March 29 Nacogdoches

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After all the swimming excitement, we drove to Nacogdoches, 136 miles, to the Foretravel factory http://www.foretraveloftexas.com/ for a few days of service on the coach.
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Check out this coach--it is beautiful--and we want it!! LOL! http://www.foretraveloftexas.com/view-inventory.php?id=266 But, of course, we are not getting it for several hundred thousand reasons $$$. Besides, it is a 45'coach, and we don't want 45'.

There are lots of rigs here at this time, coming in early for the "Buddy Rally" coming up in a few days. It is always fun to make new friends and reunite with old ones at rallies with other coach. There will be lots more coming in within the next few days.
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March 25th College Station, TX

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After the 136 mile drive, we pulled into the Holiday RV Park http://www.holidayparkrv.com/ in College Station, Texas, home of Texas A & M University http://www.tamu.edu/home/aboutam/ where the NCAA Swimming competition begins on March 26th. The facilities here are fantastic! The Student Rec Center, where the competition is held is huge http://recsports.tamu.edu/facilities/student_rec_center/ . Inside the building, besides the swimming pools, there are courts for basketball, volleyball, racquetball, and who knows what else---also, an indoor jogging track, climbing wall, archery center and numerous areas with exercise equipment. Awesome is the only way to describe this place.




Of course, the reason for being here is the swimming. There were about 42 Universities represented, with the best collegiate swimmers in the country competing.

Tyler had an incredible meet, coming in 2nd place. However, he set a new NCAA record in the 200 Back Stroke.
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But, his real night to shine was in the
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400 IM where he set the NCAA, American and U.S. Open,

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replacing Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte as record holders.

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During all the excitement, jumping up and down, yelling and screaming, I failed to take pictures!!

Please take a minute to read this article http://www.goldmedalmel.typepad.com/ to understand what an outstanding athlete it takes to win this event.
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We are looking forward to the Olympic Trials in Omaha, NE in 2012 where Tyler, and hopefully his sister, Lindsey (now age 13) will be competing. After that, we plan on being in London at the 2012 Olympic Competition.
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March 19 Victoria, TX

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We made the easy 132 mile drive from Bulerde to Victoria, TX and parked at our usual place, Dad's RV Park http://www.dadsrvpark.com/ for a week. We always enjoy our stay at Dad's--we have made friends with lots of the Winter Texans that have been coming here for years.

I have 2 sisters and a brother in Victoria and enjoy the family time.

Also, it is necessary to check on the business from time to time. Frequently, people ask about the company, so I am providing some information and pictures in this post. I have been blessed with a great staff of loyal and dedicated employees so that it is not necessary to be at the office on a regular basis. Of course, I am in contact almost daily---frequently several times a day.

GEMCO http://www.gemcodies.com/ started on April 1, 1950 in Port Lavaca, TX. After nearly 50 years in the same location, we needed more space and an updated facility. The building was designed and built in Victoria, 28 miles from Port Lavaca. We decided to relocate in Victoria partly so that there would be a little buffer zone from the Gulf Coast and the hurricanes that have been known to make landfall there.

It was cold, windy, and wet on January 28, 2005 when we gathered for the ground-breaking ceremony. Several employees were onhand for the celebration.

Moving finally started the end of October, 2005.


The offices are located on the upper level with a view of the shop floor.

In Port Lavaca, we had 3 buildings within a city block.

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The new facility has everything under one roof. The challenge was to get everything moved and equipment in place and running as quickly as possible to reduce the amount of lost production time.

Finally, after lots of hard work, of a staff of very dedicated employees was on hand and Old Glory was raised!!!

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While in Victoria, we had a catered bar-b-que luncheon for all employees to celebrate the starting of our 60th year of business.

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March 17-18 Bulverde, TX

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It is 303 miles from Fort Stockton, TX to Bulverde, just north of San Antonio, TX. We spent 2 nights at the Texas 281 RV Park http://www.texascampgrounds.com/texas%20281%20rv%20park.php

After getting parked on Tuesday, we rested a while, then went into San Antonio to have dinner with my Aunt.

Wednesday, we went to Sisterdale to visit the Sister Creek Winery http://www.sistercreekvineyards.com/ .

As you can see it is just an old barn type building with a great personality. We visited this winery last year and we enjoyed the wine so much that it was a "must visit" place.


Needless to say, we left with several bottles of their excellent wine. Of course, that was the purpose of the visit.








This is the young man that was at the winery last year and this year A very personable guy that really knows his wines.

We returned to the campground, and I went back to San Antonio to spend the afternoon visiting with my aunt.

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March 16 Fort Stockton, TX

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We left El Paso Monday morning and drove 226 miles on the boring I-10 to Fort Stockton. We had hoped to play golf when we got there, but as most golf courses are, they were closed on Monday. We did a little shopping and got my car inspected. Texas requires that all vehicles get a safety inspection each year--my car had not been in Texas for nearly 3 years, so was long over due!

Visiting Fort Stockton always brings back fond memories. We lived there for 7 years, from 1963 to 1970. My son Jim was born there. I drove past the house that we lived in--it was in bad shape!

We stayed at the Fort Stockton RV Park http://tinyurl.com/ctcujk . It was nothing fancy, but very adequate for the evening. The best part was the little resturant. Served great food at very reasonable prices. It is a definate stopping spot.
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March 15-- El Paso, TX

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Tempe, AZ to El Paso, TX. Driving distance---438 miles.

We left Tempe about 7:30 AM for an uneventful day of driving --- I-10 is SO boring!! We stopped for the night in El Paso at the Mission RV Park http://www.missionrvparklp.com/ . It is nothing fancy, but fine for an overnight stop.
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March 13-14 Indio, CA to Tempe, AZ

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Driving distance---257 miles.

We left Indio on Friday morning and drove to the Elks Lodge in Tempe, AZ .



We had several friends from our Southwest Country Coach RV club that were there for baseball spring training.




We left Indio a couple of days early so we could visit with them.


We knew that the RV parking area was full, but dry camping is no problem.





