11Dec 2014 by Lboll

Mississippi/Louisiana

Traveling

As in my last post I will say again that Joe and I have so much to be thankful for and we remind ourselves every day. As we travelled along the gulf coast in Mississippi and Louisiana it was apparent just how fortunate we are. Hurricane Katrina happened in 2005 and the devastation it left behind was still apparent along the gulf coast in these two states. We stayed at Buccaneer State Park in Waveland, MS which sits right on the gulf. Waveland was 97% destroyed in 2005. As we drove from Waveland to the town of Bay St. Louis we were amazed at businesses that were still in ruins. Many stilts were standing where houses use to sit on top of them. We did a little research to look…

26Nov 2014 by Lboll

Thanksgiving – 2014

Traveling

It’s the day before Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for. We are presently at a Corp of Engineers Park, Twiltley Branch Campground, in Collinsville, Mississippi. The temperature is 60 and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. We are sitting on the shore of Okatibbee Lake watching the fisherman out our back window. There are very few people in this gorgeous park so it is very quiet. We will enjoy our view and the quietness for the next five days before heading farther south. We left Crossville, TN on Nov. 21st after a nine day stay at a KOA waiting for our slide to be fixed. So much wasted time when you have to get the warrantee work approved first. First the dealer has to get…

13Nov 2014 by Lboll No Comments

Fall colors/Ohio

Traveling

Joe and I just put on our long johns and wool slippers and are watching it sleet. We are warm and safely off the road and are thankful that we aren’t in the cold and snow of Minnesota as most of our kids are. We have had the privilege of travelling in the Fall of the year and watching the spectacular color change as we have moved from state to state. Starting off in Minnesota just as the leaves started to change, then into Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and then Ohio. After leaving Ohio a few days ago we drove through the beautiful state of Kentucky and have settled in Tennessee for a few days. The colors are coming to an end but the drive through the hills of Tennessee was…

14Oct 2014 by Lboll

Iowa – Fall 2014

Traveling

So Iowa won out! I have a wonderful husband who always gives in to my wants. I had my heart set on visiting the Amana Colonies in Iowa but with the delay because of the truck we didn’t think we would head in that direction. But Joe said it didn’t make any difference in distance going to Zach’s in Ohio so off we went to see the Amana Colonies. Our first stop on our way to Amana was a beautiful Corp of Engineer Park in Johnston, Iowa, on Sayerville Lake. So many of the COE campgrounds we have stayed at as we travel are treasured fines. Of course, the people who live close to them already know that and book them for the weekends. For that reason they are hard…

07Oct 2014 by Lboll

Minnesota – Summer of 2014

Traveling

I should be writing this from Amana, Iowa but alas it was not meant to be. We had reservations in Iowa starting September 23rd, said our good-byes to our kids and thought we were off to the land of the Hawkeyes but our truck had other ideas. We had been having issues with an engine light coming on for about a month and had it in and out of the dodge service center several times thinking we finally had it fixed. But it wasn’t to be. The day before we were scheduled to leave the light came on again. One more time to the dodge dealer ended up with us leaving it for 8 days. Thankfully they gave us a nice little Jeep Compass to use but also grounded us…

03Aug 2014 by Lboll No Comments

Grand Marais, MN & Family

Traveling

We parked our coach at Dakotah Meadows RV Park in Prior Lake, MN on May 8th and stayed put until we headed to Grand Marais on June 13th. Anyone that knows us knows that Grand Marais is a special place for Joe and I and our kids. We started camping in Grand Marais in 1973 with our oldest son, Eric, then 18 months old, in a borrowed canvas pop-up. The brakes went out in our 1971 Chevy Vega as we came into the town and we had to order new brakes that were shipped to us on the Star Tribune truck from Minneapolis. Our intentions were to stay overnight in Grand Marais and then go into Canada. I am a big believer in things happen for a reason. We were…

03Aug 2014 by Lboll

The Great Mississippi River

Campgrounds

Here I am the first part of August going back to catch-up on our blog for the end of April. I’d just skip this time but I have to write a little about our trip along the Mississippi River coming from Ohio back to Minnesota. We were fortunate to find this beautiful Corp of Engineer Campground on the Mississippi River in Thomson, IL. This was a fantastic find. Not only was it just $9.00 a night (with our senior pass) but we had a site right on the river that was fabulous. This park was exceptional not only because of the many sites on the river but they had a very large section that was first come sites. We have discovered with our traveling that if you go into a…

01May 2014 by Lboll No Comments

Elkhart, Indiana

Traveling

Elkhart, Indiana is the RV capital of America. 70% of all RVs made in the U.S. are made in Elkhart and 80% are made within 30 miles of Elkhart and by driving around the area you know it’s true. Everywhere you go there are RV manufactures or something to do with the RV industry. Driving down any road you will pass transporters moving the RVs out of the area to dealers across the country. There are signs everywhere looking for transporters. We caught a news story one night about how the RV industry is really hurting for transporters. The manufactures have huge inventories sitting in their businesses just waiting to be transported to dealers around the country. If anyone is looking for a job and has a truck here is…

01May 2014 by Lboll

Ohio & Family

Traveling

Life is so good to us! We can travel and see the country and also be able to spend time with our kids and have new adventures with them. It was so good spending time with Zach and Lauren and of course their dogs, Hope, Harvey, and Jake. We don’t get to spend enough time with Lauren in the two weeks we are in Cincinnati since her job takes her out of town during the week but we try to make it up over the weekends. Joe and Zach caught a movie together and got in a little golf driving range time. We took Hope, the Great Dane, for a few days while Zach was going to work on his house. His ordered supplies didn’t come in so the project…

14Apr 2014 by Lboll

On Our Way to Ohio

Traveling

From Oklahoma we entered the state of Arkansas for the first time. Our first stop was on the Arkansas River at an Army Corp of Engineer Campground call Toad Suck Ferry. What an unusually name! It is so unique that it is listed as the worst named town in the United States. It really isn’t a town so much as a small community. The name came many years ago when the steamboats were travelling down the Arkansas River and pulled over to the side of the river so the captain and crew could enjoy a beer or two at the local tavern. The locals didn’t appreciate the rowdiness of the crew and would say “They suck on bottle ‘til they swell up like toads”. Hence the name Toad Suck. A…