Elizabeth & Indiana

Elizabeth & Indiana

Arriving in Indiana

June 1st and FINALLY in Indiana!!!! We had stopped in Brazil, IN at a truck stop for the night. We had parked along side a curb by a nice grassy area. It was hot, so we had the geni and A/C on. Just after 11 pm, our Carbon Monoxide alarm went off!!!! What the heck!!!! We were not close to any trucks, so we REALLY didn't know why it was going off. Eddie felt rested enough to go on down the road to a rest stop we had seen a sign for. I didn't. I had not felt well all day. But better safe than sorry, so we headed out. About 20 minutes later I asked Eddie if he secured the bedroom TV. He had not. He decided to pull off to take care of that. We saw a nice spot in an Arby's parking lot. After he secured the T.V. I asked him if he thought we should ask the Arby's manager about staying there. She said we could. I was very happy to hear that. We settled down for the night. This time with no A/C on, just to be on the safe side. It was a LONG night. Very noisy. Neither one of us got much sleep.

Eddie woke up early, and after quick showers we were back on the road. We got thru Indianapolis pretty smoothly. After all it was on a Sunday morning. There was a lot of road work going on, and it was bumpy. Thank heavens we didn't also have to deal with machines and workers. We arrived at S&H campground just after 8 am. Good thing they were okay with us checking in early!!!! The owner, Jay, escorted us to our site. Eddie was glad to be up at the top so as to have satellite reception. We got all parked and set up. It is a nice big spot and fits the dolly nicely. I called Elizabeth to let her know we were here and set up. She said she would come out and see us, YIPPEE!!!!

Eddie and I were THRILLED to see her!!!!!! She brought us our packages from HSN and Camping World. We got a string of solar outside lights, and a map of the U.S. with the state stickers. Can't wait to get that up!!!! Elizabeth helped me set up the solar lights.I am excited to see them all lite up. Elizabeth offered to treat us to lunch, so we headed out to Greenfield. There we found a little pizza place called Mozzi's. They have a pizza, pasta, salad buffet for a real good price. We all got that, and enjoyed it a LOT. While there, we did facetime with Becca. Andrew and Becca will be arriving on Friday to attend Elizabeth's graduation on Saturday. Can't wait!!!!! Once we stuffed our bellies, we went to Walmart to get some things and then back to Freeda. It was so WONDERFUL to see and spend time with our girl. She had to get going, but we are here for a month and will see her LOTS!!!!

It was so hot out, that after Elizabeth left, we went swimming. The water was cold, but felt GOOD. We met our neighbor, Johnny. He also works at the park. The day HAD been sunny, but turned cloudy. Eddie got right into the water, but as always I was easing in. I thought I heard thunder. Sure enough, I did. The sky got dark and the wind kicked up. Time to get out of the pool. As we were going back up the hill, the lightning started. We took down the lights and put away the awning just in time. We sat outside for a couple of minutes to watch the "show" but it really started to come down and we were getting soaked. I made us a skillet lasagna and salad for dinner. It had only been one day, but it felt like two. Both of us were dead tired and so to bed we went.

We slept GREAT. It was peaceful and no alarms went off. There is wifi here, but again very slow. Eddie called the pizza place that Elizabeth had treated us to, and they have wifi. So we headed over there to work on things and my blog. Their wifi was AWESOME, and we were able to get a lot done. After stops to Home Depot and Walmart, we went home. Eddie got some clips to add a shelf in our "hall" closet to be able to get more organized.

Indiana campsite at S&H campground

Suzy keeping watch

Tuesday June 3rd Eddie and I were busy at the rig all day. He made a half shelf out of wood we already had and that made it easier to be able to store and reach our big mixing bowls, toaster, baggie rack etc... Eddie also started on a new painting. So far is is really beautiful. I hung up our solar outside lights onto the back awning so we can enjoy them at night. We also got our U.S.A. sticker map up and the state stickers on it that we have at least spent the night in. Eddie wanted to put up the one for Illinois, but we just drove thru, so I didn't think we deserved to attach that one yet. 

State stickers on the door

Closer pic of state stickers

This map is something that I have been very excited about and had fun putting on the states we have been to. Really shows how much ground we have covered. We debated whether or not to put it on the bedroom slide, but were concerned about it peeling off. I have seen them on the inside of the door, so that is where we put ours. Now we can enjoy it more, not just when the slide is out. 

