Greetings from Sikeson, Missouri and Florida

 Florida?  Yes.  But more on that later.
We spent two great nights in Sikeson, Missouri.  We went to visit our friends Bill and Suzanne.  Suzanne served as Chris' deacon when we were at St. George's in Illinois and he was her sponsor for seminary.  They were also our boating buddies when we were learning to go through the locks and helped to keep us off the walls.  I could not have done it alone.
We had a great service on Sunday morning.  The church is currently without an organist.  They have a computer program that goes through the organ and the music sounds as good as if an organist is playing.  It is not temperamental and will play whatever song is requested.  It doesn't play too fast or too slow and never complains.  The cost is a mere 20 dollars a week and is a blessing  for this small church.  We are both so proud of Suzanne.
We did not get to go to Lamberts.   I called to see when was the best time of day to visit and they said the wait was an hour and a half all day.  No roll is that good. We settled for Mexican.

It is so hot in Missouri that we don't dare spend any time outside.  It was 91 in the Rv when we stopped for the day.  Thank goodness for 2 air  conditioners.

An apology to our friends in Illinois.  We did not make our planned visit in Belleville.  We just ran out of time.  We have to be in Iowa for a Rally that starts on Wednesday.  We might be retired but we still have deadlines.

We left Sikeson early this morning but we are still in Missouri at the end of the day.  We had planned to go to our favorite restaurant on the river road through Illinois but the rivers are flooded and after serveral attempts to reach the restaurant by phone, we decided an alternate route and headed to Hannibal, Mo, home of Mark Twain.  We found a wonderful state park to stay the night.  It is half way between Mexico and Louisiana, in the town of Florida.  I think by the time they started naming cities in Missouri, they ran out of creativity and just started using names they heard on their travels.  They don't even think up road names.  We turned left on MM and then headed north on BB.

The camp host just came by to let us know there is a weather advisory and where to go.  If we need to evacuate they will come by with an alarm to warn us.  I should sleep well.

Tomorrow is going to be exciting.  We are going to the future birthplace of Captain Kirk.

Love to all...barbara

These pictures are as follows:  campground Sikeson, St. Paul's Episcopal in Sikeson, sunset through the trees in Mark Twain State Park.

Our camp parking lot in Sikeson

greetings from Rend Lake Illinois.

We really got lucky when we found this corp of engineers park.  We are about 15 feet from the waters edge.  There was no sunset though.  A lady on the rocks in front of us was fishing and just missed stepping on a  moccasin snake.

  This is just a travel day but tomorrow we get to spend time with  a friend that worked for Chris as a deacon when we were in Illinois, served at Holy Spirit for about a month, and is now a priest in her own church.  We hope to eat at the original home of the throwed rolls.  Where do you think we are headed.  Don't look at the map for hints because our travels follow no logical path.  We go east when we are headed west and we go North when headed south.  Remember this trip from Gulf Shores to Wisconsin has gone east to Jax/Savannah, west to Cheoah, East to the smokies, west to Kentucky, northeast to Hamilton, southwest to our current location.  We want to be sure to keep the gas companies in business.

Blessings upon all my family and friends, Barbara

Greetings from Hamilton, Ohio

This is our campsite at Winton Woods in Hamilton, just north of Cincinatti.  It would have been a great place to explore if the weather had cooperated.  The lake had plenty of opportunity for kayaks and paddle boats but the rain never let up.  So we did laundry.  Now finding a laundromat is quite a challenge.  We asked our GPS for a coin laundry and it took us to a company that sells coin machines but they. could not tell us where to find a laundromat.  So we asked the GPS (we call her Naggie/Maggie) again and traveled another 12 miles to Mother's Laundry but when we arrived there was no laundry.  So we continued to wander a few more miles and found one that was not listed on the GPS.  It was a very upscale place that served nachos, popcorn, and soda fountain drinks.    Would you believe they make a washing machine that can do 45 pounds of laundry.  While we were doing laundry we were chatting with the manager and she pointed out that they have another location just minutes from where we were camping.  Thanks a lot Naggie/Maggie.  

