Sunday, November 25, 2006
This leaving on a Sunday seems to work out for everybody involved. The kids and grandkids at home get us out of their hair early and we get another day earlier away from the chance of snow. We had a couple of dustings this year but nothing that intended to stay.
It was colder than a witches thorax this morning but it was onoy 30 degrees. I guess we're officially getting old and can't stand the cold weather anymore.
We were off and headed south by 9:20 this morning and our first stop would be at Lambeau Field in Green Bay for lunch. Jennifer, our daughter told us about the Fried Macaroni and Cheese at Curly's Pub but when we got there they had never had it there. Th waitress said they had it all over town but not at Curly's.
After the official "Lambeau Lunch" we were back in the saddle and headed for my son Sean's house in West Bend. We arrived about 2 and got the motorhome settled and plugged in for the night. We visited all afternoon and my daughter Stephanie came over with the girls sometime before supper.
We settled on KFC for supper tonight and Sharon and I sprung for the dead chickens. It was very good and we just sat and visited after supper.
Stephanie, Mark and the girls left about 7 and Sharon and I folded up our tents around the same time. We had had a long day since mine had started at 5 this morning. It felt good to just have an end to this day. The first day on the road is always a trying one. In fact when I turned on the furnace at home this morning it was blowing cold air until I remembered I had topped off the LP tank when I filled up with gas a few weeks ago. After opening the valve for the LP the furnace was working just fine. Sometimes shit happens for no reason at all.
We came out and watched TV until about 9:30 when we put the final fold in our tents. Hopefully we'll get another good start tomorrow.
Monday, November 26, 2007
We got another clean start from West Bend today and we were on the road by 8:30 and headed toward the McDonald's near my sister Marge's house in Racine, WI. It's a stop we always make every year. It's become a tradition of sorts.
We had a pretty uneventful day until we drove past the exit for the Flying J. Gas was $2.97 there and the cheapest in the state. After Breakfast we got back on the road and headed to parts south and west. We put $75 worth of fuel in the motorhome at a Pilot station at $2.99. We thought we could make it from there to Sullivan, Missouri where we would find the next cheap fill. Lo and behold when our gas started getting low again we found a Love's Travel Stop that was selling gas for $2.89. And in Illinois no less. It was a miracle. We filled up and drove to Litchfield where we found an RPI campground to stay at overnight. It was still $8 a night and we'd have electric to plug into. We settled in and also filled our water tank to get us going tomorrow.
We stopped for the night right at dark and we had a little trouble finding our site in the campground. I hate driving at night and then pulling into a campground. We talked to the manager of the park and found out that she was one of the original managers at Catalina Spa in Desert Hot Springs. Her name is Sharon Abner. She was telling us about all the improvements that they had made when she was there.
After setting up we managed to find the satellite almost immediately so we had TV for the night. Although it seemed like it was taking forever for our receiver to program itself. I guess something had to go wrong today. Oh well.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
We were up and rolling this morning by 8 and trying to decide if we would actually stop in Branson, Missouri or just roll right through. By the time we ambled through St. Louis we had made up our minds. We would stop for a couple of nights and possibly take in a couple of shows. My sister Cookie and her husband Bill had just come from a WIT (Winnebago-Itasca Travelers) Tour to Branson so we called her for some recommendations. Her major choice was the Presley Family Country Jubilee. So as soon as we were settled into our campground we arranged for tickets to the 8 P.M. performance. It turned out to be a two hour show that was well worth the $60 it cost us.
During the day, near Springfield, we actually found gas for $2.83 a gallon and promptly filled her to the brim. It would have to take us as far as Oklahoma City for our next decent priced fill.
We arrived in Branson about 3 PM and got lost trying to find our campground. It wasn't our fault this time. We had been to the campground before but we turned on Falls Church Road. How were we to know that everything in that area was named "Falls Church." Even after we got into the campground there was a FC Lane and a FC Trail. We thought if we turned after the FC Mall and before FC Inn and Suites we'd be all right. We were supposed to turn at the FC Shell Station. Who knew?
