WE ARE HOME---SLAPOUT!!!!!

Hi everyone: Well, we are FINALLY Home---in right downtown Slapout! I hadn't got homesick until early last week but it went away in a couple of hours. But, today before we got to Birmingham I got it bad and it didn't go away. I thought we were crawling instead of going 60 MPH. But this afternoon around 4 p.m. we got in our (well, actually it was Troy's) driveway and I'm thrilled. Wayne seems happy to be home today. He used the 'runoff' voting as an excuse to go 'uptown' and he 'got a cup of coffee, too! A couple of hours later he came back home! Then he went 'over the farm'--checking the outside of both houses, pulling weeds around Jalen's rose and around Jalen & Jordan's trees, and dead-heading the other rose bushes and checking on everything. Me, all I did was go thru/separate the mail that has accumulated since we left.

So, as you can see, we're getting to 'normal' and this will end my blog.

We're been gone over 7 weeks, almost 5,000 miles and 20 states and I've tried to keep you up-to-date about our vacation. I hope you have enjoyed our trip half as much as we did.

Thank you for reading about our trip, for praying for us, and thinking about us.



P.S. We'll be leaving again next week (but for only about a week--to Wayne's 47th HS Class Reunion and afterwards on to Abbeville to see my folks--hopefully, they haven't moved off and didn't tell us). Then next month, we're heading out again for a couple of weeks in the mountains (Smokies, that trip). No blogging on these trips.

So, till then--- We love you, Keep in touch!!!!


Diane & Wayne

WE'RE HOME (WELL, ALABAMA, AT LEAST)

Hello, Everyone:

We are so happy!! We're back in Alabama (Sweet Home). We're stopped for tonight at the Allegro Campground in Red Bay which is right on the Missippi/Alabama Line up next to Tennessee. Wayne is going to pick up some much needed parts for the RV and I want to look at some new furniture to update the RV. Another thing, our dash air conditioner fan went out and we were HOT from Memphis, Tennessee to here (about 2 1/2 hours right in the hottest part of the afternoon) The sun was coming right in the windshield. Now, Wayne can add another item to his ever-increasing list.

We should probably finish here tomorrow and be back in Slapout by Tuesday or Wednesday. And it's time. We've been gone over 7 weeks; traveled over 5,000 miles on the RV in addition to all the miles on the car sight-seeing. In addition to those, we have added air miles to/from Hawaii--we are blessed!

So until then; please keep us in your prayers; you are in ours daily-----

We're in MissouriI

Hi, ALL:

Finally got onto the internet! Since the last time we have been in North Dakota, South Dakota, and now Missouri.

North and South Dakota was so beautiful. Then, in Missouri, we had a wonderful couple of days with Wayne's cousin, Gerald and Patricia Goolsby along with their boys and grandkids, in Nevada, Missouri. They took us out to eat a couple of times, and we went over to their house for more visiting. Gerald has a great workshop and lots and lots of antique tools. During his nickel tour I got to see all his 'wood'--it smelled sosososo good--made me want to turn wood on my lathe. Also, he gave me a pair of hog nose ring plyers and that really pleased me; I've been looking for one for ages and I'll remember our all-to-short visit every time I use them. What will I use them for?--you ask??? They'll be perfect to bind pages to make a scrapbook (of course, what did you think? (you DIDN'T think I was going to put a ring in Wayne's] nose???(Ummmm--it is a thought!!!)

After we left Gerald and Patricia this morning, Wayne got the idea to take a 'scenic highway' just to break up driving on interstate highways. Well, he went to sleep 5 minutes off the interstate. (Francis, you know what's going to happen????) I took a wrong road onto Missouri Highway 78 WEST which is a VERY steep/curvey road. To make bad matters worse I went 24 miles down this 'wonderful' two-lane narrow road. I woke Wayne once, and he asked had I turned off and I told him "NO"---BUT in the little town of Ava, their court square had a round-about and I exited one road too soon. Finally, after 1 1/2 hours we were back in Ava again and got onto the correct highway. Beautiful country but very nerve racking drive.


But, to make a long story, well, long. We're still in Missouri--almost on the Arkansas border. Tomorrow we're heading thru Arkansas/Tennessee [hopefully] and go to Red Bay, Alabama (where our RV is made) by about Monday to pick up some Allegro RV stuff. Then, if we can't find any more 'side roads' we should be home by the end of the week.

