Monday, October 15 through Saturday, October 27: Family, Tennessee, Indiana, and Back to the West

Monday morning was exploration in the area. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is very close by. Richard and I went to the park in 2010, but we were on the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg side. Walland and Townsend are the "quiet side." Of course, the three Ebbert girls had to have a photo taken!

We took an eleven mile loop to Cades Cove. There were still remnants of early settlers to the area.

It was a beautiful morning in a beautiful place.

Later in the afternoon, we dropped by Stephanie and Josh's home. The "coolant low" idiot light on the truck has been activated. Yesterday, Tom bought several antifreeze containers and had to use them to feed the reservoir. There is leak residue and coolant smell. Josh took a look under the hood. He could not see where the leak was, but he could hear a small "hissing" sound.

When we got back to the trailer, Tom called several auto mechanics to see if they could help us. One asked that we bring the truck to their shop the next day at 9:00 a.m. Later on, Stephanie and Josh met us for dinner at Calhoun's Restaurant in Alcoa.

I had a delicious filet mignon!

The next morning, Tom and I took the truck into JRJ Auto Service. There was a high percentage of rain in the weather forecast, so I left the dogs at home.

The good news is that a small pinhole size leak was found in a hose. The hose was replaced, the antifreeze was topped off, and we were good to go --- all within 30 minutes. We decided to take advantage of quick fix and drive to Knoxville and Clinton and Oak Ridge. Tom lived in Clinton with his family from 1981 to 2006. Stephanie, Tom's daughter-in-law is from Oak Ridge.

Knoxville was the sight of the 1982 World's Fair. The Sun Sphere still stands proudly in the city skyline.

The little road trip was about 120 miles. At about 3:00 p.m., Stephanie and Josh stopped by our RV park to say hello and meet the dogs.

That night, we had dinner at Stephanie and Josh's home. Josh, like his dad, is a great cook. We had chicken enchiladas. Yummy!

The "coolant low" idiot light came on again. Arghhh! Wednesday morning, I called JRJ Auto Service. They said that a bubble must have developed and it sucked out all of the coolant. They asked that we bring the truck by and they would check it out and refill the antifreeze reservoir. Done! Tom and I then went to Josh's home. Before Tom and I left Williams, we told Jon that we would be happy to bring some of his possessions back with us. For three years, Jon has had a 5th wheel trailer parked in his brother's side yard.

In the afternoon, I went on a 25 mile drive to visit several antique shops and the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center.

In the evening, Tom and I met Stephanie and Josh at Hot Rods 50's Diner in Alcoa. Our final time together was fun.

The next morning, we headed north to the Indianapolis area. Tom's 92 year old mother moved back to Indiana earlier in the year. It was time to see her and visit some of the places where Tom grew up. We had reservations to stay at Lake Haven Retreat RV Park --- centrally located. It was a long commute
--- over 370 miles. We made the decision to make-up for the extra days spent in Slidell, Louisiana. The RV park was very nice!

It was also decided that we needed to head back to Williams. So, we cancelled our trip's "dip" back into Tennessee. We had hoped to visit Ellen and Mark Burson in Oxford.

Friday morning, we spent some time seeing Indianapolis. I had never been there before. A highlight was seeing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway --- where the Indy 500 takes place each Memorial Day weekend.

We also scheduled a visit with Mary O'Dell. She was so happy to see her eldest son!

The assisted living home where Mary lives is very nice. Tom's mom is getting great care!

That evening, we had dinner at BJ's Brewhouse with Tom's nephew, Nate O'Dell. Nate's pretty wife, Kim, and her 8 year old son Isaiah joined us too.

Saturday morning was a 35 mile drive to Martinsville. This is where Tom was born and where he spent most of his youth. Martinsville is where famed UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, grew up. I couldn't resist a photo opportunity at a school named after Coach Wooden.

Unfortunately, Martinsville is not a bustling town. But, the Martinsville Candy Kitchen is celebrating 100 years next week. We wanted to take some homemade candy back to Tom's mother. The owner of the Candy Kitchen, John Badger, was related by marriage to Tom's sister, Pat.

We had lunch at White Castle in Martinsville. I haven't had a White Castle hamburger in over 40 years!

Sunday morning was a travel day to St. Louis. Next to the Lake Haven Retreat RV Park, is a fire station. The dogs had been eyeing a Dalmatian statue in the front yard. So, before we headed out, a photo opportunity was mandatory!

Our next stop is Cahokia RV Parque, east of St. Louis. It was an easy 242 mile drive. Since it was an early arrival, we decided to take a loop drive --- over one bridge over the Mississippi River --- east to west --- and another bridge over the Mississippi River --- west to east. There were portions of the old Route 66, the downtown skyline, and we parked along the river front by the Gateway Arch.

