What NOT to do when driving your RV for the FIRST time!

We purchased our beast of a 5th wheel (Landmark Charleston) in October of 2015 and kept it in covered storage until late January 2016 when the opportunity presented itself to "fly" to south Texas with the other "snowbirds".  We had several friends who were planning to be in that area at the same time with their RVs and we thought this a prime time to soak up travel tips from seasoned veterans.

We had never pulled a 5th wheel before.  We had never been in an RV park or campground before.  And prior to our January departure, had never even hitched up anything to a truck before!  But that is how we roll - we go ALL IN and then figure out the details.  Right.  And after saying that ... here is what NOT to do when driving your RV for the FIRST time!

Do NOT forget to turn corners WIDE - especially the right turns.  In my husband's defense, he turned every corner on our trip with tremendous expertise except this ONE time.  Let me back up just a little ... We brought the RV home on Saturday after what seemed at the time to be a very thorough walk through / orientation but what later proved to be a big, fat blur of instructions having to do with knobs, switches, and gauges.  And, for the next five days, this giant RV sat in our driveway while we carried clothes, dishes, bath towels, and everything else we though we might need for our next few weeks living in an RV.

This RV is a monster, I tell you.  It is 41.3 feet long, 13.3 feet high and has five slide outs.  And while it didn't look that much bigger parked on the dealer's lot surrounded by other RVs - it looks stinking enormous sitting in our driveway.  Yep - many of the neighbors slowed down as they passed our house over these next few days of our loading, wondering what the heck we were up to now.



 Big, huh?  At one point on our journey we parked next to a semi-tractor trailer and we were the SAME SIZE!!

 

Wednesday morning FINALLY arrived and we woke up early and eager to begin our adventure.  We did the final packing and completed my checklists that I had obsessively and compulsively compiled on the advice of friends and from various websites over the weeks and months leading up to our departure.  Antenna down?  Check.  Refrigerator and shower doors latched?  Check.  And finally I ran out into the street to take the obligatory Facebook photo of us departing on our maiden voyage.



 

 

Look closely - Bill is in the driver's seat and READY to ROLL!  Wave hi to Bill.

 

Woohoo, here we go!  Now before I continue, I should explain that there is a lot of construction on our street as three new homes are being built and so we had to zig zag our way down the street avoiding a backhoe on the back of a long trailer and another trailer carrying a load of bricks - all which might (or might not) have contributed to our lack of focus on what we were doing - and we slowly approached the corner to exit our neighborhood, only a couple of blocks from our house. 

 

Our exhilaration and delirious smiles of giddy anticipation were quickly replaced with gasps and expressions of horror as we heard a loud CLUMP and felt the truck grind to a halt.  Oh my GOSH - we had just put the back right wheels in the ditch!  Yes - we sure did that - no joke!  Bill proceeded to scramble out of the truck to survey the damage while I doubled over ready to lose my breakfast.  I felt so sorry for us both - Bill for feeling so responsible at damaging our beautiful, new motorhome and me for being such a lousy co pilot.  Hadn't I worked hard to perfect my backseat driving over the years only to fail miserably when I was needed the most?

 

After about an hour of impatient pacing and waving off neighbors as they stopped by to offer assistance, a semi-tractor trailer wrecker showed up and lifted us out of the ditch.  We were SURE our trip was over before it had even started but there was surprisingly very little damage!  We hauled it back to the dealer where they opened up all the slides, set everything up, and ran a complete mechanical check to determine that the damage was all cosmetic and could easily be repaired once we returned to Tulsa the following month.  There were a few scratches on the top where the street sign scraped the side, a small dent on an under panel in the rear, a bar holding the spare tire was slightly bent, and a couple of screws were jarred loose on the ladder leading to the roof.

 

Poor, poor trailer in the ditch.  So sad - right?  (Really it's okay if you laugh - we are laughing at ourselves.  Now.)

 

So we ended up leaving two hours later than we had intended.  This resulted in us driving through Dallas / Fort Worth at rush hour and contend with a traffic accident in Fort Worth.  Consequently, we did not reach our intended destination of Waco, Texas that first night.  Bill, however, drove expertly for the remainder of our trip - and we NEVER forgot to turn WIDE again!