There were 4 couples already there, Brenda & Lonnie, Carol & Sam, and Miranda & Bill. Sam was not feeling well and did not come out for the picture.

Nicki & Paul were staying at an RV park a little bit out of town and came in on Saturday evening.






Jerry was the chef and cooked a couple of great Tri-Tips.


Lots of other great food was brought by the ladies.








Of course, no gathering of RVers is complete without lots of food, and this time was no exception.

2009

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After we returned home in July, 2008, I did not continue writing this blog. We did a few trips, but nothing really "exciting". As we have done each year, in October, we took the motorhome to Outdoor Resorts in Indio for the winter season.

We had also decided to purchase a home in Indio. We closed on the house in early October and spent the next 3 months doing necessary upgrades before moving in.

In January, 2009, we finally moved into our new home. It is a great little place--easy upkeep to allow for more traveling. There is an attached RV garage for when we are at home. The center picture shows the courtyard from the front door. The door shown goes into the casita. Then you see the patio and back of the house. Our back yard is the golf course.
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If you would like to see more pictures, please go to http://tinyurl.com/czy6zb

Our new home is located in the Indian Palms Country Club http://www.indianpalms.com/ in Indio, California.

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July 27

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We are still getting things sorted out and put away---and deciding what to do next.

A few posts back I mentioned that our young granddaughter was a swimmer and we are hoping for the next Olympic Trials. There was a newspaper article a couple of days ago about Lindsey and some of her team mates. > http://tinyurl.com/5afehd We will plan on watching her swim next weekend in Santa Clarita, CA where she has qualified for the Junior Olympic meet.

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July 17 HOME!!!

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We finally arrived back at home in Riverside, CA around noon on July 17---we were traveling for 5 months. It was a great trip, but as always, there's no place like home.





You can see by this picture why we enjoy it here.









I had looked forward to relaxing by the pool, but unfortunately, there was too much to do. We had packed up everything from the house because the house was supposed to be leased while we were gone. So, when we got back, we immediately begain unpacking and putting stuff back where it belongs.

Oh, well, pool time will come later.

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July 15 Lake Havasu, AZ

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We spent 2 night at the Havasu RV Resort http://www.havasurvresort.com/ which is a beautiful place that we have enjoyed in the past.

Temperature while in Lake Havasu ranged from 99 degrees around 2 AM to 117 in the afternoon. That is HOT!!!

We had a nice visit with Jerry's brother Andy and Ritva. It is always nice to have family time.

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July 12 - 14 Albuquerque & Gallup, NM

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From Angel Fire, the next stop was Albuquerque where we stayed at the High Desert RV Park http://highdesertrvpark.net/.

Lauri, our daughter-in-law came out to visit and had lunch and a great visit. That evening, Jim was able to drop by for a few minutes on the way back to work. It was nice to see them both, even though it was for just a short time.

July 14 - Next was an overnight stop at the USA RV Park in Gallup, NM http://usarvpark.com/ It was our first visit to this park, and we were very pleased. It was very clean and nice.We did not even unhook the car!
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July 8 Angel Fire, NM

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We had been looking forward to a visit with our friends, Nicki and Paul, in Angel Fire, NM http://www.angelfirenm.com/about/

Angel Fire is a neat little village in the mountains near the Colorado border.





We were so busy playing that I did not take any pictures, but here is one taken a couple of years ago.






While there, I got to ride on the motorcycle with Paul while Nicki and Jerry followed in the car. It was a beautiful ride from Angel Fire to Red River, NM.

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July 6 & 7 Halstead & Dodge City, KS

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With the excitement of the Olympic Trials over, we pulled out of Haworth Park on Sunday, July 6 and an uneventful drive to Halstead, KS and stayed at Springlake RV http://www.springlakervresort.com/. It was not a bad place for an overnight stop.


July 7--Another uneventful day---we stop in Dodge City, KS and stayed at the Gunsmoke Trav-L-Park http://www.gunsmokervpark.com/I really wanted to visit Dodge City because there is so much history there, http://www.boothill.org/ but, unfortunately, we were so tired that we did not do much.

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Tyler and family

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As the Olympic Swimming Trials were coming to an end, here is Tyler with his family.

Lindsey, Lonnie, Tyler, Stacy, and Lonzo.

Lindsey swims for Fullerton Aquatic Swim Team (FAST) as Tyler did. Hopefully, she will be in the 2012 Olympic Trials along with Tyler.

Lonzo is a great Ice Hockey player and is a top draft choice in the SoCal area and travels with the clubs.

Olympic Swimming Trials Results

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The Olympic Trials were so exciting. We enjoyed being there and seeing all the great athletes perform.

Tyler did very well and we are all so proud of him.

In the 200 m Back, Tyler came in 3rd behind two of the world's greatest swimmers, with a new World Record set in this swim.

See the results for the 400m IM in an earlier post.

Swimming Olympic Trials Information

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As you may know, or may not know as the case may be, our grandson Tyler Clary is competing in the Swimming Olympic Trials starting June 29, in Omaha, NE.

Many people have asked for information and this seems the easiest way to share it to all that are interested.

Several have asked what about events, times, etc. Below is the information that I have at this time. He probably won’t swim all the events—the coach makes changes when necessary. I will post further information as I have it.

DAY ---------------EVENT

SUNDAY ---------400 IM
MONDAY --------200 FREESTYLE
TUESDAY --------200 FLY
WEDNESDAY ----NOTHING
THURSDAY ------200 BACK & 200 IM
FRIDAY ----------NOTHING
SATURDAY ------1500 FREE

All preliminary events begin at 11 am. Finals are in the evening.

TELEVISION SCHEDULE CAN BE FOUND AT http://tinyurl.com/4or8ys

RESULTS CAN BE FOUND AT http://www.omegatiming.com/calendar/index.html
There will probably be a live webcast at this site if you want to watch in real time.

REMEMBER THE NAME TO WATCH FOR IS

TYLER CLARY!!!!

GO TYLER!!

