Ozarks in the Fall

   We took a long weekend and went to Branson, MO with the family and our friends, Brenda and Nikki. On the way down, we stopped at Lambert's restaurant outside of Springfield. Lambert's is famous for their "Throwed Rolls". This is exactly what happens! Frequently, one of the staff comes out and announces "Hot Rolls!!" and you signal him/her that you want one. It will soon be on it's way to you via "Air Mail". The food is plentiful and really good. It is a popular tourist spot and several busloads of folks came while we were there. There might be a wait, but is is worth it!

   From Lambert's it was on to Branson.

   The grandkids really enjoyed Silver Dollar City. The Wildfire roller coaster really gets your blood going! At the bottom of the first drop the track looks like it is going to send you several hundred feet down into the valley. But at the last minute it twists and you go through all of the loops and twists you see in the picture.

   Amanda, Barb, and Brenda are in the second row. I volunteered to stay behind and watch the grandkids.

   Here Tori and Belle are captured hanging out at the Cornicopia. Filled with dozens of pumpkins and vegetables of all kinds it made for a good picture. We spent the day enjoying shows, checking out the crafts (it's the Harvest Festival where craftsmen from around the country set up booths and display their wares), and eating waaaaayyyyyy too much home baked goodies.

  That evening we had dinner at McFarlain's Family Restaurant in Branson. Here exists a little known secret in Branson. The Rising Table! It is best if you invite several of your unknowing friends to a meal at McFarlain's but when you check in ask the hostess if the Rising table is free. If so, you sit at what appears to be a normal dining table in an otherwise normal dining area of the restaurant. You and your friends order your meal and enjoy the food. (which is very good, especially the honey cornbread!!) Unknown to your guests, the table has begun to rise, ever so slightly and slowly. You don't really notice it but soon, your plate is almost at your mouth's level! It's fun to watch as the unknowing victims begin to realize that something is "different" but can't quite put their finger on it. Finally you all share a good laugh while the wait staff brings out a certificate for all to prove that you were there. Oh, two other things; first you usually have to publicly sing something (as a group) in order to get your certificate (Tori had us all do "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star") and the table goes back down just as slowly as it came up!

   Here is the table at McFarlain's. It started at Belle's waist and is now nearing her chin. Nobody has a clue yet what is happening but shortly they figured it out.

   I have tried building a web photo album page. Go to the link below and see if you can see anything in the "Back in KS" album.  Brad's Web Albums

Chillin' at the Lake

After arriving back in Kansas, we have filled our calendar with time for friends and family. One of these trips was a day trip to a small lake in Winfield, KS. Our friends, Steve and Roma, have a big pontoon boat that they use when their kids and grandkids come over. It has a large open deck where everyone can fish or just hang out. We brought our lawn chairs and Roma brought lunch. We did have to wait for just the right conditions because the summer has been hard on all of the reservoirs in Kansas this year. In fact, if you go a little closer to the shore in this photo, you will run aground as the water is only a few inches deep! How do I know this you may ask???  Well because we found out first hand! We were cruising along, minding our own business, when all of a sudden the motor began throwing up all manner of muddy water and we ceased our forward movement. We were a good 150-200 yards off the shore. So, while Steve gently reversed the motor, I grabbed a long aluminum pole. Doing my best Venician Gondola Driver imitation, I "polled" us off of the sandbar. Took us about 15 or 20 minutes but we eventually got free. All in all the winds stayed down, the sun was shining, and the temps were very pleasant for us this day. We just wandered around the lake, stopping and tying off in a small inlet to drown a few worms (i.e. fishing). We also shared many laughs and stories.

We had our picnic lunch on the lake and then headed back home. We had a great time and it will probably be one of the last boating days for this season.

