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 :)
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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. Here is an interesting link to its history: arcadiaroundbarn.com/history/ 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... BALLOONS... 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.
Here in Zuni Village RV Park, we stopped for 2 nights to visit Route 66 attractions in Kingman. Good weather was very welcome...yay! We decided to stop in for a fountain drink :) Those are donut holes plastered in butterscotch around the rim... YUMMMMM! Of course we had to sample the lunch menu as we sat just outside the food pickup window and saw many, many delectable dishes come through. We walked away with painfully stuffed bellies! Naturally I just had to look inside this barrel. WAIT FOR IT............. Photo op :) This could have been the Corvair we shipped to England when we lived there, back in the early 60's. Dad needed a small car for the roads. I figured the musicians among us might appreciate this one... I never could figure what the next 2 pictures had to do with Route 66. Till we meet again, get your kicks on Route 66 (I just had to throw that one in) :)
We left the Q and made our way to Yuma for some cosmetic work on "Wallace", Kathy and Chick's trailer. We stayed 2 nights and left with some new decals on Wallace. After Yuma we headed to an LDMA (Lost Dutchman's Mining Association) campground in Stanton, AZ, where we were from 15-17 Feb. We were at Stanton as non-member guests to observe how LDMA operated in terms of gold prospecting. There are a few mining properties across the U.S. but membership is a little pricey so we'll explore other options. It appears Wen and Chick are wasting no time looking around for some nuggets :) That Varmit Notice is a little scary! Nice sunsets here as well.
We made it! On time, even :) We have the last 3 days of the big RV show to enjoy. Cold and windy, with rain, is a pretty accurate description of the weather. But that's ok...we made it! The camping area at this location is known as "dome rock", named after that domed hill you see below. The RV show was very informative and I came away with a lot of information and help from several of the vendors. We enjoy many beautiful sunsets here :) Plenty of solar power available when the sun's out. Our batteries get charged up pretty quickly. There are a few creative art displays out here, made by previous campers. One of the things we really enjoy...hiking! Beautiful views in every direction. But we do need to pay attention to where we step! The rain has stopped and Tali is a happy camper again :) Cold winds force us to practice our music under shelter... This old mine cave wound around on the left side (unable to see from this view) and I didn't get a good view of it as I was met by an unexpected guest when I approached. A young couple and this guy were inside the cave and met me as I walked up to the entrance. I think I startled the dog as much as he did me. He turned out to be friendly and it was a good thing as he was unleashed. Later on our hike we came upon a bonafide gold prospector and we talked for a while. Being from Maine and having lost his wife some time ago, he settled here and has had some success prospecting. A very interesting person to talk with. We stayed at Quartzsite for about 3 weeks and really enjoyed every minute. We hope to visit again next year. We moved on from here to Yuma for a couple of days.
We left on the 13th of January bound for "The Q" (Quartzsite, Arizona). Our first night out was a stop at a Cracker Barrel in Cordele , Ga. It was not a particularly scenic nor exciting stopover but it was convenient and set the bar for all other stops to be better as we venture forth :) See what I mean? At Atmore, AL for 4 nights at a casino RV park because of frigid temperatures here and at our next destination. We don't want to pass up the free (?) electricity. Riverview RV Park in Vidalia, Louisiana. Another Cracker Barrel in Lufkin, Tx. The picture below is of Legato Winery in Lampasas, TX. Quiet and wonderful hosts...we'll be back. Goodfellow AFB, TX. We didn't get any pictures (we were there last year). Saddleback RV Park in Balmorhea, TX. Very interesting bar...I can't say why :) Rio Grande Winery in Las Cruces, NM. Not a particularly great stop for us :( On the way to our next stop we decided to visit a roadside attraction, "The Thing". Back 1n 1998 we stopped here when we were traveling with Wen's parents. Her dad went in to partake of the display and wouldn't let us in on the experience since we needled him a little for spending money to see it. We finally caved, 26 years later, to stand in the spot he stood and experience the same thrill he enjoyed :) One final stop at San Pedro Resort Community in Benson, AZ. Next up...."The Q"
