Wednesday, August 7, 2013, Kearney, NE.

I got up at 7:30 but since we only planned to drive about 300 miles, I didn't get in a hurry to leave.  Gerri slept in late, unusual for her.  After having coffee and some computer time we got under way at about 10.  

Our planned route was east on I-80 just like the last two days.  We decided on Kearney, NE as our destination for the day.  We stopped at a rest stop that had a geocache but it started raining before I started searching.  We drove on , it only rained for about an hour.  At another rest stop I found two caches, one had a couple of travel bugs so I picked them up.  At another rest stop I picked up two more travel bugs.

We decided to stay the night at the Walmart in Kearney.  We fot there at about 5 PM.  We picked up a few items at the store.  I spoke to the manager about staying in the lot overnight.  I parked where the manager directed.  The lot wasn't very level and when I started to put down the leveling jacks I noticed two holes just the size of the jack feet.  and decide the pavement was two thin.  That ruled out putting out the large slide.

We saw a Nebraska Sunset, this wasn't it.  This one came from the internet, but Kerney is the Sandhill Crane capital of the world shown in this pic.

I started checking things on the computer and Gerri started dinner.  Just about 30 seconds running the microwave the power went off.  I fired up the generator and Gerri finished warming up the left over from Louis' Basque corner.  During supper we decided to go to an RV park.  I made a call to the Kearney RV Park and got the address.  The problem was the park was at 1140 1st Street and I went to 1140 1st Avenue,  After a little delay we got to the park.  What nice people, they directed us to our site in the older section of the park.  The difference between the new and old sections was the new had concrete pads as opposed to gravel drives.  The pace was 100' long and very wide.  We were set up for the night by 8:00 PM.

TV and computer time rounded out the evening.  We only plan to drive to Des Moines tomorrow so there is no hurry getting underway in the morning.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013, Laramie, WY

Sunrise in West Wendover, NV

We got up with an alarm at 6 AM, Mountain Daylight Time.  We had coffee and did a little computer time before getting ready to travel.  The picture you see is unusual for us.  We are seldom up for sunrise, most of my pictures of the sun are at sunset.

All we had to do was take in the slides, retract the leveling jacks and power cord.  We went to the adjacent Shell station and fueled up the motorhome.  After fueling the motorhome and hooking up the Jeep we pulled out of West Wendover at 7:30.

Our planned route today was east on I-80.  I set the GPS for Rock Springs which was our destination for the day before considering the stop in Des Moines.  There were a couple of steep inclines after we left Salt Lake City where I had to watch the R's and temperature gauge, forget the speedometer.  In spite of several construction zones the road was smooth.  Once out of Salt Lake City the grades were gradual and with the exception of the construction zones we were able to maintain my preferred speed of 60 mph.

After passing Rock Springs, I set the GPS for Cheyenne.  After awhile I realized that both of us were too tired to make it to Cheyenne, so we stopped at a KOA in Laramie for the evening.  We arrived at Laramie at about 5 and I fueled the coach before going to the RV park.

For supper we had our left overs from Sardina's which Gerri had frozen..  It was such a good meal and of course brought back memories of dinner with Gail and Kathleen last week in Reno.

I did walk up to the campground store and bought us some desert.  The choice was limited, I got Reese's Peanut Butter cups for Gerri and some Ice cream and popcorn for myself.

This is the first cool night since leaving Reno and we enjoyed the open windows during the evening in spite of some minor road noise from I-80.  This KOA is a cut above many where we have stayed.

We watched TV and caught up computer time and will retire early.  The plan for tomorrow is to travel about half way to Des Moines, so we didn't set an alarm.  I fueled the motorhome before parking and we didn't unhook the Jeep.  That will make getting underway quicker tomorrow.

We traveled over 500 miles today but all in all it was an easy day, good roads, good weather and little traffic.

