Making The Best of Hurricane Evacuation

From River Town Campground, Vicksburg, Mississippi      This is where we stopped in our hurricane evacuation.  Not so much as a drop of rain or a puff of wind was noticed here last night while Hurricane Nate came ashore near Biloxi late in the evening.

We arrived around 4 p.m., hot, sweat, tired and stressed. The campground has gravel roads which Lexie and Ozzie simply cannot walk on, but the campsites are clean, open, quiet and right on Highway 61, just south of Vicksburg. The bedroom slide struggled to go out so we just left it in and worked around the lack of space. It's probably going to get worse and we certainly don't want to get stuck here in need of a major slide-out repair.

Wayne's clothes had been soaked and dried in perspiration at least two times today but he insists he isn't as tired as he looks. The worst part of the day for him, I think, was missing the 11 a.m. Auburn / Ole Miss game. He did catch part of it on the coach radio as we rode. It was a nice 44-23 win for the home team.

Our plan had been to explore Vicksburg -- something we hadn't done since our automobile visit here in the early 1990's. We have good memories of that time and thought it would be fun to do again.

But the heat and stress took more out of us than we realized. Sunday morning came and neither of us had an appetite to unhook the truck in the sweltering heat. Even the thought of touring the civil war battlegrounds and the historic city couldn't motivate us. Instead, we watched hurricane coverage on television and stayed inside the coach.

We did stay a second night but headed back to Foley Monday morning.  While we didn't encounter rain evacuating on Saturday, we certainly got our share going back today.  It was nice to settle back into our sweltering temporary campsite at Bella Terra around 3:30 Monday.

I am really tired of hurricanes. We've wrestled with some measure of worry over four systems that affected our area this season.  T.S. Cindy, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and now Nate.

Going Topless

From Bella Terra of Gulf Shores, Foley, Alabama      The neighbors beside us here in the temporary RV site have a Mustang convertible that they keep under a canvas cover when they aren't here.  Richard, the neighbor, calls it his "fun" car.

I didn't realize it but the Wayner was developing a secret desire to have a "fun" car too and seeing Richard's Mustang intensified it. He confessed to me a couple weeks ago when he saw a red Mustang convertible with a "For Sale" sign in the window out on Highway 59 in Foley. He stopped. He looked... but the red Mustang didn't meet his stringent standards......

So.... we began looking for pre-owned convertible makes and models online. I helped him with research of convertibles. We looked at everything from TrueCar to Carfax to Car Trader to dealer sites to Craigslist. He broadened, then narrowed his convertible car choices to Ford Mustang, BMW, Lexus and Mercedez Benz. He prepared a list of pre-owned convertibles for sale in the area. Last Monday we drove to Mobile to see a Benz, Lexus and Mustang. Tuesday we drove to Destin to see a BMW. Wednesday was Pensacola Day where he checked another Mustang, another Lexus another Mercedez Benz and another BMW. It was hot and tiring work, but we kept going, Lexie and Ozzie in tow every mile.

Thursday was a day of rest from the physical car search, but not from the mental one. He doubled down on his research and made more phone calls.  By Friday evening, he had decided on the BMW he saw in Destin. Of course, that would be the car.... the farthest distance but it was a good price, with low miles and in fine condition. It's a 328i hardtop convertible. He bought it from a widow from Birmingham, now living in Destin. Strike up yet another Craigslist success story for us.

Here we are, about to go topless.

A couple more pictures....

Ready for an early evening ride in Pop's new car. 

A "New To Us" Golf Cart

From Bella Terra of Gulf Shores, Foley Alabama    


We bought a golf cart last week. It's used. Craft Farms golf course was rotating their fleet. We are not members, but a local friend is and he arranged to have this one offered to us ahead of some other members for just $1,750.

The cart seems to be in good operating condition -- a 2 person, 2008 Club Car with all new 48 volt batteries, charger and tires. It's not equipped for city driving but we plan to only use it within the confines of the resort.

Our friend, Frank, and one of the golf pros at Craft Farms even delivered the cart to us here at Bella Terra! That's service, friends.

