You really can go home again!

We arrived home on Thursday evening, December 11th and will be staying with the Campbell Clan. Being away makes you realize just how important family is and everything else is secondary. The grand kids are still as cute as ever and Steff and Jim haven't changed. We are staying in the basement bedroom and have all the creature comforts. We even have the big screen tv downstairs.
We spoke to Joe but he has strep throat hopefully he will be on the mend quickly. We spoke to Kim and hope to see her, Mike, and the boys soon.
When we left Florida it was a balmy 76 degrees and now there is an incoming ice storm. What is going on?
We went to the semi final games at Hillsboro last night and got to see a lot of people. It was great! And the Hawks won. The championship game is tonight.
I spoke to Onie yesterday and she said Miles is doing better. I really miss him.
I still have some Christmas shopping to do and packages and cards to mail out.
As always, we appreciate family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Take us home country roads...

Well, Bob and I have been traveling for 4 days to get back home to Missouri for Christmas. Bob drove the car a total of 1,031 miles to get us back home. We decided not to drive straight through and take our time. We also had the chance to stop in Marion, Illinois to visit with a friend that we went to school with-Dennis Dunn and his wife, Liz. We met them for lunch and had a great visit. They are doing great . We arrived at Steff and Jim's about 5:15 PM on Thursday, December 11th. It was great to see the Steff, Jim, and the kids. Brandy stopped by and we were glad to see her, too. Joe is not feeling well, so maybe we will see him this weekend. We also spoke to Kim on the way home and hopefully we will see her this weekend, too.
I will post pictures tomorrow. Right now we are resting and planning our agenda for tomorrow.
As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Meeting up with more friends

Bob and I arrived in Tarpon Springs on Thursday, December 4th. We set up camp at the Clearwater/Tarpon Springs RV park. We are there to visit Onie and her fiance, Larry. They are getting married on Saturday, December 13th. We had hoped that we would be able to stay for the wedding, but we have to be home by the 13th because the little grandkids are in a Christmas play and parade. We have known Onie for a million years and we are so happy for her. Larry is a great guy. After several days of visiting, we made our plans to head home. Onie and Larry offered to keep Miles for us while we are home for the holidays in exchange for delivering their Christmas gifts to her kids and grandkids. While we were there, I made her wedding bouquet, the boutonnieres,and the corsages. They turned out very pretty. She will be a beautiful bride.
I talked to Onie today about Miles and she said he is missing us very, very much. I know he will be be taken care of but I miss him, too!
We have stopped for the day and are at America's Best Inns in Calhoun, Georgia. We left the motorhome in Tarpon Springs at a storage facility and are just driving the car home.
As always, we miss our family and friends very much and appreciate them.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too

Meeting up with friends

On Thursday, December 4th, Bob and I left Kissimmee, Florida, heading to Tarpon Springs, Florida. We made a stop in Lakeland , Florida to visit with Jim and Cindy Rugraff, 2 former Hillsboro teachers. They live in a gated community and their home is beautiful. Looking out their enclosed back sunporch you can view the lake and watch the birds. We really enjoyed our visit with them. Cindy picked up lunch (which was great) and we had a great conversation. They both are enjoying their retirement just like us! We hope to stop and see them again. After our visit, we were on the road again. We arrived at Clearwater/Tarpon Springs RV park about 3:00 pm. After getting the motorhome set up, we rested and then called our friends, Onie and Larry. We decided to meet them the next day.
As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

On The Road Again...

Bob and I will be leaving tomorrow, Thursday, December 4, from Kissimmee, Florida. We have been here 3 days. We arrived here from our month long stay at Ormond Beach and a wonderful visit with my dad and Virginia. Our main stop while we were here was Disney World. There are 4 main theme parks in Disney and we went to Hollywood. It was a lot of fun. Most of it is displays, movies, and stunt shows. Not alot of rides. But we did go on a roller coaster...Bob had fun. The weather has been unusually cold while were we here. In fact, we had to wear long pants and sweatshirts to Disney. Here is the price breakdown for our trip to Disney: $13.00 toll road fees, $12.00 for parking, $150.00 for two (1) day tickets, $50.00 for lunch, and $16.00 for souvenirs for a total of $241.00-but the memories and time we spent together...PRICELESS!
We will travel about 100 miles tomorrow to Tarpon Springs to see our friend, Onie and meet her future husband. But before we get there, we will stop in Lakeland, Florida, and have lunch with 2 former Hillsboro teachers, Jim and Cindy Rugraff. They both retired several years ago and moved to Florida.
We are looking forward to getting home to see family and friends for Christmas.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Preparing to head home

On Monday, November 24th, Bob and I went to the Kennedy Space Center. It was about a 60 mile drive from where we are staying so we left early in the morning. When we arrived it was not very crowded. Besides viewing all the different displays, they offer a bus tour which takes you to various other locations on the grounds. We got to see the building where the shuttle is assembled, drove by the crawler (which carries the shuttle to the launch area), and also saw the tower that holds the shuttle for launch.
We saw all of the Apollo displays, watched a 3D movie in the IMAX theatre, and took a simulated shuttle ride. We had a great time. This definitely should be a stop if you are in the area.
We have kept up with all of our routine chores, groceries, exercise (by the way, I am now riding 10 miles on my bike-which is every other day), (we walk on non-bike days), and cleaning the motor home. Also, I have been Christmas shopping via the internet and having the items shipped to Steffanie's. My Christmas cards are almost ready for mailing! Retirement does have benefits.
Tomorrow, Thanksgiving, we will be dining with my dad and Virginia. But no turkey in Whoville. Dad doesn't like it, so we will feast on ham and all the trimmings. But being with family is the best.
We will wrap up the week by preparing to leave Daytona Beach on Monday. We will travel to Tarpon Springs, Florida and visit with our friend. Our motor home will stay in Florida and we will drive home, hoping to be there on December 11th. I think we will be home for about 3 weeks.
Happy Thanksgving-do you see the turkey?
As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Florida Retirees (for a month)

After setting up our home at Harris RV park in Ormond Beach, Florida, we have been busy. One of our first items on our to do list was to visit with my dad. I was so glad to see him and his friend , Virginia. They live in Daytona Beach and are about 7 miles from where we are staying. Dad looks good and seems to be recovering nicely from his 6 bypass surgery last July. He is 80 years old. I can't believe it. He has kept us busy with checking out the surrounding sights. He plans our itinerary and calls us with the day's outings. He doesn't always go with us just plans it. He knows EVERY restaurant and bakery within about 100 mile radius and I am not kidding.
Since we have arrived the weather has been awesome. The first 2 days were rainy but other than that mid 80's, slight breeze, just beautiful. Of course, Bob keeps track of the weather at home and laughs at the comparison. I told him that he is not being very nice.
Ormond Beach is known as the birthplace of speed. Referring to the beaches where races were held. The beaches were the flattest areas. And motorcycles-they are everywhere. We did go the Daytona 500 Speedway and toured the welcome area. We decided not to tour the speedway itself. Bob and I aren't big Nascar fans. We did stop in the gift shop and picked up a gift for son-in-law Mike (car lover).
We have gone to several restaurants with Dad and Virginia and one of them was Ponce Inlet. It was very good. It is situated on the water and you can see the boats and watch the dolphins. We did see one while we were there.
We went back 2 days later to visit the light house and museum. Bob climbed to the top of the light house. We also toured the refurbished light keepers' homes. Quite interesting.
We have really enjoyed the long term stay because it has enabled us to take our time to sight see and relax. There is a park about 1 mile from our home and we go there everyday to exercise-either bike ride or walk. Bob makes sure of that. There is a pier that we walk on out into the intracoastal waterways. It's hard to believe that it is November and we are wearing t-shirts and shorts. On that note, we can't believe that we have been gone from home almost 6 months. The time is flying by.
On Friday we went to Daytona Beach to watch the space shuttle fly over. It was spectacular. There were quite a few people there. Apparently this is a big event with the people here. In some towns, people were getting ready as early as noon and staking out a spot on the beach.
We also went to the large flea market by the speedway. There were tons of vendors and people. Here is an amazing coincidence-when we headed to our car I saw a truck with an Iowa licence plate and there was a bumper sticker on the truck-"follow me to the Pevely Flea Market"! The significance of that is: Pevely is my hometown.
We are caught up on our grocery shopping, laundry, and housecleaning. So after lunch today, we are going to the park to bike ride.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

