GETTYSBURG & NEW HOLLAND, PA (AUG 31, 2009)

Greetings....
It's fairly late, and we've had a fantastic day exploring Gettysburg and the Amish area around New Holland and Landcaster...
I'm a bit tired, but thought I better write something so I don't get too far behind...
If we had to wrap up our thoughts and feelings about this place in a few words, I can safely say: This is one of the most charming and fascinating places we've ever been to...
The enigma of the Amish blows us away...
Why would anyone live like they do in today's world?
I can understand roots and ties to the past, but to live without electricity just because their kinfolk did, isn't much of an argument for keeping to tradition, if you ask me...
There are, of course, many other things which rule their way of life, and which is puzzling to unknowledgeable people like me... Religious teachings for one... But I'm not here to judge... I'm here to enjoy, and that's what we have been doing...
It's been absolutely delightful to spend a few days here... It's beautiful country... The farms and homes are immaculate...
Talk about clean!
I haven't seen one piece of trash laying along the wayside since I've been here... Don't think we can say that about many places in America...
Quite honestly, I have nothing but praise for the people and the area, just take a look at today's pictures, and judge for yourself:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/GETTYSBURGNEWHOLLANDPAAUG312009# We stopped in Gettysburg in 1975, and toured the battlefields, but other than that, we have no recollection of what it was all about...
I've read some "stuff" about the civil war, but not enough so that I can perform a running commentary on who did what and where... Suffice it to say, Luanne and I got enough out of the museum and movie theater presentations to last us a long time...
The Cyclorama is mind boggling! The 360 degree oil painting, and the sound effects in the presentation, is so real you feel like you're there watching the mayhem from your vantage point on top of the hill...
It's time for bed... We have an even longer day tomorrow when we drive into Philadelphia to ring the Liberty Bell...
Later......

CHAMPION to NEW HOLLAND, PA (AUG. 30, 2009)

Too many things to do and see... No time to write...
Going to Gettysburg now, Philadelphia tomorrow...
New Holland / Landcaster is a fantastic place to visit...
Look at the pictures here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/CHAMPIONToNEWHOLLANDPAAUG302009#

KIMBOLTON, OH. through WEST VIRGINIA, to CHAMPION, PA (AUG 29, 2009)

RAIN!!!
That's been the story of today...
Started out gloomy, and that turned to pure misery the further East we drove (on I-70).
"Normal" rain in these parts of the country, I guess, is emptying the Heavens of every drop... Then borrowing some more from Hell...
At one point (might've been while crossing two State Borders in a matter of minutes) our windshield wipers couldn't keep up, and we came to a crawl... Top that off with road construction, and you have the makings for a joyous "voyage" through the hills of West Virginia and Pennsylvania...
We actually were looking forward to stopping in Wheeling, WV., but there was no way I was going to pull off the Interstate and onto some city street not knowing where to go, and not seeing where I was going...
You may have detected some weariness in my writing today, and that could be because it's very trying on both body and soul to drive in situations like this... Of course, you muddle through as best you can, and, not until you finally reach your destination do you realize how much the drive had taken out of you....
It doesn't help when you also turn off the freeway to take some back road that winds up and down, over and under, through and around every little village and town in the world, in order to get some feel for the countryside...
That's what's called sightseeing... And that's what we did when we got off I-70 and headed down Hwy 31...
Wow! The hills... The turns... The ups and downs...
Oh, it was pretty, all right, but it was also hair-raising... If there's anything I hate more than stopping up-hill (with the trailer behind me) it's stopping down-hill (with the trailer behind me) at a signal or stop sign at the bottom of a huge hill, and let me tell you, both situations presented themselves abundantly today... I'm just thankful we' found the darn campground, "Roaring Run Resort," and got ourselves situated... Situated in this case means we backed the truck and trailer into a space, and left both attached... No need for unhooking, since we're heading out of here in the morning...
Tomorrow we're hitting the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which is a toll road... Have no idea of how much things will cost, but will let you know tomorrow evening, unless we have to take out a mortgage on the trailer... If that's the case, I might ask for a loan...
Enough of this silliness already... Take care... Check back tomorrow to see if I felt like writing.
Pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/KIMBOLTONOHThroughWESTVIRGINIAToCHAMPIONPAAUG292009#

KIMBOLTON & CAMBRIDGE, OH (AUG. 28, 2009)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETHEART!
Have you ever heard crickets, frogs, owls, and all kinds of nocturnal creature‘s sounds all night long?
OK… OK…. Showoff….
But have you heard them all at once, along with Luanne’s snores?
(if the answer is yes, you and I will have to have a serious talk!)
Well… I haven‘t either…. Until last night.
A disgusting composition of Mother Nature’s symphony beat my brain to a pulp, until, finally, at 2:30am, I got up and shut all hatches and windows…
Since it was so early on Luanne’s birthday, I kept her out of harm’s way (literally), and didn’t even poke her in the ribs to quiet her down… I’d say that was pretty generous of me, since she definitely carried the base beat in this opus…
Of course, that didn’t carry too well this morning, when all I had thought about during the night was forgotten, and I didn’t even wish her a Happy Birthday until I saw a greeting card from her sis, Linda (better known as Gede)..
Too late, guy! Plague and sorrow be upon you!
But, alas, she took it like a trooper… She forgave my sin, and we lived happily for another day…
To make up for my carelessness, I took her into town, Cambridge, for a look-see at the different establishments the town had to offer, and, wouldn’t you know it, we found another Walmart… Oh, yeah… They’re everywhere!
We trotted through town, moved with grace through this and that… Even went up to the third floor of the Court House to look at the Court Room they refurbished with authentic furniture from about 150 years ago…
See pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/KIMBOLTONCAMBRIDGEOHAUG282009#
And we stopped and talked to vendors at the Farmer’s Market (right on the front steps of the Court House)… Of course, we had a mocha and a vanilla late to brighten our morning…
Oops… Forgot to tell you that it poured down last night, and we had thunder and lightning this morning before we took off, but that all quit by the time we left home… Fortunately, or unfortunately (we will never know), it was the deciding factor in whether we were going to head up to “Amish-land” or into town… We needed fuel for the truck, and it looked like there wasn’t much of that in horse-and-buggy country, so…
Anyway, we decided to forgo lunch and come back in for dinner…
Which we did, after catching up on some shut-eye when we got home.
Went on the internet to find a restaurant contender, and didn’t find anything worth while, but then my better half remembered she’d seen a sign for “The Point Restaurant” up on a hill somewhere, and that’s where we celebrated her birthday…
Had a fantastic dinner and enjoyed ourselves for a couple of hours, then went home, over those 16 miles of winding, up-and-down roads, to our little hacienda on wheels…
All in all… A pretty darn good day! At least, that was what Luanne classified it as, and that’s good enough for me.
Tomorrow… Off to a one-night stand in Champion, Pennsylvania… More then……

WHITESTOWN, IN. to KIMBOLTON, OH (AUG. 27, 2009)

The drive from Stein and Tina's to here (at Grand Haven, Kimbolton, Ohio), was a piece of cake once we got away from Whitestown...
Got up fairly early to get things started...
Drove the three miles down to the closest gas station to fill up the truck, and had a heck of a time getting diesel... Diesel pumps I'm used to are green in color, but here that's regular gas... Good thing I caught it it time...
Then I had a heck of a time securing our bikes on the rack... Bet it took me at least a half hour! Sweat like a pig!
Then, of course, it's time to say our Farewells: Stein first, since he had to go to work... Then the kids and Tina... Boy, I tell you... It's hard to say good bye when you don't know how long it'll be before you see them again.... But.... Good Bye it is, and I'm surprised at myself, because I didn't shed a tear... I'm usually a soft touch, and anything approaching emotional will wet my cheeks, but I managed quite well, so there's hope for the old boy... Must say, though, when Hailey said, "I'll miss you grandpa," the old tearducts swelled but didn't spill... They're actually swelling right now, just writing about it.... OK... STOP IT!
We'll miss you guys also, but let's hope it won't be too long before we meet again.
There was a huge detour, which I described on my pictures that you'll find here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/WHITESTOWNINToKIMBOLTONOHAUG272009# Took us about an hour, but we stopped and had breakfast at a small MA & PA cafe, so we probably had about 40 minutes of actual driving time?
The last 16 miles, from I-70 to Grand Haven, is torturous... Narrow, winding, and very steep in places, but the scenery is wonderful, and we plan to take a look at everything around here tomorrow... Luanne thinks the Amish is a big presence around here, so that'll be interesting to find out... We'll see what tomorrow brings... Good night folks!

