It's an Ozark Country Jubilee....

We're not in Kansas any more ToTo....and....I am not joking with God anymore! He doesn't have the sense of humor I thought he did. When I said I wanted a tornado because I thought Kansas was boring, I was just KIDDING. We drove through Springfield Missouri just a couple of hours before the tornado hit there and when we got to Branson, we were on 12 hour tornado watch! We ended up with lots of rain and wind but that was it!

Our first day in Branson took us to the Dick Clark American Bandstand Theatre. The first thing Salt wanted to do was check out the World's largest collection of 1957 automobiles . http://www.57heaven.com/ Salt and I kind of made this deal that I would go to the museum if he would go to the American Bandstand show. Surprise....I LOVED the museum and Salt loved the "Rock and Roll".

I have tons of pictures of these cars, but obviously way too many to post to the blog. I will post some of my favorites. The value of these cars is over 22 million dollars.

Salt and I loved the "record player" in this one. We couldn't figure out how one could keep it from skipping. Maybe it was only turned on while when you were watching submarine races....(who remembers that???/).

And of course Salt wanted to include a picture of one of the race cars!

We had to include this one. Salt says this is the same truck (in a little better condition) that Frank Slate was sitting in when Aminta Marks painted the now famous portrait!

My personal favorite!!

Wouldn't I love to have this 57 BOAT with fins.

We both loved the Dick Clark review http://www.americanbandstand.com/ . I can't believe that all these stars I swooned over are all gray, bald and usually a little chunky. None of them have lost their zest for life and their voices. After 50 years of wanting to dance on "Bandstand" I finally got my chance.

Everyone (well those of you who are my age) remember Johnny Preston, famous for Running Bear & Cradle of Love.

and who could forget Danny & the Juniors (they appeared on Bandstand over 100 times) and their claim to fame ..At the Hop and Twisting USA.

Ray Anthony, the Richie Vallens imitator (EXCELLENT). Promised us when we left we would feel 17 again....now if I could only break all the mirrors in the motor home it may just have worked!

I've got a big love for wide open spaces.....

This will be a very short journal entry tonight. We are in Kansas; we have been in Kansas for Two days. I want to leave Kansas. We spent the day today having some work done on the RV since there was a Cummins dealer in Colby which is the small town we stayed in last night.

The people are so friendly but there is nothing for miles and miles except cornfields, wheat fields, barley fields and Milo fields. I didn't even know what Milo was until we went to Red Lobster tonight and I got into a conversation with another customer who is a native. It is something they use in ethanol. I just know there is a LOT of it grown here in Kansas.

The sky was getting very dark this afternoon and looked quite threatening. I was almost hoping for a tornado so I could at least see there was something interesting in Kansas (just kidding).

I haven't even been able to talk to anyone for 2 days because there is no Verizon service in Kansas. Does Verizon even know Kansas is a state?

We are doing a WalMart sleepover tonight. We do them when we just want to get some rest and get back on the road. WalMart has this thing all figured out. They let all of us RVers park for "free" and then we all go in and fill our "needful things" list and they make a killing. It sure is handy though!!

Oh, I almost forgot....We went to do the laundry today and the laundromat was right next door to a beauty salon. I have been saying I was going to get my LONG red ponytail cut for the last year. Every time I enter a shop I find some supposed beautician who has purple streaks in her hair or is 350 pounds with a Mohawk and 4 earrings in her lip. I just can't bring myself to trust them. Today however, when I peaked in there was the cutest young girl with a very stylish bob. No piercings and no tattoos on her cheek. SO...I did it. It is about chin length with bangs. I LOVE it. I was really getting nervous about getting to Myrtle Beach and the inside pool. My hair would never dry out the length and thickness it was. I suppose I could have brought back those bathing caps we wore in high school...ewwwww.

Why, Why, Wyoming?

We woke up this morning enveloped in a cold damp snowy day. We were a little discouraged when we called Janna and found they were getting even more snow in Wyoming. We decided there was no way we were going to miss seeing Janna and the boys so we took our chances climbing into the mountains.

After all the places we have been and the wonderful sites we have seen, today was one of the best.

Here is Janna with Sawyer (left) Finn (middle) and Ben (right).

We have not seen Janna in almost 5 years and had not seen either of the last two boys.

It was just so wonderful to spend the afternoon catching up. Yes.....Janna is as happy as she looks and she is a wonderful mother!

It took Sawyer about 2 minutes to attach himself to "Uncle Salt". He is the cutest little freckled faced redhead.

Ben had no problem posing!

We took them to dinner and then the boys wanted to see our house on wheels. It was hard to say goodbye knowing it would be a long time before we would see them again.

Finn and I both look like we had been drinking.....we were not!!

Sorry we missed Gerry....he had already left for hunting camp.

Howl at the moon...shoot out the light....it's a small town Saturday night!

Well here we are in Castle Rock, Colorado. We pulled into a RV park for a good night's sleep before we head to Laramie, tomorrow.

