2021/07/07 - Wednesday - Vacation - Day 20 - Hitting Flagstaff

We left at 9 and headed west...

Next stop Flying J for Gas.

We stopped at KOA but they had no opening for the next two nights, so we got online to find a place and we finally found a place - Black Barts RV Park

Unloaded the 4Runner.

I lost the pins to my flag poll so we stopped at a Tractor Supply Co. to get some new pins and few other things.  Next stop was at Home Depot to get stuff that Tractor Supply did not have.

I went ahead and topped off the 4Runner of the necessary go go juice.

We did several stop in the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and Wupatki National Monument. 

Back at the RV to check on the animals.  We had made some reservations.  I did not know that it was a dinner and show at the Black Bart's Steakhouse.

2021/06/28 - Monday - Vacation - Day 11 - Natchez Trace Pkwy - On to Nashville

 We left shortly after 9.  our first stop was for gas just down the street at a Sam's Club.

We stopped at several pullouts along the way.  We did Cave Springs, Buzzard Roost Springs, Colbert Ferry Park, Rock Springs Trail, Grinders Stand reconstruction.

from that point forward we did not stop at any of the pullout because we will come back to do the last part of them.

We first stopped at KOA but they did not have anything open for the time we wanted, so we stopped next door and they had plenty of room.

We are staying at Nashville RV Resort and Cabins.

On the way to dinner, we stopped at a place where C can eat some good snacks. - Sunflower Bakehouse.

Dinner at The Grilled Cheeserie.

Back to the RV to relax.

2020/06/28 - Sunday - Vacation - Day 17 - Exploring

We left shortly after 9.

We got gas for the RV about an hour later.

Stopped in Eugene at one of the places that Cheryl like for tea stuff and got a few things.

We stopped at a rest area for lunch

We made it to KOA in Central Point for the day

We went for a drive to find out any information or a visitor center for the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.  At the top of the pass on SR66 we found a very small building that was open but nobody inside, but it did have information regarding the Monument.

We had dinner Ashland and then went back to the RV to relax.

2020/06/22 - Monday - Vacation - Day 11 - One the Move

We got moving a little later then normal.

We said our goodbyes and finally got on the road a little after 10. 

We took the Edmonds to Kingston ferry.

We made it to the KOA and they did have an open spot for us for the next 4 nights.  Unloaded the van and we headed out to do a little exploring for the day.

The tip of Washington is closed but we went about halfway to visit a co-op but it was disappointing, very small and it had a lot of commercial items we can find in other stores.

On the way back we stopped for dinner and a place that is far from any town.  It was very good and big portions.

Back at the RV we get things organized and ready for the next few days.

2020/06/12 - Friday - Vacation - Day 01 - Full, had to find a different location

We left the house shortly after 9 almost on time.  First stop was at a pet store to get some necessary can food for the dog and cats.

The next stop was at Camping World in Bakersfield to get Cheryl some new pots/pans that all stack neatly together and takes up less space and the cupboard will be neater.  While leaving the parking lot the new tow dolly made some clunking noises.

We stopped at the Flying J's outside of Bakersfield to get the necessary go go juice for the RV.  After filling up the RV, I pulled over in the parking area and had my fill for lunch.

The plan was to stop at the KOA in Visalia, but they could not accommodate use for two nights, so A.M. made several phone calls and finally found a place about an hour further up the 99.

We made it to the Arena RV Park and they only had accommodation in the overflow area (along side a building), but it does have full hoockups.

I have been noticing that the bathroom faucet would only trickle out the water, so I took the head off and cleaned the restricter and now it flow good.  While doing the cleaning, I did get A.M. good when the head was not on correctly and when I turned the water on it squirted hear.

I unloaded the van and we headed to a Black Bear Dinner that we have not eaten at before.  They had opened up inside seating and of course with social distancing.

Back at the RV, we organized the pot and pan cupboard and put the new set in and got ride of some of the old ones.

I did forget the power cord for my work computer, so A.M. is ordering it and it will be delivered to L.M. place so I can still do my necessary work.  So between now and getting to L.M., hopefully I can do what I need quickly without running out of power before getting there.

