Oct 15 - The end

Oct 15th Monday: Arrived at the Lakes Saturday marking the end of our trip. It was a great time but we are looking forward to being home. Blue is having a ball running around the campsite. He's free now and loves it. It was 8 weeks ago that we left and put on 7,809 miles!

Bestest friend, Laura, celebrated her birthday Saturday so we were able to see all our friends that we have missed.   One last road trip this weekend to Michigan for the Michigan State game.  Good bye everyone.  Love you all and thank you for sharing our western trip. 

picture:  Cincinnati
picture:  On the bridge over the Ohio River entering Ohio.  But why did they put up signs that were most difficult to read until you were right under them???  Wanted to get a picture of the Ohio welcome sign but there was none!!!
picture:  Cincinnati stadium
picture:  How many men would put this sign on their vehicle? 
picture:  Happy Birthday, Laura.  Bracelet from Gretchen, made by Navajo's.
picture:  Gretchen and Vicki and the Blue enjoying the camp fire in the rain. 

Oct 9th - Tues: Nashville #2

Oct 9th, Tues:  This is our last day in Nashville so we headed dowtown again to catch the bars we didn't get the day before.  Gretchen needed her party girls to enjoy the Coyote Ugly  where you can dance on this large bar!  And of course, there was a drinking game.  Then to the Grand Ole Opry.  This town is great and we hope to be back some day.

picture:  Sign on the shuttle to downtown
picture:  Gretchen and bar tender at Coyote Ugly on the bar.  Roger, the picture taker, missed the bar.  Notice the bras in the background.
picture:  Coyote Ugly bar
picture:  Coyote Ugly bar
picture:  Bar game:  Flip the cup right side up and get a free shot!
picture:  Dick's Last Resort new friend
picture:  Bars:  West Bend, Bailey's, Stage (Roger bought three of their CD's), and don't remember the name of the last bar.
picture:  Remember 45's?  This is laminated on the bar.
picture:  The Grand Ole Opry.

Oct 8th, Mon: Nashville

Oct 8th, Monday:  Roger has been quite the motor-guy for the past three days.  We left Kansas, stopped off for the night at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri to visit friends and made it to Nashville last night. 

Roger's friends were people he knew from work and who have retired to a beautiful home on Lake of the Ozarks.  But here were are in the middle of paradise listening to that North Dakota accent as they all were from Grand Forks, North Dakota (Roger's home town).  Now Gretchen is really mixed up on the time, the day, and the state she is in!!!  By the way, there are 40,000 docks here!

If you haven't been to Nashville, let us tell you that it is a hoot.  We went downtown last night and hit 7 bars - all with good, live country music.  And that seven is only the beginning of the entertainment on Broadway.  It is safe and clean and FUN.  Tonight we go to the Opry.

 

 

picture:  The road to Larry's and Penny's.  Notice the dip in the road, Ozark version of a speed bump
picture:  Don and Larry
picture:  Mae and Penny.  Blue found a new best friend!
picture:  Our 38th state = Missouri.  Our GPS calls that state Miseree.....
picture:  Roger trying to read a map in downtown Nashville.  Didn't need it cuz everything was right there.  Look at all those lights.
picture:  Bar #1 Tootsies.  They had two bands playing.  Roger had some good memories from days past here.  Grechen did not hear all about all of them though!
picture:  Bar #2 = Second Fiddle.  We danced to a George Jones request.
picture:  Hank was one of our favortie country singers.  He died in his Cadillac at the age of 27 on his way to Canton, Ohio for a New Years gig.
picture:  Bar #3 = Honky Saloon.  Her name is Danielle.  Ain't she cute?  and probably available!
picture:  $7.00 for a pack of cigarettes.  Time to quit?
picture:  Gretchen's honey.
picture:  Bar #4 = Swingin' Doors.  Another eligible named Dasha.
picture:  Bar #5 = Nashville Crossroads.  This is Brad, manager. 
picture:  Okay, okay.  We will tip.................and drink!!!
picture:  Bar #6 = Full Moon Saloon
picture:  That bar is as old as us!  Started the year we were born.
picture:  Bar #7 = Gretchen outside bar #7 = Margaritaville.  Last stop for night.
picture:  At least they had toilet paper!!!  Taken at the Full Moon Saloon.