We are both so tired tonight we had dinner, which I cooked in the motor home and are just going to find a movie on Direct TV. I plan to go on the computer and enhance some of my pictures I have put in albums and then go on line and do some research on Branson, Missouri since that will be our next big venture. Who knows what will come up between Wyoming and Missouri???? We will definitely spend at least 3 days in Branson.

Since I have not taken a lot of pictures while we traveled the last 2 days I will send along some of the summer pictures I haven't posted. Starting with Kriston and David's wedding.

The Bride and Groom....

Betty (matron of honor) Frank (best man) and Emma (flower girl)

You've heard of the Dollar Dance.....This is the $50.00 dance. Emma went to her dad for money and he didn't have any change and rather than hurt her feelings he gave her $50.00. Actually, I don't think her dad has EVER hurt her feelings. Emma calls him Sugar Daddy because when her mother is at school and dad is babysitting he lets her have sugar!!

Kriston and Brother 1

Jeanette & Chuck (Kriston's parents)

Kriston and brother 2

Cutting the cake.....

Get your kicks on Route 66...

Today was simply a driving day. We left Williams, Arizona on historic Route 66. We had planned to do a portion of the old road last year and never got a chance to. We didn't stay on it very long but found several quaint little shops and restaurants while we were on it.

There were several historic places and parks we would like to see but we vowed to get on our way. Emma keeps reminding of us the countdown until she gets to Myrtle Beach. It's coming faster than we can believe.

Drove 400 miles and pulled over in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Tomorrow we will lay over in Colorado and then go into Laramie early Monday morning.

No matter what they say we done...We ain't never had too much fun!

What a fun day we had yesterday!!! At 9:30 am we all assembled at the train depot and after a short comical "cowboy" skit we boarded the Grand Canyon Railway thetrain.com Since we were a little late in signing up Salt and I had to go "luxury car". We practically had the whole car to ourselves with a wonderful hostess named Theresa. Theresa filled us in on how to make the best of our time at the canyon.


This is Jesse Anderson...he was our entertainer on the train going to the canyon. Boy, could he make that banjo sing. Being in the car we were in we had the opportunity to really get to know the entertainers.


Salt relaxing on the train. Salt particularly enjoyed the train ride....it was his first. After doing over 6,000 miles of driving he was ready to sit back and let someone else be the chauffeur.




Our first stop at the Canyon was the Hopi house the oldest building in that particular area of the canyon. It has been turned to an exquisite gift shop. Very high end Indian made items.


What can I say about the Grand Canyon that hasn't been said a million times....even pictures can't capture the splendor.

Salt was a little more brave than I was when it came to posing at the edge. Everyone was still in a very dismal mood over the tragic loss of the 4 year old that went over the south rim (where we were) just 2 days before. I couldn't believe parents that were putting their small children right out on the edge to get a snapshot.... I guess it's one of those "it won't happen to me" mentalities.

We had lunch at the Arizona Room located in the Angel Lodge. We were able to overlook the canyon as we ate. The food was wonderful...the Cesar salad had a real south western flare, they made it with black beans, corn and strips of taco chips. Sounds weird but was SO good. We also had a beef brisket that was ALMOST as good as Ellen Adamson's.

And here is my favorite entertainer. Craig Sommer......he was as good a comedian as singer. When he asked for requests, I said "you probably don't do Toby Kieth"....he said "..."how about this one"....and did a fantastic job on I should have been a cowboy! We tried to call Betty on the phone so he could sing to her. Unfortunately, we couldn't get service in the canyon we were in. When we finally did get to her he was just finishing up but the whole train did wish her well and got to talk to Emma. Emma thought it was pretty cool that a real cowboy was singing to Grandma!!

And what would a train ride be without a hold- up by these scary train robbers. Craig says the reason they stop the train is because they had a hard time trying to find bandits who were willing to jump off a moving horse onto a moving train for minimum wage.

For the next couple of days we will be doing a lot of driving. We will head to Laramie, Wyoming to see Janna. Since it is over 700 miles and will take us 2-3 days (or more depending on what we see along the way) we will probably miss Jerry since he is headed on his annual elk hunting trip.

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys....

They may just end up in Quartzsite, Arizona having way too much fun!

OK....so Bill Taylor keeps asking us why we go back to Quartzsite, AZ ....he says it is the armpit of the universe (that may not have been the exact anatomy term he used to describe it). SO, I put together the "top 10" reasons we go there.

10) There are a lot of cowboys

9) We can get good pinto beans and homemade cornbread at the LaCasa....

8) There are a lot of cowboys.....

7) There are a lot of cowboys that play good music....

6) There are all kinds of people who dare to be different like "two shoes" the Indian woman

who never wears the same two shoes......

5) There are a lot of cowboys

4) It is VERY cheap to live there...a million people staying on BLM lands during the winter

can't be all wrong!

3) There are a lot of cowboys......