Monday, August 5, 2013, West Wendover, NV or Ut

We were up at 6:30.  I fixed coffee and we made quick checks of e-mail and Facebook.  I took the Jeep to the Chevron Station and gassed it up.  When I returned Gerri had the interior ready to go.  I hooked up the Jeep and unhooked the power cord.  We then went to the Chevron station and fueled up the motorhome.  We had last fueled up in Bakersfield so it took awhile, the service station only has the small automotive nozzle.  Up to this point we have averaged 6.89 mpg.  For some reason the fuel gauge isn't ready full even after slowly filling with the small nozzle.

Anew arrival at the RV park, in for Hot August Nights

Our route for the day and most of the week is east on I-80.  Mostly the road was smooth but there were long distances of one lane road due to construction.  We saw very few workers, even though we had to slow down.

We stopped at a Subway in Elko and had Tuna subs for a late lunch.

Our original plan was to make it to Wells.  As I said yesterday Gerri wants to stop in Des Moines so we tried to go further and made it to West Wendover, NV.  The RV section of the Wendover Nugget is actually in Utah.  Gerri had looked up the RV park and it showed a nightly rate of $12.  Shame on me for not checking before we parked and hooked up.  When I registered the price was $55.  The $12 was a daily breakdown of the monthly rate.  After a long day and being sweaty from hooking up, I paid the price.  I wonder if we can use enough electricity to make it worth it.  I did give them a poor review on RVParkReviews.com.  Actually if the price was more reasonable this would be a good overnight stopping spot.

We have to make it further tomorrow to allow for the night in Des Moines.  I tried to update my travel log on Excel but some of the cells wouldn't accept entries.  I'll keep track of mileage etc. on paper until I can get with Curtis and figure out the problem.

After paying up and cooling off I downloaded a nearby cache and went for it.  I was in luck and found it in spite of the GPS reading bouncing around.  This will be my last cache in Nevada on this trip and it makes my 4100th find.

We watched a DVR recording of the the Oak Ridge Boy's Gospel Hour, followed by some other recordings and called it a night at 10:30 MDT.

Sunday, August 4, 2013, Verdi, NV

We went through our morning routine of coffee and computer.  At 10 we tuned into Church services from Oakey Boulevard via the internet.  Jesus Perez delivered a great message about believing the Gospel and ignoring false teachers, especially about Christ's return and when and how it will happen.

Gerri, Shannon, Maddy, Milana and me At Peg's Glorified Eggs

After Church we went into Reno and met Kathleen and the kids at Peg's Glorified Eggs Restaurant.  We had a good visit and plenty of great food.

Food Porn Chili Rellano and eggs

Beef Tamale and eggs

After our meal at Peg's, Gerri and I stopped at a nearby Scolari's grocery store to fill the water container that we use to make coffee.  We then met the family at Cabela's in Verdi.  I bought a new belt and a couple of t-shirts.  I also bought several AR-15 30 round magazines that were on sale.  We then said our goodbyes to Kathleen and the girls and went back to the motor home for a brief spell.

I went out and looked for a cache that I didn't find yesterday  I didn't find it today either.  I then walked out to a cache on the state line.  About a quarter mile round trip from where I parked.  I found the cache and found that I could see part of the RV Park and a path that lead that way.  It would have been further but easier than from where I parked.  The Ammo can was cleverly painted silver on one side and gold on the other and the cache owner asked that it be replaced with the correct orientation.

Back again at the RV park I started the list of things that have to be completed before travel.  All we have left to do is take down the flags, unhook the power cord, retract the jacks and hook up the Jeep.

Gerri noticed that we were going to pass through Des Moines, IA., so we have decided to make more mileage per day toward Dubuque.  She wants to meet the person who originated the egg game she plays, Hatchlings, if she can set up a meeting.

Ed and Me

In the early evening we went to Ed Pitchford's house in Verdi for a final visit.  It was also nice to visit with his wife Judy as it had been several years since we had last had the chance to see her.

The view in Ed's front yard

After a long visit we returned to the RV park.  We went to the casino and registered for a drawing on a motor scooter they are giving away on the 26th.

