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MAY 1 MONDAY

Left the great state of Colorado (even the HW got better when we hit KS)  (to see what we didn't like about CO and their state parks HIT the GO BACK button to the last post above). Now in Kansas, Toto. We found, via search on the internet, that there is camping at the Finney County fairgrounds on the south side of Garden City, KS. on Bus US HW 83. They have six hookups right next to the fair office with water and dump near. They have over 500 hookups on the grounds but they were not turned on yet. We are kind of like in the parking lot, but well worth the $10 fee. All the plugs were for 50 amp so they let us borrow a 50 to 30 amp adapter. This is a huge city and even has a large zoo. They have the worlds largest outdoor pool. This city is clean and the streets are wide and new.  A big shopping center with J C Penny, Sears, and the largest WalMart center we have ever seen. Parks everywhere with people in them. Much to like about this location.
See http://www.gardencity.net/chamber

Our route today Hasty, CO and out of the over priced SP, and over to Garden City. US HW 50 400 is nice and smooth and for the most part regraded. Much better than a interstate HW, as we like to drive at about 55 to 60, so the diesel can run at about 17 hundred RPM for better gas mileage. Blue routes are the way to go if not in a hurry and if you want to see the country and the towns along the way. 

Our RV parking site at the county fairgrounds. The dump is to the right next to the white posts.

 And the big picture... on the left is the section where 500 RVs could hook up if needed with electric. WOW  It just goes on and on forever. They must hold some big fair here. The building in the center is a large modern exhibition hall and a large grandstand in back of it, seen above the stop sign. We are parked on the right next to the office where they have six  50 amp plugs on the light pole. 

Just to the south of the fairgrounds is the Arkansas river. Remember that was the Colorado SP dam site we stayed at last night which was to hold back the rush of water of this river. Well in this picture you can see it is dry. And has been dry for some time. 

Link Talk:
We picked up a copy of KAN-RVT RV & Camping directory from the fair office. See their web site www.kansasrvparks.org It lists many of the free city and local rv parks along with commercial parks. Nice to see a directory with ALL the locations. Many that we have been researching on the FreeCampgropund.com site on our RV Resources section  which has many other help resources for us all. Request a paper copy on their web site. 

Take care and stop back as we ramble on east through Kansas without Toto. Just hope a Wiched Witch doesn't send a black storm cloud to blow us away.
 

MAY 2 TUESDAY

We have landed in Lyons, KS.  A nice quiet county seat town which has a web page.
AND a free RV overnight campground.  Now isn't that nice. They like RV ers here as we stop explore and spend money. My kind of town. Thanks Lyons!   We took a shortcut from Garden City northeast on KS HW 156 which goes thriough Jetmore and connects to US 56 at Larned,. south of Great Bend. Road was again nice and smooth. That way didn't have to go southeast to Dodge City and back up to Great Bend. 

500 W. Taylor St. Right next to the baseball field and looks like
 county fairgrounds. Looks like there will be a game late this afternoon. 
The bus with the opposing team just showed up. 

The baseball field is in the background of this picture.

We took all the Kansas FreeCampground.com listings and thumbtacked them on our Streets and Trips map. 
Just have to do it once and now easier to plan ahead for the next nights stop. 

We found hugh frozen carfish filets at WalMart and are having a couple of them tonight, baked potato and fresh cole slaw. A recipe for the kind served at KFC.  It is still 80 out and broken clouds. May get strong storms after midnight. I hate to hear that...

Planning tomorrows drive ...  looks like  Council Grove Lake COE  and campground. 

  Council Crove is right in the center of this pic. 
  After Council Grove looking at Riverside Park in Leavenworth NW of KC.
  It is a park right on the river.

A sign of the times we have been buying diesel at Dillons food stores and with a debit card they will only let it take $50 worth and then it shuts down so you have to redo the card for a second transaction. The times we live in.
Diesel is about $2.89 in central KS.
 
 

MAY 3 WEDNESDAY

We got up late and checked the weather. First reports listening in bed indicated we should just stay put for the day. But we checked several doppler radar internet sights and all showed not much going on so we in record time closed up and moved out. 

We pulled into  Council Grove Lake COE  and campground at  Richey Cove  and found a site. Nice COE campground but this site was a little out of plumb. Had to use three boards to level side to side. We call it three bubbles off. It could have used another bubble but how do you back a big 5er up on four boards. When you lay down campsite pads you at least should make them level. After all this is a Corps. of Eng. project. Not a gravel site in a county park. Hey it's ok... we still like the COE. 