2) We were adopted by Gracie and Virgil McNab....and we LOVE them. I just hope when I

am 80 I am as full of piss and vinegar as these two!!! (Virgil is a cowboy who plays the

guitar and sings)....

and the #1 reason we love Quartzsite.......drum roll please............

NO LAWYERS!

Just kidding Bill......I couldn't resist!!!

We did stay 2 nights in Quartzsite and spent most of our time with Grace and Virgil. They of course, took us to a "jam"; we loved it! They are very disappointed that we aren't spending more time there this winter. We find we need more "green" and "water" than the desert has to offer.

We are off to Williams, AZ, where we will board the train that runs into the Grand Canyon. It is a 2 hour trip to Grand Canyon Village and then we are at the canyon for 4 hours before making the return trip.

Viva, Viva Las Vegas...............

Get a load of the snow on the jeep. This is what we woke up to Saturday morning in Ely, Nevada, which is only about 4 hours from Las Vegas. We were a little more encouraged when we called Las Vegas to make hotel reservations for the kids. The forecast there was mid 70s....yippeeee!

Salt and I arrived in Sin City about three hours before Mike and Robin. We scoped out a couple of casinos and decided on dinner at the MGM Grand Buffet and picked up our tickets for David Copperfield's 10:00 show.

When we got back to the motor home, Mike and Robin were just checking in. It was so good to see them. Since they were only going to be there Saturday night and Sunday, we decided to make the best of the short time.

Dinner was great and as we headed for the show I dropped $9.00 in a machine right outside the theatre and hit the $500 jackpot. Was a great way to start the evening.

Copperfield was FANTASTIC...we all loved the show, and of course continue to wonder how he does it????????

After the show we decided to do some serious gambling (yeah right).

We walked up and down the strip trying our luck at various casinos. I was on a roll Saturday night after hitting the $500 machine I managed $400 at the blackjack tables. Not to worry my luck changed on Sunday. I left with money but gave back much more than I should have!!! Probably because we didn't get back to the motor home until 5:20 am and were back on the strip by 9:00 am.

Sunday after breakfast we finished our casino tour. We loved the Venetian with the gondolas....

live statues.....

and ceilings that appear as if you are outdoors looking up at the sky!

Mike, Robin and Salt in front of the volcanic waterfalls at the Mirage.

And of course the tiger in the Mirage who it seems poses for the tourists!

Love this big roller coaster that runs above the NY casino. Robin and Salt wanted nothing to do with it. Mike and myself, however, planned to go on it Sunday. Unfortunately we never did get to it. There just wasn't enough time to do all we wanted!

We ended the evening with a feast at the award winning Steakhouse located in the Circus Circus hotel. Robin and I ended taking most of our steak/prime rib out in "dogie bags". The food was SO good and plentiful there was no way we could finish it. Unfortunately, after dinner we had to say goodbye to the kids and send them on their way back to California. The weekend was so much fun and parting was made a little easier knowing we will all be together in Florida for Christmas.

Salt and I are headed to Quartzsite, Arizona tomorrow morning to visit with our good friends Virgil and Gracie McNab. From there it's off to the Grand Canyon.

Happy Birthday Steve (my youngest brother).

Let's get on down to the main attraction.....

Jason popped in for coffee yesterday morning and told us that the pass we went over the day before had 6 inches of snow. We decided it was time to get serious about getting on with our trip and getting to our planned attractions before we got snowed in!

When we left Redmond we went through a very long stretch of high desert....and then to our surprise ended up in this magnificent 26 mile gorge. Another face of Oregon...amazing state.

We did quite a bit of driving yesterday and as soon as we crossed into Idaho we pulled over in the Ambassador RV resort www.grapevine7.com . We did our usual weekly chores and pulled out early this morning. This shot was taken in Idaho shortly before we crossed into Nevada. I took it from the RV so couldn't get rid of the darn railing.

Once we got on the road and I looked at the map I realized just how close Las Vegas is to Mike and Robin. I sent Mike a text message at work and asked him if they could meet us in Vegas for the weekend. As it turns out, both of them have been putting in a lot of overtime so they are both able to take off early tomorrow afternoon . We are SO excited to see them. We have not been able to spend any time with them since last Christmas!

We have stopped for the night in Ely, Nevada. Plan to get a good night's sleep and leave here early tomorrow. We are about 5 hours from Vegas. We have not decided which shows we will see yet. I will make all the reservations tomorrow.

This was the view coming into Nevada....lots of snow (there is about 3 inches here in Ely). We are hoping there is not ANY in Vegas! Betty and Ellen both let us know it was 80 at home!


Here is a picture of Emma with the wreath she made in Brownies. She was so proud of it she wanted me to be sure and put it in the blog. Isn't she just the cutest!!! How can anyone that cute spend so much time in the Principal's office and have a reserved seat right behind the bus driver????? Hmmmm, maybe she is more like her grandmother than we thought!!