June 29--July 6 Olympic Swimming Trials

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Jerry, Tyler, and I

The Trials are being held at the Qwest Cener in Omaha, NE. This a beautiful facility with all the ammenities that you would need for any type event. http://www.qwestcenteromaha.com/

There are several interesting sculptures at the entrance to the building.

During the storm mentioned in the last post, the exterior of the building was damaged.

Fortunately, it was just the exterior and not structural.

We have waited for months for the Olympic Swimming Trials. It is so exciting for Tyler to have the opportunity swim at an event such as this and compete for a spot on the Olympic Team. At the time of this writing, he still has events in which to compete.

Tyler did an outstanding swim in the 400 IM and qualified for the finals that night.

Unfortunately, he did not get a place on the Olympic team in this event--- World Record was broken by Phelps (1st place) and Lochte (2nd place).

Tyler was on the schedule to swim in 6 events, but 2 were scratched for hime to rest for the other events.

The pool area is beautiful. This picture was at a practice session so there are very few people there. There were over 12,000 fans in attendance for the events.

We had some of the best seats in the arena---3 rows from the bottom at looking across at the end of the pool. This picture was taken a few rows up from where our seats were.

There was an overhead monitor to watch the swimmers when they were at the opposite end of the pool.

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June 23 Bellevue, Nebraska

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While parked in Greenwood, we drove to Bellevue to locate the campground where we were to be staying. We found that our assigned sight was empty. We were not at all happy with the Pinegrove RV Park we moved to Haworth Park in Bellevue http://www.visitnebraska.org/ a couple of days early.

We are in the area to attend the Olympic Swimming Trials and watch our grandson, Tyler, compete with some of the world's greatest swimmers.




The first thing you notice upon arriving at Haworth park is the " Bicycle Windmill". This marks the bicycle trail that is park of the city network of bicycle trails.


According to Jim, the park caretaker, the city had hundreds of broken bicycles and was trying to find some way to use them. They hired an artist to create the Windmill sculptures for the entrances to the bicycle trails around the city.



Haworth is the nicest, prettiest city park that you will ever find. There are hundred of beautiful trees and acres of open grassy area. The RV Park is 56 acres! In addition to this, there is a marina, ball park, and other areas.




While in Bellevue, a major thunder storm with lots of lightening, large hail, and wind.








Fortunately, the worst of is avoided us and only one tree in the park fell.



This was the worst storm to hit this area in over 15 years. Because of the high winds, there was severe damage to the area. It was difficult to drive to many areas of Omaha because of the damage. We saw houses where the trees had crashed throught the roof, cars totally crushed by the large trees, and it just goes on and on and on. Of course, we did not drive around looking to see the damage. You could not go anywhere without seeing the damage. There were over 126,000 homes and businesses without power. The RV park did not have power for over 24 hours. Thank goodness for generators!! 6 days later, there were still 3,000 that were still without power.


Bellevue is the the state's oldest City, was incorporated in 1855.

While its population of almost 50,000 may not equal the crowd at a Cornhusker game, it is enough to place the City third in the state, behind Omaha and Lincoln.

Bellevue shares its northern border with Omaha and its southern edge with Offutt Air Force Base http://www.offutt.af.mil/ home of U.S. Stratcom, a joint command staffed by members from all branches of the military.

Looking out the window one evening, I saw these beautiful colors.

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June 22 Greenwood, NE

We drove the 230 miles from Louisburg, KS to Greenwood, NE without a problem until we were within a few miles of the PineGrove RV Park http://www.pinegrovervpark.com/ and we came to a "bridge closed" sign. We had not seen a sign to warn us of this. There was no option but to turn onto a narrow dirt road. I had the GPS and it was only a couple of miles to the Interstate. There was no entrance to the highway, but the mapping program showed a road that would take us to the RV park. Well--that road was not there, so we had to continue on the narrow dirt road. We drove several miles up one road and down another--watching the GPS to see where we were--not that it did much good. We were finally heading in the correct direction and came to a narrow bridge---and we exceeded the weight limit---by a lot! The only options were to cross the bridge or unhook the car and back out for a couple of miles--not a fun thought. There was no place that the coach could have been turned around. So, we crossed the bridge and did not fall in.

Finally-we reached the RV park. Very tired and frustrated. With a filthy car and coach.

June 19 Louisburg, KS

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We drove to the Rutlager Outpost RV a few miles south of Louisburg http://www.rutladeroutpost.com/ to stay a few days -- just killing time until we get to Omaha. It is an interesting place that has a theater for Country Music performances on most Saturday nights.

We visited the Louisburg Cider Mill http://www.louisburgcidermill.com/ where there are all sorts of great things--mainly the fresh apple cider made right there. It is really good!

One of the reasons that I wanted to stop here was to be able to go to Overland Park, KS to visit my Aunt Millie that I had not seen in several years. We went into town Saturday morning and had a nice visit and lunch with her.

We returned to the RV park and prepared to leave on Sunday morning. We will drive about 230 miles to Greenwood, NE, which is about half-way between Lincoln and Omaha.

June 18 Miami, OK

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Most of the time, we enjoy staying off the interstate and major roads and taking the back roads, driving through small towns and just enjoying the slower pace. However, from the time we left Bossier City, LA on June 3, we have been on back roads---that is about all that Arkansas has!! After miles and miles of narrow roads will little or no shoulder, winding, turning roads up and down the mountains, it was a relief to finally get on some straight roads. While the scenery was beautiful, it is very tiring, both to the driver and the "assistant" driver.

We decided to go through Miami, OK to the Newell Coach Company and take a factory tour.

Newell http://www.newellcoach.com/ makes a beautiful high end coach. High end, of course, translates to HIGH $$$$$.

I contacted them about a tour, and they invited us to stay with them overnight at "Camp Newell".

When we arrived, they were very gracious hosts, and said that we were welcome to stay as long as we would like. The facility was very nice, with a large grassy area with picnic tables for everyone to enjoy.

After a quick lunch, we went through the used coaches that were on the lot.


Fortunately, we did not find one that we liked as well as the coach that we have!

New coaches are available only as custom coaches on special order.