The train track are just across the street from the RV park and it sounds like they are going to go right trough us.

I noticed that there was water around the kitchen faucet, so I cleaned that up, but I wanted to make sure it was not a leak and sure enough it is, so now we have to stop and get a new RV faucet for the kitchen sink.

I was hoping that E.M. would join us for the weekend, but he decided not to drive down and join us.  We will see him on Sunday.

2019/07/03 - Wednesday - Vacation - Day 13 - Boat Ride

Before leaving Both Moms and I headed over to get a quick breakfast (free - two small round waffles).  We were still able to leave on time a little after 9.

We attempted several stops along the way, but each of the parking lots were to small or to many cars in the parking lot so we just moved on.

Our next stop was in Ormond Beach FL at a Jersey Mike's Subs for lunch.

Our stop for the next two nights is at Titusville/Kennedy Space Center KOA.

I decided to lets go over to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and get our tickets.  Mom D stayed back at the RV to relax.  A.M. found a place to have some fun after getting our tickets, so we headed over to Airboat Rides at Midway. 

The tour was about an hour long.  We say alligators, birds, and cows.  We all had a very good time out on the water ways.

Afterward we stopped to get the van the necessary go go juice and now dinner.  Our first location when we pulled in had LOTS of people waiting so we searched for another location.  We had a good dinner at Shiloh's Steak and Seafood place with a great view looking across the water towards Kennedy Space Complex.

Back at the RV relaxing befor a long day tomorrow.

2019/07/02 - Tuesday - Vacation - Day 12 - Atlantic Ocean

We got going about normal time a little past 9:00.

Our first stop for the day was at Fort Frederica National Monument.  A.M. got her JR Ranger badge from here.  Was not able to walk out to the fort because of my pain.  (this back pain sucks!).  Back at the RV we did lunch.  I discovered that Turquoise wet our bed, so not a very happy camper!

Next stop was gas for the RV before our stop for the night.

We are at Jacksonville North / St. Marys KOA.  We stopped about 1:36 and unloaded the van and headed out.

The next stop was at Cumberland Island Visitors Center.  A.M. got her JR Ranger badge from here.

I wanted to get my toes wet in the Atlantic Ocean and be able to see nothing but water looking East, so we drove over to Main Beach in Fernandina Beach FL.  The water was warmer then I expected. 

Dinner was at Gator's Dockside.

We stripped the bed, Mom M and I went and did laundry.

2019/06/21 - Friday - Vacation - Day 01 - First Day of Travel!

Getting things ready to leave, packing the last minute items into the RV.  And then trying to make sure all the vehicles will fit in the driveway (E.M. car, Graphite, Blue, and the Prius...)

We got moving a little after 9.  First stop was at Costco to get the Tow Dolly tires up to pressure.

Next stop was at Flying J's for the necessary fuel stop in Barstow.  And it is lunch time, so I went ahead and agreed to In-N-Out.  They have room for RV/Bus parking.   When we walked in there was a very long line for picking up and ordering.  Once we got ours we went out to the RV to eat it.

By back pain is not doing good.  Driving I am not having problems, but when we get out and walk around it hurts a lot.

Next stop was at Flying J's in Kingman.

After leaving I should have done what Waze suggestion - take route 66.  Because I didn't do it and got back onto the I-40, there was a very bad accident that delayed us almost 45 minutes.

We pulled off just after Williams at a KOA but they had no available spot, we got back on the road again.  Amanda made several more phone calls and found a place (Black Bart's RV Park) on the east side of Flagstaff.  We got in a little after 8:00 and finally found a campsite that would work.

Unload the van and then head out for dinner to Texas Roadhouse

The cats are doing ok somewhat.  Tiger and Amber are not happy with each other.  Amber will hiss then Tiger would hiss back.  At least Tiger and Pearl can walk by each other without a major ordeal. 

2018/07/09 - Monday - Vacation - Day 18 - Kaboom - Messy

We got moving by 8:40, on my way, I noticed that was below quarter of a tank.  The next gas was in Cheyenne, well I put in 50+ gallons, so I was getting very low.