 

When we would share our experience with new friends that we met along the way they would immediately attempt to console us by sharing their own horror stories of sheering off awnings, putting tree branches through roofs, or ripping off air conditioning units on low archways or bridges.  LOL - it seems that everyone has a story.  I DO know that God certainly wanted us to slow down that day.  Who knows what tragedy He protected us from that day or in the future by allowing us a moment of carelessness.  And now at every, single corner I shout, "TURN WIDE!"  I will never shirk my backseat driver's duties AGAIN!  Isn't Bill a lucky guy?







For years I would make sporadic visits to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.  First as a child with my grandparents and later as a teen and young adult.  Then once I moved away from the Midwest I went a good twenty years without visiting before going back again in the mid 2000's.  And now, for the past four years, while living nearby, I have made one or more yearly drives to visit the theme park located in the Ozark hills.  There is just something I love about this place that keeps me coming back.  Maybe it is their standard of quality.  Or their attention to authentic detail and immaculate cleanliness.  (And this is coming from a girl raised on Disney - so these are HIGH marks!)  Or maybe it is their fearlessness at upholding patriotism, God, and morality.  All I know is I truly love the place and here are some especially wonderful things about the park that, in my opinion, should NOT be missed!

My TOP EIGHT Silver Dollar City Experiences:

ONE - Arrive EARLY at the park.  The lower part of the park, where the rides are located, opens an hour AFTER the upper portion or "square".  Various shops are open on the square at this hour, as well as numerous shady spots to sip coffee, eat a cinnamon roll or just watch the crowds arrive.  But my FAVORITE part of the square is Molly's Mill Restaurant.  This is the perfect spot to fortify yourself with a hearty buffet breakfast of biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and more.  It is rather average food, I must admit, but there is just something about sitting in a dining room with gingham curtains and a working water wheel that screams COUNTRY!  And that is what you are about to embark on, a day full of COUNTRY charm!

Visit to Silver Dollar City - October, 2006  (click on picture to enlarge)

TWO - After breakfast, be sure to find a shady spot on the square in front of the General Store for the park's daily opening ceremony and recognition of veterans in the crowd.  They are invited to be a part of a special parade while the crowd sings You're a Grand Old Flag as the veterans carry the flag to the flagpole located in this area.  The flag is raised and everyone recites the Pledge of Allegiance followed by singing the National Anthem.  And the park is then officially OPEN!  Come on, how can you NOT love that?

THREE - I also love the trees and shade and EXTREMELY hilly terrain one must traverse in order to navigate the park.  The pathways are steep, but after all, you are in a "holler".  (A holler is Ozark-speak for a hole or hollowed out part of a mountain.  Or it could be to shout loudly if you are using it as a verb.)  The benefit of all these hills is that they allow you to eat biscuits and gravy, homemade apple turnovers, kettle corn, funnel cakes, twisty taters, and all of the other country goodies the park has to offer and STILL be in a daily calorie deficit when you leave.  Yeehaw to that!

FOUR - And then there are the Sons of the Silver Dollar.  This vocal group that performs at various locations around Silver Dollar City features cowboy songs, bluegrass, comedic medleys, and southern gospel tunes.  I LOVE these guys and if you appreciate impeccable harmonies, you will too!  Be sure to check your daily performance guide when you visit for their locations.  I DARE you to sit through one of their sets without smiling and tapping your feet.   

The Sons of the Silver Dollar - take a listen!

FIVE - And while I LOVE all of the modern roller coasters to be found in the park (those that will surely lure a whole generation of new SDC converts), my favorite ride is Fire in the Hole.  It is a "dark" coaster of sorts and built in 1972, it was the first "thrill" ride in the park.  You will definitely see a few bad reviews for this ride but those are from folks who just don't GET it.  It is quintessential Silver Dollar City and has somewhat of a cult following.  The ride is a trip through an Ozark town that has been set ablaze by Ozark Baldknobbers.  (Baldknobber = a vigilante in the Ozark hills of Missouri during the 1800's.  They got their name from the bald hills found throughout the region.) The ride is full of twists and turns, kooky audio, and country chaos.  It is a bumpy ride with little padding under your rump (think Matterhorn at Disneyland) and rather dated but fun nonetheless - especially if you rode the ride when you were a kid.  The ride culminates with a final drop in the darkness and a splashy ending with everyone "hollerin" FIRE IN THE HOLE!!

