We finally made it to Chick and Kathy's home :)
Back in Texas again!

Kathy made me stand downhill :)

Caught Wen and Kathy discussing ways to keep Chick and me out of trouble for the next 2 weeks :)  I don't think it can be done.

Back in Grapeland, TX...this time for the 4th annual Dogwood music rally.

Our gathering spot...the Sunshine Inn.

Awaiting musicians to show for an informal jam session :)

Howard is very talented and a joy to be with.

Here's the story... the preceding night we were threatened by severe weather so we hurriedly broke down this shelter so that it wouldn't blow away to the next county.  Dwaine and I start to reassemble Chick's shelter the next day. 

The reassembly did not go well...

As you can tell, many folks pitched in for a good 45 minutes trying to figure out this convoluted process!

FINALLY...Chick proclaims success!

Here is the group enjoying lunch and fellowship at a local restaurant.

This setting honors the 3 previous Kings and Queens of the Dogwood rally.  

Guess who the winners are for 2025.
​  King Chick and Queen Kathy!

The house band performs for us one last time.  Can't wait for next year's event.

​Willis Creek COE in Granger, Tx, for 3 nights.

Sowell Creek COE, Dublin, TX, for 4 nights.

Brooks Driveway (how original) in Noble, OK.  This was a Boondockers Welcome host.

Supply Park COE in Ft Supply, OK, for 4 nights also.

Clayton Lake SP, in Clayton, NM.  Its was pretty isolated and difficult to find a semi-level spot.

Danger Will Robinson! ..... these little guys will poke right through your clothing and make you wish you had taken another route!

Sanford-Yake CG...a national Forest?  NO TREES IN SIGHT...hmmm.  Maybe they're counting telephone poles as trees.  This was a free sight for our 8 nights by Fritch, TX.

We had a ton of fun at Quartzsite and are now working our way to Colorado to have our axles replaced with a heftier set.  We're going from 7000 lb rated axles to 10000 lb ones, giving us a little bigger safety margin.
So here we are at a Boondockers Welcome site in Prescott Valley, CO.  The views and sunsets are spectacular!

We stayed an extra few days because of bad weather forecasted for the trip to Grand Junction. 
We were still hit by quite a bit of sleet and cold as you can see below. 

On the way to Grand Junction we took these pictures of the higher elevations.

Here for 2 nights at a KOA campground in Grand Junction, CO.  We had previously settled in at a Cabelas but the neighborhood was really unsafe so we left on a moments notice and made it to the KOA, across town, just before sunset.  A good move for sure!

After the axle swap-out we made way to Goosenecks SP in Utah.  It's one of our favorites :)

We passed through Monument Valley on a nice day.

We're getting close now...our welcome landmark very close to the park is Mexican Hat, UT, population 21 in 2020.

Since we get a LOT of sun here it's time to top the batteries off with solar energy...530 watts worth :)

Views behind our trailer...  We stayed for 3 nights.

We had to stop several times for the first 1500 miles to retorque the axle and spring mount bolts.  I removed the tires to lube the grease fittings (16 of them)...much easier that way!

1 night at a casino parking lot in Camp Verde, AZ.

The next day we moved to this casino parking lot in a suburb of Phoenix, AZ, for 2 nights to catch the first pre-season Cleveland Guardians (Indians) baseball game.  The weather was perfect and we had a great time!

Here we are at a Harvest Host location in Lordsville, NM.

A vendor next to the campsite stays busy and he knows how to cook :)

This metal road runner caught our attention on the way to Las Cruces.

This was our first stay at a HH that was a local church.  It is in Alamogordo, NM.

A city park in Hobbs, NM.  We thought we were going to play some golf but the course was too busy this time...so I washed the vehicles AGAIN :)

Our front jack is making some pretty objectional noises so I disassembled and found nothing out of the ordinary.  It's a future project I'll tackle very soon.

This is San Angelo SP.  We were there 3 or 4 nights...bad weather at next destination.

That's it for February :)  Things have slowed down a bit since our axle swapout.