We have had to change our travel plans for this trip.  We had planned on meeting our good friends in Vegas and take them through the Utah parks.  Patty and Fred have known us since the fellows met on the plane to boot camp.  Both were drafted in 1971 and we married a week apart.  Our daughters were born a month apart.   Their daughter learned this week that she has breast cancer that will require chemo and a double mastectomy.   They do not feel they can join us at this time and we do not want to make the trip without them.  We were blessed to spend a few nights with them in Hamilton and I even cooked dinner and brownies for them.  

Therefore we have decided to have lobster and will head to Maine after our Wisconsin visit.  We hope to enter Canada from Michigan and return to the states through Niagra falls area.  I have not researched this trip so please feel free to give me any suggestions.  We do have our passports but have no idea what to see.

God's peace be with all my family and friends.  Barbara

  

Greetings from Louisville Kentucky

 We spent five wonderful nights with our friends at Burn Brae Farm even if the start was a little shaky.   When we arrived,  Jennifer and Bud were not at home.  The drive way was not very level so we made many attempts.  Chris was not able to keep the leveling blocks from sliding.  Next thing I knew I saw him in the side mirror with a drill in his hand. "What are you going to do?" I asked in my sweet little voice.  He was going to screw the blocks into the asphalt drive way.  A gentle discussion followed and the drill was not used.  Fortunately Bud arrived in time to save all involved and we finally leveled with only small scratches on the RV from where we hit the chicken shed. We plugged our 50 amp into our 30 amp into a household plug adapter that allowed us to run one AC and one fan, or just the hot water heater, or just the micro wave, or one blow dryer.  We learned the limitations as the days went on.

The view from their porch was quite peaceful with plenty of birds, hummingbirds, and deer.  Our dogs had the best time being free to run and investigate for the first time.  We had dinner with Art and Judy Chard, another clergy couple we have met several times.

On Saturday I learned to pick green beans.  I was not advanced enough to pick okra but I stole a few cherry tomatoes when Jennifer was not looking.  Later I experienced driving the mower which looked easy but it is not.   In the afternoon on the 4th, we joined their daughter-in-laws family reunion and had an interesting Middle East dinner of foods that I cannot describe but I can tell you that it was all good.  Chris did a Saturday night service at St. Luke's where Bud and Jennifer attend when not in Gulf Shores,

On Sunday Chris preached at both services.  He did a good  job but was very long winded.  The music was incredible with a 5-6 piece brass ensemble.  It was very uplifting.

Sunday afternoon we drove  the RV to Cabellas for a potty clean out.  At this time we discovered that one of our jacks had made a permanent impression in the asphalt....a permanent reminder of our visit.  They were very understanding.   (Wonder what they are saying now that we are gone?)

We took time to see the movie Inside and Out.  Yes it is a kid movie but on an adult level it is much deeper.  You must have sorrow and sadness along with Joy.

I cooked breakfast for our hosts before we left Tuesday morning.  I managed to microwave a few slices of bacon before making the waffles.  Quite a challenge with our electric limits.

I am still a little behind in posting but trying to catch up.

Peace to all my family and friends.  Barbara

Greetings from Pigeon Forge

I know I promised to blog at every campsite but we are just staying so busy.  We left Cheoah for Kentucky by driving straight through the smokey mountains national park.  We stopped at Mingo falls on the Cherokee reservation.  I had researched the falls before we left on our trip and read that there was very little parking.  I suggested to the driver that we unhook the jeep while we were in town.  BUT being much older and wiser than me, he said it would be ok to leave the jeep attached.  Oh my!

First we missed the turn to the falls and of course could not back up so we drove several miles down the tiny highway looking for a place to turn around.  We finally found a campground that looked something like what I THOUGHT was a scene from the movie Deliverance.  Then we headed back to mingo falls turnoff.  Immediately we saw that there was no place to park or turn around at the falls so we turned into the campground to the left that actually was a scene from the movie.  These little trailers had been there for 40 to 50 years and there were blue tarps covering their roofs.  So we drove through the campground and down the road but could find no place to turn around.  Finally I convinced my loving husband to unhook.  He then backed down back into the campground and I found a rather normal looking man to let us back into his site to turn around.  We finally made it to the falls that were worth every bit of trouble.  130 steps straight up and then a short walk on a very rough terrain to see the tallest waterfall around.

