Saturday was a trip downtown Des Moines to the Farmers Market. Bev and I in all our travels have visited many farmers markets from Pennsylvania to the coast of California, but to date not one compares to this one in Des Moines. You name it and you'll probably find it, and produce and baked goods from big farms to small gardens to fares from the Amish folks. We enjoy our trip down town on Saturday morning as just a part of the trip to Des Moines, Iowa.
I don't know how much rain we got last night, but an educated guess would be 2 - 3 inches and some of the loudest thunder you'd ever want to hear. Within the camp grounds here we are surrounded by many mini lakes right now, but thank the Lord the sun is shinning on what should turn out to be a nice day for golf. Yes, going to hit the links with Steve, Bob and Bob's uncle for a round at the Legacy course here........I'm ready for an improved round from the other day with Steve.
It's been a lot of family time with our family here in the Des Moines area, Lisa went our with the girls last night, Jack went with Bob and Jill's kids for Masons birthday to jump and whatever joint called sky something and they had a great time, Thanks Uncle Bob for doing that. Bev and I spent the evening with Mark and Susan over a nice dinner and being entertained by Georgia while she lasted.........what a happy little girl and not much fussing!
After golf today for us guys and Adventureland for the girls and nieces and nephews, and a day of relaxing for Beverly (I think she might try her luck across the road at the casino) we'll all meet for a family dinner at Mark and Susan's (Bev's brother and sister-in-law). We'll all be doing a bit of puddle-jumping today no matter where we go, my God did it come down last night! Sun shine predicted for the rest of the week I think!
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Friday, June 5, 2015
TGIF.....6/5/15
First active day of the trip so far yesterday, I was beat last night! Woke early as usual (Lisa and Bev can attest to that) caught up on a few minor chores around the coach, fixed a chair, did some cleaning etc. and got a call from nephew Steve about some golf.......but of course I can play a bit.
Bev had her usual annual few hours of alone time with her brother Mark and then there was the planning for the evening at the Jasper Wine event which is a Thursday night summer thing at this local winery. Last nights entertainment was a "pick'n and Grin'n" sort of night with the banjo, steel and bass fiddle shit kickin music! Beer, wine, sangria, and food with family picnic style made for a good evening, by the way it was me and Bev's third year in a row to participate at the Jasper Thirsty Thursday night party.
It was work day for those of us not on vacation or retired so Steve and I schedule 9 holes at Copper Creek golf club near the park here. Nice course, as you might imagine lush green grass from the Iowa rain and great greens to putt on. After knocking a bit of the rust off from my 3 week or so layoff I hit a few good ones but also that damn head picked itself up to or three too many times! After a few beers on the course, a draft after the round and three or four at Jasper, this lad was ready for the sack when we got back to the coach. Planning another round of golf on Sunday morning with Steve and Bob............anyone want to fly in and join us?
Some errands today and the East village later I guess and do some research on the Belmont for tomorrow, spitting a ticket with Steve throwing out the favorite! Need to check my power ball tickets now, looks like someone won!
Bev had her usual annual few hours of alone time with her brother Mark and then there was the planning for the evening at the Jasper Wine event which is a Thursday night summer thing at this local winery. Last nights entertainment was a "pick'n and Grin'n" sort of night with the banjo, steel and bass fiddle shit kickin music! Beer, wine, sangria, and food with family picnic style made for a good evening, by the way it was me and Bev's third year in a row to participate at the Jasper Thirsty Thursday night party.
It was work day for those of us not on vacation or retired so Steve and I schedule 9 holes at Copper Creek golf club near the park here. Nice course, as you might imagine lush green grass from the Iowa rain and great greens to putt on. After knocking a bit of the rust off from my 3 week or so layoff I hit a few good ones but also that damn head picked itself up to or three too many times! After a few beers on the course, a draft after the round and three or four at Jasper, this lad was ready for the sack when we got back to the coach. Planning another round of golf on Sunday morning with Steve and Bob............anyone want to fly in and join us?
Some errands today and the East village later I guess and do some research on the Belmont for tomorrow, spitting a ticket with Steve throwing out the favorite! Need to check my power ball tickets now, looks like someone won!