Till we get tothe next RV park with WiFi---love and hugs to everyone.

MONTANA & NORTH DAKOTA

Before we left Miles City we went to the Range Riders Museum---I hope that everyone can see this museum---it's amazing. The entrance 4 rooms had display cases of everything imaginable in the early settlers' homes (quilts, dishes, pots/pans). There were room after room of guns from the early West to WWII (just made us both drool), a whole room display of women's hats, women's fashions with wedding outfits and every-day dresses. Also a 30' x 60' banquet room with all 4 walls covered with photos of all the Range Riders since their beginning. The compound also had 8 x 10' rooms with 3D scales of each of Fort Hall, the Indian Village, and Train depot with tracks. These 3D rooms was mind-boggling because of the minute details. But, the things that impressed me most was the Indian artifacts and their family photos complete with narratives of their lives. As you leave the compound to get back on the street, there was no STOP sign--just the sign pictured above!

From Miles City, Montana, we traveled to Dickinson, North Dakota (no sights--just sleeping). On 3 July while still on I-94 we stopped at Exit 127 at the Sunset Cafe in New Salem North Dakota. I'm detailing all this because YOU MUST plan your trip to arrive here for their breakfast. Wayne had the usual breakfast--nothing new to write about. But I saw something on the menu that I just had to try and that was the "Breakfast Fleischkuekle". I asked the (great) waitress what it was and she replied, "it's a patty sausage, egg and cheese wrapped in pastry and deep- fried". What's not to love--all my favorite food groups and fried!!!!! It was so delicious. The pastry was so crispy and flaky that I broke off the outside crust and saved it to eat with grape jelly. If I could have, I would have ordered seconds but this one was bigger than my out-stretched hand and I couldn't eat any more!!! Think I'll cook these when we get home (if I remember how my stove operates).

After eating breakfast (and getting our first souvenirs of a cute salt/pepper set and a tiny cream pitcher and homemade snicker doodle and oatmeal-raisin cookies to go), we continued on I-94 right through the horizontal middle of North Dakota. Along the interstate, we saw some beautiful trees everywhere that are light green-silver with almost black bark (we found out these with Russian Olive trees) and saw field after field of what looked like tiny yellow flowers (we learned these are canola fields). And, lots of oil-wells --- Nothing like we have in Alabama!!

In the pictures above, we are at the Frontier Fort/Bar & Grill/Gift Shoppe/RV Camp Site in Jamestown, North Dakota. Here they have reconstructed a whole frontier village of saloon, post office, train depot, art gallery, blacksmith, church, old cabin, jail, school, stables (for pony or stage coach rides), general store, leather goods, library, newspaper, and house where Louis L'Amour wrote most of his Western Novels. This whole Old West village is maintained, outfitted and run by local people of Jamestown. There is also the largest statue (over 30' high)of a buffalo, a herd of buffalo with three albino, and a Buffalo Museum. This is also a MUST SEE if you're ever in North Dakota--I sound like a tour-guide or an advertisement for the State, don't I? But, it is very interesting.

Is that enough for now? Hope you enjoy seeing parts of Montana and North Dakota through our eyes. Until next posting, love and prayers--------

WE'RE IN MONTANA

Hello, All:

We left Idaho (finally) yesterday. Got the new tire and now it's mounted with a locking thingie on the back of the Jeep just like it's supposed to be. And, we made it to Montana right on the Continental Divide at over 6,800 feet high! This state is so beautiful--it has it all. Look at the picture (above)of Wayne; but not at him--look at the scenery out the driver's window to his left and how high up we are--the clouds are about level with us and the mountains are even higher with snow on most of the tops. We drove over the Rockies, the Crazy Mountains, Bear Tooth Mountains, and saw beautiful rivers, rolling hills, lots of green grass, beautiful trees and nice weather of only 77 degrees at 2p.m. If it were not for 'sweet home Alabama' this is where I'd like to spend summers.

Today we again started out on I-90 but about mid-day switched onto I-94 to Miles City. Tomorrow morning after breakfast, while we're still here in Miles City, we're going to the Range Rider Museum, according to Google, it's a MUST SEE! Hopefully we'll have pictures to post.

Until then, please remember us in your prayers. You are in ours......

Still in Pocatello, Idaho!

