01/05/99
We've gone out and purchased a membership to Lake Paradise Camp Resort in Oak Grove,
Missouri. We're also joining RPI so that we can take advantage of the national array
of campgrounds available. With this and the Coast to Coast membership we should be
fixed up properly with camping arrangements.
01/09/99
KC Coachmen had their meeting at the Sound.net offices. There was lots of effort to
do some crafts for sale at upcoming events. A club meeting was held, and there was
preparation for the RV Show coming up. We cooked shrimp and crab legs and everyone
enjoyed the food. Desert was enjoyed at Greaser's. We're ready to help with
the RV Show at Bartle Hall coming up February 3-7, 1999.
02/03-02/07/99
Bartle Hall - RV Show Participation. Coachmen 191 will participate in the annual RV
show in Kansas City. Each day at the show the club was represented and we shook
hands and met with many a potential RVer and others that were already RVing but were
interested in new units. All of the members were at the show at one time or another.
03/08-03/17/99
We're going to miss the March Coachmen 191 campout. Leaving for London on the 8th
for a week or so over there. Going to do some heavy duty tourist stuff and have fun!
This really wasn't RVing of course, but in our defense we did make it a
point to 'check out' the RVs in England and Scotland where we visited.
They seem to call them a 'caravan' over there but the principal is the
same. Camp out and have a good time! Since the London trip was enough to cover a page in itself I've decided to do just
that and let you choose this link for "London".
03/12-03/14/99
We missed the Coachmen 191 club campout at Crowder State Park in Trenton, Missouri while
we were in London. Upon returning we learned that pretty much everyone was sick and
that the outing had been moved to a member's home due to weather and illness. Sounds
a lot like 'sick call' to me. <grin>
04/03-04/13/99
Headed for Disney World in Orlando w/daughter Staci, son-in-law Joe, granddaughters Amanda
and Madison. Enough for a whole page so here's the link to this particular
adventure! (Florida)
04/09-04/11/99
We missed the Coachmen 191 campout at Pony Express in Osborn, MO since we were still in
Florida. I'm sure a good time was had by all.
04/16-04/18/99
Fairground Park in Higginsville, Mo was the site for the MO State Coachmen Rally planning
session we attended. The weather was wet and the ground had good drainage was about
all we could say. There was a Rotary auction in the public building right next to
where we parked in the area. A bad spot for me... had to go in and see what was
there. Bought a Brinkman smoker. Bid on a couple of other things.
As a bit of humor... my 8 year old granddaughter hadn't had auctions explained to her
and when the auctioneer held up a little silver vase for a single flower, she wanted it.
She started waving her arms in the air that she'd take it, not realizing it was
being bid on. There apparently was no interest and the auctioneer said to let the
little girl waving her arms have it. I had turned my head to talk to another
individual and when I turned back this was taking place and she's running up to get her
treasure. I realized what had happened and held up my number so that they could put
the item on it. The auctioneer apparently was going to just put the $1 on his bill
and forget it. That was nice of him. It's a good thing it wasn't a new car or
something else big. <grin>
We had dinner at Willis and Jeanne's place in town and they had all the shrimp you can
eat on Saturday nights. What a nice bit of timing since that's one of my favorites.
We went back to the community building and everyone sang, played cards and visited.
We had to leave early Sunday to get back to KC.
04/24-04/25/99
Montrose, Missouri has a man-made lake from a hydroelectric project. The lake isn't
much over 25' deep at any one point but it is a nice size for small boats and fishing.
There are no camping hookups provided and everything being primitive it is pretty
much a 'land where you want' deal. The group parked on a hill (good drainage)
overlooking the lake and the boat landing. My site was level and this was one of the
times that a fully equipped RV is nice. There are several of the group that go down
every year for two weeks and fish. Then Saturday night is the fish fry. The
catfish was excellent along with fries, onion rings, beans, macaroni & cheese, slaw,
etc. Bread pudding for desert, among other things. Woke up Sunday to a pouring
rain that wasn't letting up. Another reason to enjoy the motorhome being
self-contained. Raise the stabilizers and have at it.
