The weather has turned rainy, windy, and otherwise winter-like the last few days. The mountains around us seem to be getting whiter and whiter - not very spring-like at all! But the forecast is looking up for the weekend - back to sunny skies and temps in the 70s. Of course that forecast is for Redding and we plan on heading north to Yreka for the weekend after Nan's appointment tomorrow. Hopefully it will be spring-like up there also.
Yesterday we drove to Red Bluff to visit with my Aunt Vallie. Aunt Vallie is my dad's sister but was Nan's friend back in high school before she met my dad. They have a special relationship having been friends since 1942 so it was fun to get them together to visit and reminisce. So after several hours of visiting and a nice lunch we drove back to Redding to let Nan recover.
Today we just kinda hung out. Peggy and I did some grocery shopping, Peggy did some laundry, and I goofed off. Well not totally, I did watch the glass repair guy work on our windshield. It was interesting watch him use his special crack fixing tool that first vacuumed out all the air and moisture in the crack area and then applied the resin to stabilize the crack. Then another tool was applied that cured the resin using a small UV light source. The whole process took about 15 minutes and was guaranteed to prevent further cracking of that spot. Assuming this works as advertised - I can see why the insurance companies pay for this repair rather than having to pay for a replacement windshield.
Tomorrow Nan has a "dry-run" radiation treatment appointment where they will see if the positioning plan they developed over the past few days is all set to go for the "real thing" next week. Although we won't have her treatment schedule for next week until her appointment tomorrow - we will have at least 3 days before she needs to be here again ... so we plan on taking her back home to Yreka where at least she will be able to sleep in her own bed for a few days.
Looks like a busy day tomorrow ... and hopefully a bit nicer weather.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Keepin On - Redding, CA
Yesterday was a pretty relaxing day. Nan had no doctor appointments to deal with and it was a gorgeous northern California day. So we goofed off. Peggy spent some time outside reading and sunning, Nan did some napping, and I spent some time waxing on the rig. Still a lot of waxing to do - but I got a start anyway.
In the afternoon we drove over to niece Decky's place to visit with her family. We all sat outside enjoying the day as I lost $$ again playing poker with Derek. That kid may be stuck in a wheelchair and continues to have to use a ventilator - but he sure can whoop ol' Uncle Mike playing cards! We finished up the afternoon at Decky's by ordering some delivered Pizza and just enjoying the day. Nan seemed to do pretty well being outside for a few hours & I think she is recovering from her Chemo pretty well.
Today is another nice day here in Redding. Nan has a pre-treatment appointment with her radiologist this afternoon where I think she will undergo another CAT scan and get fitted for a mold that will hold her in the correct position for the future radiation treatments.
As I mentioned the other day - we did make our 3,770 mile trip without any major issues. But the Winne's passenger side windshield glass did get a small chip/crack from a thrown up rock the other day as we arrived in Redding. So I called the insurance company today and they set up an appointment for the chip/crack to get "repaired" on Wednesday to keep things from getting worse. I like the fact that they do this at no cost to us. I understand that if the repair works they save a bundle by not having to pay for a replacement windshield (as would I with my $250 deductible) - but still - a good deal for all concerned.
So that pretty much covers our morning here in the land of fruits and nuts. Hope everybody is having a great day!
In the afternoon we drove over to niece Decky's place to visit with her family. We all sat outside enjoying the day as I lost $$ again playing poker with Derek. That kid may be stuck in a wheelchair and continues to have to use a ventilator - but he sure can whoop ol' Uncle Mike playing cards! We finished up the afternoon at Decky's by ordering some delivered Pizza and just enjoying the day. Nan seemed to do pretty well being outside for a few hours & I think she is recovering from her Chemo pretty well.
Today is another nice day here in Redding. Nan has a pre-treatment appointment with her radiologist this afternoon where I think she will undergo another CAT scan and get fitted for a mold that will hold her in the correct position for the future radiation treatments.
