (to all you non-Arizonan's, that's a dust storm). It was the biggest dust storm Arizona has seen in years with a wall of dust moving up from Casa Grande that was 5,000 feet high and 60 miles wide. Yiikes! Our vehicles had to go to the car wash just so we could see out the windows. Then, of course, Frank had to spray off the pool filters because the pool looked like a mud hole.
We arrived in Gallup at 5:30 p.m., so we made good time, and it's been a good day. We topped it off with a great dinner here at USA RV Park in front of the outdoor stage. We polished off a cherry cobbler to the strains of Margaritaville strummed and sung by a guy from Tombstone, Arizona, believe it or not. Dinner was pulled pork sandwiches and chicken breasts beside ranch beans and cole slaw. The food was amazingly good! This place has a large heated pool, a small putting green beside a huge waterfall adorned with wood-cut bears. Someone has poured lots of cash into making it a true oasis in the desert. The $30 a night cost is a bit higher than the usual $20 to $25, but worth it.
The rock formations around here make a stunning backdrop for the wide-open landscape. We drove though Navajo country on the way and passed many hogans and trading posts including the emcampment of Chief Yellow Horse.
Cleo and Peanut have put on their travelin' clothes, and except for a few moments during an unexpected downpour that worried Cleo, they've enjoyed the day right along with us. They're lovin' all the new scents and sights along with the walks every time we stop.
We'll do some photos tomorrow, but right now there's tired all over us so we're gonna hit the hay.
Happy Trails!
Willie, Loretta, Waylon, and June
No wait, that was the first year! This our fourth year, and we're just fine.
We got out of Phoenix at exactly 11 o'clock, a little later than we planned, but we had last-minute things to be taken care of. Like cleaning the dust out of the pool after last night's HABOOB (to all you non-Arizonan's, that's a dust storm). It was the biggest dust storm Arizona has seen in years with a wall of dust moving up from Casa Grande that was 5,000 feet high and 60 miles wide. Yiikes! Our vehicles had to go to the car wash just so we could see out the windows. Then, of course, Frank had to spray off the pool filters because the pool looked like a mud hole.
We arrived in Gallup at 5:30 p.m., so we made good time, and it's been a good day. We topped it off with a great dinner here at USA RV Park in front of the outdoor stage. We polished off a cherry cobbler to the strains of Margaritaville strummed and sung by a guy from Tombstone, Arizona, believe it or not. Dinner was pulled pork sandwiches and chicken breasts beside ranch beans and cole slaw. The food was amazingly good! This place has a large heated pool, a small putting green beside a huge waterfall adorned with wood-cut bears. Someone has poured lots of cash into making it a true oasis in the desert. The $30 a night cost is a bit higher than the usual $20 to $25, but worth it.
The rock formations around here make a stunning backdrop for the wide-open landscape. We drove though Navajo country on the way and passed many hogans and trading posts including the emcampment of Chief Yellow Horse.
Cleo and Peanut have put on their travelin' clothes, and except for a few moments during an unexpected downpour that worried Cleo, they've enjoyed the day right along with us. They're lovin' all the new scents and sights along with the walks every time we stop.
We'll do some photos tomorrow, but right now there's tired all over us so we're gonna hit the hay.
Happy Trails!
Willie, Loretta, Waylon, and June
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Trailer Adventures 2011 Get Ready, Get Set
Cheryl: In just six days, we leave Phoenix for Catskill, New York, to attend the annual Norton motorcycle rally. The backyard looks vacant with all the chairs put away and the sun umbrellas tucked out of sight. The futon now sports a dark brown tarp to keep it clean and dry for a couple months. Yep, you read that right, we probably won't return to our Phoenix oasis until September. While we're gone, neighbors and caretakers will be in and out of the house at random times taking care of things for us.
Cleo and Peanut know something's up because I've started staging stuff in big plastic bins to carry out to the trailer when we pack. Every time we raise the garage door, the puppies go crashing against the gate and begin turning in "take-me, take-me" circles.
The temperature has been hovering around the 112 degree mark these last few days, so all of us are more than ready to "blow this pop stand." The pool water remains fixed at 90 degrees and "refreshing" no long describes the feeling I get when swimming laps.
We'd love to share with you stories of our wanderings across the country, and we'd very much enjoy hearing your comments about our adventures. Don't be shy, use the comments button! Our first trip post will probably be on Thursday, July 7, our daughter Stacie's birthday. We will depend on Wi-Fi access at RV parks, so we might not be able to post every day. Don't worry, we'll play catch up wherever we find electrons.
Happy trails, Cheryl, Frank, Peanut, and Cleo
Cleo and Peanut know something's up because I've started staging stuff in big plastic bins to carry out to the trailer when we pack. Every time we raise the garage door, the puppies go crashing against the gate and begin turning in "take-me, take-me" circles.
The temperature has been hovering around the 112 degree mark these last few days, so all of us are more than ready to "blow this pop stand." The pool water remains fixed at 90 degrees and "refreshing" no long describes the feeling I get when swimming laps.
We'd love to share with you stories of our wanderings across the country, and we'd very much enjoy hearing your comments about our adventures. Don't be shy, use the comments button! Our first trip post will probably be on Thursday, July 7, our daughter Stacie's birthday. We will depend on Wi-Fi access at RV parks, so we might not be able to post every day. Don't worry, we'll play catch up wherever we find electrons.
Happy trails, Cheryl, Frank, Peanut, and Cleo
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