Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007-Home

5:45 a.m. - Left Brenda's in the dark! We woke up and we forgot to change our clock in the RV to CA time and we thought it was 6:30 a.m and it was really 5:30 a.m. Since we were up we figured we might as well pull out to beat the L.A. traffic. Would you believe that traffic was still bumper to bumper on 210 West!!! Crazy people trying to get to work on time.
7:00 a.m. - Beautiful day so far. They are suppose to get rain again in the next few days, but now it is just lovely. We are on I-5 now and the "Grapevine". There is a traffic warning saying "High Winds". Great, that's all we need is more heavy winds for the next 2 hours. Going through the canyons like this is there is usually a good chance of getting heavy winds. We are climbing to the 4,000 ft. summit.
7:45 a.m. - We are at Tejon Pass at 4144 ft and it was windy, but we made it to the top. It is all downhill from here, so we can relax. It will be nice to get on level ground again. The temperature went from 45 degrees in the Canyons t6o 55 degrees on level ground.
8:00 a.m. - Back on level ground and it is 2 hours from Brenda's to beginning of the San Joaquin Valley. We stopped at a I-Hop to have some breakfast.
9:00 a.m. - Back on the road again and the next stop is MERCED! The temperature is a nice 62 degrees with sunny blue skies Yeah!!
12:30 p.m. - We stopped for gas at a Pilot station in Madera, CA and gas is #3.17 a gallon which is a good deal, since we have seen gas for $3.45 and up! Our cost was $208.31!!!!!
1:00 p.m. - HOME! 65 degrees and cloudy skies. Sunshine faces.
3,206 total miles driven.

Monday, Dec. 3, 2007

8:30 a.m. - Pulled out of Bob and Carol;s place and said our good-byes to Carol about 7:00 a.m. as she left for work. Looks like a beautiful day again here today. The temperature is a pleasant 60 degrees this a.m. with sunny, clear skies. We are taking the 202 W. to the 101 W. to the I-10 W. In the car pool lane and just sailing along. The weather is suppose to be nice today, about 70 degrees and tomorrow in the80s. Traffic is kinda heavy going into the Phoenix area. We still they are still harvesting Cotton down here and the oranges on the trees are starting to ripen.

11:00 a.m. - We stopped at Quartzite, AZ for gas, walk and to check things out at this big flea market they have at this time of the year. It is 56 degrees and sunny, and windy (as usual). Picked up a few things we thought we needed. hahahahaha.

1:00 p.m. - Back on the road toward Gary and Brenda's in LaVerne, CA. Crossed into CA! Made it this far and we got through the inspection with no problem, at 62 degrees at Blyth, CA. We now have to put our clocks back another hour for pacific time. Crossing the Chirraco Summit at 1700 ft with 65 degrees and sunny.

1:15 p.m. - This is a picture of the windmills that are along this road, generating electricity to the city of Indio. Stopped for a break at our usual place on Dillon Road in Coachella, CA where gas is $3.29 gallon

4:00 p.m. - Arrived at Brenda's with 84 degree temperature! Brenda and Gary just had their home remodeled and it looks beautiful! They raised the ceilings to all be the same height and put in new lighting, floors, doors, windows, completely new kitchen and appliance, redid the downstairs bathroom. It looks very, very nice and spacious. Had a great evening with her and the kids. Gary had to work late, but came in later. Antonio had a basketball practice for awhile. They sure have busy schedules! Oh to be so young and have so much energy!

Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007

9:00 a.m. - We have blue skies and NO WIND as yet. Leaving Lordsburg, N.M. The temperature is about 47 degrees, but nice to drive in. We are on the road to Chandler, AZ. We will be spending the day and evening with Bob and Carol. It rained last night pretty good for about 4 hours. Tucson is 151 miles down the road and Chandler is about 60 miles north of that. This is some of the Arizona Terrain you might enjoy seeing. We are at 4400 ft, altho it does not seem that high.

11:00 a.m. - We stopped at a rest stop to take a break and have a little lunch. We are now in what they call the Texas Canyon. This is also the same rest stop that we have been to before. It is still nice and sunny and 60 degrees. This is a good place and popular place to stop. We are 57 miles from Tucson.

1:30 p.m. - Arrived at Carol and Bob's in Chandler, AZ. Nice day driving today and nice to be able to stop and see them again. It is always nice to be able to see the kids and grand kids. Had a nice enjoyable afternoon and evening and glad it was Sunday, when everyone was home from work. Tiffy came over for awhile at dinner time and we sure enjoyed her company. She has been studying hard for her exams and test she will be taking at college just before her semester break. We didn't get a chance to see Jenni and Justin because Jenni got a pneumonia shot on Friday and had a reaction to it. With fever, chills, sick, sore, etc. We will see them in Feb. when we get down here again. Carol made a great dinner and about 9:00 p.m. we called it a night. We will check in with them tomorrow morning before Carol leave for work.