As I mentioned the other day - we did make our 3,770 mile trip without any major issues. But the Winne's passenger side windshield glass did get a small chip/crack from a thrown up rock the other day as we arrived in Redding. So I called the insurance company today and they set up an appointment for the chip/crack to get "repaired" on Wednesday to keep things from getting worse. I like the fact that they do this at no cost to us. I understand that if the repair works they save a bundle by not having to pay for a replacement windshield (as would I with my $250 deductible) - but still - a good deal for all concerned.
So that pretty much covers our morning here in the land of fruits and nuts. Hope everybody is having a great day!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
One Day At A Time - Redding, CA
Sorry I haven't updated in awhile but we have managed to stay pretty busy over the past few days. We spent Thursday with Nan and sister Marcie supporting Nan while she rested and recovered from her latest chemotherapy session. Also - Marcie's youngest daughter Mindy arrived here in Redding from the Monterrey area - so she joined in the visiting as well.
Friday Nan had a consultation visit with the radiologist that will be administering her radiation treatments. She will have her pre-treatment "set-up" appointments next week and then will start those treatments the week after. None of this is what you might call "fun" but Nan seems to be getting good care here in Redding.
Today - Saturday - is Marcie's birthday! Happy birthday sister - if a guy has to have a big sister - your a pretty darn good one! Marcie and Mindy left today and drove Marcie back to Minden, NV. Today we also moved Nan into the Winne with Peggy and I. Nan has spent several weeks traveling with Peggy and I in the Winne in the past so she acclimated to her new surroundings in no time.
So that pretty much brings us up-to-date. For the foreseeable future we're taking it one day at a time. Now that I think about it - that's kind of how we all take it - one day at a time.
Friday Nan had a consultation visit with the radiologist that will be administering her radiation treatments. She will have her pre-treatment "set-up" appointments next week and then will start those treatments the week after. None of this is what you might call "fun" but Nan seems to be getting good care here in Redding.
Today - Saturday - is Marcie's birthday! Happy birthday sister - if a guy has to have a big sister - your a pretty darn good one! Marcie and Mindy left today and drove Marcie back to Minden, NV. Today we also moved Nan into the Winne with Peggy and I. Nan has spent several weeks traveling with Peggy and I in the Winne in the past so she acclimated to her new surroundings in no time.
So that pretty much brings us up-to-date. For the foreseeable future we're taking it one day at a time. Now that I think about it - that's kind of how we all take it - one day at a time.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Made It! - Redding, CA
Well we made it. It only took two weeks and 3,770 miles - but we made it safe here to the Green Acres RV Park in Redding where we have established residency for the next month or so. Once again - the Winne did a great job of getting us here. Time to give her some rest and a good bath.
After getting the rig set up we drove over to the hospital to see Nan and sister Marcie. When we arrived Nan was in the process of being released and neice Decky and her husband Dillon were also visiting. So we helped "spring" Nan and met up with Nan, Marcie, Decky, and Dillon at the hospital's hospitality house where Nan and Marcie have been staying this week. Decky and Dillon had to get back home to tend to their family (they live here in Redding) and we stayed, visited, and had some take out dinner with Nan and Marcie. Nan was in pretty good spirits although weak from her treatments the last few days. Today she will be able to rest and she has a couple of Dr. appointments on Friday.
Today looks like it is going to be a beautiful day here in northern California. Somehow we hope to fit in some grocery shopping around our visiting and recovering from the long trip.
We got some great news yesterday when son Eric called to tell us that he and his wife Jen just signed a contract to buy their first home. I know they are excited and we are excited for them. Nothing like the nervous-excitement of taking one of life's big steps. Congratulations guys!
After getting the rig set up we drove over to the hospital to see Nan and sister Marcie. When we arrived Nan was in the process of being released and neice Decky and her husband Dillon were also visiting. So we helped "spring" Nan and met up with Nan, Marcie, Decky, and Dillon at the hospital's hospitality house where Nan and Marcie have been staying this week. Decky and Dillon had to get back home to tend to their family (they live here in Redding) and we stayed, visited, and had some take out dinner with Nan and Marcie. Nan was in pretty good spirits although weak from her treatments the last few days. Today she will be able to rest and she has a couple of Dr. appointments on Friday.