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Adventureland, Altoona, Iowa( 6/3/15)
If you'll notice the post heading says Adventureland, Altoona, Iowa..........yep give Altoona it's due, not DesMoines but Altoona! Oh well like any other city, the suburbs and the cities all run together anymore.
Well we arrived a day early and lucky for us Adentureland could accommodate us in the site we had booked for a week, we love this park and a fair price at $35/night full-hookups. In some respects in seems we haven't left from last year, the skies are all cloudy and we must have had 2 or 3 inches of rain last night! Since entering Colorado we haven't seen much of the sun, and forcast say it will be hit or miss for the rest of the week..............I want to golf. Like a lot of folks, I'm not a great golfer but there's not a better place to spend 4-5 hours on a nice day, a beautiful golf course.
I think the guy's name is "Marty" and why I can't remember that is beyond me (maybe getting old has something to do with it) he's has a barber shop in Des Moines. Bob Carico turned me on to him a few years back and I've been stopping in every year since, a big and I mean big Iowa Hawkeye fan! He even knows a bit about Arizona so we find plenty to talk about. Jack needs a haircut bad and I will get a trim for kicks, we'll take care of this while the girls and getting their usual "mani-peddi" at their favorite spot in Pleasant Hill area.
Well it's midweek and all our family in the area have jobs to attend to, so as long as the rain lets up we'll just get some of that kind of stuff taken care of............retirement comes with certain downs, but way..way more ups! Next,breakfast (late) and a walk.
Well we arrived a day early and lucky for us Adentureland could accommodate us in the site we had booked for a week, we love this park and a fair price at $35/night full-hookups. In some respects in seems we haven't left from last year, the skies are all cloudy and we must have had 2 or 3 inches of rain last night! Since entering Colorado we haven't seen much of the sun, and forcast say it will be hit or miss for the rest of the week..............I want to golf. Like a lot of folks, I'm not a great golfer but there's not a better place to spend 4-5 hours on a nice day, a beautiful golf course.
I think the guy's name is "Marty" and why I can't remember that is beyond me (maybe getting old has something to do with it) he's has a barber shop in Des Moines. Bob Carico turned me on to him a few years back and I've been stopping in every year since, a big and I mean big Iowa Hawkeye fan! He even knows a bit about Arizona so we find plenty to talk about. Jack needs a haircut bad and I will get a trim for kicks, we'll take care of this while the girls and getting their usual "mani-peddi" at their favorite spot in Pleasant Hill area.
Well it's midweek and all our family in the area have jobs to attend to, so as long as the rain lets up we'll just get some of that kind of stuff taken care of............retirement comes with certain downs, but way..way more ups! Next,breakfast (late) and a walk.
Monday, June 1, 2015
North Platte, Neb.
Better day today, 509 miles and back on track.......even after stopping at Santa's North Pole workshop and fantasy land at Pikes Peak, Co. for a couple of hours. What an animal.....right? Rolled into North Platte at about 7:15pm after losing our second hour due to the time changes, Wal-mart tonight and an early start in the morning.
Getting out of Colorado was a joy, what a mess that state is. The roads are a bumpy jokes and holy shit I'm trying to get down off the Colorado HIGH! Toke'n numbers here...toke'n numbers there and the fools are all on the roads it seems. Didn't want to transport so had to give it up once more like back in the early 70's........the state smells like Jeff Spicoli's Chevy Van, (come on folks, Fast Times at Ridgemont high).
By the way, Wal-Mart allows RV's and big rigs to overnight park......why you say, seems everyone that parks shops a bit too. Example, Bev and Lisa just got back from picking up a few items to the tune of a combined $170 so the parking isn't free!
Getting out of Colorado was a joy, what a mess that state is. The roads are a bumpy jokes and holy shit I'm trying to get down off the Colorado HIGH! Toke'n numbers here...toke'n numbers there and the fools are all on the roads it seems. Didn't want to transport so had to give it up once more like back in the early 70's........the state smells like Jeff Spicoli's Chevy Van, (come on folks, Fast Times at Ridgemont high).
By the way, Wal-Mart allows RV's and big rigs to overnight park......why you say, seems everyone that parks shops a bit too. Example, Bev and Lisa just got back from picking up a few items to the tune of a combined $170 so the parking isn't free!