June 4th we were woken up by thunder and lightning just after 6 in the morning. I tried to ignore it and go back to sleep, but by 7 it was really going and there was NO getting back to sleep. We turned off the A/C. It was a bit sticky, but bearable. Eddie went to Walmart to get some things while I did the bedding and cleaned up Freeda. Rob and Elizabeth were coming over for dinner, and I wanted everything to look good. By the time I was done, I had to turn the A/C back on. It was HOT. Eddie got home and we started preparing the stuff for tacos. We had such a wonderful evening and meal. Besides the taco's, Rob made Spanish rice. It was really awesome to spend time with them in our little home. Rob came back in from a smoke break, and told us it was really nice outside. It was!!!! It had cooled down and the humidity was better. There was a cool breeze and it felt nice. The frogs were going crazy after all of the rain. Rob and Elizabeth took off, but we will be seeing them on the weekend for all of Elizabeth's graduation fun.
Thursday Eddie finished his painting. It came out GREAT!!!!! He calls it "Las Mananitas" Which means beautiful morning. He even framed it with a frame we had. Cross your fingers we will be able to sell it!!!!!

Las Mananitas

On June 6th we loaded up Suzy and headed for Elizabeth's. She lives in Carmel, about 30 to 40 minutes from the campground. The plan was to make food for brunch on Saturday morning, and for the BBQ planed on Sunday. When we got there, Elizabeth let us know that Warren and Susan (Elizabeth & Rebecca's Father and his girlfriend) had arrived the night before and would be joining us for lunch. We all had a good time chatting, catching up and making deviled eggs, potato salad & quiche. Susan is a BLAST!!!! We had not met her before, but became fast friends. Warren and Eddie were VERY good boys and did NOT attack the deviled eggs!!!!!

Warren & Susan with Wig in the kitchen

peeling eggs

We all hung around and really had a good time. Becca and Andrew didn't fly in until about 12:30 am. Eddie and I took off just after 11 pm. It was a late night for us and we had to be back by 10 am the next morning for a family brunch.
Graduation Day!!!!! The 7th was a BEAUTIFUL day!!!! The sun was out, there was a cool breeze and it was NOT sticky!!! We got to Elizabeth's just before 10 am. Everyone else was already there. It was the BEST to be with both of my girls!!!!! The quiche Elizabeth made came out perfect. She also made a hash brown casserole that was to die for. We all filled our tummy's and then loaded up and headed to the Indianapolis Convention Center.

The ceremony didn't start until 1 pm, but we all went early to get good seats. Its a good thing we did, that place filled up fast. Becca helped Elizabeth get ready. Elizabeth was nervous, but excited. She had worked VERY hard to get here and we are all EXTREMELY proud of her. The lighting in the room wasn't all that great, so getting pictures in there was difficult. When it FINALLY came time, and her name was called, we all jumped up and screamed. That was our girl, the first one in my family to get her Bachelor's degree!!!!!!

Our Grad!!!!!!

Cheering on our girl!!!

Sisters

Susan, Wig, Warren & Becca

Grad & Dads

Becca photo bombing Wig & Rob

Silly Sisters!!!!

Mom, were NOT ready!!!!

The whole family together

Downtown Indianapolis

Once we were all done snapping pictures, we headed back to Carmel where we  had dinner at Matt the Millers Tavern. Not only was the meal good, but again there was more great conversation and laughs.

Matt the Millers Tavern

Next stop was a Pub called Brockway were Elizabeth's co-workers, friends, and the rest of us all met up. Eddie and I didn't stay long. It had been a VERY busy and exciting day. Us two old farts were ready to crawl in our bed and kick back. The last two days had been full and long, and tomorrow was another busy one. The evening was so nice, we drove home with the top down and got there before dark.
Sunday were expected between noon and 1 pm back at Rob and Elizabeth's for a BBQ. We got there at 12:30, and again the last to arrive. Andrew and Becca were staying at the Kipp/Reeves abode, and Warren and Susan's hotel was only about 5 minutes away. Eddie and I were the furthest away. There is a nice little picnic area just down stairs from their apartment that they had all set up. Rob was the chef, and Elizabeth was the hostess with the mostest!!!!! Although it had rained earlier, it was nice out. There was lots of food, and it was all super yummy.

Wig, Andrew, Rob & Warren

Group shot

My Honey bunch

Rob, Andrew & a thirsty Elizabeth

Susan, Warren, Rob and our grad

Soon to be married couple

Love birds!!!!!

It got pretty warm out, so after eating and cleaning up, everyone moseyed on over to the pool. It was a bit cool, but the water did feel good. Not everyone was brave enough to get in, but most of us did put our feet in to cool off.