Hello Hello Hello !!! It's been so long since my last post and I am hoping some of you are still with us. Our last post was WAY back from late Oct 2023 and we made it to Pinopolis, SC in 1 week, via Louisana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia. That went very quickly and smooth, thankfully. From the beginning of November 2023 to 13 January, this year, we spent time with our dear friends Gwyn and Veston in SC, and took a week to visit Wendy's family in Ohio, for Christmas. I'm posting just a few pictures of those times and hope to be much more punctual going forward ... where have we heard that before? We were blessed by the invitation to gather with long time friends at Tripp's home on the creek. Believe it or not, Kay is opening birthday gifts for the 100th time. We love her dearly and look forward to sharing her 101st event :) We enjoyed Thanksgiving at Veston and Gwyn's home, they were visiting family out of town. My oldest son Joseph, with the hat, nephew David and wonderful girlfriend Lorrie! It was a such a blessing we were able to be with them :) David and Joseph reminiscing... Greg, Gwyn and Veston's oldest son, and family, at an annual Citadel gathering. Leena, above the lady in blue jacket with gold sleeves, competes in a high school cheer team event. She's that good...invited to compete as junior high school member. On the way to Ohio, and from, we stopped at this B&B (Rockwood Manor) near Blacksburg and Radford, Va. Although cold, I managed a brief walk around the grounds. I like these lyrics :) Here is a brief Christmas visit with Wen's family in Ohio. This visit was way too short but at least we got to catch up, a little, over dinner. Blanco successfully supervised yet another White Elephant gift exchange :) BORING...thinks Kit Kat. One last visit to Nasties for a final "duck party". We don't miss many opportunities to visit an ice cream parlor :) They named a road after me, though I can't remember where it is!! Gwen, Veston and us in 2024...a little blurry, as expected. Proof that Santa Clause (Griff) takes post Christmas vacations to Pinopolis, SC. Wendy is not too concerned with the competition :) Veston finally caught up to me in age and we celebrated at the Chophouse :) I keep finding this weird stuff at Publix. I did not try the tree stump!!
Good times at the morning coffee gatherings :) An Ukulele lesson after a playing session behind our site. Our event host, Frank, performs recitals of "Cowboy" poetry at our swap meet. His original material is very entertaining. Here are a couple of pictures of Fort Davis from one of our hikes. We left Ft Davis and spent a couple of nights at the home of our new friends, Jim and Terry. Our dear friends Kathy and Chick (cousin to Jim) introduced us and the 6 of us had a wonderful time in Camp wood, Texas. Many deer visit us throughout the day :) Next stop was Rocky Point COE in Somerville, TX for 3 nights. A one night stop at Alexandria RV Park in Alexandria.
After 4 days in Biloxi, MS, we headed to Blue Angel Park on Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida, for another 4 days. Then we'll have one more stop, somewhere, before we get back to Veston and Gwen's in Pinopolis, SC. We're excited about that. I think Veston saved me a little patch in his field to bush hog...yay!!! At Pensacola Naval Air Station we found this quiet semi-secluded spot and relaxed for a couple of nights before our last leg home. They like disc golf here and have 3 courses around the campground. What is this in the fruit section at Publix? It turns out to be a jackfruit! Jackfruit is a tropical tree fruit grown in Asia, Africa, South America, and Australia. It belongs to the same plant family as figs and mulberries. Individual fruits can weigh 120 pounds...so you don't want to hang around its dropzone!!! Yikes!!! A picture from Wikipedia. A picture of our campsite during a 4 night stay at Hard Ridge Creek COE in Abbeville, Alabama. We then stayed 1 night at a Cracker Barrel in Statesboro, Georgia. And finally we made it back to Gwyn and Veston's home in Pinopolis, SC after over 21,000 miles back and forth across our beautiful country. God blessed us with many new friendships and unforgettable memories this year and we are looking forward to next year's adventures.
