2015 Spring Trip (cont’d) 022015

Wednesday, February 11 to Monday February 16, 2015

This entry is easy, we took care of all the preparations for the annual Mardi Gras party at Bill’s house and after Sunday cleaned up after the party. So nothing exciting or startling to report, except the party was a big hit. Oh and Sarah did go to New Orleans on Saturday to watch a couple of the parades they had there, me I stayed back at the house.

Tuesday Sarah did laundry for our pending departure and return trip to the frozen tundra of Iowa and Nebraska.

We can’t begin to thank Bill and Mable enough for the gracious hospitality and sightseeing we did, they showed us a great time and Sarah and I thank them immensely.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

We headed out for Little Elm, TX to Teresa & Bennie’s house. Of course we arrived when rush hour was going on and it was in full swing too. However, my great driving and ignoring the directions of the GPS we arrived unscathed.

Teresa & Bennie have a beautiful home, with a nice size pond in the back and lots of wildlife. They also have stupid birds down here, the ones who see a bird in the reflection of the windows and tries to fly to them and ultimately fly into the window.

Friday, February 20, 2015

We went touring today, Teresa took us to the campground we stayed at the last time we were in the area and we found the sight we had at the time. They still hadn’t fixed the sewer problem.

Then it was onto Stonebriar Centre Mall. Now I am not much of a mall person but I was there. We ate at California Pizza, definitely not Pizza Hut but very good pizza. Then I told the ladies to go do their thing and I would meet up with them somewhere, so that is what we did. I walked the mall upper and lower levels, so I got my exercise in, and then I found Godiva chocolates, so much for my walking the mall.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Today we went to the George W Bush Library on the SMU campus. Nice facility, there was a video played on three walls above our head, very interesting to watch. It is also interesting to see the use of new technology in the newer libraries. Truman’s library has been updated since I first visited it in the seventies. The other interesting thing is the security checks you go through to get into the libraries, it is the same as getting on an air plane.

Again, I enjoyed the visit, even though I did not do justice to everything offered. All three libraries to do justice to them need a full day or even two.

So I accomplished my goal of seeing the three presidential libraries within the state of Texas.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

We decided to head for Wichita, KS today, getting an early start to avoid the ice and sleet which was forecasted for the afternoon and evening hours. Thank you Teresa & Bennie for your hospitality, we enjoyed every minute of it. Next time we will play Rummikub.

We accomplished our goal with driving through a slight amount of snow between Oklahoma City and Wichita. We arrived about two thirty and got settled in our room. We were able to go to church at Holy Savior Church at 5 pm. Afterwards we had dinner at Firebirds restaurant, good food.

Monday, February, 23, 2015

We headed out for Kansas City about nine and since I hadn’t changed the navigation to let us go on toll roads we ended up going north to Hwy 50 and over to Emporia then Interstate 35 into Kansas City.

Went over to Steve & Lynne’s and had dinner with them and played a few games of Rummikub, ended up getting back to the hotel about nine thirty.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Slow start today, didn’t get up until eight, we didn’t eat breakfast until after nine and headed over to Steve & Lynne’s at eleven. Went to lunch with Lynne at Arris in Lenexa, http://www.arrispizzaonline.com/#!lenexa-ks/c2am, this is a Greek restaurant that specializes in Greek ingredient pizzas. They have a noon buffet which Sarah & Lynne had and looked good. I ordered a 10” pizza which was very good.

Went to see Zach played in the school symphony, they played music from the movies, rock and roll type music. I enjoyed it immensely.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Got up early to get on the road. I wanted to get ahead of the ice, sleet and snow the forecasters were calling for along the route we were traveling. We were able to get going by 7:45 am, a record for us, and we made it to within ten miles of Burlington before we saw any snow.

We have a nice room at the Comfort Suites in Burlington, I have never stayed here before but it is a nice hotel. Larry and Kathy braved the snowy roads and came out to the hotel for dinner. We ate in Peaches, the hotel restaurant, food was good but nothing special.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Today we are going to see my aunts, Millie and Marcella, we are taking lunch to them. Millie had some surgery on her knee and I want to see how she is doing. So we will be spending some time with them. The weather isn’t very nice, very cold, high today of 14 and low t

onight of -11, so we aren’t going very many places today, I think I’ll make a couple phone calls.

Talked with Joe Fleming this afternoon, he sounds good. We had a nice visit and hopefully we will get back this summer for a luncheon.

Had dinner with Kathy & Larry at Gator’s a local eatery, prime rib was very good.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Woke up this morning and it was -11 outside, what is that all about? Left Burlington around 11:30 and arrived Davenport about two.

Checked into the Hampton Inn and the hotel is doing some renovation. Our room has been renovated but when the heating unit clicked on it has a vibration that is very loud, may have to move to another room.

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Had a great day at Madyson’s dance competition. Her group won several awards and it was neat to see how much she has progressed. She entered a competition where an instructor shows them a dance and they practice it several times and then perform it. Madyson didn’t win anything in it but she did a great job in performing it and are very proud of her for trying. It was a long day but a great one. We enjoyed meeting some of Robert and Sarah’s friends we hadn’t met before. We had a great time the whole weekend.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Got up early to have breakfast with the kids but Mason and Madyson wanted to go swimming, so Sarah and I had breakfast by ourselves. We saw the kids in the swimming pool, said our goodbyes to everyone and headed for Omaha. For our friends in Des Moines, we didn’t stop to see you all because we wanted to get home.

We arrived home about two in the afternoon and then spent the rest of the day unloading the car and getting things put back in place. (We had the interior of the house painted while we were gone) After two months and 6300

miles it was great to be home.

People have asked me if I liked this trip better without the camper and the answer is yes and no. Yes because I didn’t have to worry about something happening to me and Sarah having to deal with the camper and truck. No because it is always nice to have your home with you at all times. It was more expensive without the camper, not including the cost of the camper etc., because we stayed in a lot of hotels, 21 days worth, and we ate out a lot. We had a great time and Sarah and I want to thank everyone we stayed with, Colleen & Darius, Debra, Jose & Emma, Bill & Mable, and Teresa & Bennie, all family and friends, Thank you very much.

Until later.