Drove 265 miles today.

Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007

8:30 a.m. - Some sun this morning but a LOT of wind. Frank says the wind should be behind us for awhile and that is good. It has been very windy all night with heavy gusts of about 30 m.p.m. I talked to Carol last night and AZ is expecting rain through Saturday. It looks like it is coming our way, which means we might just drive into it. The temperature is a balmy 66 degrees.
10:00 a.m. - We are still on desolate I-10 West and are among the canyons and the wind has changed direction and is now trying to move us from one lane to the next. If we had not put that special bar on the steering to make it easier in situations like this, Frank would be gripping the wheel. Now he just has to keep a hold on it when the gusts come across. This is a picture of how beautiful some of the canyons are here. The speed limit here is 80 m.p.h.!! and the truckers get to go 70 m.p.h. which is way too fast, because they are passing us like we are standing still, although we are not going 80 m.p.h. either. This wind makes you feel you are on a boat in rough water!.
11:00 a.m. -We stopped at a rest area to get away from this road a bit. It is 73 degrees and partly sunny. There is rain ahead, hope we don't get into it. We are at Van Horn, TX on the way to El Paso, TX. Getting gas here because it is only $2.93 gallon. The temp is warm, but the air is a bit cool. We are now in mountain time and have to set our watches back one hour.
12:00 p.m. - Just passed the border patrol on the other side of the road. For me that is always a scary site for some reason. We have not passed one on this side yet. Guess they want to make sure no one is on board that is not suppose to be coming from Mexico. They will worry about them going back to Mexico later. hahahahahaha
1:30 p.m. - Back on the road after getting the RV and trailer washed at a Truck Stop. It sure looks nice and the price was right, only $60 which is a lot less than we have paid in the past. This is a picture of the El Paso traffic as we go through town. It has grown a lot since we were here last. There are a lot of new higher end stores and malls and a new outlet center. Very impressive for sure. We are now 4400 ft, which surprised me. I would have figured a lot less, looking at the terrain. No wonder the clouds seem so close.
2:00 p.m. - Gone through the Border Patrol on our side and he just waved us through. We are still driving in the wind and the temp is still about 63 degrees with sun, which makes it nice and warm in the RV.
4:00 p.m. - Stopped at a Pilot station for gas at only $2.71 gallon. Figured we would gas up tonight and not have to worry about it tomorrow A.M. On the way to the KOA Campgrounds here in Lordsburg, NM. It is still very windy and the clouds are coming our way. We never did get any rain, thank goodness, and hoping the storm will pass over us tonight while we are parked. We have been at this park many times in the past also. Right now, there is not too many people camping. We will head out for Phoenix tomorrow and spend part of the day and night with Carol, Bob and hopefully the kids. We will head out for Gary and Brenda's on Monday a.m. and hope to get to their place late afternoon.
Drove 406 miles today

Friday, Nov. 30, 2007

9:15 a.m. - Left Jimi and Debbie with 57 degrees and overcast skies. Rain is coming their way and looks like we might just be driving into it. Had a good morning with them enjoyed and thankful they gave of their time so freely. Their dog Elliott is such a cutie with a great personality. Abby ignored him as usual. The humidity this morning is already 84%.

12:00 p.m. - We stopped in Llano, TX for lunch at "Coopers Old Time BBQ". It was fantastic!! Jeff and Gail told us about this place and said to make sure we stop and have lunch here. They sometime ride their "bikes" here, Jeff said it is a good drive and the food is worth it and he was right. Jimi and Debbie you have to take the time and come down here for lunch or dinner! It is about 1 1/2 hours from Georgetown. We talked to people that drove 4 1/2 hours to just go their to eat. You first go outside to the huge BBQ's they have cooking and pick out what kind of meat you want, and they have everything, then they stab it with a fork and put it on a tray. You then take it in and pick out whatever else you want, cole slaw, dessert, corn on the cob, etc. Pick out your drink, and what ever piece of meat you have is charged by what it weighs! Frank picked out a Texas T-Bone and it cost him $21.00!!!!!! He said it was absolutely delicious!!! Beans, bread, butter, peppers, all come with it. You then sit a long picnic tables and your plate is white butcher paper and your napkins are rolled paper towels! It is a riot and we just loved it! Jeff and Gail told us not to miss going their. It is suppose to be in the middle of one of Texas best hunting areas for deer and exotic animals. Frank was right in with the crowd with his camo shirt and hat! They had deer mounts and bob cats on the wall. A place to stop if you like something different. We had these 2 bikers take our picture outside of the building. We told them we were going to say those bikes were ours. We bought some of their BBQ sauce and seasoning. There are a lot of deer farms in this area, which was very surprising to me.