The Sunshine State

We arrived at our campground in Ormond Beach today, Saturday, November 1st. The drive from Georgia was fine and the weather was great. Our site is a full hook up with wi-fi and cable. There are about 20 sites in this campground. After getting the motor home set up we rested for a bit and then went out to dinner at Appleby's. We are low on groceries so we will go tomorrow to shop. Steff and the kids called us this evening. It was nice to hear from them. We also got a call from our niece Danielle. So all is well here. Joe is supposed to call us tomorrow and let us know how the trivia contest went at school tonight. We always participate every year but not this year. We miss it. So we have to get the lowdown on who came in first!
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Georgia On My Mind

We are enjoying Blythe Island County Park in Brunswick, Georgia. We have full hook-ups, cable, and wi-fi at our site. The weather has been a little cool, especially after the sun goes down.
I washed 3 loads of clothes today and then hung them out to dry. I will finish the other 2 loads tomorrow.
Bob and I took a walk around the campground today and then walked one of the trails in the park. My exercise for the day.
Bob had quite a "fowl" experience yesterday. He had gone out for a walk earlier that morning. As he was returning to our site, he saw some wild turkeys in the roadway. He came in and got the camera. After he took some photos of the turkeys and was heading back, the turkeys followed him. When he came in, the turkeys had roosted on our lawn chairs, picnic table and some were laying by the front door. I counted 14 in all. Miles watched intently from the safety of the screen door. I tried to let the turkeys know that they might want to make themselves scarce-Thanksgiving was coming up. Also, I pointed out that I had a turkey in the freezer. But it didn't seem to faze them. They stayed for about an hour then went on their way.
Yesterday we went to "The GA Pig", a restaurant recommended in the Road House Food book. It is about 5 minutes from the campground housed in an old log cabin. They are noted for their bar-b-que. It was very good.
Today we just hung out at home.
Tomorrow we will start preparing for our departure on Saturday, November 1st. Can't believe how fast the year is going. Our drive Saturday will be about 140 miles to Ormond Beach, Florida. We will be at Harris RV Park for 1 month.
I will update the blog when we get to Florida.
As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Walterboro, SC

Bob and I arrived in Walterboro, SC on Monday, October 27th. We will be here for 2 days. We will leave on Wednesday, October 29th and head to Blythe Island County Park in Georgia. We will be there for 3 days and then head to Ormond Beach, Florida for a month's stay.
While we are here at Walterboro we are just hanging out and resting up. We did go to the post office today to mail a few cards and a package. The temperature has been quite cool since we arrived and it is expected to get colder this evening. Possibility of frost.
The park is very nice and we have full hook-ups, wi-fi, and cable. That's living, for sure!
We will have wi-fi at the next stop so I will update the blog then. We can't wait to see the pictures of the grand kids in their Halloween costumes. They are so cute.
As always we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Stops along the way

We left Williamsburg, Va and stopped in Enfield, NC just for the night. We didn't even unhook the car. Left the next day and stopped in Fayetteville, NC. Again, just for the night. Left the next day and arrived in Florence, SC on Friday, Oct. 24th. We will be here for 3 days and will leave on Monday, Oct. 27 and drive to Walterboro, SC. We will be there for 2 days and then head to Florida for 1 month. Yesterday it was cool and rainy. Today it has been somewhat clear and a little windy. But that's good because I did several loads of laundry and was able to hang the clothes out. They are about dry. We are going to take a walk around the park-it is a KOA park and quite nice. Then we will have supper and watch the 3rd game of the World Series. What a life!
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary. Bob, and Miles, too!

Colonial Times

We arrived in Williamsburg, Va on Saturday, Oct. 18th. Virginia is a very, very, pretty state. We stayed at a KOA and it was very nice. We went to Jamestown and it was very interesting. Just a very scenic area and the fall colors are beautiful. We had a Park Ranger give a group of us a narrative and short walking tour regarding the settlement and history of Jamestown. Then we took a self guided tour of the area. The weather was fantastic. In the low 70's and sunshiny.
We then headed to Yorktown. It is also a part of the National Park Service. The Visitors' Center is awesome and we watched a video outlining Washington and the history of Yorktown. We then took a tour with the ranger. After the tour, we finished visiting the park ourselves. We stopped and ate our lunch at a picnic area within the park. Then we rode our bikes on the bike trails for a total of 6.7 miles. What fun! A lot of the refurbishing of the National Parks and their buildings and other historic artifacts were done in the 1930's by the CCC which President Roosevelt initiated. We are very lucky that the powers that be had enough forethought to do this. We enjoyed Yorktown very much. Worth the visit for sure.
On Sunday, Oct. 19th, we went to dinner with our nephew, Gabe and his wife, Kristi. We met them at Cracker Barrel. As it turns out, they live only about 20 miles from where we were staying. Kristi is in the Army stationed at Fort Eustis and Gabe works for a heating and cooling contractor. We had a really nice visit and it was good to see them. They are doing well for themselves.
On Monday, Oct. 20th, we went to Presidents' Park, located in Williamsburg, Va. It is an outdoor museum of the US Presidents. The 42 Presidential statues are 16 to 18 ft in height.There are plaques at each statues that have interesting facts about the president, his ideas, his wife and family, and his contributions to the growth and development of the United States. That was very interesting!
Again we had a beautiful day for enjoying our outing.
We then headed home for supper.
As always, we miss our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Goodnight Momma, Goodnight Bob-Boy

We arrived in Charlottesville, Va, on Thursday, Oct. 16th. I was glad that we were able to be here because the Walton's Mountain Museum is located here. So Bob agreed to take me there. The museum is housed in the actual schoolhouse that Earl Hamner (the author) attended, along with his brothers and sisters. The school no longer operates as a school. In addition to housing the museum it also serves as the area's community center. They have 6 rooms replicating the TV sets. Also, there is an extensive collection of memorabilia from the cast, townspeople, and family. It was a fun day. The area is absolutely beautiful.
From Walton's Mountain, we headed to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson. It was very crowded. We purchased our tour tickets and had about an hour's wait. So we walked the grounds. It is very pretty. Although, a lot of construction was going on. They are building a new visitors' center which I am sure will be very nice, but it kind of takes away from the enjoyment of the visit.
After we checked out the grounds, it was time for the tour. They only tour the first floor of the home, but it was very interesting. Jefferson was not only our third President, he was an architect, gardener, scientist, plantation owner, and founder of the University of Virginia. A man of many talents.
We headed home to rest up and prepare to make our way to Williamsburg on Saturday, Oct. 18th.
As always we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Hagerstown, Md.

We left the Allentown Koa heading to Hagerstown, Md on Monday, Oct. 13th. We found out that my dad and his friend, Virginia, would be in Hagerstown, Md the same time we would be. What luck! So we made arrangements to meet up with each other. Our stop was mostly just a layover until we got to Charlottesville, Va.
We stayed at a KOA in Hagerstown and it was a bit secluded and also we endured a strong sewer smell in the park because our site was located close to the septic caps. Not too good. Anyway, we did meet up with my dad and Virginia and went to Red Lobster one evening for dinner. We had a great visit.
Bob and I went to Paw-Paw tunnel. It is a tunnel that was hand dug to accommodate rail transportation. It is located in Paw-Paw, West Virginia. By the time it was completed it was outdated and never used. It has been placed on the register of Historic sites. We walked through the tunnel and then walked the trail head (2 miles) surrounding the tunnel. The area is quite beautiful, especially this time of the year. Check out the pictures of the roadside stop in West Virginia These are some of the scenic views we saw on the drive to the tunnel. We also visited Fort Frederick. It was a Colonial Out Post built to protect the Colonists from the Indians and later used as a prison during the Revolutionary War. In fact, Gen Washington sent some prisoners there.
We then met my Dad and Virginia again and went to an authentic German restaurant. It was very good. We had a great visit and will see them again when we get to Florida. We will be at an RV camp in Ormond Beach for 1 month and it is about 5 miles from my dad.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Freedom...No Taxation without Representation!!!