Elizabeth & her friend Kendra

Elizabeth, Becca & Kaylie (Kendra's daughter)

Andrew & Wig

Andrew & Elizabeth again

Kendra and her "melons"

Rob & Susan

Becca braving the water

that is the "21 and over" watermelon

Darkening sky

The sky started to get dark, and it was time for Becca  and Andrew to get ready to go. We all said our goodbye's to them. Elizabeth took them to the airport while the rest of us got ready to go our different ways. Warren and Susan were heading south the next day. Eddie and I hung around for a bit to take advantage of Rob and Wig's wifi. It seems so quiet and sad once everyone was gone. We will all be meeting up again in September for Andrew and Becca's wedding. If that will be anything like this, it will be another GREAT time with our family and friends. Like Eddie said the night after the graduation, it is a crazy family, but it is ours and we LOVE it!!!!!!
Well normally I wait for a couple of weeks before I post, but so much has happened that I think I will go ahead and get this one out now. Please take care and be good to each other. Remember you are always in our thoughts and prayers!!!
Love, Eddie, Darlanne & Suzy.

Missouri adventures

Missouri & the Mississippi River

I last left off with our arrival at Lost Valley Lake Resort. Man this place is AWESOME!!!!! We immediately knew that we wanted to stay longer, but due to them being TOTALLY booked up for Memorial day weekend, we couldn't. 

Club house at Lost Valley Lake

After we got all checked in, security escorted us to our site. We were in site 731 and WAY up a hill. There was a CLUNK in the back that I thought was the broom and mop falling. When we stopped we found that it was Eddie's desk top computer that had fallen. Good news is it is okay, bad news.... it put a small gouge in the new bathroom floor!!! DARN. As we were setting up, I found another casualty. Eddie's painting of the Helicopters has a small tear on it. We hope we will be able to get it fixed. When I put the slides out, Freeda seemed HUGE. After five days on the road living with the slides in, it felt good to be able to have more room. Once we were all set up, we went to the pool to cool off. The outdoor pool doesn't open until the day we are leaving, but they have an indoor pool complex. There are two pools, two jacuzzi and a kiddie pool all indoors. The pool was cold, but VERY refreshing. After enjoying the pool and jacuzzi, we headed home to just relax and unwind. Both of us were pretty beat from the road trip.
Tuesday May the 21st, we went to explore the area. We drove to Owensville's Walmart to get a couple of things and drop off some medication to get refilled. They told us about a nice place to eat in Rosebud. Rosebud is just down the road. We got gas in the Cruiser first at Rosebud General store!!!!!

Says it all. 

After gassing up, we headed to Kline's restaurant. Kline's was the place the ladies at Walmart told us about. It is family run. Our server was a REAL sweet gal named Sarah. I had Catfish, hush puppies, and sweet tea. It was VERY good!!! Eddie had Meatloaf with all of the trimmings. He said his was real good as well. I had never had Catfish and hush puppies. It was a treat. We chatted with the owner and staff. They were all extremely nice and friendly. This is what our travels are about. Meeting wonderful new people!!!!!!!!!

REALLY good food in Rosebud

Eddie at Kline's restaurant

Our yummy lunch in Rosebud, MO

Little guy at Kline's

Eddie got a HUGE piece of German Chocolate cake to go, and we headed home. I still had half of my lunch for later!!

our server Sarah at Kline's
The next day we decided to get some chores and laundry done. After being on the road for so long, the laundry had piled up. We went to "Fort Wilderness" at the resort. Eddie worked on a watercolor drawing, and I read in between laundry loads. We do have a washer/dryer combo in Freeda, but it was faster to do it all at once. I chatted with a nice lady. She is a singer in a Christian band. Her and her family travel around as well. Back at Freeda, we made dinner and turned on the A/C. It was in the 90's and hot!!!!!!

Lost valley lake

Love this place

another view of the lake

Friday, May 23rd, we explored Owensville and the surrounding area. We snapped lots of pictures and enjoyed the country side. We also drove all around Lost Valley lake and took pictures of it. This is a gorgeous area, and an awesome resort.