Gateway Arch is the newest national park. So, we will head over there in the morning. I brought my National Park Passport Book!

The RV park is in the town of Cahokia. It is a fairly black neighborhood, but the park is tidy and large.

Jerry Smith, who worked with me at the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon, lives in St. Louis. We have kept in touch over the past ten years. So, I contacted him and he will join us for dinner Monday night.

The next morning, we left for St. Louis at about 10:00 a.m. It is only ten minutes away. We found excellent parking right next to the park. We decided to buy tickets for the Visitor Center's movie about building the arch in the 1960s. We had to wait about 40 minutes for the movie. So, did you know that they have a gift shop???

The movie was about 35 minutes in length and it was excellent. I had know idea how complicated an architectural and a structural feat it was!

After the movie, I lined up for the tram ride to the top of the arch. Tom is claustrophobic and declined the opportunity. The tram pod is very small.

It took four minutes to go up the 36 story arch. The observation deck is enclosed and the windows are are 27 inches wide and 7 inches tall.

We were at the Visitor Center a total of 2 1/2 hours. So glad we decided to leave the dogs at home! We left St. Louis and crossed back to the east side of the Mississippi. We stopped at a local grocery store for some staples.

Located next to the RV Park was a highly rated restaurant, Sawmill BBQ. That is where we were going meet up with Jerry. Promptly at 6:30 pm, we were all together! Each of us ordered the beef brisket. I had it in salad form, but Jerry and Tom had platters.  It was fun reuniting with Jerry!

The next morning, we headed west. Carthage, Missouri, was our next stop. It was a 281 miles drive. The Big "Red" Barn RV Park is a quiet park located in the country. The funny thing is that our RV site was right next to our very same trailer. I mean THE VERY SAME!!! Same year, same model.

We never had the chance to talk to the neighbors. They are residents of the park.

Wednesday morning, we left for Oklahoma City. The normal commute is 220 miles, but we decided to avoid toll roads. This added about 20 miles. It isn't the expense of the tolls, it is the difficulty of paying the tolls when there are no toll booths. A lot of the road touches on the old Route 66.

In Clairmore, Oklahoma, we had an issue. One of the weight distribution bars on our hitch separated. It was dragging on the street. Fortunately, a nice motorist signified that there was a problem. We stopped at an RV store. They directed us to Camperland RV in nearby Tulsa.

The Camperland service team said that it would cost less to buy a whole new hitch unit. It came the the hitch and the weight distribution bars. So, 30 minutes later, we had the new set-up. It was great that we had a low mileage day to Oklahoma City!

It was a rainy evening in Oklahoma City. We stayed at a very nice park, Twin Fountains RV Resort. Fortunately, we arrived before sundown!

On Thursday morning, we headed to Amarillo, Texas. It was a 268 mile day. Before arriving at the Fort Amarillo RV Park, we stopped at a Walmart for some groceries and a fuel fill-up. We passed by the Big Texan Steak Ranch which sells a 72 ounce steak dinner. If you eat the complete meal, it is free!

The park where we stayed was comfortable. The appearance was a little rundown --- but you could visualize what it looked like in its glory days.

At Safeway, we bought two nice looking filet mignon steaks. Tom cooked them in the iron skillet. Delicious!

The next morning, west of Amarillo, we passed by Cadillac Ranch. In 1974, ten Cadillac cars --- with fins --- were buried along the highway. It is a living art structure, as visitors are allowed to add their artistic touches!

Friday was a 288 mile day. Our next stop was Albuquerque. That day, we talked about just heading home on Saturday. We were ready to pick-up Ramsey at Cinder Hills Kennel and limp home. It had been a great vacation, but we were ready for home. We checked into the American RV Park, located west of downtown Albuquerque.

That afternoon, I cancelled a park in Hollbrook, Arizona, and contacted the kennel that we would be picking Ramsey up a day early.

Albuquerque is on Mountain time. So, we gained an hour in Arizona. We picked Ramsey up around 2:30pm.

We arrived home around 4:00 pm. Tom backed in the trailer. The sun was right in his line of vision, so it took several attempts. But, success arrived! The dogs, Tom, and I were happy to be home after four weeks.

Monday, October 1 through Sunday, October 14: Travels, Family, Trials and Tribulations

Day 2 of our travels brought us to Silver City, New Mexico. Richard and I had stayed at Rose Valley RV Park about nine or ten years ago. It is a nice park.

We were assigned a nice long site with a privacy fence. Easy --- did not have to unhook the truck and trailer!

