Friday, December 23, 2022

THE SUV THAT CAME FOR CHRISTMAS

Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 8 Breezy in the Morning (Windchill of -7), Sunny and Quite Cold High 31)
 
Subtitled: Hanging up the Keys (Sorta)
 
After 13 years 3 months of living fulltime in our RV and towing it with a 2010 Ford F-350 Dually (which was our only vehicle). We had a great time taking short trips from one place to another towing our home with us. It was an incredible journey but the years, various health issues, and our age have taken its toll. So we just traded our F-350 in on a 2023 Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD.

 
So what does the future hold? We plan on living most of the year centered around winter in our RV parked at where it has been parked for the last 3 plus years in Kerrville Texas. The rest of the year we will travel in our SUV to/from the Kansas City area and Iowa to visit friends and family centered around summer. While in KC we signed a lease in a 55+ community for a 1 bedroom 1 bath 740 sq ft unit. So combined we have 1140 sq ft 2 bedroom 2 bath living, just in 2 different places. Before we left in November we started furnishing the bedroom and partly the kitchen and bathroom so that when we get back there next year we'll have a bed to sleep in and a TV to watch.

What this means for us exactly is not really that much if you consider we recently stayed parked in Kerrville for 4 years. As far as insurance goes you are considered a fulltimer if you live in an RV for more than 150 days which we will easily do. 

We are looking forward to entering the next phase of our lives, no doubt the comfort going back and forth to the Midwest will be much better in the SUV and the trips will certainly be shorter. After we get settled in the new apartment next year we envision being able to travel to some of our favorite places we found while RV'ng, but in an SUV/hotel mode of travel.

We plan to periodically blog about our progress in our new phase of our lives.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Thursday, December 22, 2022

THE CAT WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS

 Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 47 Mostly Sunny, Getting Colder, Very Windy High 49)

Meet Probie, the kitten who came for Christmas, with credit to the great book from Cleveland Armory and secondly to NCIS. 

 
We had told ourselves that we were not going to get another cat, much less a kitten. Our neighbor here in the park mentioned that he was feeding a couple kittens and an older cat. Bob was feeding other feral cats in a different area but these cats kept themselves separate from each other. One day a kitten ventured over to our place. Now the neighbor had let the kitten in and it investigated the surroundings and came right back out. So we thought nothing of it when this kitten wanted in our place. For the first few times the kitten came in, walked around and left. Then the fateful day arrived when the kitten adopted us and decided to stay inside. 

We gave it a couple days and sure enough the kitten decided living inside was pretty good. Now the kitten needs a name and being fans of NCIS and the fact that the kitten would be on probation for awhile we named her Probie. Well Probie, although a typically rambunctious kitten, has passed the probationary period and will be going for her first visit to the vet next week.

Speaking of Christmas we got a new lighted tree.

 
Merry Christmas to all!!

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Saturday, December 3, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO KERRVILLE TEXAS

Currently in Kerrville TX (Low 55 Some Sun then Turning Cloudy High 66)

After an overnight stop in Brady Texas we departed Thursday for our winter stop in Kerrville Texas. This is the route we took:
 

 
We are here for a few months.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Thursday, December 1, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO BRADY TEXAS

Currently in Brady TX (Low 32 Currently Cloudy 37)
Heading to Kerrville TX (Currently 35 Sunshine and Patchy Clouds High 52)

We departed yesterday for Brady Texas. This is the route we took:


We are staying at the Heart of Texas RV Park.

 
We stayed hooked up and are leaving today for Kerrville Texas.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO CISCO TEXAS

Currently in Cisco TX (Low 30 Currently 30 Sunny)
Heading to Brady TX (Currently 31 Breezy this Morning then Partly Sunny High 51)
 
After a couple nights in Wichita Falls TX we departed yesterday for Cisco TX. This is the route we took:
 
 
We stopped at the Executive Inn where we have stayed before.
 

 
After an overnight stop where we stayed hooked up we will depart today for Brady TX.
 
Till next time,
 
Bob and Jo

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO WICHITA FALLS TEXAS

Currently in Wichita Falls TX (Low 53 Clear Currently 56)
Heading to Cisco TX (Currently 61 Breezy Partly Sunny High 79)

After a couple night in Chickasha OK we departed Sunday for Wichita Falls TX. This is the route we took:


We are staying at the Wichita Falls RV Park.

 
We depart today for Cisco TX for an overnight stay as we continue our trek back to Kerrville TX for the winter.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Saturday, November 26, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO CHICKASHA OKLAHOMA

Currently in Chickasha OK (Low 36 Currently 44 Rain)
Maybe heading to Wichita Falls TX (Currently 45 Early Morning Rain High 47)

After a one night stop in Wellington Kansas we departed yesterday for Chickasha Oklahoma. This was the route we took:


We are staying at the Pecan Grove RV Resort.