When we pulled in about 2:30 PM the entrance shack was closed. So we just found a site and when we returned from town we would stop and register.  The entrance shack is open from 10 to 12 AM and 3 to 10 PM. WOW 
Of course this is a contracted job (you have to bid on the job specs) with the COE, but how would you like to have worked in a office cubicle, and now as retired fulltimer, as a park host, you have to work these hours. I hope their contract calls for a huge payoff with that much work, inside a small box at an entrance station, no less. And all the camp fees have to be entered in to a complicated computer system. Also dealing with Reserve USA to hold sites and keep them marked so people get the right site on the correct day. 
Many people are doing this so must be more to it that we can see. 
My idea of a camp host is where they have self registration and I have to cruise the grounds, welcome people, answer any questions, and make sure the johns and campsites are clean. Not sit in a gaurd shack all day and night.  OK  I'm done... Maybe the pay is the thing at a COE project?

Check out the satellite dish pointed just right between the trees. Boy do I know how to pick the right site. 
The lake is in the background, it is full. Some of the lake front sites are closed. We drove over the dam and they were not letting out any flow. WOW. Asked and they said the lakes down south were also full. Wouldn't NM and CO just kill for this much water?  It has been very wet and the warmest spring since 1886. A second WOW. The winter wheat is already starting to head out.  After being in AZ all this GREEN is almost to much to comprehend.

We found this tin man outside a food store.  We had a talk on which one of us also needed a heart. 
That discussion will continue. 

This city is trying to promote itself as a big tourest destination and have done a fair job. 
See their Council Grove cty site web site with a tour of all the historic sites with pictures.  Nice touch. 
Do go to this tour link. 

Diesel $2.95 in Council Grove. We stopped in at the local food store and since it is the only one in town we could see they know it and acted like it. A little competiton does wonders.

  After Council Grove looking at Riverside Park in Leavenworth NW of KC.
  It is a park right on the river. 
  Need to do a web search on it tonight... Stay tuned for what we find at this next stop.
 
 

 MAY 4 THURSDAY

On top of one of the flint hills just outside Council Grove on US HW 56 we came across this scene. Got a quick picture and kept on going. This whole area has been declared a National Historical District. They take things serious down there.

After a little yelling back and forth with the the navagator with getting around the west side KC and up heading on KS route 7 to Levenworth, KS and the sure, to be the greatest campground yet. 
We found the street (see the graphic above) and it dropped down over the double railroad tracks with a huge downward grade, too great for us to take a trailer. (Terry sez 45 degree) (He walked down to it while, I stayed in the drivers seat up the street, where we could still take a right turn and get out of this nightmare if needed. Brake on, and flashers going.) 
Riverfront Park (Memorial Park) might have been great if anyone could get to it. 
So now what, we ask each other, to do for a campsite... We just kept heading north on KS HW 7 and US 73.  Found a place to pull over and looked for the free literature on KS RV campgrounds we had stashed somewhere, if we could just find it.
Tore the 5er apart and found it behind the seat in the PU. You remember this handy pamplet we told you about before. Well it told us about a Atchison city lake in its KAN-RVT RV & Camping directory. Their web site www.kansasrvparks.org In Atchison. So off we go looking for the city lake and $5 camping just to the north. Spirts again upbeat.
(see the small map above for the city and the big map below for the park location) 
Warnock Lake $5 with electric and water. We found it... See graphic below...
There is a city dump station just west of town (Half-mile West of Country Mart on Hwy 59).
A Super WalMart just down the road what, more could you need. A KFC and Pizza Hut also nearby.

Atchison, KS  big pic so you can see where the Warnock City Lake is located and how to find it. 

The cover plate on the power poles on some of the sites were missing so the first thing to do before setting all up... 
is to check to see if there is power.  YES POWER. Great. 

The sites are mostly like these.  All drive through? 
More lake pics later.. A nice lake to relax around for days or tour the town and the many historic sites. 
Upkeep is top notch and all is mowed. Lots of work goes into this park. 

Now the best part. $5
Atchison, KS tourist folder (found in a box on the park post) sez... An enchanting escapee that feels like a homecoming...
See their web site   www.atchisonkansas.net 

Landed for at least two days,  paid $10   Much to explore in this town.
After all it is Thursday and don't want to have to compete with the weekenders for the prime spots.