On Thursday morning, we took a tour of the factory. They do some different things during the construction process that was very interesting. Their coaches are first class all the way.

We decided after the tour to move on rather than stay in Miami. After all, we were not buying one at this time!!

June 17 Eureka Springs, AR

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Because of predicted bad weather, we stayed an extra day at the Outdoor Resorts. On Tuesday, we drove about 30 miles to Eureka Springs. We stayed at the Wanderlust RV Park http://www.wanderlustrvpark.com/ It was a nice place, and made a great overnight stopping spot.








The main reason for visiting Eureka Springs was to see the Great Passion Play.




http://www.greatpassionplay.com/






The entrance to the area is beautiful.










The Great Passion Play is in its 40th year of production and has been seen by over 7 million people. It is an excellent enactment of the last days of Christ on earth. I thought it was very well done. The setting was really great.


The setting for the preformance was impressive with the natural backdrop. I was able to get this picture in the afternoon, but later, cameras were not permitted.


The outdoor ampitheater has a seating capacity of over 4000 people.

Fortunately, the weather was beautiful because the show goes on even if it rains. Of course, it would be canceled in case of severe weather.



The Christ of the Ozarks statue was another reason for visiting the area.
http://www.eurekareservationcenter.com/christoftheozarks.htm .

The statue is 7 stories tall. It is really interesting and worth the time to visit.



There are many different museums and things to see in the area, including a Tour of the Holy Land. There is a list and descriptions on the website above. Unfortunately, since we lost a day due to the weather, we did not get to see any of the other things.


There is nothing that I can say here that will adequately describe the Spirutal significance of this area.

If you ever have the opportunity , I highly recommend you taking the time to visit Eureka Springs and see the town and the Passion Play complex.

June 16 Outdoor Resort of the Ozarks

Have you ever been anyplace that is so wonderful that you did not want to leave? Well, that is where we are not. When we checked in, we planned on leaving on Saturday, and paid for that length of time. Well, it is now Tuesday and we are still here!

We had a bit of a storm come through yesterday evening. It had passed on and I looked out the window and the sky had the most beautiful colors. I grabbed the camera and ran outside. Unfortunately, I knew that it would last long enough for me to go to a place where I would have a clear shot without RVs and telephone poles.

June 9-15 Oak Grove, AR--Blue Eye, MO

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Find these places on the map---if you can. They are very small communities on the AR/MO border.

Blue Eye is a thriving community of 17! That is, unless you come into town the other direction and the population is 35. Either way, don't blink or you will miss it.

After leaving Hot Springs Village, we were on the way to Eureka Springs, AR when we remembered that somewhere in the area there was an Outdoor Resort. These are beautiful resorts--where you purchase your lot. We own a lot in Indio, CA http://orindio.com/ and spend most of the winter there. All of the Resorts are beautiful, each one different from the others.

We found that we were only a few miles from the road to the Outdoor Resort of the Ozarks and called for a reservation. http://www.outdoor-resorts.com/ozarks/ It had been raining off and on most of the day, and when we arrived, it was still raining. We checked in, went to out site, and set up in the rain. Even in the rain, we knew that the Resort was an outstanding place. We were given a beautiful waterfront site.

All the sites in the Resort have a view of the lake, of course, some have a better view than others.


We sit on our patio, and this is our view. There are a few boats cruising along, a few ducks, and lots of peace and quiet.


AWESOME!!!


There is no other way to describe it.


The ammenities are excellent. 2 pools, hot tubs, activity centers, etc. Anything that you would expect in a first class resort.



The club house is beautifully furnished with everything that you would want.

The view from the club house is incredible as you can see in this shot.

Unfortunately, there has been so much rain that the lake is about 12 inches above normal. Much of the golf course on the resort is underwater. Of course, eventually, the water will recede and the golf course will be restored.


As you can see, it is a hilly area, and walking is a challenge! Great exercise place, but forget riding the bicycles.

Jerry walks everyday--and he calls the walk from the campsite to the clubhouse "cardiac hill". It is tough!!!

The only negative that we have found is that the area is so remote. It is 20 miles to the nearest grocery store! You just have to remember bread and milk when you are there!

On Tuesday we drove to Eureka Springs and walked around the village. http://www.eurekasprings.org/ It is a very old village, and the sidewalks, stores, etc., have remained in their original state, as required by the historical commission. I visited Eureka Springs around 1981 and have always wanted to return. It is a quaint village with lots of shops and tourist type things---and lots of hills when seeing the area!

Saturday, we went to Branson, MO. http://www.branson.com/ Jerry was there years ago and all he remembers is TRAFFIC. He was not crazy about the idea of going there, but since I had never been, I wanted to see what was there. Well, he was right (of course). The cars were lined up everywhere. We just drove up and down the street a couple of times. There were hundreds (at least it seemed like that many) theaters for the shows that are performed each day.

While walking around we saw a shop Dino's 24 Karrot Cake Co. http://www.24karrot.com/index.html It was like a magnet drawing us in!! They had some beautiful cakes---some are on the website. Of course, we had to purchase a small one. It is excellent!!! And of course, only 17 million calories per bite.

Many years ago I purchased a Silverleaf timeshare resort in Branson at the President's Fairways. http://www.silverleafresorts.com/inside_rest_pres.jsp but have never had the opportunity to visit so today we drove out to the resort. We drove past a very nice golf course on the way to the condos. They were definately top of the line. Unfortunately, I just have rarely had the opportunity of use the timeshare. I would prefer to travel in the motor home.



We returned to our beautiful RV site and enjoyed popcorn on the patio--

with adult beverages, of course!!

June 8 Hot Springs Village, AR

I have some very dear friends, Lynn and Tom, that live in Hot Springs Village, AR.

This is a very unique community and is the largest gated community in America. It is beautiful!!

http://www.hotspringsvillagechamber.com/.

There are 9 golf courses and 12 lakes within the boundries of the community.




This picture was taken from an overlook area. Can you believe that there are houses hidden among all the trees?