INDIANAPOLIS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM (AUG. 25, 2009) also a few afterthoughts...

I’m back on the keyboard, but only for a short while… Basically, I want to catch you up on what happened yesterday, in as few words as possible (with me, that’s almost impossible - see what I mean?).
Anyway, we took the grandkids to the Indianapolis Children's Museum, and had such a great time that we’ll never forget it… Hopefully, the kids will remember the day with fondness as well…
The pictures will speak a thousand words, and they are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/INDIANAPOLISCHILDRENSMUSEUMAUG252009# You have to understand I probably took twice as many pictures as I posted…
The problem was speed….
Almost every time I pushed the button (to take a picture) the kids moved… Hence the “blurries,” which, of course, had to be deleted…
So, since I stated that I’d try to keep this short, please read (or look) between the lines, and imagine what a fantastic day grandparents can have with their grandkids! We absolutely loved every minute we spent with them, and I have the feeling that Reese, Hailey, and Hannah cherished their time with us also.
It’s 5:43 Wednesday evening, and I’m all by myself here in the trailer trying to catch up…
Luanne and I had another busy, but wonderful day… Took off shopping late this morning, and came home for a short nap while the kids were in school.
Lu’s bicycle tire had a flat, and I was very surprised when I found that Stein had taken care of the “fixin’” when I got up…. Thanks, Stein! You helped me out a lot in this warm weather…
By the way, Stein told me earlier today that Tina and he had a little birthday surprise for Luanne later this evening… Cake and stuff…… Her birthday is on the 28th, so that’ll blow her mind… She has no idea of what’s going on… Anyway, I have to scoot…….. I’ll try to write some more tomorrow when we get to where we’re going… Have to check the maps to be sure…….
Take care, and keep in touch.
Afterthoughts (8/26/09):
Dinner is culinary history (Thai Noodles and Shrimp), which was very, very good... I ate too much, but what else is new?
Grandma's surprise birthday cake was a hit, as was the "Kringle," so you can see, we're not lacking in calories...
The reason I'm adding these tidbits tonight is that I don't want to forget that when we got home yesterday, Stein and Tina had been out looking at puppies, and they brought one home with them... It's the cutest little thing you ever saw... Yorkshire Terrier (Miley)... The kids went wild! Talk about a great day for them... Skipping school... Grandma and Grandpa taking them to the Museum, to McDonald's, and then coming home to a new puppy... Wow!
And if that wasn't enough, todaylittle Miley got herself an even smaller brother... An 8-week old Maltese (sorry, forgot what they named him), and the kids.... Well, what can I say? They went wild once again...
All this was as much fun for us, of course, as it was for them, and now that our visit is basically over (we're leaving in the morning) it's time to reflect a little...
Stein and Tina... We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the wonderful welcome, the neverending hospitality, the good food, and the great company... Am I leaving anything out? If so, please forgive us, because we've had the most superb time, and having your kids around for these few days have enriched our lives to no end.... Please know that we love each and every one of you very, very much... Again, thank you for putting up with us, and giving us all these happy memories to carry with us as we travel on....
Take care of each other, and keep in touch....
Love you! Mom and Dad, aka Grandma and Grandpa.
(PS... I'm adding the latest pictures to this album).

WHITESTOWN & INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (AUG 23 & 24, 2009)

Sunday, Aug. 23.
Today was son’s day to haul mom and pop around without kids (who didn’t particularly like the idea of daddy taking their new best friends away, but, after some compassionate moments with the little ones, we made our way to Indianapolis and the Motor Speedway the whole world knows about… I have no idea of how many of the races here I’ve watched on TV, but I’d guess it’s about 46 or 47.… Just about every race since we came to this country…
It was thrilling for me to see all the winning cars, the pictures, the trophies, and all the stuff that goes along with the racing mindset (which you almost have to have, in order to enjoy this kind of thing).
Luanne, who’s been to a few NASCAR races with me, enjoys the thunder and excitement of the race as much as I do, but maybe not all the paraphernalia in a racing museum? She was a trooper, though, and endured all the ahhs and oohs as we made our way through the maze…
On the way home, Stein took us through some incredible neighborhoods (which he has done every time we’ve been out) with homes in the 5,000 to 30,000 square foot range…
Unbelievable is the word for it…
I, personally, have never been to a place that has as many “super mansions” as this place…
Seems like every other neighborhood is infested with money someone didn’t have the faintest idea of how to use wisely… Take a look at the pictures…
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/WHITESTOWNINDIANAPOLISMOTORSPEEDWAYAUG23242009#
By the way, I deleted over half of the homes I took shots of… After all, this Blog is not an advertisement for the Street of Dreams… Right? Right… But I did want to show you some of these monstrosities, just so you can have a taste of the ritzier side of Indianapolis.
The evening was actually fairly quiet… School day tomorrow…. So, after a great dinner, it was time for the old folks to scoot back to the trailer, and for the kids to do whatever kids do after Grandma and Grandpa disappears… Probably get back to normal, huh?
Monday, Aug. 24
Hailey first, then Reese, and then Hannah knocked on our door this morning, wanting to say goodbye before heading off to school… Well, Hannah isn’t old enough yet for kindergarten, so she just wanted to knock on the door to see if she‘d be let in… Of course…. All of them are welcome any time of the day, and that’s basically what they’ve done… Taken up residence in the trailer…
It’s neat to have grandma show you new games, and play old ones with you for hours on end, or to just explore the nooks and crannies, even, maybe, do homework (one at a time, of course, because of the Noise Ordinance)… Oh yeah, it’s great to have a new doll house in the neighborhood!
And it’s great to have a son like Stein, who saw that Grandpa could do with a bit of a break, so he took me down to Campingworld, about 35 miles away, where I bought a new handle for my sewer valve (which broke off the other day)…. Came home and found that it didn’t fit… Oh, well… Have to exchange it at the next Campingworld we run into…
As usual, Stein took me through some neighborhoods where there were nothing but huge homes of every shape and size… They are very interesting to look at, but, for the life of me, I have no idea why people have any need for such monstrosities… And I’ll leave it at that…
Had another superb dinner, and then the kids got their swimsuits on, and the kids and I biked over to the swimming pool, while the others walked…
It was so much fun seeing them frolic in the water, you wouldn’t believe it… All three of them jumped right in without even testing the temp (in my opinion, it was pretty cool)… And they kept going in and out until us grownups got tired of watching them, and hauled them home…
One major hiccup after we got home… Hailey saw Reese biking without holding his hands on the handles, and, of course, she had to try it as well… Didn’t turn out… Fell and scraped her little body up pretty good, but not life threatening, thank goodness, so, I guess she came away from the ordeal with a lesson learned, but learned the hard way…
That’s it for tonight…. Tomorrow Lu and I are taking only the kids to The Children’s Museum, which, I hear, is fabulous…

SIGHTSEEING S.E. INDIANA (AUG. 22, 2009)