Today looks like it is going to be a beautiful day here in northern California. Somehow we hope to fit in some grocery shopping around our visiting and recovering from the long trip.
We got some great news yesterday when son Eric called to tell us that he and his wife Jen just signed a contract to buy their first home. I know they are excited and we are excited for them. Nothing like the nervous-excitement of taking one of life's big steps. Congratulations guys!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Not So Sunny California - Sacramento, CA
What a difference a day makes. After having several nice days in a row as we traveled through the high deserts of New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California - today was a different story. The day started pretty nice with some high clouds in Bakersfield this morning and temps in the high 50s as we started our trip north. But the skies soon darkened up and within an hour of heading out we hit some rainy weather with high gusty winds that lasted through most of the drive to Sacramento. In spite of it all - we made it safe and mostly sound to California's capital city around 3 PM.
Tomorrow it looks like we have some more potential for rain. But the good news - we only have about 160 miles to go!
Here's hoping for a smooth finish to a long trip.
Tomorrow it looks like we have some more potential for rain. But the good news - we only have about 160 miles to go!
Here's hoping for a smooth finish to a long trip.
The Orange Blossom Special - Bakersfield, CA
Yesterday we drove from Needles, across the Mojave Desert, over the Tehachapi Mountains (another climb to over 3000 feet elevation) and then down into the San Joaquin Valley to Bakersfield, CA. Another beautiful day here in sunny California. This is the first time we have driven this area in the spring so it was interesting to see the desert with some color. Lots of wildflowers, some blooming cactus, and the rolling green hills in the Tehachapi Mountains made for a pretty drive.
One thing we have noticed in our travels in the last year is the number of rest stops being closed by the various state governments due to budget shortfalls. Almost all of the I-40 rest stops in Arizona were closed. I have no idea how much it costs to maintain a rest stop but I gotta believe that there is a decrease in public safety when you remove the ability for a driver to get some rest and improve their alertness when traveling along a stretch like I-40. I found it interesting that many of the rest stops along I-81 in Virginia were closed when we traveled south in January but were reopened as we traveled north in March, It seems they elected a new Governor in that timeframe - interesting huh?
We are staying at Orange Grove RV Park just south of Bakersfield. I'm not sure when they built this park - it looks to be fairly modern - but they built it in the middle of a grove of orange trees! What a lovely and fragrant setting. This time of year the trees are covered with orange blossoms. In the fruit bearing season you can pick the oranges right off the trees. In fact - the RV Park will loan you a "picker" to reach up and get the "good ones."
Today we will continue north to Sacramento. The birthplace and boyhood home of that famous RVer Mikee and the girlhood home of his lovely traveling companion - Peggy. Since this will be just an overnight stop - we may, or may not, get in some visiting with some of Peggy's sisters who still live there. But I think a trip to Jimboy's - my favorite taco joint may be in order.
One thing we have noticed in our travels in the last year is the number of rest stops being closed by the various state governments due to budget shortfalls. Almost all of the I-40 rest stops in Arizona were closed. I have no idea how much it costs to maintain a rest stop but I gotta believe that there is a decrease in public safety when you remove the ability for a driver to get some rest and improve their alertness when traveling along a stretch like I-40. I found it interesting that many of the rest stops along I-81 in Virginia were closed when we traveled south in January but were reopened as we traveled north in March, It seems they elected a new Governor in that timeframe - interesting huh?
We are staying at Orange Grove RV Park just south of Bakersfield. I'm not sure when they built this park - it looks to be fairly modern - but they built it in the middle of a grove of orange trees! What a lovely and fragrant setting. This time of year the trees are covered with orange blossoms. In the fruit bearing season you can pick the oranges right off the trees. In fact - the RV Park will loan you a "picker" to reach up and get the "good ones."