Looks like a rainy yucky day in both Chickasha and our destination of Wichita Falls Texas so we will decide a little later today whether we are departing or not so stay tuned.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Friday, November 25, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO WELLINGTON KANSAS

Currently in Wellington KS (Low 33 Currently 37 Sunny)
Heading to Chickasha OK (Currently 39 Cloudy and Breezy High 51)

After a great and hectic (more on that later) visit we departed yesterday for Wellington Kansas.We met Jo's niece and her husband and her nephew at a truck stop along the way for a chat and farewll hugs.

This is the route we took.
 
 
We are staying at the KOA in Wellington.
 
 

We depart today for Chickasha Oklahoma.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Saturday, October 8, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - BACK TO BELTON MISSOURI

Belton MO (Low 40 Sunny High 62)
 
After a few days in Perry Iowa we departed yesterday returning to Belton Missouri. Here is the route we took:
 
 
We are staying again at our friend's site outside their building.
 
 

 
Till next time,
 
Bob and Jo

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO PERRY IOWA

Currently in Perry IA (Low 49 Mainly Cloudy High 81)
 
After almost 2 weeks in Belton Missouri we got disturbing news, Bob's sister died suddenly of a heart attack. 
 
 
So we departed yesterday for Perry Iowa to attend the service. This is the route we took:


We parked at Pattee Park which is basically a parking lot with 50a power and water. Here we are parked.

 
We will be here a few days.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Thursday, September 22, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO BELTON MISSOURI

Currently in Belton MO (Low 53 Damp in the Morning, Cloudy High 64)
 
After over a week at the facility for A-Z Mobile RV Repair getting our RV fixed we departed Monday for Belton Missouri. This is the route we took:
 
 
We are staying at our friends RV site outside their building.
 
 
We will be here for a few weeks visiting friends and family.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO PAOLA KANSAS

Currently in Paola KS (Low 58 Mostly Sunny High 88)
 
We departed Emporia Kansas Monday and headed to Paola Kansas. This is the route we took:
 
 
We are at the headquarters for A-Z Mobile RV with electrical and water hookups. 
 
 
They work on the RV during the day and then we come back after they are done and spend the evening. We've got a pretty good list so we don't know how long we will be here.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Monday, September 12, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO EMPORIA KANSAS

Currently in Emporia KS (Currently Clear 53)
Heading to Paola KS (Currently Clear 51 Forecast Sunny High 81)
 
After a few days in Wellington Kansas (near Wichita) we departed yesterday for Emporia Kansas. This is the route we took:
 
 
We are staying at the Emporia RV Park.
 
 
Just like Perry Oklahoma we surprisingly had very fast 5g speeds in Emporia. In fact a new record of 343 Mbps. We depart today for Paola Kansas to get some much needed work done on our RV.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Saturday, September 10, 2022

13TH ANNIVERSARY FULLTIMING - LUNCH, LUPPER, SUPPER PLACES

Currently in Wellington KS (Low 64 Mostly Sunny and not as Hot High 79) 

On the occasion of our 13th anniversary living fulltime in an RV we thought it would be a good time to review our favorite food stops and present our top 13 foodie places we have found in our fulltiming travels, this time for lunch, lupper or supper. We use the term lupper when we have 2 meal days, brunch and lupper. 
 
Before we get started here is one of our favorite pictures, a sunset in Kerrville Texas.
 

So here we go in no particular order:
 
Bill's BBQ in Kerrville TX - great brisket
Sid's Diner in El Reno OK - onion burgers
Rusty Duck in Dexter IA - chicken livers
Big Jud's in Ashton ID - mushroom swiss burger
Crooked Spoon in Grand Marais MN - french onion soup
Fishtails Cafe in South Beach OR - slumgullion chowder
Joey's Seafood in Houghton MI - blue crab egg rolls
Roy's Pasties in Houghton MI - broccoli cheese chicken pastie
The Keg Chicken in Sioux Falls SD - fried chicken, navy beans
Wendt's on the Lake in Van Dyne WI - lake perch and smelt
My Sister's Place in Grand Marais MN - "My Sisters Special" pizza
Charlotte Plummer's in Rockport TX - oyster stew, shrimp quesadilla
Rio Ranch Cafe in Kerrville TX - chicken fried steak

Contenders but have unfortunately closed:
Kounty Quarthouse in South Range WI - chicken pot pie
Friedhelm's Bavarian Inn in Fredericksburg TX - bavarian schnitzel
El Buen Gusto in Perry IA - chicken a la crema

If you ever get the chance to visit some of these places you will really enjoy the experience.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

Friday, September 9, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO WELLINGTON KANSAS

Currently in Wellington KS (Low 63 Sunny and Remaining Very Warm High 94)
 
After an overnight stay in Perry Oklahoma we departed yesterday for Wellington Kansas (just south of Wichita). It was our first time on Oklahoma toll roads in a few years. For the roads we were on there were no toll booths, it was all license plate identification cameras. We didn't see a toll booth until we got to Kansas. This is the route we took:
 
 
We are staying at the Wellington KOA.
 