1:30 p.m. - We stopped for gas in Junction, TX just off of I-10. We are still full from our huge lunch! The weather is still overcast and the temperature is 64 degrees. Gas here is $3.09 a gallon. It is probably the last time we will see it that low. Diesel is running $3.39 gal.

4:00 p.m. - Stopped at one of the few rest stops along this desolate route of I-10 west from Junction, TX to Fort Stockton. It's like the dessert in AZ, nothing, but flat roads ahead. We both needed to get out and stretch our legs and Abby needed to run, which she did, she chased her ball for about 10 minutes, and got very tired.

5:00 p.m. - We finally pulled into the Fort Stockton KOA, in the book it says, there is no Internet here, but when I check to see, it came up, so they must have gotten it since the KOA book came out. Cool! We have been here many times before on our way back to CA from MI. Weather is still 65 degrees and not too much wind. Suppose to rain tonight, we like it here. They have a good breakfast in there morning and have a BBQ at night. We were going to go and eat at the BBQ, but we are still full from lunch!

We drove 371 miles today.

Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007

9:00 a.m. - Clear skies, sunny and 45 degrees and no wind!!! It sure got windy last night, but now it seems to be not so bad. Barbara called on her way to work and we chatted for awhile. We then packed up and unhooked the RV to start on the road again. We are going down to see Jimi and Debbie and some friends that live in Wisconsin and spend the winter in Georgetown, which is about 1/2 hour south of Debbie. No one will be home at the Lyons until after 3:00 p.m. and we should get down there around 1:30 or so. We will go to Jimi and Debbie's after Debbie gets off work.
10:30 a.m. - We are going through Fort Worth, TX and the temperature is a nice 53 degrees and beautiful sun. Nice to be driving in this sunny weather. Gas here is $2.85 a gallon which is about the cheapest we have seen so far. The lowest we have seen was $2.83 a gallon just down the road. Just checking out gas prices as we travel the different cities and states. Seems all along the country, gas is high.
Road is good and not much traffic in the Fort Worth area. This GPS sure guides you through the nasty intersections that can come up in the big cities.
12:30 p.m. - We stopped for gas at a Pilot Station in Robinson, TX on our way to Temple, TX. A nice 63 degrees.
2:00 p.m. - Arrived at Jeff and Gail's place in Georgetown, TX. They live in Sun City, which is a very nice retirement community. They have a beautiful home and have just bought down here last year. They just got here from Wisconsin Thanksgiving Night. They do a lot of golfing and are involved in many things this community has to offer. They drove us around and we went and saw the wood shop, quilting rooms, pool, weight room, etc. We also went through some of the models, since the community is constantly building more homes. The models ranged from 2800 square feet to 1500 sq. feet. Some nice homes all with the "Texas Stone". which is a very beautiful stone. Jeff and Gail will stay here until May 1 and then head back to Wisconsin and get ready for a 3 month trip to Alaska in their 5th wheel! Had a great visit and will have another place to stop on our way through.
We headed back to Jimi and Debbie's but before we left both Jeff and Frank exchanged pieces of wood to turn! We will see what each one does with their wood!! hahahahaha
5:30 p.m. - Got to Jimi and Debbie's with the temperature a balmy 63 degrees and enough humidity to make it feel kinda warm. We chatted and got caught up on what's been going on and then went to a Japanese Restaurant where they cook the food in front of you. Seems that was the only place available because the Dallas Cowboys were playing the Green Bay Packers on TV that the normal homeowner can't get so all the restaurants that had a TV were packed with people wanting to watch the game because they could not get it on their sets at home!!! We figured the Japanese restaurant would not have a TV so it would not be busy and we were right. hahaha. The food was very good and the chef did a good job of entertaining. After the dinner, we went back to their house for awhile and then to the RV for the night. We will catch up with Debbie before she goes to work tomorrow. Jimi is off for the rest of the week. It will be his last day of "vacation".
Drove 307 miles today

Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007

10:00 a.m. - We got a later start today. It looks like we might be headed to Ardmore, OK, if the weather looks good. The temperature leaving this morning was a pleasant 50 degrees and sunny. We stopped for gas at a Cenex Station by the RV Park where the gas was $2.99 a gallon. Frank is feeling much better today. We got gas for $2.89 because we got the gas with ethanol in it.

11:30 a.m. - On the Will Rogers Turnpike for awhile. The temp is now 59 degrees with very heavy winds. Frank has been fighting the steering wheel all morning. We stopped for a break at a rest stop, just to get our bearings again.

2:15 p.m. - We had to pay the toll for the 5th time so far today! This route has cost us so far in tolls a total of $14.05! That is ridiculous! Seems every few miles we have had to stop and throw change in a bin until the light turns green to let us go on. There are camera's everywhere, so you don't take the chance of cheating them! The temperature is a very nice 63 degrees and sunny, but we are having to still fight the 20 m.p.h. winds!!!