Hello, All:

Yes, we're still in Pocatello, Idaho. Yes, it's a nice, kind of small town, but that's not why we're still here. We're here because of the 'stolen tire'. Wayne went to a tire store early this morning hoping they'd have one in stock. Not so, however, the store ordered it and the tire should be in about lunch-ish tomorrow (2 hours more/less) so we'll be here until Wednesday A.M.

Today, after the tire business, we had a Fun-Monday. First of all, we went north two exits on I-15 to 'Fort Hall' thinking it was the Fort 'replica', an area attraction. It WAS where the 'original Fort Hall' was located but because it was a 'trading fort on Indian land' Fort Hall could not be re-created where it was originally. (Indian land is 'federal' land.) So, we went to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Museum. Rosemary, the very knowledgeable hostess, is a member of the Shoshone Tribe. Since we were the only people in the museum, she had time to talk with us about her tribe and their history. We could have listened to her all day--she was so interesting! The museum was small but had great Native American paintings and exhibits, as you can see by the pictures of us above.

Next area attraction was 'Old Town' in downtown Pocatello. Old Town is a beautifully restored area (sort of like 'downtown Prattville' (AL). First thing, of course, was LUNCH! We found a Mexican fast-food place (Wayne conceded on Mexican) that was in an old hamburger place complete with drive-thru. I figured it would be so-so!!!!!!NOT SO, they had the best chile rellenos I HAVE EVER TASTED--I PROMISE!!! (Frances, I wished you were here to taste them!!) Of course, Wayne didn't like HIS (because he doesn't like any Mexican food except Tacos--and he didn't get Tacos) but he ate most of mine. My plate had two chile rellenos (about the size of my open hand), Rice, refried beans, lettuce/tomato/onion salad with guacamole, and sour cream with a rolled tortilla on another plate ($3.65)! Wayne ate one of my chile rellenos, most of my rice, all my beans--and liked MY food. After lunch, we rode around (and around--every other street was one-way) in Old Town.

Then we went to THE replica Fort Hall and Museum right here in Pocatello. Very interesting and enjoyable, especially the Museum. It had antiques of Fort Hall, doctor, dentist, fire department, railroad, and military stuff from the settling time of Fort Hall/Pocatello area. Lots of the stuff I remembered from my childhood i.e., glass syringe, cod liver oil, brown medicine bottles with a CORK stopper (I'm getting old!!!). After touring the museum and fort, we head back to the RV via the Tastee Treat (sort of like Dairy Queen)--the best part of the whole day. We had soft serve ice cream for supper. (Great supper).

Now back at the RV, it's laundry time---until next time, prayers and hugs to you-----

We're Back (from Hawaii) & are in Pocatello, Idaho

Well, Hello again:

Let me catch you up on our travels. We flew out of Salt Lake City and spent 2 weeks in Hawaii with Joscie and the Grands!!! and they are!!! We did a lot while there--a little shopping(yea--got to go to Fisher-Hawaii and Ben Frankin for craft stuff); to the theater to see the stage performance of "Elmo, etc;" to the movies to see "Toy Story 3" (both so good); to the Leggo and Disney Stores (for toys, of course) and out to eat at more places than I can remember (but I DO remember Island Burgers, Cinnamons for breakfast of Gava French Toast and cinnamon roll [yum])and Forrest Gump for fish/seafood. We also went to the Honolulu Library Book Sale--got lots of goodies! But, the most fun--just looking at Jalen and Jordan to store up memories until the next trip.

We arrived back in Salt Lake City via Las Vegas. BUT our luggage was lost! Finally found out it stayed in Las Vegas--guess it wanted to play the slots since we didn't have time to due to the long lines at security checks! Our bags had all our medicines and our laptop in them so we were concerned. When we arrived at the Red Lion Hotel our car was still in the parking lot(where we had parked it right at the front door) HOWEVER our spare tire normally on the back of the Jeep had been stolen. Hawaiian/Delta Airlines were very nice--they gave us a kit so at least we had a toothbrush and a T-Shirt to sleep in! We called AllState, and they told us what to do about our tire. We were all set so we went to Provo, Utah, to get the RV out of storage--felt so good to 'be home again'. Finally our luggage was found and delivered to us at the RV Park. We had missed only 3 doses of our much-needed medicines. We stayed in Provo until this morning.

We are now moving north and are in Pocatello, Idaho on I-15. Now, you're caught up!

Till next time--hugs and prayers to you-----