Dome Rock...straight ahead!  This is where we rock and roll from mid January to mid February each year.  You don't really know what you'll get weather wise out here.  There are many miles of miles and miles of sand, dirt, and gravel scattered around this town of about 3000 residents.  Dome rock is but one area of the BLM (Bureau of Land Management)  lands scattered around Quartzsite.  We go here for the enormous RV show that lasts for a little more than a week in the town.  Many vendors gather under and around the BIG tent to show off their merchandise. The outlying areas and the town swells to 750,000 + people!  Dome Rock is where the fiberglass trailers gather for an informal rally where we share fellowship, food and of course...music.  This is only our 3rd year but some have 15 or more under their belts.  No electricity, no sewer, no water...go figure why so many visit here.  The nearby (6 miles or so) town of Quartzsite can replenish all you run out of so it's not like totally devoid of infrastructure.  Dust storms, occasional rain, cold, heat, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, clear nighttime skies for stargazing, what more could you ask for :) 

Here is a link for a little more information about Quartzsite.

​roadtrippers.com/magazine/rving-quartzsite-arizona-guide/

Our next door neighbors moved a couple of days after we started arriving.  Wendy grew attached to the pig :)

Notice our trucks hood.  The accepted practice of bracing it up for the night supposedly keeps mice and other varmints from moving in.

Patience is a must to navigate the "BIG TENT".

Wendy discovered a new favorite hangout...an adult day care center :)

The smile says it all!    :)

Thanks, Tali for Wendy's BDay cake!

It's always nice to seek shade from the desert sun, even if it's cool outside. 

My good friend, Steve, has been helping me with some of my trailer projects.  As you can tell, I overworked him :)

A good shelter for some music jammin'.

Hi, Pam!

Our last jam for this year at "THE Q".

I almost forgot...my big battery project :)

We moved to this spot 10 miles on the other side of Quartzsite for a couple of days.  It just wasn't the same :(

We started out with a bang...a flat tire on the first morning of this years start to our 10 month adventure!  Our spare was good and we swapped it out and began our journey to  Raleigh, NC, to celebrate Veston's birthday. We met up with some of their family and friends and stayed at a nice hotel for a couple of nights...which led to another problem for us.  We stayed in a room at the hotel with our trailer in the parking lot, unattended, until we went to leave on our next leg.  Since we left our refrigerator on "auto" it sensed to use propane while we were without power.  Well...the propane tank went empty and the fridge automatically switched over to the trailer batteries for power.  Next morning the batteries were toast. We left for our next destination and let our truck's alternator do the best it could to recharge the trailer batteries.  That worked well enough to get day to day use  from them so we were able to nurse them to Arizona where I eventually swapped them out after ordering some really nice and powerful lithium batteries.

One reason to go to N.C. was that it was centrally located for us all to meet up.  There is a business close by that decorates like nothing I've ever seen.  Many people from all over come to enjoy the lighting!  Here we are trying, and succeeding, to make our reservation for dinner.

Our tour guide, Veston, led us to a "Top Golf" venue the next morning, cigars in hand!

 This is a really crappy picture of "the guys" at Top Golf but does capture some of the fun we had.  I liked it so much I figured to buy some of the company stock, they are scattered throughout the U.S., and promptly watched it decline 20% the following week...where it sadly remains to this day.  Stocks are apparently not my forte. :(

I think I lost by a stroke and had I seen this rule infraction, one step over the line while a fellow competitor is hitting, I could have imposed a 2 stroke penalty and won by a stroke....at least that's my story!

We left N.C. for Twin Lakes COE for 1 night.  We have been there many times and didn't get a picture on this visit.  Next, on to Wills Creek Vineyards and Winery, an HH in Attalla, AL.  We stayed 1 night.

Mary Ruth and Mark (retired state trooper...thus I had to mind my manners), were so kind to have us visit for a couple of days at their home in Collinsville, MS.  We ate way too much good food and even played a little music :)

Alexandria RV Pk, in Boyce, LA, for 1 night.

Wet weather at B52 Brewing, a HH in Conroe, TX.  1 night.

Dear Charlotte and Wayne's wonderful home in Fredericksburg, TX.

Here Wayne is showing us the building he made for Charlotte's looms and weaving equipment.  Wayne is very talented working with wood!  And Charlotte with weaving (and cooking).

