Apr 27th to 30th - IL, MS, MN

Apr 27^th – Sat

We all had breakfast “at home” and then caught the light rail across the river to the Gateway Arch.  A lady at the RV park said that parking & sidewalks were under water but it wasn’t as bad as she made out and we could have taken one vehicle and parked closer than the rail stop.  It was raining but we could see the entire arch and take pictures.

You have to go through a check like getting on an airplane to get into the Arch facilities but you don’t have to take off your shoes.  We wandered through the great “Lewis & Clark” museum and then Bill & Georgia and Lonnie bought tickets to go to the top of the Arch.  Terry & I and Cindy waited while they made their ½ hour or so round trip.  We walked down the street to an old Catholic church and took pictures of an old courthouse but didn’t walk to tour it.  The drizzly weather was not conducive to walking too much.

We took the train back to the park and then got into our truck for our next outing.  A shuttle driver told us about Gus’ Pretzels which bakes bratwurst & hot dogs into pretzels so we had to check it out.  It turned out to be take-out only so we lined up to get our food and then put down the tailgate and had lunch.  We drove across the highway to Anhauser Busch to take a tour and see the Clydesdales.  We got tickets for a tour in about 45 minutes but when we saw the size of the group ahead of us and knew it was an outdoor walking tour of about an hour we decided to turn our tickets back in and leave.

We relaxed for a bit and then went back to the casino.  Bill & Georgia went to the old church for mass and Lonnie & Cindy also went to the casino.  Georgia put a beef roast in the crock pot and made corn, I made mashed potatoes and Cindy brought corn & watermelon for another good dinner.  Then we all called it a night.

Apr 28^th – Sun – to KC, Missouri

We all packed up & hooked up and drove to a parking area slightly closer to the casino.  The security guy who drove the shuttle saw us and picked us up to go to the casino for breakfast.  Some of us had to get players cards and then we all had to get passwords added to our cards to get a discount for the buffet.  After a good breakfast, we returned to our rigs, hugged goodbye and headed out.  We went west to Kansas City and the others went to Springfield MO.  We stopped at a casino (Ameristar) for a while (Terry bailed us out again) and then had a very “interesting” trip to find a Passport America RV park (Basswood) north of KC.

We arrived just before 5, set up and went next door to chat with our neighbors before dinner.  As we parked they held up their drinks and announced that happy hour had already started.  Don & Sue are from Edmonton and have been full-timers for 12 years.  We left when their dinner was ready and I made dinner for us.  We relaxed with TV – checked the weather channel and found decent weather ahead - and hit the sack.

Apr 29^th – Mon – to Minnesota

Our neighbors left early which made Terry want to get moving so we were on the road heading north just after 7.  True to form, we found another casino (Lakeside) where we gambled a bit and then took advantage of 2-for-1 senior day to have lunch at the buffet.

The weather was lovely and the drive easy on I35.  Fields were very green and trees budded out for a while but then very bare as we got further north.  I looked for somewhere to stay and we finally decided to keep going all the way to Minneapolis and stopped at an RV park at a casino – Mystic Lake – just SW of Minneapolis.  We stayed here a few years ago.

The RV office was closed when we drove up at 5:15 and a note said to pull into an empty site and check with the office in the morning.  We set up, had a relaxing drink after the long day and then went to the casino.  The visit turned out to be quite profitable as we both came out $$ ahead for a change.  We had lots of fun and fell into bed at midnight after having a sandwich for a very late dinner.

Apr 30^th – Tues

Terry was awake very early and up drinking coffee while I tried to catch a few more ZZZZs.  He went to the RV office, paid for 3 nights and got the address for a nearby WalMart as we need an oil change.  The guys at WalMart said they could not do the oil change as our truck was too long for their hydraulic lift.  That’s a first!!  We went to Discount Tire where they don’t do oil changes and then to Tires Plus who were happy to get us in.  I walked back to WalMart for a haircut and found that the salon did not open until 10 and it was now 9:15.  I shopped a bit and was waiting on a bench when Terry showed up.  I finally got my hair cut and our chores were done.

We had to go back to the casino – first for breakfast and then to try our “lucky” slots again.  Terry won again and I was smart enough to quit and watch Terry.  At 1:15 we left to drive to Dennis & Gloria’s for dinner.  They are 36 miles away in Cottage Grove and it took 45 minutes to get there.  It is only a month since we left them in Mesa but we had lots to talk about and the time flew past.  We left at 7:15 so I could get back in time to watch DWTS since I haven’t seen it for a few weeks.  And obviously I had to catch up the blog!

