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| Happy face, happy place |
Have had no time to post on my blog, comical in that my original intent with blogging was to keep others posted while we were traveling. As so many other events and circumstances in life, so it is with the blog, it changes; most quick posts are on Facebook and a few personal emails. I do find Facebook helpful at notifying several all at once. Nevertheless, we have had a wonderful journey to date while several times I've had thoughts and or sights about which I've thought, "must get that onto my blog." I am loving the sunshine and warm weather, laps in the pool and leisurely hikes around the RV desert park.
We journeyed a different route southwest through lots of Kansas, that we had not seen before along Hwy. 54. Avoiding interstates allows for a more scenic route and interesting spots. I saw signs advertising the world"s largest hand dug well near Greensburg Kansas, as one of the eight wonders of Kansas. I have asked what are the other 7 but suppose that question will remain unanswered until I do some internet searches.. One evening enroute we stayed at Wal Mart's RV spot, with several other RV'ers. It was quiet and the price cannot be beat, a nice way to save a few $$ for self contained RV'ers. Our next door neighbors were snow birds from Manitoba, Canada on their way north. Many snow birds in their motor homes are already headed north, making us appear to be swimming against the tide. All through southwestern Kansas we noticed individual oil well pumps, here and there among the ranch lands, all pumping. Well at the price of oil and no relief soon in sight, why not. although I do wonder, what happens to the oil from these scattered individual wells? It must be refined, is there a cooperative of sorts where individuals gather to ship oil much like the cooperative grain elevators throughout the Midwest? Or are these not owned individually as I imagine? What would you do with your own oil well? Dream on....The next morning before we left I noticed right across the street this oil rig.
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| Liberal, Kansas, Oil well |
I recalled westward history of our country along this route and both Kansas and Missouri are proud of their heritage in settlement of the west along the trails, rivers and byways. Murals were noticeable in many of the buildings, and I snapped this from the window while we were pulling out of the Wal Mart lots. This building, a full city block long makes a dynamite display for the panorama.
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| Building Mural Liberal, .KS |
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| Close up of buffalo in same mural above |
While Jerry was driving, I was reading n article about the history of American RV's in the Family Motor Coach Association's monthly magazine, which also included some photos supplied by an archivist from the RV Museum in Elkhart Indiana. Wow, I thought that certainly would be an interesting blog post, in particular for Sepia Saturdays if I can copy/scan some of the first RV's. "Houses on wheels" was the term used in the early days of Motor home travel. Fate often fires loose with her funny sense of humor as she did when we were at a rest stop in Arizona. What should be there but, Joe, a man from Georgia in his very own self made motor home/trailer. I have to say I've never seen anything like this. He was an interesting character and admitted to an affliction of generating more ideas than fund$; Joe wants to keep traveling the country and he is enjoying himself to the utmost in his own version of towed 5th wheel, he did this all himself and was very proud to share with Jerry. Certainly unique, don"t you think? Well it is working for Joe who says it was more important to be mobile and to see the country than to worry about his rougher venue; he was perfectly content to see the USA from his own bus and he was someone who likely has a very interesting life story..
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| Joe from Georgia moving along westward |
This is what we love about taking the motor home on a journey, the experiences, the sights and the very interesting folks we meet along the way. Well we are in Arizona after a one day stop in another favorite spot, Las Cruces, NM, Sunny Acres RV Park, where we have stayed before. We will return to Sunny Acres on our way home. It is a small RV Park with a share of interesting characters.
I never before thought of taking photos of palm trees the 40+ years we lived in CA. Now deprived of their daily sight, I find it fascinating to look through the fonds. And I remember the first "miniature" fan palm I purchased to plant alongside our first home in Fair Oaks conversation went something like this and I have to admit to being mislead (notice not wrong) in the purchase. "Pat, this will get too big.." "Well it will not! See the tag says, miniature, it is just perfect for here." And 5-6 years later it towered up to the roof of the second story. Eventually it had to come out. I remain a fan of fan palms!
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Sunny Acres RV Park
Las Cruces New Mexico |
More later about our Arizona adventures.