We removed the golf club cover wedge from the back and I ordered a rain enclosure, rainproof cart cover, rear view mirror and extra keys (came with just one). We gave her a good washing, waxing and wiped the black plastic with one of those rejuvinating products to bring the color back. We're feeling pretty smug now, wheeling around with the pups between us -- and it sure beats pedaling a bicycle.

A second seat can be installed for about $300 and we are giving that some thought, but for now, we'll settle for a simple, inexpensive ride for just us and the dogs. In time, Wayne might decide he wants a newer one. We will see.

Lexie and Ozzie enjoy the evening ride.

Another late thunderstorm is heading our way!

That's a laundry/shower house in the background with more available Phase III lots all around.

So now we take "after dinner" golf cart rides to check the lot's building progress and tour the neighborhood.

Wagons Ho! Southbound from Kansas

From Covered Wagon Campground, Abilene, Kansas       Our two day journey from Rapid City, South Dakota to Abilene, Kansas was uneventful except for the aggravation that comes with the loss of cool in the coach's chassis air conditioning.   That coupled with the ever warming outside temperatures made us quite unhappy. This happened last year about this time and we had freon added in Foley, Alabama. I think there's a leak in there somewhere. Anyway, we arrived Abilene in a scorching 91 degree, sun drenched afternoon and waited for the world's longest train to make it's way through town just two blocks before we reached the campground.  Insult was heaped onto injury when the campground parked us in a treeless field. A final slap would be the horrendous black flying gnats that swarmed our heads when we dared to venture outside. Egads.  Good news is we are but a block or so from the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and boyhood home -- the reason we came here.

Here is a map of our route from Hart Ranch in Rapid City to Covered Wagon Campground in Abilene.

Without notice on the first travel day, we happened upon Carhenge, (think Stonehenge) an ingenious display of old cars, stacked and half buried in the dirt in the tiny town of Alliance, Nebraska. Evidently, the idea was conceived in 1987 buy a man in England to memorialize his father.

Carhenge 

Late in the afternoon we came upon this spectacular Archway spanning I-80 near Kearney, Nebraska. This beautiful archway represents 170 years of westward movement by Americans. From what I read, the archway has a variety of interesting displays.

The original plan for this destination was to rendezvous with Joyce and Charlie who live about a hundred miles south of Abilene in Wichita.  Two weeks ago, however, Joyce began her long awaited cataract surgery and it didn't go well. She's had several follow-up visits with the eye doctor and she is better, but her vision still isn't even as good as it had been before the surgery... much less better.  Joyce and Charlie are also in the midst of extensive remodeling of their home and the timing just didn't work out for them to be away during this time.

So on Tuesday morning we left Lexie and Ozzie at home in their play pen and drove the short two blocks from the campground to the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and boyhood home. To make the best use of our time, the ticket clerk suggested we go first to the Place of Meditation, where President Eisenhower, wife Mamie and first born son, Doud are buried.

The President's grave is on the left, First Lady on the right. Four year old Doud is buried here too but it's not clear where.

This purple banner hangs in the Place of Meditation and is apparently the words of then General Dwight David Eisenhower in prayer sometime before the war.

A bit of DDE trivia.  At birth, he wad David Dwight Eisenhower, but somehow upon enrollment at West Point, his first and middle names were transposed and he forevermore became Dwight David.

From the Place of Meditation, we walked to the boyhood home. This is where the Eisenhowers lived from 1898 until mother Ida Eisenhower died in 1946.

Concrete work is being done at the front of the house so tours were conducted through the back door, near where I'm standing in this picture.

The Eisenhower home remains on the original site and contains original furniture and household items just as they were when the family lived here.

The sitting room

The parlor

Dwight Eisenhower's mother, Ida. She lived in this house until she died in 1946.
Service men often came to the house after the war to pay respects to the Allied Commander. Mrs. Eisenhower usually had lemonade and cookies on the front porch for the unannounced visitors. 

The Eisenhower family Bible is on display in the house. 

The original telephone was never changed.  

The Eisenhower Museum was built by the Eisenhower Foundation with funds raised through public gifts. It is made of Kansas limestone and is a short sidewalk walk from the Eisenhower home.

Highlights of the Eisenhower Museum for me were:

Mamie's wedding gown and a display of wedding invitation, a pair of pearl earrings given her by Ike and a tiny piece of wedding cake contained in the small shield box.

