Before someone goes ballistic, the title of today’s blog is not referring to Kay; it’s about the motorhome; so far, so good.

After an event filled day yesterday, we spent the night in the motorhome, and slept okay, i.e. not too bad, but not too good.  We awoke this morning, eager to begin our drive home.  As we began hooking up the Honda toad, the motorhome receiver hitch was too high, creating an unsafe height differential between the motorhome and the Honda. We drove to Lichtson Motors parts department, one of the best in the business, for an 8” drop receiver.  They had it and it worked great, but with it installed the safety cables were too short. We drove back to the service department but had no luck.  The PDI service tech from yesterday walked by, and after hearing our sob story, suggested add-a-links. We drove to a local hardware store and bought two for each side.  They worked; we hooked up, and departed.

The motorhome drove well, and was less rough riding than we expected.  We stopped to fill up with gasoline shortly after leaving Lichtson, then began the long drive home, facing a stiff headwind all the way to Worlds of Fun just north of Kansas City, Missouri.

As we followed telephone directions to the Worlds of Fun RV Park, we ended up in a small neighborhood, on a dead end street going the wrong way, and the only street on which to turn was blocked by construction. This was the worst driving mess we’ve ever been in.  We unhooked the Honda, and I backed the giant motorhome (at least to us), turned around, and headed out, barely making it on the narrow car-filled street.  We finally go to Worlds of Fun, and found the park to be among the nicest in which we have ever stayed—a pleasant surprise indeed. The sites were level, but we had problems with the manual setting on the leveling jacks, so reverted to automatic and they worked fine. We settled in for the night, trying the microwave oven on a couple of Healthy Choice frozen dinners, then popcorn, and a night of television.

Spending the night in Bethany, Missouri, we awoke early this morning, and drove the remaining 4 hours north to Lichtson Motors in Forest City, Iowa, to view and “inspect” the new motorhome.

As we drove past the Winnebago factory and into Forest City, we saw the 2012 Winnebago Adventurer 35 sitting in the parking lot, already hooked up to 50 amp electricity. After making contact with the sales consultant, we walked around the exterior, then climbed inside and it was even nicer than we remembered.  With time on our hands, we began moving stuff that had been stored in the sales consultant’s office, covering one entire wall.  At 12:30 PM we met with a technician from the service department for a 3-hour pre-delivery inspection, known as a PDI in RV lingo.  He was very thorough and patient, and covered everything on our 13-page list.  The full wall slide on the driver’s side made an unusual noise when he was demonstrating it, and he later found a wooden jig left by one of the builders.  Other than that everything worked perfectly. After the PDI, we completed the necessary paperwork, and completed moving stuff to the RV, and also stowing it in the interior drawers, cabinets, and closets, and stowing exterior things in the outside storage compartments.

Dinner was at The Lodge, a restaurant started by the daughter of Winnebago’s founder, but since sold. We began a conversation with the nice young couple at the adjacent table. They were ministers at a First Baptist Church in Forest City, Iowa. We had an awesome conversation and really enjoyed visiting with them. And, the food was great as well.

We’ve had great fall weather, but were unable to camp or attend any rallies because we didn’t have an RV.  On our return from Idaho in late August, we stopped in Forest City, IA,  home of Winnebago and Itasca Motorhomes, and Lichtsinn Motors, a Winnebago and Itasca dealer.  On August 31, we met with a sales consultant, looked at a Winnebago Adventurer 35P at the Winnebago factory, made the deal including trading in our other motorhome, and began the 63-day waiting time for our new house-on-wheels to be built.

We left home early mid-morning today driving north through Springfield, Missouri, then to Kansas City, then Interstate 35 to Bethany, Missouri, to spend the night. We have traveled this route many times, including near annual fishing trips to Quetico Wilderness in Ontario, Canada, and 3 times last fall and winter for my cancer treatment at Mayo Clinic. It’s getting a little too familiar. Thanks to Barry and Helen, we were able to stay at the Comfort Inn as part of their “Friends and Family” package. Thank you, Barry and Helen.

Tomorrow, we pick up the new motorhome.

We have had an extraordinary fall, weather wise.  In fact, it is the nicest we’ve experienced since retirement.  Regrettably, RVing wasn’t part of the picture since we are currently RVless, having left the Melbourne in Forest City, Iowa, in late August.

