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People & Places

One of the problems we always have is "remembering". And it's getting harder and harder. Yet it's always the people & places that trigger the memories to come flooding back. So, both Joan and I thought it would be helpful for us to keep a log of sorts. . . in addition to the blog. Plus, we can keep this up to date a little more easily. 

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February '22

  • Portland graffiti, food, & homelessness

  • Multnomah falls, almost frozen solid in the early morning. 

  • Backroads & covered bridges in Oregon

  • Gourmet diners in little Oregon towns like Lebanon (bacon, blackberry grilled cheese)

  • Jennifer in Ashland

  • Michelle & Dean's rental in Healdsburg

April '22

  • Camping at Costanoa with 3 labradors. DEFINITELY not enough room. Don't do this again. 

  • "Solar Gypsies" -- two folks we met in Big Sur. They've been on the road for FOUR YEARS.

  • Delphine the artist who gave us two exquisite paintings (octopus & bird) for the van.  (oh and her family: Jodi, Jean Francois, Hayden, & Henry)

  • Deanne, Mark, Jackson & Easton who live near a Kardashian

  • Jan (Joan's big sis)

  • Jerry & Gwen (Joan's brother & sister-in-law)

  • Jeff (Joan's nephew)

  • Camping spots - Hambly Farm (lavender), See Canyon Apple Ranch, and San Antonio Olive Ranch

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June '22

  • Ashland, OR: Stopped at JJ's house again. 

  • Bend, OR:  Visited Todd & Kim again. ALWAYS the very gracious hosts!

  • Walla Walla, WA:   Made camp in a Wheat Field, just outside of Walla Walla. Amazing sunset and I got to go to the WW Bread Co. the next morning . . . which is always a great treat!

  • Todd & Kim came to Spokane to visit daughter Vivianne and we got to catch a Spokane Indians game with them. Sadly Kai (Viv's beau) got exposed to covid that day and we missed the chance to meet him. :(  

July/Aug '22

  • Bocce with Joe & Steph and clan. (RJ's cousin & fam)

  • Hiking & lunch at Schweitzer Mtn

  • Skiing and hanging out with Jon & Allison and clan (RJ's cousin & fam)

  • 4th of July fireworks + parade in Coeur d'Alene. It rained, but the parade was well attended. Lots of conservative republican presence, but an amazingly large parade entry for reproductive rights. Echoing the Kansas vote perhaps.

  • Golf, boating, skiing, dock sitting, running, hiking, dog walking, etc. in Hayden

  • Pickleball is a highlight. MWF mornings with Tonya, Lee, Glenn, Mike, Deb, Helen, Lisa, and a host of other awesome people.

  • RJ gets to go do 60miles of the Tour du Mont Blanc. Bucket list moment!

  • Jerry & Gwen (Joan's bro & wife) visit Hayden

  • Val (Joan's sorority sister) visits Hayden

  • Friends Julie & Andy visit and we four go visit Deanne & Jim's place up near Sandpoint

  • We finally get to go do the JMT section hike we'd planned for last year -- Mammoth to Tuolomne Meadows. Another bucket list moment!

  • Another great Tahoe trip with the 24 Lost Soles. 

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Sept '22

  • Stopping in Wallace ID for the history of the Big Burn (1910)

  • Glacier

    • hiking & other fun with Ramsays, Kremers, Grays, & Paul H at Lake MacDonald

    • Antique shopping with Cathy, Margi, & Paul

  • Havre, MT

    • the H E Clack museum with the smiling stuffed beaver and staying at the Evergreen Campground​

    • Crossing MT on the "Highline". Old hwy 2​​

  • Minot, ND​

    • Paying estimated taxes at from the Office Depot

    • Golf at the Apple Grove Golf course in the early AM (very wet)

  • Fargo, ND and Detroit Lakes, MN​

    • Visiting Casselton, ND. Home of Randy's friend Joe and site of Joe & Tracy's wedding​

    • Visiting Deer Creek, MN (pop 332) where Randy's mom lived as a little girl.