Apr 23rd to 26th - Missouri to Illinois

Apr 23^rd – Tues

This was laundry day for all of us and I vacuumed while clothes were drying.  Terry went to fuel up and to look unsuccessfully for a new CB.  After lunch, Terry & I went shopping for shoes as I have holes in my tennies.  After lunch, we went to Branson Landing and checked out Belks who didn’t have my size in anything I liked but Terry managed to find another pair of shoes.  We carried on down the row of stores just a bit and I got 2 pairs of shoes – woo hoo!

We enjoyed a drink and some down time before we all went back to Branson Landing to Famous Dave’s for dinner.  They had a “dinner for 2 or 3” on special so we ordered 2 to share plus some extra ribs for Terry.  The dinners are brought to the table on a small, metal garbage can lid and we had leftovers to take home.  Our timing was just right to head to our last show – Jim Stafford.  It was a laid-back, slower show and very enjoyable.

Apr 24^th – Wed – to Robinsonville MS

We left at 8 and drove in 4 states – Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee & Mississippi - to get to a casino RV park (Sam’s Town) just south of Memphis.  It was nearly 300 miles but mostly on freeways so it was an easy drive.  We stopped for lunch and arrived here about 3:30.  We waited around for a shuttle to take us to the hotel to register and finally decided to walk over.  We got set up and headed back to the casino.

We all got player’s club cards which gave us a buffet for $10 and if you paid in cash you got $10 slot play on your card so of course we all went for the buffet and then gambling.  The others hadn’t had a card before so they got another $5 slot play because they were staying here.  Of course we were the last to leave the casino with less money in our pockets.

Apr 25^th – Thurs

Bill & Georgia and Lonnie & Cindy went to Memphis to tour Graceland this morning but Terry & I weren’t too interested in that activity so we occupied ourselves with visiting casinos.  We started with a breakfast buffet since we each got $5 off – good meal for just over $8 total.  We signed up for a free slot tournament that had the first round at 1:00 so we went to some other casinos as we have to expand our card collection!  We went back at 1:00 and then went to a casino that was further away and ended up rushing back for the 3:00 second round in the slot tournament.  Neither of us did well enough to get on the prize list.

We were just on our way to Harrah’s casino when Bill called to say they were almost back.  They met us at the casino, got players cards and we lined up for the buffet.  Lonnie & Cindy were first and paid $43 for 2!  Since she is not a big eater, Georgia didn’t want to pay that much for dinner so she & Bill went elsewhere and we ate with Lonnie & Cindy.  We found B&G later and we all gambled a bit.  Then they left and we stayed which was good for me as I recouped most of my losses for today.

Apr 26^th – Fri – to St. Louis IL

We drove in 5 states today – Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri & Illinois.  We left just after 8 for the 319 mile drive.  It rained part of the time and then cleared up.  We stopped once for fuel and a couple more times at rest areas (Lonnie drinks LOTS of water!) and arrived at the Queens Casino in East St. Louis just before 3.  We all set up and decided to have dinner about 4:30 since we didn’t have lunch.  Lonnie grilled some steaks & potatoes, I heated garlic bread provided by Cindy and leftovers from Famous Dave’s and Georgia made salad.  Then Lonnie & Bill did the dishes!

We all went to the casino after dinner.  The casino is quite small and was very busy.  We did really bad but Georgia did great.

Apr 20th to 22nd - Branson

Apr 20^th – Sat

Terry went to get the truck washed and to pick up a can of corn that I forgot yesterday so I had time to update the blog and email.  Lonnie & Georgia went to see the Titanic Museum which the rest of us did not particularly want to see as we went to one in Newfoundland and Bill & Cindy just weren’t interested.  When Terry returned, we took Bill & Cindy with us to town.  We tried to call Georgia to set up lunch but she had her phone turned off.  We went back to Branson Landing to check out the times for the Fire & Light show and ended up seeing one at noon.  It was only one song – Star Spangled Banner – and all the fire tubes weren’t used or weren’t working.  We went to a store where Bill wanted to pick up an item that they saw previously and then wiggled our way out of a parking garage that only took Mastercard or Visa for payment.

We stopped at a large grocery store – the only one in Branson besides WalMart – and then headed back since Georgia & Lonnie still were not answering their phones.

We all had lunch at home and then it was time to head out for our 3 o’clock show – Legends in Concert which included impersonators of Jerry Lee Lewis, Diana Ross, The Blues Brothers, Brooks & Dunn and Elvis.

We got back just before Bruce & Ann arrived.  They are in Branson for a week and are staying at Hidden Hills which is a Coast to Coast park.  We put 2 picnic tables together behind our rig and enjoyed drinks before dinner.  After dinner, the others went home and we continued visiting with Bruce & Ann.  We had to put on light jackets and Terry got out the buddy burner but it wasn’t too cold.