3:30 p.m. - We finally got to Oklahoma City with 56 degrees and cloudy. We will now be going south, and hopefully it will not be so windy.

5:30 p.m. - We finally pulled into the KOA Campground here in Ardmore, OK. It is still windy with winds 20-30 m.p.h.!!! Sure glad to finally stop. We tried to have some steaks on the BBQ, but we could not keep the flame from getting blown out by the wind. So we just cooked them on the stove. Not quite the same, but better than nothing. Hopefully tomorrow won't be so windy. This is the sunset tonight.

We drove 391 miles today

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

We got up about 7:30 a.m. (at least that is when I got up, Frank was already up) to a frosty morning. The temperature got to a low of about 30 degrees last night. We had some breakfast and were on the road at 9:00 a.m. We stopped and got some gas before we headed down the road. The Pilot Station here had gas for $3.14 a gallon, up from last night when we pulled in. Should have gotten gas then. Skies are clear blue and we have a nice warm sun coming in the window. Took a picture of us in front of the donkeys that were just a few lots away. They were quiet all night, but this morning they started to bray. How funny, I have never heard them do that before!
8:30 a.m. -We have crossed the state line into Illinois and now will have to put our clocks back one hour. We are now on Central Time.
11:30 a.m. - Stopped for lunch at a rest stop and had a good lunch and break. Frank took Abby out for a run and to play with her ball to tire her out. She should sleep well on the road now. The temperature is 40 degrees and still sunny blue skies.
2:30 p.m. - Stopped again at another rest stop for a break. The sun is beating in through the window and getting us both sleepy. We needed a break, the road has nothing on it here and it gets kinda boring.
4:30 p.m. - Stopped at our destination in Springfield, MO at a KOA Campground. Still nice weather, just about 53 degrees with blue sunny skies. We have had a nice day for driving today. The roads were clear and there was no traffic. Much better conditions than yesterday. The good thing about traveling to campgrounds this time of year, you don't have to be worried about getting a spot, they have lots of vacant places. We had a nice dinner and then Frank went right to bed. He had an awful headache. I stayed up awhile and then crashed also.
We drove 399 miles today.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Well we started on our trip this morning about 9:30 a.m. We said our good-by to Eleanor and Bill last night and to Tina, our office manager this morning. Weather is overcast skies and the temperature is about 40 degrees. As we leave the gas here is $3.14 a gallon.
11:30 a.m. - We are having to make a stop at a Chevy Workhouse dealer. It seems when the guys hooked up our RV to tow our new Jeep, they screwed up the wiring for us to tow the trailer. We have only headlights and taillights. We have no turn signals or brake light on either the RV or the trailer we are towing.
12:45 a.m. - Back on the road again with all the lights working like they should. The wiring was messed up on the connection to the RV.It is snowing VERY hard now and it is sticking to the grass along the sided of the road and along the pavement. It is like blizzard conditions and the temp is now at 33 degrees. I would call this a whiteout! We can hardly see the cars and truck in front of us! Not a pleasant place to be in at this time.
2:30 p.m. -We stopped for gas on the border of Indiana and Michigan in Fremont, Indiana. The gas here is $3.03 a gallon, a little cheaper than MT. Pleasant. Just as soon as we got back on I-69 south, the snow stopped and now we have no snow or rain at all. The roads here are clear and dry. Debbie just called and wanted to know if we got out of town before the snow came. She saw it on weather.com and informed us that from Indiana on the storm is going East. So we have good weather, or at least no snow from now on. GOOD!
5:00 p.m. - We have gone through Indianapolis and now on our way to Terre Haute, Indiana to stop at a KOA Campground. It is raining a little off and on and on the windy side in this part of the state. This GPS is amazing! It got us through the 5:00 p.m. traffic in Indianapolis and Frank says he is not questioning what the GPS lady says because she got us through the mess of a big city with construction with no problem. He would have questioned me, that's for sure! For those who are interested, the name of the G
PS is a IWay 600c Lowrance. We told Eleanor and Bill they are going to have a hard time getting this back. This GPS lady has made life much easier for both of us in traveling, It is dark now and much harder to navigate with spitting rain.The ground here is kinda muddy so they must have had some rain here today.
6:40 p.m. -We just pulled into the KOA Campground in Terre Haute and the temp is 46 degrees and a little drizzle. It has been a long day! I made a dinner, relaxed and went to bed. They have a free breakfast here in the morning, so we will probably go to that and continue on.