On Saturday, Oct. 10th, Bob and I went to Philadelphia to check out the beginning of our country's road to freedom. It was crowded! We did not know it at the time, but Barack O'Bama was visiting 2 of the cities that we were going to that day. Also, there was a Breast Cancer walk and it was the Columbus day weekend, so there were just tons of people downtown.
We started our visit by stopping at the Independence Hall Visitor Center. Quite impressive! We went to get our tickets to tour Independence Hall and were told that there were no more tours available for the day. Since 9/11 you can only visit Independence Hall by tour and they limit the number of people that go through on a daily basis. But we were able to visit the house where Congress met. We saw the Liberty Bell, the Declaration of Independence, and Constitution. No pictures were allowed of the documents because of the sensitivity to light. In fact, the building that the 2 documents were in is very low lit. We then took a walk around the square and saw B. Franklin's boyhood home and his printing office. We would highly recommend taking a tour to see this area. The streets are rather confusing, parking is a nightmare, and it is just hectic. But worth the trip.
On Monday, Oct. 12th, Bob and I went to Valley Forge. It is run by the National Park Service and they have done a wonderful job of maintaining the history as well as the sites. We watched a 15 minute movie summarizing the events surrounding Valley Forge then took a self guided tour. It is pretty awesome to realize that you are walking on the same ground as Washington and his men. And also to know what happened on those areas. We enjoyed the day very much. We then headed home to rest up.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Norman Rockwell and FDR

Bob and I went to the Norman Rockwell Museum located in Stockbridge, Ma. It is located in the Berkshires of New York. The area is so pretty. It is easy to see why Mr. Rockwell loved the area and town. No picture taking was allowed in the museum, but I was able to get some beautiful pictures of the grounds of the museum. This time of year is definitely the time to be in this area. Upstate New York is very lovely. We had a beautiful day for our outing, in fact it was only 60 degrees when we got to the museum. But it did warm up slightly so it was a comfortable day. There must have been at least 6 tour buses pull in while we were there.
On Monday, October 6th, we left Stockbridge, NY and drove about 60 miles to Hyde Park, NY-home of FDR. On Tuesday, October 7th, we toured FDR's home and Presidential Library. Did you know that FDR is the only president to have used his Presidential Library while he was alive? In fact, he gave several of his "Fireside Chats" from this library. Also, he was born, lived, and worked from this estate his entire life. FDR and Eleanor (as well as Fala -FDR's dog and one of the family's other dogs) are buried on the grounds of Springwood. The library and home are quite extensive with memorabilia. We were there over 4 hours and still couldn't cover all the exhibits. But is worth the trip if you are interested in American history. Once again we had a very nice day for the visit. The temperatures have dropped into the low 40's in the evening. Our campground is very nice. We have full hook ups, cable, and wi-fi. We are about 25 miles from Hyde Park but it is a nice drive. The roads are good and the views are pretty.
Tomorrow, Thursday, October 9th, we will head to Allentown, Pa. It is a drive of about 200 miles. We will have wi-fi so I will update blog when we get there.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Cape Cod

Some catching up to do! Bob and I are now at Scusset State Park and Reservation in Mass. Today is Wednesday, October 1st. It’s Noah’s 7th birthday. Happy Birthday, Buddy! Right now we are at the local Laundromat getting the laundry done. Since we don’t have full hook ups at the campground, I can’t do any wash there.
Yesterday we drove to Cape Cod. It is about 20 miles from where we are. It was a pretty day and the temperature was just right-70 degrees. We went to the JFK Memorial Museum. Quite interesting. We are told that Caroline Kennedy as well as a lot of the other Kennedy family members visit quite often. It is located right on main street. I also visited a scrapbook store and got a few items related to the Cape. We walked to the harbor and it was very pretty. Also we visited a memorial park dedicated to President Kennedy and to the Korean War Veterans. We stopped at Cape Cod Harbor and took a few photos.
Tomorrow we will leave and head to Springfield, Mass to visit the Basketball Hall of Fame. From there we will go to Stockbridge, Mass and visit the Norman Rockwell Museum.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Downtown Boston-Revised

On Tuesday, September 23rd, Bob and I took a tour of downtown Boston. We had originally thought that we would see Boston next week, but we were able to sign up with a tour group and decided to check it out. We met the guide on the outskirts of Boston and he made the rest of his pick ups. We had a total of 14 people in the group. It really worked out well for us because we didn't have to fight the traffic and we got to see the highlights of Boston. It was a beautiful day and the temp was in the mid 70's. Our tour included Bunker Hill, USS Old Ironsides, The Old North Church, lunch downtown at Quincy Marketplace, driving by Fenway and the Boston Celtics area. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we found out a lot of interesting facts about Boston. Did you know that Boston is built on a landfill? There are something like 10,0000 pilings driven into bedrock that support the city. Pretty amazing. Boston actually is a very pretty town with lots of brownstones and many refurbished homes. It looks just like you would think a New England city would look. We ate lunch at cheers. It was very good. Please check out the related poll. We started the tour about 9:00 AM and got back to our car about 4:30 PM. It was a long day. Lots of walking so we were glad to get home.
As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Mass State Park

Today, Monday, September 22nd, we are still at Salsibury State Park in Mass. It is really nice. The temperature today will stay in the low 60's. Cold! We will be here until next Monday. We will then head south of Boston and stay at a campground there and take a tour of downtown Boston from there. We are really enjoying the scenery here in this area and being by the beach and Atlantic Ocean is awesome. We are at the Salsibury Public Library using the Internet and then we have a few groceries to pick up. We called the little grand kids yesterday and they are fine. Excited about school and soccer (for Emma and Ella) and Noah takes Tai Kwon Do lessons and he is having a great time. Hoping all is well with everyone at home. Will blog again next time we have Internet.
As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

The Atlantic Coast

We arrived yesterday, Thursday, September 18th, at Salsbury State Park and Reservation in Newburyport, Mass. The park is gorgeous! It borders part of the Atlantic coastline. The sites are paved and level and we have water and electric hookups. No wi-fi or cable but the view is worth doing without those 2 items. After we got the motor home set up, Bob and I took a walk to the beach area. We both stepped into the Atlantic and it was COLD! There are some benches and a boardwalk out to the beach so we sat on a bench and watched the waves roll in. It was so pretty. We then decided to go back and get our bikes and rode throughout the camp on nice paved bike ways. We rode 4 6/10 miles. after our ride, we went back and ate supper. We went to the bath house and each took a long hot shower and then called it a day. Today we are at Newburyport Public library to update the blog and check the score of Joe's 8th grade football team and our niece Alexandria's softball game. Unfortunately, it looks like they both lost. Remember, Joe, it's a character builder and learning experience! Today, we will head home and just take it easy for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we will grocery shop and line up a tour of downtown Boston. I will post pictures next time I have Internet access. By the way, the weather here is quite cool. Today is only going to be in the high 60's.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

On to Boston

We will be leaving tomorrow, Thursday, September 18th, and heading to Boston. We will be staying at a state campground called Salsbury Beach. It is located right along the Atlantic Ocean. The drive will be about 3 hours from where we are now. There won't be any internet access at the campground but we are hoping that there is a library nearby so I can update the blog. We spoke to Joe and Brandy tonight. Everything is ok in their neck of the woods. Brandy is working some extra hours at her job and Joe is staying busy with the kids at school and coaching his 8th grade football team. The weather has gotten quite cool here so we are ready to leave that behind. Also, we have had a difficult time understanding people here in Maine when they talk-that New England accent is thick. I will blog more when we get to Boston.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

The Land of Chow-dah and Granite

Today, Wednesday, September 17th. We are in Freeport, Maine, home of L.L. Bean. We arrived in Maine on Monday, September 15th after leaving Hillsboro, New Hampshire. We had not intended on stopping in Hillsboro, NH, but we had a motor home issue that needed to be resolved. We found out (on a very hilly road) that our master cylinder had gone out. Thanks to Bob's calmness and great driving abilities we were able to get the motor home to a Chevy dealer that worked on big trucks. To make a long story short, we were treated very kindly by the campground hosts and car dealer. After the repairs were completed on Monday, we drove to Maine, arriving at Meadowbrook Campground about 5:00 PM. On Tuesday, we took a drive to Orr Island just about 12 miles away. Very pretty scenery! Today we are at the Freeport Library where I am updating the Blog and Bob is making reservations for our next stop which will be in the Boston area.
We plan on getting lunch today at one of the places mentioned in our Roadhouse Food book. We will definitely have to sample some Maine lobster. I spoke with Kim today (Wednesdays are her phone days) and all seems well in Farmington. Last night the temperatures got down into the 40's and today it is in the low 70's. We are ready to head on down the highway.
As always we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Saratoga National Park