After the 8 PM show we got home from the Theater at about 10:15 and sat around for a while watching TV. We finally went to NaNa land about 11:30.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
I was up early this morning as usual but my roommate stayed in the sack until just after 8. We were supposed to decide this morning if we were going to see the Yakoff Smirnoff show this year. But we had to pick up the tickets by 8 for the 9 o'clock show, so I guess we'll skip it for this year. There's always another year or in the Spring on the way home.
We later decided that we would take a trip down the strip this morning just to see what we could see. I also wanted to pick up a T-shirt to replace a Branson shirt I bought a few years ago. We also had to go to the office to retrieve our e-mail since someone sent us a huge file to download.
We took our ride down the strip and then decided to continue on through downtown Branson. The traffic was quite busy downtown and hard to maneuver around the streets. We just took a drive through and then headed back toward the strip. It was fast approaching the lunch hour and so we turned for home and our leftover chicken wings from Lambert's Café.
After lunch we settled in for a short nap and then we left to check out the back way out to highway 65. It would take us past Table Rock Lake and Lake Tanneycomo. It was two lane and quite hilly but that seems to be the norm around Branson. It was also good road and quite frankly preferable to fighting the traffic through town again. On our way back through the strip we found a place for a T-shirt and picked it up and then headed for the office and e-mail.
Sharon decided she would walk back to the motorhome from the office and I went in to log onto the Wi-Fi. I had forgotten my wireless card so I had to make a quick trip back to the motorhome to pick it up. It was then that I realized when Sharon left her purse in the car she had no way to get into the coach. So when I left I left the door open.
We had 48 E-mails and a couple of large files. Being able to get Wi-Fi is a blessing sometimes. I may have found a way around sending e-mails with our Verizon connection. I'll have to try it over the next few days to see if it works out. If not, I'll have to call them and see if they can help me, knowing full well they'll probably cut me off completely. I won't be happy about that.
We ate our leftover Spaghetti and Gnocci that we had for our Christmas at home with the kids. It was still very good and we gobbled it up along with a Salad. The rest of our night was spent watching TV on the campground cable. It was too windy to watch the satellite tonight. We both lasted until 10 before we folded up our tents and went to the sleep chamber.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
We were rolling West by at least 9 this morning. We had a good time here even though our dance card was far from being full. We were content to have seen just one show and stopping by another year doesn't seem so daunting anymore. Especially since we've visited all the National Parks along our route that we know about.
We would be taking the back way out to the highway that we checked out yesterday. It seems a little hilly but at least we'll avoid the traffic on the strip. Our continuing way south on highway 65 would also be virgin territory for us but it's a shortcut to where were going. Besides once we get onto I-40 we'll be on familiar road again. They had changed the signs on our road and they sent us a different way this morning. It wasn't much different but we did not come out as far down highway 65 as we had planned. The rest of our trip was wrought with construction but fairly decent roads to Interstate 40. They were making improvements and not just tearing up the road.
Our day was fairly uneventful except for the side trip around Oklahoma City to avoid construction delays there. Sharon slept a good part of the trip after having taken a Vicadin for a stiff neck she picked up last night. She was awake for the trip around Oklahoma City though. We were running on fumes by the time we reached the Flying J where we had planned to stop.
We reached our Wal-Mart campground shortly after that and went shopping for some Fried Chicken inside. We ate and had just enough time to dial in the NFL network to watch the Packer/Cowboy game. It was petty sad to watch since a couple of bad calls put the game out of reach for the Packers. Favre got hurt and Aaron Rogers had to finish the game, but he did a very credible job. Favre stunk up the place with his long passes into double coverage, and 2 interceptions.
The game lasted until about 10:30 and so did we. We caved knowing we'll probably be in Amarillo, Texas tomorrow night.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Having filled up and slept overnight we were ready to mosey on down the road this morning. Our trip for most of the day was pretty uneventful to say the least. It was a nice sunny day but the weather was "cold."
Sharon drove for a couple of hours today which was a welcome relief. The leg I had the vein removed from, for my bypass surgery in July was swelling up. I don't think anything is wrong I'm just retaining water in the ankle. I elevated it for a while today and it seemed to help quite a bit.