Next stop was lunch at a rest area.

The next stop was unplanned, we had to stop because the driver side, outside dually exploded (and de-lamenated).  When it did that it also disconnected the sewer connections.  So when I first stopped I had fluids flowing out.  And because it was the driver side, I did not want to change it on the highway.  I drove VERY slowly on the shoulder for the next two miles to get to a ramp.  We changed the tire and headed to camp

We stopped again for the necessary gas for the RV, the parking lot was very small for all the RVs that were there at that time.

We made it to the Rock Springs / Green River KOA, they did not have full hookups.  I worked on the sewer connections and nothing was broken, it was just pulled apart, so I was able to put those back together.  But the metal box is now all messed up and that will require a lot more work.

We headed out and stopped at several more stores for projects that Amanda and Mom M wanted to work on.  We finally had dinner and after dinner they wanted yogurt.

Back at the RV, they worked on the projects.  

2018/07/05 - Thursday - Vacation - Day 14 - Short and Drive

We started about 9.  I did not spin the tires getting out of our camp spot.  I thought I was going to but not having the van on the tow-dolly most likely helped.  I put the van on the dolly out on the street where it was dry.

We stopped for the necessary gas for the RV.

We stopped for the day at noon - so an extremely early stop for the day.

We unloaded the van and headed into town for lunch.

After lunch we went for a long drive.  We stopped at 4 different places up and down the Missouri River.  We did the Nebraska side and then returned on the South Dakota side.

Before returning to the RV we stopped for gas for the van and dinner for us.

When we returned to the RV, Turquoise was not happy with the fireworks that have been going off near the campground and messed up our bed.  So I had to do laundry - I was not expecting to do the bed stuff also.  That took about 3 hours -  6 loads - they only have 4 machines.

So a late night.  Tomorrow is also going to be a short day.  So I am planning to sleep in a little bit.

2018/06/25 - Monday - Vacation - Day 04 - Graffiti (Petroglyph) and Lonely Road

We left at 8:39.

Our first stop was at Flying J's for necessary gas.

Next stop was at the visitor center at Petroglyps National Monument.  Amanda got her 76th Junior Ranger Badge.  We went to Boca Negra Canyon and did part of the hiking trail to look at the petroglphs.

Back on the road, we stopped for lunch at one of the rest area (without services) along I-25.

Stopped for gas just before crossing into Colorado.  I was not expecting that much of climb between NM and CO on I-25.  I liked all the trees and the views.

When we turned off of I-25 and start heading more easterly, the US-350 is a very lonely road.

We stopped for the night at a KOA about 5:20.  Once we setup camp, I unloaded the van and headed out for dinner and a little shopping.

Once we got back to the RV we put things away and found out one item we got will not work, so Mom M and I walked back to Wal-Mart to return the item, but I had the wrong receipt so I walked back to the RV (Mom M stayed) and then back so we could do the return.

2017/07/07 - Friday - Vacation - Day 23 - HOT HOT HOT HOT

I got up early and got things ready to leave.  We chatted a little bit with friends and got going about 8:45.

Stopped for gas and lunch at about noon.

As we were getting close to St George, I was checking the SmarTire system and noticed the tires were getting hotter, so I slowed down to 55 MPH (from 60 MPH).

As we approached Mesquite, I pulled off at the first exit and waited in a parking lot to cool down the tires and transmission for about 30 minutes

The next stop I had to do at the top of the hill from Mesquite because the engine temp was get very close to red.  We waited there for another 30 minutes.

We made it into Las Vegas before the SmarTire system went off complaining about the temp of the tire (177). O and the temperature here was 117

As we were transitioning from the 15 to 515 the ABS light turned on.

We are camped at the KOA.  When we setup for camp, the A/C did not want to turn on, come to find out the circuit breaker tripped.  Once that was reset the A/C turned on.

The Cats where very hot, so we got them wet and made sure they were cooled down before heading into Sam Town Casino.

