Wasn't a Month Enough?

Well we weren't home a week and we were at it again.

A camp club outing about 30 minutes from home. Weather forecast was for COLD and snow flurries.

The group had access to a cabin at the fairgrounds where we camped so we could have our meeting and activities. The fireplace in the cabin threw heat about four feet into the building so the only real escape from the cold was our individual campers.

We invited Tim, Amy and the girls to the camp out as we would be winterizing the motorhome and would not be taking it out again till spring. Amy and the girls picked Tim up at work and they headed north. Unfortunately they took a different route due to having picked Tim up at work and this caused some confusion. After hours in the car they finally arrived after 8 p.m.

As you can see from this picture, we were quite cozy. Four adults, two children and two dogs filled up the 32 ft. motorhome. Moisture was just dripping down the windows from condensation.

The girls met Sebrina, granddaughter, of friends of Jim and Sherry. They hit it off and all three came to our place to watch a movie.

Trip Stats

Motorhome Miles = 3696

Car Miles = 1920

Total Miles = 5616

Gas Motorhome 520.19 gal = $1301.75 mpg 6.89

Gas Car 75.82 = $208.24 mpg 25.33

Lowest price per gallon $2.04 Great Bend, KS

Highest price per gallon $2.89 Sidney, WY & Moab, UT

Camping = $524.85 (includes Samboree)

Most expensive $39.48 Zion (private cg)

Least expensive $5 Capitol Reef

Misc. Expenses--souvenirs, ice cream/snacks, admissions, tolls = $291.43

Restaurants = $217.93

Ate out six times. One time was dinner and show.

Total 30 days $2609.90 / $87 per day

Did not include groceries as we would have had to eat at home anyway.

2003 Trip West

Duration = 27 days

Total Expenses = $2433.49 (includes groceries)

2004 Trip West

Duration = 36 days

Total Expenses = $2668.33 (6 days no camping fees stayed with family) (includes groceries)

Top Ten Glitches and Problems

1) Fridge goes out when traveling in wind.

2) Furnace was acting up.

3) Various drawers not properly closed came out sometimes strewing contents about.

4) Ran out of LP

5) Car battery died.

6) Bedroom TV fell off its shelf on to bed. (we were driving at the time)

7) The spring on the Brake Buddy attachment for the brake pedal kept coming off.

8) Sue's camera mysteriously changes date and time--date and time vary.

9) Should have planned to spend more time at the Family History Center in Salt Lake

10) Quark got sick.

Kiss the Ground We're Finally Home

The car battery died. We need to start the car every 200 miles and put it in gear so the transmission doesn't burn up. Could not start. Rain threatening. Found someone to jump the car.

After four long hard days we are finally home. Mountains in Colorado, winds through Kansas, Missouri and Iowa, trouble with the car and a vet visit in Dodge City for Quark.

There's no place like home.

Windy Again

Had to stop early today. The wind was as bad as it was yesterday and the day before. It is now 48 outside and raining.

Stopped driving at 2:15 p.m. and are staying at Terrible's Lakeside Casino Campground in Osceola, IA. The place has filled up since we got here. Talked to a few of the campers and they stopped for the same reason we did, the wind. We picked up a brochure at the Iowa Welcome Center that said a site was $20 a night and you would receive a $10 comp at the casino. They quit doing that on 9/30. We were also supposed to get cable, no cable. We do have Wi-Fi though.

They did have a terrific buffet with prime rib, ham, crab legs, shrimp (you peel and scampi), chicken, Chinese and Italian. Yummy.

We are now back in the motorhome being rocked by the wind. Folks are still pulling in for the night. As far as I can tell there are only three spaces open.

Addendum

Six hour (+-) drive tomorrow because we stopped early today. It will be good to get home.

Spent a Week in Kansas and it was Called Thursday

We had never been to Kansas before. Right in the middle of the country and we missed it. Been in all the other lower forty-eight.

How do I sum up Kansas--Wind. There may have been more to it but who could notice. There were 40 + mph gusts and steady 35 mph wind. When you are driving a box down the road you tend to notice the wind. We were on two-lane roads with a cross wind until we got on I-70.

When an on-coming semi passed us we were first sucked toward the center line then pushed toward the side of the road. We were trying to analyze the effects of various types of trucks and determined you just can't tell. We weren't the only ones being buffeted in our "little" 15-year-old motor home. Even the big fancy motorhomes were getting pummeled. This went on from 9:45 to 2:30.

Dodge City

Recreated Front Street

After another long day. We got into Dodge City and spending the night at Gunsmoke Campground.

What to do with the limited time here. There were many choices although some were eliminated right off as they were closed. We chose to go to the Boot Hill Museum.

The actual remains who were buried on Boot Hill have been relocated to a newer cemetery in town. Boot Hill was never an official cemetery, rather it was used as a burial ground for buffalo hunters, drifters and others who had no family in the area--a potters field. The cemetery closed in 1879.

The museum is more than Boot Hill. The museum's Front Street buildings are reconstructions, exhibiting hundreds of original artifacts. They represent Dodge City in 1876, and were carefully researched through historic photographs and newspapers. A wonderful collection of artifacts displayed in vignettes behind the store fronts. During the peak season you will find gunfights and a variety show at the Long Branch Saloon.

The Long Branch was an actual saloon. Gunsmoke used the name.

It was an educational and fun visit.

Trying to be artsy.