Back at the motor home I finished some more items that have to be taken care of before travel.  We want to get a fairly early start in the morning.  I also want to call SPOT on the satellite phone with some questions before I decide whether or not to purchase one.

Saturday,August 3, 2013, Verdi, NV

I got up early this morning, 6:30 AM.  It is very unusual that I am up before Gerri.

After coffee and computer time I went out for my walk and to look for some nearby geocaches.  I took Gerri's camera and took these pictures around the RV park.  There are hills on all sides and as you can see plenty of trees.  The park is very nice with spacious full hook up sites, some with shade trees around them.  The casino part of the complex is small but has a restaurant.  There is also a Chevron station and a Jack in the Box on the property.  A short distance down the road there is a Taco Bell and a smoke shop.  There is also a California Lottery outlet, so the California/Nevada border is just a little distance from where we are parked.  We really like this park.  It has all the amenities we could want during a visit to Reno.  It is quiet and only about 10 miles from downtown.  There is a Cabela's and a large casino about three miles away with more restaurants.  This park doesn't require driving the coach on city streets and there is almost no maneuvering to park unless you choose a back in space which is a little less expensive.  I-80 is nearby as are a double set of Rail Road tracks, but the noise is minimal.  With our Reno family and many friends who now live in the area, I can foresee our Reno stops getting longer.

On my walk I found caches in two different states.  One was just outside the Lotto office.  The other was at the corner where you turn into the RV park.  I drove to the third cache, it was by the smoke shop.  I could see the cache in a tree, but it was about 10' high.  To retrieve it requies climbing onto a large power box under the tree.  I didn't feel up to that effort so I claimed the find anyway.

Shannon and Milana Eagan, Grandma Gerri and Maddy Eagan

At noon we went to Kathleen's.  Gerri and Kathleen took the girls school shopping and I went to visit Don Damitz.  Don used to live in Las Vegas in the area known as the "Naked City" west of the Stratosphere tower.  Don did volunteer work at both Metro and at the University Medical Center.  We became friends when he attended First Tuesday meetings at the Downtown Area Command.  He was a great help in our police efforts in the neighborhood.  He moved to Reno several years ago to be closer to family.  I brought him a box of DVDs that my mother used to have.  I also buy him foam cushions for his wheelchair.  I usually ship the cushions to him but this time I carried them to him in the Jeep and saved shipping costs.  There is no place in Reno to buy the cushions locally and ordering them in Reno costs him more than having me buy them and ship them to him.

After visiting Don I returned to the RV park.  On the way I stopped at Cabela's and looked at a global satellite phone I am considering buying.  I am still undecided.  I also found one more cache on the way back to the park.

Shrimp, Leg of Lamb and Pork Lomo

Gerri called me and I returned to Kathleen's house to meet them for dinner.  We went to Louis Basque Corner in downtown Reno.  This is one of our favorite Basque restaurant The others being Jack Bar in Minden, NV and Benji's in Bakersfield, CA.  Basque dining is an experience.  Besides the main entrees they serve courses of soup, salad, beans with sausage, rice with chicken, french fries family style, followed by desert.  The side dishes sometimes vary from restaurant to restaurant but the food is good and plentiful.  For entrees we had shrimp, leg of lamb and Lomo (a pork dish.)

Shannon had stayed home and Milana and Maddy had met friends for a movie.  We picked Milana and Maddy at the theater. After returning to Kathleen's we got the Jeep and went back to the RV park for the evening.

Friday, August 2, 2013, Verdi, NV

We woke up cold this morning.  It was 54 in the bedroom.  Only 40 in the soon to be gone Norcold  (Nevercold) refrigerator.  Gerri got out a blanket and I dug out my house shoes so we could be comfortable having our coffee.  The e-chores took longer today.  I started with catching up on Facebook, e-mail and the blogs I follow from other travelers.  Being the first of the month I had to reconcile my Credit Union accounts.  Then I had to move some money around to pay the MasterCard bill next week.  This is a big one, it included final payment for this fall's cruise and the one next spring.