Maddie is not all that sure about the cold weather :)

We next went to Saddleback Mountain RV Pk in Balmorhea, TX.  We've been there before and stayed 1 night this time.  No pictures.
The park below is Dreamcatcher RV Park, an Escapees park, in Deming, NM.

Here, at San Pedro Resort Community in Benson, AZ we get to wash off all the bugs to make a grand appearance at "THE Q".

After Ft Davis we stopped overnight at a Cracker Barrel in Las Cruces, NM, where we did not get  a picture.

Next we traveled to Ponderosa, NM, where we stayed overnight at The Ponderosa Valley Winery (another Harvest Host).

I made a couple more friends at this stop :)

We've stayed here several times at Sky Ute Casino outside Ignacio, CO.

We left Sky Ute for a Cabela's in Grand Junction, CO.  We went there to have the springs on our trailer upgraded to a heavier duty set as there have been reports on the lighter ones breaking.  It's hard for me to believe I didn't get any pictures of that project :(  I did get a picture at the checkout counter after breakfast in town, this was next to the register.

From Cabela's to our next stop we passed Hole N The Rock. 

I doubt this vehicle has ever had a flat tire :)

On the way to Monticello, UT.

Windwhistle CG in BLM land around Monticello, UT

Here at Sierra Blanca Brewing Company (Harvest Host) in Moriarty, NM.  Plenty of wind here!

Parked next to us...his tow vehicle is a little overkill, IMO.  I guess it beats pulling that car behind his trailer.

One night at Harry McAdams RV Park...a city park in Hobbs, NM.

Another 1 nighter at Richard's Park, a city park in Brady TX...long enough to clean off some more bugs :)

Here we are at the Pineknot Rally in Grapeland, TX, next to the Sunshine Inn...our daily gathering spot.

Karaoke Night, my one and only attempt at this quite humbling activity :(

 Wendy is catching a ride on what should have been a routine train ride around the park.  Or so I thought!

A little shaken up, she heads straight over to settle up the score with me!

Our next stay was at Sugartown Sweets and Treats, an Harvest Host in DeRidder, LA.  They freeze dry just about anything there is to eat.

Getting my "dog fix" :)

On to Lake Mary Crawford Campground in Monticello, MS.  (one night)

Wind Creek Casino RV Park in Atmore, AL.  (one night)

Hodges Vineyards and Winery, an HH in Camp Hill, AL.  (one night)

Acres and acres of Muscadine vines!

One last stop before "home".  This was Five Hives and Vines...another HH in Statesboro, GA.  The vines were still in the works but he had plenty of honey.

Finally back to Gwyn ad Veston's place in SC.  Nice pool they added since we were here last.
We'll take a rest here for a few weeks!!!

A quick visit with "our girls" at Pinnacle Bank.  They have been doing an AMAZING job taking care of us while we're away from SC.

A visit to Gina and Mike's home for a cookout and birthday party.

We still have a storage unit but we've pared it down to a 5x5 :)

A wonderful Christmas with family at Connie's to end our year!!!!!

After purchasing a new laptop and a different photo editing program I'm finally "back in the saddle"... so to speak.  So here's a massive catch-up attempt from my last travel post while in Maine, in early August, to now in Ohio, post-Christmas.

We left Grand Isle for 2 Knights Brewery, a Harvest Host site.

The owner likes to tell the town's history every night.  Two Knights Brewery is named in honor of the two Sangerville Maine-born men that went on to be Knighted by the royal family of England.

The next day we traveled to Bragg Farm Sugar House in East Montpelier, Vermont.  I found a tasty syrup I tried in my baked bean recipe. :)

Here's our next stop the following day at Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad, a Harvest Host in Milford, NY.

After 1 night in Milford we stopped at a casino in Graniteville, PA.

We then stopped for over a week at Robert W Craig CG, a COE park in Keiser, WV.  This was a nice break from the 1 nighters and the weather was great!

More local wildlife...below :)

For you, Connie.

One night at a Mardi Gras Casino parking lot next to a rig that could hold hold our entire rig in its trailer!

Another week stay. This one at Cumberland Point COE in Nancy, KY.

Birds were always checking out my cooking.  Wendy hinted that my cooking is for the birds!!!