If you don't have the time to read, look at the pictures from today here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/DAYTRIPAROUNDSEINDIANASATURDAYAUG222009#
Grandpa was recruited to make Norwegian pancakes this morning, which turned out to be a boon to my ego, ‘cause we had a peewee straw vote, and grandpa’s was better than daddy’s…. Sorry, Stein, at my age, I get my kicks wherever I can.
While I messed up Tina’s kitchen, Luanne entertained herself by teaching the kids the game of marbles, which turned out to be a bigger hit than she might’ve thought…
After breakfast we headed out for a day of sightseeing…
Stein took us on a circuitous tour of Southeast Indiana, through Indianapolis, then down I-65 and Hwy 7, passing Columbus and Vernon into the old town of Madison, which lies on the shore of the mighty Ohio River.
There was a Fair going on, so Stein stopped and let the kids and old folks stretch their limbs… We didn’t go into the Fairgrounds (which was spread out along the river) because it cost $15 per person, and we thought that was a bit steep, but we did walk a few of the streets, just to get a feel for the place (and maybe give our derrières a rest)…
These old towns we’ve been through (and are on our way to see) are really neat, and, even though they might not be as old as most of the cities in Europe, they have a lot of history, and both Luanne and I love exploring and finding out as much about them as we can.
Stein got on the phone with a friend of his, Mike (who has a vacation place down here), and we piled back into the van and drove about 9 miles, on Hwy 56, to his RV Park, which snuggles a good piece of the shoreline…
Mike and his wife were out in their boat, but showed up shortly, and then took the kids and Stein out for a spin… They didn’t have enough lifejackets for the rest of us to go, which was OK… After all, we’re no strangers to boating…
Anyway, we found out that the border between Indiana and Kentucky is the North shoreline of the Ohio River, so when we were standing on the dock we were actually in Kentucky… Not bad stepping into another State without even knowing it, huh?
After that we hugged the river, driving Hwy 156, up to the town of Aurora… Along the way we passed several fields of some yellow, big-leafed plants, and didn’t know what it was until we saw a barn with “Pipe Tobacco” written all over it, and inside we could see plants hung up to dry…
Interesting…. Have never seen tobacco plants before.
Anyway, we stopped in Aurora and had an outstanding Mexican dinner… Happy to announce: Both grandparents and kids behaved themselves appropriately.. Wonderful food! Great fun! Thanks, Stein and Tina!
With bellies full, we headed up Hwy 50 a piece, to Hwy 1, which takes you up and around the “PERFECT NORTH SLOPES” ski area… Not much to see, really… What was there reminded me of the Beginners’ Runs at one of our own ski areas in Washington, and when Stein told me they make their own snow, I wasn’t much impressed!
We hit I-74 back to Indianapolis, and by the time we got back to Whitestown, Stein had racked up 300 miles on the odometer… BIG DAY!
The kids all wanted to spend the night in “Grandma and Grandpa’s House with Wheels,” so we got them tucked in on the sleeping sofa, where they conked out almost immediately… Didn’t take the old folks long either to follow suit….

MULBERRY GROVE, IL. to WHITESTOWN, IN. (FRIDAY, AUG. 21, 2009)

Finally had a day when we didn’t need to drive very far (only about 200 miles), so we took it slow and easy getting ready to leave Mulberry Grove… Really nice to be in such a situation for a change…
Got my water and electricity taken care of, then found, to my dismay, that the storm had done nasty things to my truck’s hard “Rolltop” bedcover, and had also
torn off the bug shield above my right fender…
Can’t tell you why I didn’t notice these things before, but that’s the way it goes, isn’t it?
Anyway, I always close the “lid” when we’re not towing, so, when I tried to open it up this morning, and it didn’t want to budge, I was not very pleased…
Found that, somehow, the wind had mangled the perpendicular “ribs” (that glides in the channels along the length of the bed) so that they had separated from the vinyl top cover and had been driven down under the spring loaded roll inside the box that stores the whole thing…
This clarifies the whole situation for you, I’m sure, so let’s just leave it at that… Except, maybe, I should say that I had a major problem, which ate up way too much of that precious time I mentioned earlier, but with the help of my battery powered screw driver, and a few “HECK-DARNS” I finally got it done…
Nothing I could do about the bug shield…. Just have to get another one, that’s all..
We were on our way about half an hour after anticipated “lift-off,” so that’s not too bad…
Illinois is as flat as any of the surrounding States (at least not along I-70), but it does change a bit the further East you go… And that’s as far as I’m gonna go with my comments on the landscapes around here…. Look for yourself on my pictures on Picasa: http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/MULBERRYGROVEILToWHITESTOWNINFRIDAYAUG212009#
We arrived in Indiana, but didn’t see a Welcome Sign, so we dove in to the first Rest Stop we came to (a mile or so West of Terre Haute), and took a picture, as well as grabbed a bite to eat here.
We soon arrived on the outskirts of Indianapolis, and had a fun time getting on to the 485 beltway, which took us to the Northern boundaries of the City, and then into Whitestown.
Whitestown is very rural with farms and fields of corn and soy beans, and in the middle of all that lies a new subdivision where Stein and Tina has settled into a very nice home in a very nice neighborhood.
Their particular neighborhood encircles a “catch and release” pond with lovely manicured lawns bordering homes and lake alike… Both Lu and I found the place very peaceful and serene, and definitely a great place to raise kids.
Talking about kids:
As we were driving North on the beltway, we called Stein to make sure we were on the right track…
As we’re talking, he says, “I can see you!” We didn’t see him, but he guided us on the right way…
Guess he was going to a meeting in South Indy…
Tina and the kids weren’t home when we arrived (She’d gone to pick them up from school), so we took it easy in the trailer until we heard the yelps from three excited kids…
Gosh! They are right down adorable!
Haven’t seen them in over a year, and it’s amazing how much they’ve spurt up in that time…
Haven’t had so many hugs and kisses in a long time, and Lu and I both ate it up! It’s bloody great to be grandparents!
Both Stein and Tina look happy and healthy, and isn’t that what it’s all about?
I know they know they’re blessed with a great family, and that makes us appreciate their good fortune even more.
And then we come to Santa….
Since these three grandkids weren’t in Washington, and didn’t have the “usual” Christmas stockings at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s last year, we though we’d surprise them with a little gift from Santa in August…
We’ve been picking up things here and there all year, and Lu’s wrapped all of them in 3 different Christmas wraps (so we could keep tab on what belongs to whom)…
Well, we unloaded this big box into three overflowing stockings… Then sat the kids down and told them that Santa had been too busy to make the extra trip to Indiana (last Christmas) so he’d asked Grandma and Grandpa to deliver the goods since we were coming here anyway.
I detected a couple of raised eyebrows at the mention of Santa, but you should’ve seen their little faces when we brought in the stockings…… Oh, man….
Talk about precious!
Talk about noise!
Obviously, it was great for these kids to get these tokens of love, but, let me tell you, it warmed our hearts to no end to see their faces light up as they unwrapped one present after another… What a delightful memory we will have to take with us…
We couldn’t have asked for a happier ending to our first day in Whitestown, Indiana.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (AUGUST 20, 2009)

More rain… More thunder… More lightning… More of Luanne’s snoring last night… Nothing frightening… Nothing I couldn’t handle…
Felt pretty good, actually, when I finally got out of bed just before 8:00.
Got through the usual morning chores… Had some coffee with my favorite girl, and headed in to St. Louis…
Took Hwy 140 back the way “Molly” wanted us to come here to Mulberry Grove (just to see where she would’ve taken us), and found we would probably have been lost… Good thing we have instincts to go by, huh?
Anyway, we meandered our way along the back roads, through the town of Greenville, where we hooked up with I-70, which took us the 52.6 miles in to the “Big City.”
Luanne took all kinds of pictures, as usual, and, of course, got some more barns….
I’m sure you’ve figured out that most of the pictures we take are taken on the move (through the truck window), and, if not most, at least quite a few of them are out of focus (or right down blurry), so, before I get them on my Picasa Web Album, I spend a lot of time editing… Even that leaves a lot of pictures to post…
I guess what I’m getting at is that I might be overloading you with pictures, but I just can’t make myself delete more than I have, so, sorry…
It was an awesome sight to see the Gateway Arch as we passed here yesterday, but, let me tell you, when you get to stand under it, or close to it, it takes your breath away!
I’ve always been very proud of “our“ Seattle Space Needle, but, guess what… This monument is, in my opinion, more graceful and pleasing to the eye…
I think the engineering feat, which went into both of these structures, must’ve been equally challenging, but the Arch is, by far, more esthetically pleasing… To put it plainly, It is magnificent in its simplicity!
Lu and I loved every minute we spent around, inside, under, and on “top” of it, and will always classify this as one of the highlights of our trip.
As you can see by the pictures, we took an hour’s cruise on the riverboat M.V. Tom Sawyer, which was all right, but nothing to write home about…
I mean, the riverboat cruise we took in New Orleans (in 2000) was fantastic compared to this one…
Maybe it was because of the surroundings?
Don‘t know, but look at the pictures: What we saw of the St. Louis waterfront was not very pretty (except for the Arch Park Area)…
Rusty buildings, rusty tugboats, and rusty barges are everywhere…
We passed a “HOBO” camp, and several vagrants (sorry… don’t really know if they were or not) who sprawled among some boulders…
Debris (of all sorts) line the shoreline…. The captain even showed us an upside down car wreck that’s been there for ages - Why don‘t the City clean stuff like that up?
Guess both Lu and I were disappointed in that part of the City’s characteristic…
Maybe they are cleaning it up, and haven‘t gotten to that part yet?
Because, as we took off on foot, after our cruise, we went down to the Old Town, where we found a vibrant community… Shops and eateries, and everything in-between… And everything was clean and well kept… (By the way, we seek out The Old Town in every city we visit, because that is what interests us).
Walked over to the Domed Stadium, and looked in at the new Casino across the street, then had a delicious late lunch, at Big Daddy’s, before heading back to Mulberry Grove…
At home, we had a little catnap, then took a stroll around the campground, and that’s it for today…. We’re ready for some GRANDKIDS!
Can’t wait to see those little ones tomorrow!
Hey Reese, Hailey, and Hannah! HERE WE COME!

