Trip to Alaska and West coast

July 12, 2013 – We are now parked in On-Ur-Wa RV Park in Onawa, IA. It has large cottonwood trees to park under and all the usual park things. Dinner was leftover Chicken and rice with chicken vegetable soup over it. Good quick meal. Jo Ann could not believe it that our RV Park is right next to a DQ. I went to bed early last night. It is usually about 10 -11:00. I believe it was about 8:30. I may want to keep 8:30 as bed time.  We are usually gotten up at 6:00 am by Prissy to eat. Jo Ann goes back to bed and I make coffee, look at e-mails, Facebook and pay bills.

Corn everywhere in Iowa and Nebraska

Downtown Omaha, NE

ON-UR-WA-RV Park

Lake along Int 29 

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

July 10, 2013 – Today, we visited St Joseph, MO founded in 1843.. It is a nice old town but looks like it has been on hard times. You can still see many of the old beautiful expensive buildings from when the city was a booming place. However, many are closed or for sale. We visited the Pony Express Museum. They took ten (10) days to go from St Joseph to Sacramento (2000 miles) with ten (10) pounds of mail. The telegraph and railroads put them out of business. They only ran from 1861- 1862 (19 months). Also, Jesse James was shot here by one of his own men (Bob Ford) for a $10,000 dollar reward. The house and bullet hole can still be seen. Lewis and Clark also came through there up the Missouri river. It is a very historical town that is now in the past. Jo Ann found a Dairy Queen for lunch and tonight’s dinner may just be what ever you can find. Tomorrow we are traveling by Council Bluffs, Omaha, to On-Ur-Wa RV Park in Onawa, IA. The trailer is as level as we have ever had it. Beacon RV Park is a good small place. We have a large shade tree, 85 cable channels, internet, electric, water, and sewerage.

Pony Express Museum

Pony Express Museum

Patee Hotel Museum HQ for Pony Express, US Troops during Civil War and best hotel west of the Mississippi

Patee Hotal

 

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

July 8, 2013 – Go West Young Man. We departed St Louis like many of the pioneers before us going west. We are going to be following mostly the Oregon and Bozeman trails. Tonight, we have stopped at Cottonwood RV Park. It is a very nice park in Columbia, Mo. The University of Missouri is here. The University of Tennessee will play here November 2, 2013. Go Vols. We plan to stay here one night and then go on to St Joseph, Mo. We will stop there a few days and see the Pony Express Museum and Monument. Tonight’s menu is tuna salad sandwiches, chips, and cold slaw and of course ice cream. Last night there were lighting bugs and cicadas everywhere. I haven’t seen/heard them in a long time. It was a great surprise. We have only tree frogs and no lighting bugs in Florida. Prissy just finished her 20 minute walk around the RV Park. All the dog owners are amazed. She always comes back and uses her box so there is no poop to pickup. James called last night on his way to Dallas after visiting his grandfather in Florida. It was good to talk to him. I am sorry we did not get to see him

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

July 5, 2013 – Drove around Perryville. It is a very pretty, clean little city. There are several large industrial plants. We had our Wal-Mart stop for towels and food. We are resting today and planning to drive into St Louis tomorrow (about 79 miles one way). Sunny and warm . Jo Ann cooked our first large meal tonight. It was great- white beans, ham hock, cornbread, lemonade and cold slaw and of course ice cream and cookies for dessert. Dinner had a few problems – blow 2 circuit breakers using electric oven and electric skillet together but only needed a breaker reset. There is a band playing again tonight and very pleasant to set outside. Each campsite has its own fire pit and there are several fires tonight. The oak smoke smells great. Great Day! 

Prissy out BBQing at Memphis South RV Park

Memphis South RV Park

July 6, 2013 – We had a great day in St Louis. We toured the city on St Louis Fun Tours. It was an excellent tour. The drive /owner of the bus is a friend of ours (Barry Slogenhof ?). We did not know he owned the tour company. I flew with him in Germany on the C-130. It was a real surprise to see him again and talk about old times and our upcoming squadron reunion in Arizona. We also waited in line a Pappy’s BBQ (all the food reviewers said a must see) for an hour. I am sorry to say it was not worth the wait. I guess we have had to much good BBQ down south. Also, I was able to find my mother’s old address in St Louis. It was only a vacant lot now. However, I did get to see the old neighborhood and some of the old houses which may have been there when she lived there in 1910. It is still a very nice place. Great fun!

Pappy's BBQ

Downtown St louis

City Tour with Barry

Mother's home

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

July 4, 2013. We are now in Perryville, MO. Nice campground—big oak trees, pool, wifi, band tonight, fireworks???. I found my mother’s address ((6430 Scanlan Avenue) in St Louis in 1910 census. She was 5 years old. I do not expect to see the old house. It looks like a Baptist Church has been built at the address. The 1920 census shows family living in Nashville, TN. We plan to stay here a few days touring St Louis and Perryville. Perryville has 5 wineries we want to visit. The land was ready flat in Arkansas and lower part of Missouri along the Mississippi River. We are now in hills with beautiful 100 foot tall Oak trees not like the little ones in Florida.              

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

July 2, 11:00 a.m. We departed for Alaska and West Coast. We were one day later than planned because it took us longer to close up the house and do other things like get Prissy’s “ the cat” health certificate. We were able to drive to Jackson. MS and stay at Springridge RV Park , in Clinton, MS. It was just a place to stop –no trees, no table, water tasted like a hose pipe with our water filter, no wifi that worked. I wonder how the water would have tasted without the filter. Already have a Wal-Mart list. We forgot Bath Towels.  It could be a long 5 months without them for us and others. We had salmon burger salad last night for dinner. Prissy went wild for some.

 July 3, 2013. We are now at Memphis South RV Park and Campgrounds in Coldwater, MS. It is about 20 mins from downtown Memphis. Park is ok- has trees and tables, water tastes ok, swimming pool, wifi. Must be a new park totally cleared and trees planted. None of the trees are over 15 feet tall. We are planning to leave in the morning and cross the Mississippi River and go on North. I have been looking at old census forms to find my mother's address in St Louis, Mo. She was born there in 1905. We may stay in St Louis a few days and look for her old home place or at least the address. Should be fun. Prissy just got back from her first walk on her leash on this trip. She is hot and laying out flat on floor. What an adventure for her.