This is a baldknobber.  Creepy?  Uh, yes.

SIX - If you visit Silver Dollar City only ONCE in your life, you must take the tour of MARVEL CAVE.  Silver Dollar City exists because of Marvel Cave.  The entrance to the cave is in the Visitor's Center that you must walk through upon entering the park.  The tours are included in your admission price into the park and last about 60 minutes.  The tour is spent ascending and descending approximately 600 stairs, ducking through tunnels, and squeezing through passageways (more calorie burning - Yay!).  It was originally called MARBLE Cave because in the dim lights of the first explorers, the limestone walls appeared to be marble.  Tours started in the late 1800's and news of the magnificent cave spread.  In the 1940's, the Herschend family leased the cave for 99 years and soon after built the 1880's mining town of Silver Dollar City around its entrance, officially opening the theme park in 1960.  You see and experience all of the usual cave peculiarities during your tour.  The cathedral room (Marvel's is as tall as the Statue of Liberty!), stalactites and stalagmites (stalactites hold TIGHTLY to the roof and stalagmites just MIGHT make you trip over them - a handy way to remember which is which - you're welcome), cave bacon, a few bats (if you're lucky!), and the state of total, black darkness when the lights are extinguished, accompanied with running commentary and corny jokes by an informative tour guide.  The whole experience is a great way to add to the lore of a recreated mining town full of moonshine and baldknobbers!

SEVEN - Silver Dollar City is the perfect place to pick up one-of-a-kind gifts made by craftspeople showcasing heritage crafts from a bygone era.  These are REAL DEAL artisans and have been a part of the park's tradition since it opened in the 1960's.  Demonstrations by resident craftspeople such as woodcarving, soap and candle making, blacksmithing, weaving, pottery making, and glass blowing are only naming a few and can be witnessed on every visit.  During the Fall Harvest and Cowboy Festival (one of several festivals held throughout the year) traveling artisans from around the country are added to the park's talented repertoire making it the ideal time to shop for holiday gifts.  Add to this the aroma of roasting corn, succulent meats turning on a spit, and pork rinds popping in a vat and you know Fall has arrived - an excellent time for a visit!

EIGHT - And finally, my very FAVORITE time of year to visit is in December. Christmastime is WONDERFUL at Silver Dollar City!  The Travel Channel and Good Morning America have both recognized the park's annual Christmas festival as one of the best holiday light shows in America.  A five-story Christmas tree complete with special lighting effects set to music, a Christmas parade, and Broadway-style productions such as A Dickens' Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life (these are outstanding productions as good as any you will see in NY or elsewhere!) set the mood for an old-fashioned Christmas.  Shopping, hot chocolate, Christmas carols, while bundled up in coats, mittens, and scarves and surrounded by over five million twinkling lights - truly a Christmas experience!

Visit to Silver Dollar City - December, 2011  (click on picture to enlarge)

Encompassing more than 100 acres, featuring over 40 rides and attractions, a multitude of shows and entertainment, craftsmen, dining, and shopping - the park has SO much more to offer than listed here - but these are my TOP EIGHT. Remember when you visit to appreciate the park for exactly what it is - good, clean fun.  Sure, there's a degree of hokeyness and a definite "cheese factor" at Silver Dollar City - that is intended.  But this park will leave you with a feeling of wholesomeness, patriotism, and a restored feeling of goodness in a crazy, crazy world.  And a healthy dose of THAT is good for everyone!

CREEPY Oklahoma ....

On a recent road trip in Oklahoma I discovered, I would say, the creepiest (and saddest!) place in the state of Oklahoma.  Located on Highway 69 near the Kansas and Missouri border is a literal, modern-day ghost town called Picher, OK. Years ago I remember hearing of the devastation to this one-time prosperous mining town.  First, in the late 2000's were the federal buyouts due to the high levels of toxic waste leftover from its lead and zinc mining heydays.  And then later was the devastating EF4 tornado that decimated the already crippled town by completely destroying roughly 20 square blocks and killing eight.  But to see the town with my own two eyes put the whole story in complete and startling perspective - this is one BIG, FAT mess from our country's industrial era.