Today we will continue north to Sacramento. The birthplace and boyhood home of that famous RVer Mikee and the girlhood home of his lovely traveling companion - Peggy. Since this will be just an overnight stop - we may, or may not, get in some visiting with some of Peggy's sisters who still live there. But I think a trip to Jimboy's - my favorite taco joint may be in order.
Monday, April 19, 2010
At The Oasis - Needles, CA
Well .. we made it to California. We still have about 700 miles to go to reach our Redding destination - but we made it to the Golden State. California is one loong state North to South!
Yesterday was a nice travel day. As we left Meteor Crater at about 6000 feet elevation it was around 60 degrees and the temp dropped to around 57 degrees as we rose another 1300 feet in about 30 miles to Flagstaff. From Flagstaff to the CA/AZ border we dropped around 6,500 feet down to around 800 feet elevation at the Colorado River where it was around 94 degrees here in Needles. I mentioned this last fall as we traveled through that stretch - but you certainly do get a change in scenery and weather in that 200 or so miles!
We stayed in Needles, CA last night. Needles is a relatively small town on the CA/AZ border right on the Colorado River and is kind of an oasis as you travel the desert of Southern California into Arizona. Here are a couple of pictures of our oasis here at the Desert View RV Park - a pretty place with lots of blooming oleander in-between sites and bunches of California Quail running all around the park.
So today we push on to around Bakersfield. We've never spent any time in Bakersfield before - so that may be interesting.
We hope everyone is having a great day - it looks to be a super nice day weather-wise here in Southern California.
Yesterday was a nice travel day. As we left Meteor Crater at about 6000 feet elevation it was around 60 degrees and the temp dropped to around 57 degrees as we rose another 1300 feet in about 30 miles to Flagstaff. From Flagstaff to the CA/AZ border we dropped around 6,500 feet down to around 800 feet elevation at the Colorado River where it was around 94 degrees here in Needles. I mentioned this last fall as we traveled through that stretch - but you certainly do get a change in scenery and weather in that 200 or so miles!
We stayed in Needles, CA last night. Needles is a relatively small town on the CA/AZ border right on the Colorado River and is kind of an oasis as you travel the desert of Southern California into Arizona. Here are a couple of pictures of our oasis here at the Desert View RV Park - a pretty place with lots of blooming oleander in-between sites and bunches of California Quail running all around the park.
So today we push on to around Bakersfield. We've never spent any time in Bakersfield before - so that may be interesting.
We hope everyone is having a great day - it looks to be a super nice day weather-wise here in Southern California.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Painted Desert, Tree Rocks, and a Big Hole - Meteor Crater, AZ
We had a lot on our agenda today and we were able to pull it all off. We started by waking to a beautiful southeastern U.S.A. spring day and making the 65 mile drive from Gallup to the entrance to the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park. As we entered Arizona we changed time zones again as AZ doesn't participate in the Daylight Savings Time twice-annual confusion. Upon arrival at the park we started by visiting the Visitor Center and watching a 20 minute movie about the area. The northern part of the park is mostly the "Painted Desert" area and the southern part I guess I would call the Petrified Forest. In any case - it was all really beautiful. It must have been ... Peggy took about 180 some pictures in no time at all so I'm going to have a tough time picking only a few to post here.
Not only was it a beautiful day - it turns out it was the beginning of National Park Week - so all visitor fees were waived! So off we went. One nice thing about this park - it is really RV friendly. We were able to drive the Winne towing the Vue throughout the park with no real issues. So we started off checking out the Painted Desert.
Not much else to say - really pretty.
One of my favorite spots was near where the park road crosses the old Route 66 roadbed. Check out the old car ... can anybody tell me what make and model this was?
Believe it or not - this car still has its engine!
Then it was off to the Petrified Forest. I should have paid more attention to what little geology stuff I ever learned. I still don't understand how these logs got covered in silt and then all the cellulose got replaced by silica - and then the whole thing turns to these beautiful crystals. This is surely a unique place on the planet!
How about this cutie ...
And then there was this cute little lizard catching some rays ...
