Day 4 Are We STILL in Kansas???????????

View from the High Plains Campground

 

   No grass as you can see, but it's just as well since they told us the grass had sticker weeds. No grass--no problem. It was plenty spacious however.

Bentley was pretty excited when he saw a cute little black and white kitty stroll by and several doggies.

 

Good grief, what a wide state Kansas is. It just went on and on and on. I must say the people in Kansas are either very lonely or very friendly. Probably both. When we checked in to this RV park yesterday the lady was extremely talkative and friendly. She talked and talked and talked and talked. It seemed like an eternity before she gave us our site. You'd think we were staying a month or moving in permanently.

There was a nice Steakhouse restaurant next door. We had dinner there last night --the waitress talked and talked and talked. She was a great talker and a very bad waitress--seemed to confused most of the time.
This morning we went back to the restaurant for breakfast and there was the same awful waitress, It seemed impossible, but she was even worse at serving breakfast. While we were waiting for our meal this elderly gentleman came over to our table and started talking about the big boys crowing out the little boys and he needed our help for the local farmers that needed water. We explained that we were just passing through town. He took out his hand drawn map and preceded to show and tell us about the big oil companies coming in and setting up drain fields. He went on and on even though we told him we did not live there. He proceded to tell us he was born and raised right down the road in Grainville--yada, yada, yada. We told him we were from Tennessee and he said there was a new couple in town from Tennessee and she worked at the hospital. He looked at us like we were supposed to say "Oh yea--we know her". He kept talking about her as if the more he talked the more likely we were to know her. Anyway---finally the bad waitress brought out meal and our friend moved on.
Now getting the bill from the waitress was a whole saga of it's own.

After millions of miles of looking at nothing and more nothing in Kansas and Colorado we actually saw the Rocky Mountains looming ahead. Imagine our excitement. We thought this moment would never come. We had actually had begun to see mirages of mountains in the distance. But alas no mountains, only clouds. They were the only clouds we had seen for 3 days--thank goodness at least something besides dry fields of sorghum, wind turbines and Chatty Cathies.

We took the long and winding road up Highway 36 to Estes Park  YEAAAA!!! It was like Lucy and Desi in the movie "The Long, Long Trailer" as we chugged up the mountain. It was so beautiful as we saw Estes Park in the distance. Cool weather, nice breeze. This is what it's all about.

Day 3 The Longest Road I've Ever Seen

We left Oak Grove headed to Oakley, Kansas. I must say this was the longest day and the longest road I've ever seen. We traveled across almost the whole state of Kansas. It is flat, boring, hot and never ending and we are STILL not out of it.

We stopped at a rest stop for lunch. The trip has reminded us of the movie National Lampoon's Vacation. As a matter of fact the route we are traveling in many ways is the same. We drove thru St Louis, Mo veered to the RT and we looked a little glazed as this is where Clark and his family got lost and the "truckster" was stripped of it's hubcaps and was spray painted. Well we lucked out there. No problems getting thru St Louis. Also when we stopped for lunch the dog did not pee on the picnic basket.

We had low fat baloney sandwiches and I asked David if he wanted lettuce. He said "Real lettuce, Eddie" and I responded, "Nothing but the best". We had a good laugh anyway. For those not familiar with the line on NLV Eddie is making hamburgers with Hamburger Helper (no meat) and Clark says, "real tomato ketchup,  Eddie?" . Eddie responds "nothing but the best Clark".

Anyway, this is our National Lampoon Vacation it seems.

Kansas, Kansas and more Kansas---prairie after prairie as far as the eye can see.

Wind turbines after wind turbine.

We have finally stopped for the night in Oakley, Kansas. About another 75 miles to go in Kansas tomorrow.

Day 2 From Paducah to Oak Grove, MO

Off we go to Oak Grove. We waved as we drove past Hancocks. The MH almost left the road as we have never driven by without stopping.

Then there was yet another stop at Wal-mart. There's something to be said about more Wal-mart stops than gasoline stops.

The boys are happy and have settled in very nicely as you can see.

The ride to Oak Grove, MO was long, but uneventful.

 

On to Oakley Kansas.

 

Finally on the Road Day 1

We thought this day would never come. We have been planning for months. You'd think we could have done a better job since we had so long to get out act together. About a 100 miles or so down the road we realized we'd forgotten the coffee maker--off to Wal-Mart we go. Then David realized he'd forgotten to pack his socks, his Crestor,--- off to Wal-mart. Then we realized we'd forgotten the delicious pulled port David had smoked on the smoker. No Wal-mart can help us on that one. Booo-HOOO I am now craving that pulled pork.

We keep fleece covers on the furniture when the kitties are with us. That we we can just pull them off and wash them if we need to. The kitties love it because everything is so soft and cozy.Well, the kitty boys have all settled in as you can see. Finnegan loves the chair.

Bentley has claimed the sofa.

And Nicky likes to ride under the chair, but is looking out the back window now.

We stayed the first night at Duck Creek in Paducah. Very small campground, but it did the trick. Nice and quiet.

This year, I made a new quilt for the motor home bed. The fabric was at Lavender Lime years ago, I just never got around to making the quilt. The fabric is cute with motor homes, hamburgers and hot dogs.

This is the border. Cute HUH???

Our first stop was in Paducah,KY---and no I didn't actually go to Hancock's--not even to look. I spend the first night trying to get this Blogger site to upload my pictures. I was so frustrated I was ready to toss my laptop out the window. I thought it was me until I saw others were having the same issues. I finally did a work around and got them to post (as you can tell), but very, very time
comsuming and aggravating. I'll try to post more later. Onward to Oak Grove, MO

Getting Ready

We are getting ready for our big trip. The day before we left we were going to take Finnegan to the groomer for a little hygiene cut just to make sure there were no accidents while we were on the road. We quietly took out the kitties carrier---turned around to pick up Finnegan to put him in and BENTLEY was already in and waiting. He knew we were getting ready to go somewhere and he didn't care where---as long as he was going. What a cat.

 

 As we packed the motor home Bentley ran door to door and window to window. He meant we were NOT leaving without him. Here he is in the foyer guarding the door.

 

Since we were going to be staying in some of the campgrounds for several days we ordered the kitties a little playpen so that they could sit outside with us. I set it up in the living room to check it out. Guess who was the first to approve?

I then took it out on the deck and put all 3 kitties in and they had a good time watching the birdies. Hopefully it will work as well in the campgrounds.