One of my favorites...a Chevy towing a Ford.  My brother, Don, would have appreciated this one :)

Rounding out August was our stay at Pitchers Paradise, a Boondockers Welcome in Lowbelville, TN.

An open house display of an RV in town...REALLY?...an upstairs?

The beginning of September found us in Mississippi at Tunica Resorts...again.  This is almost a home away from home for us :)

Glad we weren't golfing this day.  I might have mistaken this for a golf ball :)

We went back to the mother ship in Hohenwald, TN for our annual trailer maintenance checkup.  We stayed again with Melissa (owner) at Meriwether's Retreat B&B.

While we were at the service department waiting on the finishing touches Wendy felt and heard a soft pop in her pocket.  She had a small flashlight in her pocket and one of its batteries exploded.  Glad it didn't catch fire!

After Hohenwald, we traveled back to Tunica for a night before heading on to Edgewood CG, a COE park in Bismarck, AR. 

It was a very relaxing stay by DeGray Lake.

Here we are for 1 night at a Boondockers Welcome site (Howell's Acres) in Van, TX.  The owner restores classic motorcycles.

Live Oakridge COE in Belton, TX.

We stayed a few days at San Angelo State Park.

This is a boat ramp to nowhere...severe drought has had a grip for a long time.

Tucked away in our cubbyhole for our annual Javelina Roundup gathering at Davis Mountain SP in Ft Davis, TX.  Again....not a Javelina in sight for the entire stay :( 

Nearby MacDonald Observatory offers nice views during their nightly star parties.

You've got to watch your step on this trail!

Wild, native watermelons?........NOT!

Our host, Frank, organizes and leads our rally each year.  We greatly appreciate his efforts!

Here are a few pictures of our daily breakfasts...

Of Frank's many talents, writing and reciting cowboy poems proves to be a crowd pleaser.

Next week we'll finish up with the rest of this year.  Currently we're in Ohio enjoying Christmas with Wendy's family :)

Our computer woes continue....it seems I'm not able to "conquer the cloud" and the new photo editing software I'm using (in an attempt to circumvent Adobe) is presenting a few challenges!  But....I'm not giving up :)

I dropped my laptop one too many times and knocked the sense out of it.  A few days to reload my programs and we'll be off again on the new laptop  :)  It will take some time to catch up since my last post from Ohio in July but I'll try as fast as I can.  Stay tuned for more adventures!

Our family visit was a great blessing for us.  Catching up is so much better in person :)  This was a visit to Hannah and Charles' home...complete with dinner and dessert.  Charles is a chef, professionally, and we ALWAYS enjoy everything he prepares :) :) :) 

Connie is also quite the cook.  She is always trying something new!  Here is Tom's birthday cake and it was very tasty :)  Good job Connie!!!  Being the baby adult in the family Tom enjoys reminding Connie of the 2 and 1/2 weeks of seniority she has over him.  And as a former lineman for the Ohio State Buckeyes...how can one argue?

I get the chance to walk Kit Kat (Connie's German Shepard / Husky / extremely strong dog) most mornings.  This is one of our turn around spots, marked by this observant spectator.  She did a double take the first time she saw this pig :)

We stayed the better part of a month, camped out in front of Connie and Tom's home.  We had a wonderful time and added many ducks to our collection (details to follow one day).  We left and landed back here at Cook Forest SP in Cooksburg, PA for 2 nights.

While there we had an oil change/routine service on our truck and stopped here for dinner.

Next stop was here at Eddy Acres (Boondockers Welcome) in Chester, Vermont.  It was a very, VERY, quiet place...no noise...anywhere :)

Well...maybe some noise somewhere, as this fella has ears up.

This is pretty cool!  A year and a half ago our dear friends Kathy and Chick broke an ear off a cactus at his cousin Jim's homestead.  Chick said "just stick it in some dirt".  We carried it around for what seemed like an eternity, planted in this cup.  I was mustering up the nerve to toss it and then it decided to send out a sprout.  COOL!

I failed to get any pictures from Timberlake Home, a Boondockers Welcome in Livermore, ME.

Next we landed back in Lubec, ME, for 9 days to go whale watching and enjoy cool weather.