What a place. You drive through heavily wooded areas, but rarely see a house, even thought there are approximately 8000 homes in the area. It is beautiful with all the lakes and golf courses everywhere.




Lynn & Tom and I met sometime in the mid-1990's on the internet.


There was---and still is--- a group of RVers that met on-line. Eventually, many of us met face-to-face, having dozens of RV get-to-gethers (GTG) all over the country. Life long friendships have been formed through this group known just as the RVClub. http://www.rvclub.com/



The last time that Lynn & Tom and I saw each other was in 2002 at an RV GTG that became known as "OZ" because it was held in Kansas. We met in At Melvern Lake in Kansas each year--sometimes 10-15 rigs--sometimes more. One year there was over 50 rigs. OZ continues on--the only change is that it was moved from June to October because of the tornado season. What fun we have had through the years!!

When we arrived at "The Village", Lynn met us at the gate and we followed her to the small RV park which is reserved for guests of the residents. We got the rig set up, and Lynn gave us a grand tour of the Village.

We had a great dinner on Saturday evening in their home. On Saturday, Tom and Jerry played golf while Lynn and I did more sightseeing in Hot Springs.


That evening we went to dinner at the http://www.lastchanceofhotspringsvillage.com/Home_Page.php A neat place!


While there, friends of Lynn and Tom's came by the table and invited us all for a boat ride after dinner.


The lake was beautiful and the homes along the shoreline were outstanding.

What a great way to end the day--

and a wonderful visit.

Thanks, Lynn and Tom.

I love you guys!!

June 5 Hot Springs, AR

We drove to Hot Springs with plans to stay at the Cloud Nine RV Park http://www.cloudninerv.com/ several miles outside of Hot Springs. As with many places, they have a nice web site but the park is nothing like represented. Fortunately, when I called ahead, they had not asked for a credit card! We drove through and left, heading back to town.


The only other real option was the KOA http://www.koa.com/where/AR/04106/. We avoid KOA parks whenever possible, but there was no choice this time. It was the norm for KOA, dirt/gravel roads & pads and short narrow sites.

We did a little sightseeing while there. The area is beautiful so we drove around one of the scenic loops and drove through the Lake Ouachita State Park. The lake is beautiful, as is the entire area. http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/lakeouachita/

Back in town, we had fun riding the Duck http://www.rideaduck.com/ducks/index.php


The Duck is "The DUKW, or "Duck" as we call it, is amphibious landing craft developed by the U.S. Army during World War II to deliver cargo from ships at sea directly to shore."

You board the Duck in town, and take a tour around town, the head to one of the many lakes in the area. The Duck is driven into the water, and takes a tour around the lake, then is driven up a boat ramp on the other side. Very interesting!!

We left the KOA on Saturday morning--and we were glad to leave. It was not the type of RV Park that we enjoy.

June 4 Bossier City, LA

It is finally time to start heading north to our destination of Omaha, NE. We stopped in Bossier City, LA at Diamond Jacks Casino http://www.diamondjacks.com/bossiercity/rv_park.aspx . The park was not as nice as we thought it would be, so we only stayed 2 nights. Nothing eventful about the stay, just a place to "hang out" a couple of days.

May 30 Gladewater, TX

Today we drove back to Kilgore to visit the Kilgore Rangerettes Museum which is the world's best-known collegiate drill team. http://www.rangerette.com/ There was a 12 minute movie showing the history of the group along with some of the past performances. These young ladies travel all over the world. The drill team did their first on field performance in 1940 and have been performing ever since. Their routines are done with such precision that is incredible. If you ever have the opportunity to see them perform, or to visit the museum, it will be well worth the time.

We also went back to the "World's Richest Acre" and walked around among all the derricks.

For lunch we went to the Country Tavern just west of Kilgore. They have been around cookin' ribs since 1930. There is no menu--at least we were not offered one---the choices are ribs, brisket, or sausage & small, medium, or large. We had the small order of ribs which was more than enough. Then we bought a full rack to bring home. They were really great.

We really enjoyed our time at the Shallow Creek Golf/RV Resort http://www.shallowcreek.com/rvpark.htm . We made new friends, Bill and Jan, the park hosts for the summer. A couple that we parked near in Kerrville, TX back in March stopped for the night and we had a nice visit with them. Then, just before we left, Susan and Chris from the Foretravel owners list stopped in for the night. We had visited with them in Nacogdoches, TX at the factory. It was great to spend time with them again. They have really put the miles on the coach since we last saw them going to Tucson and back in a short time. On June 3, we move on to the next stop.

.

May 24 Gladewater, TX

After leaving Kinder, we made a quick stop in Nacogdoches. While there we got to meet and visit with Chris and Susan, Foretravel owners from the owner's forum. They are a great couple and we really enjoyed visiting with them.

On Saturday, May 24 we drove to the Shallow Creek Golf and RV Resort in Gladewater, TX http://www.shallowcreek.com/rvpark.htm --it is very neat and clean as well as one of the friendlest parks that we have been in. One of the reasons we wanted to come here was so Jerry could play golf. Weather was not good for a few days, but he finally got to play. He said that the course was not the greatest. But, then, he admits that after playing on the manicured courses in the CA desert, that nothing around here would compare. We had planned on staying 2 weeks, but will probably leave on June 1 or 2--destination unknown!

We went to Kilgore to visit the East Texas Oil Museum. This fascinating museum houses the authentic re-creation of oil discovery and production in the early 1930s from the largest oil field inside U.S. boundaries. http://www.easttexasoilmuseum.com/Pages/history.html It is well worth the visit if you are ever in this area.

We also drove past "The World's Richest Acre" where there were Over 1,100 producing wells in Kilgore at the height of the boom http://www.texasescapes.com/EastTexasTowns/Kilgore-Texas.htm.

May 18 Kinder, LA

Sunday, May 18, we left Nacogdoches and drove about 170 miles to Kinder, LA where there is nice casino and RV Park. http://www.coushattacasinoresort.com/ I was in Kinder about 10 years ago, and there has been so much growth in the area due to the casino. The RV Resort adjacent to the Casino is very nice, as it was 10 years ago.