05/08/99
It would seem that camping this weekend wasn't to be. My lovely children decided
that for my 50th birthday they would invite some 60 people to a 'surprise' party. I
had kind of figured that they'd all get together and do something but I had not counted on
such a big party. One of my old schoolmates actually was up from when she now lives
in Conway, AR. Several other school mates and business associates were there along
with family and friends. It was quite a bash. And they're sending me to see
Elton John when he comes to town on the 4th of June. Very expensive tickets compared
to when I was a youngster! I kept telling my wife that we could go camping after I
had lunch with my daughter Nikki but she just wouldn't let me go. <grin>
05/13-05/16/99
Taking friend Daryl and his wife Connie we went to Pershing State Park just southeast of
Laclede, MO for a campout. We got in late Thursday (just before dark) and set up in
an open space so the satellite would have access. There were also a lot of tree
covered spots available. Several of the Pak-N-Go group were already there.
Friday we went sight-seeing and saw the Locust Creek Covered Bridge just east of Meadville
(almost to Laclede). It is one of four covered bridges still in existence in the
state of Missouri. There were as many as 30 from 1820 to the end of the century.
Next stop was the boyhood home of General John J.
Pershing in Laclede. We toured the home, and a school that he taught at next
door, and the Wall of Honor. The Wall of Honor is a memorial to war veterans and
lists them on granite tablets. We then went to Marceline, MO and the wives 'toured'
three local antique shops. Anything for a thrill I guess. Then the next stop
was Shoemaker's RV sales and campground in Bevier, MO. Coachmen 121 were scheduled
to be there for the weekend. Only two units were there when we got there but more
were on the way. We decided to come back Saturday night and have dinner with them.
Saturday I had to return home to attend a piano recital for my granddaughter Amanda.
She agreed to come back to the campground with me after the recital. She did
well with her part of the recital. When we got back we picked up Daryl and the wives
and went on to Bevier. The Pear Tree
restaurant was no less than fantastic. Located in an old skinny building in Bevier,
MO (I'd never even heard of it) the restaurant sure looks different on the inside than it
does on the outside. The service was great and the food was magnificent! There
were about 30 of us that ate dinner.
On Sunday we 'hiked' the boardwalk in Pershing Park. It is a mile and a half long
nature walk along a boardwalk through the swamp area of the park. The walk was
educational and beautiful. The water was high and quite intimidating. After
the walk it was time to go home.
05/28-05/31/99
Memorial Day weekend seemed like a good time to get away. Carol had been in Branson
from Monday on, and I went to meet her and stay the rest of the weekend at Treasure Lakes,
making use of our membership there. Funny weekend, in that there was much less
traffic, congestion, visitors, etc. than one would expect on a Memorial Day weekend.
I drove to Branson via US 71 Highway to I-44, then M-39, US60, M-265, M-13 and then
M-76 on into Branson. M-13 and M-76 are about as narrow as you can get short of a
one-laner. Nothing like a wide-body motorhome to make it exciting. I did the
return trip that way also. The scenery is beautiful. I had an excellent choice
of sites at Treasure Lakes since the numbers were down for Memorial Day visitors.
An inexpensive breakfast was offered by the volunteers at Treasure Lakes so we ate
there both Saturday and Sunday morning. There is also a Frisbee golf course,
miniature golf, an indoor pool, and an outdoor pool. Entertainment was provided by
'The Chosen Ones', a gospel group that was touring and had come to Treasure Lakes.
Carol had been going to shows there all week and I'm not that excited about shows so we
did some shopping and visiting. Met some really nice folks at the campground.
The neatest place we found to eat was right there next to Treasure Lakes in McFarlain's. A 'home cooking'
kind of place it was great! It is located inside the Imax Theater complex. Even the Golden Corral was priced high. Nothing
like taking advantage of the tourist trade I'd say.
Saturday we drove over to Shell Knob and had lunch
at Carole's. We also went to the Big M
campground to see some friends. The Big M is a US
Corps of Engineer's campground. A commercial listing of such US Corps of
Engineers campgrounds is available from Howrey
Publishing. Carol's brother and sister-in-law spent the night with us Saturday
night and we had a nice time. They also have a membership at Treasure Lakes and live
just north of Springfield in Fair Grove, so the drive down for dinner was no problem.
