Monday July 10th we did our weekly trip to Flagstaff for groceries and an environment with trees and cooler air. I also was doing some work at the library looking at fire maps in preparation for our trip home the following week. All of a sudden, John wasn't feeling too good. Dizzy, light headed. Taos all over again. His blood pressure had shot up. We don't know how much, because his monitor was not functioning properly. Anyone with blood pressure that high would be dead, but we did know there was no waiting another week. We got back and I went into action. Got everything packed up, stowed, uniforms washed, radio gear together to return and early Tuesday morning up the road we went to the Crater. We both felt bad leaving even a week earlier than we had planned, but there was no getting around it. We had to go. Amidst hugs and goodbyes we turned in our stuff and headed out.
Hwy 40 from Flagstaff to Albuquerque is the busiest interstate highway in the country. The scenery in the area between Flagstaff and Holbrook is stark desert. Amazing in that there simply isn't anything there. The grasses and cactus only grow maybe 12" tall and they are widely dispersed with red toned Moenkopi sandstone being the main feature. Heading East from Holbrook the landscape becomes hills and canyons and the area at the state line is beautiful. We made it as far as Tucumcari, N.M. where we stayed at the worst Passport America park we've ever seen. I was actually afraid to get out of the camper! $17 dollars for the night with full hook up. We wasted no time Wednesday morning getting the heck out of there. Tucumcari itself was a very sorry site. So much of it abandoned and in bad shape. Wednesday had John feeling a bit better. In fact, the lower we got in elevation, the better he felt. We took Hwy 54 out of Tucumcari up through the pan handle of Texas and Oklahoma and on into Kansas where we hopped on 283 outside Dodge City (I didn't know that was in Kansas!) and found a campground in WaKeeney at the intersection of interstate 70. We'd never stayed at a KOA campground before. EEEEE GADS, expensive! OK, we spent the money, we're using the pool, and oh my, the bathroom is soooo pretty and clean. The pool was wonderful. A bit of a walk. Seems they looked at our 5th wheel and decided we needed to be parked away from the expensive Motor Homes in our own little Travel Trailer/5th Wheel less than new district. Ah well, I don't buy into that attitude at all. Love my 5th wheel, and wouldn't have a motor home - no offense to all of you who do. I'm just simply happy with what I have. It's all I need.
Thursday took us on up 283. I was driving and we were watching some incredible storms off to the north. WOW! Only, wait a minute, the road is curving! No. ... Yep, well, let's see if we can beat it crossing the freeway. Wow, look at the lightning, and, hey, there's a little white tornado in there - see it, ground to clouds! This is going to be fun. John, "Deb, do you want to pull over and let it go through?", Deb, " No, It'll take too long, besides, it doesn't look that bad." So on we went. The wind was something, and we got through just as the front was crossing the hwy. YEeeee Haaaa! Big smiles. That was exhilarating! Just past the storm we came to Klines Corners, Kansas and pulled off for a potty stop :) and lunch. Our main destination for Thursday was Cabela's in Kearney, Nebraska which we made around 2pm. John needed clothes and we had a mess of Cabela's points to use up. That was a fun stop. John got everything he needed, 3 pr shorts, 2 pr pants & a belt and I got a pair of walking shoes and some really nice sunglasses! Onward. We found a nice little park on a knoll outside of Lincoln surrounded by corn fields and GREEN! The birds were singing and it was simply relaxing and wonderful!
Friday was a long drive, and though we could have made Colfax, WI and our friends house, we were just too exhausted and ended up staying east of Rochester at...... yup, another KOA. Friday night, all the state parks were full and traffic was heavy. Better to pay the price than get into an accident driving while exhausted. We made it to Colfax mid morning to hugs and smiles. Welcome back!
Although we had planned to stay at our friends place, we needed 30 amp as the air conditioner was needed, so Sunday the 14th we came up to Chetek to a little park we had found out on the web, and it turns out it's just what we were looking for. Not too far away from family, close to a little lake, and boats and bikes are provided by the campground owners who, by the way, are very nice. The campground is clean and small and quiet and out in the country. And our neighbors are fantastic. We have so much in common.
The next 3 weeks had us crazy busy taking care of family stuff (which we knew was waiting for us). Wonderful time with family and friends, and lots of work, but we're all here to help each other, and all is well. I spent 4 days with my daughter helping her and her boyfriend get moved into their new apt., John spent 4 days in Green Bay helping get his mom's house painted and ready to go on the market. We had a wonderful day at the "Ren. in the Glen" Renaissance fair in Glenwood City seeing all our old friends - so heartwarming. Then a day at Patrick's outside Eau Claire removing the fingerboard from my bowed dulcimer and preparing it for a new one and 4 strings! Will take a trip to St. Paul now to finish that project. Time with mom. Deciding to get another rig which would be permanent here in Wisconsin (our summer home) and the Rig shopping and finding that followed, then sorting our belongings between two rigs and list making of what goes where and another list of what we still needed. Moving day (actually, that was anti-climactic as I had everything ready to go, just exhausting) and a few days of heavy duty arranging. One afternoon of fishing - they were all too small, but it was wonderful being out in the boat. We took the campground Mystery Tour last Saturday. Stopped at a haunted cemetery, Wood Carving Museum in Shell Lake, Go Carts in Spooner where we also had lunch and shopping time, and got to meet our fellow campground campers. Fun Day! There was more going on, cause I seem to be missing a week. Oh, well, all's well that ends well, and we're HAPPY! The new rig is a 31' Travel Trailer - we don't have to haul it, so this is the way to go permanent. It's bright and airy and so very comfortable. Anyone for a campfire?