Bell  

Alpaca on the way to Lost Valley Lake

Turkeys at the Alpaca farm

Swimming in the lake

North end of Lost Valley Lake

Creek outside of Owensville, MO

Eddie taking a picture of train trestle

After exploring, we headed back to Freeda. We stopped by the country store at the campground and enjoyed an ice cream cone. On the way up the hill, the Cruiser started acting up again. So as soon as we got home, Eddie got on the phone and got the parts ordered to get it fixed. For less than half of what the shop in Cottonwood wanted, we got the parts. They are being shipped to Elizabeth's, so Eddie will fix it when we get to Indiana. It had cooled down, so we were able to turn off the Air Conditioner and enjoyed the cool breeze. Eddie hooked up the dolly, so tomorrow's breakdown will be an easier one. I started getting ready for another travel day, and then we called it a night.
Check out time was 11 am on Saturday the 24th. So we eased into our morning and loading up. It went very smoothly. The drive to the bottom of the resort is down a steep hill, and around a kinda sharp turn. So we decided that I would drive the Cruiser down and meet Eddie at the reception building. He was just a couple of minutes behind me. We got the Cruiser loaded and on our way. We took Highway 19 out. It is a beautiful drive, but on a narrow two lane country highway. I was glad to get on the Highway of the Saints. It is wider, smoother and has a shoulder!!!! On Highway 19, we came across a turtle crossing the road. There was NO way we could stop in time. I SO hope we missed the little guy!!! Once on the Highway of the Saints, I saw a bunch of Vultures circling. I looked down and there was one on the ground over a dead deer. Interesting scene. Fortunately, no grossness was visible. Didn't want to lose my breakfast!!!!!
One of the small towns we drove through, just before crossing over the Missouri River, was Herman, MO. WOW!!!! We just LOVED this town. SUPER cute and clean. To bad were just traveling through. Would have liked to stay and check it out.

Herman, MO

We stopped in Warrenton, MO to gas up and grabbed some lunch. We didn't get to Tievoli Hills until just before 3 pm. 

Traveling on the smaller highways slowed our progress. There are not a lot of camping sites here. It is mostly condo's. But we were able to get a spot with full hook ups. There isn't any satellite reception or wifi at the sites. There is wifi center that we will have to use to check email etc. With no direct TV, we will be "roughing it" for the week. Oh well, it will be peaceful. By the time we got all hooked up and settled, we were done for the day. It is pretty warm and muggy here, so on goes the A/C!!!!

Tievoli Hills camp site

bridge into Tievoli Hills

Tievoli Hills

May the 25th was an AWESOME day!!! We drove to Clarksville to check it out and get some batteries for my camera. It being Sunday, nothing was open. We drove to Louisiana Missouri. Yes, the town's name is Louisiana. A lot of the streets have state names as well. So your address could be Delaware street in Louisiana, Missouri!!!!! There was a Shell station open and we were able to get batteries there. The cashier told us were we could go to put our feet in the Mississippi River and get some good pix. He also told us that Tievoli, (pronounced tiv-o-lee) is "I love it" spelled backwards. Kinda a cool piece of trivia. We drove over to the water front and got up close and personal with the Mighty Missisip!!!!

my feet in the Mississippi River-TOTALLY cool!!!!!!

Eddie on the Mississippi River

Train bridge over the Mississippi

Eddie looking out onto the Mississippi River

This was such a treat for me. Sticking my feet into the Mississippi River was something I never thought I would get the chance to do. Reading about places, and seeing them on TV and in movies is NO comparison to actually being there and experiencing them in the flesh. We hung around the waters edge taking pictures and drinking in the whole thing. We then drove up the hill to get some more shots of the river and the bridge linking Missouri to Illinois.

Water front in Louisiana Missouri

awesome sculpture in Louisiana, MO

Eddie taking pictures

cool looking house in Louisiana, MO

After our wonderful time in Louisiana, we headed back to the campground. I wanted to check out the water temperature in the pool. It was COLD!!!! I just put my feet and legs in. Eddie and I visited with fellow campers for a bit. Then home and dinner.
Memorial day we stuck around the park and home. Eddie replaced a burned out tail light in Freeda, and I worked on laundry. We went to the the wifi center to check email, work on my blog, and other computer duties. The wifi here is SO slow!!!!! It was VERY hard to get anything done, and took FOREVER!!!!

trying to get some work done. SUPER slow wifi

The day stated out sunny, but turned very stormy. There was thunder, lightning, rain and wind. It was CRAZY!!!! I made spaghetti for dinner and we watched the Godfather. A relaxing evening at home with a yummy dinner.

Stormy sky

needs repair??? YES!!!!!

now you know why bridges scare me!!!

Tin roof-RUSTED!!!!

Highway 79 in Missouri

May 27th we drove to Louisiana's public library to print out some paperwork. We then took Highway 79 to Hannibal Missouri. Yes, I said it... Hannibal Missouri!!!!!! Eddie and I were so excited about this. The drive there was beautiful. The day was sunny and hot, so we drove with the top down and LOVED it. We pulled off at a scenic spot and had a spectacular view of the Mississippi.

Mississippi river

scenic view point

Woods at the scenic view

Our are brief stop, it was onto Hannibal. I felt like a little kid heading to Disneyland. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would really ever see Hannibal, and here we were almost there.

Water front in Hannibal, MO

We went straight to the waterfront and saw this boat for tours and a gift shop. We parked and walked about a bit.