Apr 21^st – Sun

After they went to church, we met Bill & Georgia and Lonnie & Cindy at the Farmhouse Restaurant on Main Street for a very nice breakfast.  We followed that with a bit of shopping on Main.  We went to WalMart to get more baskets for Cindy and found they were out of the larger size that she needed to match 2 that she already bought so we had to check the other WalMart but with no luck.  We came home for a little down time.

Our next show at 3 was the Acrobats of China which of course was amazing and a nice change from singing & dancing.  We went to the Rib Crib for a very good dinner.  We chose the restaurant because it was close to the next theater and it ended up being a good choice.  Before the next show at 7, we had time to find and photograph a huge fiddle and a huge banjo that have the necks sticking out through high windows.  The show was Ozark Country Jubilee and while not as good as some was still very enjoyable.

Apr 22^nd – Mon

The weather was lovely again this morning and Bill was the driver for a sightseeing tour.  We included a viewpoint high above the Taneycomo River where we all enjoyed seeing the town spread out before us.

Georgia decided she wanted to buy a t-shirt that she saw on Main so we made a stop there.  We also checked out a huge antique mall as Lonnie & Cindy are looking for a simple spice rack that they have not been able to find in stores.  They ended up with a rack for souvenir spoons instead.  Then we stopped at a pottery type store where Georgia got a metal cactus that we, Bill & Cindy scoped out a couple days ago.  We were very close so another stop at WalMart was called for – seems like someone always need some grocery items.  We bought Subway sandwiches to bring home for lunch and the others made their lunches when we got back.

We didn’t have much time after lunch before we had to leave to see SIX at 2 o’clock.  Bill had to make a last minute change to our schedule and included SIX which turned out to be a super choice.  We all agreed that it was the best show yet.  The show is six brothers who sing with no musical accompaniment at all which is hard to believe as they provide percussion with their voices.  Their clothes and choreography are impeccable.  Each brother has a color that is used in clothes & props and on the six Cameros that were parked in front of the theater.

We came back to the park for dinner since we had a longer time between shows and I had put a pork roast in the crock pot for pulled pork sandwiches.  We enjoyed a drink first and then a good dinner with contributions from all.  The show at 7:30 was the Grand Jubilee and was back at the Grand Country Theater.  Again, this show ended up at the bottom of the enjoyment list along with its “cousin” the Ozark Country Jubilee.  Oh well, at $125 each person for 10 shows we are not complaining!

Apr 17th to 19th - Branson

Apr 17^th – Wed - to Branson

We discovered that the first shuttle to the old town of Eureka Springs did not show up at the park until 10:15 so we all went in Bill’s truck to find “the world’s largest tuned wind chime”.  After taking pictures, we went to an information center and found we would still be waiting for a “yellow” shuttle until 10.  We changed to the “red” shuttle in town and took a tour around the town and then stayed on the shuttle and got off at a stop up the hill so we could walk downhill & shop.

We caught a “blue” shuttle back to the truck at the info center and stopped at Pizza Hut for lunch.  We were an hour late – after 1:00 – checking out of the RV park to head to Branson MO.  The GPS took us on a winding route.  The last time we drove from Branson to Eureka Springs we took a longer, straighter route and should have done so this time.  The map did not indicate the number of sharp, slow corners.

We checked into the Ozark County Campground and parked in 3 side-by-side pull thrus.  The park personnel were wonderful and we are looking forward to spending a week here.  I immediately filled all 4 washers in the laundry room with clothes while Terry went to pick up some tickets and fill a propane tank.  I put in my 5^th load of laundry and stayed while everything dried.  Terry showed up in time to help carry it all back.  The others went grocery shopping and then they did laundry.  They all came over for a short visit before dinner which ended up being burritos made by Georgia and a quesadilla that I made.

It was warm when we arrived so we changed into shorts & sandals.  By the time we finished dinner and sat visiting for a while, it was breezy and we were ready to move inside.  It was also after 9 so we opened windows and turned on the TV to choose from the 49 cable channels available here in the park.

Apr 18^th – Thurs

We had a huge storm last night – rain, lightning & great rolls of thunder.  Terry turned on the TV to the weather channel at 4:00 AM and added tornado warnings to the mix!  When we checked in here, we were told to head to the concrete block laundry/washroom building if we heard a siren but we were spared that “adventure”.

