Returning Home...

Thursday August 22, 2013

Music City  - Nashville TN

We have returned home to Tennessee, with mixed emotions.  Our full time traveling is coming to an end:(  One year on the road, 30 states and 14,012 miles!   We don't want this to end :(    Our renters are moving out and Bob & I are moving back in the house next weekend.

We are not giving up RV travel, we still plan to travel part time, several months a year.  We will miss full timing.   We are so thankful we were able to live our dream this past year:)   Our next adventure is to put our home on the market For Sale!   We are considering relocating,  and building a smaller  home, with less maintainence.  Location yet to be determined.  We may change our minds after we are back in the house, and decide to sell everything, and Hit the Road again full time:)    That is our prerogative since we are retired:)

I will keep the blog going with our travel adventures and RV Park Reviews.   We have family commitments  on the East Coast this winter, so if we snow bird it will be on this coast.   For all our Palm Desert Snow Bird friends, we will pick up where we left off in 2015:)

For those that are considering Full Timing in an RV....Go for it!  We have been so blessed with so many experiences and so many new friends.    Till we meet again on the road, Happy Trails to you!

A new take on the "Tortoise and the Hare"

ALDRIDGE  GARDENS

Hoover Alabama 

While staying in Huntsville  I had the opportunity to head South just past Birmingham to Hoover.  This was a day trip with my dear friend Vicki Bryant.  We will be attending Vicki's son's wedding at Aldrige Gardens on September 7th.  Vicki  had some pre wedding errands and I went along and we visited, this beautiful  and whimsical place.

Their "catch phrase"  "Aldridge Gardens - Nature and Art in Balance"  Open daily from 8:00 A.M, to 4: 00 P,M,  Admission is Free :)   You can't beat Free!   The Gardens host numerous  special events from weddings, to music presentations and corporate events.  We strolled the gardens and enjoyed the spectacular natural beauty and the whimsy of sculptured art placed throughout the gardens.

The upcoming wedding will be beautiful!  So glad we will be able to attend.  If you are in the Birmingham area visiting Aldridge Gardens should be on your list of places to visit.

Outdoor Pavillion

Beautiful Tree where many events take place under the  tree

Flower Gardens surrounding the house 

Little Waterfall 

This lake is the  centerpiece in these lovely gardens

Val & Vicki

So many beautiful flowers and shrubs

Another fun Rabbit sculpture

Not sure what this is called, but it looks like a giant  arrowhead hanging like a pendalum

Redstone Arsenal   -  Huntsville AL

7/25 - 8/22/13

This rocket towers above The U.S. Space and Rocket Center  and is seen from the Interstate as you enter Huntsville on I-565

Huntsville Alabama  also known as the  "Rocket City" is located in the central part of the far northern region of Alabama.    The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Huntsville to its "America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2010 List"  Huntsville is the fourth largest city in Alabama.  Population in the Huntsville Metropolitan area is 417,593.    Huntsville is home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the United States Army Aviation and Missle Command nearby at the Redstone Arsenal.   We have visited Huntsville many times and decided to return and make it home for the month of August.   

Situated in the Tennessee River Valley, several platueaus and large hills partially surround Huntsville.  These plateaus are  part of the Cumberland Plateau, and are locally called "mountains" ( of course they are not big mountains like the Rockies).  Monte Sano Mountain ( Italian for "Healthy Mount" ) is the most notable and is East of the city.    I will cover the surrounding area in another post.  Today  I want to share Redstone Arsenal with you.

We set up our home away from home at the Military RV Park on Redstone Arsenal.  It is in a great location  convenient to the Post Exchange and  Commissary as well as a gym and Chapel and Medical Clinic.  The park is also nestled at the base of a big hill surrounded by a wonderful hiking trail.   Georgia and I try to hit the trail every morning about 6:15 AM and walk for 4 miles.  Starting early is important here, any later and we will be melting in the heat and humidity.      Following  are some photos from our walks around  Redstone Arsenal.

