April 13-23

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Happy Easter to All! We are sitting at a laundry mat washing our clothes as I write this.--Sending from a McDs a day later.

Wednesday April 13, 2011 with weather clear and 82 degrees in Clarkston, Georgia. Mileage started at 1811.4. We left home at about 4:30 pm and after dropping off library books in Lilburn, headed up Interstate 85 toward Christina and Paul’s home in Columbia, MD. As we left home, we kept trying to figure out if there were any Alaskan songs—we couldn’t think of any so, started making some up. We arrived in Traveler’s Rest, SC at about 7:30 and spent the night in a Wal-Mart parking lot with several other campers and a couple of 18 wheelers. We decided the price was right for the space and 24-hour security. Real pretty sunset.
Thursday April 14th. Got going after breakfast at 9:30. 59 degrees and mileage at 1960.4. We drove up highway 25/26 to Interstate 81 climbing into the mountains all the way. The redbud trees were blooming all along the way like they had been planted 2-3 trees deep on both sides of the freeway. Absolutely gorgeous with an occasional dogwood and/or white blooming trees we suspect to be a type of wild cherry or plum. At noon, we stopped at Johnson City for gas at $3.59 per gal. Pulled into Lowes/Walmart parking lot at Staunton, VA about 8:30 that night. As we made the turn we saw the parking lot of Wal-mart full of police cars and there was a police car blocking the drive up. Turning left we went into the Lowes parking lot and looked over at all the people and police trying to see what was going on. Since Lowes also allows fee overnight parking, we found a spot and settled in for the night. We spotted a young man collecting carts and was told that the Wal-Mart had had a bomb scare and that is why all the employees and people were out of the building milling around. Very noisy night there as near the freeway and train tracks we did not see until the morning, but heard during the night.
April 15th We went across the freeway and had breakfast at a Waffle House. Mileage at 2335.7 and it was 50 degrees out. Cut across on Interstate 66 toward DC and hit heavy traffic on the beltway as we drove toward Gaithersburg to visit our Aunt and Uncle for lunch. Had lunch with Pauline across the street from their apartment. Donn wasn’t feeling well enough to join us. Came back from lunch and Donn and Pauline got a chance to look at Rosie II. Used the Tom-tom to take us to Paul and Christina’s through the backroads of Montgomery County. Flowering spring plants like tulips and daffodils really lovely all along the way—ours at home had already finished blooming ---spotted a very healthy looking adult red fox standing still like a cat stalking something in the grass. Arrived in time to have a nap in Rosie II before Paul and Christina got home from work.
April 16th-17th Spent the weekend with the “kids”. Went to dinner Saturday night at a Mongolian Barbeque to celebrate both their birthdays. Saturday was really stormy so stayed in mostly. Christina remembered a Johnny Horton song, “North to Alaska, but we haven’t heard it yet. Sunday we went shopping for their birthday presents.
April 18th Columbia, MD 2536.3 mileage; 62 degrees and very overcast. Left at 10:17 and drove to Hagerstown, MD where we filled up the gas tank with 21 gal, at $3.76 per gal. Mileage 2611.4. Stopped for lunch at Green Ridge State Forest. It was a regional HQ of this forest and was perched where you could have a view of the mountains and area below if you hiked down a trail. Valerie walked down to a lookout and was informed that the loggers rolled the timbers down the hill to the sawmill below. There was a nice walkway that labeled the trees and bushes, but unfortunately, the only thing that could be seen was their winter coats. Spent the night at another Wal-Mart in Clarksburg, WV, and was awakened at 5am with thunder and hard rain. While in this Wal-mart purchasing some odds and ends we saw a hair cut place that looked ok and thought to get a hair cut in the morning.
April 19th—Got haircuts---was a mistake, especially on my hair. For what ever reason, she cut a hunk of my bangs one inch short and made a mess of the rest. Bought gas in West Charleston at $3.95 per gal. I am not sure what people do for work in these mountains as there doesn’t seem to be a flat patch of ground anywhere around. Even if they were making moonshine they would have to have a patch of land level enough to grow the corn. The soil was nothing but rocks. We climbed, and then climbed some more---Rosie took the mountains well without strain. Scenery lovely with Spring just coming out in some places. Somewhere along the route we hit a swarm of bees. We didn’t see them in the distance but had the splattered all over the bug grill and the windshield. Followed a long truck hauling a 150 foot windmill blade that was fabricated in PA and was headed for assembly in Arizona. Came down out of the mountains and crossed the river into Kentucky. Made it to Lexington by 6:00 pm. Filled up at Thornton’s Gas station for $3.709 per gal—hunkered down across the street at a suburban Wal-mart. Several campers joined us. Tornado watch in effect according to the tv; Wal-Mart lady said when the sirens went off, we could join them in the back of the store, but they didn’t think we would get one. Called and made an appointment to have Rosie II looked over at the dealer we purchased her from. Had been making a list of things that needed to be repaired.