Oct 4&5, Thur/Fri: Oklahoma/Missouri

Oct 4&5, Thur/Fri:  These past two days have been a record in driving time!  Miles and miles to get through Oklahoma ( our 37th state) and then into Missouri (our 38th and last state).  Weather has turned c-c-c-cold and overcast.  Had some rain yeterday morning that we hadn't seen for quite a while.  While we are looking forward to getting to Akron, not looking forward to ending yet another great Roger & Gretchen adventure.

Friday we ended up in Branson, Missouri, home of a zillion shows:  some famous country people, some other shows just good music.  We went to "Legends" and saw George Strait, Aretha Franklin, The Blues Brothers, Liberace, and the King - Elvis!  This show was awesome, unlike our ride home.

Took a taxi there and tried to call for one after the show at 10:45p.m.  They said 15-20 minutes but a no show after 30 minutes. Roger called and they said only a couple of more minutes.  Well, fifteen minutes later we are still waiting.  Gretchen calls and get the same "couple of more minutes" reply and she explains that we had heard that 15 minutes ago.  Believe this, the lady dispatcher says, "You can take ir or leave it."  End of that conversation.

However, to our dismay, the are the only taxi service in town!  Luckily we had the cell number of the driver who took us downtown, called him, and he was there in 2 minutes saying that he had nothing to do!!  What gives with the pms-ing dispatcher?  Hey, if you are every in Branson, MO don't use Branson Yellow Cab!

picture:  Flowers and wine.  What a loving husband!
picture:  Can you name this state?  They all seem to look the same after a hundred miles!
picture:  Look......an historical marker.  We pull over and find that we are in a sink hole in Oklahoma!
picture:  Looking back at the sink hole that we are in.  Actually, this looked pretty cool in person.
picture:  number 37 - Oklahoma
picture:  And this is what the backroad in Oklahoma looks like.  Bet you thought it was Kansas!
picture:  Just leave your truck (and cars) where you last parked it and let it rust.  This is a common scene.  But imagine the history, the excitement of the new truck, the hours put into hauling food and livestock, looks like a light or horn modification on the top, the trips to the store that was a ways away, maybe even hauling the wifey to the hospital for delivery of his first or sixth child, rounding up Junior who had too much at the local tavern, and then the sad day of leaving it all behind. 
picture:  American Legion Post 141 in Claremore, OK on route 66.  The last of the plate exchange on this trip.
picture:  Sign at the Am Legion post..............THANK YOU VETS!
picture:  Route 66, largest totem pole that didn't look anything a totem pole but made the National Historical Register.  That man in the truck above should hunt them down and explain what a totem pole should look like....and too quit painting graffitti on it!
picture:  Waylon's Ku Ku iconic hamburgers on Route 66.  Today it is surrounded by Walgrens,  traffic, and McDonald's.
picture:  Missouri, our 38th and last state.  Left is Oregon, Washington for next year.  Then someday to Maine and vicinity.  The only state the motorhome will never get to is what?......................

Oct 3rd, Wed: Dodge City Kansas

Oct 3rd, Wed: After that long drive on the Santa Fe scenic Trail, we had a good night. This day was a car rental to go to Boothill Cementary Museum. Interesting rebuilt store fronts from the Wyat Earp/Bat Masterson days that included the Long Branch Saloon and a piano that sounded just the old west days. Had a few non-sasparillas, toured the museum and found ourselves back at the Long Branch (can you imagine?).

Not only did we sing-a-long to songs like the Red River Valley, but Gretchen and Roger actually did the polka with the "ye-haw" and fancy polka steps.

Stopped at a Mexican restaurant, caled the Three Amigos and the waiter had a hard time understanding our English so Gretchen's order was not what she wanted. She got extra enchillidas and rice and Roger had a hard time finding the banos (restroom!). He ended up using the damas's cuz he couldn't get the senor's!!! Someone was either taking a siesta or an el grande one!

Looks like this will be our last old west town.  Tomorrow heading down to Oklahoma and another part of Route 66 to get our kicks.

picture:  Roger applying thet 36th state of Kansas.
picture:  Jail.  Can you see Roger coming out making a break?
picture:  Black Jack's tomb info. There are no gravesites here, just info.
picture:  Richard, the 1800 piano player.
picture:  Gretchen, displaying the Long Branch Saloon garter making her an honorary!  This bar was used in the 1950 Gunsmoke series.
picture:  Roger and the recreated Dodge City store front.  Long Branch Saloon on the far left end.