This plaque is located just in front of Centenial Chapel  along the walking path

My favorite tree!  Georgia and I walked past this daily.  It was just across from our camp site

Site #28  our home for the month

Now for a  stroll  through the rockets and aircraft  displays on the Arsenal

I grew up an Air Force Brat, and Space Travel has always facinated me.  It is  amazing to stand back and look at these rockets and the shuttle engines.  Remembering,  listening to a radio broadcast of the  our astronauts taking the first step on the moon.  Yes I am that old, it was a radio broadcast when we were living in Germany and we gathered around the radio to listen.  Good Times, fond memories:)

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN

Rocket Park

This park has seen better days, sad to see the display  looking like this

The park was dedicated  July 1, 1960 " This park stands as a living testament to the spirit of cooperation that continues  between the U.S. Army and NASA.   

These Space Shuttle engines are on display outside the George C Marshall Space Flight Center

Space Shuttle Main Engine 

J-2 Engine

The F-1 Engine

This is just a small taste of all there is to see!    I will bring you more of Huntsville and it's surrounding beauty soon:)

Scott AFB  St Louis, IL

7/18-7/25/13 

Welcome to St Louis!  We arrived at Scott AFB and stayed at their Fam Camp (Military RV Park and Campground).  So far all but one of the AFB Fam Camps we have stayed at were located on a lake:)    This makes for a pleasant view and enjoyable walks with Georgia.  

St Louis Arch

This is a small Fam Camp, with just 22 RV Sites.  Sites are  back in gravel sites with electric and water only.   We had a nice shady spot right across from the Laundry Room and Showers / Restrooms.  I always like a spot close to the laundry.  Glad  we have our own shower and restroom in our motor home.  Upon arrival at the Fam Camp we discovered our space was already taken:(   The people there had not checked out yet and were still out sight seeing.  

The Office  assigned us another site which actually was nicer:)  I love how God blesses us with little things like that:)  Miss Georgia was so happy with this park as there was a huge field of grass for her to run and chase the ball in!   We had a delightful few days with some very nice neighbors.    

This is what Georgia looks like when she is ready to play!

Our wonderful field to romp and play fetch in!

The lake, complete  with a fishing dock

Picnic Gazebo by the lake

Campfire area with benches (L)  Bath house & Laundry Room (R)

Our site

Basswood RV Resort 

Platte City Missouri 

7/15/13

This is a huge RV Park with Cabins and RV Sites close to the Kansas City area.  I would not consider it a resort it is a big campground.  It is definitely off the beaten path.  Don't rely on GPS as it brought us in the wrong way.  I didn't think we were ever going to get there.  The staff is friendly and very orgainized keeping the campground  in pristine condition, and  helping out the campers.   The camp store is well stocked and they have Pizza delivery.  There is a large pool and play area for the kids.    It looked like there were many long term campers.  

We were here  for only one night.  It was very busy and reservations are needed. 

One of the lakes 

Campfire pit  for campers to enjoy

Our site

Pool and Playground

Offutt Air Force Base  Fam Camp

(Military Campground)

Omaha Nebraska
7/14/13

Beautiful evening walk around the lake

Continuing on our way back to Tennessee, we left Iowa and headed to Omaha Nebraska, to stay at Offutt AFB.  Offutt is home of the "Fighting Fifty -Fith Wing".  Offutt also has a great Fam Camp.  Perfect spot to rest overnight.   This Fam Camp is located on a beautiful lake and has their Outdoor Recreation  Building there, with Rentals of paddle boats, canoes, and bicycles.  There are picnic pavillions and a building that can be rented for special events.   The RV Park has gravel sites, most are pull through with full hook ups.  There are also Bathhouses and a Laundry Room.      This was a great stopover.   