Our whale boat excursion took us through a confluence of several rivers that created the "Old Sow" whirlpool.  We did see a few Minke whales.  They are the smallest baleen whales in North America.  The overcast skies made it very difficult to focus a camera but at least we did see a few.  Sea lions and Bald Eagles were also spotted.

Another lighthouse on Campobello Island, New Brunswick.  This East Quoddy lighthouse was built on the north side of Campobello, on a small tidal islet connected to the primary landmass, guiding entry into Passamaquoddy Bay.

This little guy almost went unnoticed.

From Lubec we went to a private campground in Grand Isle, ME.  We'll probably stay 'til 8 August.

About 2 months ago we experienced scalloping of out 2 front trailer tires.  One became severe enough to warrant swapping out with the spare.  After much research we decided to start with suspecting our shock struts as to causing the problem.  Upon removal we discovered 2 struts with sheared shafts.  We replaced them and expect to install 4 new tires next week.  The trailer does have over 41,000 miles and we have hit way too many bad potholes and dips in the road.

We miss Julie dearly and lift her husband, Don, and family in prayer.

One of our reasons for coming to Maine was to attend the Oliver Rally in Boothbay since we did not attend the one in Alabama (a little too late in the season).  We enjoyed our time here and hope to attend another future rally.

​Our rear window view!

Our first lobster boil...we needed instruction :)

Lamoine SP in Maine...a relaxing, quiet stay where we visited nearby Acadia NP and Bar Harbor.

Wendy is finally old enough to get her senior lifetime National Parks Pass.  We've been talking about this moment for many, many years.  It happened in Acadia NP, Maine!

Acadia hikes are wonderful :)

The weather has been perfect for Lupines.

Path obstacles abound...

This is the visitor center for Thunder Hole.  We stopped at this same structure 25 years ago with Wendy's parents and it has pretty much remained the same.
Carved naturally out of the coastal rocks, waves have been battering this tiny inlet for centuries. Because there is a small cavern at the bottom of the inlet, the combination of the waves hitting the rocks and the release of air from the cavern cause a thunderous boom to happen. Travelers from all over the USA and parts of Canada flock to it – there are few things like it in the natural world. It is a natural manifestation of the ocean’s power.

Thunder Hole.

A trip through Bar Harbor...quite touristy and beautiful.

A Maine Tasting center in Wiscasset, ME.

On the way to our next campground we passed this restaurant under siege... we did not stop.

Red Apple Farm is a Harvest Host CG, in Phillipston, Massachusetts, and was a fun stop for 1 night.  We enjoyed live music and good pizza :)

However the apples were not ripe ... rats!

A one night stay at Conklin's Unique Country Store, a Harvest Host in Susquehanna, PA.

Here in Dubois PA, we found Dolittle Station...an unusual tribute to times past.  Time has not been kind to this place but here's a link to what it once was.

These fellas persisted in protest of our visit...all night long :)

This was a 2 night stop in Findlay SP, Wellington, OH.  It's located 40 miles or so from Cleveland where Wendy's sister, Diane lives.

This was a great stop for us as we got a chance to be with Diane and attend a baseball game.

We then traveled on to Hilliard, OH, to camp outside the home of Wendy's youngest sister, Connie.  This picture was taken at a favorite hangout of ours...Kingy's Pizza.  (on our anniversary).  We've been going to Kingy's for 41 years.  It relocated to here many years ago.  As usual we filled up on popcorn before the pizza came out.

And Hannah and Charles also graced us with their presence :)  Wish I had a picture of Hunter, she was there as well.

I did find a picture of Hunter (and Mom)

After leaving Cook Forest SP we stayed 1 night at the Red Newt Winery in Hector, NY.  Nice and quiet here :)

Then 1 night at Harvest Host Moonstone Farm and Forest at Saranac Lake, NY.

And 1 night at Morse Farm Maple Sugar Works, a Harvest Host in East Montpelier, NH.  Many tasty treats were enjoyed at this stay!

Here in Umbagog Lake SP by Cambridge, NH.  We stayed 5 nights but it rained so much we didn't do much of anything.

You can see why we stayed here for a while...