PICASA WEB PICTURES HERE:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/STLOUISMISSOURIAUGUST202009#

BRANSON, MO (AUG. 17 & 18). From BRANSON to MULBERRY GROVE, ILL (AUG. 19, 2009)

Here are the pictures we've taken these last three days:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/BRANSONMOAUG1718FromBRANSONToMULBERRYGROVEILLAUG192009#

Sorry I haven’t been keeping you up to date lately, but, as you can imagine, there’s been circumstances… I’m just not going to tell you about them, that’s all…. Nah… Just kidding.
I believe I clued you in to August 16, so let me go back to Monday, the 17th…
Wow! That was only two days ago!
Seems like so much has happened since then…
Guess a lot has happened, now that I think about it, but let me just touch on the highlights, otherwise you’ll be bored to tears…
Before I do that though, I need to digress for a second and inform you, once again, that we’re deadly afraid of tornados, and we’re really grateful to the weather gods that we’ve missed some horrendous storms as we’ve made our way East… Erik informed us (and we saw on TV) that the area around Manhattan was inundated by floods and other heavenly nastiness shortly after we departed, and that’s been the case on several occasions… So… We were a bit surprised, and maybe a little flustered, when we got soaked in Branson.
Monday morning was wet from last night’s rain, but the day looked good, so we took off sightseeing… Just drove around everywhere… Up one hill, down another…
There are hundreds of them… Probably thousands all through the Ozarks, where man has made it his mission to build roads along every hilltop, and connect them to their kin in every valley, canyon, and arroyo… Very scenic, of course, but very tiring if you’re driving… Especially if you’re hauling something behind you.
So that’s that… We stopped and got tickets to see CLAY COOPER, one of the local stars, for Monday night, and to see PIERCE ARROW on Tuesday night.
For those of you who don’t know about Branson, Missouri, I’d suggest you look things up on the internet… Suffice it to say, it’s a hopping city with hundreds of Country and Western artists performing in their own theaters all throughout the year, but it so happened that we came at the wrong time… First week of school, wouldn’t you know…
We heard it say the town was kind of dead, but we managed to see two very good and entertaining shows performed by very talented people, so we think we did all right…
Matter of fact, we had front row seats for the PIERCE ARROW performance, so that was kind of cool…
Tuesday morning we took off and drove around Table Rock Lake… Stopped at several tourist facilities, one of which is the old paddle wheeler, BRANSON BELLE… Too bad we didn’t find out about this dinner cruise before buying our theater tickets, because we heard nothing but praise about it… A bit costly, at around 50 bucks per person, but probably worth? Maybe next time?
On the way around the lake we stopped in Old Town again…
Enjoyed another stroll along the boardwalk… It’s so pretty down here, we almost forgot to notice the clouds… And the humidity (which was climbing)… Of course, Mother Nature has a way of reminding you of who’s the Boss…
We had gone in to get some groceries (on our way back home), and, in the time it took us to walk from the store to the truck (about 20 yards), the drizzle had turned to a downpour! I’m not kidding! In a matter of about five seconds we were soaked to the skin… Are we having fun yet?
At home, we had to wait in the truck for a long time, until it eased up enough not to wash us away while dashing to the trailer… Not that it should’ve mattered much… After all, we were pretty much wet anyway, but there’s something about getting out in a downpour when you don’t have to… Of course, there was that lightning and thunder that shook you to the core… Maybe that was it? Maybe that’s what made us get some common sense? Who knows? Anyway, as soon as it started, it quit! Just like that! Really weird! I’m just thankful there were no tornados…
Both of the shows we took in lasted until about 10:30, or was it a bit later? Can’t remember… All I know is that I didn’t feel like writing on my Blog on any of those evenings, so there you are… That’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it….
So… We’ve come ’till today, Wednesday, August 19.… Our grandson birthday! HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY, HUNTER! Grandma and Grandpa loves you very much!
We left Branson around 7:30 this morning, having one of our longest drives ahead of us… About 330 miles…
Turned out to be a nice and easy drive as soon as we hooked a right in Springfield… I can tell you, it felt good to be able to drive on fairly flat terrain again.
Got to St. Louis, and realized (when we saw it) that the GATEWAY ARCH is here… Who would‘ve thunk it! Probably knew about it, but there you go…. Anyway, we decided we’ll drive the 50 miles backwards tomorrow, and go and see the arch and some of the other things St. Louis has to offer. Good idea!
Not so good an idea was taking off and going to Vandalia (the next town East) after arriving at Timber Trails Campground (Mulberry, Illinois), this afternoon…
The sky was a bit on the shady side when we left, but nothing threatening…
We stopped at Walmart (plumbing stuff), right off the freeway, and thought we’d take a look at the town afterward…
First, we couldn’t find the town, and second, heading back to the freeway, we heard this incredible wailing sound… Thought it might be a train, but when we lowered the windows, we figured out real quick that it must be a tornado siren.
Sure enough, as soon as we drove onto the freeway, facing West, there was a solid wall of black ahead of us… There were lightning all over the sky, but very little wind…. Big semi-trucks and small passenger cars scooted and whizzed by us, like we were standing still…. So I thought if it was OK for them to head into that crap, we should be all right…. Oh, yeah, there you go thinking again, Johnsen….. It didn’t take more than a few miles before the windshield wipers couldn’t keep up with the wash… Everything came to a slow… Barely moving…. Red lights ahead blinking off and on… Then gusts of wind… The truck ahead of me stopped… I crawled up on his rear, went over to the shoulder, and did the same… A huge truck slid in behind me… Thankfully not breaking my tail lights… My wipers did a masterful job sprinting from one side of my windshield to the other, but it was impossible to make out anything ahead… That’s how furious the wind and rain came down… Talking about the wind: My truck shook so violently at times that I honestly was afraid it was going to tip over… Looking out my side window (away from the wind) I could see branches and all kinds of crud flying all over the place… I told Lu I saw a cow fly by, but I don’t think she bought it… The whole episode lasted maybe 6, 7 minutes, but they were among the most frightful minutes I’ve ever spent doing absolutely nothing but sit and stare at the awesome power unleashed around us…
We turned off the freeway about a mile further West, and crawled along the road to our campground through all kinds of debris from the storm… Branches everywhere… A lot of damaged and uprooted trees… Man, it was a mess, and I was pretty much expecting our trailer upside down, but, Goodness, Gracious! the trailer was fine… Even our satellite dish (which I was sure would’ve vanished) was proudly pointing to the stars…
We talked to one of the people at the park, and she said her husband (who was West of here somewhere) had watched the TV weather station, and, evidently, they showed that a tornado had gone right over us… I don’t know whether that’s true, or not, but what an experience! I’ll never forget it, and I sure hope we’ll never get into something like this again. And that’s it for now, my friends…. It’s 11pm, and I’m heading for the sack…

GROVE, OK to BRANSON, MO (SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2009)