    • Joan: "North Dakota is VERY under-rated. It's Beautiful!" 

    • Finished listening to Born a Crime by Trevor Noah​

    • Pickleball drop-in where we get our butts kicked in a "Minnesota nice" kind of way. 

    • Ketter's meats in Frazee, MN for some of the great sausage that Joe & Tracy recommended. ​​

  • Minneapolis, MN . . . spur of the moment trip for a Twins game​ where we meet TJ the Kid Rock doppleganger

  • Westby, WI for a Hipcamp at the Creamery. 

    • A toilet "issue"​

    • Chair massage at the coffee shop

    • Some people don't wave at runners & walkers?  ​​

  • Chicago​, IL

    • Hipcamp in a very poor neighborhood with very helpful people who were invaluable to us. They included:

      • Connor & Scott who made us feel comfortable and helped us squeeze Doris into a VERY VERY tight spot in Nicky's backyard. ​

      • The young man on the El train station steps who helped us figure out where to go

      • The transit authority officer who guided us through ticket buying

      • The elderly Sox fan who was dressed in a Cubs jersey and rode with us all the way to Wrigley, making sure we didn't get lost

    • Cubs game: sitting in the bleachers surrounded by Cal fans on their way to ND the next day. 

    • Post-game at Cubby Bear's and a great dinner at Longman & Eagle (thanks to Jill P for the rec)

  • Culver, IN for a great visit with the Feicks

    • Golf, boating, eating, & lots of van talk!

    • Discovering our water leak with Doug! And getting it fixed in Wakarusa, IN by  Nick at Paul Conley's RV Service place

  • Elkhart, IN to celebrate the repair at The RV Hall of Fame

  • South Bend, IN to visit Notre Dame & take a picture with touchdown Jesus​​​​​

  • Tecumseh, MI Just passing through.

  • Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON Canada - Surprisingly cute town where we:​

    • Biked to Niagara Falls (where the "town" is 10x ickier than Fisherman's wharf in SF. 

    • Golfed at a really nice little 9-hole course in NOTL. Played with Shelly and Brock from Nova Scotia. Really nice folks. 

    • Went to a neat play at the ShawFest. "Just to get Married" by Cicely Hamilton. Set the stage for 48hrs of the history of women's rights. 

  • Seneca Falls: â€‹

    • The National Women's Rights Historical Park & site of the Seneca Falls convention in 1848

    • Beautiful church.

    • Great statue called "Ripples of Change" commemorating 4 women whose contributions to women's rights often have been overlooked:  Laura Cornelius Kellogg (Oneida tribe), Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Martha Coffin Wright

  • Cooperstown, NY​

    • Baseball Hall of Fame​

    • Farmers Museum - Deceptively amazing!

    • Watching some guys play their annual game at the Doubleday field. 

  • Albany, NY​

    • Visiting with Kathy and David​

    • Great tour of Albany and some of the downtown revitalization efforts

    • Watched "Irish Rowing"

    • Connected with Connor J and got to watch him salsa

  • Exeter, NY just spent the night at a "gentleman's farm"​

  • South Thomaston, ME

    • Bike ride out to the Owls Head Lighthouse

    • Dinner on the beach at our campground!

  • Acadia National Park

    • Hiking Cadillac Mtn and Mt. Acadia

    • Movie in Bar Harbor

    • Run/Walk around Jordan Pond with Popovers afterwards

    • Driving tour including Sandy Beach and Thunder Hole (which were both underwhelming)

October '22

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  • Cupsuptic Campground, Rangeley Lakes Region 

    • Drove to the top of Quill Hill

    • Played golf at Mingo Lakes where we met Leslie the former teacher and Steve & Lisa from Connecticut

    • Climbed Bald Mountain where there was an amazing canopy of leaves and a view from the fire lookout . . . and where we realized we should be wearing some neon orange!