Tuesday, we decided to visit the coastal area of Louisiana. We drove though Lake Charles and on down to Creole, Cameron, and Holly Beach. These are 3 small towns that were wiped off the map by Hurricane Rita on September 24, 2005. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9389157/ There are lots of websites on Rita, but most describe the situation in Texas, especially Houston. It seems like these little communities were forgotten, even though they took the direct hit. The devestation is still very visable. Driving along the streets and highways, you could see more foundations of homes blown away than you actual homes. There is quite a bit of new construction going on, including some new homes.

We stopped in Cameron at a truck on the side of the road to buy fresh shrimp and were visiting with the ladies there. We saw a picture of the remains of the home of one of them---just the stilts that the home was sitting on. They shared with us some of the experiences that they faced during those days.

The ladies told us that there are plans for a new casino to be built with hotels, etc. That will really be a boost the local economy.

Driving though the area we found few, if any, of the things that we would expect. We finally found a gas station--we were just about on empty! The price was very high, so we only got a little to get back to Lake Charles. It was the only one we saw in the entire area. There was one very small resturant in Cameron, but it was early and we were not ready to eat. Big mistake! An hour and a half later, we finally found a convenience store to get an ice cream bar to get us by for a while. That convenience store was the closest thing to a grocery store that we saw in the area.

There were some beautiful areas of the drive, but seeing the destruction remaining after 3 years is something that I won't forget. I can only imagine what it was like on September 24, 2005 and the weeks following.

We got back to the RV Park and I put most of the shrimp in the freezer--and saved some out to put on the grill for dinner--YUMMY!!

May 9, Nacogdoches, TX

After a couple of days in Waco, we went back to the Foretravel Factory in Nacogdoches, TX. http://www.foretravel.com/ . We had an appointment on May 12 to have new awnings installed on the coach. Since we had nothing else to do, we just came in early. Even though it is a huge parking lot, it is still pleasant since there are always other owners to visit with.

We continue to be amazed at the quality of this coach. The items that have needed attention have been so minor, compared to other coaches that we have had and those that so many others have had.

Nacogdoches is the oldest town in Texas and has a rich history. There is a lot of interesting information on the city website. http://www.visitnacogdoches.org/

While there we had some really bad thunderstorms. Tribble is so frightened when there is just a sprinkle of rain, and becomes totally hysterical when the weather gets bad. The storms started on Tuesday night--I was up most of the night with Tribble. They continued all day Wednesday. Fortunately, I was able to stay in the coach while it was in the service bay. I had sedated her, and just sat in the recliner ALL day holding her. Then the storms came again that night--this time really bad--and I had to sedate her again--again, I was up most of the night. I hate to have to knock her out, but there really is no choice. Then she has a really bad hangover the next day. Then during the night Friday night, she woke me up at the same time that the storms had started the two previous nights---trembling--afraid it would happen again. She is so pitiful when the storms hit--and after those two nights, just a tiny shower really upsets her.

When we were in NAC a couple of months ago, we met a great couple, Debbie and Kim, that live there and are Foretravel owners. They came by to visit on Sunday evening, and then went to dinner the following Saturday. We really enjoyed visiting with them and look forward to seeing them again.

Other than these things, it was an uneventful time.

May 6 Waco, TX

We were glad to leave Austin and drove in the rain and fog to Waco. We spent 2 days in Waco, staying at the I-35 RV Park. http://www.i35rvpark.com/ It was nothing fancy, but the owner and people were friendly and it serviced it's purpose.

While in Waco we visited the Texas Ranger Hall of fame http://www.texasranger.org/ The museum is very impressive covering several rooms with hundreds of items on display.

The Texas Rangers are said to be the oldest state law enforcement agency in North America. Rangers were first used in 1823 when Stephen F. Austin recruited ten tough and talented militia men to help ward off brutal Indian attacks in the Mexican province of Tejas. These men are also believed to have been volunteers who had to provide their own arms and horses. From the earliest days, the Rangers were comprised of Anglos, Hispanics and American Indians. They were called upon to handle the toughest assignments, usually in conflicts where they were far outnumbered. The Texas Rangers were the only group to ride to the Alamo in response to Travis' final plea for help.The first legislative mention of the Rangers did not occur until 1874. But they were there..... Click on the below link for a great read and a trip into the past. It is the best. http://www.texasrangers.org/history.asp

May 4 Austin, TX

We drove from San Antonio to Austin and spent 2 days at the Austin Lone Star "Resort". http://www.austinlonestar.com/ This was, without a doubt, one of the worst places I have ever stayed.

The weather was rainy and dreary but we were looking forward to visiting Austin and seeing the Texas Capitol Building.




After seeing the Granite Mountain while in Marble Falls (see April 26 post) it made the building even more awesome.

This is the statue on top of the capitol building.

I wish the weather had not been so dreary so that I would have better pictures.


We did not do much else. Mainly drove around just looking at the sights.

April 30 San Antonio, TX

We ended up not being able to stay the entire week at Sunset Point. Wednesday we moved to Blazing Star Resort in San Antonio http://blazingstarrv.com/ and stayed for 4 days. We wanted to be near the airport just in case Jerry had to fly home for a family situation. Fortunately, that did not happen. On Friday, we spent the day downtown on the RiverWalk http://www.sanantonioriverwalk.com/photo.html .

The worst part of leaving early was not having another chance for pie the BlueBonnet Cafe! We were planning on going on Friday! Really wanted more pie--but of course, neither of us needed it. We only had 1 piece each while in Marble Falls.

April 26 Marble Falls, TX

We decided to leave Kerrville a few days early so that we would have a little more time for sightseeing in other areas of Texas. We had a hard day driving---all of 88 miles! We decided to spend a week at Sunset Point http://www.sunsetpointlbj.com/ just outside of Marble Falls, TX. There are lot of places to sight see around the area. It is a nice little park and we had a lovely waterfront site.