We had reservations for a 10:00 am show so we all left in Bill’s truck about 9:15 as we didn’t know how long it would take to drive and how early we had to be there.  Turns out we were very early and there weren’t many others attending the show as this is early in the season.  The show was a tribute to John Denver and was held in a very small – intimate! -  theater.  We were in the second row which was level with the musicians and about 8 feet away.  It started a little slow but ended up being lots of fun with great music.

We went to Branson Landing and walked a portion of it in light rain & wind.  We stopped for a burger for lunch and then stopped on Main St for a visit to the legendary Dick’s 5 & 10 store.  We checked out some flea markets for a spice rack for Lonnie & Cindy – no luck – and headed home.  Terry took off with Lonnie to get parts to fix our CB and parts for Lonnie’s truck while I checked email and relaxed.

At 7:15 we left for another show at 8 – Hamner/Barber.  It was a larger theater with more people attending but still not even half full.  Dave Hamner is a magician and Jim Barber is a ventriloquist.  They were both wonderful and the finale that was a tribute to veterans was so incredible and moving that everyone was a little subdued as we left.  We had turned on our electric mattress pad before leaving so we immediately crawled into a toasty warm bed.

Apr 19^th – Fri

We found a full-sized WalMart so we started with grocery shopping this morning.  Then we picked up our CB which a guy at Radio Shack had fixed.  Finally, we got 2 new 6 volt batteries for the rig as we had a little episode when we left Eureka Springs – the slides would not come in right away and it seemed like a battery problem.  Terry ran the truck for a few minutes and one came in slowly and then the others did OK.  We had our existing batteries in our old 5^th wheel so we felt better replacing them before we are stuck somewhere with our slides out.

I put away all the groceries while Terry put in the batteries and put the CB back together.  He got one test call to Lonnie before it crapped out again.  Guess we should have done the same as the batteries and got a new one!

Now it was already time to pile into our truck to go to a show called “IT” at 3:00.  IT is a variety show performed by members of the prolific Hughes family – 5 brothers and their 35 children.  The brothers also have 4 adopted sisters.  Hard to say how old the brothers are but the oldest child was 19 I think.  It was a fast moving, great show.

We were going to go to Branson Landing for dinner but when we saw the slow traffic we thought we would be pushed to get to our 7:30 show so we stopped at Ruby Tuesday’s and had lots of time.  The show at 7:30 was “Paul Harris & the Cleverlys”.  Paul Harris did a standup comedy routine in an only slightly exaggerated Ozark accent (which is his native accent) for nearly an hour and it was hilarious.  Then he was joined by 4 musicians who played & sang until the break.  After the break, the 5 guys wandered back in dressed in suits & big cowboy hats to become the Cleverlys.  They played modern music – Lady GaGa, Black-Eyed Peas, Gangnam Style – as Bluegrass which was very entertaining.

It was clear and sunny today but still windy and cool.

Apr 13th to 16th - 4 states!

Apr 13^th – Sat – to Carlsbad

We left at 6:30 and drove the longer route through Ruidoso as it was more scenic and did not have long, steep grades like the road through Cloudcroft.  We took the bypass road around Roswell which left us hoping for a gas station on the highway at Artesia which did happen.  We stopped for breakfast at Denny’s in Carlsbad and arrived at the Carlsbad Caverns Campground around noon.

We all set up, Georgia put chicken in the crock pot and we headed to Carlsbad Caverns.  There was a bit of a line for tickets and we walked down the Natural Entrance instead of taking the elevator.  This was the first visit to the caves for B&G and L&C and I kept telling them that if they were impressed with the walk down the entrance, just wait for the Big Room. 

When we got to the Big Room, Lonnie & Cindy went to the restrooms and the rest of us waited.  Unfortunately, L&C got turned around, didn’t see us and started the Big Room tour on the opposite side from us.  Terry finally checked the restrooms for them and when he didn’t find them, we and B&G went on the Big Room loop.  We did the entire 1.2 mile loop and found L&C waiting for us after they cut across a trail and did only half of the loop since they didn’t run into us.  We stopped at the shops at White’s City on the way out.

When we were driving back, a warning message (Service Exhaust System) & light came up on our truck.  Terry couldn’t find anything of help in the owner’s manual so he & Bill went to the Chevy dealer in town just before 4.  They finally returned at 8 (the shop closed at 4!) and the technician could not find the problem so he didn’t charge Terry anything for the hours of testing.  The rest of us had finally eaten dinner at 7.  After Bill & Terry ate, the guys took only a few minutes to finish fixing our CB radio.

Apr 14^th – Sun –to Texas

We got to sleep in today and left at 8 to head east and north to Amarillo.  It was very windy and Lonnie had to slow down sometimes as the wind really moved his smaller trailer.  Our CB sort of worked – Bill could pick up us and Lonnie, sometimes we could hear Lonnie and Lonnie could never hear us.  We stopped for fuel in Hobbs NM, lost an hour when we crossed into Texas and finally stopped for more fuel and lunch in Tulia.