Michigan to California, November 2007

November 27, 2007
Well we are getting ready to make our next trip back to California tomorrow, Monday, Nov. 28, 2007. We are more or less going to play this trip by ear. We know that we will be going to Indiana and after that, it depends on the weather. If you want to save this e-mail address into your favorites, it will be easier to bring up as you travel with us. We had a nice get together with the friends after our church meeting this morning at the local golf course that has a great buffett on sunday's. Frank and I did most of our packing on Friday and Saturday so today we finished putting in the stuff from the cubboards and some things in the refrigerator. Eleanor and Bill came by and gave us more lessons on using Bill's GPS system he is going to let us try out on the trip back. That will be an interesting thing for us to learn and explore. I am looking forward to that. The weather is suppose to change starting tomorrow with snow for the next 4 days, so it sure is time to start our travels. Looking forward to keeping in touch along the way.

Mt. Pleasant, Mich. - Tuesday - Aug.7, 2007

8:30 a.m. - We are just leaving Rock Island, Illinois KOA campground with a temperature already of 81 degrees and the humidity about the same! Because of the high humidity the heat index is suppose to be 110 degrees. Looks like that is about what we can expect all day today on I-80 East.

10:00 a.m. - We stopped at a Flying J Station to get gas at $2.87 gallon. The weather is still very humid and hot and sticky. We are about 2 hours west of Chicago . Our elevation is 581 ft. a big drop from where we have been one week ago.

11:00 a.m. - This is especially for Lyle and Elaine-----We just passed a "Ritchie Brothers Auctioneer site here in Iowa! Just as big if not bigger than the one in Dunnigan.

11:45 a.m. - Crossed the state line into Indiana and it is still hot, sunny skies and muggy. Looks like the gas prices here in this area are running about $2.l75 gallon.

1:45 p.m. - We have crossed into the state of Michigan and changed time zones again for the last time, we are now 3 hours ahead of California. We stopped and had lunch at the Welcome Center Park and it is too hot to sit, with a temperature of 88 degrees, outside in this beautiful shaded area, so we are eating inside the air conditioned motor home. We have had a good trip and thanks to God, a safe trip. Frank says it did not seem as long a trip this time. Probably because we had some nice breaks along the way. Thanks to Laurie and Dave Weldon in Oregon, Curt and Betty Carson in Montana, and Ron and Lorrie Gray in Iowa for opening their homes and being so kind to us on our trip. It sure made a big difference to us to be able to be so relaxed among good people. We gassed up for the last time in Remus, Michigan where gas is $2.85 gallon. Mount Pleasant gas is $2.88 gallon.

6:15 p.m. - Pulled into the Isabella Village Mobile Home Park with a temperature of 84 degrees and sunny skies.

We drove 429 miles today, the longest day we drove.

Our total mileage was 3,178 miles from Merced to Mt. Pleasant

I want to thank all of you for reading my little journal and being able to share some of the experiences with us. It has been a fun project and I also love all the comments. You are special to us and we both love each and every one of you. Looking forward to having a great stay here and enjoying the family and friends we have here also.

Take care and enjoy life!!

-----------This is Frank as we entered Michigan!!!--

Frank and Ann Tiahrt

Rock Island, Illinois - Mon. Aug. 6, 2007

9:00 a.m. - It is foggy, damp and overcast now with a temperature of 68 degrees and we are leaving the RV Park after a great weekend with Ron and Lorrie. In fact when we woke up this morning it looked like we were in Merced there was so much fog. This RV Park is close to the lake and we figure that is probably why the fog.
10:30 a.m. - We stopped for a break after driving through this country highway. We decided to take a different route and not go on the Interstate this time so we could see some of the countryside and small towns. Well, we are seeing miles and miles of corn and soybean fields. I don't know what they do with all this corn and soybeans! Frank is loving this drive, it brings out the country farm boy in him. It is still foggy and the temperature did not change, still 68 degrees. Frank loves this kind of weather and route because there is no sun in his or Abby's eyes while driving and no traffic, and the speed limit is only 55 m.p.h., so we are saving on gas.
11:00 a.m. - We are back on the road after stopping for a little lunch next to a corn field, naturally, Abby had a good run and we had a good lunch and break. Barbara called on her way to San Luis Obispo. they are having a good time and she is also on a vacation. We would have seen the Buddy Holly Memorial in Clear Lake, Iowa, but Frank decided to take a differend route. So we went south of the memorial in a corn field, naturally.
1:30 p.m. - Stopped to gas up at Waterloo, Iowa at a Sinclair Station where gas was only $2.83 gallon. Gas prices have been pretty consistent all across the country so far.
3:30 p.m. - We are at a rest area and this is the first rest area we have seen since we started driving this morning. It is still very humid and about 86 degrees. We did not turn the air on, but now we are going to start it up, we are both hot and we feel warm enough. Brenda G. called and all is well with her and her family. they are in the process of remodeling their home and their kitchen will be torn up starting the end of this week. That will give her a reason not to cook! Antonio will be starting school August 23. That is early, most kids don't start until after labor day. We are close to Davenport, Iowa and we plan on pulling into an RV Park just east of Davenport, but more across the state line in Illinois.
4:30 p.m. - Well, we pulled into the Rock Island KOA Park for the night and we are about 4 hours from Chicago. We had a good dinner and relaxed this evening. It is still very humid with an 86 degree temperature. Thunderstorms are predicted around midnight tonight and lasting all morning.