Dolly Copp National Forest in Gorham, NH.  6 nights here and we were introduced to the dreaded biting black flies.  These buggers are cruel!  They land with open jaws and bury their head deep into any unsuspecting victim.  Quite a welt they make and itch for several days...grrrrrrrrrrr! 

Lots of hiking :)

But, watch where you step...

Fine dining with a view!

This north east corridor through northern PA, NH, VT, and ME provided many of these opportunities...yum!

We finally made it to Lubec, ME.  Quite a change in weather.

Our welcoming committee made us feel right at home :)

Lubec Brewery is a quaint stop for us.  They have live music on occasion.  (Do not sit in Gene's chair!)

Those wires above our table did a good job of keeping this fella from getting too close.

​Interested spectators await a misstep by Wendy :)

While at Lubec, ME, we went to Roosevelt Campobello Island International Park, in New Brunswick, Canada.  We hiked several miles and spent most of a day in the park.  We found our truck cordoned off upon our return.  Nice of them to leave us a way out :)

Lobster traps galore!

Pretty nice job of camaflouge.

Quite a few stops have been made since my last post.  Let me try to catch up....
6 weeks ago I attempted to publish a lengthy post and lost it while trying to publish.  ​Since then we have been pretty busy.

As of 12 May we are at Cook Forest SP in Cooksburg, PA.

We've been at this campsite for 18 days (wow), a long time for us.  It's still a little early in the season for campers here so we are enjoying a very quiet stay.  

We did get a chance to go golfing.  We thought we were in good enough shape to walk the 18 holes, however.......we opted for a cart on the back 9 holes.  The picture below shows a visual aid to help see the pin from the fairway below.  Mountain golfing is beautiful but exhausting!

A one night stop at a Cracker Barrel in La Vale, Maryland.

On the way to the Cracker Barrel we stopped along side the road for this photo op.

Here we enjoyed a relaxing stay at a Boondockers Welcome host in Berkeley Springs, WV.

It's nice to have a little help from my friends :)

This goose really thinks he's human...he just walks up to you for a pat on the head and mumbles in goose speak.

​Here is a Harvest Host that we enjoyed in Glen Allen, VA.

The huge net seen at the right side of the picture below was to catch errant golf balls from the range next door... we hit a few balls that night after a wine sampling :)

​Previous to the winery we were at another Boondockers Welcome location in Advance, NC.

We landed in this general, central, location to visit dear friends Betty, Donna and Sally.  We've know each other for many years and Attended many Church services and functions at All Saints Lutheran Church back in Mt Pleasant SC.

At 95, Betty is a remarkably sharp, intelligent person.  She and Wendy's mom used to talk sports all the time and Betty helped Mom through her most difficult times.  Our short time together at her son and daughter in law's home gave us time to catch up, a little, with the years past.

Donna has a walk-in closet in her home that could easily fit our trailer :)

I wish we would have taken a selfie with Sally after we enjoyed a lunch together.  Reckon we'll have to go back for that one day :)

An overnight stop at a Bass Pro Shop in Bristol, TN.  Of course I had to scrub off the bugs on our rig!

This is Old Stone SP in Manchester, TN.  A two night stay since we had to retrieve UPS packages in Murfreesboro.

This was in a Cracker Barrel rear parking lot in Murfreesboro, TN, awaiting another ceramic coating for out truck and trailer by CGI.  We couldn't find a suitable level spot out front.  Not the best location...we had  a few people walk between the trailer and fence.  But all was well :)

Cracker Barrel in Arkadelphia, AR.  In between we spent 4 nights at Tunica, MS.

Here we are at Grapeland, TX, a destination for us each year.  We were here for a week and a half and were able to watch the solar eclipse at the end of our stay :)  I'm just posting some random pics throughout the week.  This gathering was centered around camaraderie and music and was a ton of fun :)

BINGO!!!  (not)

Brushy Creek COE Park in Jefferson, TX, for two nights.

We were able to visit Tess and Harold's home in Wetumka, OK.  We sure had to keep our eye on the weather this time of year.  A sunset, below, over their garage...beautiful!