If this stuff wasn't enough to overload your WOW senses - the park is also home to some native American ruins dating back to around 1200-1300 including the famous petroglyphs near the Puerco Pueblo Ruins
and then the 600 or so glyphs on Newspaper Rock.
Well that was a pretty full day! But wait - we weren't done yet. After finishing up inside the park we continued on another 80 or so miles - back to I-40, on to Winslow for some fuel, then another 20 miles or so to the Meteor Crater RV Park. After checking into the park and relaxing for a very few minutes - we took off in the Vue and drove the 5 miles down the road to Meteor Crater.
Meteor Crater is another really unique spot. Out in the middle of the Arizona desert - a really big hole caused by a meteor strike a long time ago. The crater is almost a mile in diameter and about 600 feet deep. Quite the depression caused by a piece of iron about 150 feet in diameter going about 40,000 miles per hour.
We only had about an hour before closing time so we got in our viewing - watched the movie - and made the drive back to the RV Park.
In my opinion these are gotta see sights if you happen to be traveling I-40 or just gettin your kicks on Route 66.
I think I'll just drive west tomorrow. A little 250 mile drive ought to be restful after today.
California Or Bust!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Kickin It On Route 66 - Gallup, NM
Another day - another 300 miles - another overnight here on Route 66.
We had a pretty quiet day today on our drive from Tucumcari to Gallup, NM. Quiet that is until after we got here and settled in ... then the clouds moved in and the wind gusts picked up! I reckon we will have to ride out this storm for the evening. Oh Well - at least I didn't have to drive in these winds.
We have now traveled over 2600 miles on this trip and we have about another 1100 miles to go. We plan on doing a short day tomorrow to include a drive through visit to the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park and then a drive over to the Meteor Crater National Monument to visit the crater and then an overnight at the Meteor Crater RV Park. We have driven through this part of Arizona before but we've never taken the time to see these sights ... so this time we are!
After that - it's one more day to just barely get into California and then three more days up to Redding. I guess we're on the downhill side of the trip now.
We had a pretty quiet day today on our drive from Tucumcari to Gallup, NM. Quiet that is until after we got here and settled in ... then the clouds moved in and the wind gusts picked up! I reckon we will have to ride out this storm for the evening. Oh Well - at least I didn't have to drive in these winds.
We have now traveled over 2600 miles on this trip and we have about another 1100 miles to go. We plan on doing a short day tomorrow to include a drive through visit to the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park and then a drive over to the Meteor Crater National Monument to visit the crater and then an overnight at the Meteor Crater RV Park. We have driven through this part of Arizona before but we've never taken the time to see these sights ... so this time we are!
After that - it's one more day to just barely get into California and then three more days up to Redding. I guess we're on the downhill side of the trip now.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
From Zero Day to Long Day - Tucumcari, NM
We got an early start this morning and pushed off from OKC about 8:00 AM - starting out with a nice looking day. After about 150 miles we finished off Oklahoma and entered the panhandle region of Texas - heading towards Amarillo. As predicted - as soon as we entered Texas the clouds began to bunch up and by the time we made it another 100 miles to Amarillo - we were getting a rain squall now and again. The good news was that the winds were only about 10-15 mph so driving wasn't too bad - the bad news - another not-so-good gas mileage day. Driving uphill (we gained about 2,500 feet over the day) and driving against the wind is a bad combination for driving a mobile box.
The original plan was to stay the night in Amarillo - but we decided to drive further west and get away from the rain - so we kept on for another 100 miles and finished off Texas (it's a lot narrower up here!) and made it all the way to Tucumcari, New Mexico.
Five years ago we made our first coast to coast trip in the motorhome from Maine to California and we had Nan along for the trip. Probably our most memorable day was the night we spent in El Reno, OK riding out a severe thunderstorm and the next day when we drove the same route we drove today outrunning another band of storms. We had several De-Ja-Vu moments today. Including stopping near the Texas/New Mexico border at a picnic area where we took a break with Nan 5 years ago. Same Picnic Table ...
