On the Road towards Florida

We had enough cold, windy weather and with a two day ice storm predicted for Monday and Tuesday and high wind warning for Sunday, we baled out of Coffeyville Saturday morning when we finished work. We started traveling about 6:30 am and headed for Branson/Hollister, MO to meet up with our Escapees friends, Sandy and Mike Bubar. RV newspaper editor/publisher, Nick Russell says that he tries to keep a state between him and a relative, but thinks nothing of traveling 200 miles to have lunch with an fellow rv friend. That's kind of what we did, traveled 173 miles to have dinner with the Bubars and left the next morning.

Sandy fixed us a great breakfast of biscuits and sausage gravy with scrambled eggs and fried potatoes. We had been up 34 straight hours, so we did get a 3 hour nap then went out for dinner to the Rib Crib - fabulous St. Louis cut pork ribs. Jim and Mike ordered exactly the same dinner including sides (ribs, brisket, onion rings and baked beans), as did Sandy and I (ribs, fried okra and seasoned fries). Do you think we two couples are compatible? You betcha!!!!

After dinner we went to one of those Branson shows - this was the Pressley Family Country Jubilee. These Pressleys were the founders of Branson some 47 years ago and Lloyd Pressley is 84 years old and still plays the bass in the show. Now there are four generations performing in the two hour program which was a mixture of sacred, patriotic, and country music. It was quite good with lots of humor----it felt real good to belly laugh again after 3 months of hard work.

Sunday we took off but took this picture with the Bubars in the clubhouse of the Escapee park there in Hollister. I "pinched "this photo off of the Bubars blog (sorry Sandy) as I haven't downloaded mine from the camera yet.....and I'm posting this from the truck as we are driving down the road (let's hear it for air cards yeaaaaaaaa). We drove through Arkansas and got to Memphis, TN but it got dark while we drove around trying to find a place to stay. The local Walmart had heighth restrictor barrier so that semis couldn't enter and that prevented us from entering also. Semis could only park for two hours and there were security cars and cop cars driving all around. Tried to stay at the Tom Sawyer Mississippi River RV Park in West Memphis, AR but it was pretty barren and office was closed on Sundays. It might be really pretty in the summer with everything green and lush watching the tug boats mosey down the river, but in December there are 4-5 rvs parked there and the land is brown and ugly, so we drove on. Finally parked at Mississippi River RV Park in Memphis, TN with two other rigs and had a good nights sleep. I did wake up a couple of times and although I heard the freeway traffic, I thought "gee it is unusual to be in an rv park right off the freeway and not hear a train"........ till the whistle blew and blew and blew. Yes, indeed, we were back up to the railroad tracks. Oh, well, it is kind of comforting to hear now, we are so use to trains by/in rv parks.

We got off at 9 am this morning and because ice storms were predicted for Memphis this afternoon, figured we'd head south to Mobile/Summerdale, AL to get out of all the bad predicted weather. We'll stay at a Passport America park in Helena, AL tonight (right outside of Birmingham) and make it to Summerdale Escapee Rainbow Park tomorrow. Then I am going to take an extra sleeping pill and tell Jim not to wake me up until I get up and go to sleep and see if I can get caught up from Coffeyville. We really like the Escapee Park in Summerdale and the close proximity to Gulf Shores and the availability of fresh fish and shrimp.

Ok, that is all for today as we are getting close to Birmingham and I need to listen to the TomTom for the final directions. We miss all our friends at home and our rv friends on the road everywhere. Know that you are all thought of often and fondly.

Remember - - - you are loved!!!!!