We were heading for a PA park east of Amarillo but I saw some information in our atlas about a state park and looked it up on my tablet.  We went past the exit that Wanda wanted us to take and shortly after was the exit for the state park.  By then I saw that they had campgrounds so we pulled over on the side of the freeway, checked with the others and detoured to Palo Duro Canyon State Park.  It took us a while to register for sites but we were very happy with the decision to come here.  We had to take a steep 10 percent grade to the bottom of the canyon and then wind along for a few miles to one of the small campgrounds.  We have water & electric for $24 plus $5 each for the state park entry fee.

We set chairs up in the shade and had a drink before we all got into Bill’s truck for a tour.  We went back up the hill to the visitor center but it was closed.  Then we drove all the way to the end of the canyon and took pictures along the way. It is a beautiful place with red rock walls, trees on the lower slopes and a stream crisscrossing the road several times with flood gauges up to 5 feet.  There is a huge amphitheater that doesn’t open until later in the season.

Cindy made spaghetti for dinner, Georgia provided salad and I got away without any contribution!  We ate at a picnic table under a slatted “gazebo” and the moon & stars were coming out by the time we headed in.

Oh yeah – the warning message came on again this morning and was joined by a “check engine” message and light a bit later.  Then both messages disappeared but the lights stayed on.  Then the first light went off.  Lonnie did some magic this evening and the check engine light is also off!

Apr 15^th – Mon – to Oklahoma

We are really cruising through the states!  We climbed out of the canyon and headed east on I40.  We made a stop in Groom to tour a site with a HUGE cross and incredible “statues” depicting the Stations of the Cross.  There was also a lovely gift store that we all wandered through.  We stopped at Shamrock for fuel and lunch.  When we left, Lonnie noticed that he had a nail in the sidewall of one of his trailer tires.  It wasn’t through the tire but needed to be fixed.  We found a tire shop in town which didn’t have the right size so the guys put on the spare and we continued on.

When we entered Oklahoma, we stopped at a rest area that had a great tourist information center.  A lady told us about Red Rock Canyon state park.  They did not have an entrance fee and charged $18 per night (after Good Sam discount) for water & electric.  We were going to stop at another tire shop but Lonnie changed his mind and we headed for the state park which happened to be on a road past a casino – how handy!!  We set up in 3 sites right next to each other, enjoyed a drink and listened to birds sing beside a little stream.  Then we all headed back to the casino in separate trucks since our enjoyment of gambling runs from “OK for a bit if it is not too smoky”  to “who the heck knows when we will be done”.  We signed up for player’s cards and each received a coupon for half off the buffet which we used immediately.

We saw each other periodically for a bit and then Terry & I were the only ones left.  There was a new casino across the street so we went there as well which was really lucky as I won back what we lost at the first casino.  I was helped by $10 free play for signing up and another $10 for ladies’ night once I earned one point.  We got back about 10:30 and there were no lights on in our neighbor’s rigs.

Apr 16^th – Tues – to Arkansas

We were gently rocked awake at 5:15 by an earthquake.  There were 5 earthquakes in total but we only felt one and it was pretty gentle.  The others didn’t even feel it.

We have successfully taught Bill & Georgia and Lonnie & Cindy the art of changing your mind about your travel plans!  When we last saw them yesterday, they were going to go to Oklahoma City and we were going to meet them in the Independence area in Kansas.  This morning, they vetoed OKC partly due to the traffic in a large city and partly due to weather forecasts for hail and wind.  As Bill was raising his 5^th wheel to hook up, the jacks quit.  He checked the fuse which looked OK and Terry helped him manually wind the jacks down until Lonnie informed them it would be easier if Bill put his rear stabilizers up!  Then the hitch would not snap so WD40 and a pry bar had to be found and used to free things up.

Once on our way, I called a tire store in Elk City who had the 2 tires that Lonnie needed.  It took a while to get the tires balanced & mounted so the guys shopped in a NAPA parts store next door and I made a call to Marg which ended when we left and hit such a bumpy section of freeway that I could hardly talk.  We stopped at a rest area and Lonnie mentioned a restaurant that he saw on a sign so we pulled in for lunch.  The place he saw happened to be a meat store that sold sandwiches but there was a Catfish Roundup restaurant next door that turned out to be an excellent choice.  Even before we ordered, we were served apple fritters and then fresh baked rolls were included with every meal if desired.