 
We will be here for a few days taking advantage of a free Saturday night with a Friday night stay. We will be relaxing here after 3 days of travel and eating at our favorite places in Wichita.
 
Till next time,
 
Bob and Jo

Thursday, September 8, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO PERRY OKLAHOMA

Currently in Perry OK (Currently Clear 60)
Heading to Wellington KS (Currently 63 Sunny and 
Very Warm High 92)
 
After an overnight stay in Chickasha Oklahoma we departed yesterday and head to Perry Oklahoma. This is the route we took:
 
 
We are staying at Perry Lake Campground, first come first served full hookup sites at a reasonable rate.
 
 
While at Perry Lake we got the fastest T-Mobile 5g download we have ever seen, 323Mbps. The 4g hotspot had amazing speed too of 75Mbps. Seems weird that this happens in middle of nowhere Oklahoma but we'll take it.
 
We depart this morning for Wellington Kansas, getting ever closer to seeing friends and family.
 
Till next time,
 
Bob and Jo

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO CHICKASHA OKLAHOMA

Currently in Chickasha OK (Currently Sunny 75)
Heading to Perry OK (Currently 81 Mostly Sunny High 95)
 
After a few days and some great meals (Braums, Johnny Carino's, Jimmy's Egg) in Wichita Falls Texas we departed yesterday for Chickasha OK. This is the route we took:
 

 
We are staying at Pecan Grove RV Resort.
 
 

After an overnight stay we depart today for Perry Oklahoma.
 
Till next time,
 
Bob and Jo

Sunday, September 4, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO WICHITA FALLS TEXAS

Currently in Wichita Falls TX (Low 70 Showers in the Morning then Mostly Sunny High 96)
 
After an overnight stay in Cisco Texas we departed yesterday and headed to Wichita Falls Texas. Here is the route:
 
 
We are staying at Wichita Falls RV Park.
 
 
After three days of short trips we are staying in Wichita Falls for 3 nights. We are easing back into traveling again and it is getting better each trip. The trip to Cisco on the 2nd day was much easier than the first day and the trip to Wichita Falls was even better. We are slowly getting our RV legs back. 
 
There are a few places to eat in Wichita Falls that we don't normally get to eat at so we are looking forward to relaxing a few days and enjoying those places.
 
Till next time,
 
Bob and Jo

Saturday, September 3, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO CISCO TEXAS

Currently in Cisco TX (Low 70 Currently Cloudy 77)
Heading to Wichita Falls TX (Currently 71 Partly Sunny High 95)
 
After an overnight stay in Brady Texas we departed yesterday for Cisco Texas. This is the route we took:
 

 
We are staying at an RV park attached to the Executive Inn.
 
 
It is basically an asphalt lot with full hookups but it is good for an overnight stay.
 
 
We depart today for Wichita Falls Texas.
 
Till next time,
 
Bob and Jo

Friday, September 2, 2022

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - 1ST TIME IN OVER 3 YEARS

Currently in Brady TX (Low 68 Mostly Cloudy Currently 71)
Heading to Cisco TX (Currently 73 A Shower and a Thunderstorm High 86)
 
It has been a while!! In November 2018 we got back to Kerrville Texas for what we thought was going to be a winter stay. It turned into a lot more. Over the winter it became apparent that we needed to stay in Kerrville in 2019 for medical reasons. We were able to make a short move to another park that would allow us to stay long term. We took care of the medical issues in 2019 and planned on traveling again in 2020 then we all know what happened in 2020. So now we planned on leaving in spring 2021. But getting ready for departure we had some slideout issues. The curse of 2020 was still upon us and we couldn't get mobile service and dealership service was out of the question since no one could guarantee how long we would be without our home. Things returned somewhat to normal in 2022 and we were able to get enough service to hit the road.

So yesterday we departed Kerrville Texas and after a stop at a tire shop for an RV inspection and headed to Brady Texas. This is the route we took (in blue).


 
It was very strange to travel without cats with us. No worrying about leaving them in the RV and the temperature inside while traveling. It's been very lonely and yet much easier in some ways. We are adjusting.
 
We are staying at Heart of Texas RV Park.

 
We stayed hooked up overnight and will depart for Cisco Texas later this morning. We are truly limping home as the troublesome slideout is making horrible noise while being used. So much so that we will go the rest of the trip with the slideout in so we don't get stranded with the slideout out.

Till next time,
 
Bob and Jo