Down to Amarillo

We spent our night in Oklahoma City along with....you guessed it, more lightning, rain and thunder.  Fortunately, no tornadoes or hail, so it was a good night.  Lots of rain, but not until after we had hooked up and settled in, so we cooked in and turned in early for the night.

We met up the next morning with Tim and Tania Ewing for breakfast and a little catching up with old friends.  They are headed out today with their family on a two week RV trip of their own; yes, including Mt. Rushmore!  Seems everyone we know doing an RV road trip this summer is headed to Rushmore.

After breakfast we turned our RV west for the first time, and headed to Amarillo, TX.  We met our friends the Chittendens for dinner and conversation, and then spent the morning with the Pancake Posse and the rest of the day talking (and eating!) with the Chittendens again.  It has been wonderful seeing them again. 

Because we needed to have an RV hookup in the 100 degree heat, we spent the night at a local RV park just a stone's throw from the Cadillac Ranch.  We also got to see Mr. Baker's Peace Farm just east of town.

After a few chores at the Beach House in order to be able to leave early in the morning, we are going to bed early tonight and plan to leave at first light to be back home well before noon.  It has been an amazing trip, many new sights and firsts for us both.  We have gained an appreciation for the upper Midwest, at least in summer weather.  We have seen some beautiful parts of our country. And while we are looking forward to being home tomorrow, I am not at all looking forward to the mail, bills, laundry and chores awaiting us. Eek!  But first, one more night in the rocking Beach House (it's windy in Amarillo as a front moves through).

Thank You for traveling along with us!

Down to Missouri

We left the thunderstorms in Iowa, drove by for a short visit with a cousin in western Iowa, saw one of the covered bridges (Bridges of Madison County) and headed on down to see Tom's sister and family in the Kansas City area.  Weather was great, no storms predicted, we went to bed....and were awakened at 4 am by a thunderstorm with 50 mph winds.  All was fine with the RV, but there is a new trampoline in Gigi's backyard...we think it came from the house five doors up.  We've had a great time talking, forgetting to take enough pictures as usual when with family and we will be on our way to Oklahoma City in a couple of hours.  In the meantime, here are the pictures I do have from the last couple of days:

Midwest Thunderstorms

We've been very lucky with our weather this trip...until today.  The dry air moved elsewhere and we had a sticky, hot day today.  But we did our tour around the seven colonies of Amana,  stopping at the art, antique, craft and quilt stores and shopping our way through them.  We had a few surprises, some delightful, such as finding out the Fern Hill Gift Shop was really half antiques and half quilt shop, and home to a well-known fabric designer.  Oddly, about half of the museum stops were closed, although we did use the audio tour to hear about them, but others were open for touring.  We naturally made repeat stops at the Meat and Sausage market, the Millstream brewery and the Bakery.  We somehow found room to stash the various purchases into cubbyhole spaces, the refrigerator and our mouths.

I am writing this at 2:30 am, having been abruptly awakened by the arrival of a thunderstorm with 50 mph winds, rain and hail.  Between the A/C and the fan, I could have slept through the lightning and hail, but the winds were rocking the motorhome just as much as if we were driving down the interstate.  It's now a half hour later, and the rain and hail have lessened considerably, but we still hear the thunder and lightning.   The weather apps and the national weather service all say this will be going on till 5:30 or 6.  😱

(We're in the yellow area with the line of thunderstorms, just below the watch box)

And....I will edit here (later Wednesday Morning)...that the power went out about 4 am.  Looks like it was something to do with the surge protector, probably all wet from the rain....but poor Tom had to go outside in the rain and fiddle around with the connections at that hour.   While it wasn't the best night of sleep, it sure was an adventure!

Amana Colonies

We are here in the middle of corn-growing Iowa.  And I do mean that literally, we are in the middle of a cornfield; a very large middle,granted, but on all sides of us is growing corn. About a mile down the road is Amana and Middle Amana two of the seven Amana colonies.  Being as today is the Fourth of July, tonight there will be a large fireworks spectacular over Lily Lake down in Amana. Tom and I are taking the scooter and a couple of folding chairs down to see the festivities.  Don't have any pictures yet, but if I get some tonight I will add them to the post.

Oh, I did have One picture of our cornfield.

Not sure if these will work, here is the best still shot of the fireworks.  Quite a big show for a small town; as good as anything at the Isotopes.

Minnesota and Wisconsin

I know it's been a few days since I reported in, that's because we have been in two state parks two days each and connection has been a little difficult. But I have a couple observations to share about both Minnesota and Wisconsin.

1.  They're both beautiful states. We have had lovely weather, highs in the mid 70s lows about 60 and everywhere is green grass, green trees, green hills.

Can you see the butterfly?

2.  That's the other thing, Hills! I was expecting very flat Prairie much like the Dakotas or Kansas or Nebraska. Instead, I have these beautiful rolling hills with something interesting and new around each bend.  Even the farms have been gorgeous.

3.  Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I had forgotten that the "Little House on the Prairie" books all took place in this area. It was fun to stop by the museum and a reconstructed homestead.