Mamie's first inaugural gown

A personal card of Heinrich Himmler, Reichsfuhrer S.S. and personal stationary of Adlolf Hitler

Original watercolor by Adolf Hitler

The D-Day Planning Table

The Inflatable Rubber Dummy. Hundreds of these were ejected from planes over the Normandy coast. The silhouette gave the appearance of Allied troops parachuting to the ground. The dummies exploded when they hit, making the Germans think they were being fired on. The blast destroyed the decoy, causing the Germans to believe the soldier had moved out of the area,

This letter, marked "Personal and Private" was special to me too. It was from British General Montgomery to General Eisenhower.  Because it's hard to read, I typed the message in the caption block under the picture.

Dated: 27-9-44   "My dear Ike, H.M. The King has asked if he can come and stay with me for 3 or 4 nights, and see his troops. He proposes to arrive on evening 10th October. I have told His Majesty that I am sure will have no objection to his visit. He is anxious on of the of these days of his visit to lunch with you (as I think you asked him) and to visit American troops in the First U.S. Army next door to me. My tentative programme for him would be as follows. Does this suit you?
11 October - Second Army, 12 October - Canadian Army, 13 October - Lunch with you and see American troops.
14 October - Return to England. I am keeping the whole thing very secret and no one here knows anything about it except myself, and Lt. Col. Downey, my M.A.    Yours ever, Monty"

General Eisenhower's 1942 Cadillac Staff Car

After the War 

Eisenhower accomplishments - Both extremely special for us in our retirement travel.

A built bullet-proof podium built for Ike by IBM 

Ike's golf clubs along with a scorecard showing his play against proffessional golfer, Bobby Jones. 

Following our visit to the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, we enjoyed lunch at a local cafe in nearby Abilene Old Town and then rummaged around a consignment shop where I bought two nice, functional baskets. We returned to the coach, loaded Lexie and Ozzie and toured the rest of Abilene.

We followed signs to the Lebold mansion, not knowing what we'd find. Turns out this property site is that of the first cabin in Abilene Overland and Butterfield Stage Line. The couple who lived in the cabin were the parents of the first white child to be born here. They also were responsible for naming the city of Abilene.

Trains are everywhere in Abilene. I saw two depots. Wayne swears he saw a third. 

Lebold Mansion is for sale.  Completed in 1880, this 23 room mansion was built by a local banker who lost it after the depression of the late 1880's. For some 53 years, the building served as an apartment building, a telephone office and an orphanage. Restoration on the home didn't begin until 1972 and still is incomplete.

By 3:30, with our city tour complete, we returned to the coach.  Our time here is short as the weather is miserably hot. We pull out tomorrow, continuing the southeastward travel where I don't expect we'll get much cooler.

Ozzie Goes Home... Kind Of.

From Junction West RV Park, Grand Junction, Colorado     Before going on to northern Utah, Wayne and I made a one-hundred mile detour from Moab to Colorado.

Our plan is to rendevouz with Ozzie's foster mom, Robin, for a visit. It will be the first since we adopted him in September of 2011.

Ozzie, waiting for Robin

While the campground was just a big gravel parking lot, it was a pretty good location for us to see Robin who would be driving in from Rifle. The sun was nice but the daytime temperature was too cool to enjoy being outdoors anyway so we settled for an indoor reunion.

Robin provides a foster home for dogs rescued through Breeder Release Animal Service (BRAS) in Bon Carbo, Colorado.  Ozzie was one of her many charges. He came from an Amish puppy mill and was a terrible mess until BRAS and Robin got veterinary care and grooming for him and gave him a new start in life. He was four years old when he was rescued. Robin fostered Ozzie for about five months before we saw him on Petfinder.com and applied to adopt him.

But that was then. Nowadays Ozzie has his own Facebook page, Ozzie's Diary, where he posts important dogs stuff about his retirement travel life, Lexie, puppy mills, animal abuse, dogs available for adoption and other stuff. We never forget and always appreciate the good work done by Robin and all the other fine people who give homes and loving care to these pets. Without them, the rescues just couldn't be done.

Robin with Twit (L)and Mikey.  Ozzie (L) and Lexie are in my lap. 