We drove to Eureka Springs which ended up being a long day with all the stops and over 300 miles.  The last 35 miles were very hilly & windy and we were all happy to arrive at Kettle Campground about 5:30.

Bill discovered that the problem with the jacks was indeed the fuse – the failure just wasn’t visible without reading glasses!  Lonnie & Cindy hit the laundry room and Bill & Terry puttered around checking everything that can & will rattle loose.  Georgia lined up for the 2 washers & dryers while I caught up the blog.  The warning lights & messages did not come back on but our CB is not working again.

Dinner tonight is individual leftovers – how easy!

Apr 10th to 12th - to New Mexico

Apr 10^th – Wed – to Williams

We got a reasonably early start for the drive to Williams AZ to meet our friends Bill & Georgia and Lonnie & Cindy.  We got fuel before we set up at the Grand Canyon Railway RV park and I caught up my blog.  We went for a short walk but it was so cold & windy we decided to hibernate until the others returned about 6 from a train ride to the Grand Canyon.

Georgia had put a roast & veggies in the crock pot so we joined them all for dinner.  We had lots of catching up to do and shared lots of laughs as usual. 

Apr 11^th – Thurs – to Sky City Casino

After returning keys and getting copies of bills, we were on I40 heading east around 8:30.  Lonnie & Bill had to get fuel and knew of a convenient station at Flagstaff.  We were moving along quite well with our little caravan until Bill blew a tire on his 5^th wheel about 30 miles west of Gallup NM.  The three guys changed it in short time and now we were looking for tire shops.  We stopped at WalMart in Gallup but they didn’t have the right tires.  Lonnie & Cindy needed a few groceries so Bill & Georgia headed to a shop recommended by a clerk in WalMart and we waited to show L&C where to go once they got through the horrendous check-out lines.  When we parked across the street, the tire shop employee was just pulling out the jacks and Bill had 2 new tires.  But now we all needed fuel so we ended up at one station and the others at a different one.  We finally all got together and went to Sky City Casino RV park at exit 102 on I40.

We waited in a line to register, set up but did not unhook and took a shuttle to the casino to have dinner.  First we all got player’s cards and $2 off coupons for the buffet which was next.  We all got free play on our cards so we hit the casino next.  We are the only real gamblers so the others caught a shuttle back and we stayed longer.  Terry ended up winning enough to cover my losses and pay for dinner.  We set our clocks ahead an hour today so it was hard to get to sleep.

Apr 12^th – Fri – to Alamogordo

We caught the shuttle at 8 to have breakfast at the casino.  First we had to get replacement players’ cards to get coupons for specials so we didn’t get back until almost 9.  Then Bill & Lonnie had to get fuel so it was after 9:30 by the time we hit the road.

We continued on I40 to Hwy 6 which makes an angle to I25 south.  The first half of Hwy 6 was really bumpy but luckily it smoothed out for last 16 miles.  We all got fuel at Carrizozo and pulled into Boot Hill RV park just north of Alamogordo about 2.

After we set up, the guys tried to fix our CB which quit working this morning and I thawed chicken thighs and got them in the crock pot for dinner.  Then we all went in our truck to White Sands National Monument.  We watched a short film in the visitor center and then drove into the sand dunes.  Lonnie, Cindy, Georgia & I took off our shoes & socks and climbed a dune just because we could.  We stopped on the way back to check out a metal cactus for Georgia and got a couple of plugs to fix the CB.

Georgia added a salad for dinner, Cindy brought fruit and cake and I made noodle from a package so we had a good dinner without anyone working too hard.  We made reservations for an RV park for tomorrow and everyone left by 8 as we are going to get an early start tomorrow.

Apr 6th to 9th - Laughlin to Lake Havasu City

Apr 6^th – Sat

I read in an email that Duane & Sue were leaving Mesa and hadn’t decided if they were going to Laughlin or Las Vegas.  I called to tell them that we were in Laughlin so they decided to come here.  I took a roast out to thaw for a bit and we headed out to get breakfast somewhere.  We had a coupon for a 2-for-1 buffet but Terry didn’t notice that it wasn’t good on Friday & Saturday so we ended up walking a bit to another casino.  We came back to get the roast in the crock pot and I did 3 loads of laundry.  There are only 3 washers & dryers here in the park so I had to do them in shifts as other people had the same idea.  Luckily it wasn’t far away so I made a few trips back & forth and Terry came to help hang & fold.

Duane & Sue were still not here so I called and found that they had a tire blowout on their 5^th wheel and were waiting for someone to come change it.  I decided I needed a few grocery items and we discovered that the closest store is the Safeway in Bullhead City which is 5 ½ miles away.  I finished mixing up a potato salad when we got back and called Sue again.  They were still waiting as their first call did not get logged correctly and no one was sent out!