  • Mt. Washington, NY​

    • Free parking in the parking lot with our twin RV: Kelly from Santa Rosa and her two golden retrievers​

    • Cog Railway to the top of the mountain

    • Drive through Jackson, NH and the Pumpkin people afterwards

    • Drive the Kancamagus highway through the leaves

  • East Montpelier, VT (Bragg Maple Farm)​

    • Drive down the Mad River Byway through Warren, VT and over the Lincoln Gap Road. (Joan drove!)​

    • Joan gets a haircut

  • Middlebury, VT (Appalachian Gap Distillery)​

  • Putnam, NY

    • Parked on our "farm"

    • Dinner with the neighbors (Huntington's)​

    • Breakfast with the other neighbors (Ohny's)

    • Walking the property and exploring the forest

  • Williamstown, MA​

    • Stayed at a golf course and played the next day​

  • Morris, CT​

    • Dinner with Robie and Levi.

    • Robie’s boat smokes and dies

    • Joan to nyc with the girls. I stay in morris and run and do yoga. Both of us very happy

      • Left Robie a thank you with two beers in jackets

      • Got a haircut on the way to Westport. Walked the beach there and had dinner for Robie’s birthday with her friends.

  • New Canaan, CT

    • Lunch with Polly and Liz (daughter)

  • Shelton, CT

    • Stayed and chilled there after getting Covid booster

    • Toured Yale and esp liked the museum of art

  • Charlestown Breechway, RI

    • Great to stay on. The beach and get a nice walk and a run

  • Harley shop in Warick RI

    • Really nice folks

  • Foxboro, MA Normandy Farms rv resort

    • Anniversary dinner at Neptune in Boston

    • Head of the Charles with Kathy and David

    • Dinner with Matt and Aliza

    • Lunch with Wilson Taylor in Providence

    • Lunch with Tony and Cindy Lapolla on the cape (lobster pie, chowdah, Boston crème pie!)

    • Amazing rv resort!  Got upgraded and running  in.  Great decorations!

  • Northampton, MA

    • Lunch with Beth Bishop and Tim and Kirsten

    • Tour of Deerfield

  • Lewes, DE

    • Stayed with Joan's cousin Joanie and her three dachshunds​

  • Alexandria, VA with Rodger and Sue

    • Great dinners and conversation

    • Article about calculus teaching

    • Mt Vernon

      • Complicated history.  Tries to do too much.  Compare to Cooperstown

      • Met Thomas and Lindsey with grandpa from Houston and daughter.  Loved the rig. Said to go to the smokies and Maury county and Nashville and Chattanooga and Franklin

    • Monticello, VA

      • Much more educated guide. Longer your

      • Start and keep enslaved people in the conversation

      • ​​Sally Hemings negotiating her freedoms for her children in France (where she could have stayed) at age 16 when Jefferson was 46!  Her mother had children with his father in law.        Jefferson freed only 7 of the 600 slaves he kept

      • Every 4th of July they have naturalization ceremony here.

  • Waynesboro, VA   Cracker Barrel parking lot

    • Ate breakfast there

    • Blue ridge parkway!  6 mile hike up bee mtn and hanging rock on the AT

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Nov '22

  • Roanoke, VA  Twisted Track Brewery

    • pub trivia night and we were bad!

    • Cute downtown. Pastries, Amtrak service

  • Bristol, TN

    • Stopped to see the old Gray Dairy and the Bristol motor speedway

  • Asheville, NC

    • Pretty bad RV park. Old, concrete, side by side, next to freeway, but in Asheville so expensive

    • Nice WNC farmers market. Great product pictures

    • Did a long walk in Asheville around the River Arts District. (Lots of good, free parking and potties!) Then up to downtown thru the Brewery district

    • FINALLY got some Mexican food at an all-Latino restaurant with Brazilian/Peru/Burritos/etc.