We've finally made our move eastward... Being now in Biloxi, MS, we have run into warm and humid weather but are excited to be moving back to where we're from...SC :) I am posting MANY photos from Montana to here, and I hope you enjoy them! Here, in East Glacier, golf was a nice, beautiful, relaxing break from all the recent health distractions. We had a ton of fun and actually came back for more punishment a couple of days later. WE BOTH BROKE 90!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ride along "Million Dollar Highway" had us cross 2x 11000 ft passes and another over 10600 ft. Our truck had no problems except for our tire blowout. The origin of the name Million Dollar Highway is disputed. There are several legends, though, including that it cost a million dollars a mile to build in the 1920s, and that its fill dirt contains a million dollars in gold ore. Many old, abandoned mines dotted the mountainside along the highway. We had to stop for a while at the first pass while a crew replaced phone lines. They had to tie their parts and equipment to lines in order to pull them up the mountain slope and secure everything. Many pieces still fell across the road and could have hit passing vehicles if the road was not blocked while they were working. As we waited it began to sleet and snow. Luckily it didn't amount to much! The weather followed us to our Santa Rosa SP campsite in New Mexico. We were spared any violent weather and treated to a beautiful sunset :)
I barely got started with my catch-up posts and am once again without a cell signal. We are at Ft. Davis, TX for our fiberglass trailer rally the next 2 weeks and taking advantage of a signal at the laundromat in town. It was bound to happen sooner or later. We had a person drive up behind us at highway speeds and start flashing his lights at us, we looked out both side mirrors and saw nothing wrong so we continued on. After several miles he was still behind us and started flashing us again. I found a satisfactory spot to pull over and saw the problem....we had no idea. The rim was trashed as well. We installed the spare and went on into town to get a new tire and rim. Sure glad to have a 2 axle trailer :) While I have a signal, here are a few more random pictures from Yellowstone. New friends and plenty of music :) 2 old timers hanging out together :)
Here we are at St Mary CG in Glacier NP, MT. Bears were spotted in the park, but the spotter didn't know the difference between a Black and a Grizzly so its identity remains a mystery. It's mostly common knowledge to the hikers we encounter that they feel pretty much at ease when they see me as my ability to scramble (from a bear) has severely declined over the years! On a hike in Glacier NP. I didn't intend to steal the show but 1 more picture of my failed attempt at photobombing a photo reveals I lack talent in this area :) From Yellowstone NP, WY. As you can tell, I'm watched closely from all sides :) Even these guys are watching!!!! Yellowstone is roughly 3500 square miles and it's a place where you can spend so much time and not see everything it offers!
After many weeks of no internet and mostly no power, I'm finally able to make a post.
The above statement in null and void! I started this post 3 weeks ago when I thought I had internet so I made a lengthy post and saved it for later updating. But to my chagrin, my "save" didn't happen and now I will attempt once again. From my last post we were at the Pine Tree Inn and then made it to 2 Medicine CG in Glacier NP Montana (2 weeks), Bridger Brewery Harvest Host in 3 Forks Montana (1 night), Beaver Creek CG Montana(1 night), Baker's Hole CG West Yellowstone Montana (24 days), Uinta Lanes Harvest Host in Evanston Wyoming (1 night), Cabela's parking lot in Grand Junction Colorado (1 Night), Sky Ute Casino CG in Ignacio Colorado (2 nights), Bandelier National Monument in Los Alamos New Mexico (3 nights), and are currently in Santa Rosa SP in Santa Rosa NM (3 nights). It's good to be back with you...Yayyyyyyyyyyyyy!!! I'm becoming remarkably lax with my posting of our recent adventures. I'll try harder! Since my last post (in June) we've camped in Lost Moose Meadows outside of Lincoln, Montana, St Mary's CG in Glacier National Park and are currently at the Pine Tree Inn in East Glacier, MT. The Pine Tree Inn is really just a B&B with a couple of spots for rv's. We're holed up here for a few days awaiting our spot to become available in Glacier NP, this time at Two Medicine CG. I'm posting recent videos this time and will follow it up soon with pictures. Our upcoming 6 day visit to Two Medicine will be without cell service or internet or electricity so my follow-up post, with pictures, may come after that stop. After spending about 12 hours of effort with many video editing programs....I QUIT for the night and am posting this one video.
The Plymouth Park COE was decent and quiet for our one night stopover. Good thing we had electrical hookups, the A/C was much appreciated in the 102F temps! On the way there we passed through Mt Hood National Forest and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Very beautiful and very hot. Mt Charleston weather spoiled us! We are now at Pink House Recreation Area, near Orofino, Idaho, a place we visited back in August of 2020. This is our "temporary" site. As soon as a shaded site opens, we'll snatch it up :)
Only 2 sites were available when we arrived. As soon as we took one of them the other was filled at the same time. Phew! That was close! This being the 4th of July weekend and all. Now to put Amazon and UPS to work :) |
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