We got dinner, Cheryl and Amanda did some gambling, Amanda and I did some walking around.

I left and once back at the RV found out that the dog had peed on the bed, so stripped the bed, turn the mattress over and make the bed.  Needless to say I was not a happy camper!!!

Amanda and Cheryl returned with pockets a little lighter of money...

2017/07/04 - Tuesday - Vacation - Day 20 - Travel Day

I went ahead and set my alarm... well we got moving right on time 9:05 (ok five minutes late... but we are on vacation :) )

At noon we stopped for fuel for the RV and moved to a Walmart so us humans could eat our necessary fuel.

Again another fuel stop for the RV.

The first campground we went had a big sign that said FULL, so off to the next.  I noticed about three other RVs turned onto the road that we are planning to go.  Sure enough all three are heading to the KOA.  So we had to wait a little bit for them to get processed.  And thank goodness they had a spot for us - one of the deluxe spots.  But when they did not have anything else available you just take it and go with the flow.  It is a back-in so I had to unload the van and then back the tow-dolly and RV down the spot.  We have grass and our own "patio" that looks through the trees at the Yellowstone River.  Which is muddy and the level is currently high.

Cheryl made dinner.  While it was cooking Mom M and I worked on the A/C rain gutter.  We had bought some stuff yesterday to upgrade it so now it looks better and less likely to leak.

We watched a movie.

2017/06/29- Thursday - Vacation - Day 15 - Duluth

After moving and finally put the van onto the tow-dolly (slippery when wet) we got moving about 9:20.

Before leaving town we got the necessary juices for the RV.  The pump had the instructions for Credit and Debit reversed.  When I hit credit it wanted the debit pin (and the only other option was to cancel), but finally I hit debit and it worked as expected (processed as credit).

Next stop was at "Apostle Islands National Lakeshore" - "Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center".  Amanda worked on the JR Ranger program and got another one completed.  We also ate lunch in the parking lot afterwards.

Looking at the distances and time, we stopped at the KOA west of Duluth.  After setup we headed back into town and went to the "Lake Superior Maritime Center" and we also watch the Aerial Lift Bridge raise so some sail boats could pass.

Well, we are in Duluth so we had to find and do some shopping at the Duluth Trading Company.

We found a place for dinner and then we drove some more to a yogurt place for their dessert.

Back at camp I loaded the van back on the tow-dolly.  Cheryl and I walked around the campground twice and we relaxed.

2017/06/27 - Tuesday - Vacation - Day 13 - Water

We finally got moving about 9:30.

We stopped at a hardware store and got two bolts for the tow-dolly (one is a spare...)

We stopped at Sam Club for gas and Cheryl, Amanda and Mom D went in for a few items.

I had to take a detour, but we finally made it over to the I-75.  We stopped at the first rest area and had a late lunch.  Cheryl also made items for dinner (sandwiches).

We drove over the Mackinac Bridge, nice and high, they were also doing construction so we were down to one line for each side.  We paid our toll of 14 dollars (RV-10, Car-4)

The next exit after the bridge we headed west on US-2.  Then headed north and west.

We are camped just outside of Munising MI at a new KOA location (the old location has been renamed)

We unloaded the van and took off for some sight seeing.  Waterfalls, some exploring, and finally into the national park.  We also eat our sandwiches and whatnot at one of the stopped we did in the park.

Back at the RV, Amanda noticed the drip tray in the fridge was frozen again, so I worked on cleaning out the line more this time and it seems to be draining now.  I also noticed that the external drip/splash tray is not totally clear, that will require more work at a later time.

2017/06/18 - Sunday - Vacation - Day 04 - Accommodating

We got a little latter start then planned.  We left at 9:20 and our first stop was shortly afterward.

Gas stop at Flying J's and Amanda went in and got a cinnamon roll and she also got some biscuit bites for me and Mom M.

We stopped at a rest area for a little lunch.

Another gas stop still in New Mexico.

Crossed into Texas a little after 3 and we left Texas at 6.

Another gas stop before finding a camp ground.