The whole town felt like an eerie movie set from Mad Max or Book of Eli.

Before you actually arrive at the heart of downtown Picher, you encounter gigantic mounds of what appear to be gray sand and rock.  Giant sand-dune like mountains completely surrounded by fence and barbed wire.  These mounds are the actual waste from the days of mining called tailings or "chat" - around 175 million tons of "chat" consisting of crushed limestone, dolomite, and rock containing silica, all leftover once the metal ore was separated.  Perspective = that is enough to build a four-lane highway around the Earth - TWICE!

Now you know what a big pile of "chat" looks like.

Unbelievably, generations of families used these giant hills of waste for recreation. Families would picnic on the hills and they were a favorite place for hikers and four-wheeler enthusiasts.  Children would sled on them in the wintertime.  And parents would fill their kids' sandboxes with the sand/waste and use it in the concrete and asphalt for the foundations and driveways in their homes. The Picher High School track team even trained on these hills.

Stay away ... stay FAR away!!!

While the mining ceased in the 1960's, the town continued to thrive until the 1980's at which time it began its decline.  During that time the effects of the contamination was rampant.  Although not yet identified as the culprit of the persistent and higher than normal ailments in the town, the silent poisoning took its toll in high cancer rates, respiratory infections and high infant mortality rates to the tune of 20 - 30% above the national average.  In 1996 a study showed lead poisoning in 34% of the town's children.  It's no wonder schools consistently reported that kids in Picher were sick more often and lagged behind significantly in test scores.

These signs are posted all over town and nearly all streets are blocked with barbed wire.

Not only did the residents use the mounds of toxic waste for extracurricular activities ... there was this issue with the water.  The groundwater was so contaminated in the 1970's that the water in nearby Tar Creek ran red.  Upon testing, the water in the area was found to contain heavy metals such as lead, zinc, arsenic, and iron.  Residents tell stories of swimming as children in the lime-green colored ponds around town and it taking weeks to wash the resulting orange-colored stain from their hair.  Whaaaat???

Empty slabs of concrete and deserted remnants such as these line the highway running through town.

And then there was also the matter of the sinkholes popping up around town. With close to 500 open mine shafts in the area and tunnels and cavities crisscrossing underneath the city, the possibility and probability of a massive cave in was inevitable.  Because of the instability of the earth and tunnels underneath the town, the homes had no septic tanks and no basements or below-ground shelter - this contributing to the deaths in the 2008 tornado.

Stark and jarring remnants of what used to be.

With a population of around 15,000 in the 1920's, today there are only about 10 people left who refuse to leave.  After the EPA called Picher one of the most polluted places in America and it made their list of Top 10 Environmental Disasters, the federal government began offering buyouts to the residences in 2006.  In 2009 the last class of the Picher Gorillas graduated from the local high school - a total of eleven graduates.  And that same year Picher officially ceased to be a town.  By 2013 most residents had accepted money from the government and had vacated the town that they had lived in for generations.

The Picher water tower - surprisingly, with a fresh coat of paint!

As we left Picher to head back to Tulsa we stopped in nearby Miami, OK to use the bathroom.  I headed to the sink to wash my hands and this sign was tacked to the wall above the sink.

I scrubbed clear to my armpits!!

Sources:   WIRED - 8/30/2010, New York Times - April, 2004, Time - 4/19/2004, Mother Nature Network.

I'm Back!

I initially started this blog in late 2010 to share art, photography, scrapbooking, and other stuff related to my life with my friends and other folks who share similar interests.  Shortly after starting, I was out-of-the-blue blessed with a new career as a sales rep for art and paper crafting supplies.  This gig consumed my life for a few VERY SATISFYING years but I'm happy to be at a place once again where I can continue where I left off in 2010.  Sharing art, photography, scrapbooking, and now a lot more travel too (both near and far!).

Yup - we're traveling much more these days. Our "have to's" in life have decreased and our "want to's" in life have increased allowing us to hit the road or grab a flight to some destination of adventure more frequently.  My Jonesy is more than happy to oblige my wacky photographic pursuits with a pose here and there and that certainly make me happy.  Here he is demonstrating his willingness while on one of our many roadtrips that we took during the time that I have been away!