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Sunday night, May 31st
Raton, NM. Border of NM and Colorado at the end of day two. Only 290 miles today and that puts us behind a bit, late start, trouble dumping, all that made it a long day other than the miles driven. Storms in the early evening and we did stop for the day at about 4 pm. With reservations for Adventureland RV park in Altoona we need to hustle a bit tomorrow.
Summerlan RV park advertised repairs on site, as it turned out we had a water leak in the bathroom piping behind the toilet. Good old boy "buddy" fixed it within a couple of minutes of us setting up and did it for a thank you! Other than the leak we have no lights on the tow vehicle, new 4-way and female socket......no clue! If I make it to Des Moines without getting stopped I may be in the market for an electrician........anybody know a good one?
So far only a few plow-ups between the captain and the crew, you'd think after all the trips made the routine could be adhered to.......now hear this, Captain my Captain! Ship shape is the word of the day.
Looking forward to about 500 miles tomorrow and peace in the coach!
Summerlan RV park advertised repairs on site, as it turned out we had a water leak in the bathroom piping behind the toilet. Good old boy "buddy" fixed it within a couple of minutes of us setting up and did it for a thank you! Other than the leak we have no lights on the tow vehicle, new 4-way and female socket......no clue! If I make it to Des Moines without getting stopped I may be in the market for an electrician........anybody know a good one?
So far only a few plow-ups between the captain and the crew, you'd think after all the trips made the routine could be adhered to.......now hear this, Captain my Captain! Ship shape is the word of the day.
Looking forward to about 500 miles tomorrow and peace in the coach!
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
T-minus 2 days and a wake-up
Picked up the motor home this morning from Camping World, finally got the new tow package braking system finished. Hooked up the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and drove home with no problems, now some minor cleaning and then packing and we should be set for another journey across this great land of sights beyond imagination. Yes, I love traveling the USA, as Dinah Shore used to say "see the USA".
Now we just need to say our prayers and hope the price of gas stabilizes and doesn't keep going higher!
Now we just need to say our prayers and hope the price of gas stabilizes and doesn't keep going higher!
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Counting down......
It's that time again, getting ready for our annual journey in the motor home. We plan on leaving Saturday this week, the 30th, that is if the motor home is ready. Seems each year the cost of getting it ship shape or travel ready cost more and more! This year we made it more stressful by buying a new car which needed a towing package installed, only problem was only a limited number of parts from the Jeep Wrangler could be used. The new Jeep Grand Cherokee is a dream come true to our old bones and bodies, climbing in and out and the ride much more enjoyable. Seems everything made easier or pleasant comes with a price! At this point we're just hoping they get it done by Friday.
As usual this year we will once again begin by heading to our roots in the Hawkeye State, Iowa. A week in Des Moines then onto the Quad Cities for another week or so after a couple of reunions sandwiched in between. Daughter, Lisa and Grandson Jack will be joining us for the first 3 weeks of the trip, then Matt, Dayani and Dalila will flying into the Quads from a few weeks in the Dominican Republic to spend 3 days with us before all the kids and grand kids fly back to Phoenix together June 21st.
I will be once again trying to document our journey via this blog while traveling, please join us again this year as we see more of this great country of ours. We will by visiting friends and family along the way see and interact with folks and learn more of these lands we call our great nation. Yes one of the best places for doing all that is the golf course, and we plan on doing a lot of that too! Bev and I hope you will join us via my blog. Counting down.....T minus 4 days.
As usual this year we will once again begin by heading to our roots in the Hawkeye State, Iowa. A week in Des Moines then onto the Quad Cities for another week or so after a couple of reunions sandwiched in between. Daughter, Lisa and Grandson Jack will be joining us for the first 3 weeks of the trip, then Matt, Dayani and Dalila will flying into the Quads from a few weeks in the Dominican Republic to spend 3 days with us before all the kids and grand kids fly back to Phoenix together June 21st.
I will be once again trying to document our journey via this blog while traveling, please join us again this year as we see more of this great country of ours. We will by visiting friends and family along the way see and interact with folks and learn more of these lands we call our great nation. Yes one of the best places for doing all that is the golf course, and we plan on doing a lot of that too! Bev and I hope you will join us via my blog. Counting down.....T minus 4 days.
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