All and all I think we recovered well after not being able to get to our prime overnight stop in Leavenworth, KS. 
Something tells me this is a whole lot better than want we missed. We are high on a hill with sun when the sun peaks out. 
It is cool and cloudy, and the forecast calls for more of the same. But what do we care in your home on wheels. 
 

MAY 5 FRIDAY

Go up very late and decided to take a drive up to St. Joseph, MO. just 20 miles to our north. A nice springt drive through the rolling hills of west MO and later east KS.
I have been looking for a Best Buy store who would have a 55 mm UV filter for my new camera.  This Best Buy had a  55 mm polarize filter but not a UV one. And the manager was just plain rude.  He had just moved here from KC and he said this store didn't carry as much as where he was from. Got the take he was demoted to this store even though it was in a brand new HUGE mall. The big box stores went on as far as the eye could see. Asked if since they could not help me, if there was a camera store in the city. Didn't know of one, but he did know there wasn't a CompUSA store in town. OF course they would know that... 
They said "don't know nothing" and I said "that's for sure" and walked out. 
On our way back took this pic of the lake in the park we are staying at.  This is a nice stopover location and recommend it.
After all, $5 a night and just as good or better than a  COE or KS state park.

Terry is making a carrot cake and later steak, baked potato, and a nice salad. 
I nice Friday night, out of the weather, inside, about 60 outside and overcast and sprinkles from time to time. 
Just surrounded with all this fresh green growth. Budding trees everywhere. Life springing forth, how grand. Guess it was a long winter in the AZ desert with very little green.  To think of it, probably not much green up here last winer either...
How unique, right now on the Travel Channel is a program on "Amelia Earhart" and we are staying in the hometown and birhtplace of this famous American. The program deals with the research of her last flight. Bet this is being recording by many here as we watch it. 
It is this towns name to fame! Everything is this town, including the bridge across the river to MO. is named after her. As it should be.
OK, time to relist the web site for this town...    www.atchisonkansas.net  and the Earhart history.
Now back to happy hour... watching the above program and the RVing forums.  Escapees Discussion forum  and  RV.NET
 
 

MAY 6 SATURDAY

Got off to a slow start this morning.  Its been overcast and drizzly the last few days, and we have gotten in the habit of sleeping in. Once I was up and going for the day had to make a quick run up the road to WallyWorld for milk, bagels, and there was something else we needed badly but I can not recall what it was.  Then picked up a paper and back to the trailer for breakfast.  Ron had water on for tea, so quick toast a bagel and some rye bread for breakfast. 

 Had a small maintance project to do this morning, the hydraulic system that opens and closes the slide outs has been operating a little slugglish of late.  We can get the slides almost out then it slows down and hesitates,  I am thinking due to a low hydraulic fluid level in the reserviour.  Of course I had to go and build a shelf above the pump to store our water barrels on, so first thing I had to unload the barrels, then remove the shelf, then add oil and put everything back in place.  Did not try the slides, but hope adding the fluid will help. 

Had a hard time finding hydraulic fluid to begin with.  Stopped at a number of farm and ranch stores, and they all had hydraulic fluid, but only in five and three gallon cans.  Finally found the Fluid at the Orschlin Farm Store here in Atchison.  Always like going into the farm and ranch stores,  browse the isles and see what treasures they have for sale.   The Orschlin like many of the farm stores do in the spring was having "chick days"  featuring baby chickens and the paraphanelia and feed associated with growing them.  6 or 8 varities, cornish rocks, leghorns and the ornimintal  varites such as chochins and partridge rocks. The draw back of this little slice of Americana was that the store had the distinct odor of chicken s###t to it, an amonia odor that brings tears to your eyes if not used to it.  I have been of the farm for a while, and the odor did have an effect. 

After Lunch I went for a tour of the town.  Ron not liking museums and such elected to stay at home and read.  The town has a nice little museum in the old Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Depot, along  with offices for the chamber of commerce.  It is a very nicely maintianed Limestone building.  There is also a group of train buffs who are trying to get a RR museum going, and they have assembled the start of thier collection in the old rail yards to the east of the depot.  They have a locomotive,and a number of rail car, but the big draw todeay was the miniture steam RR and kiddy ride which had a number of customers while I was there.
 

The beginnings of the RR museum in Atchison.  Notice the real draw done in front of the locomotive.

