Great to see Barb and Mike!

September 8 – Today we headed to Peculiar, MO.  It is the closest campground to Belton, MO.  Friends we met on our caravan live there and it’s on our way home so we set up to stay there a night and visit with them.  We checked in at noon, had lunch and called and let them know we would be ready any time after 2:30.

I caught up on some paperwork, changed the bed linens, did a load of laundry, cleaned my floors and dusted a little.

Mike and Barb arrived right at 2:30.  They took us all over Belton!  Their house burned down earlier this year and is being rebuilt so they took us to see where they did and will live again.  They took us to meet his parents, who were such sweet people and then to their rental house where one of their daughters lives with 4 or 5 of her kids.  Mike and Barb are living in their RV parked in the driveway with only 110 electric.  They are very anxious to get back into their house.  We also met their other daughter who lives here and she went to lunch with us all and later we stopped at her house.  Mike and Barb used to own it and sold it to them.  They have the cutest 2 young kitties.  Everyone we met were really nice people.  Obviously they are like their parents.

We lunched at Texas Roadhouse and it was good and packed!  They drove us back to the RV and sadly I had to say goodbye again.  As much as I enjoyed seeing them, as they are such fun people who like to laugh, I just wanted to cry all over again at saying good bye.  Well, maybe they will come to Florida for a winter and Missouri isn’t real far so I hope to keep seeing them as long as we can.

We will be home in a week as long as nothing goes wrong and I am really ready to get back into my house and my craft room!

Bank on the road again!

September 7 – Up early again today (glad this isn’t every day)!  The tech was there at 7 and we got out our 2 chairs today and Molly’s leash, water and food.  We pretty much sat in the shade and read and I did some crocheting.  We chatted with our co-waiters next door. 

As it approached noon Bill went to the only fast food place in town, A & W Root Beer.  While he was gone the tech pulled our RV into the big lot and went over what all he did today.  He was such a nice guy I asked him if he had a helper and he said he had a couple so I thanked him with 3 Huckleberry Ice Cream Sandwiches.  He was very appreciative and joked with me that I’d get him hooked and he’d have to drive to Montana to get them!

Bill got back just as he was wrapping up and we hastily ate our lunch and Bill went into sign off on the work and get our keys and we were back on the road again.

We drove to Bethany, MO where we had a nice pull thru with full hook up and it was behind a motel right off the interstate.  We couldn’t have found a closer spot!  There were only 8 spaces.  So we had a good evening and my ice maker started making ice and I am a very happy camper!

Winnebago Day and side trip

September 6 – We were both up really early as Bill wanted to be pretty close to first in the line at the Service Center.  Once I was dressed and looked out there were at least 25 people getting lined up for when the door opened at 7.  Bill said a lady in the line took charge of them and she lined them all up in 2 lines:  those with an appointment and those without.  Bill wasn’t in there long as we had already given them our list of 7 (which is the limit of how many issues they will do in one visit).  The assigned Tech came out immediately and said they will do 8 things for people with appointments so we added another item.  They had the RV ALL day til 3pm.  The tech drove it back to our spot and told us what he got done and had only 3 more things to finish tomorrow.  I was so excited that he fixed the freezer door that we had bungeed on and the ice maker! 

While we ere without housing for the day we packed up Molly and her food and water and we drove into Mason City, which takes about 40 minutes.  I got to visit a hotel that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  It was beautiful inside.  Lots of wood, straight lines, round chairs – I do love his designing!  Then we drove around to see some residential homes his design team did and you can easily pick them out if you know his style.  So that was my fun for the day!

Then we went to Walmart for a short list of things and stopped at a couple of other places, had lunch and got back to Winnebago about 2:30.  A neighbor loaned us a chair to put in our spot to save it and we used that and borrowed another chair and waited for the RV to come out of service. 

So, it was a good day and the tech got a lot done.  We have to be ready again tomorrow at 7 and he said he thinks he can finish by noon.  Fingers crossed!

Checking out the area!

September 5 – Today we took a drive  into town and I  checked  out the Dollar  General but they didn’ t have  any crochet  yarn.  They place was a  disaster.  It  was full of  boxes  of  stock  than needed to be shelved and I think it’s gonna take them quite a while!  Then we went to Bomgaars where I picked up a few things to take home.  We located the post office so tomorrow when it’s open we will take a package there to be mailed a the last post cards we’ve written. 

We took a drive around the college campus.  It’s a small college with enrollment of 600 and they have awesome sports facilities but we can’t see why any young person would want to come here as there is nothing at all to do and the closest bigger town is about 25 miles away.  By the way, once we get the OK to leave while the RV is in the bay we are going to that town as they have an Aldi, my first in months and I’m excited to go.  Plus, we might have lunch out as there’s not much here and NO fast food places. 

We revamped our “to do” list again after dinner so I guess that part is ready to go.  We have to pretty much pack things up in the morning but not until they come and look at everything.  Bill has to be at the door when they open at 7 and I’ll be wrapping up things here.  If we get half of our list done I think we will be happy.  The whole thing with the fireplace popping out is weird and Bill wants that on the first “to do” list.  