Sunday Carol wanted to shop after her brother left. The outlet malls were a joke at
best. Prices were sky high. Not the place to shop. One employee at a
store actually told me they were the only shop like it in town so they set their prices
where they wanted to. We spent a minimum of money and that was at a place away from
such 'malls'. Tanger Outlet Mall was one
of the malls. Apparently they are a 'chain' of outlet malls. Not my place to
shop. Branson malls are listed here here. The Victorian Mall had
a nice jewelry store and Carol got a pair of earrings that matched a necklace I had gotten
her in Mesa Verde last year. There was a really neat circus store if one could
afford it. And a nice lamp store, again, if one could afford it.
Monday we did a brief bit of shopping and drove home uneventfully. Noted that
traffic was light and there were a minimal amount of other RVs on the road and
motorcycles, something that we always watch for carefully since I ride one.
06/04/99
Not RVing but fun anyway... wife and I went to see Elton John in his solo performance at
Kemper arena here in Kansas City. A good time was had and the music was enjoyable as
ever.
06/05-06/06/99
A brief trip to Lake Paradise with two of our granddaughters and a friend/employee and his
family. They brought their camper and were our guests at Lake Paradise. The
kids swam in the pool area and we did some bicycle riding around the facility. The
girls cooked dinner over the campfire and after dinner we roasted marshmallows and visited
'til 11. Time for bed and a wake up to a nice rainstorm. So much for camping
fun. <grin>
06/18-06/20/99
We attended the Coachmen Missouri State Rally at Higginsville, MO. In an odd turn of
events there were actually more Iowa Coachmen than there were Missouri Coachmen at the
rally. It would appear that there are actually more active members of Iowa chapters
and they always make an excellent showing at the Missouri rally. The folks from
Missouri also go to the Iowa rally and the Illinois rally to give our support. On
Friday night a quick dinner was held as folks were still coming into the rally and a
formal dinner would have been a bit much. Friday night entertainment was a folk
singing group from Cameron, MO, held around the campfire. Root beer or coke floats
were available after the signing. Saturday was spent with a full round of games for
adults and kids alike. Horseshoes, washer toss, bocce ball, etc. were all available.
Saturday night was BBQ for all and dessert of ice cream and cake.
Entertainment was provided by Jessica (11 year old country singer) and Alonzo (Jessica's
father and humorist) with a band for support. A singing and dancing good time was
had by all. There was also some local baseball activity available right next door
with the Higginsville team playing.
06/20-06/26/99
Carol and I left the Coachmen State Rally and headed home to reload. We dropped off
some things and picked up others. Then went to Olathe, KS and picked up Carol's mom
and dad... headed for Colorado. The plan was to meet up with our oldest daughter and
her family for a week in Colorado. Stayed the first night in Ellis, KS at the city
campground. As expected the stay was quiet and the town of Ellis is still a good
place to visit. Stayed the second night at a Coast to Coast site - Colorado Heights
(exit 161), just north of the Air Force Academy. Lots of trees... you had to be a
real good driver to get through them to the site and then some of the oddest parking sites
I've seen. We pulled in head first to get the hookup on the correct side. We
were right next to the toilets/showers/amphitheatre. Paid for two nights... stayed
one. We went on to Colorado Springs the third day and had lunch, then heading on to
the Royal Gorge. Stayed at the Yogi Bear Jellystone Park RV park just west of the
Royal Gorge. The folks there were wonderful as usual and we enjoyed seeing the Royal
Gorge again. Went across in the tram, down to the bottom in the inclined train.
Stayed two nights and then went on to Estes Park.
Spent two nights in the Spruce Lake RV Park off of Highway 36 and Mary's Lake Rd. I
had always wanted to stay there but my parents couldn't afford it when we were growing up.
After staying there a couple of nights I'm not sure I can afford it very much.
They were on the high end... since, I suspect, that they are right at the entrance
to Rocky Mountain National Park and have a very short season. We went up to Bear
Lake and noted that the day we were there the Alpine Hot Shots had to bring down 6
overzealous hikers, one dead. We were cautious and restrained. Saturday
morning there was a parade of 150 some odd pieces of fire apparatus in Estes Park.