The next day, we headed to Texas. It was a 273 mile trip to Van Horn. The RV park where we stayed was a former KOA. It was a nice park with a lovely little lake.

The RV park had a cafe. It was nice to order take-out breakfast on a travel day. We also enjoyed a very nice sunrise.

That morning, we noticed a lot of oil on our trailer and on our truck. Darn! The diesel truck must have another oil leak :-(

The RV park reception desk recommended M&M Wrecker in Van Horn. We called them and drove a short distance to their establishment. They thought it might be an oil pan leak. But, they were not equipped to fix the problem.

Tom purchased extra motor oil at the local Napa Auto Parts and we headed east on Interstate 10. I called Rick and he gave me the name of a reputable auto service place in Austin, near where we were staying. Tom and I didn't want to get bogged down with truck service issues in small towns.

The next stop was Sonora, Texas. It was about 263 miles. The little RV park where we had reservations served as a mobile home park too. Five day earlier, the nearby river overflowed without warning and flooded the park. The park was dry by the time we got there, but some of the cars, RVs, and mobile homes had bad water damage.

Kelsey and Libby seemed to have no trouble sleeping soundly that evening!

The last leg of our trip to Austin was only 191 miles. I called Austin's Auto Specialists --- about our oil leak. They said to bring the truck by their shop in the afternoon. We arrived at La Hacienda RV Resort around noon. We set up the trailer, had a bite to eat, and drove to the repair facility. We left the dogs in the trailer. Up the hydraulic lift the truck went!

Bad news...the rear main seal had to be replaced. They would hold it overnight and begin work on Friday. It was going to be a 1 to 1 1/2 day job with the cost being several thousand dollars. Oh well, it is a 16 year old truck with over 333,000 miles!

We were taken back to our RV park in a courtesy car. The park is only 10 minutes away. Rick picked us up at 6:00 pm. We had cocktails and dinner at their home. I had not been to their home in Steiner Ranch for six years.

Joell made fish tacos and chicken enchiladas. Yum! Rick was a great bartender with flowing margaritas and Moscow Mules!

Friday, Rick and Joell picked us up to go visit their wedding venue property near Dripping Springs. They purchased 38 acres of "hill country" unimproved land and are building a huge modern barn and venue sight for weddings. The water and electricity infrastructure are in, the barn is built, but not yet complete. The four of us walked through the building and visited two wedding places --- sunset hill and the grove.

The property, Mae's Ridge, is incredible. Joell created the plans and artistic concept and Rick has done most of the work himself.

The next stop was a  brewery, Twisted X Brewing Company. There, we met up with Andrea and Skip Cooley. They live across the street from Rick and Joell in Steiner Ranch and were out and about that day too. We then made a caravan to nearby Deep Eddy Vodka. We all enjoyed adult beverages!

Rick and Joell have a favorite barbecue restaurant in the area, Salt Lick BBQ. The four of us went there for a late lunch or early dinner while Andrea and Skip headed out for more adult beverages! We ordered our barbecue meals and sat in their wooded courtyard.

My truck is still not quite ready to be picked up at Austin's Automotive Specialists. Fortunately, they are open on Saturdays!

The fun set up for Saturday was going to downtown Austin. The Austin City Limits Music Festival was in full gear, so Rick took us to the downtown area in a "round about" way. But, it worked!  The first stop was the YETI Flagship Store. I was not knowledgeable about YETI, but Tom was. YETI is a company that specializes in sporting good coolers and drinking devices. I dove right in and bought my very own YETI.

It was a nice fall day to walk around the downtown area.

We had a late lunch or early dinner at a North Italia Restaurant. Even though it is a high end chain, the food was delicious!

University of Texas was playing University of Oklahoma in football at a Dallas, Texas stadium. As we walked through the downtown area, we stopped several times to check on the game. Fun! The Longhorns beat the Sooners! It was an upset, as Oklahoma was ranked 7th in the nation and Texas was ranked 19th.

On Sunday, I walked the dogs (as usual!) around La Hacienda RV Resort. This is a very nice park located less than 20 minutes from the Austin Ebberts. It was a lazy morning. We were not meeting up with with the Ebberts at their Steiner Ranch home until early afternoon.

The plan for today was going boating on Lake Austin. Rick and Joell co-own a boat with their neighbors, Skip and Andrea. The boat slip is at the home of another couple, maybe 15 minutes away. Grandsons, Jake and Beck, joined us. The weather cooperated!

Lake Austin was formed by the dam below Lake Travis. But, all is part of the Texas Colorado River. Rick drove the speed boat.

Jake played interactive games on his phone.

And Beck surfed the wake.

Tom and I were willing spectators.