The first place to visit was the Bluebonnet Cafe http://www.bluebonnetcafe.net/ It is a 75 year old tradition in Marble Falls and is famous for it's pies. There were pies everywhere! Jerry asked how many pies they bake. He was told about 75/day during the week and twice that on weekends! That is a lot of pies.

One of the amazing sites in Marble Falls is the huge Granite Mountain.

Granite Mountain's true fame began on July 29, 1885 when the owners, "donated to the people of Texas, granite sufficient and suitable for the building, erection and completion of the entire State Capital Building." Convict labor was contracted for the tremendous task of cutting the granite into blocks for shaping. Mule-drawn flat cars were used to haul the blocks to the dressing and shaping grounds at the quarry. A narrow gauge railroad was specially built to haul the 15,700 carloads of granite from the quarry to the Capital Building site in Austin. The Texas Capital is second in size only to the National Capital. When constructed, it was said to be the seventh largest building in the world.

Unending flow of the superb material has continued ever since, yet bulk of the dome has hardly been diminished. It was huge. At first we did not realize what it was, but after reading about it, each time we drove past it, we could not help but comment on it.


The sunsets at the RV park were beautiful. Unfortunately, I usually missed them and did not get the pictures that I would like to have.



Of course, I did not get any "sunrise" pictures!

April 19 Winery Tour

We were not thinking today when we decided to go visit some wineries in the area. We went to 7 different ones. Unfortunately, we arrived just after limos and tour busses at three of them. They were so crowded that we did not wait in line for tasting. We got some wine at some of the others, and passed some because they had nothing that we liked. But, the best still seemed to be from the little winery that we visited last week at Sisterdale. We went back by there on the way home and picked up a couple more bottles of the "Reserve" that is only available at the winery.

At this rate we may be certified winos by the time we leave this area!!!

According to the map, it was only about 130 miles, but it took most of the day and we came home exhausted!

April 18 My aunt visits

My Aunt Virginia and a friend came out from San Antonio to visit. Neither of them have ever done any RVing or camping of any kind, so they really did not know what to expect when they got here. They really were impressed with the resort and the number of high end rigs that are here.

For dinner, along with the normal salad and green beans, Jerry grilled some of the salmon that he caught in Canada and I made a blackberry cobbler from berries that we picked last year in Oregon. They were impressed and really enjoyed the meal. The weather was perfect for staying outside.

April 12 Still in Kerrville

Today we drove back to Fredericksburg to visit The National Museum of the Pacific War http://nimitz-museum.org/ The museum is very well done with hundreds of displays. Admiral Chester Nimitz was born in Fredericksburg and the museum highlights his life. For anyone visiting the area, it is well worth the visit.

April 7, 2008 Kerrville, TX

We left Victoria on Monday, March 31 heading to Kerrville. There was potential bad weather so we stopped in Seguin, TX at D&A RV http://www.dnarvresort.com/ . It works for an overnight, but that is all.

Tuesday, we arrived at Buckhorn Lake RV Resort http://www.buckhornlake.com/ This is a first class place--wonderful in every way. We are in site 6121 facing a small stream which is stocked for fishing (catch and release). We were planning on staying here for a month, but may leave early so that we can see more of the state.

We are really disappointed that this is a bad year for the beautiful Texas Bluebonnets. There has not been enough rain, and there are very few showing. Hopefully there will be more when we travel to other areas.

Today we went driving around the area. Wandered around the streets of Fredericksburg, which is a neat little German town with lots of shops to check out.


After Fredericksburg we went to Luckenbach, the home of Waylon, Willie, and The Boys. Not much there except the old dance hall and bar.

Even in the middle of the day, it is a lively place.
One can only imagine the activity on a Saturday night.






There are a bunch of wineries in the Texas Hill Country and we are going to visit several of them. We went to one today in Sisterdale, population 25! http://www.sistercreekvineyards.com/ Of course, we bought a couple of bottles of wine, but don't have a lot of storage space, so will have to drink as we go!

March 29 Victoria, TX

We had planned on leaving today, but it started raining--and a forcast of isolated thunderstorm all day from here to Kerrville, TX--our next stop. So, we decided to just stay another day or two. A great day to just do nothing!

We went to breakfast at the club house. Sausage, pancakes, biscuits, eggs, coffee, juice for $3.00--all you can eat. What a deal. Included at no charge was the fun visiting with all the friends gathered to eat. That was especially nice since I have been so busy since we have been here that I have not had time to visit much.

March 22- 28 Victoria, TX

Again, we drove back roads and arrived at Dad's RV in Victoria. I have stayed here off and on for years when in Victoria. I lived in Victoria until I started full-timing in 1998. With family and business here, I come back a couple of times a year.

It is always fun to come here this time of year to visit with friends who are here for the winter.

We stayed for a week to get everything done that was necessary.

March 19-21 Kemah, TX

When time permits, we like to stay off the major highways and take the back roads. Today was no exception. We drove south through Beaumont going toward the Gulf of Mexico. We drove down Hwy 87, which is a long island. At the east end of the island, there is a ferry http://www.crystalbeach.com/greer.htm to get across to Galveston.


Since Spring Break was going on, I had trouble finding an RV Park. Nothing was availabe on Galveston Island---the closest one I could find was the Lakeside RV http://www.lakesidervparktx.com/ in Kemah. It had only been open for about a year and was very nice---but not on the Gulf as we had hoped.

So, on Friday, we went to Galveston and drove the length of the island--crossed the toll bridge on the other. We had hoped to take the coach that way, but glad that we did not because the toll booth was so narrow that we probably would have done some damage to the coach!

March 8 - 18 Nacogdoches, TX

We arrived at the Foretravel Factory http://www.foretravel.com/ on Saturday afternoon after an uneventful day of travel. There was a huge area for coaches--probably at least 50 sites with water and electricity and 2 dump stations. There is a laundry room with washers and dryers for the use of the customers at no charge--this was wonderful considering how long we stayed.

We had not been there long when some people came to the door looking for us. It was Debbie and Kim. Super nice folks that live in Nac. They were back and forth during the week visiting with everybody and even brought their coach over for a couple of nights to be closer to visit. Barry and Darlene were there, too. They don't live too far from us in California. We met several other nice couples while there.