    • Ghost tour of the town. . . Ghosts are people too and just want some resolution

  • Great Smoky Mtns, TN

    • Hike to Peregrine Mtn and Hen Wallow Falls

    • Beautiful National Park

  • Knoxville, TN

    • Spent 2 nights in a semi-nice rv park.

    • Played golf at a par 3 course in the AM . . . All 18 holes . . . Had 3 undergrads playing in front of us. . . Incl one with a cigar

    • Watched the Utenn - GA football game in Fieldhouse Social . Big let down bc Tenn was so bad. But great chicken “fingers”. Really great.

  • Nashville, TN

    • Rained

    • Backroads of E Tenn are a little grim. ESP in the rain. Lots of cars in front yards.

    • Spent afternoon on Broadway. Saw some honky tonk music

    • Stayed at a big resort next to the KOA acrosss the street from Opryland

    • Near 2 blonds with 1 guy

    • Dump cassette in their toilet (don’t tell)

    • Had fire, but it rained. . . . Picture of Joan with an umbrella

  • Bardstown, KY

    • On the way here we stopped in Bowling Green at the National Corvette Museum and toured both that and the Corvette Assembly plant.

    • Got to My Old Kentucky home campground next to the MOKH golf course.

    • Meandering our way to Cleveland to see the Richardson’s

  • Columbus, OH

    • Stayed another night in a Cracker Barrel parking lot

    • We both did yoga in the parking lot in the AM :-)

    • Lakewood, OH (Cleveland) with Mark & Lora Richardson

    • Great tour of Cleveland (and learned about the Guardians)

    • Amazing farmer's market

    • Mostly it was wonderful to just see them and Ty and really really enjoy the conversations.

    • This has totally been a theme. We've had a terrific time catching up with everyone.

  • Wheeling, WV

    • Although the stats (15% poverty rate) aren't terrible, this is a town that really looked like it had fallen on hard times. Lots of boarded up stores

    • Watched a minor league hockey game -- Wheeling Nailers.

  • Morgantown, WV

    • RJ didn't sleep well and woke up not feeling well, so we shacked up in a hotel in Morgantown to just veg for a couple days.

  • Wytheville, VA​

    • Very cute little town that had only recently gotten a grant and totally redone the main street. . . . up to and including installing speakers that were playing 70's pop tunes all day long!​

    • Stayed at a brew pub.

  • Elon, NC​

    • Took Emily's roomies out to a great dinner. â€‹

    • Stayed at a campground closer to Duke that was mostly full with families who had a loved one at the medical center undergoing (mostly) cancer treatments. 

    • Took the Van to a mercedes dealer for some warranty work and a tire rotation & alignment

  • Duck, NC​

    • Went out to the outer banks to hang with Craig & Alison and family. Super fun group, but man-o-man that wind is cold out there!​

  • Menlo Park, CA​

    • Flew back home for a week with Bob & Betty for Thanksgiving. Adam & Matt also joined us and it was great to get some of our "normal" exercises in (walking with the girls & running with the Soles​

  • Durham, NC​

    • Spent 2 nights at Cracker Barrels while we waited for the van to get fixed.​

    • Also spent an afternoon at the Home Depot fixing the plumbing leak under the bench (Very scary!)​​

    • Waiting in the Starbucks for the van I was really struck by the bio of the starbucks manager. Seems an amazing person. ​​

    • Impromptu stop at the Bennett place (site of the final surrender of the civil war) . . . limited mention of slavery nor of the condition of the blacks in the area or on the farm. 

  • Wilson, NC​

    • Stopped at a Cracker Barrel here, but mainly came to see the Whirli-gig park. Amazing!​​

December '22

  • Wilmington, NC & Carolina Beach State Park​

    • This was a very cute little town with a very dark history (the Coup d'Etat of 1898) . . . a great lesson in how our history sometimes gets told (see the Cape Fear museum)

    • The Bellamy mansion

    • Great downtown, few chains, a river walk, and a battleship

  • Charleston, SC

    • Stayed two nights at Tideland Brewing, where Molly the bartender gave us LOTS of great recommendations.