We left right after the parade and headed east. We took US 34 to I-76 and up to
I-80. Then on to Minden, NE which is about 12 miles south of I-80 at exit 279.
The campground was full and we stayed in the overflow. No matter with a
motohome like ours. <grin> The stop was made primarily so that Carol's father,
Lester, could see the old cars and other artifacts in the Pioneer Village Museum.
07/08-07/11/99
Coachmen 191 campout was cancelled for this weekend so Carol and I went up to Jamesport, MO on Thursday to spend the weekend in
this Amish Community. We took Amanda and Kristina... two of our
granddaughters. We stayed in Countryside
RV Park, right in Jamesport. Coachmen 121 club came up on Friday and spent the
weekend. When we arrived we were in the midst of a Good Sam group of campers who
pretty much filled the campground. They were leaving the next morning for the
Coachmen to come into the campground. Countryside had 16 slots with full hookups.
The camp wasn't much more than someone's large back yard with eight (8)
side-by-side campsites facing eight (8) more of the same. Each had 30 amp service,
and sewer. Water was shared, with one spigot for each two sites. Have I
mentioned the need for a 'Y' connector in your extra equipment? There was a clean
shower/toilet facility. The city park was right across the street with the usual
swings, play area for the kids available. The electricity was of concern and with
all the A/C units going the voltage dropped to 104 volts. 103 and I'm
outt'a here! (The electricity was repaired by the local Power & Light
by adding another transformer. No more low voltage.) I did move the refrigerator from 'auto' to 'gas'. No need to chance burning
up the refrigerator. As the weather cooled and the A/C units came off the power went
right back up to a steady 122 volts. Can you say 'brownout'? If you don't have
a power meter, here's a fine example of a need for one! The weekend was very nice
and cooler than usual. No more power problems.
We spent Friday in downtown Jamesport, which focused on the antique stores and flea market
type sales. This was not what we wanted to see. Sales of Beanie Babies is not
my idea of a trip to an Amish community. It turned out that the Amish have their
stores out at their farm locations. There were a couple of places to eat in town,
although the Country Cupboard out on the north end of town seemed to be the 'the place' to
eat. We did so twice and the food was great both times. We did buy the
grandkids a couple of Beanie Babies, as they were quite reasonable at $3-5 apiece.
<grin>
Friday night we drove to Trenton and picked up a couple of pizzas for the girls.
They wanted something simple and we were tired and agreed. Picked up a couple of
things from the Hy-Vee in Trenton for Saturday's dinner.
Saturday I had to drive back to KC for business, and then Saturday afternoon when I
returned to Jamesport we all went on a tour of the Amish community. There is a tour
starting at 'Miss Irene's' which is a 1 1/2 hour drive through the Amish community.
The driver narrates the whole time we're moving. She was very good and there was
much to be seen and much to be learned. The cost of the tour was $6 each. Well
worth the money I might add. The tour made three stops at Amish stores and Carol
made notes for our next trip. She's ready to visit again! "Click Here" for additional information. One thing for
sure... don't come to visit on Thursday or Sunday as these are the Amish days off.
We had hit it just right being there Friday and Saturday.
Saturday night we had a pot luck dinner at the RV Park with the Coachmen group.
Hamburgers and hot dogs, with home made ice cream. Depending on your first letter of
your last name you were asked to bring salads, veggies, dessert, etc. A good time
was had by all and we visited around the campground until after 10 PM. Cooked
marshmallows and made a mess. Those things are sticky... especially on kids!
Sunday morning we got up, attended the Coachmen 121 meeting, took some pictures, and
headed for Edgerton, KS. It was Kristina's birthday party we had to get to or face
the wrath of our daughter...
August '99
Turned out to be a little different than we had initially planned. We didn't make
the Coachmen International Rally in Perry, GA nor did we make the Outfitter's Convention
in Salt Lake City, UT... due to business commitments. Missing the rally was
unfortunate, but missing the Outfitter's Convention was a blessing. I would have
probably been in the tent that the unusual tornado destroyed in Salt Lake City. What
we did do was to go on the Coachmen 191 campout at Talley Bend Park between Lowry City and
Osceola, MO. There were a half dozen of our group there and the weather was pleasant
and it wasn't crowded. We had a nice dinner Saturday night at a local BBQ and
shopped at the Osceola Cheese Factory Store. We came back to the Kansas City Area
and stayed the week from the 15th to 23rd at Lake Paradise Camping Club, where we have a
membership.