Ever the lover of roadside art and/or kitsch - this statue was a no-brainer stop on our way to South Dakota in September, 2012.  This bronze sculpture located in Oakley, Kansas and created by Charlie and Pat Norton commemorates the legendary Buffalo Bill (William F. Cody) and the popular (and gruesome) buffalo hunts of the 1800's.  While Buffalo Bill certainly killed scads of buffalo, once he realized the detriment to the herds and their dwindling population, he made things right by setting in motion a plan for their preservation. So give the guy a break - while the killing of these magnificent beasts seems barbaric - we often do stupid things in our ignorance.  Heck, people used to smoke in their hospital rooms. Today that makes no sense at all!  We all do better once we know better, right? Nonetheless, many bison today can be linked to the herds that he later raised on his ranch known as Scout's Rest and located in North Platte, Nebraska.  So he was one of the good guys.

The area surrounding the sculpture has picnic tables, a storyboard describing the history of Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, and local Native American culture.  Located at the intersection of Highway 83 and 2nd Avenue in Oakley, Kansas, you will also find a pet-friendly travel center with restrooms, Kansas maps, brochures, and a gift shop.

So, here I am five years later and my "journey" continues to be "sentimental" and proves to be even more so as time marches on.  Most everything I do and every place I go still ends up documented in my scrapbooks so I can't help but include some of them here. I'm thrilled to share the illustrating and documenting of the road trip of my life with YOU.  I hope you discover something inspiring, find a place you might like to visit, or at least see something to make you smile.  It's so nice to be back!

New Digs!!

Everyone that thinks this is my last time to move, raise your hand.  Well, this IS my last time to move.  Really, it is.  We have found a new home in Oklahoma.  We take possession on May 1st and will probably move in shortly after.  I really cannot wait.  It is the perfect home for us.  A bit bigger than what we are sardined into right now, but not as big as what we have rambled around in, in the past.  Just perfect!  Here's a photo:

Can't you just picture me sitting in that chair on the front porch?  That is where I'll sit and talk, and watch a hawk making lazy circles in the sky, ooooooooooooh (those were lyrics from the musical Oklahoma) (in case you didn't catch it).

It looks like it is out in the middle of nowhere, doesn't it?  That's because it is.  Bill and I took a drive up there this past week and drove around to check out banks, dry cleaners, and other places to carry out our business.  It looks like we are going to be those folks that take a monthly trip into "town".  Not much around there and people apparently don't have their clothes drycleaned.  The closest grocery store is a Piggly Wiggly, if that tells you anything.  That's okay though because we are at the "middle of nowhere" time of our lives.  If that sounded pathetic I didn't mean for it to.  We are just ready to relax and be anti-social recluses if we feel like it.  And when we don't?  We can head to "town".

What it is ... is the perfect place for CAMP GRANDMA.  Can you imagine all of the little cousins gathering together one week every summer to play splashy water games, do arts and crafts, and learn silly "grandma" songs?  Criteria for CAMP GRANDMA:

• You must be potty trained.  (This is very important when you have 9 and soon to be 10 grandchildren under the age of SIX).

Anyway, it puts me smack dab in the middle of my new biz.  I have been spending a lot of time traveling the highways and byways of Oklahoma while visiting gift and scrapbook stores.  Probably more byways than highways.  Although there are a lot of turnpikes and toll roads in Oklahoma.  They have names like The Indian Nation turnpike and Chickasha turnpike.  I like the whole Indian vibe. 

So if you happen to be in the Tulsa area and happen across a house that looks like this one, drop in and say "hey".  Because that's what people do that shop at the Piggly Wiggly!

Grandma Love!!

Dearer than our children are the children of our children.

                                           - Egyptian proverb

It is so hard to believe that I have added another grandbaby to my brood.  So here's a list of all of my grandbabies in order of age:

• Jacob  (age 5)
• Ella   (age 5)
• Lucy   (age 5)
• Jaxson  (5 on Wednesday! - Happy Birthday Jaxson)
• Jerrin   (age 4)
• Amelie  (4 next month)
• Mason  (age 3)
• Morrison  (3 next month)
• Landon   (NEW! 10 days old tomorrow!)