On Tuesday, September 9th, Bob and I went to Saratoga National Park. It is the site of a decisive revolutionary War battle in which the American colonists won. We toured the Information Center of the park. They had some very great displays regarding the battle. We then took the tour through the park. It is a 9 1/2 mile self guided driving tour. There are 10 stops throughout the park that you can stop at. The views from most of the stops are spectacular! This is a great tourist stop if you enjoy American history.
Upstate New York reminds us of home. The landscape, trees, foliage, and temperatures (so far) are just like our beloved Missouri. We happen to think that Missouri is one of the prettiest states in the Union. The campground that we are staying at is very nice. We have full hook-ups and wi-fi and cable tv. So all is good.
We will be leaving tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 12th) and heading to New Hampshire for an overnight stay, then on to Maine to catch the Fall foliage scenes.
Today, Thursday, Sept. 11th, Bob and I paid our respects in our thoughts and prayers to the fallen and the heroes of 9/11. Of course we displayed our flag. I was glad to see that many of the campers had our beautiful American flag displayed in honor and memory of 9/11. GOD BLESS THE USA!
We rode our bikes today 5 miles throughout the campground. Then we ate a late lunch. I have become a big fan of the artist Will Moses. He paints in a folk art/primitive style and I really enjoy his work. He is the great grandson of Grandma Moses famed country artist. It so happens that his studio and art gallery are about 15 miles from our campground. I said if we ever got up this way, I would like to go to his studio. Well, we went today. I got an original print! I am so excited. It is not framed and it is in a study mailing tube. So when we are finished with our travels I will have it framed. I just love it. That Bob, what a guy. News from home sounds like everyone is doing ok and we are glad of that.
As always we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Baseball Hall Of Fame

On Friday, September 5th, Bob and I went to the Baseball Hall of Fame. We arrived there about 10:00 AM. We had been there about 16 years ago and there were a few changes. They have added a second story to the building and revamped some of the exhibits. We did enjoy seeing all the items housed there. We saw Mark Buerhle's display in the Chicago White Sox's locker. Mark attended Jeffco and is a good friend of Eddie Moreno. Mark is featured in the locker because of the no hitter he pitched. That was neat to see. We decided to take a break from the Hall so we went into some of the shops on main street. Cooperstown is not a big town at all. In fact, it is called a village. There are some beautiful Victorian homes on the streets behind main street. We then went to the park located right off of main street along Otsego Lake, sometimes referred to as Glimmerglass. It was a beautiful day and we watched the sailboats on the lake while we ate lunch. After lunch, we went back to the Hall of Fame and finished our tour. We called it a day and headed home.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Poll Results

The results of the last poll are in:
Is Joe glad that his parents are not at school with him this year?
Six people responded:
No, it's a party everyday -2 people (I wonder who one of them was)
No, but he secretly thinks about them everyday-1 person
Yes, he has cardboard cut outs of them in his office and talks to them daily-3 people

I know that he really misses having us there...despite what he might say!
Check out the latest poll and place your vote.

Movin' On

On Tuesday, September 2nd, Bob and I left Niagara County Campground and headed to Cooperstown, NY. It was a drive of about 250 miles. We left about 8:00 AM and after a stop at 11:00 AM and then a stop at 2:00 for a late lunch we arrived at Cooperstown Family Campground at 3:00 PM.

We set up the motor home and then rested!

Today, Wednesday, we decided to stay home and get a few chores done. I washed several loads of clothes and got the blog caught up. We have full hook ups, cable tv, and wi-fi. I love it! Tomorrow we are going to drive to Cooperstown (about 5 miles from here) and take our bikes. We want to ride our bikes around the town and check out the Victorian houses and get our tickets to the Baseball Hall of Fame. We plan on going there on Friday.

As always we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.

Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Over to Canada

On Monday, September 1st, Bob and I went back to Niagara Falls and walked across the Rainbow Bridge to Canada. We had to go through customs and when our passports were checked it was discovered that we had not signed them-and we had used them two times prior. So we had to sign them and then we crossed over.

We viewed the falls from the Canadian side and we both agreed that there is no comparison. The Canadian side view is so much prettier.

We walked along the boardwalk and did a little "people" watching. Bob was asked several times to take people's pictures. Who knew? So we took more photos of the falls and stopped for an ice cream (there seems to be a theme here).

After we walked back over the bridge to the US (by the way-it cost 50 cents per person to come back to the US) we went to Niagara Park and ate our lunch.

We headed back to the campground but stopped for groceries first. We then got the motor home ready to leave on Tuesday, September 2nd.

As always, we miss and appreciate our family and friends very much.

Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Olcott Park, Krull Park, and Car Show

On Wednesday, August 27th, Bob and I went to Olcott Beach, New York. It was about five miles from our campground. It is a little town on the shores of Lake Ontario. There is a carousel park in the center of town that has a restored carousel ride and several carnival rides for children.

We also went to the city park that is located in the center of town. The town was started by railroad executives for a summer place to bring their families. At one time there was a hundred room hotel that overlooked Lake Ontario. The area became very popular for tourists and was a major summer vacation location. Many big name entertainers performed there such as the Dorsey Brothers, Paul Whiteman's band (Bing Crosby started out with his band), Louis Armstrong. The park was very nice and well maintained.

We then crossed the street and walked over to Krull County Park. This park is beautiful. It is maintained by the state of New York Conservation Department. There are paved bike paths. The park also has a wading pool for children, a tree garden, playground equipment, picnic tables. We decided to go back to the car and get our bikes. We went back to Krull Park and rode 6 miles through the park. It was a beautiful day and the temperature was in the mid 70's.

After our bike ride, we went back into town and got an ice cream. We saw a sign for a car show that was going to be held on Saturday and decided we would come back for that. The lady at the ice cream shop said there would be about 850 cars on display. We found that hard to believe but there actually were. So we returned on Saturday and looked at the cars on display and had a great time.

As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.

Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

The Erie Canal

On Friday, August 29th, Bob and I went to the Erie Canal in Lockport, New York. The original Erie Canal was dug by hand-360 miles-to connect the Hudson River to Lake Erie at Buffalo, New York
The Erie Canal, a pet project of New York's DeWitt Clinton, took many years to build and cost lots of money but was ultimately a huge success, one of America's best-known waterways.
The original canal is now used as a spillway. Another set of canals and locks were built over the years. These locks help boats travel between the Hudson River and Lake Erie and raise or lower the boats a height of 57 feet. We also went to the museum of the Erie Canal and went to the information center.
We headed back to the campground for supper and to plan the rest of our stay in the Niagara Falls area.
As always, we miss our family and friends very much and appreciate them.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Absolutely Gorgeous!

Niagara Falls, that is. Pictures really don't do it justice. Bob and I went to Niagara Falls on Thursday, August 28th. The day was a little overcast with a chance of showers but we thought it might work to our advantage and it did. No crowds, no lines, and it rained just slightly.

We started out at the Niagara Discovery Center. John and Nello were the guides and gave us a very informative tour of the displays. They were very knowledgeable and very nice guys. We purchased the Discovery Pass for each of us. For $30.00 each, we had admission to the Maid of the Mist boat ride, unlimited trolley rides, Cave of the Winds admission, several food discounts, and discount admission to Fort Niagara. After the tour, we headed to the Falls.

Of course, Bob wanted to walk and catch the trolley later. He said we had to get our exercise in for the day. Yahoo!

We went to the observation tower and walked out on the deck. Amazing! The sound and mist that comes from the Falls is incredible! We were right by the American Falls and could see the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. It really is unbelievable. The waters from four of the Great Lakes flow through the Niagara River and then drain into the Falls. The water is actually a turquoise color. 75,000 gallons of water fall over the American Falls every SECOND and 675,000 gallons go over the Horseshoe Falls every SECOND. Did you know that the water is restricted during the day to 50% of its' capacity? At night the water is restricted even more to allow for power usage.
We then took the Maid of the Mist boat ride. Both of us donned our blue raincoats and headed to the boat dock. No line and we boarded quickly. I would guess that there were about 50 people on our tour. The ride took us out on the Niagara River and headed to the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. I'm not sure how close we got to the falls but we got wet. It was really neat to see the water that close up and hear the noise from the falls.

After the boat ride, we took the trolley to Goat Island. This island was formed as the falls eroded. They say as the falls continue to erode this island will eventually disappear. The trolley ride took us to the Three Sisters Islands. A set of small islands in the Niagara River. Did you know that at one time the Niagara Falls were privately owned?

After lunch at the Top of the Falls restaurant, we then took the Cave of the Winds tour. We were given yellow raincoats and sandals to wear. No long line this time either. This tour takes you under the American Falls via a lot of steps and platforms. And you get wet. Some of the best pictures we took were from this area.
After that, we boarded the trolley back to the main falls area and went to the Niagara Adventure Theater to see the movie Niagara Legends of Adventure. The movie explored the myths, miracles, and adventurous feats of the falls. Very interesting.
We decided to call it a day and caught the next trolley back to the parking lot. It was about 4:30 PM and we headed home for supper and to rest up.