    • A very nice tour of the town from Dr. Eric Lager, a history professor from the Citadel

    • Visited the "Angel Oak", which is estimated to be over 400 years old. 

    • Watched the Charleston Christmas parade and music on the square featuring the Low Country Voices, a lovely gospel choir

    • Some very good Carolina BBQ at Lewis BBQ on the north side of town. 

    • Toured the Charleston Slave Mart museum and had a nice long talk with Christine King who runs a touring exhibit on the business of slavery.

  • Savannah, GA​

    • Great tour from Dr. Jamal Toure' of Georgia Southern University about the history of African Americans in Savannah. ​

    • Toured the First African Baptist Church, one of the oldest black Baptist congregations in the country

    • Ran/Rode a great trail though Skidaway Island State park (and the surrounding swamp)

    • Toured the Gullah Geechee museum at Pin Point. Maybe the best of the 3 tours because you got a more visceral sense of the Gullah culture. Great pictures and video as well. 

  • Folkston, GA and the Okefenokee Swamp​

    • Stayed at a great RV resort (owned by a guy from San Diego!) right at the Okefenokee park entrance​

    • Toured the Swamp

    • Spent time walking around Folkston, GA

    • Stopped for BBQ at local favorite Dap's BBQ. Really loved the classic Carolina pulled pork with the mustard based sauce. Didn't order the "parfait", but . . . 

  • Augusta, GA​

    • Visited with cousin Jane & her husband Roger,  who'd recently relocated to Augusta from upstate NY. Also saw Jane's daughter Jenny & her husband Greg & daughter Kelly, who are long time Augustans

    • Went to church to see Jane play in the bell choir

    • Toured downtown Augusta & the Robert E Lee/Freedom bridge

    • Toured Aiken, SC the "best small town in the South"

  • Stone Mountain Park, Georgia​

    • Did our own walking tour of Stone Mountain and learned about this amazing and disturbing monument to the Confederacy​

  • Home to CA for a few days, then off to Palm Beach, NSW for Christmas​

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January '23

  • Atlanta MLK's house and the MLK center, the World of Coca-Cola, plus another Cracker Barrel night

  • Tallapoosa & Talladega, AL Two veterans memorials built by Sammy Robinson (who we met) and some bad water. Sadly we didn't get to the Superspeedway 

  • Anniston, AL The Freedom Riders National Memorial

  • Birmingham, AL Civil Rights Museum, Kelly Ingram Park, 16th Ave Baptist Church

  • Montgomery, AL EJI's Legacy Museum, the Peace & Justice Memorial (WOW), Rosa Parks statue, camping at Gunter Hill Campground on the west side of town

  • Pensacola, FL Stay & Golf at Scenic Hills Country Club

  • Gulf State Park, AL Stay & veg & exercise for 3 nights on the beach + Flori-Bama bar

  • Mobile, AL - Eat & explore the "original" home of Mardi Gras. And buy an outfit for New Orleans. 

  • Dora, AL - Stay and play golf at Horse Creek Golf Course where, weirdly, women don't play, so Joan got lots of odd looks. 

  • Nashville, TN - We spent 2 days with our friends Sarah & Ken who we haven't seen in AGES and who just moved to Nashville 6 weeks ago. 

  • Granville, TN - The home of the Alberts Gore (Sr. and Jr, I think). Bills itself as a sort of Mayberry of TN, but well . . .

  • Merriweather Lewis Campground, Natchez Trace TN.  Spent the night on the way to Memphis. Also visited 

    • Leiper's Fork, TN​

    • Franklin, TN

    • Hohenwald, TN

  • Memphis, TN​

    • Stayed at a really icky campground with a great location out by Shelby Farms.​

    • Had an amazing 4 days bouncing around Memphis among John K's great suggestions.

