Sunday, August 26, 2018

Trip Summary and Pigeon Forge (7/26-7/29) POST2

TRIP SUMMARY!

I did have the best intensions to keep the blog up to date during this momentous trip but I found that our daily routine and active schedule didn't allow my tired body to reach this goal. I will do this summary then comment on the major events and stops during our trip. With each post I will try to post the pictures if my internet allows. We are currently on our way home and I will do complete new posts of those activities.

Our trip west covered 3640 miles from Emerald Isle, NC to Santa Cruz, Ca. We stayed in 14 campgrounds and drove through 9 states and a little piece of Illinois as we crossed the Mississippi River near Paducah, Ky.We visited five NP's and saw many beautiful places along the way.

By the third day we had established somewhat of a routine for getting the bedding ready at night and getting breakfast and getting ready for the road in the morning. The kids traveled very well except for the occasional moaning sounds that were the result of not being able to beat the game that was being played on the I-pad.

Pigeon Forge (cont'd) 7/26-7/29

Our second stop as mentioned in the first post was Pigeon Forge, Tn. The first day we did the Goats on a roof. The second day we visited Wonderworks. This is an unusual upside down fun building where they have all kinds of things like, Rope Walking, Laser Tag, Hurricane room, Earthquake room, inside roller coaster, and much much more. At the end of the day we saw a magic show at the same venue. This was a super day for all. The Wonderworks building was amazing. 

The next day we drove into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We set up the kids for the Junior Ranger program. This is a great program were they are able to learn some things about the park, the environment, the flora of the area, animals in the park etc.. The kids receive a book with many sections that they were required fill out before they could be sworn in as Junior Rangers. Each NP has it's own booklet and it is a great way for the kids to learn more about conservation and the environment in each of the parks. We did a short hike with a Park Intern and learned a great deal about the trees and history of the park. This was the first Junior Ranger badge that the kids earned during our trip. Congratulations Sebastian and Sofia.

The Pigeon Forge experience also included pool time at the campground and a great dinner at the Local Goat - New American Restaurant and some Outlet shopping for everyone. All in all a very active three days.


On deranged builder. The landscaper wasn't much better.
The Hurricane Room/Wind Tunnel



The earthquake room! Shook like an earthquake. The Ca. folks thought it was lame!





Fearless Sofia!!



I don't think I'm getting enough oxygen!!


Dinner next door to Wonderworks!!





Our first National Park!





Our guide!



Hikes are fun and exercise!

And beautiful!


Is everyone happy? Yes!!
Not moving in anytime soon. Pioneer cabin that housed as many as 12. No TV or internet. Yikes!






The first swearing in ceremony. This was the person who lead the hike. Intern for the summer.

Certificates in hand. New Junior Rangers!! (Seb and Sof) CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Friday, July 27, 2018

2018 Trip West (Jenni and the Grandkids 7/25/2018 - 8/15/2018) POST1




Today is Friday 7/27/18 and we are already in our third day of this long awaited trip west. Our whole family was in Emerald Isle the week of July 15th for a get together that doesn't happen very often because of our geographic diversity. The Tokyo Graham side, the Ekman's from Sweden, and Magnus departed on 7/21/2018. Jenni and the kids stayed with us to prepare for our epic journey across the US.

Everything was ready for our departure on 7/25 except the weather. We hooked up in the pouring rain and drove in and out of rain to our first stop in Statesville, NC (Midway Camp Ground). We have stayed here many times before because it's, well almost "Midway" to the Sevierville/Pigeon Forge, Tn. area. We arrived at River Plantation RV Resort yesterday and took the kids to a local mountain slide place that has a roof full of goats, yes goats, that you can feed via a bicycle conveyor that takes food to the roof. They also had a pen where you can feed the goats. Everyone had fun. Today we head for and upside down mansion that has all kinds of stuff to do, including laser tag. (More Later)

This will be a quick trip across the US, and the RV is a little more crowded than usual, but I can't put in words how much having them with us means to me. "We'll have fun, fun, fun, fun, until Magnus takes his kids away"


Mom took the picture inside the RV because of the pouring rain!

Everybody loves a baby goat!

Sofia talks to the goats as she feeds them!


Goats on a Roof!


They eat anything!!

Saturday, November 18, 2017

2017 Trip West - Trip Summary

Today is 11/18 and I'm finally putting the final touches on this years trip. We headed north to see family first this trip then across a few states that we normally don't travel when we go west. In total we traveled through twelve states some of them twice in different areas.

We stayed in thirty-two campgrounds and one private home. We traveled 7113 miles in the motorhome and around 1000 miles in the jeep. We visited Two National Parks and two National Monuments.

Highlights of the trip:

Having the whole family together in California.
Casey Ohio "Big little Town"
The original Bass Pro in Springfield Mo. Over 1 million sq. ft.
Santa Fe, NM
Sky Mountain Pueblo Grants NM/ Meeting the Swedes in Grants!
Meteor Crater Winslow, AZ
Sedona Cathedral Rock hike
San Francisco and the Family
Golf with Corey
Air and Space Museum Tucson, AZ
Guadalupe NP
Magnolia Farms and Chip Gaines Waco, TX
Mud Island, Memphis TN
Grand Ole Opry, Nashville TN
Sevierville and Great Smokey Mountains NP

Fortunately the new motorhome performed very well the only problem we had was the passenger front slide lost power for about 2000 miles. It was just a severed wire that we had fixed in Tucson.