So, it will be an interesting day and who knows if they will have us stay another day!

Made it to Forest City!

 

September 4 – If I said in a prior post that it was the most boring day, I lied.  It was today!  We drove    miles today and t was flat plains with nothing but fields with a few cows dotted in along the way.  No special scenery, no beautiful mountains, and I don’t think there was a nice lake either.

We were on our way to the Winnebago Factory in Forest City, Iowa.  Talk about the middle of no where!  We came here once before but only to go on the factory tour which was very nice and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  This time we have an appointment for a list of items to be repaired under warranty on the coach.   Once we arrived and chatted up the folks who were here before us, we learned that we can only give them 7 things to repair.  They might let you put more things on the list but they will only complete what they can for you in one shift.  At least that’s what we were told.  What they tell us once we check in Tuesday at 7 AM might be another story.  We have probably 15-18 things we think they are responsible for but since we have another warranty appointment set up in Florida in October we can call ahead and add the leftovers on that list!

We were able to park on the lot right beside the Customer Service Center.  They have electric only, which we knew to expect so we filled our water and emptied our black and grey tanks before we left last night’s site.    We have great neighbors here, once couple is from Ocala, FL and they don’t have an appointment so have no idea how long they will be waiting.  Once couple has been here a week already.  Bill has been getting all kinds of info and “pointers” for our RV from washing it to servicing it.   We attempted to get the ice maker going but found there is a valve leak and either someone knew so they didn’t turn the ice maker on or we never looked and just assumed it was not working.  Well, that went to the top of our list since I’ve been making ice with trays all summer!

Forest City is so small there is one grocery store and a convenience store and a Dollar General and that’s it!

We love the Corn Palace

September 3 – Kinda leisurely day!  We needed that!  We left the RV at mid- morning and went to the AT&T store as my phone was acting up and I was not getting my emails.  It looked like it was an attempt at hacking.  I waited only a few minutes and a young guy got into my phone and then my laptop and did his thing.  He got me back on track with a change of password so I was good to go and didn’t cost me anything but time!

Then we headed to the Corn Palace.  That’s the main attraction here and the exterior is changed every year.  It is amazing.  It’s actually a combination gymnasium and auditorium.  They host games and plays and this place has been around since 1892 but they rebuilt the palace in 1921.  Google it!  They have photos of almost every year and you can learn how many colors of corn are used.  Too bad they don’t have a tower to go up and get really good photos.  They now have gift shops and restaurants across the road at the front so you can’t get back enough for a good full photo!

Once we finished our visit there we to lunch at The Depot.  It was actually a train depot that had been converted into a nice restaurant with 3 dining rooms and the railroad is still running along the back side of the building.  I normally get a salad but today I splurged and had a chicken wrap that was delicious.  Bill had his burger as usual!

From there we went back across town to a hardware store for Bill to get a part for the hose stuff to the RV and we went in Walmart and tootled around.  I did get some bargains though for the kids for Christmas!  Then we went thru the drive thru at Culver’s!  YUMMY!  First we’ve had since we left home in early May.  It really hit the spot!

Back at the campground I did a load of laundry and Bill washed the buggy windshield.  We watched 2 RV’s part that both were single women.  The first was is a 40’ motorhome.  Later we chatted with her and her husband died and she still goes by herself.  We will probably see her in Forest City, IA as she has a Winnebago and is going to see if they can work her in.  Then she is heading to Florida for the winter.  We hope to catch up with her at Winnebago.  Very nice lady!

I cleaned out some leftovers for dinner and the fridge is till full!  We will work on some more tomorrow.  That wraps up another day in the lives of Kelly and Bill!

Boring day!

September 2 - Most boring travel day so far!  The entire day was flat and straight with pretty much nothing but huge ranches and some cows here and there.  There were not many towns on the drive directly East to Mitchell, SD.  For a road with not much on it, there was plenty of traffic though.

We stopped for a late lunch at a nice rest area as the one we planned to stop at was closed.  So another 90 miles and we got to have lunch.

We are in a nice small campground will full hookups behind a Super 8 Motel.  All of the sites are pull thru except for the tent sites and it is about ¾ full.

We went into town to a highly rated steak place and timing was in our favor as they do not take reservations and when we left there were probably 30 people waiting.  They messed up Bill’s order so he didn’t get his steak at the same time as I got my rare prime rib.  It was so tender and juicy and full of flavor.  Since it was 10 ounces, I cut it in half and only had half with my salad and fresh asparagus.  Yummy meal.  Bill enjoyed his filet and was really hungry by the time it came out.  He had a nice baked potato with his salad.  Other than the mix up with what steak he ordered, they didn’t have the liquor I ordered and the server put both liquor orders on the bill – it was a great meal!  She did not earn a top tip as she was a bit scattered and maybe new, who knows.

We drove around a bit after dinner for a quick view of the Corn Palace, which is why we are here.  Well they are having a street party there this evening so we couldn’t park close enough to get photos but we plan to go back during the day tomorrow.

Nothing much else going one!