Same Windmill ...
Same Plateau ...
We miss you on this trip Nan!
One thing we are doing different this time is staying at a different RV park in Tucumcari. Last trip we stayed at the nice, but pretty standard KOA, right along I-40 on the east side of Town. This time Peggy played trip planner and pointed us to the Cactus RV Park right in the middle of downtown Tucumcari (not really all that big) on Historic Route 66. The Cactus RV Park is built within the "court" of one the original motor courts built along Route 66 in 1939! Many of the original structures are still here - but not presently being used. An interesting place to say the least!
The original plan was to stay the night in Amarillo - but we decided to drive further west and get away from the rain - so we kept on for another 100 miles and finished off Texas (it's a lot narrower up here!) and made it all the way to Tucumcari, New Mexico.
Five years ago we made our first coast to coast trip in the motorhome from Maine to California and we had Nan along for the trip. Probably our most memorable day was the night we spent in El Reno, OK riding out a severe thunderstorm and the next day when we drove the same route we drove today outrunning another band of storms. We had several De-Ja-Vu moments today. Including stopping near the Texas/New Mexico border at a picnic area where we took a break with Nan 5 years ago. Same Picnic Table ...
Same Windmill ...
Same Plateau ...
We miss you on this trip Nan!
One thing we are doing different this time is staying at a different RV park in Tucumcari. Last trip we stayed at the nice, but pretty standard KOA, right along I-40 on the east side of Town. This time Peggy played trip planner and pointed us to the Cactus RV Park right in the middle of downtown Tucumcari (not really all that big) on Historic Route 66. The Cactus RV Park is built within the "court" of one the original motor courts built along Route 66 in 1939! Many of the original structures are still here - but not presently being used. An interesting place to say the least!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A Busy Zero Day - Oklahoma City, OK
Somehow we managed to stay pretty busy for a "zero day." After getting our normal morning routines done I broke out my Volt-Ohmmeter and checked out the suspect Battery Charging Mode Solenoid. Just as I suspected - it wasn't allowing the coach batteries to be charged from the engine's alternator - although they were still being charged by the 12V Converter when we were plugged into shore power. Unfortunately - after viewing the electrical schematic for the Winne - I couldn't explain how the problem we had yesterday with the hydraulic pump would be related to the failure of the solenoid switch. Oh well - I knew the solenoid needed replacement so we unhitched the Vue and drove over to the local RV store to pick up a new one. As it turned out - the exact replacement switch was cheaper at the RV store than the more universal one that I found at NAPA. That usually doesn't happen!
So we picked up the new switch and a few other items we needed at the nearby Wal-Mart and then drove back to the Winne where I installed the new part while Peggy did some cleaning inside and acted as my very able RV Technician Assistant. All that and she is a great cook too! So after the repair was complete - and the testing confirmed that the engine alternator was now charging the batteries as designed - and that the hydraulic pump still works OK - I was ready for a nap. But alas a nap was not on the agenda for today.
After having some lunch we jumped back in the Vue and drove over to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum - on the site of the former Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that was destroyed by a bomb on April 15, 1995 - one day short of 15 years ago. The Memorial is a very well done tribute to all those who perished on that day. A somber but beautiful site in downtown Oklahoma City.
After touring the outdoor part of the memorial, but skipping the indoor museum - we were back in the Vue and found our way to our next stop - The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Now don't laugh - this museum is very well done and features some very nice exhibits of both western art and of western heritage pieces - including a nice display of artifacts from the western movie culture and early radio personalities. All the biggies were represented - Tom Mix, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Walter Brennan, Audie Murphy, and John Wayne - just to name a few. Unfortunately we arrived at the museum with only an hour or so before closing time so we only had a short time to see a lot of stuff - and we failed to see it all - but we enjoyed what we did have time for.
I think the long distance hikers that invented the term "zero day" meant for it to be a day of rest from their days of hiking. We may not have made any miles today - and we enjoyed seeing a few of the sights worth seeing here in OKC - but whew were we busy.