We are really enjoying our new home a look forward to many more years of enjoyment. I can't tell you how many people say to us, we really want to RV we just haven't made the move. It's really easy whether you go big or small and if you do travel the country the rewards are wonderful. I would have to say that one of the constant highlights or joys we get from this type of travel is the many super nice people we meet on the road. Every time  I get home I start thinking of my next trip. This is really a beautiful country albeit very different in many areas. I encourage all to think about this travel lifestyle I'm so happy that we did this when I retired. Hope you enjoyed this trip as much as we did. Until next time. Happy Travels!!

Bill and Eileen


Cathedral Rock!!

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Memphis/Nashville/Sevierville (10/24-11/1)

We left Waco on Tuesday 10/24. We had one stop in Texarkana,Tx.then on to Southhaven Ms. which is just south of Memphis. The campground EZ Daze RV was a really nice park with paved roads and concrete pads. Our visit to Memphis was to see the scale model of the Mississippi River watershed located on Mud Isle right on the river. We visited this place with Cousin's Susan and Steve many moon's ago but it was in the pouring rain and not a great experience.

The attraction is a scale model of the entire Mississippi that starts on the upper end with the different states that have rivers that flow to form the river. All the way from the West Oregon, Montana etc. to the East New York, Pennsylvania, etc.. After the river is formed you walk along the river and see the towns and the major points along the river. Each step equals about a mile so you basically walk the entire river. We had a chilly but beautiful day to walk the river.

We worked up an appetite walking the river so we when to Bass Pro in the Pyramid in downtown Memphis. They have a restaurant and a viewing platform near the top of the store that you reach by taking an enormous elevator located in the center of the Pyramid. The store is the former basketball stadium in Memphis a unique place.

On 10/27 we headed to Nashville. The weather had turned rainy and cold so we really didn't  do to much in Nashville beyond the Opryland Hotel which is a amazing place to walk around. We saw a show Saturday night at the Grand Ole Opry. The theme for the show was a birthday celebration for singer songwriter Bill Anderson who has been a member of the Opry for many years. The show was lots of fun. A must do for anyone who goes to Nashville. Our three day visit was capped off with a fabulous dinner at The Old Hickory Steakhouse inside the Opryland Hotel. YUM! YUM!

On 10/31 we are off to Sevierville, Tn. to one of my favorite campgrounds. Two Rivers RV. The attraction of this 10-10-10 campground is the pull in sites located on the French Broad River. There is a large field across the river where we have seen Turkey's, deer, Bald eagles in the past. This visit we were lucky enough to see many deer, including three young bucks and one rather large buck. I watched the young bucks spar with each other and enjoyed the show. This morning I was treated to a Bald Eagle sitting in a tree directly across from the motorhome.

We visited the worlds largest knife store located within walking distance of the campground and yesterday we went into Great Smokey Mountain NP and took a 2.5 mile hike in the beautiful woods. The leaves are about a week away but it was still beautiful.

This morning we boogied to Statesville NC and tomorrow we head to home. I will post all the pictures and the trip summary after I'm home because I'm running out of data on my MiFi.
When I write these posts I am writing them to be read by anyone who has interest but probably most of all for me. We have travelled this country now for over twelve years and it's becoming increasingly harder to remember each trip. The blog helps jog my memory.

My intend is not to bore anyone so I add the pictures for your enjoyment. I was going to put more in about campgrounds this time but I fell down on the job. Maybe next time.

Enjoy the country we sure did!

MEMPHIS!!
Mud Island Experience!

Bass Pro Pyramid from Mud Island!

Mississippi River and Mud Island from Bass Pro Observation Deck!

You can see the Observation decks on the top of the Pyramid!

The monorail was out so we had to walk to Mud Island.


The walls in the back are the start of the river. The wall to the left lists the states from the West and the one to the right list the states to the East and they form the Mississippi!

Walking the river!

All along the walk they have signs like this that highlight things along the river. The numbers correspond to places on the scale model river. 

After some walking from upstream we finally made it to where we were, in a manner of speaking!

Memphis and the bridges!

Rivers that flow in from further down the river. these obviously come from west of the Mississippi!
The real river!


Meander away "Ole Man River"

Made it to the end!


The end of the River!!








NASHVILLE!!
This building speaks for itself. On November 1st of each year the shows move to the Ryman Auditorium which is trhe original Opry House! 


Our seats came with oxygen!




and Binoculars!!!!!!
The birthday boy Bill Anderson. A long time Opry member!



Bill's family and the entertainers for the evening! Good show lots of fun. A must see if in Nashville!

My new Guitar!!

Some of the decorations in the hotel!

Lunch at the hotel. This is a great place to visit. Lots to see and do inside the hotel. This is one of many fine restaurants. Our dinner at the steakhouse was fantastic!!!!!!!!


                                                                           SEVIERVILLE, TN.

This is one of the deer across from our campsite. Took this from about 3000 yards.

That's the field that the deer was in way to the left!

Across the river the morning we left!




                                                      GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAINS NP!
This 2.5 mile hike is the same one we took with the "Ton of Fun" group years before!!


You can see that the trees haven't quite turned yet. Another week would have been great. Late everywhere this year.

Beautiful Woods! 
We are heading home!!