We decided to come back on Monday to walk over the Rainbow Bridge which connects the US to Canada and see the falls from the Canadian side. More on that in another blog.

For those of you who were wondering...the title in the previous blog of "Niagara Falls, slowly I turn" is a reference to a Three Stooges skit. Gotta love those Stooges.
As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.

Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Niagara Falls, Slowly I turn...

Today is Monday, August 25th. We are at Vantage Point in Port Huron. One of my favorite places because I have free wi-fi and it is a very pretty place to watch the ships come in on the St. Clair river. We have really enjoyed Port Huron, Michigan. It isn't a "touristy" town and it has a lot of things geared towards its residents. We highly recommend a trip here. The weather is great and even if you are not a water person (fishing, boating) the water sights are amazing. Lake Huron, St. Clair River, Black River, are all very pretty sites. International Bridge Park borders Lake Huron and you can see the Blue Water Bridge there, Thomas Edison museum, watch the ships and sailboats on Lake Huron, and walk along a beautiful boardwalk. We have also really enjoyed the Fort Gratiot bike and walking trail. It is located across the street from Fort Gratiot Middle School. The paths are 8 feet wide and paved. It has been turned back into a wetland and the Nature Conservancy is in charge of maintaining the area. It has some of the native flowers to the area, 2 ponds, trees lined the path, secluded yet it is minutes from a huge shopping center. We saw swans and ducks on the ponds. They have installed bird houses along the paths. It's just a real gem. The taxpayers money has been well spent on this project. The air in Michigan has a constant "Christmas Tree scent" to me. I would guess it is because everywhere you go, there a tons of pine trees in a lot of varieties. Our campsite has been so convenient to area sights and with full hook ups it has been great. Tonight we will get as much ready as we can to be ready to leave on Tuesday morning. We will be crossing the Blue Water Bridge into Canada. We have our passports ready and Miles' papers also. Hopefully, we won't be detained. We will be heading to Niagara Falls, New York for a week's stay. As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Updating!

Today, Friday, August 22nd, Bob and I are at Vantage Point Maritme Center in Port Huron. There is free wi-fi for as long as you want. And you have the added advantage of watching the ships come through on the St. Clair River. It is a very pretty site. Again, we can't believe how blue the waters are in the lakes and rivers in the places in Michigan that we have been. I have added 2 slide shows to the blog. If you click directly on the picture of the slide show, it show enlarge and you will be able to view it better. We picked up our mail from the post office and we had quite a bit. So while I update the blog, Bob is going through the mail. As always we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Poll Results

The results from the Great Lakes poll are in. Here are the results:
9 feet-5 people answered
12 feet high and rising-1 person answered.
The correct answer is: 9 feet.
Thanks to all who responded to the poll. Check out the new poll!

Port Huron, Michigan

Today, Wednesday, August 20th, Bob and I are at the St. Clair County library. I am updating the blog and he is checking the Cardinals' scores. We have been in Port Huron since Saturday, August 16th. On Sunday my cousins, Vicki and Helen came to the campground for a visit. We talked, went to lunch, talked and talked, and laughed and laughed. We had a great time. I was so glad to see them. We even called Mom and Billy and Vicki and Helen talked to them. The campground is very nice. We have full hookups and great hot showers. We will leave here on Tuesday, August 26th and head to New York and Niagara Falls. The weather here once again has been great. In fact, last night the low was 51 degrees. Yesterday evening we went to the Maritime Boardwalk and watched the sailboats on the St. Clair River. We also saw the lights on the Canadian side of the river. Very pretty! I will post pictures when I have them uploaded to my computer. As always we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much. We have been gone two months! Doesn't seem that long.
Mary, bob, and Miles, too!

Wellkommen!

Today, Friday, August 15th, Bob and I went to Frankenmuth, Michigan.It is "Little Bavaria" in Michigan. We ate lunch at the famous Zehnder's Chicken restaurant. It was very good. We are now at the public library so we can update the blog and check on campgrounds for a few of our next stops. We are staying at a campground four miles from Frankenmuth. The campground is very nice, clean, and quiet. After we leave the library, we will go to some of the shops in town. Well, I will and Bob will probably wait outside.Shopping...not his thing! We will leave tomorrow to head to Port Huron. It is about an hour's drive from here. My cousins will be coming up for a visit on Sunday. The weather has been beautiful! Good luck to all of the faculty and staff at the Junior High. Have a great school year! Ha-Ha , Joe (the favorite child-he likes to think) you have to go back to work! As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Poll Results

Well, the votes are in...12 people voting and here are the results:
Mary and Bob will finish their year of travel and stay out longer-10 votes
Only one will return-2 votes
Heading home any day now-2 votes
No, because they never really left-0 votes

Thanks to everyone who voted. check out the new poll!

The Island

On Monday, August 11th, Bob and I went to Mackinac Island. We took the Shepler Ferry ride to the island. We arrived around 10:00 AM. We had to check in with the carriage ride person to get a tour time. After doing that, we had about 20 minutes, so we looked in some of the nearby shops. The island was CROWDED! People, bikes, and horses everywhere! At 10: 40 we boarded the carriage ride along with 20 other people. Our guide was Theresa from Romania. She is a student working on the island for the summer. Most of the workers on the island are students. Our tour with Theresa consisted of sites on the Historic Main Street. We saw the oldest house on Mackinac Island as well as the home of William Astor (the son of John Jacob Astor-the first self made millionaire). Fur trading was once the livelihood of Mackinac Island. Mr. Astor never set foot on the island himself (sending his son William), but regardless he made millions! It was a beautiful day and the temperature was in the mid seventies. After the first part of the carriage ride, we walked to Fort Mackinac. We saw a rifle firing reenactment and then toured the buildings of the fort. The French had originally built the fort, then the British took over and then the Americans. We then toured several historic buildings around the fort. Then we started our second part of the carriage tour. This time our guide was Radu from Romania. The tour took us through Mackinac State Park. We stopped at Arch Rock, an amazing sight. It was formed millions of years ago by the glaciers. The Anishinaabe-Ojibwa Indians believe it is where the Great Creator blew the breath of life into the newly created earth. We saw native trees to the island and found out that the French brought lilacs to the island to remind them of home. There are 17 varieties of lilacs on the island. After this tour, we ate lunch about 2:00 PM at Mary’s Bistro. It was quite tasty. Bob had a fish sandwich and I had a hamburger. We then went shopping and bought a few items. Stopping for an ice cream, we people watched for awhile. It was 4:20 PM so we decided to call it a day and headed to the boat dock. As we waited, we saw kites in the air and several parasailers. We caught the 4:45 PM ferry back to the mainland. End of a busy day! As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

The Poll

Thanks to everyone who has voted in the poll. There are only two days left. And for those that voted that only one of us would return, I wonder who they thought it would be? Hmmm!
I will let you know the final tally.
Thanks,
Mary

St. Ignace, Michigan

Today, Saturday, August 9, we are at the St. Ignace public library. We arrived at the Tiki campground in St. Ignace yesterday, driving 75 miles from Newberry, Michigan. The town of St. Ignace is located on Lake Huron. There is a boardwalk in town and it takes you along the side of Lake Huron. It is quite a beautiful view. We are so amazed at the blue color of the waters of the Great Lakes and this one is no exception. Nothing like the "Muddy Mississippi"! Today we will catch up on some routine things...grocery shopping, blog updating, laundry, and phone calls home to our parents. It is always fun to see the comments from everyone. Thanks, Megan and Logan! Miles says "Hi". Also, the comments from the Favorite Child are appreciated. The weather has been beautiful. Actually, today it is a little cool and breezy. But no complaints from us. We know what it has been back home. Before we left Newberry, Michigan, we went to Sault Ste. Marie to see the Soo Locks. These locks were built in the mid 1850's to allow ships portage from Lake Superior to Lake Huron and vice versa. The ships have to be raised (or lowered) depending on their destination a height of 21 feet. Without the locks, travel from these two lakes would be impossible. We saw a freighter (The Joseph L. Block) get raised in the locks and exit onto Lake Superior. We also toured the information center at the locks. We walked on the main street, enjoying all the quaint shops and then ate lunch at the public park. We saw more freighters heading for the locks and quite a few sailboats on Lake Huron. After lunch, we went to a museum of sorts. It was a refurbished home of an early fur trapper, John Johnston. We met "John" and listened to his life story. The actor was dressed in period costume and gave a very interesting 20 minute talk. He had married an Indian maiden and raised 8 children. The family became very influential in the community. From there we visited the Tower in the center of town. It stands 221 feet above the town. we took the elevator to the top and had a panoramic view of Sault Ste. Marie. It was a great sightseeing day. We headed back home to get ready to leave for St. Ignace. As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Moose Capitol of Michigan