Tomorrow we are heading west again - towards Amarillo, TX. Anybody who has driven this stretch of I-40 in the Spring knows that the weather in the panhandle can be iffy. So the isolated thunderstorms forecast for tomorrow don't surprise me - let's hope we only find the mild - isolated ones.
So we picked up the new switch and a few other items we needed at the nearby Wal-Mart and then drove back to the Winne where I installed the new part while Peggy did some cleaning inside and acted as my very able RV Technician Assistant. All that and she is a great cook too! So after the repair was complete - and the testing confirmed that the engine alternator was now charging the batteries as designed - and that the hydraulic pump still works OK - I was ready for a nap. But alas a nap was not on the agenda for today.
After having some lunch we jumped back in the Vue and drove over to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum - on the site of the former Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that was destroyed by a bomb on April 15, 1995 - one day short of 15 years ago. The Memorial is a very well done tribute to all those who perished on that day. A somber but beautiful site in downtown Oklahoma City.
After touring the outdoor part of the memorial, but skipping the indoor museum - we were back in the Vue and found our way to our next stop - The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Now don't laugh - this museum is very well done and features some very nice exhibits of both western art and of western heritage pieces - including a nice display of artifacts from the western movie culture and early radio personalities. All the biggies were represented - Tom Mix, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Walter Brennan, Audie Murphy, and John Wayne - just to name a few. Unfortunately we arrived at the museum with only an hour or so before closing time so we only had a short time to see a lot of stuff - and we failed to see it all - but we enjoyed what we did have time for.
I think the long distance hikers that invented the term "zero day" meant for it to be a day of rest from their days of hiking. We may not have made any miles today - and we enjoyed seeing a few of the sights worth seeing here in OKC - but whew were we busy.
Tomorrow we are heading west again - towards Amarillo, TX. Anybody who has driven this stretch of I-40 in the Spring knows that the weather in the panhandle can be iffy. So the isolated thunderstorms forecast for tomorrow don't surprise me - let's hope we only find the mild - isolated ones.
Zero Day - Oklahoma City, OK
Today will be a Zero Day. After 7 days in a row of driving we give up! It's time to just chill for a day before moving on.
We made it to Oklahoma City yesterday and decided that we needed to take a day off for several reasons.
1) Peggy demanded it.
2) Mikee thought it was a good idea.
3) We needed to do some laundry and shopping anyway.
4) The wind in western Oklahoma is pretty bad right now and it may get better if we wait a day. (But then - it might get worse!)
5) Peggy demanded it.
So here we are.
Last evening we decided to eat out and I saw an advertisement for Earl's Rib Palace - so off we went. How can you go wrong at a "Palace?" Remember back a few weeks ago when we were in Texas and I was looking for good BBQ? Well I found it in Oklahoma! Between us, Peggy and I sampled the ribs, brisket, sausage, turkey, bologna (it's a southern thing), beans, fried okra, and potato salad ... yum yum to say the least! In fact we couldn't eat it all and brought home a bit for a lunch snack today ... is it lunch time yet?
When we arrived yesterday and got the rig parked I went through my normal routine to get the rig leveled and then get the slides out. As soon as I tried to lower my leveling jacks - I lost all DC power. I mean "all" DC power including being able to start the engine. Mmmm that ain't good. I tried again - same thing. I tried to move the slides - nothing ... still not good. Since that was going so well I went outside and hooked up our shore power and water then came back inside and tried the leveling jacks again - this time the jacks and slides worked fine. The Winne has a large solenoid switch that swaps the charging source for the batteries from the engine to the converter and I suspect that the internal electrical contacts in this switch are failing. Apparently this is a common failure on these rigs. So today I will find a local NAPA store, procure a new switch, and swap it out. Although things appear to be OK for now - issues like this don't tend to solve themselves with time! See ... another good reason for a Zero Day today.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow and see what mischief Peggy and Mikee got into on Zero Day!
We made it to Oklahoma City yesterday and decided that we needed to take a day off for several reasons.