As we knew it would be, our visit with Robin was wonderful but way too short. She brought along two of her fosters but could only stay for a couple of hours. We reminisced about our adoption application, our first meeting and Ozzie's life with us.

Lexie and Ozzie.... listening to every word and watching Robin's every move. Ozzie is scratching his left ear.

As often happens, Wayne found Grand Junction had a variety of big rig services so while there, he made appointments to have the coach serviced and to have a bent jack plate straightened. We stayed on for a second night at the campground and left late afternoon of the third day.

It was an enjoyable and productive stop, but too short.  From here we'll return to Utah and meet Pam, Ernie, Joyce and Charlie in Park City.

Tuba City To Wahweap

From Wahweap Campground, (Lake Powell) Page, Arizona     Tuba City had been a bust for Wayne and me. Our site was not level and the weather was awful. Leaving Camp Verde, we stopped in Flagstaff for six new tires for Endie. Meanwhile, Joyce and Charlie arrived Tuba City, set up camp and rushed to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to see it before the weather changed -- and it was getting cold with wind and rain forecast for the next day -- our only day there.

We decided to abandon the Grand Canyon idea the next day and go on to Lake Powell. Funny about cold or rainy weather. I want so settle in somewhere so I can be snug in the coach while the bad weather is all around.  So, next morning we had breakfast with Joyce and Charlie, said our goodbyes 'till tomorrow and then headed out...

Breakfast with Joyce and Charlie at Quality Inn RV Park and Restaurant, Tuba City

Page is not far from Tuba City so we didn't hook the truck to the coach. Instead, I drove it while Wayne drove Endie. When he pulled over to deflate the air mattress, I stopped too and rushed out to snap a picture of the rig with the matching colorful mountain in the background.

Driving into higher elevations we ran into snow about 20 miles out of Page. I wished I had my point and shoot Canon pocket camera in the cab of the truck but I made do with my phone camera -- using it like a point and shoot. Sometimes I just get lucky.

Snow and slush.

It was mid-afternoon when we reached Page first, then the Dam and finally Wahweap Campground along the shore of Lake Powell. Pam and Ernie were there already -- sitting out the rain and cold in their coach. We secured our site and set up. The four of us drove into Page for dinner.

At colorful and fun El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant in Page, Arizona  

As it always does, the rain did end and fair weather returned the next morning. Joyce and Charlie arrived safely and "Hell's Half Dozen" was, once again, ready to take in the sights.  I resumed my morning walks and snapped some pretty good pictures around Wahweap Campground and Lake Powell.

On a very windy morning after the rain. 

An almost completely empty campground

Walking nearer to the lake shore. 

From somewhere around the hotel, I think. 

Desert boating anyone? 

There's lots to do here in the Glen Canyon Dam area and we've got two weeks to get it all done.

The Great Quartzsite Dustbowl

From Rice Ranch, Quartzsite, Arizona        Quartzsite, Arizona is the third largest city in Arizona ... during a short period of time every January. I first heard of Quartzsite from a shopper at my pre-retirement garage sale. We've never attended the big RV show in Quartzsite but we drove through the tiny desert town during February 2011 and were, naturally, unimpressed. The annual Quartzsite RV Show was not on our bucket list but nearly everyone we met seemed to think it should be.

But..... as things happen, we learned the 2016 Quartzsite RV Show corresponded with our trip to Arizona quite by accident. The four of us agreed to tweak our our itinerary so we could witness the spectacle firsthand.

Vera and John, our friends from Phoenix, recommended Rice Ranch, a campground across the street from the big tent area in Quartzsite. Having never experienced this event, we didn't want to risk camping on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) the first time so we called Rice Ranch. It didn't take much to persuade our friends, Suzi and Jim to join us for a few days visit at the 33rd Annual RV Show in Quartzsite.

The ride from Yuma to Quartzsite on Sunday, January 17th, was only about 80 miles, driving north on U.S. 95. The desert scenery along the way was nice, if you like desert and I do.

Our ride north from Yuma on U.S. 95.
Castle Dome in the distance

The big guns of Yuma Proving Grounds

Drawing nearer to Castle Dome and then beyond. 