We got off the water at about 6:00 pm. There is a Mexican Restaurant near our RV Park. It was decided to have dinner together there, at Los Pinos. After dinner, the six of us went to our travel trailer. Beck and Jake have never met Kelsey and Libby. We took a family photo.

It was time to say our good-byes, as Tom and I were leaving in the morning.

The next day, we drove 253 miles to the Gulf Coast RV Resort in Beaumont. East of Houston, we got off for some gas in Baytown, Texas. I was driving and pulled into a Texaco station. The diesel pumps were not well placed, so I pulled around and the trailer hit a three foot post! Darn! Darn! Darn! Hopefully the slide was not damaged.

We reached the Beaumont RV park at about 3:30 pm. We were assigned a nice pull-thru site. It was a pretty RV park, but the ground and grass were soggy with recent rain. It was here that I had my first experience with chigger bites. Ouch! We tested the slide where we hit the post. It worked fine. Thank goodness.

Breakfast was included at this park. So, the next morning, we helped ourselves to making a Texas waffle. A first!

That day, our commute to Slidell, Louisiana, was 283 miles. Our destination was Pine Crest RV Resort. The park was fairly old, but did have pull-thru sites. We were assigned site #10. We managed to get into the site, but it was a tight fit. Part of the park backs up to Lake Pontchartrain and part of the park has a pond with signs posted like this one!

The office knew that we were not unhooking our truck. They suggested a nifty service called waitr.com. I loaded the app on my phone. It is like an Uber for food. We ordered two dinners from the Copeland's of New Orleans Restaurant and it was delivered within 30 minutes. The service costs an additional $4.95. The pastas were delicious!

It was here at this park that Tom and I both realized that the damage from the Texaco station in Baytown, Texas, may involve the tire axle. One of the tires is cocked.

Tom and I knew that this issue needed to be addressed. We took the rig to a local automotive repair shop. They said that this was a more complicated matter and they could not handle it. The owner was kind enough to make a number of phone calls. His best recommendation was to go to Anfield Trailers, about 18 miles to the west. So, we drove to Anfield Trailers. There, we asked for Michael Carr --- the owner. Michael and his father-in-law Charlie took a look.

It was determined that the tire and axle were damaged when I was driving and the trailer hit the gas station post. The mechanic, Bud, also got involved. Michael began to call various places to find a replacement axle. There were none to be found. The axle is an odd size. Even the manufacturer had none! I called my insurance company to begin the claim process. Serious problem-solving action took place. Michael had an axle that could replace the damaged one, but it was a different size and modifications would need to be made. A matching axle was ordered and it was coming overnight.

Michael and Bud suggested that Tom and I take the trailer and spend the night at a local state park --- Fountainebleau. We were "walk-in" campers, but the park had a nice pull-thru site available.

The state park is beautiful. It used to be a plantation. The dogs and I enjoyed some long walks that afternoon. The next-day check-out time was 1:00 pm. So, the next morning, the dogs and I walked to the pier and beach area of Lake Pontchartrain.

Tom and I dropped the trailer off  at Anfield Trailers Thursday morning. We decided to spend the night in Slidell at the La Quinta Inn. Dogs are not an extra charge. Dinner was Panda Express take-out. Tom has never eaten there. Richard and I used to go to the Flagstaff location about once a week.

A late check-out was requested for Friday. First thing in the morning, Tom and I picked up the bad trailer tire and a new (!) flat tire --- from the other side of the trailer. We dropped the two tires off at Advantage Tire. We still had hours to kill before our trailer was fixed. We went back to the Fountainebleau State Park and I showed Tom the pier and beach area.

After that visit, we drove further east on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. At about 4:00 pm, we checked in at Anfield Trailer.

Bud was working feverishly to fix the axle issue. He felt comfortable that it would be completed that day.  Bud was an amazing fabrication specialist. He was able to do all the repair without using welding tools. The work was completed after the sun went down. I made reservations that night at Sun Roamers RV Resort --- up the road 30 miles --- in Picayune, Mississippi. We arrived there at 8:30 pm.

Welcome, Fall! Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations adorned the Sun Roamers RV Resort office building.

Because of the two extra days in the Slidell area, we had to make up mileage. So, we drove over 350 miles on Saturday --- to Attalla, Alabama. There, we stayed in a quiet RV park with no amenities.

The next morning, we only had 220 miles of driving to get us to the Knoxville, Tennessee area. We had a four night reservation at Whispering River RV Resort in Walland. The RV park was located on a gentle river called Little River.

We arrived at the park, set up, and went to the town of Alcoa --- about 20 minutes away --- to visit Tom's oldest son, Josh, and his wife, Stephanie. We planned to see them each day while we were in the area.