Thursday, September 29, 2011

It is over except for the shouting.  Tomorrow morning will be the final hitches for the 2011 Celina, OH Gypsy Journal Rally.  The Geeks on Tour seminars that I attended were on Facebook, Google Earth, and Smart Phones.  Marilyn came to the Facebook and Smart Phones seminars also, and we both went to Dennis & Carol Hill’s slide show seminar on Alaska.

We have thoroughly enjoyed this rally.  Once again we saw friends that we do not see often, and we made new friends.

Until we meet again down the road.

Tuesday-Wednesday, September 27-28, 2011

The 2nd day of  the Gypsy Journal Rally, Tuesday, started with coffee and donuts, and then it was time for educational seminars with the Geeks on Tour.  The first two were about using Google’s Picasa program for organizing digital photographs.  In the afternoon, their seminar was using Microsoft’s Streets and Trips for trip planning.  The last seminar Marilyn and I attended was Nick Russell’s “Bad Things Happen” to RVer’s.  We got to go out with Dennis and Carol to a different Chinese buffet for dinner.  Then the rally had door prizes and I won one of Nick’s books about camping at fairgrounds.  Entertainment for the evening was the McKinney Washtub Two.  They were supplemented by volunteers Miss Terri, Carol and Elaine.

Wednesday morning, after coffee and donuts, I attended the two Geeks on Tour seminars about creating Blogs, and then in the afternoon, they did a seminar about navigating around their web site.  For dinner, we had pizza, but Marilyn and I did not eat together.  She ate in the main hall, and I ate next door where the Buck-Eye Beauties were getting ready.  I was escorting one down the aisle, and the rest of the rally attendees were not allowed to see us.

Of course, after all was readied on stage.

We then had to escort our honey’s down the aisle to the stage where they would be judged.

Judging took place by applause after Nick talked with each one on stage.

And, of course, a Queen was finally chosen.

Saturday–Monday, September 24–26, 2011

Saturday, Beverly was an attendant in her friend Pamela’s wedding, and we were invited to attend also.  It was a nice wedding, and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing Pam again as well as spending time with our daughter.

Sunday, after saying goodbye to Bev, we left Boonville, IN and drove to the Mercer County Fairgrounds in Celina, OH for the Gypsy Journal Rally.  We arrived at 5:30, but Nick still parked us.  It rained all night, so we were glad that we did not have to park on the wet grass on Monday morning.  Some did get stuck and had to be pulled out by tractor.

Monday, the rally started with registration until 3pm, followed by opening ceremonies and introduction of the vendors.  At 4:30 there was a panel discussion of rv tips with Nick Russell, Dennis Hill, and another vendor that is giving tire seminars.  Here is a picture of that motley crew:

Dennis and Carol invited us to go to the local Mongolian Grill and Asian Buffet for dinner.  It was a great buffet.  After dinner we returned to the fairgrounds for door prizes.  Everyone there received a door prize – Dennis and Carol received a coupon for a restaurant, and we received a cleaning cloth for computer, etc. screens. 

Thursday–Friday, September 22-23, 2011

Thursday we veged, and then went shopping at Sam’s and Wal-Mart, with a Sam’s roast chicken for desert.

Friday, I played on the computer all morning while Marilyn did wash.  In the afternoon, Marilyn and I went for a walk before cocktails, and in addition to geese, we saw a deer (no picture).  However, we do have pictures of this lawn mower that was let loose in the campground earlier today.

Sunday–Wednesday, September 18-21, 2011

Sunday morning, we went to breakfast with Dave and Maureen Lubke at the Grove Street Café in Delton, MI.  If you are ever in Delton on MI 43 looking for a good meal, this is the place.  We left on Monday, staying at Camp Wally World in Lafayette, IN.  Then on Monday, we arrived in Boonville, IN.  The total driving for the two days was about 400 miles.  In Boonville, we are staying at the Scales Lake County Park, nice campground for about $20 per night.

Wednesday, we did the tourist thing at the Lincoln Boyhood Home National Memorial.  Lincoln spent from age 7 to 21 in Indiana.

For lunch we went to the Buffalo Run Grill & Gifts, in Lincoln City.  They had good buffalo burgers, some old (early 1800s) cabins, and we got to see buffalo.

After lunch we went back to the Lincoln Boyhood Home Memorial to see the headstone of Nancy Hanks Lincoln in the Pioneer Cemetery, and the outline of the cabin where Abe lived while he was in Indiana.

Tuesday–Saturday, September 13-17, 2011

Tuesday, we drove to Howe, IN, where we stayed at Grandview Bend, a Passport America campground.  We spent the afternoon and evening visiting with Escapee friends Richard and Joan Micelli.