Harold and Tess's prayer garden :)

Tess and Wendy are always working on puzzles when we visit :)

An hummingbird moth graces us with a visit :)

We came back to Brush Creek Park as we made an appointment to have hail damage repaired on our truck's hood from last week and a few hail dents from a couple years ago.  They did a perfect job :)

This is number 100........ lol.  Really, I was halfway to number 1 and never made it :(

We stopped here on a whim as many Rt 66 sites were closed or abandoned.

It turns out this one was opened.  Above the door I saw the homemade SC license plate.  We tracked down the owner who was out back mowing.

Meet George :)  Long story short, we both lived on James Island , SC at the same time a few miles apart.  We didn't know each other and went to different high schools.  But this is another "small world" story!

Boondockers Welcome in Springfield, MO.

We visited the Bass Pro Shop headquarters...it was HUGE!

This guy is actually real....yikes!

This one's for Connie and Tom :)

Our stop for 2 nights at this Boondockers Welcome host allowed us a leisurely visit to Joplin.

Our friends across the fence were quite entertaining :)

We visited many places in and around Joplin and Carthage during our visit with our Boondockers Welcome hosts.  OOPS!  This picture was from Tulsa, OK, and I should have put it my last post but I like him well enough to leave him here :)

Here's a link for the picture below. 
www.fourstateshomepage.com/local-news/webb-city-news/hands-in-prayer-sculpture-a-world-record-holder/
In response to the "bad time for our country" in the 1960's J.E. Dawson built these hands in his back yard and transported them to their current location in Webb City, MO.  (I think it would be grand if someone did this for our current times.)

This is WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!...a self serve soft ice cream machine at our restaurant stop for the day :)

I found this restroom modification quite amusing.  I can only imagine the reason for the foot stirrups below the pan on the right :)

We visited this museum that contained quite a bit of Carthage's history.  Bonnie and Clyde lived here for a while.

Dennis Weaver's home town...

I have trouble playing a guitar with one neck...lol!

And....of course...several cool cars :)  Even a few older than me!

Remember the Stanley Steamer?  Neither do I :)

We are right next to the Keystone Dam and the Arkansas River.  As an COE park they sound an amazingly loud horn to warn boaters of an imminent discharge of water so they they can depart the area before it happens.  After several blasts of 15 seconds, or longer, out comes the water.  This can happen at any time of day or night.  Midnight to 5 am are not exactly welcome times, by us, for this to occur...but you get used to it (somewhat).  It sounds like a mix between a call from a huge whale and a French horn.  Ugggg!

A round barn in Arcadia, OK.

This is a first for me...to see an acoustic guitar in the shape of an US highway state sign :)
This and the rest of the pictures in this post are from a museum along Route 66, close to Sapulpa, OK..

​Remember these?

We stayed at the Lake El Reno RV Park for several nights.  Not a whole lot to do but we decided it would be better here than our next destination because of the weather.  We did walk about 4 miles around the lake.  We wanted to do a little golfing at the adjacent golf course but thought better of it considering the wind and the cold...maybe next time :)

Decisions, decisions, decisions... let's check the app :)

​We did what sightseeing we could in El Reno but not much there.  This diner was featured on several tv shows over the years and we went after a suggestion by the camp host.  The food was excellent!

Wen was a happy customer...

I didn't bother counting the pins on the map.  Many, many locations represented :)

Here is DD RV Park, a privately owned, no thrills, off the road park that we have stopped at before.  It's conveniently located for us on our trips through this area.  As a first come, first served park, we appreciate it and it is a relaxing overnight stop.

On the way here we stopped at museums and old Route 66 memorabilia.  Not all construction engineering seems to go through the scrutiny that we're accustomed to :)  Hopefully this water tower is not full!!

This museum was a very interesting stop.  I had no idea there were so many ways to string barbed wire together, and the history behind it and uses for it are quite the eyeopener.  If you find yourself bored on a rainy day, google barbed wire :)

On a pass through Erick, Ok, is a tribute to Roger Miller who grew up on a farm here growing corn and picking cotton.

So I had to include this photo :)  How many times have you passed a cotton field and wondered...is there as much cotton left on the bush as there was picked by the picker?  Here is a photo of times past where it seems like the pickers knew what they were doing!