    • Favorites included Shelby Farms for exercise, Elwood's for the BBQ and the Crosstown Concourse.

  • Lake Charles, AR​

    • Beautiful State Park​

  • Eureka Springs, AR​

    • Very funky little town. RV park with terrific sunsets​

    • Holy Land park and Christ of the Ozarks were, well, odd for us. 

    • Nibbles restaurant was Amazing.

    • The sex toy shop owner was a hoot. As were all the employees of the clothing store having the massive sale.

    • Got out of town before the snow started

  • Bentonville, AR

    • 3 inches of snow​

    • Crystal Bridges Museum

    • Gotta go back for the biking and trail running!

  • Little Rock, AR​

    • Great Riverside RV park location. Right across the bridge from the Clinton Library.​

    • Walked 9 miles, hitting the Esse Purse Museum (big win), Little Rock Central HS national monument (also a big win) and the state capitol.

  • Clarksdale, MS​

    • Stayed in Eric M's house. ​

    • Great dinner at Hookers with Jon Levinson who's working on health care structure for rural MS

    • burgers with Sykes, Mike, JB, & Elmer at the Bayou Bend country club

    • Blues at Ground Zero & breakfast at Our Grandma's

    • Whitney D at Whitney's Boutique is an amazing entrepreneur

  • Greenville, MS​

    • Too much rain & mud​

    • Missed Emmett Till memorial (Sumner)

  • Tupelo, MS​

    • Elvis' birthplace with weird shrines and a church service as if Elvis were a god. ​

February, '23

  • Jackson, MS​

    • Civil Rights Museum​

    • VERY cold and rainy, so we cancelled the hike plans and missed Medgar Evers house. 

  • Natchez, MS​

    • Great River View campground RIGHT on the Mississippi​

    • Bi Papa's donut house + Tamales

    • La Cuevas mexican food in Carrollton, MS (really good) . . . nice fella who moved from El Salvador when he was 12

  • Livingston, LA​

    • Attacked by 2 labs while running, but they backed down. Really, how can labs be mean??​

  • Biloxi, MS​

    • Stayed at Cajun RV park, but COULD HAVE stayed at Jeff Davi's former home​

    • Dinner at Lucy's and then Shaggy's (Shaggy's was better)

    • Golf at Bay Breeze Golf Club

  • New Orleans, LA​

    • Marina RV resort for 3 days while the Mercedes dealer sucks all the money out of our bank for an oil change (yikes)​

    • Next door neighbor Phil is the ROTC coordinator at Tulane. After the divorce he just started living on the road. Owns a trailer, a semi, a truck, and a small sedan. 

    • Great ride into the French Q from Christina the Uber driver with a son who's a musical prodigy

    • Great food at Saba's, Molly's, and Turkey & Wolf

    • Crawfish boil with Krew Pontchartrain

      • Met Bill & Kathy from Chicago who spend 1/2 the year in NOLA. They took our picture on the float​

      • Met a bartender who only drinks Frangelica straight. 

      • Met a local math teacher and Cory Duplechin, the bass player who just got his HS diploma jointly with his son. Also had his stomach stapled and lost 100 pounds. 

    • Great Second Line with the KP and then rode on a float in their parade. ​

    • Watched the Super Bowl here with Cynthia bc she's from Kansas City and loved the result. 

  • Lafayette, LA​

    • Great food at Scratch Kitchen . . . Very CA vibe​

    • Bon Temp Cafe for Valentines Day

      • Had Alligator bites and, really, all the food was terrible, but ESPECIALLY the tuna and the brussel sprouts . . . . no, really, it was epically bad​

  • Avery Island, LA​​

    • Toured the Tabasco operation. . . A classic factory town​

  • Abbeville, LA​

    • Poverty here matches Mississippi​

  • Lake Charles, LA​

    • Amazing town museum with really interesting and helpful gals to show us around -- A 4th gen Acadian who wants to teach ard, and a Coast Guard's wife ​

      • Celebration of Black Mardi Gras​

      • 250 yr old oak tree where husband thought he shot his wife, so he killed himself, but she actually survived. 