Today, Monday, August 4th, Bob and I are staying home. We have some routine cleaning and maintenace to do and will just take it easy today. We are told that Newberry, Michigan is the moose capitol of Michigan, but this is the only one that we have seen. We are going to take a walk around the campground. We spoke with Kim today Although this is not her designated call day. But all is well with them. It is a beautiful day today, low 70's and no humidity. As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and Falls

On Sunday, August 3rd, Bob and I went to Whitefish Point in Paradise, Michigan-located in the Upper Peninsula. It is located on the shore of Lake Superior. Lake Superior has the reputation of being the most treacherous of the Great Lakes. Just looking at the lake with its beautiful clear waters, you wouldn't think it would be so dangerous. Looks can be deceiving! Whitefish Point is the oldest active light on Lake Superior. It was established in 1849. We toured the museum, seeing a lot of the artifacts from some of the ships that went down in Lake Superior. Over 550 ships were lost around Whitefish Point over the years. One of the most famous is the Edmund Fitzgerald. It lies twisted and broken 17 miles from Whitefish Point, at a depth of 535 feet. We then toured the restored Keepers Quarters and then checked out the beach and waters of Lake Superior. Bob decided that he had to step in the lake waters, so he did! It was a beautiful and cool day for our visit. The drive was about 60 miles from where we are staying. We are at a KOA in Newberry, Michigan. And we have internet access. Yay! After the museum, we went to Tahquanenon Falls (rhymes with phenomenon). It is one of the largest waterfalls west of Niagara. There are two sets of falls-the upper and the lower falls. Both are located in Tahquanemon Falls State Park. The park encompasses over 46,000 acres stretching over 13 miles. The upper Falls has a drop of nearly 50 feet and is more than 200 feet across. A maxium flow of more than 50,000 gallons of water per second has been recorded. Four miles downstream is the Lower Falls, a series of five smaller falls cascading around an island. In the pictures, you will see that the waters are a root beer color. It is not mud or rust. The unusual color comes from tannin leached from the Cedar, Spruce, and Hemlock in the swamps drained by the river. The extremely soft water churned by the action of the falls causes large amounts of foam, which has been the trademark of the Tahquanenom since the days of the voyagers. It was an impressive site! After walking around the falls and park ( 4 1/2 miles-I had my pedometer on), we headed for home. We had a late supper and then played a game of scrabble. I was winning until Bob spelled quit and quay and won by 30 points. But there will be a rematch. As always, we think of family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Library And Shopping Day

Today, Thursday, July 31st, Bob and I are at the Brown County library. I am updating our blog and he is doing online banking. Our first retirement checks have arrived in our account. I guess we are officially retired now! We picked up the microwave from the repair shop and after the library we will stop at Walmart to pick up a few groceries. We also plan on stopping at a store that has Star Wars Legos on sale. We will get Noah's Christmas gift early. We plan on leaving early tomorrow morning heading to Michigan. We will stay at Newberry KOA for a week. I will post again when I have Internet.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Cleaning Day

On Wednesday, July 30th, we stayed at the campground. I cleaned the motorhome and Bob checked the tires and all the stuff guys check in preparation for our departure. We did get a call from the repair shop. The microwave will be ready on Thursday. So we will leave Wisconsin on Friday morning. I have had several requests to post pictures of our rig. So check out our new home. It actually has been very comfortable for us. Miles seems to like it, too.
As always we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Movie and a popcorn (maybe)

On Tuesday 29th, Bob and I went to see The Dark Knight-the new batman movie. It was great! We were going to get a popcorn until we saw that the giant tub of popcorn was $ 6.25. C'mon we are on a fixed income!! After the movie, we went to Applebee's for dinner. We then made a pit stop at the Dollar Store and picked up a few items. Then we headed home. We had to take our microwave/convection oven in for repairs and are waiting for it to be ready. Hopefully, we can pick it up on Wednesday and leave on Thursday.
As always, we think of our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Family

On Monday, July 28th, Bob and I stayed at the campground. We did our usual 5 mile bike ride and the 3 mile evening walk. After supper, I called two of my cousins. My cousin Janet lives in Mesa, Arizona. after she retired a few years ago she moved from Michigan to Arizona to be near her daughter and her family. Janet has 3 beautiful grand kids. And I know she stays busy with them. we had a great conversation. Joe was going to be stopping at "Aunt Jan's" when he was in Arizona in a few weeks, but his travel plans have changed. I wanted to let Janet know that she wouldn't be getting any company and she actually sounded disappointed! We will be stopping to visit her when we get out that way-probably sometime after Christmas. She is doing well and loves her new retired life. After speaking with Janet, I called my cousin Vickie (Janet's sister). Vickie lives in Michigan. We are hoping to see her and my other cousins, Mike and Helen, after we leave Mackinaw Island, that will be in a few weeks. Vickie and family are doing fine. Both she and Janet are my mom's sister's daughters. We had a great conversation as well. She is getting her youngest son, Trevor, ready to go to college. I can't wait to see them. Some of you might know of the awesome practical joke that I played on Vickie some years back. When Bob and I had traveled out west, I sent Vickie letters from a Gary T. Goose. She actually thought one of the letters contained a white, powdered substance. I had her going until my MOM let her know we were traveling. Anyway, it made for good fun. One thing I really miss is that I didn't get to grow up with my cousins. We moved to Missouri when I was about 6 years old. But I am so glad that we keep in touch and get to see each other sometimes. NOTHING is as special as family. I love them very much. We also spoke with Steff and she had taken Emma and Ella to the doctor for their school checkups and shots. Emma did fine, Ella, not so good. Steff didn't think that she would have to get any shots and she did. So Ella told Steff that she lied to her and she was not happy about it. But after the ride home, I think she made ammends with Steff. So now they will be going school shopping and all is well.
As always we we appreciate our family and friends and miss them!
Mary, Bob, and miles, too!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Well, the other day when we went to the boat launch in the campground we saw a rainbow. and I want to say, there is no gold at the end of the rainbow. But it was pretty just the same!
As always, we think of family and friends and miss them.
Mary, Bob, and miles, too!

Library Day

Today, Monday, July 29th, Bob and I are at the Brown County Library in Green Bay. We are catching up on email and the blog. Bob is also checking out some of our next stops once we leave Wisconsin. We will be leaving on Wednesday and heading to Michigan, Eventually making our way to Mackinaw Island. Once again the weather has been wonderful. High 70's and no humidity. While we are out today we will make a WalMart stop. We continue to bike and walk everyday. At least 5 miles on the bike each day and a couple of miles walking. For Suzette-Bob is reading everyday! I try, but not as much as he does. I was thinking...if I was still working I would be back at work today. But I don't have to worry about that! I am RETIRED. As always we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Lambeau Field

On Thursday, July 24th, Bob and I went to Lambeau Field-Home of the Green Bay Packers. We toured the Packer Hall of Fame. We opted not to take the stadium tour, but I did get some pictures of it. We also heard that the Rams are at a training camp not far from here. For Joe Fehlker (aka The Favorite Child) you never know, Joe, I might just qualify for the 2012 Olympics!!!! Then what are you gonna do?
As always we think of our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Birthday Boy!

Today, July 24th, is Bob's birthday. We are now the same age! So no more older woman jokes until March. We are at the Algoma library catching up on email and blogging. I had a dentist appointment for my 6 months check up and all is well. We plan on going out to dinner to celebrate Bob's birthday. We will stay another week in Bay Shore campground in Wisconsin and then I think we are heading to Michigan. It is a beautiful day today-71 degrees and no humidity. We want to go to Lambeau Field and a casino before we leave Wisconsin. We were saddened to hear of the passing of Gene Steighorst. He will be missed. You can't think of Hillsboro without thinking of him. We extend our deepest sympathies to all of his family.Will blog as soon as we have internet again. As always, missing family and friends,
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Resting!

Today, Wednesday, July 23rd, Bob and I are taking it easy. Except he still says we have to exercise. So we walked around the campground this morning. Also, we still are biking almost everyday-at least 5 miles, and we walk down to the bay almost everyday. My new role model is Dara Torres-the 41 year old Olympic swimmer. I think by the time the year is over, I should look like her after all the exercise Bob puts me through! We plan on going to the library tomorrow, grocery shop, and run a few more errands. But today we are laying low! My favorite thing to do.
Mary Bob, and Miles, too!