Sue finally called close to 7 and Terry went to pick them up from the dry camping area at the Riverside Casino across the street.  We relaxed with a drink, had dinner and all went to gamble a bit at the Riverside.

Apr 7^th – Sun

We picked up Duane & Sue to look for tire shops this morning.  Of course not much was open on Sunday and after a couple of stops Duane decided he would have to wait until tomorrow.

We went to the Avi Casino and drove through the RV park looking for Don & Deb who had been staying there but who actually left today.

We had lunch at the Avi and tried to change our luck at the slots – no good!  Bob from Val Vista showed up while we were gambling and went to get Gail to say hi to everyone.  When we got back, Duane pulled out some lawn chairs and we sat on a lawn in the shade of their rig to have a drink and watch traffic on the river and boat launch.

We brought the truck back to our site, relaxed for half an hour and went to meet Duane & Sue to walk along the river.  Sue called to say they would be a bit late as a security guard showed up and said they had to move to the other side of the casino with the rest of the RVs.

We walked a long way along the river and through casinos and stopped to gamble at some.  We ended up at the Golden Nugget for dinner and to lose as much as we could handle for one day!

It was a long walk back but the weather was perfect and we went directly along the sidewalk instead of winding through casinos.

Apr 8^th – Mon

There was a terrific wind this morning and I thought we would end up with willow leaves on our slides as you could hear them hitting the rig.  We left about 9 for the 67 mile drive to Lake Havasu City and it continued to be windy.  We heard later that semis had to pull off of the I40 just north of Casa Grande.

We called our friends Charlie & Julie and they had to run some errands so we went to get lunch.  They called back to say they were home just as we finished eating so we headed to their house.  Charlie & Julie are from South Dakota and we met them in Yuma in Dec 09/Jan 10.

C&J’s friends Rick & Karen have their motor home parked beside the house which C&J bought 2 years ago & sold their 5^th wheel.  We sat & chatted for several hours and then Julie & Karen made dinner and I contributed dessert.

Charlie wanted to watch a basketball game so the guys took over the living room and the ladies watched DWTS in the master bedroom.  We only got to see the first hour though as Charlie had a favorite program set up to record at 8.  We headed home about 8:30.

Apr 9^th – Tues

We caught a small ferry at 9 to go across Lake Havasu to a casino in California.  It was still windy but the ferry was very stable.  We had breakfast first and then gambled – and lost! but we have new cards for our collection!!  We caught the ferry back and weren’t sure how they could afford to keep it running with so few people at $2 roundtrip. 

I made a couple of appies for later and then we went shopping.  We are looking for shoes for both of us but there aren’t many stores to choose from here.  We had time to relax a bit before going back to Charlie & Julie’s.  We followed them to their friends’ house for the group’s weekly get-together.  The hosts were Denny & Charlene (Charlie).  Also there were Jim & Jeanette, Sue & Bruce and Bill & Nancy.  (note to Julie – send an mail if I have the names or couples wrong!)  Some of the couples are from the same town in SD and they all have places in Lake Havasu City.  We had a great time with the guys around one table and the ladies around another.  It was quite warm when we got there but most people put jackets on later.

Goodbye hugs all around and we headed home.

I am late posting my blog as we could not get internet service in the RV park.  We are now (10^th) in Williams AZ.

Apr 3rd to 5th - Las Vegas to Laughlin

Apr 3^rd – Wed

Ron & Terri pulled out early this morning and we didn’t even hear them leave.  I had a nice chat with sister Marg before we returned to Main St Station for the buffet breakfast and then tried in vain to recreate the winnings of yesterday.  Terry left me there to go back to the Pai Gow table at Binions and I gambled a bit more before coming back to the rig to catch up on the blog & emails.  No wind today and it is warm enough to turn on the AC.

I went back and found Terry at the same place at the Pai Gow table.  He had lost very little.  I cruised around for a while and eventually lost all the money that I was prepared to lose so I pulled Terry away from his game (now ahead $) and we had dinner.  We spent the rest of the evening wandering along Freemont Street and checking out weird people & casinos – luckily without losing too much more!  The weather was lovely and we were comfortable with shorts and no jackets. 

When we got back around 10, we had a note on our door from Gord & Joyce who were in our park in Mesa.  They are on their way back to Calgary and we told them about this park.  Their rig was dark so we didn’t knock!

Apr 4^th – Thurs

Terry got up early and I followed about an hour later and made some muffins.  I had just got in the shower when Terry came back with Gord & Joyce.  We had a nice short visit before they had to get going.  They arrived late yesterday as they had a problem with their motor home not starting a couple of times.  It started right up when they left here.