We did have success in finding a nice campground on the river that we will visit next summer.  There are many waterfalls in the area that I look forward to visiting in the future.

From there we headed through and just outside of the national park and stopped for the night before heading to Kentucky. We were so tired and had no idea where we would stay when I saw a sign for Escapees, a park membership we belong to, and we were settled in before dark.

Peace to all my family and friends, Barbara

Greetings from Cheoah point campground in Santeetlah, NC

  We went to church on Sunday with our friends before heading to the Smokeys.  The ride here from Anderson, SC was quite interesting.  Thank goodness Chris is such a good driver. It took us most of the day to drive about 200 miles.  We were searching for two places on the way.  We needed propane and a sewer disposal site because our campground had only electric hookups.  (Great deal for $13 a night...old people rate).   We are getting really good at unhooking the jeep.  That's a good thing because one place we pulled into had no exit and unfortunately no propane.  Then an hour later we found a state park with a disposal site but of course we went in the wrong way and again could not back up.  It is so different traveling with a tow this time.

We made it to our campsite which was beautiful and away from the crowds.  I was so tired that I laid down at 6 and did not wake till the next morning.  Monday morning I woke well rested and ready for an adventure.  Chris removed the doors and top from the jeep, we packed a lunch, and headed on a road trip.  The weather was great!  We finally found a place that was not hot.  With the doors off I needed a sweat shirt and a blanket to keep from freezing.  We were headed on a scenic drive that hugged the border of the Smokey Mountain National Park.  By staying in the forest instead of the park we were able to take the dogs on walks with us.  

We did not have any idea of what to expect until we came to two roadside shops and over 100 motorcycles.  We were about to enter TheTail Of The Dragon...318 curves in 11 miles.  It is a famous motorcycle ride.   It was an incredible ride.  At the end of the ride we found ourselves in Tennessee and returned by another scenic drive.   On the way we took a side trip in search of a waterfall.  The waterfall was awesome and people were swimming in the pool at the bottom.  Chris talked me into continuing on the side trip in search of a very thin line on the map that he hoped was a jeep trail.  We did find the trail which ran along the river.  It was quite a trip. He had so much fun, and we justified the purchase of a jeep.  We managed to follow the trail back to our camp.  I had put dinner in the crock pot before I left so we ate and went to bed.  

Tuesday morning we woke to rain so no sightseeing.  We did laundry and I made brownies.  We leave tomorrow to head to Kentucky.  It will be sad to leave the beautiful mountains.  I could live here...in the summer.  

Peace to all,  Barbara and Chris

Greetings from Anderson, South Carolina

Today we made a 250 mile trip from Savannah to Anderson, SC.  Within 50 miles we found ourselves on interstate 26 with every other car in America.  We averaged 25 miles an hour with gusts of 45mph.  At times we completely stood still. No, there weren't any accidents.  I just think everyone is headed to the smokies for the Fourth of July.  We did something other RV'ers have done but we swore we would never do.  We were going so slow that we switched drivers while moving at 3 mph.  Our friends were expecting us around 2:00 but our 5 hour trip ended up over ten hours.  As if we weren't tired enough, we missed the turn and ended up on a road that was closed.  Not a big problem in a car that can turn around but a motorhome can't back up when towing a jeep.  We were only a few yards past the turn but we had to find a place to turn around before reaching the end of the road.  Luck was with us with an entry to a plant that was just big enough to turn the rv but we had to unhook the jeep first.  Now it starts to rain.  It is always an adventure for us.
I guess Chris was a little stressed out because while we were at dinner with our friends he did the FB check in and tried to say 'having dinner with Buck and Sylvia 'but he used the microphone to dictate and did not proof his text before posting.  Something that rhymes with Buck was printed and before we realized what had happened, a very inappropriate message went out. Sylvia and I were laughing so hard that the whole restaurant was looking at us.  That was until we realized that people were already reading and posting comments...and calling us laughing so hard that we all were laughing...even Chris.  Yes, we gave a lot of people a good laugh and I had to learn how to delete a post.
Thank goodness our friends are good friends and have a sense of humor.  Chris has known David Buckallew (Buck) since 1975 when they were in the Navy aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt out of Mayport, Fl and later they were stationed together in Whiting Field, Florida.
Tomorrow we head out to the Smokies.  Can't wait.
Thanks for traveling with us.  Barbara and Chris