Washington Island Ferry

On Tuesday, July 22, Bob and I went to Gill’s Rock, Wisconsin, and took the Island Clipper passenger ferry to Washington Island. It is located in Green Bay at the tip of the Door County peninsula. The ferry ride took approximately 25 minutes and it took us across the area of Lake Michigan called “Death’s Door” . The story goes that in 1870 as many as 100 ships were shipwrecked traveling through those waters. Dangerous currents and storms off the Great Lakes were responsible for many of the accidents. This is the area that Green Bay and Lake Michigan meet. Now with Coast Guard monitoring and much better weather tracking, the area is much safer to travel through. After we reached the island, we took a tour riding in a trolley. The tour highlighted four areas on the island: the School house Beach, the exotic animal farm, the Mann Mercantile, and the West Bay. Our tour guide was quite knowledgably being an “islander” herself. The population of the island is around 650 year round and up to 3500 during the summer months. It is quite expensive to live their because everything has to be ferried over. They do have most of the modern conveniences that we all have-they just cost more. The School house Beach is the only area in the world that has stones on the beach that are completely made by water erosion. No stones can be removed from the beach-stiff fines will be imposed if you get caught taking any stones. The next stop was the exotic animal farm. We saw ostriches, a cinnamon bear, pygmy goats, and a variety of chickens and geese. The owner gave us a tour and highlighted some interesting facts about the animals housed there. Third stop was the Mann Mercantile. It is the only general store on the island. You can get everything from “scoops to nuts” there. And the last stop was the West Bay on the island. It is one of the most scenic areas on the island and it really was very pretty. We then returned to the ferry for the ride back. After we were back at Gill’s Rock, we headed back to Quiet Woods RV center to pick up the RV. We had a new LP gas detector installed. We also stopped at Door County kennels to pick Miles up. He spent the day there while we were sightseeing. I don’t think he was very happy! After all the stops, we headed back to Bay Shore campground where we will spend another week. We had a late dinner and planned to rest on Wednesday. As always, we miss our friends and family and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay...

Bob and I took a drive to the village of Fish Creek (which is in the Door County). We sat on the dock of the Green Bay. It was a beautiful day. We called Joe while we were there and got caught up on the family/home news. The area is quite scenic with a lot of tourists! We saw quite a few boats in the marina and the water was crystal clear.

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat.....

On Friday, July 18th, Bob and I took a drive to the Door County of Wisconsin also known as the Cape Cod of the Midwest. We left the campground around 10:00 AM. Door County is located on the peninsula of Wisconsin. It is a group of villages around Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Each one is a little different and yet alike in that they are on the water and have wonderful little shops and restaurants. The day was perfect and the water was so clear, blue, and beautiful. We drove around the peninsula and stopped at each of the villages. We were amazed at the number of tourists in each one. All of the cabins, resorts, motels, (waterfront or not) had No Vacancy signs out. It is prime vacation time. We ate lunch at one of the restaurants in Fish Creek. Bob had the chicken tenders and fries and I had the fish and chips. Quite tasty! We stopped at the tip of the peninsula in Gill’s Rock to check out the ferry to Washington Island. At the time we arrived, the last ferry had left for the day. We have decided to go back to take the ferry to Washington Island on Tuesday, July 22. A walk along the dock in Bailey’s Harbor was really cool. We saw lots of commercial fishing boats, houseboats, and charter fishing boats. It looked like a picture postcard. I have to admit I did think of the movie “Jaws” when I saw the harbor and boats. That movie still scares me! We drove about 150 miles round trip and had a fun day but we were glad to get back home. As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Bay Shore County Park

Today is Wednesday, July 16th. I will do some back tracking to get the blog caught up! We are now in Green Bay, Wisconsin. We are staying at Bay Shore County Park. It is a very picturesque park. It is located on the Door County peninsula of Wisconsin. Our site is a very level, shaded, and quiet spot. There don't seem to be many campers in the park and it is a huge camping site. There are about 80 sites for RV's and trailers/5th wheels and several more for tents. We arrived here yesterday afternoon. After we readied the motor home, we took a walk down to the beach area of the bay. It is beautiful! It is pretty awe-inspiring to see all the water and realize that is just a small portion of what is out there. I will take some pictures in the next few days and will post when I can.We drove in from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. There we stayed at a camping park that had semi-permanent "homes". There were over 400 "homes" in the park. Our site there was nice. We were on a level site with water and electric. No sewer hook ups. So we had to use their laundry facilities. Not bad, but I miss having the convenience of my own washer/dryer. We stayed there two days and basically rested up and got ready for the long drive (200 miles) to Green Bay. Also, when Bob and I were in Northfield, Minnesota, we celebrated our wedding anniversary. We ate dinner at The Old Northfield Tavern. It is a restored tavern that they have turned into a restaurant. It has beautiful oak floors, stained glass windows, and a romantic atmosphere. Even though we are together 24/7 we still love each very much and the years keep getting better! (That is for my sister-in-law, Alice) She said this traveling together would drive us nuts. We got some great news from our other sister-in-law-our niece Lorri and her husband are expecting a baby. Wonderful!
Today we are in Algoma, Wisconsin, at the library. The area here is pretty with lots of farms. Dairy farms at that. No wonder Wisconsin is the cheese state. Well, I will close for now. Bob is ready to go back to the motor home.
As always we think of our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Lunch With A Pretty Girl!

Hi everyone!
I will try to get the blog caught up today while we have internet access. Right now we at the Northfield Library in Northfield, Mn. We are using the wi-fi here because at the state park where we are staying we have no internet or cell phone availability.
We met with Shannon Williams today for lunch. It's easy to see why her company was so impressed with her. Not only is she a beautiful young woman, she has such a great rapport with people and is so outgoing and friendly. I know that her parents (Butch and Shelley) are proud of her and they should be. She is AWESOME! We met at Old Chicago and had a great lunch. We got caught up on all the old hometown/family news and heard about Shannon's job. She is taking advantage of this time in her life to seek out new adventures-good for her. We are really proud of her and we know she will continue to do well. She assures us that she is in a very secure apartment-I worry about things like that-I wouldn't want anyone to get her!
Yesterday the weather here was awful. There was a tornado that touched down a few towns over from where we are staying. Luckily, we didn't have a tornado, but very severe thunderstorms and hail. The motor home handled the rough weather quite well. No leaks or damage. Miles slept though the storm. We have found Minnesota to be a very beautiful state. It's still flat in comparison to Missouri, but not as flat as South Dakota. The weather today is beautiful-no humidity-we really love that! We will leave the state park (Nerstrand-Big Woods) tomorrow, Sunday, July 13th and head for Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and stay at O'Neil's campground for two days. I think we will have Internet access while there so I will blog a little more then. I will also post a picture of us with Shannon next time I blog. I didn't bring my camera in to download the picture. Tonight we will get things ready for travel tomorrow. As always, we miss our family and friends and keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

On To Minnesota!

Today, Tuesday, July 8th, Bob and I will get ready to leave tomorrow. We plan on getting everything in the motor home packed up for safe traveling, finishing any laundry and making sure our food supply is good to go. We will be driving about 240 miles tomorrow to Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park in Minnesota. We plan on staying there for about 4 days. We hope to meet up with Shannon while we are in the area. Today is a beautiful day here in Sioux Falls and we hope to have great traveling weather when we depart tomorrow morning.
As always, we think of our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

USS South Dakota Battleship Museum

On Sunday, July 6th, Bob and I went to the USS South Dakota Battleship Museum in Sioux Falls. It is located by the zoo and a beautiful park and softball/baseball fields. The "battleship" is a concrete outline to scale of the original ship. Many of the gun turrets, mast, and torpedo launchers, are original to the ship and on display. Unfortunately, the ship was scrapped in 1964. The USS South Dakota was the most decorated battleship in WWII and it was the flagship of Admiral Hulsey. The peace treaty of WWII was to be signed on the USS South Dakota for several reasons-(1) it was in the area when the Japanese surrendered and (2) it was the most decorated. But because our President at the time (Harry Truman) was from Missouri, he sent the USS Missouri to the site and the treaty was signed aboard her. Inside the museum are many, many artifacts, news clippings, pictures, and mementos from the ship and those who served aboard her. The actual flag that flew on her mast is there and you can see shrapnel holes and blood on her. A very patriotic place. Be sure to visit if you are in Sioux Falls. The remaining crew members meet at the museum every other year for a reunion. After visiting the museum, we headed home. We biked around the KOA park and surrounding area for 5 miles. (It's killing me) and then walked around the KOA park after supper. All in all it was a very enjoyable day.
As always, we think of our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too.