We stopped at a KOA at 7:20 for the night and found out they do somewhat of a dinner, so we went back to the office after setting up to have dinner.  Their menu is not much and with all of our issues with food, they were VERY accommodating.  When they gave us the bill it was very small, so I gave a very good tip!

2016/07/08 - Friday - Vacation - Day 22 - Drive - HOT

We said our goodbyes and left basically right on time - 9:06

First stop of the day was at Flying J's in Beaver, we also got some lunch.

As we had passed Mesquite and was doing the climb up to the high plateau on the 15,  the SmarTire system alarm went off and said my inside rear passenger tire was at 177 degrees, so at the top is a parking area, I pulled into that to cool down the tires.

I waited about 10 minutes before heading out again.  I stopped two more times to get the tires to cool down.

As we got into Las Vegas we hit traffic and now the tranny temperature was getting warm.

We finally made it to KOA at Sam Town for the night.  This time were are camped in the North camping area.  We unloaded the van, the temp outside was about 111 (based on what the van had on the reading).

After we got things setup, we drove over to Sam Town to have dinner at TGI Friday's.  The north lot is further away from the casino then the south lot.

After dinner Cheryl, Amanda, and Mom D did some gambling.

They stopped in time for the light show in the atrium, which was a patriotic themed display.

Back at the RV, Mom D was heading to the bathhouse, she tripped and fell, so we had to do some TLC to her right hand.

The rest of the night was relaxing.

2016/07/05 - Tuesday - Vacation - Day 19 - Drive and Rain

We left around 9

Waze and Street Atlas was not agreeing on the route to our stop for the night.  The route we took was part Street Atlas and part Waze

Our first stop for day was at Flying J's, just before the Continental Divide.  I pulled to the side and we ate lunch.  Cheryl made some while one went in and bought something.

At one point along the drive, I noticed lighting and dark clouds and we were heading right for it.  Sure enough there was a lot of rain that slowed down the traffic for about 5 miles.

Amanda had made reservations last night, and our stop for the night was at KOA near Rock Springs and Green River WY.

Now it was time for dinner, Cheryl and Amanda did some searching and found a place, so I unloaded the van and we headed out for Pasta Vélocé. 

After dinner we noticed a billboard about Boot Barn, so we stopped in and was not able to find the boot that I like.

Back at the RV we relaxed and watched some TV.

2016/06/29 - Wednesday - Vacation - Day 13 - Heads

We left about 5 till 9 so right on time...

Next stop was for gas at a Pilot, when I pulled away from the island, I forgot about the time, so I had to go find a spot for lunch.  I found a so called city park to pull into and we had lunch.

Next stop again was for gas (but closer to the end of day) at another Pilot.

We stopped at a Camping World and spent way to much.

As we were approaching our night stay, we could see a fire in the hills.

Our base camp for the next 5 nights will be Spearfish KOA, that was the only one that Amanda found that we could easily check to see if they had openings for us.

We jumped into the van and headed for Mount Rushmore. On the way there we ran into a major down pour.

Amanda found out that this year JR Ranger badge has a year in, so she filled it out and got her badge.  We also got dinner.  We stayed for the illumination program.  They asked for all prior and current serving persons to come down on stage at the end of the program.  Eric by chance helped with retiring the colors which was cool!

On the way home I filled up the van.  As we got closer to camp, we can see the red glow from the fire.

Back at the RV, I had to work and produce the necessary report.

2016/06/28 - Tuesday - Vacation - Day 12 - Getting to Next Destination

We got a late start today to our travel today, but for a very good reason,  a family member came over to say goodbye, which we really appreciated.  We finally got on the road a little befor 10:00.

We got gas in Preston, while there we also ate lunch.

The next gas stop was at Flying J's in Sioux Falls.

Next stop was for the night in Mitchell at the KOA just outside of town.

I unloaded the van so we could go into town.
Mom D was not feeling well, so she stayed back at the RV.  We drove by the Corn Palace and went to eat dinner at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery.  The service was not that good and the food was just ok.

Next stop was Walmart to stock up on things.

Back at the RV, I did some work while everybody relaxed.