We got to Amarillo about 2:30 and stopped by the Flying J for some Petrol and then continued on to our campground. We've been coming to the Sundown Resort for years but it's been a few trips since we've been here now. We were both beat from the drive today so we took our usual positions and had a little nap. Sharon went to bed and I settled into my recliner.
By suppertime we had decided that we would try the "Red Barn" just up the road for BBQ. We usually go to Dyer's but this would be a little change of pace. We both had the same thing and it was a fabulous Rib Dinner. The ribs were outstanding.
We came back home to rest up for our trip tomorrow and watch a little tube for the night. We both hung in there until 10 but then quickly retired for the night. That's the only thing we can do quickly anymore.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
We were debating with each other this morning to see if we would want to drive in the wind or not. Our decision was made for us when we checked the Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock and it wasn't open tomorrow. We could sit here today and lose another day tomorrow or just tough out the 114 miles to Lubbock today. We decided to just take the Bull by the horns and let her rip.
The trip was actually not that bad but it was a little gusty at times. We expected it driving across a stretch that was as flat as a tabletop. We stopped along the way for a quick lunch at McDonald's and then just continued on. By the time we got there we were both happy that we didn't stay in Amarillo for the night. We visited the Buddy Holly Center and found out that his professional career only lasted 18 months. We also took a ride further into Lubbock to see the Holly statue and the Texas Walk of Fame, where the music stars of west Texas are honored.
We got back into the Motorhome and set off to find the Flying J to fill up before we head into New Mexico. We won't find cheap gas again til we hit the Arizona border at Lordsburg, NM.
After filling up we were hoping we could find a Wal-Mart Campground and we did. Just before we made our turn off the Lubbock Loop we spotted our resting place for the night. It was still relatively early in the day but I didn't want to fight the wind anymore. Sharon agreed. Besides we accomplished what we wanted to do today anyway. The Wal-Mart that we found is extremely busy. The parking lot except for the last row that we're in, is full to capacity. Since it was still light out we sat and watched the traffic for a while. I actually watched it through my eyelids.
I woke up just in time for supper. We were having leftovers but it was going to be Chicken and Ribs and Fried Potatoes and a Salad. I figured the least I could do was to choke down the salad for Chicken and Ribs.
We both lasted til 10 tonight watching TV, but after that we both caved immediately. It wasn't a very long day today, but it was a tough drive anyway.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
We left this morning headed for New Mexico and Tularosa. The wind was howling pretty good as we got on the road. At least iit seemed to be blowing in the right direction anyway. It didn't seem to be hard to keep the motorhome on the road.
We got about 50 miles down the road and just over the Texas/New Mexico border and the wind grabbed ahold of our awning, rolled it,rippped it, and made a mess of it totally. We stopped to assess the damage and it did not look like it could be saved. So after about 15 minutes we managed to cut it free from the motorhome. The wind picked it up and started blowing it around on the ground. We immediately caught hold of it and decided it was best to wrap it around a fence instead of letting it blow. We carried it over to the fence and just as we were trying to wrap it around a gust caught it and pulled me off balance and my foot went into a hole. On the way to the ground I could tell that I twisted it and it broke my left leg. I told Sharon immediately that I broke my f---------- leg. As she was about to ask me how I knew, she looked over and my ankle was going south and I was going north.
A Good Samaritan couple stopped and we asked them to call 911 as our phone had no signal. We found out later that they were Rodney and Sarah Childress from a little town in Texas.
We waited for the ambulance for about 35 minutes as we were out in the wilderness. The ambulance took us to Lovington, New Mexico about 40 miles west, for evaluation at their hospital. During the process they decided to send us back to Lubbock for an Orthopedic surgeon. Sharon had driven the motorhome to Lovington and then back to Lubbock. Fortunately they have a litlle RV spot in the hospital parking lot that she parked in. She has electric and water but no sewer. I guess you can't expect everything.
By the time we got settled in here it was about about 6 PM and this ordeal had taken about 6 hours from start to finish. It could have been worse and I guess we were really "lucky." They thought they could reduce the fractures tomorrow until they found out I was taking Coumadin as a blood thinner. So they're giving me stuff to get my blood back to normal before they cut into me.
I spent most of the night watching TV until about midnight before I finally dozed off.