It is scary to think I would ever visit the dentist who had this state of the art equipment!  A foot operated drill...YIKES!!!!

And this machine would make you glad you had naturally curly hair :)

Of  course Wendy had to go back and take this picture :)

Sorry, I just couldn't resist the Terry Stafford and Paul Fraser song from the '70s :)
We actually made by afternoon but Amarillo by morning just sounds better!  We waited on weather to blow through Tucumcari but the backside of the storm caught us in Amarillo.
Brrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!

We even had a small drift mosey through the tailgate and dust a few items.

The next day's 76 degree temps removed all evidence of the previous day's snow!

Here's a link for a little history of The Big Texan restaurant.
​https://www.bigtexan.com/history-timeline/

We are smiling because we did not try to eat it.

On the way to Amarillo we passed the midpoint of  Route 66.

Below... we stopped at a truck stop / gift shop that was very veteran friendly and had some nice vintage cars.

A couple of T-Bird pictures for Veston :)

Another BoonDockers Welcome  in Tucumcari, NM.

Our stay here was supposed to be for 1 night but we ended up staying 3 because of severe winds.  48 with gusts to 63 mph was not fun.  We rock and rolled for the better part of the 3 days.  The owner thought he saw sparks at the power line so the electric company was notified and electricians were dispatched.  They didn't see any problems except the cable line was hanging low, not their responsibility.  All was fine and we we left the next morning for Amarillo.

We left Rio Rancho and visited Santa Fe on the way to the Tesuque Casino located there.  Although we did not get a picture of the campground we have a few taken in the city.

Live music at the town square was very nice.

The structure below is supposed to be the oldest house erected in the country circa 1646.

Description from Wikipedia:
The De Vargas Street House, often referred to as the Oldest House, is a historic building in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is often said to be one of the oldest buildings in United States. The original date of construction is unknown but the majority of the building is believed to date to the Spanish colonial period. One archaeological study also concluded that some sections of the walls are characteristic of Pueblo architecture and may be pre-Spanish in origin.

This is our first "BoonDockers Welcome" visit.  We met a couple in Quartzsite who fixed us up with a 1 year free membership.  This group is made up of people across the country who are avid campers and open their properties/homesteads to other campers.  Our hosts were out of town and we didn't meet them but were able to visit their property,

We awoke the next morning to some strange sounds.  I thought maybe birds were walking along the roof, and after further investigation we found out we were being invaded by...

The noises were from the firing up of the burners to inflate the balloons for takeoff :)

Here we are for 2 nights at USA RV Park.

We took the photos below on the way into Gallup.  There are quite a few old uranium mines in this part of the country.

I took this photo of Mr. Chenoweth just to show what 4 corners used to look like in 1953, the year I was born :)

We took these pictures last year at 4 corners.

We passed through Winslow, AZ again, to reach our 2 night stay in Gallup.  Another beautiful drive.

This tumbleweed was taller than the hood of our truck!  It came to a stop right in front of us, wiggled a little as if to say "hi" and promptly rolled into that car.  It was taller than the car!  As it was momentarily immobilized we dashed around it and headed on down to the road.  It was very windy that day and that weed was on a rampage :)  We evaded a nasty paint scratching that day...lol.

Next up was a quick overnighter at a Cracker Barrel in Flagstaff, AZ.  The drive was nice!

This particular CB had signs everywhere indicating no overnight camping and we were a little confused since Wendy called ahead and they said it was ok.  They have them posted and have legal permission, from the city, to remove the people taking advantage by staying many nights.  There were a few vehicles that looked undrivable.  It's the first time we've encountered this problem at a CB.

It was sad to see so many abandoned and defaced roadside relics from not that long ago.  What used to attract and entertain tourists during their journeys have been replaced by other interests.  Who knows how many business were shut down because of covid complications, or internet distractions, or the need for speed to get to the next destination.  Whatever the reason or reasons, I'm very thankful to have enjoyed them when they were alive with visitors.

This site used to have 2 arrows next to one another.

The original "Mother Road" winds along what is now regarded as Route 66, which winds along I40.

Finishing on the bright side, this attraction was still open.  It was featured at the end of the movie "Starman".  Naturally we had to stream the movie that night.