Hwy 40 from Flagstaff to Albuquerque is the busiest interstate highway in the country. The scenery in the area between Flagstaff and Holbrook is stark desert. Amazing in that there simply isn't anything there. The grasses and cactus only grow maybe 12" tall and they are widely dispersed with red toned Moenkopi sandstone being the main feature. Heading East from Holbrook the landscape becomes hills and canyons and the area at the state line is beautiful. We made it as far as Tucumcari, N.M. where we stayed at the worst Passport America park we've ever seen. I was actually afraid to get out of the camper! $17 dollars for the night with full hook up. We wasted no time Wednesday morning getting the heck out of there. Tucumcari itself was a very sorry site. So much of it abandoned and in bad shape. Wednesday had John feeling a bit better. In fact, the lower we got in elevation, the better he felt. We took Hwy 54 out of Tucumcari up through the pan handle of Texas and Oklahoma and on into Kansas where we hopped on 283 outside Dodge City (I didn't know that was in Kansas!) and found a campground in WaKeeney at the intersection of interstate 70. We'd never stayed at a KOA campground before. EEEEE GADS, expensive! OK, we spent the money, we're using the pool, and oh my, the bathroom is soooo pretty and clean. The pool was wonderful. A bit of a walk. Seems they looked at our 5th wheel and decided we needed to be parked away from the expensive Motor Homes in our own little Travel Trailer/5th Wheel less than new district. Ah well, I don't buy into that attitude at all. Love my 5th wheel, and wouldn't have a motor home - no offense to all of you who do. I'm just simply happy with what I have. It's all I need.
Thursday took us on up 283. I was driving and we were watching some incredible storms off to the north. WOW! Only, wait a minute, the road is curving! No. ... Yep, well, let's see if we can beat it crossing the freeway. Wow, look at the lightning, and, hey, there's a little white tornado in there - see it, ground to clouds! This is going to be fun. John, "Deb, do you want to pull over and let it go through?", Deb, " No, It'll take too long, besides, it doesn't look that bad." So on we went. The wind was something, and we got through just as the front was crossing the hwy. YEeeee Haaaa! Big smiles. That was exhilarating! Just past the storm we came to Klines Corners, Kansas and pulled off for a potty stop :) and lunch. Our main destination for Thursday was Cabela's in Kearney, Nebraska which we made around 2pm. John needed clothes and we had a mess of Cabela's points to use up. That was a fun stop. John got everything he needed, 3 pr shorts, 2 pr pants & a belt and I got a pair of walking shoes and some really nice sunglasses! Onward. We found a nice little park on a knoll outside of Lincoln surrounded by corn fields and GREEN! The birds were singing and it was simply relaxing and wonderful!
Friday was a long drive, and though we could have made Colfax, WI and our friends house, we were just too exhausted and ended up staying east of Rochester at...... yup, another KOA. Friday night, all the state parks were full and traffic was heavy. Better to pay the price than get into an accident driving while exhausted. We made it to Colfax mid morning to hugs and smiles. Welcome back!
Although we had planned to stay at our friends place, we needed 30 amp as the air conditioner was needed, so Sunday the 14th we came up to Chetek to a little park we had found out on the web, and it turns out it's just what we were looking for. Not too far away from family, close to a little lake, and boats and bikes are provided by the campground owners who, by the way, are very nice. The campground is clean and small and quiet and out in the country. And our neighbors are fantastic. We have so much in common.
The next 3 weeks had us crazy busy taking care of family stuff (which we knew was waiting for us). Wonderful time with family and friends, and lots of work, but we're all here to help each other, and all is well. I spent 4 days with my daughter helping her and her boyfriend get moved into their new apt., John spent 4 days in Green Bay helping get his mom's house painted and ready to go on the market. We had a wonderful day at the "Ren. in the Glen" Renaissance fair in Glenwood City seeing all our old friends - so heartwarming. Then a day at Patrick's outside Eau Claire removing the fingerboard from my bowed dulcimer and preparing it for a new one and 4 strings! Will take a trip to St. Paul now to finish that project. Time with mom. Deciding to get another rig which would be permanent here in Wisconsin (our summer home) and the Rig shopping and finding that followed, then sorting our belongings between two rigs and list making of what goes where and another list of what we still needed. Moving day (actually, that was anti-climactic as I had everything ready to go, just exhausting) and a few days of heavy duty arranging. One afternoon of fishing - they were all too small, but it was wonderful being out in the boat. We took the campground Mystery Tour last Saturday. Stopped at a haunted cemetery, Wood Carving Museum in Shell Lake, Go Carts in Spooner where we also had lunch and shopping time, and got to meet our fellow campground campers. Fun Day! There was more going on, cause I seem to be missing a week. Oh, well, all's well that ends well, and we're HAPPY! The new rig is a 31' Travel Trailer - we don't have to haul it, so this is the way to go permanent. It's bright and airy and so very comfortable. Anyone for a campfire?
Debbie, I enjoyed your accounts of the past few months. So glad you've made the arrangements between two rigs and look forward to seeing you in mid-January!
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