1) Peggy demanded it.
2) Mikee thought it was a good idea.
3) We needed to do some laundry and shopping anyway.
4) The wind in western Oklahoma is pretty bad right now and it may get better if we wait a day. (But then - it might get worse!)
5) Peggy demanded it.
So here we are.
Last evening we decided to eat out and I saw an advertisement for Earl's Rib Palace - so off we went. How can you go wrong at a "Palace?" Remember back a few weeks ago when we were in Texas and I was looking for good BBQ? Well I found it in Oklahoma! Between us, Peggy and I sampled the ribs, brisket, sausage, turkey, bologna (it's a southern thing), beans, fried okra, and potato salad ... yum yum to say the least! In fact we couldn't eat it all and brought home a bit for a lunch snack today ... is it lunch time yet?
When we arrived yesterday and got the rig parked I went through my normal routine to get the rig leveled and then get the slides out. As soon as I tried to lower my leveling jacks - I lost all DC power. I mean "all" DC power including being able to start the engine. Mmmm that ain't good. I tried again - same thing. I tried to move the slides - nothing ... still not good. Since that was going so well I went outside and hooked up our shore power and water then came back inside and tried the leveling jacks again - this time the jacks and slides worked fine. The Winne has a large solenoid switch that swaps the charging source for the batteries from the engine to the converter and I suspect that the internal electrical contacts in this switch are failing. Apparently this is a common failure on these rigs. So today I will find a local NAPA store, procure a new switch, and swap it out. Although things appear to be OK for now - issues like this don't tend to solve themselves with time! See ... another good reason for a Zero Day today.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow and see what mischief Peggy and Mikee got into on Zero Day!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Incommunicado in MO - Twin Bridges State Park, OK
Those of you who have followed Peggy and my travels over the past few years know that we are not Wal-Mart Campers, although that may happen someday - who knows, and that we normally stay in private campgrounds/Rv Parks. Since our experience a few days ago in Ohio at Buck Creek State Park went pretty well - we decided to try it again last night and we made a last minute decision to try Onandaga Cave State Park near Leasburg, MO - just south of Sullivan, MO off I-44.
Getting to the park was sorta interesting on a pretty winding road about 7 miles off the interstate - but the park and campground was beautiful. We had a real nice water/electric site. The only downside was we had absolutely zero bars of cell phone coverage and no internet connection as well. Man - this was primitive camping - all we had was satellite TV, water, and 50 amp power!
We had a nice drive yesterday on a really nice spring day. Since we drove across the Missisippi at St. Louis - we had to include a couple of pictures of the Gateway Arch.
And the nice blossoms at a couple of rest stops along the way.
And then there was the Route 66 themed rest stop near Conway, MO. This could be one of the nicest and most fun rest stops we have experienced in all our travels
We continued on down I-44 through Missouri and into Oklahoma today. We decided to try another state park tonight so we found our way to Twin Bridges State Park here at the north end of Grand Lake in northeast Oklahoma. Another beautiful spot overlooking a very pretty lake.
I think we may continue our use of State Parks for awhile - at least until school gets out.
Getting to the park was sorta interesting on a pretty winding road about 7 miles off the interstate - but the park and campground was beautiful. We had a real nice water/electric site. The only downside was we had absolutely zero bars of cell phone coverage and no internet connection as well. Man - this was primitive camping - all we had was satellite TV, water, and 50 amp power!
We had a nice drive yesterday on a really nice spring day. Since we drove across the Missisippi at St. Louis - we had to include a couple of pictures of the Gateway Arch.
And then there was the Route 66 themed rest stop near Conway, MO. This could be one of the nicest and most fun rest stops we have experienced in all our travels
We continued on down I-44 through Missouri and into Oklahoma today. We decided to try another state park tonight so we found our way to Twin Bridges State Park here at the north end of Grand Lake in northeast Oklahoma. Another beautiful spot overlooking a very pretty lake.
I think we may continue our use of State Parks for awhile - at least until school gets out.
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