Atchison really does try to promote tourism.  They have printed some very nice literature which they will mail you if you make the request from them at Atchison Chamber of Commerce .  They have also established the Trolly which stopes in front of the Chamber offices and will take you on a tour about town.  Principal stops bing the Amelia Earhart birthplace musemu, and some of the sites featured on a history channel show about haunted sites in the area.

River front park which also has a nice display tieing the town into the Lewis and Clarke exploration of the area, and a bit about the Kaw or Kansa Indian tribe that was in the area at the time of Lewis and Clarke.

The Amelia Earhart Birthplace museum. 
The house sets on top of a high ridge overlooking the Missouri river with a number of other very stately homes form the late 1800's.

Sunday was reading the paper and doing nothing except running to WalMart for a running light for the pick up. 
 

MAY 8 MONDAY

We left Atchison about 9:30 AM heading to Iowa, going up I-35. We are going to stop at Terrible's Casino in Oscela, IA about 50 mies south of Des Moines for the night. They have a 47 unit RV park for $10 with a players card, or $15 without. 

Will take in the buffet and relax before we hit our landing pad for a few months just north of Ankeny, IA.

The buffet was ok but not great... went down onto the boat and slipped a twenty into the slots and played for a few min. At one time I was ahead by $5. Went  and signed up for the Players Club to save $5 off the campground fee and got a free T-shirt as the sign sez and a card for $5 to play on the slots. So I put it in and Terry put in another $5 and we played double play for a few min. Till it was all gone. I have been there and done that in Laughlin, NV (and lost way too much) so we didn't want to do that again. So out we went and got on the golf cart, and a ride back to the campground. A $1 tip and we were home to check out the oncoming storms and what might be in store for us for weather later tonight. 
Radar from http://www.kcci.com/wxmap/1007090/detail.html

Right now we are in the center of Clarke county, just right of the name Creston on the I-35 HW.  2 AM radar loop.
Our destionation is on the county line just south of the (m) in Ames in the AM when we get up.
 

We will have a long back in to get on the pad. It will be nerve wrecking, and I'm sure much yelling at each other before we get the 5er where it needs to be. Last year we just pulled in and tried to back around on the grass yard and got stuck big time, and had to sit there for few days till it all dried out. Not this year... backing in from the county gravel road in a big S.

Watching the weather tonight... when you get in the mid Midwest at this time of year YOU have to pay attention to the weather every minute... I can't tell you how many times we closed up the sliders and went to the basement of Terry's sisters farm house last year. We were faced east and west, and sheltered, so the wind was not hitting us on the 5 ers sides. Trees were blow down on the acreage last year, and we felt lucky. We do have tie-downs from the 5er to deep in the ground where we stay at Terry's sisters so that is some comfert. So here is another year, after not having to worry about such things in he great southwest for many months, we are back in storm country.... I hate it... but did grow up in the mid-west so need to get a life, and get over it, and just deal with it. The only thing worse would be to live in the southeast section of this country. How they sleep at night is more than I can understand...
 

So if the weatehr holds and all is well, will be parked by Tuesday night,  and after that a garden to plan and tomato plants that we don' t have to take in at night. Won't that we nice...  Never again a tomato  plant in the winter in AZ.... I don't care what you say... It did bring lots of comments and visits just to see it, but... No No No...We will think of something else to grow in the great southwest desert next year. Or let us know what you think, next years plant should be?

Done enough for tonight.... later, if the storms don't get us...

2 AM

Just checked my email and was told my longtime partner from work,  has come down with leukemia.  I retired three years ago and he planned to stay several more, as he has a boy still in school.  I am just devestated to hear this... This man has always done everything correct. Food, lifestyle, all of it. It just can't be... IT just can't be...  I stare at this screen and just can't understand how this can happen to such a good person. I now don't need to worry about the right tomato plant to grow, but how I can be there for people I care about. 

I place my head in my hand and wonder about this thing called life... 

As we travel we see how people live in the poorest conditions, and also the rich in their gated lifestyles.
It doesn't seem fair how this country has evolved. Greed and lifestyle.... when will we learn that we are all, just lowley creatures of this planet, and we need to share the wealth, so we can all evolve to a higher place in the universe. Not just war among ourselves, but grow and prosper together. The USA is not anymore the answer, like we used to think. But we, more and more, are the problem with what is wrong in this world. The rest of the would knows this. And someday I pry, we will get leaders who understand.
 

MAY 11 WEDNESDAY

We are starting to get settled in our short summer home. First there are a few cheanup items to tend to. Like beating downt the not yet mowed grass. Remove the brush pile and kill a few weeds. Then it will look like our landing spot again. 