    • City Hall Art museum and a security guard named "Latin"​

    • Stayed at a great brew pub with amazing food from Chef Thibodeaux

    • Exercise in the morning by running the stadium stairs at McNeese State. 

  • Beaumont, TX​

    • VERY cold​

    • VERY large oil & gas processing facilities

    • Ran stairs at the local HS football stadium . . . with a 2 story press box. Nicer than McNeese St.

    • Toured the Texas Energy Museum

  • Houston, TX​

    • Great to see Matt Joss​

    • Got Doris stuck in a HUMONGOUS mud bog across the street from his house. 

  • Dripping Springs, TX​

    • 1 night at Crane's Mill at Canyon Lake ​

      • Great sunset and perfect ACOE campground​

    • 3 nights at ​Pedernales Falls SP

      • Good hiking and relaxing​

      • Went in to Austin to see Tyler & Ashley and the kids

    • 3 nights at Arkansas Bend on Lake Travis​

      • Lake is really low, but park is nice and very new​

      • Joan got lost on her hike and got very scared and teary

  • Dallas (Frisco), TX​​

    • Stopped to see Adam & Dominique​

    • Dinner at Hutchins BBQ . . . wins the BBQ challenge for me. Hands down

    • Camped on the street outside their apartment building, next to the Frisco Rough Riders baseball park

  • Gunter, TX​

    • Stopped to see Cousin Paul and wife Cathy​

    • Amazing new home in Gunter and they're terrific hosts and cooks

    • Great brisket & cheesecake for Joan's birthday!

    • Loved the idea of the Frozen German Chocolate cake thawing on the dashboard!

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March '23

  • Wichita Falls, TX

    • Had to stop & stay here at the last minute bc of the hail and wind. 

    • Had foot massages and went to the movies!

  • Wichita Mountains NWA, Oklahoma​

    • Had 2 great hikes​

    • Only $19 a night with Joan's senior pass. :-) 

    • Saw a herd of Bison

    • The most perfect morning coffee/tea on the lake!

  • Chickasaw NRA, (Sulphur, OK)​

    • The most perfect morning coffee/tea on the lake!​

    • Nice 6 mile hike and great place to hang out. Epic nights around the fire

    • Great visitor's center in Sulphur that helped with lots of ideas for OKC

  • Oklahoma City​

    • First Americans museum, Murrah Building memorial, Nat'l Cowboy museum ​

    • Dinner at the Cattleman's cafe near the OK National Stockyard . . . Visited the Stockyard to see the auctions the next day

    • Warriors vs. Thunder basketball game

    • Stayed in the same parking lot both nights. Really nice OKCider Co. and Core4 Brewing. Great location

  • Tulsa, OK​

    • Stopped to visit Greenwood Rising​

    • Ate at Wanda J's cafe down the street. 

  • Amarillo, TX​

    • Ran stairs at a downtown parking structure​

    • Had dinner at Spicy Mike's and got to take a picture with Mike himself. 

    • Lunch the next day at a local taqueria. REALLY run down place with great food in a REALLY poor part of town. A classic Joan moment of "just walk in" and it turns out well. 

  • Mill's Canyon, NM (dispersed camping)​

    • Great to be out in the wide western sky​

  • Santa Fe, NM​

    • Staying with Betsy and Stephen in their wonderful new house in SF​

    • Day trip to Albuquerque to get Doris fixed again. 

    • New Mexico History museum, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, plus downtown SF

    • Dinner at Tesuque Village. Great mexican food. 

  • Socorro, NM​

    • Yet another wonderful one of Joan's cousins . . . Louise & Richard and a little golf​

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