Canoeing in the Ozarks

We have been on the go a lot since returning to Kansas, but we took some time out to troop out to the Ozarks with our friends Brenda and Geoff for a weekend canoe trip. We drove from Wichita to Springfield, MO where we met up with our friends. After a night’s stay, we set out for the Eleven Points River and the access point in Greer, MO. Here we unloaded all of the gear and then Geoff and I drove our vehicles to our planned exit point, near the town of Billmore (about a 40 minute drive away, but 38 miles via the river). Here we left Geoff’s truck and the canoe trailer for our return and we drove back to meet the ladies who were waiting for us at the put in point. 

    Here we have dropped the gear and are about to drive down to our planned exit point. 

    The put in point was sandy and made it very easy to get the canoes loaded.

    A loaded canoe and smooth water. It was a great day on the river. Unfortunately, both of us hit some rough spots and fast water later on and dumped the canoes. The gear got a little wetter than we had planned and the day was getting late, so we found a good campground and set up home. 

    Our weekend home. Notice everything drying on the line. 

    We even spread out around the fire and hoped that things would dry out a bit. Overnight the temps dipped to around 40 degrees and it was a bit chilly crawling out of the sleeping bag!

    The next morning warmed up nicely and Misty even began to enjoy the trip. You have to understand, she is NOT much of a water dog so even convincing her to get in the canoe was a major accomplishment!

    The scenery along the river was spectacular. In a couple of weeks, the fall colors will be in full force and the trees should be amazing. 

    We reached our second campsite in the early afternoon. It was warm and sunny and we were approaching the major rapids on the river (as marked on our maps). We decided to set up camp and get everything dried out before trying to dunk ourselves again. Also, the next marked campground was 10 miles down river and only a half mile from our put out point. No sense rushing things and ending too soon! So, we got everything dried out and took some time to explore the area around our campsite. We found a major feeder spring that looked like something out of Yellowstone. It was crystal clear and the deeper it went, the bluer the water. 

    This picture doesn’t do it any justice but it was a remarkable sight. 

    The next morning we awoke to 36 degrees! Luckily, the sun rose quickly and by the time we had our breakfast and loaded the canoes, it was warm and comfortable. We hit the rapids almost before we knew it and navigated them without incident. In fact, I think that we had rougher waters the day before. We saw deer in the river and came upon a bald eagle majestically surveying his territory. Paying us no heed, we slowed our canoes and took some pictures as we floated by. 

    Misty was really beginning to get used to this “canoeing” thing and relaxed enough to take a nap. It was pretty funny in fact, as Misty was snoring loud enough that Brenda could hear her from 30 yards away! She finally woke up in time for us to put out and load up. We had a great time and enjoyed getting out in the wilderness again. If only for a little while. 

New Blog, New Travels

   Welcome to the new "Brad & Barb" Blog. Hopefully, it should still have the same stories about our travels and lots of pictures for illustration and enjoyment as the old blog. We will see how this goes and it may change a bit over time as I get used to how things work in the world of Blogger. Please feel free to comment on the entries. We love to hear from everyone out there who are following our exploits. For now, we're hanging out in the Derby, KS area visiting with friends and family. Also getting some warranty work done on the coach since we have some time.


   By the way... I am in the process of moving all of the previous blog entries (hosted by MobileMe on the Apple servers) over to this Blogger site. (You can still see the previous postings in their original location, they will be supported by Apple until June 2012 then, I assume, they will disappear into cyberspace. )

Back In Oz

    We attended the “World’s Largest RV Show” in Hershey, PA and, sadly, were not impressed. Granted we saw some of the new coaches and if you were in the market for a new coach or trailer, this was the place to be. We however were more interested in vendor products and they were woefully underrepresented. After having planned for a day and a half visit we only attended for a half day. We had been looking at replacing the halogen lights in our coach with LED’s but hadn’t found a price we like. There are 46 bulbs in the coach and at $20+ each the cost was too prohibitive. Well, we found a dealer that had the bulbs at a much more reasonable price and had the types we needed. We didn’t buy all 46 but got a few to try and make sure that they would work for us. We called him from our RV park that evening and he graciously agreed to meet us outside the gates so we didn’t have to pay another entrance fee to the show just to buy bulbs. After I got back to the coach, I found that I had miscounted by one bulb! We emailed him and asked for a quote to ship the bulb to Kansas and he said that he would just send us one on him!!! What a nice guy. So if you have the need, let me know and I’ll get you in touch with Brian. He works for Colonial Airstream in Lakewood, NJ. I was impressed.