This fall is special, too, because we have a new GRANDbaby, another grandson.  Kay and I traveled to Conway on Friday, morning, October 21, to be there when Ridge came into the world.  It took a little longer than expected but he arrived, all 8+ pounds, after 5 PM.  Karyn and Matt did a great job delivering a wonderful baby boy.  We spent several minutes “oohing and ahhing” over him, then got to visit briefly with Karyn.  I returned home, and Kay stayed in Maumelle to be with Karyn, Matt, and Ridge for a few days.

On Thursday, October 27, I drove to Maumelle to again see the growing baby boy, his awesome grandmother, KK, and, of course, his parents.  As I’m quite objective, I do find him to be the best looking baby boy I’ve ever seen.  By special request, I made tacos for the new parents, a favorite of both of Kay’s kids.  We awoke Friday morning to spend a last couple of hours with Karyn and Ridge, then drove to Brentwood, TN, for a visit with my brother and sister-in-law.  We don’t get to see them as often as we’d like, but do get to visit each other several times a year.  After a great visit, we returned home by way of Memphis, stopping for a visit to Costco, buying gasoline for $3.019 per gallon, and grateful to spend time with family.  We need to do this more often! 

After unpacking, transferring, storing, and packing the Honda yesterday in 90+ degree weather, driving from northern Iowa to northern Missouri, eating a lousy Wendy’s hamburger, taking hot showers, and getting a brief night’s sleep, we began the final leg of the drive home.  Temperatures were in the high 90s, our first exposure to such heat in 7 weeks, and the humidity was stifling.  We arrived home at about 3 PM to a warm, but clean, house.  A quick survey revealed everything to be in remarkably good shape, except for the flower beds where armadillos had rooted extensively.  We unpacked the filled-to-capacity car, and began the process of putting things back in their place, washing and drying clothes, and cleaning the car which had sustained 7 weeks of dust and bugs, and 3 days of being towed behind a motorhome, 2 of which were in the rain.  We each took advantage of the large shower in the master bath, and spent the evening watching television, a real treat after a long absence.  It’s good to be home.

We’re in Forest City, IA,  home of Winnebago and Itasca Motorhomes, and Lichtsinn Motors, a Winnebago and Itasca dealer.  We met with a sales consultant this morning, having had several telephone conversations and email exchanges over the course of the last couple of months.  Kay and I had decided some time ago that we would seriously look at a larger RV this year since ours was needing some major maintenance, had some significant structural problems, and was a bit small for the type of RVing we now do—park in one spot for several weeks at a time—the last several weeks we’ve been really up close and personal in our small motorhome.  The Winnebago Adventurer 35P had the floor plan we most liked in all the brands and models of RVs we considered.  Casey, the sales consultant, took us to the Winnebago factory to see a finished 2012 Adventurer, and we really liked it.  We agreed on a price, completed the paperwork required to order one made to our specifications, and began the arduous process of unloading ours.  Kay did most of the work since my back had given out, and we finished about 5 PM, having spent most of the afternoon packing, moving, and storing STUFF.  It’s amazing how much STUFF can be packed into a small motorhome.  We loaded all of our clothes and other odds and ends in the Honda, and if a door is opened, it will be like a Jack-in-the-Box when the lid pops open—things will fly everywhere!  We said goodbye to the old motorhome, having driven it almost 27,000 miles and lived in it some 45 weeks over the course of the last 4 years—it would have been more except for 4+1 Quartet making a CD and a bout with prostate cancer!

We began driving south, arriving in Bethany, MO, about 9 PM, edging ever closer to home.  When we opened the car doors, the blast of heat almost knocked us over.  Welcome back to hot weather.

Rain continued through part of the night, and we awoke to overcast skies.  Kay really likes the RV park  where we’re camped, Camp America in Salem, SD.  It is an old park, with lots of big trees, nice gravel pull-thru sites, and clean bathrooms and showers.  Because we had a short day today, we prepared a large breakfast, and didn’t depart until after 9 AM.  We continued driving east, through mist and rain, crossing into Minnesota, finally turning south about 40 miles east of Albert Lea, and after just a few miles, entered Iowa.  We arrived at Lichtsinn Motors in Forest City, IA, our camping spot for the night, leveled as best we could, and plugged into their electrical outlet.  Lichtsinn Motors is a Winnebago-Itasca dealer, located only about a mile from the Winnebago factory.  After setting up, we drove around town, amazed that the small town was the location of Waldorf College, formerly a Norwegian Lutheran Christian college.  It is now a small, 4-year liberal arts college.  There are many old stately houses near court square in Forest City, reminding us of Nebraska City, NE.  The Winnebago plant is huge, much bigger than those we saw last year in Elkhart County, IN.  We returned to the RV, watched some TV, ate okay Chinese food for dinner, and went to bed early, wondering what tomorrow will bring.

Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort and Cabins was very, very nice EXCEPT their WIFI did not work; we’d rather have done without everything else, except maybe electricity, and that is a real liability for an otherwise 5 star park.
Departing about 8 AM, we traveled south and east, passing through Rapid City, SD.  Kay and her sister, Nan, began texting about their respective scenic wonders—Kay in the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota, and Nan having just left Arches National Park and driving towards Bryce Canyon National Park.  This back-and-forth texting went on all day, but I believe Nan and George have us beat in the scenery department.  Southern Utah is incredibly beautiful.  We hope they are having the time of their life.
Despite a few sprinkles that turned into a full blown rain, we opted to depart our Point A to Point B route and drive through Badlands National Park.  I must be the luckiest guy on earth because each time I visit these places they get more beautiful than before.  Because of the rain, and mud, we didn’t walk off of the boardwalks, but the colors seemed even more vivid than we remembered.  We stopped at the newly renovated visitor center and it was very nice—last time we were by, the visitor center was in a trailer.

As we crossed the Missouri River at Chamberlain, we noted how high it was, and how high it had been.  The US Army Corps of Engineers has and will continue to take a beating on their management of the flood, just as they did at home in 2008.  Perhaps someone should look into it, because this is just a recent thing; maybe the reservoir control plans have been adjusted too much!
Further eastward, we stopped at Cabela’s in Mitchell, SD, and bought some stocking stuffers for Christmas and a T-shirt on sale for half price.  Our stop for the night is Camp America at Salem, SD.  Tomorrow, we enter Iowa for an overnight stay in Forest City, IA, home of Winnebago!!!

Anxious to depart for home after 44 days in pretty tight quarters, we were up early and departed RedRock RV Park at 7 AM.  We crossed the continental divide at Targhee Pass, leaving Idaho for the last time, and entering Montana.  We drove north through West Yellowstone towards Bozeman, seeing friend Mike in oncoming traffic just north of West Yellowstone in a construction zone; we’re sure he was headed to Hebgen Lake to fish for Gulpers.  At Bozeman, we found ourselves on Interstate 90, and began a long drive west to near Garryowen, MT, turning onto US Highway 212 east.  We arrived at our RV park, Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort and Cabins, for the night having traveled 535 miles in parts of 4 states—Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota.

After setting up, we headed immediately for the hot tub, after which we enjoyed real television for the first time since mid-July.  Thank goodness for the little things.

We awoke early this morning, another sign that it’s time to be headin’ home.  After coffee, checking email, and posting the blog entry for yesterday, we drove towards West Yellowstone for breakfast.  Ron, Kay’s son, called to wish me a Happy Birthday, and just about the same time, I spotted a HUGE bull moose near the road.  The moose’s eyes met mine and he wheeled and lumbered away.  Kay, bless her heart, did catch a glimpse, but only briefly.  I stopped the car, she got out to photograph it, but by then the moose had left the country.  What was surprising was that he was mixed in among a small bunch of domestic cows and calves—however, he was at least 3 times taller than them.  It is amazing that on our last full day we finally complete our big animal sightings by seeing the moose!

We ate breakfast at Runnin’ Bear Pancake House, a local favorite and ours as well.  Neither of us could finish our big breakfasts.  Afterwards, we drove into Yellowstone National Park and I purchased my own America the Beautiful Interagency Park Pass for $10, a 62nd birthday present to myself.  Since Kay is quite a bit older than I, I told her that her usefulness to me had now lost a notch. She laughed but didn’t think it was too funny!

Back at the RV park, we finished packing all of our outside stuff, and Kay cleaned the inside of the RV.  All our bags are packed and we’re ready to go.

The afternoon was filled with our last Happy Hour on the deck, our best if the food is any indication.  RVers, with their limited galley (kitchen), always seem to prepare scrumptious food.  After eating and visiting, a lively game of Left Center Right ensued.  Kay managed to escape with just a small loss, protecting what little gas money we have left.

Early tomorrow morning we depart from a great RV park, my most enchanting visit to Yellowstone National Park, and many new friends.  We pray for safe travel.