I hate Molly!
If I ever find that little whimp, I’ll wring her neck!
I programmed “her” Saturday evening…
Took me hours to do so, of course, but, in spite of that, I was pretty confident we were on the same wavelength when I went to bed…
Took our sweet time getting ready Sunday morning…
We had to “unplug” everything, and drive over to the “dump” (since we didn’t have a sewer hookup at our campsite… Only water and electricity) before leaving Bear‘s Den for good…
All went well…. Until we pulled up to the road…
“Turn left on to Highway 59.”
She had decided (all on her own) that she wanted us to go North instead of South.
I wanted to go through Arkansas (since we were a hop and a skip away from there), and, to my way of thinking, this is the shortest way to get to Branson, Missouri…
Molly, evidently, had something against that, and, as I turned South, she began the first of a million whines:
“RE-CAL-CU-LATING”
She sounds so disgusted, and I want to know who the heck taught her how to complain like that? I’ll have a few words with him/her as well…
She wanted me to turn around at every crossroad, and, since I had no inkling to do her bidding, I finally turned her off… Figured she’d realize her boo-boo and come around to my way of thinking down the road a ways…
Not so…
That little “rear end” (gotta keep it clean) kept on “RE-CAL-CU-LATING” every time I turned her on…. For miles and miles… and miles…..
Not until we were well into the Ozark mountains did she finally capitulate.
Not a good day for that little broad!
We traveled highways 59, 10, 20, 72, 71, 62, and 65 through Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri today, and it was a magnificent road trip, to say the least!
The trip through the Ozarks is breathtaking… There are incredible hairpin turns, and lots of ups and downs that wears on both you and your breaks (not to mention your wife and marriage), but when you’re in a place like this, you take it easy, and you don’t give a hoot about who is behind you…. They just have to wait until there’s a big enough space for me to pull off so they can pass…. Sometimes that can be miles and miles, which stacks them up pretty good behind me… Oh, well…..
So we get into Branson, and believe it or not, Molly took us right to Treasure Lake Resort (probably felt bad about the way she acted this morning), and we got ourselves fully hooked up, which was a feat in itself in the over 100° temperature.
After a well deserved rest, we headed into Old Town, which is very nicely done… Basically, the old cobblestone roads have been revamped into pedestrian areas with all sorts of shops, boutiques, restaurants, and what-have-you… Great place to stroll down the middle of the road, since no cars are allowed.
Every hour there’s a fountain and fire show right next to the river, and we happened to be there when it took place… The National Anthem was synchronized with the display, and was fantastic!
Funny, but I get Goosebumps every time I hear it!
Seems like Branson is nestled on top, and around a bunch of hills, and the Main Strip is a replica (if you will) of Las Vegas… It would almost be impossible to walk the whole length…. I’d imagine it would probably take you a whole day, and that would be during the cold season.
There are hundreds of shows and acts, and fancy theaters everywhere… All you need is money and time, and you’d have a blast around here.
Don’t know for sure which one yet, but we’re taking in a show tonight…. And probably one tomorrow, as well?
That’s it for now… It’s 11am Monday morning, and time for something or other….
PICTURES:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/LEAVINGGROVEOKDRIVINGTHRUARKANSASToBRANSONMISSOURISUNAUG162009#

GROVE, OK to BRANSON, MO (SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2009)

OK.......... It's Sunday evening, closing in on 10:30pm..... Luanne is in bed, and I'm a bit tired myself, because we've had a big day travelling.... And sightseeing.... So....... If you don't mind, I'll let you look at all the pictures Lu took today, and leave it at that....... I'll try to expand on everything tomorrow morning, but tonight is pretty much shot.....
Look at the pictures here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/LEAVINGGROVEOKDRIVINGTHRUARKANSASToBRANSONMISSOURISUNAUG162009#
and read the captions....... That should get you up to par, I think.....
As a closing statement, I'd like to say that the drive through the Ozark Mountains was quite an experience.... Wow! The scenery! And the winding roads...... And that darn Molly(GPS)...... Oh, yeah...... But that's another story!
Good night, and sweet dreams.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE COMMENTS ON MY BLOG (THAT'D BE RIGHT BELOW THIS POST).... I WILL LOVE IT, AND ALSO KNOW IF THERE ARE PEOPLE READING THE STUFF I WRITE...

BEAR'S DEN CAMPGROUND, AND GROVE, OK (FRIDAY, AUG 14, 2009)

Hei, y'all....
Sorry, but no Blog yesterday, and today's entry is going to be very short...
Had a great day yesterday: swimming, sightseeing, and all that good stuff... Even took in a pretty good concert at the Roadhog Tavern... Nothing but soulwrenching Blues...
This morning we discovered we'd messed up our itinirary somehow, and spent the rest of the day going over all reservations... Cancelling some and making new ones... How we got so screwed up is beyond me... We thought we had everything under control, and the reservations were made in the morning one day, so we can't blame it on beer, or whatever...
Anyway, we spent the whole day on it... Didn't even get a chance to hit the pool, but life goes on...... We're ready to leave for Branson, Missouri, in the morning, via Arkansas, I might add... Gotta have that sticker on our map, you know......
We'll probably be fairly busy in Branson... Maybe take in a show, or two, so I recon I'll be writing fairly short Blog notes, but I'll try to upload pictures as often as I can...
I'm beat, and heading for the sack... Night all.... Here are the pix....
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/BEARSDENCAMPGROUNDANDGROVEOKFRIDAYAUG142009#

MANHATTAN, KS to GROVE, OK. (THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2009)

Hi....

Yesterday was a travelling day, and one of our longer ones at that. Check out our pictures here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/MANHATTANKSToGROVEOKTHURSDAYAUGUST132009#

We got an early start, since the forecast was for another sweltering day, and we wanted to avoid as much of that as we could…
Left Erik’s at 7am and arrived in Grove, Oklahoma, around 3pm…. You can get an idea of how our trip went by reading the comments on my pictures.
Of course, we didn’t have any inkling to where Bear’s Den Campground was located, here on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, and Molly seems to screw us up when we want her directions the most, so it wasn’t much of a surprise that she led us astray once more… She took us over the Sailboat Bridge, and wanted us to turn right, almost immediately, but the problem was that a construction zone, on the West side of the road, blocked any turning, so we had to go several miles down the road before spotting a gas station, on the left, big enough for me to turn around in… Stopped in and asked, and sure enough, the campground was back across the bridge… Thank you Molly!
So, we finally get there, and it’s hotter than hot chocolate…
A plate had fallen out of the cupboard and broke, so there were pieces of glass all over the place, and we find out we’re a day early…
Oops…. Sorry, Erik, we could’ve spent another day with you… Oh, well…
Thank goodness, they could accommodate us for an extra night, and not only that, but they gave us a choice of where to park, so we roamed around for a while before settling on a spot where Lu could get her TV stations. Turned on the air conditioner on high, and took a nap for about an hour, then headed out to explore the surrounding areas…
This is a beautiful spot, and I’m glad we’re staying an extra day…
Lu read about things to see and do on Monkey Island (around the lake from us), so we headed over there, but, other than the scenery, we could only find a tavern that was worth stopping at, so we headed back and stopped at Roadhog Tavern (which we spotted when we first arrived) for a beer, then headed over to the Roadhouse Restaurant where we had soups and salads, which was very good.
Home and to bed after that…. That’s it… Another day shot…
We’re heading over to the pool, so, catch you later…..

MANHATTAN, KANSAS (TUE & WED, AUGUST 11 & 12, 2009)