We went back to Main St Station and hit our “favorite” slot machines which are not our favorites any longer!  Sometime around 1:00 we had lunch – the best chicken tenders/strips that I have ever eaten – in the same restaurant that we went to with Ron & Terri.  Then it was back to the slots where I recouped my losses from this morning before giving a bit back.  I got bored and came back to the rig just after 5.

I worked on the blog, emails and photos and generally had a nice, relaxing time.  I made something for myself to eat and finally called Terry to see how he was doing.  He was doing OK and ended up coming back about 11 by which time I was in bed reading.

Apr 5^th – Fri – to Laughlin

We took our time leaving this morning so we wouldn’t have to deal with rush hour traffic.  We got a spot at the Riverside RV park & set up.  We stopped for a burger on the way to WalMart as we needed a water hose and a couple of sewer hoses as we have leaks – yuk!!  We also had to get DEF (diesel exhaust fluid), a couple of other small items and fill up with diesel.

After we returned, we walked across the street to the Riverside casino.  We also checked out the Aquarius before coming back for drinks & dinner at home for a change.

Mar 31st to Apr 2nd - to Las Vegas

Mar 31^st – Sun

We pulled out of the park at 6:50, stopped for fuel in Kingman and pulled into Main St Station RV park around noon.  We thought Ron & Terri were ahead of us as we didn’t pass them on the road but they took a slightly different route and came in shortly after we registered.

I didn’t take us long to set up and we all headed to Freemont Street where we had lunch at the outside seating at Denny’s.  We wandered around gambling and then met for dinner at Tony Roma’s.  We watched a light & sound show on the canopy over Freemont Street but the wind was too cool to enjoy being outside for long as we were all wearing shorts & short sleeves.  Terry & I gambled some more before walking back to the rig.  I did not have any luck at all!!

Apr 1^st – Mon

We all went in our truck to “the strip” to buy tickets for a show.  We didn’t decide earlier which show so we didn’t get tickets ahead of time and found some shows sold out and others “dark” on Monday and/or Tuesday.  Luckily Terri had her tablet so she could check shows out as we drove.  We found a parking garage with enough clearance for the truck (after going into and back out of one that was 6 ft. 8 in. in height!) and walked to the Aria where we bought tickets for Zarkana which is a Cirque du Soleil show.  We gambled a bit but found the slots not too friendly.

We returned to the RV park and walked to Main St Station where we had a very good late lunch.  Ron & Terri returned to their coach for work & relaxation while Terry & I gambled a bit more – Terry holding his own & me winning a bit.

We changed clothes and all headed back to the strip for the 7:00 o’clock show.  We gave ourselves lots of time as the traffic can be wicked.  The theater is gorgeous with tiered seating.  We had excellent seats in the center about halfway up where the seats were like couches rather than individual chairs like seats further back.  Zarkana is a “story” about a ringmaster (Zark) bringing a decrepit circus back to life.  Acrobatics and staging are incredible with gigantic screens adding depth & scale to the set.  Some mischievous cast members roamed the audience before the show began.  We all enjoyed it very much – and had plenty of time to enjoy people watching on the slow drive down the strip back to the park.  We had a bowl of ice cream for dinner.

Apr 2^nd – Tues

Ron & Terri had eaten breakfast early and had some work & chores to do so Terry & I went to Main St Station for the breakfast buffet – reasonable $ and decent food.  Then we gambled – of course – and both of us won for a change.  I was very excited to win a $366 random progressive jackpot which will cover losses and let me enjoy more gambling!

Ron had to turn his motor home around so he would not have to get people to move vehicles early in the morning when he leaves.  Longer RVs are parked in angled pull-throughs with service pedestals between 2 rigs facing in opposite directions.  Ron had to pull out to the left and had a tow car parked behind a tow dolly right beside him and a truck parked in front of a smaller 5^th wheel in front & slightly to the left so he couldn’t get out.  The owner of the truck was here earlier so Ron asked if he would move his truck – which he did willingly as someone else sideswiped him on Sunday.  Then Ron circled around the roads in the park and parked backwards in his spot with just the electric hookup running under his MH.

Ron & Terri found us at Binions on Freemont where Terry was playing Pai Gow poker and I was determined to go through all my winnings!!  I joined Terry at Pai Gow where I actually made money before we went to dinner with Ron & Terri again at Tony Roma’s.

Shortly after dinner we hugged goodbye – Terri & I shed a few tears! – and Ron & Terri headed back to their rig after watching a light show.  Terry & I caught part of the show an hour later and headed home – via a couple more casinos!