On Monday we went in for service. The employees were all just wonderful. They had a bunch of guys working on the coach for 3 days. They fixed things that we did not know needed to be fixed! Needless to say, we had a water pressure regulator installed while here. (See Las Cruces, NM post).

We are totally impressed with Foretravel and the entire experience of owning this coach.

We went over to Motorhomes of Texas http://motorhomesoftexas.com/ , the dealer from whom we purchased the coach---they were all so nice, too. Everybody just went out of their way to do what needed to be done.

We had an appointment with MOT to have awnings installed on March 25, but the factory said that they could do it on the 18th, so we just stayed there and waited. We were in the service bay for installation when they realized that the incorrect awnings had been shipped.

So, we left, and will return in a couple of months.

March 7 Grand Prairie, TX

As we were driving along I-20 east of Abilene, we began noticing something white along the side of the road. Looked a little strange. Began seeing more and more and realized it was SNOW. What a surprise. It was not enough to create a driving hazard and was pretty. About the time we got to Fort Worth, my daughter, who lives north of Fort Worth, called and said that they had 9" of the white stuff. Because it was necessary to get to the Foretravel for service on Monday, we could not stay and visit. We stopped at Trader's Village RV http://www.tradersvillage.com/en/grandprairie/rv in Grand Prairie, TX. It was an okay park, for an overnight stop.

March 6 Big Spring, TX

It was an uneventful day of driving. We stopped for the night in Big Spring, TX staying at the Texas RV Park http://www.txrvpark.com/ . It got us off the road for the evening, but it was not a place that we would want to visit again.

March 5 Las Cruces, NM

This day finds us going to Las Cruces, NM. We stayed at the Hacienda RV Resort http://www.haciendarv.com/ We have stayed here in the past and it is a very nice place. We did have a serious problem, though. When outside, Jerry noticed water in the storage bay. I went inside and discovered a bunch of water under the sink. Several of the hose connections were loose. The next morning, I discovered water in the floor outside the bathroom. When the commode was flushed, it blew out the hose there--thank goodness it was clean water. It turns out that the park has very high water pressure and we had blown out some lines! When Jerry went to the office, they said that the water pressure was high. Jerry said that they really should warn people when they come in. They did not seem to think it was necessary.

Our plans had been to continue on the the Big Bend area for a few days of sight seeing. But, since it was now necessary to wash dishes in the bathroom, and to run water in a pitcher to use in flushing the commode, we called the Foretravel factory to see if we could get in early. They said that it would not be a problem so we just headed that way -- that is where we were going anyway, now were just going to be a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.

March 3-4 Apache Junction, AZ

We left the Covered Wagon very early to beat the traffic to the Detroit Diesel place. They checked out the coach and found no codes on the computer. They drove it, and of course the light did not come on. They could find no problems, so we left.

We drove across town to Apache Junction to the Sunrise RV. There is a lovely website http://www.robertsresorts.com/sunrise/ but don't let that fool you. The place was the pits. The people were rude on check in. Then they wanted cash or check--no credit cards. This is really not an RV park but a Park Model community for snowbirds with a few sites for RV's When we got to our site, we found the sewer connection in the middle under the transmission of the coach --the place needed for a park model. To hook up the sewer hose, it would have been necessary to pull the coach forward, hook it up, then back the coach over it. Then, the fun would begin when it was time to disconnect since it was running up-hill. Needless to say, we did not hook up the sewer. For 2 days, we did not need it anyway.

The next problem was the doggy walk. The key required a $2 deposit. We took Tribble out for a walk, went through the gate and ------- we were outside the park on the street in a residental neighborhood. Not good.

Another complaint was that we had to leave a $40 cash deposit for a transmitter to get back in the park if we were out past 7 PM.

Anyway--- good friends Keith and Sandy & Dave and Helen came in the next day. We had reservation for the Arizona Opry http://www.azopry.com/ These folks put on a great show with dinner before the show. Some exceptional talent in this family. We had all seen it 3 years ago and looked forward to seeing it again.

February 29 - March 3, 2008 Phoenix, AZ

We left Lake Havasu City on Feb. 29th and drove to Phoenix, AZ. Along the way, the check transmission light came on. When we got to Phoenix, we called Cummins Coach Care, and was told that they don't work on transmissions and said to go the CAT dealer. We went there, and they would not look at it because it was not a CAT! So, we went to the Detroit Diesel place. The checked the computer code and suggested that we drive no more than necessary until they could check it out on Monday--so we started looking for the closest RV park. We found the Covered Wagon RV Park--it left a lot to be desired--not in the best part of town, but we had no problems.

The highlight of the stay was when we were told about a doggy park nearby. We took Tribble over to play. The place was sponsored by PetSmart. It was about 3 acres with separate sections for small dogs and large dogs. The dogs were all running and playing and having a great time. Tribble loved being able to run and play without her leash.

February 25-28, 2008 Lake Havasu City, AZ

We spent 4 days at the Havasu Resort. http://www.havasurvresort.com/ It was a great place to walk but the fitness room leaved a lot to be desired. So, I just walked some more.

Jerry's brother Andy, and his friend Ritva live in Lake Havasu so we had some wonderful time with them. They fixed dinner for us 2 nights. Great quality family time.

2008 Foretravel Nimbus SE

December 18, 2007 we took possession of our new motorhome in Phoenix, AZ. We waited to get it until we knew that we would have things in order to be able to travel for several months to comply with a California state law regarding sales tax.

We traded in our 42' quad slide 2005 Country Coach Magna for the Foretravel which is 40' triple slide. It was amazing how much more storage is in the Foretravel. After emptying the Magna, I had a bunch of empty cabinets. Of course, they did not stay empty long!

We leased out our home in Riverside, CA and started packing. We stored everything in the RV garage and got ready to hit the road. The tenents took possession around Feb. 15, 2008. We went to our lot in Indio, CA at Outdoor Resorts http://orindio.com/ to finish getting the motor home organized and stuff arranged.