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2009
Hello from Erik’s place…
For some unfathomable reason I had one of my sleepless nights…
The cause: Well, who knows? Could’ve been Lu’s fairly quiet snore, but more likely the wailing sirens of cop cars, fire engines, and ambulances scurrying by on the highway (only a short distance away)… It was around 3 am, so I’m thinking it must’ve been an accident, but who knows?
What I do know is that those sirens set of a cockamamie ruckus among the resident coyotes, which set off the neighborhood dogs… You should’ve heard the howling… It was quite a chorus, and funny in its own way, if you didn‘t want to sleep!
Anyway, I made up for it all by staying in bed until 8:00...
Then Luanne and I got busy trying to figure out what to do, and where to go next…
Here’s our plan (which is subject to change if reservations don’t fan out):
We’re leaving here come Thursday, and driving down to Grove, Oklahoma, for a 2-night stay.
Leave there on Aug. 16, and drive through the Northwest corner of Arkansas into Branson, Missouri, where we’ll stay until the 19th.
Arrive in Mullberry Grove, Illinois, that day, and stay there until the 21st, when we’ll drive in to Whitestown, Indiana, where Stein and Tina live…
We figure to leave Stein and Tina’s on August 27, and drive to Senecaville, Ohio, for a one-night stand…
On August 28, we’re hoping we’ll be in New Holland, Pennsylvania, where we’re planning to take in some of that Amish culture, before leaving on September 1.…
Between Sep. 1st and 8th, we’re in a quandary, because we were told we had reservations at one place in Bar Harbor, Maine, but they called us today and said that was not going to happen, so we’ll see how we can figure out that dilemma in the near future…
Anyway, we do have reservations in Bar Harbor from September 8 through the 20th, and then at Wiscasset; Cushing/Thomaston; Saco; and Old Orchard Beach, all in Maine until October 12.…. I know, that’s a long time in Maine, but that’s why we’re here… To see the Fall colors…
We haven’t had a chance to plan anything for after October 12th, but we have plenty of time to do that, and, of course, we’ll have to see how the weather gods treat us…. That’s going to be a big factor in deciding when we start heading South to warmer climates… Like Florida…
While sweating out the details in this morning’s planning session, we had two very nice conversations (using Skype) with cousin Grethe, in Norway, and Lu’s sister, Linda (aka Gede)…
Everything seems to be going OK in Norway… Have to mention that my favorite aunt, Alfhild, turned 94 on Sunday…. My mom was 95 when she passed on, so it’s nice to know cuz and I stem from hardy stock!
Then there’s Gede and her hubby, Terry… We’ve been trying to figure out for months now how to meet up on the East Coast…. They’re landing in North Carolina (if I remember right) on Sep. 16, and taking off from Boston on the 30th…. We’ve never been to the Northeast Coast, and have no idea where “things” are, and how far things are apart, so we’re at a loss when it comes to nailing a destination down…. Looks like the best solution at this time is to take a drive down from wherever we are in Maine to Boston, but have no idea how long that would take…. We’re open for suggestions….
Our “problem” (if you can call it that) is that we have to make reservations well in advanced of arrival at most of these places we want to see, and we’re not used to that…. We used to just get up and go, and hope for a place to settle in for the night when we got there, but due to the popularity of the places in question, we’re forced to play it safe…. So…. Sorry, guys…. Hopefully, things will work out so we can catch each other, but if not, then lets meet this Winter someplace warm???
Finally, when Erik came home from work this afternoon, we took a cruise down to the University District, where we parked and walked the area named “Aggiville.” Interesting place… All kinds of bars, taverns, and eateries, all geared for the students, of course… We stopped at a couple of “dives” and found both good food and good drink…. Don’t think I’d like to be there during a football game, or on a Friday night though…. Probably very rowdy?
That’s it for tonight…. Have a good one, and keep in touch.
Picture Link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/MANHATTANKANSASTUESDAYAUGUST112009#

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2009
Since we didn't do all that much today, I'm adding a few words here about today's happenings.
Erik took off real early for work, and Lu and I had an easy morning... Took a trip into town to fill up the gas tank ($2.59/gal for diesel), and then got myself a hair cut... We went from there to Walmart to do some last minute shopping, and then home... As I said, not much going on from a sightseeing standpoint... We did make some more reservations, or rather we verified some that we'd already made...
The temp was climbing all morning long, and by the time we got home from shopping, it was time to put the air conditioning on, which makes this place a little more bearable...
Erik came home fairly early, and told us that his very good friends, Terry and Carrol Walker, wanted to take us out for dinner... They are the couple who's kitchen Erik's remodeling (look at my previous Blog for pictures). Anyway, we met up at a Mexican Restaurant (sorry, can't remember the name), not far from where Erik lives, and it was finally great to put faces to the names we've heard about for so long...
Had a wonderful dinner, and found Terry and Carrol easy to chat with, and delightfully entertaining.... Of course, Carrol is of Scandinavian ancestry, so what can you expect?
That's it.... We went home, where I'm now trying to finish this off, so I can figure out where we're going tomorrow... I added some pictures to yesterday's Picasa album, socheck them out..
We're off and running to Oklahoma in the morning, so take care, and wish us luck...
Night all.....

YUTAN, NE to MANHATTAN, KS (SUN AUG 9 & MON AUG 10, 2009

Sunday, August 9, 2009
Good tidings to all…
Don’t mind the above date… I’m writing now (Monday), but thought I’d catch you up on what’s happened up ‘till now.
We took our sweet time getting ready to leave Woods Landing, because Erik had told us he was working until 2:00, and we wanted to wait until he got home before pulling into his place.
The drive only took 4 hours (basically down Hwy 77 the whole way), so no need to rush.
Unlike most campgrounds we’ve been to, Woods Landing didn’t have a sewer dump at the campsite, so we had to dump as we drove out… We knew we‘d be dry camping at Erik‘s, so it was a good idea to show up with empty holding tanks.
Anyhow, I had just cleaned up, stowed everything away, and climbed into the cab when the first raindrop hit the windshield… Talk about luck!
We were (for lack of a better word) dumped on!
The sky had turned almost black, and there was no horizon… I’m not kidding!
These storms around here are awesome, but frightening, and, in these parts, the threat of a tornado is never far from your mind… Well, we lucked out again… After about ten, fifteen minutes of “feeling” our way down the highway, we drove out of it, and into clear, blue skies… Phew… Nothing like having a little scare first thing in the morning…
The rest of the trip went well… Passed through small towns and landscape just like we have been ever since we hit the prairies… Luanne knitted and took pictures of barns, and the occasional other interesting things I might have pointed out… I drove… And a very pleasant drive it was.
A little after 12 noon, we decided to stop (on the outskirts of Blue Rapids) to have lunch. As soon as we got out of the truck we were hit by a heat wave… Must’ve been close to 100 degrees… While eating in our restaurant on wheels, Erik called and said he was home, so come on down!
We programmed Molly, and it didn’t take us any time at all to get down to the outskirts of Manhattan… Now, having said that, I have to mention that, from time to time, Molly’s got some quirks I don’t particularly like, but I figured I’d follow her instructions for a change… We get on Erik’s road, and, sure enough, Molly tells us we’re at Erik’s address….
Ahhh…. NO…. No Jeep in the driveway… No waving hands…
And, oh, yeah, we’re on a Dead End road…
“Erik, we’re here, but we’re lost!”
I give him the cross streets, and he says, “Oh, you passed my place. I’ll come and get you.”
“Thank you! We’re stuck behind a pickup and a backup job, so hurry.“
With Erik and the pickup’s owner (he moved the pickup), and with Luanne biting fingernails, I managed to get Big Daddy turned around, and down to Erik’s, which was a half dozen houses away from the address Molly gave me… Thank you Molly!
So, Erik has a huge front yard, and he had a place cleared out for us to park, but the problem was that the “driveway” to it was over a small embankment, and between two bushes… Well, my trailer is 30 feet long, and didn’t want to take the trip in…
Erik got the necessary tools, and chopped bushes, branches, and anything that might be a hazard, and, on the second try, we made it in, turned it around, and got it leveled… Not a big deal, you say… Well, you’re forgetting the outside temperature, aren’t you? Both Erik and I lost 15 pounds in sweat during this ordeal… I can stand the loss, but poor Erik is now down to skin and bones… Like he needs that….
We got water and electricity hooked up, and I got the canopy unfurled (to use a nautical term) and staked down.
We were ready for a nap!
I turn on the air conditioner, and immediately trip Erik’s breaker… Off we go to the closest hardware store to get a bigger breaker and a bigger extension chord, but when we get there, we’re told to just let the refrigerator run on propane, and turn off other unnecessary appliances… Good advice!
Since we’re out, Erik takes us for a quick ride around the neighborhood…
Manhattan seems to be a pretty nice town… Quite big, actually… mainly due to being the home of the Kansas State University, and Fort Riley military base.
I get the air conditioner going, and things begin to look and feel good, but then Erik comes and tells me there’s a storm watch and warning out for the area, so down comes the awning… I had just got it secured when the wind started, and then the rain came… Need I say more? Didn’t think so… Thankfully, it only lasted a little while, which we spent getting acquainted again with Erik while Luanne fixed us all a fantastic dinner of Norwegian meatballs in Swedish gravy… How international can you get?
Luanne and I crashed fairly early, and slept like little babies in our cool bedroom… Nice ending for a fairly good day, wouldn’t you say?
Monday, August 10, 2009
I’m gonna be brief, since I wrote so much about yesterday.
Had a great day visiting with Erik, who took the day off.
He took us all over the place to sightsee, and to look at his work… I might be prejudiced, but I am very impressed by what he’s done… His cabinet work is (by any standard) of very high quality, and fine workmanship, and likewise, the remodeling jobs he’s working on… I am very proud of him, and not ashamed to say so… People know good when they see good, so keep it up son, and you’ll never lack for work!
There was another Watch and Warning for the area today…. And down the road, about 20 miles, they had winds up to 90 mph, which did a lot of damage… I’m wondering if we made a mistake coming here at this time of year… Hopefully not. Haven’t decided what to do, or where to go yet, but will take the bull by the horn tomorrow, and nail down a destination, or two…
Until then…. Good night friends and relatives… Thanks for keeping an eye on us… It means a lot.
Here is the link to the latest pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/FromYUTANNEToMANHATTENKSAUG9And102009