April 20th 8:00 am had breakfast at Micky D’s on our way to the dealers for 8:30 appointment. Guys finished work on her by noon and so drove on. Wanting lunch, about a 1/2 hour out of Lexington, we took off the freeway down a road that said “Historic Georgetown”. Nice small town that had preserved the old storefronts, Victorian brick homes, and buildings. We had lunch at a sandwich shop called the Lock and Key. It was in a building that used to be an old bank. I had a dill turkey wrap and Valerie had chili and half a grilled cheese sandwich. The oatmeal cranberry cookie was really good. Temperatures began to drop and it was very overcast. Drove back to Interstate 64 on drove on toward Louisville. Saw a wild turkey wandering in grass at a rest stop.
Spent the night at Lynnville, IN in a city park for $10 per night. The land was deeded to the city in the late 50’s early 60’s when the strip mines played out. There was a nice lake with fishing and about 25 RV hookups. Unfortunately, a tornado had been through there the night before and knocked out the electricity when it knocked down an old tree across the power line. It was a pretty site with many trees, Canadian geese, and several turkeys in the distance. It was the first time we used the heat pump with our generator as it was 48 degrees that night.
April 21st---Thursday Continued on Interstate 64 to St. Louis and crossed the mighty muddy Mississippi River. Every waterway from creeks to the Wabash to the Missouri was at the top of their banks just shy of flooding. We decided that we would stop in the afternoon at the National Archives for military records in Saint Louis to look for our grandfather’s WWI military information. Pulled into a McDs for the internet in Mt. Vernon, IL to get the address of the archives and discovered it was an hour earlier, so had plenty of time for a visit. Got gas while stopped: 19.43 gallons at $3.859 per gallon, total $74.62 at 3377 miles. National Archives had only one record of our grandfather: his last pay record. All others were destroyed in a fire in the 1970’s that burned 2/3 of the Army’s records. The lady who helped us suggested the VA might have more information since he applied to the VA for benefits a couple of years after the end of WWI. We spent the night in Knob Noster State Park, MO near Warrensburg.
April 22nd---Good Friday at Knob Noster also. We decided to spend 2 nights there as we would be unable to get a copy of a family Oregon Trail diary until Monday, the 25th and wanted to spend a full day researching at the Johnson County courthouse in Warrensburg on the Gibbons line (our great grandmother). Very disappointed in being unable to find any more info on this branch of the family.
This State Park campground had electricity, a dumpsite, and water, so we had to pay $19 per night senior rate--the most yet. There were few units in camp the first night, but people rolled in the Friday night for the weekend. Still VERY rainy and overcast. Lots of white bellied nuthatches in the trees. Washed dishes for the first time since the shower room had hot water. We have been using paper and plastic before this time.
After our trip to the courthouse we drove around Warrensburg and looked at where the old courthouse was prior to the railroad coming in and they abandoned it for a new one a mile away. Spent time in this old building as it housed the historical Society---found nothing new here either. On the way back to the campground stopped at a Wal-Mart to get gas. It was the cheapest at $3.589 we had seen since leaving home. Employees of the Veterans home were pumping gas and cleaning windows to raise funds for the home. We gave them $5 to pump our tank full. They told us where we might find hot-cross buns, and after a little treasure hunt, we managed to find them at a Bi-Lo. The bakers had no concept of what they should be as they put frosting on the top in a swirly pattern—no crosses.
April 23rd Left Knob Noster the next morning and on highway 13 between Warrensburg and Interstate 70 we spotted this family of drum people. It reminded us of the crossroad shrines we often saw in Rumania and Moldova the way it sat in the corner of the two roads.
The rest of the day was spent at the National Frontier Trails Museum in Independence, which was the start of the Santa Fe, Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails. It will be the beginning of the Oregon Trail part of our blog, and will continue in the next entry.

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