Other friends were there and the grandkids came out and stayed with 'grammy' while 'papa'
went to work in the city each day. Lots of swimming, walking, and Amanda found the
arcade. On the weekend of August 21-23 Coachmen 121 had a reunion scheduled there
for past members and of course current members. My wife Carol, and one other member
of the club, Jack Torrance, had birthdays on the 19th and I brought out a cake and a good
time was had celebrating. A big potluck dinner was held Saturday night and then a
band played 'til 10 PM or so. While we were there (all 20 or so units) the local
Jayco club (40 members there) had a campout. Both of us were on Eagle Mountain in
Lake Paradise so it was quite a get-together. A good time was had by all.
Madison (2 year old granddaughter) learned how to cook marshmallows on the open fire.
Amanda found out that not all the kids at the campground are pristine angels.
She met a couple of real butts (teens). Their little brother was OK, they
weren't. Generally the camping experience is a good one. Sometimes it
deviates.
September
On the 10th we left for our 17 day trip to Scarborough, ME and back... worth a whole
page to itself so click here to read on if your interested... Maine Trip - 1999. We had one heck of a
wonderful trip with our friends Daryl and Connie. Lots to see and not near enough
time.
10/9-10/99
Went to Columbia, MO and attended a wedding for a long-time friend's daughter. We
stayed at Cottonwoods
RV Park in Columbia. The park was excellent with full facilities. 50 AMP
plugs, flat and level, new trees so they weren't tall yet. That's good when you have
a satellite on the roof. <grin> Lots of nice folks to visit with. We
attended the wedding and a reception afterward. Went back to the RV in the fog.
Hard to see your hand in front of your face as it is said. We went straight
from there, in the morning, to the 121 fish fry. Got into the KC area about 1 PM and
missed the ball game traffic.
Coachmen 121 got together at the president's home and one heck of a fish fry was enjoyed
by all. Lots of good food and camaraderie. Plans for next week at Carthage and
a good time. Coachmen 191 has some plans for Branson. We've decided to go
ahead and take the grandkids (Amanda, Madison), friends Daryl and Connie... and go to Precious Moments in Carthage.
10/14-10/17/99
Left on Thursday for Carthage, MO and the annual
Maple Leaf Festival. Coachmen 121 Club, along with the Coachmen club from Joplin met
at Big Barn RV Park for the weekend.
Thursday night was routine with the grandkids Amanda and Madison staying up late as
usual. Had a nice dinner and finally got the kids to bed. Daryl and Connie
Plattner were with us. Daryl noted that traveling with a 3 year old and a 9 year old
was a 'little different'. I think he was worn out just watching Madison
<grin>. Friday had a little fun in store. I had ordered a cord of
firewood for one of the Coachmen 121 members, Jack Torrens, to have a little fun with
him. Had it delivered to his motorhome and gave him a #1 Firebuilder Award and a
copy of the Girl Scout Firestarter information. Ended up with a really big fire and
a lot of fun cooking out over it. Jack was somewhat in question as to just what he
was going to do with over a cord of firewood.
Jack with his cord of firewood.
Jack gets #1 Firebuilder Award
Saturday was the parade day for the Maple Leaf Festival. Roy, Carol, Daryl,
Connie, Amanda, and of course Madison all went to the festival. The town square was
complete with the Marching Cobras, lots of crafts and other such amenities. We
watched the Cobras, went to the quilt display, ate kettle corn, and had the ham/beans
lunch at the over-60 center. Went to the custom car display in the park. There
were hundreds of cars and lots of fun. Beats-um-all car care products were there
with my good friend Doug Peavler (owner). Hadn't planned on seeing him there.
It is indeed a small world! Amanda really enjoyed the square and all it had to
offer. Madison was very well behaved and enjoyed the excitement of the Cobras.
It was starting to get a little cool by the evening hours. The fire was
welcome warmth.