We reached Quartzsite around lunchtime, behind Suzi and Jim and Pam and Ernie who were already there. Within minutes, I saw the familiar army green hat of my friend Vera. She and John were parked directly ahead of Pam and Ernie, who were to our immediate left. Vera brought us two large bags of delicious citrus... tangelos and oranges from the trees at their home outside Phoenix. What a treat!

Rice Ranch campground entrance as seen through the coach windshield on approach

We navigated through a maze of camping rows to reach our campsite.

Quartzsite is a dusty desert town with two exits off I-10 less than ten miles east of the California state line. While it's population swells to the point of bursting during the various shows, the town's official population was less than 5,000 in a recent census.

One can visit the RV show in Quartzsite without spending a single red cent. Camping on BLM property is virtually free, car parking is free and admission to the show costs nothing.  That can be good, but is mostly a bad thing in my view for all the obvious reasons.

Looking toward the Big Tent at Quartzsite.
Colorful helium balloons fly high over the show area.

The afternoon we arrived, Wayne and I ate lunch and then headed for the big tent. Lexie and Ozzie stayed home as the rocky grounds would be too difficult to push the stroller through. I didn't take pictures that afternoon. Next day we wandered among the vendors beyond the tent.

Here's how it all looked through my eyes....

People milling about looking at....? 
Meanwhile, talent challenged musicians play at music on every corner.
One woman sat on the ground banging  the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket.

Buying and selling junk mostly. Praise the Lord.

There were no RV manufacturers represented at the Quartzsite show. I saw one dealership with inventory on the show grounds. About six new Entegra coaches were on display and some used ones.  We looked in nearly all the new coaches and a few used ones.

On Tuesday we drove to La Mesa RV and looked around at the inventory on their Quartzsite lot. Several units we'd seen at their Yuma location had been brought to Quartzsite but their prices were not reduced.

We also stopped in at a lot where a few higher-end coaches were for sale. No big bargains here either.

A couple of Prevosts, a Newel, a Zephyr and a few others were at this lot.

The best part of being in Quartzsite was our early evening happy hour, dinner and campfire get-togethers. We enjoyed three nights: hot dog night, pork roast and chicken chili night and pizza night. All prefaced with early happy hour. We are retirees, after all.

Jim and Suzi. Notice the Suzy RIP grave marker beside her.
Ernie found it near a dumpster, obviously a dog's grave marker, which was, sadly, removed and discarded.

John and Vera's Fleetwood Expedition and the first evening's sunset.

Second night. Chicken chili and grilled pork roast.

Grilled pork roast and chicken chili night.
Left to right: Jim, Suzi, Pam (standing), Ernie and Adia.
Left to right with backs to the camera, Wayne, John and Vera

On Tuesday morning, John and Vera left us. Pam and Ernie, Wayne and I had to change sites that day too. We would have one more evening together with Jim and Suzi before they returned to Yuma and the four of us moved on to southern California.

Left to right: Vera, me and Pam in our best K-mart pose.

The Wayner, Smiling John and Ernie



Our second site at Rice Ranch. Just as dusty as the first one.

Tuesday was our last full day at Quartzsite. We made a final visit to the big tent and took turns spinning the wheel for prizes from The Palms RV Resort in Yuma. No, we're not going back to collect our winning.

Pam took a turn at The Palms of Yuma's wheel of fortune.

Ernie won a 7-night stay at The Palms in Yuma!
Wayne won a one-night stay.  I won "notta"

Wayne and Ernie both got lightweight, telescoping, lighted flagpoles and American flags for the coaches. That would be our big purchase of the show.  We bought them at the Flag Pole Buddy vendor booth.

Pam and I made a final purchase. It was the important selection of a small "natural" gift for our travel pal and good friend, Joyce.  We pored over hundreds of pieces looking for the perfect one for her collection. Can't post a picture of it here as we don't want to ruin the surprise.



Look beyond the first sign to the yellow one behind.
R.V. Proctologist - RV tank cleaner.  Yuck.



Tuesday. Pizza night. Our last evening at Rice Ranch. John and Vera are gone. 
Fireball for the daring among us. That would be Jim.

A parting shot of Rice Ranch.

Quartzsite is officially checked off now. Wayne and I are both glad we went and we had a good time. We agree we probably wouldn't go again.