Bike, Bike, Biking Down The Trail...

Today, Monday, July 7th, we headed to Sioux Falls Park to bike the other part of the bike trail. Of course, we didn't complete anywhere near the 27 miles of the trail, but we did bike 6.7 miles today. The weather has changed a bit since we first got here. Today is a little humid, but nothing like our good old Missouri humidity. The part of the trail that we biked today took us along the downtown area. There were quite a few bikers, walkers, joggers, and even one girl riding a scooter. After our ride, we loaded the bikes and heading for a diner called Hamburger Inn located in downtown Sioux Falls. It is mentioned in a book called Roadfood. The authors travel around the country and recommend off beat places to eat. By the way, Tina Thebeau gave us the book-thanks, Tina! The shakes were highly recommended. We each ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake. There are only 12 stools at the counter. We were the first customers, but it didn't take long and the place was full. We enjoyed our lunch and had a few stops to make before going home. We stopped at Scheel's a gigantic sporting goods store. Bob needed to get some bicycle chain oil, have the odometer on his bike calibrated, find out how to adjust the handle bars. Second stop, the Dollar store, picked up a few items, then on the pick up our mail. Once we got home, I did a few loads of laundry and hung them out to dry. Luckily, the winds are pretty continuous and it doesn't take long for the clothes to dry. I want to have all of the laundry caught up before we leave here on Wednesday, July 9th. Then we will be heading to Minneapolis, MN. We hope to meet up with Shannon Williams, a sister to one of Joe's friends (Brody). Shannon is now working for Cargill and had to transfer to Minnesota for the job. She is a very sweet and pretty girl. Yesterday, I was able through the Internet to find a friend of mine that I haven't talked to in at least 15 years! What a pleasant surprise. Her name is Barb Flotow and she lives in California. We had a most wonderful conversation getting each other caught up on our lives. We plan on visiting her and her husband and daughter when we get to California.
But I guess the most important happening of today is: IT"S JOE'S BIRTHDAY! Happy 26th birthday, Joe-we love you very much!
As always, we appreciate our family and friends and keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Happy Birthday, America

July 4th was a somewhat restful day for us. We didn't do any sightseeing. Just stayed home. I decorated our RV with flags and patriotic bows-it looked quite nice. Bob grilled pork steaks and I fixed potato salad, baked beans, and an apple pie-can't get more American than that. We ate our meal around 6:00 PM and as the evening drew to close, we watched the fireworks from the surrounding area. We discussed our agenda for Saturday's outing and called it a day.

Jesse James and Palisaides Park

Today, Friday, July 3rd, Bob and I took a ride to South Dakota's smallest yet most visited state park-Palisaides Park. We took several hiking paths to see some of their famous rock formations-Balancing Rock and Twin Chimney Rocks. Quite Impressive! We enjoyed a picnic lunch-just us two-under one of the park's pavillions. It is a beautiful day. We enjoyed ourselves so much. We also visited EROS (it is a government mapping agency) in Sioux Falls. It is located about 10 miles from where we are staying in a remote area. There were originally 2 locations in mind -one in Kansas and this location. Because of the efforts of a South Dakota senator-Sioux Falls won out. We took a tour and it was very interesting! They map the areas of the declining rain forests and they can track and observe wild fires and dought conditions all over the world. They explained the type of cameras that are installed in the satellites and we saw actual "live feed" from some of the satellites. It is a recommended place to visit if you are in the area.
Next we traveled down the road to Gearretson, SD to see the gorge that Jesse James jumped to escape the posse chasing him. We arrived at Devil's Gulch and had a very informative visit with the park clerk. We did indeed see the "gorge" that Jesse and his horse jumped. Quite a leap- but you can do what you gotta do when you gotta do it! After we left Garretson, we decided to stop at the grocery store before we headed home to purchase our 4th of July meal items. After completed our shopping, we headed home to relax for the rest of the evening and enjoy our supper. Once again, we appreciate our family and friends and think of them often.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Aw, Shucks!

Today, Monday, June 30th, Bob and I took a drive to Mitchell, SD-the home of The Corn Palace. It is about 60 miles from Sioux Falls and it took us a little over an hour to get there. We had a free guided tour and it was quite interesting. The Corn Palace that sits on Main Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues is actually the third Corn palace in Mitchell. It is a very unique site to see the murals inside and outside of the building made of corn and native grains. As the story goes, when Lewis and Clark passed through the Dakota region they said the area's soil was not good for farming and crops. So to prove them wrong, the founding fathers of Mitchell decided to display their argicultural bounty on the building's exterior to prove the fertility of the region's soil. And it worked! Over one-half million people travel each year to view an "a-maize-ing" sight.The Corn Palace is definitely a tourist attraction, but it is also home to the local basketball teams for their high school season. Pretty spectacular! And as you can imagine, it is also called the world's largest birdfeeder. After the tour, we walked to the gift shop located on the gym floor. We purchased a few items and finished checking out the time line with photos posted in the entrance hallways. Once we finished with that, we stepped outside and took a few more photos and then stopped for iced tea at an outdoor stand.
Heading home we saw a sign for A Fatima Shine in Alexandria, SD a few miles down the road. So we stopped. It is located on the grounds of St. Mary of Mercy Catholic church. What a beautiful shine dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. Just out in the middle of nowhere! I enjoyed seeing that very much.
On the road again, we arrived home about 1:30 PM. After a short nap, on to pick up the mail and pick up a few groceries.
Tonight's supper was spinach tortellini salad and strawberry coffeecake for dessert.
Now we are getting ready for our evening bike ride.
As always, we appreciate our family and friends and think of them often.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too

Resting..Sort of

We decided to take a day off from sightseeing and stay home for the day on Sunday, June 29th. Well, I am not so sure that we really rested. I washed four loads of laundry and hung the clothes outside to dry. With the amount of wind around here, drying time was very short. Bob decided to wash and wax the passenger side of the motor home. That was an all day job for him. But it looks very nice. He has decided to complete the other side on Tuesday, July 1st. Cleaning the motor home inside is almost as much work as a regular home. It seems like if you don't constantly keep everything spit-spot, it won't take long to become a problem. I think because most of the components that make up the motor home are not conventional materials as in a regular home. So every other day I polish all of the woodwork in the coach. I vacuum everyday (having an inside cat, you can never vacuum enough) and it is a good thing that Miles lets me vacuum him! I clean the mirrors in the bathroom and living room and dust everyday. Even though there are just the two of us, washing dishes is alot of work. Maybe because anytime a glass is used, I wash it. We just don't have room for anything to sit around. We have limited space for our trash can, so the trash has to be taken out on daily basis. But I enjoy cleaning so it's not a problem. At the end of the day, Bob grilled steaks for us and we had leftover shrimp casserole. A nice meal to end a busy day.
We made our plans for Monday-off to see The Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD.
As always, we appreciate family and friends and keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too

Little House on the Prairie

Ma, Pa, Mary, Laura, Carrie, and Grace Ingalls were quite gracious today. We visited their homestead in DeSmet, SD. The musuem and buildings on the grounds are actually sitting on the very land that Pa homesteaded uinder the Homestead Act of 1862. It is a quarter section (160 acres). Laura writes of their time there in her book titled "On the Shores of Silver Lake". There is a replica of their "Little House" that Pa built (a very nice house by the standards back then), a shanty that they lived in when they first arrived on the land, and a sod house which was a step up from the shanty.
The guide told us that this area was where the Ingalls made a very good living. Pa farmed oats and wheat. The girls attended school in town and were able to walk to school each day. We also were given a ride in a covered wagon-one similar to the Ingalls owned and we stopped at a replica of a one-room school house. It is like one the Ingalls girls attended and Laura taught at.
The day was cool with a little rain and very strong winds. We were glad that we had dressed for cool weather bringing along our jackets. We ate our lunch before we began the tour.
There is a very nice welcome center and gift shop on the premises. We were able to send an email from the shop to the Campbell kids. I wanted to send an email to Matthew but after the Highlights subscription fiasco, I decided not to.
We left this morning around 10:30 AM and arrived home around 5:00 PM. I drove the last 25 miles home because Bob was a bit sleepy.
Tonight we will have a quick supper of shrimp casserole-it's very easy to fix and tastes great.
We thank everyone who vists our blog. As always we appreciate our family and friends and think of them often.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too