We drove 350 miles today.

Spirit Lake, Iowa--Sunday, Aug. 5, 2007

Frank left and went to Ron's to go fishing for Walleye. The weather is 68 degrees and very, very humid with overcast skies. It is not suppose to rain today, so hopefully they will have a good time fishing.

Lorrie called, and her and Mattie are on their way to the RV Park to pick me up and we are going to go to Arnold Park where there is an amusement park for kids. Mattie and Lorrie went on a few rides while I watched. It is a small amusement park mostly for the younger kids. We then went and had some lunch and called the guys and we are going to meet back at the house and go for a boat ride. By the time we got back to the house they were already there fishing from the dock.

We all got on the boat and Ron took us all around the different lakes in the area. They live in the city of Spirit Lake, but their home is on Okoboji Lake. (Ok-o-bo-ji) We had a great time and saw all the beautiful homes on the lakes. We pulled into a restaurant on the lake and docked the boat and had a great dinner. We rode around some more and then went back to the house and sat on the terrace watching the the ski boats go by. We said our good-byes and left to go back to the RV and start getting things together for leaving tomorrow morning. We had a good relaxing weekend and they are excellent host and hostesses, so glad we came here.

Spirt Lake, Iowa - Sat. Aug. 4, 2007

7:30 a.m. - Thunder, lightening and a solid rain is what we had all night long. Frank and Ron did not go fishing as planned at 8:00 a.m. It was raining so hard and the wind was blowing and rocking our motor home, we did not go to Ron's until 10:00 a.m. By that time the rain had stopped a little, but it was still too windy to go on the boat. The car smelled a little when we first got in this morning, but by the time we got to Ron's I thought it was ok, Frank says he was ready to choke. We told Ron we had some good news and some bad news, the good news was that we did not hit a deer, the bad news was we hit a skunk. He just laughed and did not seem to concerned. The guys, Ron, Dennis and Frank all went fishing from the banks and the different piers along the lake and Frank caught some fish, and Dennis caught one and Ron did not catch anything. Us girls, Lorrie, Mattie and me all went down towards town to the small shops and looked around. Because it was a weekend and a touristy town, cars were bumper to bumper, so we did not go right downtown, we decided to come back to the house. Beside would you believe, that this town was having a "Pre-Sturgis Ralley". I guess we just can't get away from this motorcycle group this weekend. We played a few games with Mattie and then the guys came home, we had some dinner and then played monopoly. Frank made everyone go bankrupt and won the game! It was getting late again, so we left to go home. About 10 minutes down the road, we get stopped by the POLICE! This time they said that Frank was driving over the center line twice and they wanted to check out whether he had been drinking or not!! We could not believe it, he was driving like a farmer, like he always does, using the middle of the road (we are out in the country a little bit). He walked back to the officer and they asked whose car it was, because it still had a Minnesota plates on it with Frank's Michigan license, he told them it was his nephews and we were staying at the RV Park and on our way back to Michigan. They let him go, saying that he did not appear to have been drinking! duh----------------must have been that Iowa water we had!

That is the second time in two nights something has happened to us in this Taurus, I do not think that we will be looking to by a Taurus in the future, does not seem to be a lucky car for us. We drove on to the RV park and went to bed. The guys are going to try and go out in the boat tomorrow morning fishing. The weather is suppose to be only cloudy, with a temperature of 86 degrees. Another good night and good day.

Spirit Lake, Iowa - Friday, Aug. 3, 2007

9:00 a.m. - Getting a later start today. The time change really through us off today. It is 69 degrees and raining. Thunderstorms are predicted for this area today. Those bikers are not going to like it here today. We are on our way to Ron and Lorrie Gray's home in Iowa.

11:00 a.m. - We stopped at a rest area for a smal break and it happens to be a memorial to the Lewis and Clark Expidition. We saw the bridge they named after them, because this is supposedily the spot where they camped and ate buffalo meat and magpie birds and plums. yum yum. We took a walk down the trail towards the lake and it was nice. The weather is very pleasant, not raining now.

11:45 a.m. - Well there just happens to be a Cabela's Store (fishing and hunting store that Frank loves) here off this interstate and we just could not pass it by. So we spent a couple of hours here shopping.

1:30 p.m. - We are back on the road again after buying something for Frank and me. It didn't even cost us anything because we had already accumulated enough points on the credit card to pay for it all.Sweet!! The skies are still overast and it seems to be more humid. We talked to Ron Gra and it does not look like we can park by his place because the street is too narrow and his is on a hill facing the lake. Not a good combination for a 38 ft. motorhome and trailer!. He gave us the name of an RV Park across the lake from him and we made the reservations there for the weekend.