Wednesday morning we went out to breakfast with Joan and Richard, and thenwalked part of the Shipshwana Flea Market with then.  In the afternoon, they took their dog Lucy to the groomers, and we continued walking the flea market.  For dinner, Joan and Marilyn baked the last piece of halibut in the motorhome’s freezer, and it was delicious.  We will have to wait until we get to GA to get more out of our son’s freezer.  Here is a picture of Joan and Richard with Joan’s birthday cake and flowers.

Wednesday, we moved to Camp Michawana campground near Hastings, MI to visit our Escapees Chapter 6 parents, Dave and Maureen Lubke.  Manhattans, beer, good food, and good company.  What more can you ask?  Saturday, we went for a nice boat ride on Long Lake (their cottage is right on the shore, where their boat is parked), and Dave smoked bass, salmon and blue gills for dinner.  We played Farkel each night.  Other Escapee friends Jimmy & Penny Hamann joined us on Friday night.

Saturday, Sunday, Monday, September 10, 11 & 12, 2011

Saturday, we drove to Beloit, WI where we stayed at Camp Wally World.  Sunday, we drove around Chicago via I-39 and I-80 to US 6.  We ended the day at Newmar’s S.O.B. campground in Nappanee, IN so we could meet back up with Dennis & Carol Hill, and also be able to take the Newmar RV factory tour on Monday.  After a nice social hour with Dennis & Carol, we went looking for a local restaurant, but ended up with good meals at KFC.  Dennis & Carol came back to the rig to shoot the breeze for a little while after dinner.

Monday, we took the 10am tour of the Newmar plant.  They give a nice tour.  After the tour, we drove to Elkhart, IN to have our washing machine fixed by Westland Sales.  The tech gave the machine its last rights, saying it was too old to continue to find parts for.  It needed a new board that would have cost about $500 to have shipped from Oregon, and a new machine only costs about $1000 that would come with a warranty. 

A little after 3pm, we met Dennis and Carol at the RV/MH Hall of Fame Museum for a tour with Al Hesselbart.  After the tour we all went to a Chinese Buffet where we also met up with Nick & Terri Russell and their friends Greg and Jan.

Thursday & Friday, September 8-9, 2011

We left Pierre, SD on the 8th, intending to stop in Welcome, MN for the night.  We stopped at the I-90 rest area overlooking the Missouri River where I-op crosses it.

We did not make it to Welcome, because, at about MN I-90 mile post 325 we came upon this fire on I-90.  It was a semi trailer full of cantaloupes.  The truck driver managed to get the trailer unhooked, but it stopped traffic for a half hour to 45 minutes.  We did manage to put in 260 miles, but stopped at a municipal rv park in Adrian, MN. 

Today, Friday, we only drove about 160 miles to exit 193 in MN, because we took a two hour tour of the Spam Museum in Austin, MN.  We toured it in 2003 for the first time, and thought it had been enlarged and improved for this tour.  We stopped at exit 193 for fuel.  The campground behind the gas station looked nice, and when Marilyn checked it was only 25 per night, so we pulled in.  The electric was not turned on at the sites, and the owner was not due back for two hours, so we opted to stay in the gas station parking lot for the night – cheaper. 

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

We toured the capitol of South Dakota today.  Its interior has many similarities to the capitol of Montana in Helena.  They do not have guided tours except by appointment, so we just walked around looking.  We did not find anything unusual in comparison to other capitol buildings.

Next we went to the South Dakota Heritage Center Museum.  It is very nicely done with a history of the state.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

We left the VCR rally in Sturgis, SD, and headed east.  We stopped for Buffalo Burgers at Wall Drug in Wall, SD. .

After walking around Wall Drug for a while, we again headed east. We stopped for the day in Ft. Pierre, SD at a state park on the Missouri River at Oahe Lake

Sunday to Monday, August 28 to September 5, 2011

I have been lax in writing.  But we were busy at the Escapade (Escapees national rally), and then we drove from Gillette, WY to Sturgis, SD for our Escapees VCR (Volunteer Club Representative) workshop.  Marilyn got in some more miles before the construction got too bad.c

The Escapade was wonderful, we bought a few things, had the front A/C fixed.  Enjoyed spending time with old and new friends.  On the way to the Workshop, my computer decided that its keyboard wanted to include multiple letters with on keystroke, or no letters.  So, we went to Wally World before we left the Escapade, and bought a $24 wireless keyboard.  It works great.  Next, the internal wireless card decided that it would not access our hotspot.  I thought the computer was a goner, and I would have to return the keyboard.  But I can still access the internet tethering my phone, so maybe the computer will limp back to FL.

The workshop went well.  I learned a couple of things, and my seminar on Evites went well.  So we are ready to travel some more tomorrow.