Saturday evening was time for homemade soup, chili and a 121 planning meeting.
Things were firmed up for the 2000 camping season. Afterward several gathered around
the campfire and enjoyed a good time.
Sunday we went on the Victorian homes tour. Several homes were available to display
the distinct architecture and furnishings of the era. Among the houses we visited...
Historic Phelps House, Dexter & Donna Friesen Home, Grand Avenue - Bed And Breakfast, and The White Rose - Bed And Breakfast.
We stayed for dinner and left at 6:30 PM for Kansas City. The grandkids were beat
and Madison slept most of the way home. I'm sure Daryl was ready for another trip
with Madison!
Coachmen 191 went to Branson. We had already made arrangements for the Carthage trip
and decided to do Branson another time.
10/23-24/99
Wife and I took Amanda, Madison, and Alyssa (three of our granddaughters) out to Lake
Paradise for the Halloween celebration. Got there a little late Saturday but the
kids still enjoyed the trip. They didn't seem to miss the haunted forest at all.
<grin> Did some hiking with the little girls down by the lakes and around the
campground. Visited with Nikki (daughter) and her three girls for a bit Sunday
afternoon then went to the pumpkin patch. Spent the rest of the afternoon Sunday at
the pumpkin patch on 210 Hiway just east of 291 in the Liberty, MO area. They put on
quite a show and the kids get to pick out their pumpkins.
When we got home we had decided to go ahead and winterize since the month of November
wasn't looking too good for RVing. Every weekend is taken by something. Easy
enough to run out the antifreeze and use the unit if we want to but don't want any
problems with adverse weather. It was 20oF Saturday night and we knew we
were seeing the fall season in grand form! Good time for a warm fire. We've
been keeping the unit up in shape so there is very little to do this winter to 'fix'
things. Got a couple of little things that won't take long.
10/26/99
Removed all food, bathroom items, and battery powered accessories (anything that might
freeze). Winterized things. Took the batteries out, filled, and cleaned them
up. Reconnected the batteries (I leave the unit plugged into 110 all winter to keep
them trickle charged). Used the water in the unit to clean and then drained
things. Blew out the lines with compressed air. Turned the valves that isolate
the hot water heater. Pumped in the RV antifreeze. Poured RV antifreeze down
the p-traps and into the stool/holding tank. Poured enough down the p-traps to put a
good quantity into the gray water tank. Vacuumed everything and cleaned the filters
for the A/C units and the screens for the vent fans. Made sure that all the lights
were working and that the lens were cleaned of the accumulation of bugs. Topped off
the generator gas and the coach diesel. Put Stabil in the gas and Power
Service Arctic Express Diesel Fuel Antigel in the Diesel tank. Ran the diesel and
the generator to insure that they were mixed and that the stabilizer/antigel was in the
fuel filters, carburetor, etc. as appropriate. I've got maybe 2 hours invested in
the whole winterization process. I like to do things in detail and have them ready
for next year.
11/06/99
Went to the Golden Ox and had dinner with Roddy's Rowdy's (Coachmen 121). There were
nearly 30 attendees. After dinner we all went to the American Royal Rodeo. It
was the last night of the rodeo and the 100th anniversary of the Royal. A special
treat was the RCMP demonstration. There were 32 horses and riders giving us quite a
show. Clay Walker was the music entertainment after the rodeo. A little loud
for the country music presentation but still we all had fun!
12/11/99
Christmas get-together with Coachmen 191 is scheduled at the Fork & Spoon in
Liberty, Missouri. A very good meal was had by all. Prime Rib was
the featured entree although not everyone had that. Debbie had her
official birthday party treat and we adjourned to Frank and Judy Parker's
home. We exchanged Christmas candy and played games. And on to next
year!
12/18/99
Christmas get-together with Coachmen 121 and we went out to Thelma Conrad &
family's place. Had a really nice dinner with 20 of the RVers. The club called Jack and
Dorothy down in Texas and let them know that the club was thinking of
them! It was only 55 degrees in Texas. Real cool! Of course we
were freezing out little tails off up here in KC. <grin> Plans were
finalized for the year 2000 and the camping get-togethers.