    We next set out on a three day drive across 7 states to arrive in Kansas City to visit Barb’s son, Shawn. For the most part the weather was fantastic and we traveled 6-8 hours a day then nestled in among the trucks at a Flying  J truck stop for each night. We stayed at a small RV park near Shawn and enjoyed a great visit. Moving on, we spent a couple of days in Manhattan, KS visiting Barb’s parents. Camping at Tuttle Creek State Park, while expensive, is a very quiet and peaceful experience (as long as it is during the week and there is no KSU home game!).

    After that it was on to Wichita for granddaughter Belle’s 2nd birthday party! Hectic, like all toddler’s birthdays are, but we were glad that we could be there. Now we will settle in for the next couple of months to visit with friends and family before resuming our travels. 

Westward Ho! (almost)

    As we near our departure date from our New Jersey summer home, I took the opportunity to zip over to Gaithersburg, MD to visit with my Aunt & Uncle, Cousins, and their kids. Many of the kids, Barb and I were meeting for the very first time! We spent two days visiting and trying to catch up on 10+ years of happenings (since the last time I saw any of them). It was great seeing all of them again but the time passed all too swiftly. Maybe now that I’m more “mobile”, it won’t be nearly as long between visits. 

    My cousins Mike and Charles flank myself and my Uncle, Jay. 

    My cousin Julie with her husband Andy.

    Here cousin Harriet gets her husband Dennis to “smile for the camera”.

    Aunt Harriet and Uncle Jay taking a short moment to relax from the bedlam. 

    We trooped home by way of Annapolis and the Bay Bridge. Hoping to get a great view, we were a bit disappointed by the fog that shrouded the bridge as we crossed. Oh well, maybe another time. 

    We then drove across Maryland and Delaware to the town of Lewes. Here we boarded the ferry to Cape May, NJ. This ferry runs several times daily and takes about 80 minutes one way. 

    You can see our Jeep neatly tucked into its spot for the crossing. 

    The ferry could even accommodate the big RVs!

    It was a beautiful day for a crossing and the trip was very relaxing and enjoyable. Sure beats driving I-95 in Baltimore and Philadelphia!!!

    Now we have two days of working and in between we have to get the motorhome packed up to continue our journeys. Wednesday we leave and head to the largest RV show in the country in Hershey, PA. (aw darn, have to go to Hershey again and buy more chocolate....). It’s amazing how spread out we’ve become in our little campsite and how much there is to do to get ready to go. It is going to be a hectic three days!

To 1776 and Back Again

    Well, we finally made it into Philadelphia for a visit. We’ve been putting it off all summer and now was the time. Barb found a great Groupon for the “Hop On- Hop Off” tour bus, so we braved the weather forecast (60% chance of rain) and headed out. Joining the morning commuters we arrived at City center and found a place to park. For the life of me, I don’t know why anyone would want to face that drive twice a day?!? Most of the historic sites in this area are free admission, but you need to get a timed assignment ticket in order to tour Independence Hall. So our first stop was the ticket desk at the Visitor’s Center. We asked for, and got, two tickets for the 2:00 tour so we were set. 

    We next went out and found our bus stop (for the hop on-hop off) and boarded the 9:45 run. There were only four of us on the bus! Made for a nice personal tour. Usually they run an open top double decker bus, but because of the weather they were in a single story trolley. This limited some of the pictures we could get, but was still a good way to get an overview of the sights. After 90 minutes, we “hopped off” the bus where we boarded and headed to the Visitor’s Center area to view the Liberty Bell. We had determined that there were far too many things to see than we had time for, so we concentrated on the colonial history in the city center. 

    But in a nod towards more modern day sights, a visit to Philly isn’t complete without seeing the steps made famous from the “Rocky” movies. 

