Tales To Tell
We came back to our “home” base, on August 24, 2017, where we used to live in a house, before my retirement and starting our RV adventure, to visit family and take care of medical appointments.
We had much to talk about, sharing our travel adventure, going from Independence, MO, on June 14, 2017, with the state of New York as our eastern destination. Our tales included our visits to many sites of interest from Niagara Falls, NY to Buffalo, WY. Then, we traveled south to Colorado and back through Kansas.
Many of our friends and family wanted to know our favorite stops and details on places they had never been, that we had!
Appointments On The Run!
Our local stay started at an RV Park that I did not even knew existed, Blue Springs Lake Campground. It is one of three Jackson County operated campgrounds. The other two are Lake Jacomo Campground and Longview Lake Campground.
They had a two-week stay limit, which the county extended to four weeks, due to my medical need to get shots in my knees over a three-week period.
The time went by quickly as we were busy inviting friends and family out to our RV for a fireside dinner and visiting. Everyone was excited for us and wondered where we would wander to next. We were still not clear where we would travel to after this stay. Our home had wheels. So, there was no excuse not to travel.
Moving Around Before Moving On
As our four-week stay at Blue Springs Lake Campground, which we enjoyed for its convenient location, came to an end, we found out we could come back after a five-day absence, for another two-weeks!
So, we moved out to Trailside RV Park, in Grain Valley, MO. We continued to visit family and friends. And, we began to formulate some plans for our next adventure.
When we moved back to Blue Springs Lake Campground, where we were recognized residents, again, we continued to build a game plan for when we would leave town and in what direction.
A Family Event Would Kick Off Our Next Adventure
In the past, my cousin, Dean Cramer, in Parsons, KS, tried to host an annual family gathering for the children and grandchildren of our twin mothers. We gathered to play Pitch and to consume snacks and generous meals prepared by Dean’s wife, Peggy, our Hostess! And, most important, we caught up on family matters during a lot of conversation and laughter—lots of laughter!
We established a date, October 21, 2017, for our next Pitch Party, in Parsons. That was a firm date that triggered a plan of action and a time for it to start!
The decision was made to leave Independence on October 15 for a short excursion to southern Missouri, with an attempt to do some fishing in the Grand Lake of the Cherokees, in Oklahoma, where my dad took me fishing as a kid of 10 or 11.
Our departure was a week beyond our stay at Blue Springs Lake Campground. So, we moved over to Lake Jacomo Campground for the rest of our visit back home.
Our Next Adventure – Route 66!
It was fitting that I should share some of my old stomping grounds from my youth with Connie, as we waited for the long-anticipated Pitch Party. My folks had a farm of 40 acres, which they bought just before I started first grade. That farm was between Carthage and Joplin, MO. We lived a quarter mile west of US Hwy 71 and a mile south of where it crossed US Hwy 66. I was one of the last people to attend a one-room school house, called Fidelity Corner School, named after the intersection of those highways, which was known as Fidelity Corner.
In my next post, I will reflect on the sites visited and our time fishing in Grand Lake. And, our first leg of our westward journey!