Greetings from Savannah, Georgia

Well folks, it has been a year since we started this adventure and we are still married.  We did outgrow our 27ft class A motorhome and in April we upgraded to our new winnebago that is 3 feet longer.  We are now ready to get serious and do some real travels.
We have just started out on our second trip.  We are calling this our coast to coast.  Today we went to the Atlantic Ocean off he beaches of Tybee Island.   Our goal is to reach the Pacific Coast after visiting the Great Lakes but before returning to the Gulf of Mexico.   I hope to keep up with journaling from each campsite.
So far this first 100 miles has been very expensive.  Miss C has chewed up Chris' glasses.  He called the VA to see if he could get a replacement.   They laughed when he told them the dog had chewed the lens.   Bad dog.  Then this morning Miss C chewed one of his $12000 hearing aids.  Bad Chris for not putting them away.  He called a different department in the VA and they are sending a replacement.  Your tax dollars going to a good cause.  For now I am traveling with the deaf and blind.  Makes for an interesting time.
Savannah is beautiful.   I could just sit for hours in any of the 29 city squares/parks.  It is amazing that A man could design a city so beautiful even though it would not be completed until many years after his death.  We downloaded an e-book of self guided walks and today we took one of the three walks...with both dogs in tow.  It was so hot.  I can't wait to get to Wisconsin where the temps will be reasonable.  The dogs did great and we were able to walk almost 3 miles.  We are staying in a state park on skidaway island.  There are numerous beautiful trees covered in Spanish moss.
I feel very blessed to be on this journey.  My grandson Andrew put our life in perspective.  Before we left Pensacola, we spent a few nights parked in my son's driveway.  Andrew, who is almost 18 and recently graduated from high school, asked how we pay for the rv, our travels, our food, etc.  He wanted to know where the money was coming from since neither of us were working.  We explained about pensions, social security, 401, etc.  when we were done he said "wow!  Do you feel like you won the lottery?"   Yes I do feel like we have won the lottery.  Yes we worked hard, and yes we planned for our retirement,  but many people work very hard and plan for retirement the best they can but never have the life we are privileged to have.  So each time I see something new I will be thankful that I did win the Lottery.
Peace to all, family and friends.

Greetings Jacksonvill

We are getting ready to start our adventures again.  Chris has surgery today in Jacksonville.  When this is over we will be free to be "tourists" again.  On Friday we head back to Gulf Shores for the funeral of our wonderful marriage counselor.  We will leave next Thursday to meet Chris'  former administrative assistant from his church in Illinois.  Then we head back to Jacksonville to have the stitches removed.  When all of that is done we will head south to Tampa to visit my favorite brother and to sight-see in the area I grew up in.  I want Chris to experience my lifestyle compared to what I learned about his lifestyle when I attended his class reunion a few weeks ago.
We purchased a new RV that is better suited for our travels.  Only three feet  longer  but seems like we added a whole new room.  
My son said he does not get " the whole RV thing.  You never see young people doing it."   That's because when we were young we didn't have time or money.  Chris was afraid to retire young.  What would he do all day?  He doesn't like yard work  and I don't like housework.  He likes golf but once a week is plenty.  We both like to travel, take walks, and enjoy the outdoors.  Travel vacations would not fit in our retirement budget so we made it our daily life instead of a vacation.
I love the idea of going to see family, friends, and see the country all at the same time.  The best part is that you don't have to pack and unpack.  You never worry that you might forget something.
Chris has enjoyed being the supply priest at two small Alabama churches.  We just pull up in the parking lot, open up our slides, and sometimes we go out to dinner with a parishioner.   The people are so nice to us and luckily they don't think we are crazy. (If they do they are polite enough to not speak their opinion.)
God's peace to all of you.