Tom & Huck statue

Tom & Huck

Tom & Huck

We visited the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn statue. While there I noticed two couples looking around. I asked if they were Geocacher's and they were!!!! Our friends Roy and Jackie are Geocacher's. This is something Eddie and I may do down the road. While visiting with them, we found out that they are all staying in one of the condo's at Tievoli Hills. Small world. I wanted to check out the gift shop AND find a cool spot. It was HOT!!! I inquired about the boat tours. This is so not in our budget, but after talking it over with Eddie, we decided to go for it.They said we could take Suzy with us, and when might we ever have this chance again. It was only $16.00 per adult. So we got our tickets. We had some time to kill, so we drove around Hannibal to see if we could spot Tom, Huck or Becky strolling around!!!!

Beautiful house in Hannibal

Hannibal, MO

train in Hannibal, MO

Mark Twain riverboat 

getting ready for our tour of the Mississippi

We boarded the boat early so we could grab a hot dog at the snack bar before the tour started. I didn't want to miss a THING on the tour!!!!

me on the Mississippi

Eddie on the Mark Twain Riverboat

Hannibal, MO from aboard the Mark Twain riverboat

 After our little lunch, we headed outside and top deck to get the best view. We traveled up stream a bit, and then turned to go down stream. The wind off the water cooled us and it felt GREAT!!!! The caption talked about Mark Twain and Hannibal's history. He was informative and funny. It was quite a fun little tour. I could have stayed there all day.

Bridge from Missouri to Illinois

going down river

Cruising the Mississippi

Hannibal

more of Hannibal

All to soon our tour was over.They have dinner tour that last longer. It also coat a lot more and no pets. Maybe if ever get back we can do that one. I absolutely loved my time on the Riverboat. Floating by the islands I could TOTALLY imagine Tom and Huck swing off a tree into the river for a cool swim. This meant the wold to me, and I was thrilled to share such a great time with my honey bunch.

 Pictures of our boat tour down the Mississippi River. 

By the time the tour was over, we were ready to head home. On the way out of town, I took a picture of the Mark Twain Hotel. 

Limestone rock on Highway 79

Eddie collecting rocks

Eddie stopped just outside Hannibal to get some rocks from the side of the road. He wants to paint little scene's on them. I think that is a GREAT idea. That way we have some of his art work to sale for those that can not afford one of his bigger pieces We got home, had leftover Spaghetti for dinner, and watched Godfather II. Great end to a great day!!!!!!
Wednesday the 28th we hung out at home. Most of the other campers were gone, so it was pretty quiet. We went to the wifi center and again tried to use the Internet. It is Hughes net and incredibly slow. Eddie worked on his rock paintings while I battled the Internet. I was trying to download pictures to my blog. The two couples we had meet in Hannibal stopped by and chatted for a little while. I gave up on the wifi, and we headed back to Freeda.

sunset

boat launch at Tievoli Hills

my honey bunch outside wifi center

Hannibal rocks. $7.00 to $10.00 each plus shipping

Thursday was SO hot and muggy. I call this "muggy - buggy" weather. We drove into Clarksville. We left Suzy at home, to hot for her. Clarksville has a population of only 442. It is VERY cute. We grabbed lunch at Fitchett Diner. Our server was Jessica. She was very sweet, and VERY pregnant!!!! 

Inside the diner

Fitchett Bros Diner

Fitchett Bros Diner in Clarksville, MO

We then went to the water front. There were steps into the river, so I sat there with my feet and legs in the Mississippi while Eddie drew. It was a very peaceful and calming time. I loved just being in the moment. 

driftwood floating by

stairs into the river

soaking my feet in the muddy Mississippi

a view of Clarksville

Clarksville, MO riverfront

Friday, May 30th was another stormy day. More thunder, lighting and rain. Also the wind kicked up, so Eddie had to get the awning down. Once the weather calmed down, he had me help him do it up proper for the trip to Indiana. We started getting things ready for time on the road. Eddie hooked up the dolly to help the morning go faster.
 Saturday the 31st we got up and got ready to hit the road. Our time in Missouri was over. It was a GREAT place to take a break and do some exploring. We crossed over the Mississippi River on a HUGE bridge into Illinois. 

Crossing the Mississippi river

Illinois

We drove through Illinois only stopping for gas and lunch. We we both THRILLED to FINALLY arrive in Indiana. We will be here for a month and are looking forward to time with family and to just "sit" in one place for a bit. This is a good spot to wrap it up. Until next time, enjoy all that life has to offer. Take care of yourselves and be good to each other. 
Eddie, Darlanne & Suzy.