And we have another one due in late Spring!!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being a grandmother.  I never thought that grandmotherhood would arrive as early as it has .... but here I am with nearly TEN grandchildren.

And so I dedicate this poem by Jack Prelutsky to all the grandmother's of the world (and believe me I've felt this way before with all these grandchildren under 6 years old!):

Hurry Grandma hurry,

Grandma look at me,

I'm right side up, I'm upside down,

I'm swinging from a tree.

I'm jumping like a squirrel,

I think that I can fly -

Grandma please don't worry,

Grandma please don't cry.

Hurry Grandma hurry,

see what I can do,

I'm roller-skating backwards

across the avenue.

Here's a luscious little bug,

I think I'll take a bite -

Grandma stop your screaming,

everything's all right.

Hurry Grandma hurry,

Grandma watch me please,

I'm climbing up a ladder,

I'm dangling by my knees.

I found this giant spider

that was stuck in globs of paint,

Grandma take a closer look -

whatever made you faint?

TIME FOR ...

With the new year I have all sorts of things that I think I need to be better about making "time for". 

Time for ......

making better choices in my diet!  Who doesn't think about this at the beginning of the New Year?  I started this back in November because when I do this in January it never works.  So far, so good.  I've lost 12 pounds and gone down a whole size.  Hurray, me.  (Thank you, Jenny Craig!)

Time for .....

moving my bootay.  And I mean in a cardio, fat-burning way.  Bill bought me a gym membership for Christmas (which I haven't used yet) and my first subconscience thought was that he thought my bootay was getting a little bit too round.  But then someone pointed out to me that it was all in love and he really only wanted me to be healthy.  The next day he went to the grocery store and brought me back an US/Weekly magazine with the Best Diets of 2011 - a 23-page special.  Hmmm.  I'm telling myself he bought me that because he knows what a kick I get out of the "fashion police" section and that it had absolutely nothing to do with my bootay.

Time for .....

a new Bible study.  And what better than a Beth Moore home study!  I am currently doing one of her Personal Reflections Series entitled David - 90 Days with a Heart Like His.  Click on the link for its availability at Amazon.  Available for the Kindle too!  (Gotta get me one of these!)  This series includes short daily devotions that don't take too much time (so you can't use "being too busy" as an excuse) but that help to get your mind right before starting out your day or laying your head on your pillow at night.  Sections like, "When Husbands Wimp Out" and "Where to Go When it Hurts" - can you relate?? 

Time for .....

A STORY!  It's hard for me to write a post without including some scrapbooking and here is one with that exact same title!  This is Lucy and Grandpa.  It is several years ago, she's FIVE now, but that is why I scrapbook, you know?  To relive the precious moments of my life.  So here it is:

(Click on it, it gets bigger). I totally "scraplifted" (it's legal) this design from here.  I changed it up a little by making it 12x12 instead of 8.5x11 and changed the embellishments.  I don't normally scraplift a design to this extent, but it was so perfect for these photos, why reinvent the wheel?  Thank you, PickleBallChamp (don't know your real name) for the terrific inspiration.  My favorite part of the layout (other than sweet Lucy) are the cute kittens from Crafty Secrets.  It is a page from their Childhood Image and Journal Notes and you can see them here.  They've been around for a LONG time but I never tire of their cuteness.

AND it's Time For ....

a new job!!  Yes, I wasn't even looking for a job, especially with our move to Oklahoma on the horizon, but a good friend was retiring from her sales rep job with a manufacturer's representative company and she put me in contact with the owner of the company.  AND guess what the territory is?  Oklahoma!  Crazy, huh?  So I will be representing several scrapbook manufacturers and gift lines to scrapbook and gift stores across the great state of Oklahoma, a bit of North Texas, and a bit of northwest Arkansas.  I am soooo looking forward to this but am scrambling a bit as it means a frantic trip to Los Angeles in two weeks for a trade show (CHA).

Frantic?  Yes.  Scrambling?  Yes.  So what the heck am I doing sitting at the computer writing this blog?  See you!