Across the country

Left Cahokia, IL this morning after trying in vain to book an RV park for tonight at a reasonable (for me) distance.  Finally gave up and called the park in Rising Sun, IN.  It was an easy run until the last 50 or 60 miles on Indiana Hwy 1...winding, hilly, narrow, and snakes through a bunch of small towns.  I was getting tired, the dogs were tired, and we still hadn't gotten to the park.  Finally...into the park.  We are situated right on the Ohio River.  I think I will just sit here tomorrow and catch my breath.

Ohio River

Little Farm on the River RV Park

Saturday
No report.  I sat here all day and did nothing.

Sunday
Spent several hours today trying to find the Downey's Corner cemetery where my ancestors are buried.  I could find Downey Ridge Road but my map showed the cemetery at a place that's just an empty field.  So map is wrong.  I drove quite a ways up and down the road just to see if I could locate it by accident.  No luck.

I drove back into Rising Sun, stopped to take a photo of Downey Avenue, and stumbled onto the city cemetery.

Civil War monument - see below for inscription

Individual gravestones ringing the CW monument.

It was very difficult to read the inscription on the Civil War monument, as it was a cloudy day and the letters weren't very visible. 
     
     "In memory of all soldiers and sailors who enlisted in (?)
      wherever buried and all others who are or may  be buried in             Ohio County  (Indiana)                                               
                               May 31, 1893

Around the monument are individual headstones of soldiers and sailors.  Someone has recently placed flowers at the base of the monument, probably at Memorial Day.

The dogs and I walked up and down the rows of headstones in the older part of the cemetery.  This one belongs to a Revolutionary War veteran.

In my aimless wandering, I also found Downey relatives:

Alexander C. Downey was a brother to our ancestor, George Johnson Downey, father of Harris Selwood Downey, father of John Downey, father of Maynard Downey, father of Larry, Dick, Mike and Mary Anne.  Whew~!  Alexander was, I believe, a lawyer and a man of some consequence.

     

Kansas City Visit

Kansas City, MO
Memorial Day

Party yesterday at Tammy's with most of the KC area family represented.  Oklahoma Joe's barbecue was the featured entree...outstanding.

The kindness of the RV community continues to amaze me.  I can't back my little RPOD and the only site I could get in Longview RV Campground was a back-in.  The camp host saw me struggling Thursday and he came down to give me a lesson (he's a retired long-haul trucker).  BUT...I had to take the RPOD back to the shop Friday, as they did not finish with it Thursday.  So I was back in Longview struggling.  Within a few minutes I had three guys, all coaching me to get my trailer back into its spot.  And they all maintained reasonably straight faces.  

The guy parked two sites down from me affixed reflective tape to the RPOD hitch to make it easier for me to see when I am backing the Jeep to hitch it up.  Nice people, these RVers.

Thursday, May 28
Cahokia, IL

Left KC this morning.  As I was putting the rig into travel mode, of course there had to be a sudden shower which meant the hoses and electrical cable were mud-covered.  Everything had to be wiped down before I could stow it.

I only missed the last turn to the park and had to exit interstates, enter interstates, wind around, to find my way back.  But I got here.  AND GLORY, GLORY, HALLELUJAH!  There is a BBQ restaurant on the grounds of the park.  As soon as I got my rig parked, I sprinted over to gorge on pulled pork, barbecued beans, and coleslaw.  

Across the Great Plains

Thursday, May 14 - Amarillo TX

Left Albuquerque (Cedar Crest, actually) early this morning.  Easy run to Amarillo and I was in the park and set up by 1:30pm.  Cloudy skies so the driving wasn't too painful into the sun all morning and there is no indication of severe storms in the forecast.

Friday, May 15 - Oklahoma City OK

Well, surprise, surprise, there was dense fog at Amarillo this morning so I delayed leaving.  Ran in and out of the fog for probably 100 miles before getting sunny weather.  Found the park easily and got settled by 1:30 pm.

Saturday, May 16 - Coffeyville

WOW, I had forgotten how intense Midwestern electrical storms can be.  Skipped across the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma with no problems and then got hit last night by one of the worst storms I can remember that wasn't a tornado.  My nervous dog Lola was content to get a pat and a soft word and she went back to sleep.  Muppet, the usually calm one, shook and shook although I had him cradled in my arms and wrapped in a blanket.  He finally jumped off the bed and into the new dog bed and settled down.  This morning the park is ankle deep in water and there are limbs down. In another area of the park, there was a large pecan tree ripped out by its roots.  It would have crushed the RPOD. 

Monday

FOG, HEAVY FOG in Coffeyville this morning.  I managed to find things to do for a couple of hours until the fog lifted and driving was safe.  Arrived in Grain Valley, MO, a far suburb of KC, this afternoon.  Thursday I will change parks to the one at Longview Lake (it's a lot quieter) and stay for the week through Memorial Day.  

The fog was much heavier when I took the dogs out.  Just 10 or 15 minutes made the trees in the distance visible.

Kansas City

Well, snap, not a lot of fun.  The RPOD developed a problem with the toilet which REQUIRED fixing so I made an appointment with the Service Department next to the park where I was staying.  To make a long story short(er), they didn't finish the repairs the first day so they cheerfully suggested I just "bring it back in tomorrow."  Seriously?  So I hooked up, nearly had an accident, and towed it off to another park 20 miles away.  And the next day early, towed it back to them.  GGGRRRR. But now it's fixed.

The new park is Longview Lake RV Campground, owned and operated by Jackson County, MO.  It is a really beautiful, spacious park.  The rain started last night and it has poured since then.  Not a fun weekend for the tent campers for sure.  Supposed to rain all day today as well.

And Away We Go

Mother's Day

Arrived in Albuquerque this morning for Mother's Day and Maddy's graduation party.  Lots of friends and family at Wyatt and Michelle's to celebrate.  The little dogs are seriously tired after avoiding many, many feet all afternoon.  Commencement ceremony is Tuesday so I will fill tomorrow with some much-needed shopping (Deming is not exactly a retail center).

Stayed at a park on the way up to Albuquerque.  Saw these signs:

The Crazies Take Cooke's Peak

May 1:

The usual crazies assembled this morning for an all-day ride to the top of Cooke's Peak (Cookes Range).  It's the last hurrah before most of us leave for the summer.  

Early Start

l to r:  Gilbert, Steve, Mike, John

Does anyone know how to get there?

The route takes you through Massacre Canyon and Fort Cummings (subjects of earlier posts) and then a long run on a county road to the Cooke's Peak trail.  Start to finish, it was 65.5 miles by my odometer on the Honda.  The dogs were seriously pooped by the end of the day.

A little light refreshment at Cookestown.

Cookestown


Life at the Top

Back to Fort Cummings

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have a sizable bull snake living close to my front ramp.  See photo below.