BOYS TOWN AND YUTAN (SATURDAY AUGUST 8, 2009)

Good evening, friends......
Don't know about you, but we had a great day!
Guess you could say it started with a quiet night.... That's always good, huh?
Anyway, we woke up to a million degrees, and decided that the air condition in the truck would be the way to go...
Headed over to Walmart ( about 6 or 7 miles East of here), to pick up my nedicine, and, if it hadn't been for the two hour time zone difference between here and Bellingham, we could've picked it up right away...
While waiting, we scooted down to BOYS' TOWN, where we spent about an hour going through the facilities.... Very impressive! A lot of land, and a lot of buildings, and a lot of stuff to digest...
Here I have to appologize to everyone who's been reading my Blog... I goofed! It was NOT John Wayne who starred in the movie, but Spencer Tracey, and Mickey Rooney.... SORRY!
Back to get my meds, and hightail it back to Woods Landing, where we dove right into the pool..... Ahhh..... So nice to be able to cool off!
Spent a good hour and a half in and out of the water, and probably got a bit too much sun, but what the hey....
Someone at the pool told us about a great place for steaks (The Sportsman's River Lodge, just across the river - The Platte, that is), so we headed there right after our nap... And, boy! we hit the jackpot! Had the most tender and delicious prime rib we've had in years! And good company, as well.... The waitress/bar tender found out we were out-of-towners, which, evidently, was a novelty, because they bought us drinks while pumping us for all the information about us and our trip they could muster... Lots of fun! Got out of there still coherent and able to drive the couple of miles back to our campground... It was an experience we'll remember for a long time....
We took a drive around the neighborhood after dinner, just to get a few more shots of barns, so that's it for tonight... Look at the pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/BOYSTOWNANDYUTANNEBRASKA#

OMAHA, NEBRASKA (FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2009)

Hey again... This time from Omaha, Nebraska...
I'll try to be brief with my Blog tonight, because I'm tired after a somewhat scary night, and then fighting almost 100 degrees temperatures (and almost as much humidity) all day long...
It was around 2:30 this morning when the thunder shook the trailer (and it's occupants) to the bone... And the lightning and thunder lasted a good couple of hours, I believe... Got a little groggy after a while...
The center of the tempest must've gone right over us, because, from the time of the flash, there wasn't enough time to count to two before the clap of the monster was heard.... I can't remember if I've ever been in a storm like this.... Just the pelting of the rain was enough to scare the beejeevies (that might be a new word?) out of you...
And, to top it all off... In only a matter of half an hour after it all ended, the roar, clang, and the bang of a garbage truck passed by our little home on wheels, and he was very busy with something for a good 10-15 minutes....
Of course, just as the quiet engulfed us once more, the operator of a (BLANK) train decided to blow the whistle.... Not once or twice, but nine times! I counted them!
Not a good night for sleep, I'm affraid...
So that was that... We actually got off to a good start, albite a bit on the tardy side, and headed for Omaha, which is only about 20 miles from us, as the crow flies...
Passed by Boys Town (did you see the movie with John Wayne?) on the freeway, and made our way to the only Costco store in Nebraska.... Parked, but then couldn't find my wallet, so back to the freeway... Only gone about four miles when I found the wallet laying by my feet... Lu wasn't very pleased, but restrained herself quite well... I admire that in a woman! Don't think I'b be quite so forgiving, but who knows?
So back we went... Actually just for a scouting expedition... Get the feel for the land, so to speak, because we needed staples that would spoil if we got them then... So... Off to Omaha... Only a few miles down Dodge Road.... Decided to take a trip into Iowa, just to get a picture of the welcoming sign for Nebraska (Sorry, you won't see it.... Turned out very blurry) since we didn't get one yesterday...
Had no problem parking in the Old Town Market area.... Tried to find the Visitor's Center, but somehow got turned around a couple of times before getting it right... We were hot, hot, hot by the time we entered the premises... Spent some time chatting (and cooling down) with the hired help, then hiked down to the River Walk, where we spent another half hour in the scorching sun, but it was worth it.... Man, that place is gorgeous!
Dashed back to the Visitor's Center to use the facilities, and to cool down... If they'd had a shower, I'd have used it!
We then walked into the Core of the Market to do some looking.... Found lots of things, but the main one was a brewery, where we had a great lunch... After that, some more looking.... Finally left and headed back to Costco, where we did some major damage to the wallet... (should've left it at home!)
At home, Lu went straight to the pool, while I laid down for a bit before joining her.
Nice ending to a long day.... Good night everyone... Catch you tomorrow...
Don't forget to check out my pix:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/OMAHANEBRASKAFRIDAYAUGUST72009

FAIRMONT VISIT - WED. AUG. 5. & from WELCOME, MN. to YUTAN, NE. - THU. AUG 6, 2009

Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Howdy from Wood’s Landing Campground, outside of Yutan, Nebraska!
A skip and a hop West of Omaha…
I didn’t write yesterday because there wasn’t much to comment on, and you’ve seen the pictures…
Besides that, we had a very frustrating morning….
I’ll try to be brief…
Both Lu’s and my prescriptions for medicines were running low…
Tried to refill at Walmart….
Found that (for me) my last prescription only allowed for one pill a day instead of two….
Lu took a blood test in Perham, and the results were supposed to be faxed to her doctor, but instead were faxed to some lab…
Both our prescriptions had been faxed to Walmart in Bellingham, which, of course, “sat” on them, so we spent a lot of time on the phone back and forth to doctor’s offices and Walmart stores both in Fairmont and Bellingham.
I think we have it fixed… At least I hope so.
We spent the rest of the morning sightseeing Fairmont, which turned out to be a very quaint town straddling five interconnected lakes… As you can imagine, there were wonderful homes along the shorelines…
We found a restaurant (Lake Sisseton Saloon) right at the water’s edge, where we had a wonderful lunch.
Went home to wait for calls from doctors and Walmarts, then back again to Fairmont to pick up our prescriptions (there is nine miles between Welcome and Fairmont). We decided to have dinner at the “Saloon,” but ended up having hors d’oeuvres instead… Had more hors d’oeuvres at another lake and another “well known” (to locals) establishment before heading home… Nice evening capped by an equally nice sunset on our way home.

Thursday, August 6, 2009
Packed up early and was on the way before really waking up…
Nah, kidding!
Not much to talk about, though, if you’ve seen my pictures…
I’m sure the farmers around the “breadbasket” of America would argue to the contrary, but when you drive from point A to point B and the scenery is virtually the same, then you let your pictures talk and forget about the writing…
Having said that (as you know), Luanne has become fascinated with barns, so I keep my eyes out for them while she knits her way around America…
She’s doing a fantastic job on an afghan blanket for us… It‘s almost finished, but I’m sure she’ll finish two or three more before we get home.
It’s quite amusing, by the way, to see her reaction as I forewarn her of an upcoming barn… The needles go flying, and the camera clanks against the windshield, and she bristles with glee when she gets a good shot… It’s great!
It’s 11:00pm and I’m not going to comment any further on our trip down here today…
Take a look at my pictures, and read my comments there if you want…. I’m going to bed!
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/FAIRMONTVISITWEDAUG5FromWELCOMEMNToYUTANNETHUAUG62009

WINONA to WELCOME, MN., TUE. AUG. 4, 2009.

Hello from Welcome, Minnesota....