2:00 p.m. - We stopped for gas when we saw the sign for $2.82 gal. at a "Fuel Stop" gas station. Costs us another $100.00 but we have enough now to get us through the weekend and on the road to hopefully Illinois before we have to fill us again. We are about 30 miles from the Minnisota State Line and we have high clouds with a temperature of 78 degrees.

4:30 p.m. - Crossed into Iowa and there are fields and fields of corn and soybeans here. We can't believe the number of motorcycles we have seen on the road today all going to Sturgis. The temperature here is not 82 degrees but still overcast.

5:00 p.m. - We are going through the town of Okoboji and it is very much a resort town, very much like Charlovoix, Michigan area. Ron met us in town and we followed him to the RV Park which is called Fieldstone RV Park. A nice place and not on the lake, but we could walk to the lake if we wanted. We hooked up and then went with Ron to his place. He has a nice 3 story new home and a beautiful view from his living room. They have their niece, Matti - 5 and nephew. Dennis - 13 from Michigan staying with them for awhile. We all went for a ride on his boat around the lake and stopped at a place called Barefoot Restaurant to have dinner. It is a very laid back restaurant and people go barefooted if they want and they did not care if we had Abby. It was all outside and looked like we were in Cancun, with straw roofs over the tables, etc. Right off the water and very different. Had a great dinner and then took another ride around the lake. It was a beautiful night, on the humid side and it looks like maybe sometime later we might get some rain. We went back to the house and then Ron gave us his Taurus to drive back and forth from the RV Park. Frank and Ron and Dennis are all going fishing tomorrow a.m. while us girls, Lorrie, Matti and I go shopping at all the small shops in town. On our way back to the RV Park we hit a SKUNK with the Taurus! We couldn't believe it, that skunk was all of a sudden right smack in the middle of the road with oncoming cars! We did not get as much of the spray as we thought we would, I think the car behind us might have gotten the worse. Frank did not even have time to put the breaks on!. There is an odor, but not reallllllllll bad. We did not want to take a chance on it stinking up the park where we were parked, so we left it at the front office parking lot for the night, hoping it would air out by tomorrow.

We walked to our campsite and then went to bed.

Murdo, S.D. Thurs. August 2, 2007

8:00 a.m. - This was a nice park and very quiet, a good place to stay and we would stay here again. Our destination today is Murdo, S.D. South Dakota's state jewelry is the Black Hills Gold and it is called Mt. Rushmore State. The Lewis and Clark Trail is here and you can actually walk and see what they supposedly saw. There a lots of Indian Reservations here as you probably know. There is also no helmet law here, but it is strongly recommended, but it is mandatory to wear eye protection. There is glacial lakes on the east and Black Hills on the west. The temperature here now is 69 degrees. We stopped at a super Wal-Mart before we took off on the Interstate to stock up on fruits and veggies. Just outside of Buffalo, WY there is rolling hills and lots of space and alfalfa fields.l Not any buildings, just the road between two sets of hills. We are staying pretty much at the 4,500-4,800 ft. elevation.

11:00 a.m. - We are stopping in the small town of Gillette, WY to have a bite to eat and stretch our legs and let Abby out. The skies are kinda overcast and it feels kinda humid with the temperature around 83 degrees. There is a huge coal mine right off the road and the train loaded with many, many cars of coal is chugging down the track.

12:30 p.m. - All of a sudden it got very windy, so windy that we stopped to put duct tape on our awning. The awning looked ok, but Frank wanted to make sure that the wind did not grab it and flip it over our motorhome while we are driving. That happened with the other motorhome and it cost us big bucks to have it replaced. We noticed a few others had pulled over to do the same and on the road, there were others that had already taped their awnings. We are leaving the Wyoming mountains and headed for Black Hills Country.

1:00 p.m. - We are 40 miles from Rapid City,S.D. and we are under a big rain cloud and it is pouring down very hard, but it smells good!!! It's been a long time since we saw rain. The bikers are all pulling off under the overpasses to try and keep dry or to put on their jackets. The temperature has dropped down to 66 degrees.

There is a big motorcycle rally going on in the town of Sturgis, S.D. this weekend and there are thousands of bikers coming in from all over for this event.

2:15 p.m. - We got through Sturgis and the bikers are still coming in a steady stream. It was not as bad as we thought it would be. the Rally does not start until Saturday, and from we have heard, it is suppose to draw 1/2 million bikers!! We stopped for gas at a Pilot station and gas is $3.04 a gallon. We just had that rain in Rapid City and here there are signs posted to not throw cigarettes out the window because of serious hazard conditions because it is so dry.