It turned out to be humid and rather warm so got out a lawn chair and sat down servay the area and the cleanup that wuold need to be done. And after backing the 5er all the way back in here. We yelled but not too much. 

You know these are early pictures as we don't even have the sat dish up yet.

Got the car out of storage and it started right up after Terry reinstalled the battery and trook the steel wool out of the tail pipe. 
Now it needs a good cleaning.  Everything needs a good cleaning, after winter in the AZ desert and over a 1 1/2 months on the road.

Above is a pic from last year, just to show you, it will look better as we get things back in shape.
Terry is off tilling the garden already. Nice to see green and be able to grow things and not have to do it in a 5 gal bucket in the desert.
 

MAY  17 WEDNESDAY 
 

OK ..OK... we have been here a few days and now report... Terry is busy destroying his sisters kitchen and will rebuild it new. The cabinets are stored in their Morton building and the family is dealing with living without a kitchen and the room is sealed with plastic, as he is removing plaster and doing insulation on some of the walls. Old house, walls and floors are not level. For once we have better living conditions than they do.  I on the other hand have been going to medical checkups. While in Quartzsite I had recurring chest angina with sweating.  (not a good way to live in an area where there is NO acute health care if it is needed).   And chest angina with cold sweats that lasts a few minuets when they occur. Was not all that happy with my condition, (blood pressure was up and so was my blood sugar readings) so when we got back, went right in to get checked out. I want to spend next year in Q without having to worry if they will have to came and carry me away, as that is primary health care they offer, or if you can survive a 50 mile ride, or an air flight. I have a police scanner radio and heard the sad broadcasts of how health care is not the best in the desert. I have Type II diabetes and heart disease. I have lived much longer than my ancestors with the same problems with modern meds. I had great low blood pressure readings and low A1C sugar tests last year. So good, we had reduced some of my meds, but now readings are back up, guess time to go back on some of them. After restarting one of my meds my blood pressure is again way down after just one day. When I retired, I read the stories about how if you retire early, and just sit around and do nothing, you will not live long. Well it is true. I need to get active again, walking, or biking,  on nature trails, to see the thrills of this land, and live as best we can as long as something up there will allow. So this post is we are back where we can can medical tests and even have our teeth cleaned. Friday I have a another Nuclear Stress Test... What fun but needed, be as I now learn, (doing Google searches) about every year if you have Type II and take the meds I do.

Now if we can just get the broken down lawn mower fixed so I can mow Terry's sisters lawn, before it takes over, and we declare it to be winter wheat. 
The cold weather has moved out, and the next few days should be great. 

Living life the best we can, as we know it.

Later as we learn to live this lifestyle...
 

MAY  31 WEDNESDAY 

So... yes we are still alive and well. Have had a few emails asking... Have been getting settled and done for now with doctor visits. Got results of stress test today... all ok. Felling better with different meds. But they want to get my bad cholesterol below 70. I said, can that be done and was told yes with new meds. Still waiting to see what the latest reading is. I remember when anything under 100 was considered great. Blood pressure is back down and working to get the A1C back to great levels. Yes I will... Ya know when test readings are good for years, and you let things go a bit, it can bite you. So now is the time to get back on the good road.  Jan... I hear YA!

Would like to travel west by northwest each summer, but for a few years we have planned to spend a few months in Iowa so Terry can work, (younger and would like some SS credits) and right now the job is his sister's kitchen. We have a RV pad here, and I do the lawn mowing so it works out well for all. (Now that the mower is fixed, a new smaller belt did wonders) 
Anyway all is well and now I have the time to CLEAN... YES  CLEAN the truck and the 5er from the dirt from the AZ desert, and road scum.

When we started out I thought there would be NO upkeep on this 5er as it was all clean and such. BUT... as we have lived in it for (what now 3 years) it does needs cleaning in a big way. But I have a couple of months to deal with that, and get this sucker back in shape. I have tooth brushes ready to get into the dirt, you just cant reach with spray and paper towels. Not like it is spring cleaning in a big old house. But it still has to be done... even though I thought this trailer would not need cleaning like I see, it does now.

The weather is looking great (I hate storms and have all the weather radios with alerts, so we can flee from the 5er to the house basement) and we are fine, what more could we ask for?

The bottom line is we are not updating everyday... But will when events warrant... 
But we are updateing the main site HitchItch.com with travels of others who are on the road big time at this time of year...

Later... Ron and Terry