Had a restful night last night on the shores of the Mighty Mississippi, at Winona, MN., and took our sweet time getting ready for our trek back West to Welcome, on the other side of the State.... We're doing a bit of backtracking, but all because we can't forget to visit Erik, and also to "pick up" a few more States to put on our map...

It's not much you can add about the landscape we're traveling through, especially after having described it, and shown pictures of it all the way here..... I must say, though, that I've never seen so much corn as I have in this past month, and my pictures tells the story, I think, quite well... What I'm puzzled about is, where does it all go?

I know people and livestock get their fair share, and I know some of it goes to making fuel, but, man.... There's so much of it....... Anyone care to set me straight?

When we took off from Winona we decided to have breakfast out for a change, so we began looking for a place almost from the start, but it took us all the way to the Lewiston exit before we figured we were hungry enough to stop.... Of course, we didn't know the town was about 4 miles North of I-90, with quite a few ups and downs thrown in to test my breaks, but we made it, and parked right in front of a restaurant..... Thought we'd get a bit of exercise before stuffing ourselves, and walked the town.... Main street is East-West, and about 3 blocks long...

The businesses were all on the North side, because there was a huge silo (or whatever) that took up all the property behind the railroad tracks on the South side.... To our dismay, we found over half of the establishments were empty, and quite a few had For Sale signs plastered up on windows... Even the building where we had breakfast was up for sale, and, listening to our waitress, we found that the town is in dire straights..... Talk about recession hitting home! One sad story after another.... Hundreds of people laid off.... Even the local grocery store closed down, so people now have to drive 16, or so, miles just to get their staples....

Almost felt guilty driving in here in our "get-up."

Sad to see vibrant places like this in this way.... No matter where you travel.

Down the road we went, and Lu took picture after picture of barns, farms, and corn fields....

It was rather nice to pull in to our Campground, here in Welcome, just to get away from it all....

Got everything settled down and hooked up, and then took off for a "field trip" back 9 miles, to check out Fairmont (because Lu spotted a Walmart there).... We drove through it, then walked Main Street... Nice town, but everything shuts down at 5:00, I guess..... Hardly anyone around to bug about what to see and where to go.... Oh, well.... We'll try it out again tomorrow.... We have two nights here, so plenty of time to get aquainted...

That's it.... Hasta la Bye Bye.....

Here's the link to the pix:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/WINONAToWELCOMEMNTUEAUG42009

FROM MYSTIC RIVER, MN. TO WINONA, MN. VIA THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER (WISCONSIN SIDE). MONDAY, AUGUST 3,

Thunder and lightning kept us entertained for more than an hour after we’d gone to bed last night…. I mean, the clap came almost immediately after the flash…. And it was LOUD! The storm center must’ve passed right over us…
Very interesting, to say the least…
As we had planned, we left this morning for a quick sojourn into Wisconsin…
Took off from Mystic River and made our way across Hwy 21 and 185th Street to I-35, which we followed North up to I- 494, on the outskirts of St. Paul, and from there onto Hwy-10, which took us back down Hastings, and from there across the Mississippi River into Wisconsin.
Stopped in Prescott, at a Visitors Center, beautifully located high on the cliff above the river… Was told that the only way to see the scenic “West Coast” of Wisconsin, was to follow the Great River Road….. And that’s what we did.
Fabulous drive in the sunshine!
The road didn’t hug the river the whole stretch, but the vistas and the sights it took us to, as we ventured inland a few miles, was serene, and picturesque…
Loved the little towns along the way: Diamond Bluff, Hager City, Maiden Rock, and who could forget Stockholm? Had to stop there to check on the Scandinavian heritage, of course, but found there’s hardly a Swede left… They made up for that with a lot of Scandinavian souvenirs… Visited the cute, little Gelly’s Pub and Eatery before heading South once again…
More towns along the way: Pepin, Nelson, Alma, Buffalo City, Cochrane, and Fountain City.
We drove in to Merrick State Park, just outside Fountain City, thinking that we’d stop overnight there, but they wanted $29, which was a total rip-off, so we crossed the river, over to Winona, and we were back in Minnesota!
Found the Prairie Island RV Campground, right on the Mississippi River, where we only hooked up to water and electricity… Didn’t even unhook from the truck, because we’re on our way again in the morning.
Here’s the link to the pix:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/FROMMYSTICRIVERMNTOWINONAMNVIATHEMISSISSIPPIRIVERWISCONSINSIDEMondayAugust3

PERHAM to MYSTIC LAKE CASINO IN PRIOR LAKE, MN. (SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2009)

SALUTATIONS!
We got up at 7:00, thinking we'd get an early start, but, lo and behold, it took me almost 45 minutes to get the bikes settled down on the back of the trailer...
There's gotta be a better way!!! (I'll work on it)
So... it took us the better part of 4 1/2 hrs to drive the 160, or so miles, to Mystic Lake Casino and RV Park, here in Pryor Lake, MN.... The reasons are many, of which one is the little midget lady hiding in our GPS.... She was stubborn to a fault this morning... Would not recognize anything I tried to program, even begged and cajoled, but nothing mattered, and I finally turned her off.... She must've thought better of it, 'cause, after about an hour's drive, I tried her again, and she came on with a much better attitude.... Guess we'll keep her...
We also stopped for a lunch break for about half an hour.... It's nice to have your kitchen with you, not to mention the bathroom! I'm sure our trip would be twice as long if we had to stop at a rest stop or a gas station every time Lu needed to go for a visit.... I, for my part, have learned muscle control, and only go once a year!
So... We arrived at Mystic Lake, and took it easy for a half hour before heading over to Bloomington, for a closer look at THE MALL of AMERICA.... Took us about half an hour each way...
Wow! The Mall is humongous, and would probably take a week to go through, if you stopped at any of the stores... I have no idea how many stores there are, but I would be surprised if it was less than a couple of hundred... No kidding!
And, of course, there's an amusemant park, a LEGO Land, dozens of restaurants, bars, and cafes, and everything is stacked into four floors, which must be a few acres each... Really amazing! I suggest you take a look on line, and if you have a chance to visit , please do... It's worth it!
We're only staying here for one night.... Tomorrow will take us on a short ride into Wisconsin (just to say we've been there), then down to a couple of new places as we face South and travel toward Erik's in Kansas...
Time for bed...... Have a great week ahead!
And, here is the link to our pix: http://picasaweb.google.com/Kjell.and.Luanne/PERHAMToMYSTICLAKECASINOINPRIORLAKEMNSUNDAYAUGUST22009

PERHAM, MINNESOTA (SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2009)

Hey, good people……..
So…. Here’s August already……. Where the heck did July go?
Why is it that when you’re having fun, the time flies by?
Beats me… Anyone have an answer?
We had the worst night of or trip (so far)…. The wind was howling, the rain was pelting down in sheets, and neither Lu nor I had more than an hour’s sleep all night long… Good thing it’s Saturday, and a no-work day (for some), so we took everything in stride, and slept in! What can I say? Life’s tough all around!
Anyhoo, we spent what was left of the morning just messin’ around inside the trailer (not much choice, really), looking at maps and trying to figure out what to do next; then Lu decide she needed a Walmart fix, and, since we had already checked out the Walmart store in Detroit Lakes, we thought it’d be fun to explore the road ahead, so we drove the 20 miles to Wadena, and found another superstore Lu loved! Did some grocery shopping, and checked on availability of my medicine… Had a good time for an hour, or so, then made our way home, where we caught up on some of that lack of sleep we missed out on last night.
The skies cleared up a little by late afternoon, and we made our way into Perham, where we topped off the tank in Big Boy (Can you believe it? I got 15.8 mpg on the last tank… Of course, that was half a tank of not hauling Big Daddy this time around)… However (without bragging), I’m getting around 12.5 to 14 mpg hauling Big Daddy, and that’s pretty darn good, if you ask me).
We have decided to take off a day early from here (Perham), because, as I’ve alluded to before, we want to “catch” Wisconsin on our way down to Erik’s….
That the Mall of America is “on the way” has, of course, no influence on anything!
So…. That’s it for tonight, and for July……. We’re done here, and on our way to other sites and other States…. There are no more pictures from this part of Minnesota, but I hope to add some in the next few days, as we mosey on down the road to Minneapolis, then Wisconsin and points beyond!
Have a great evening (or morning, or whatever), and keep an eye on the Johnsen Gypsies!