4:30 p.m. - We just changed to Central Time and now we have to put our clocks and watches ahead one hour. so now it is really 5:30. ugh!! How time flies! It's a bummer to keep losing an hour, much better to be gaining an hour, life passes to quickly as it is. We are about 15 miles from the RV Park we will be staying for the night. This part of the country is know as the Badlands.

6:00 p.m. - Pulled into the American RV Park in Murdo, S.D. with a warm 92 degrees. It was a nice drive most of the day. It also was very interesting to see so many bikers going to the rally, both watching them ride and also hauling their bikes with trucks, cars, etc.

7:00 p.m. - After hooking up and getting the motorhome set, Frank suggested we go out to eat since it was so late because we lost that hour. Naturally, I said yes! There is a restaurant right on the RV Park property called "The Rusty Spur" and we went there and had a good dinner. Had a conversation with a guy that was on his way to Sturgis, and he had just come from Spirit Lake, where we are headed for tomorrow and where Ronnie and Lorrie live!! Small world. Did some laundry and then enjoyed the beautiful night.

Drove 378 miles today

Sheridan, WY - Wed. Aug. 1,2007

8:00 a.m. - Had a nice breakfast with Curt and Betty and took a picture of the four of us before we left to go on our way. They are getting ready to go to Butte, MT to a pulmonary doctor to see the results of the tests that Curt has had done on his lungs. the doctor thinks he might have "Valley Fever".

9:00 a.m. - We are on the road to Boseman with the temperature at 67 degrees with smoky skies. Fires from the inland valley because of the heat have blown over the skies and you can smell the smoke. You can't even see the mountain that is directly in front of their home.

10:00 a.m. - We are on Hwy. 84 going towards Boseman and in this area there are many Pelicans sitting on the rocks and gathered together all along the Madison River. The skies are still very hazy and smoky, but the ride through the mountains is very pleasant.

11:00 a.m.- We have just left Boseman and at Boseman Pass the elevation was 5760 ft. It has gotten very windy all of a sudden and we are a rockin and rollin again. Heard on the radio that this area is going to get a cold front coming through todayl. It has been close to 100 degrees in this part of the country the last few days.

3:00 p.m. - Stopped for a break in Hardin, MT.which is 83 miles from Sheridan, WY which is our destination tonight. This area has lots of Casino's run by the Crow Indian Tribe. This is also where Custer made his last stand. Except for the tourist things to do here, this area is pretty flat and boring, there are just a few hills here and there.

5:00 p.m. - Pulled into Peter D's RV Park here in Sheridan, WY with the temperature about 89 degrees and sunny, we are at the 3800 ft. level.

Drove 336 miles today

Tuesday July 31, 2007

8:00 a.m. - We are on our way for a ride with Curt and Betty to the mountains. We drove up through the Gravelly Range of mountains and on the way we saw a lot of wild flowers that Frank loved taking pictures of and also a real cowboy. A young man lives and works on the mountain taking care of the cattle and has food brought up to him once a week. We also saw a "sheep herder;s camp. He lives in a small trailer and has some horses to ride and takes care of a herd of sheep grazing on the mountain. It was so interesting to learn that on top of this mountain with an elevation of 9572 ft. there would be so much activity. We went on to the Black Butte Mountain on the Green Horn Range. Seem all of these different "ranges" are within the Rocky Mountain Range. It was a beautiful drive and very interesting. We even saw a Grizzly Bear!!! It was a long way off, but there was no mistaking it was a bear! Seems they have been seen quite often in the last few weeks especially, probably because it is so dry and they are looking for food. It was dry up in that elevation also, which we thought was unusual. Curt was hoping we would be seeing some Elk or Deer, but we did not see any. On our way down we stopped at a cute little restaurant for lunch right off the Madison River, what a Kodak moment that was!! It was the most interesting tip, Curt sure does know his way around those mountain trails. Frank and I would never have been able to see any of those things because we don't know the terrain.Coming down the mountain, we felt the weather change. It was 72 degrees up there and a warm 94 degrees at the restaurant.

1:00 p.m. - Just got back to the house and we chatted some more and looked at old pictures and Frank and Aunt Betty remembered the good times. They have cute little rabbits that run all over the yard and so we have to keep Abby on a leash, because she takes off after them and Curt does not like that.

5:00 p.m. - Curt BBQ some good steaks and we sat around the table and shared more stories with lots of laughs until 9:30 p.m. We went back to the motorhome and we will be leaving here tomorrow morning after a wonderful stay with Curt and Betty who are very thankful and happy that we stopped to visit and spend some time with them. Curt is 80 years old and Betty is 78.

10:00 p.m. - Bedtime and looking forward to tomorrow's journey after a great stay here. Abby is doing much better and the ointment that we have to put in her eyes have cleared them up, she is back to her ole' self again.