    Many folks run up the stairs then turn around and simulate the arms up pose from the movie. Our tour guide said that locals had a name for those people... tourists. 

    In this view you can see the Comcast building (tallest one in the frame). For decades there was a “gentlemen’s agreement” that said that no building would be taller than the statue of William Penn that sits atop City Hall (the small figure at the top of the tower in the photo below. The statue itself is actually 40 feet high!). 

    Well, in 1987 a building was built that towered over City Hall and the “Curse of William Penn” began. The professional sports teams of Philly had been enjoying unknown success up until that time. Now that a building stood taller than Mr. Penn, they couldn’t win much of anything! When the Comcast Building was finished in 2007, a small 4” statue of William Penn was put atop the building by local Iron Workers and lo! and behold, the Phillies won the World Series in 2008! The Curse had been lifted and Mr. Penn once again rose taller than anything else in the City.

    Here is the view of Independence Hall. They are working on the bell tower, hence the scaffolding. 

    Inside, the room where both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were debated and signed. George Washington presided over the arguments over the Constitution and sat in the chair along the back wall. 

    Note the sunburst at the top of Washington’s chair. Story has it that Ben Franklin stated, when the Constitution was finally agreed upon, something to the effect that “I have looked at that chair for some time now and wondered if the sun was rising or setting. I now know that it is rising.”

    Upstairs, above the signature room, is infrequently open to visitors. Today happened to be one of those days.   Here, the governor of Pennsylvania once had his office. There is a long banquet room alongside that runs the length of the building that was used for dinners and celebrations. During the British occupation of Philadelphia during the Revolutionary war, it was used as a hospital for wounded Colonial officers. 

    Down the road from Independence Hall is the City Tavern. Here, the founding fathers and local townsfolk would gather to discuss events of the day and debate the mis-dealings of the King. Today, as then, it is a fine colonial restaurant. 

    Those who watch our Facebook page know that I couldn’t resist trying the Founding Fathers Beer Sampler (aka: Ales of the Revolution). They are (in order from left to right in the picture): Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist Ale; pale ale with a citrus aftertaste--not my favorite, but was good. Ben Franklin’s Tavern Spruce; based on Franklin’s recipe, the last one used very little hops but instead used spruce needles! Had a unique flavor but not bad at all. Thomas Jefferson’s Tavern Ale followed an original recipe; Jefferson made beer twice a year using this formula. It was very smooth and had a great taste. Last was George Washington’s Tavern Porter; this beer is made exclusively for City Tavern and is based on a recipe on file in the Rare Manuscripts Room of the New York Library. Not as stout as Guinness but full bodied and very smooth. Luckily it was a long walk to the car after drinking all of that!

    We encountered a brief downpour just outside of Christ Church so we took the opportunity to wander around. This church was founded on this spot in 1695 and had over 800 parishioners by 1726. It was enlarged beginning in 1727. The steeple and bells were added in 1754 paid for from lotteries organized by Ben Franklin. Franklin, Washington, Betsy Ross, and 15 signers of the Declaration of Independence worshipped here. 

    Washington's pew in the Church. 

    William Penn was baptized using this baptismal. 

    The nation’s oldest residential street, Elfreth’s Alley. This is the longest continually occupied residence in the country. Folks have lived here since 1702 and continue to still today. 

    The home of Betsy Ross is flanked by modern buildings of downtown. Betsy is buried in the courtyard to the left of the home in this picture. 

    Across the street from the Ross house is Humphrys Flag Company. The flag that flies on the moon was made by these folks. They make a wide variety of flags to sell to the public. I don’t think that the location is a coincidence. 

    Along the edge of the Christ Church cemetery is the grave of Benjamin Franklin. Here he is buried with his common-law wife and young son. 

    We were fortunate; only one brief rain shower imposed on us, and we made the best of that. We enjoyed ourselves and, as usual, relished the opportunity to see places and objects that we had read so much about. I leave you with the small error that I found on the Liberty Bell. The makers of the bell forgot to Google the correct spelling of Pennsylvania before casting the bell. Guess it’s too late to change that now...