Fishing and Boating Fun on a great little lake

Outdoor Recreation Boat Dock with rental boats

Our site

R

On-Ur-Wa RV Park   

Onawa, Iowa
7/13/13

 We left Mt Rushmore on July 13, to begin our return trip home to Tennessee.  We needed to cross through  Iowa,  and I found this RV Park in the RV Park Reviews, and thought why not, it is only one night.  The Park had good reviews.   Located just off the interstate, with gas and fast food on the corner within walking distance.  But far enough that it is tranquil and quiet.  This  quaint  RV  Park  is under new ownership. The  friendly owners are former military, and have begun to  clean up the park and  are trying to make it more than just a overnight stopping place.    Most of the sites are  long gravel pull  throughs with full hookups.  The park is nestled in a grove of trees.   They have added a fenced area for a dog run.  They have a laundry room  and restrooms and the office stocks a few RV supplies to include propane.   There is no swimming pool.  They have a  new building for activities that was just built and have some  free standing porch swings  near the trees to enjoy the peaceful surroundings.  This is not a resort, but everything appears to be well kept and sitting in this beautiful grove of trees made for a plesant stay.  

Entrance to the Park - Not the most impressive entry sign.... but this park was a plesant surprise

Office and Registration

Well kept grounds and large pull through sites

 

The owners spaced all the big rigs every other site to give everyone more space which I thought was very nice.  This park did fill up at night, with folks just staying over night. 

Mt Rushmore Here We Come...

We left Yellowstone  on July 11th and spent a travel day of 8 hours to Buffalo Wyoming staying overnight at the KOA .  It was good for an overnight stop, but definitely not a resort. We were up early the next morning and on our way to Rapid City South Dakota.  We stayed at Ellsworth AFB Fam Camp / Military Campground and RV Park.   

Over Flow Campground, the yellow baracades are where the training exercise was happening. We are the rig second from the left by the  light pole

Our first night was in their "overflow campground" on another side of the Base.  Upon arrival we discoverd we were located in a black top parking lot adjacent to several open fields and airplane hangers.  The field in front of us was staged for training exercises which were in progress.  We had a front row seat.   Exercises ended about 6 pm,  the troops dissappered into their tents and barracks.  We had a quiet evening visiting with a neighbor from Indiana. Went to sleep and at 3:30 AM  sirens began and the training exercise resumed for about an hour:(      5:30 AM Georgia decided she needed to go out, so I stepped outside the motorhome.  Georgia begins to growl and her hair stands up on her back. I look up to  to see a very tall figure reminicent of a "Starwars Storm Trooper" standing in the field across the street,  I step back in the RV to get my glasses, and take another look.    Thank goodness it was not a storm trooper!  He was however a very tall fellow in his training gear.   I decided to wave hello and continued to walk my dog:)    At 7:30 AM  the bugle sounded and the exercise began again. 

  We were supposed to be able to move to the main park at noon,  so we prepared to leave, and wouldn't you know the gun fights started right when we were ready to pull out.    I looked at Bob and said please tell me those are blanks  they are shooting, that we are having to pass through!  The kind guards motioned us to go ahead and we left  through the battlefield and continued on to the main Fam Camp.  We had a beautiful shaded site.  Met the Camp Hosts (from North Carolina) and their beautiful Great Dane "Apollo".  Georgia and Apollo made friends immediately like all good RVer's do:)    The Base Exchange and Commissary were my first stop to replenish our groceries and supplies.   This is a beautiful base.  

Our Campsite at the Fam Camp

Grass area for tent campers and walking the dog

Our second day was our visit to Mt Rushmore...

We took the scenic drive up to Mt Rushmore National Park ,  and spent the afternoon looking at the exhibits.   The Park is beautiful and well worth the visit.  I don't think more than a few hours is needed to tour unless you are a heavy duty hiker and want to hike the entire park. Bob is not a hiker he says he did all his hiking when he was in the Infantry:)  

Beautiful Views  from the top of Mt Rushmore parking deck

Bob, with the Rushmore Faces in the background.

We topped off our tour with ice cream cones and headed back to Ellsworth AFB to enjoy our last evening in South Dakota.