Linda Cooper, Gerri Barker, Peggy, Norm Ziola, Eric Cooper, Frank Barker and Jim Thomas

At noon we headed to Carson City to meet Eric and Linda Cooper (retired Metro) who live in Gardnerville.  We met them at a buffet in the Casino Fandango.  When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised that Norm Ziola and Jim Thomas were also there.  Norm is retired from Metro and lives at Topaz Lake.  Jim is also retired Metro living in Carson City, he was accompanied by his soon to be wife Peggy.  We had a good time and told a few war stories.  I find it interesting what things we remember and tell about,  They aren't generally the big exciting or dangerous things but things that probably weren't all that significant at the time but for some reason sticks in our minds.

After Lunch we stopped at the Costco in Carson City and gassed up the Jeep.  We also picked up some items in the store including a new Norelco shaver for me.  The old Braun wasn't cutting it anymore, it has always left a few white hairs that grow faster than the rest.  I have had a similar Norelco at home for a couple of years and it is a superior shaver compared to the Braun.

Nevada Legislative Building built 1971

On the way back to Verdi we didn't get back on the I-580 (US-395) until we drove north through Carson City and took pictures of the capitol and legislative buildings.

Nevada Capitol Building today, built 1869-1871

Nevada Capitol Building 1875

Back at the coach we lounged around until we got the call that the girls had arrived from Seattle.  Our three grand daughters had been with their father during the summer and were coming back to Reno for the start of school on August 12.

Frank, Shannon, Milana, Maddy and Gerri

The flight had been delayed so they got in later than expected.  We went to Kathleen's house for supper and visiting.  We had a great supper of grilled chicken Mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and salad.  Kathleen cooked up the last of the potatoes we got from "The Potato Man" in Oceanside.  "The Potato Man"  is one of the RVer's that go to Paradise by the Sea every summer.  He is from Hemet, CA and has several potato farms around the western US.

After supper we played Jenga.  It is amazing how excited you can get over a simple game with wooden blocks.  Only five of us played at a time so we each got 4 or 5 turns at trying to remove blocks without causing the tower to fall.  Gerri knocked it down twice .  We played three games, Maddy knocked it down the third time.

We left for the RV park at about nine.  We plan to return tomorrow.  Gerri, Kathleen and the girls plan to go shopping for school clothes and I plan to visit Don Damitz and drop off some things I brought him from Las Vegas.

Shannon, Milana, Gerri ( Grand Mother), Kathleen (Mother) and Maddy

It was a good day visiting family and old friends.  Too much food again.  I went to bed a little before 10 and Gerri wasn't far behind.

Thursday, August 1, 2013, Verdi, NV

We woke up this morning to clear blue skies and the wind still with us.  Welcome back to Nevada.  It was 54 in the bedroom and still only 42 in the refrigerator.  This was with the Norcold set at the coldest setting.  We are scheduled to get the unit replaced with a residential style refrigerator when we get to Celina, OH.  The new one has been ordered.  The new refrigerator will eliminate the fire danger that has been plaguing the gas adsorption ones and will increase the size by 50 %..  I was hoping the cooler night might bring it down.  Even at these cool temperatures the front air conditioner had come on.  I tried setting the turn on point at a higher temperature but finally just ended up turning it off.

We had our coffee and caught up on Facebook and e-mail.  Yesterday when we got here the internet was spotty with Verizion, but this morning it seems to be working pretty well.

Gerri started some of the laundry in the motorhome and we went to check out the park laundry room for the heavier items.  Gerri got the laundry started in three machines.  I spent some time cleaning up some liquid Tide from a plastic tray, the bottle had sprung a leak.  This had happened another time in our last coach and I had to use a power washer to get the soap out of the bay.  After that leak we started keeping the plastic bottles of liquid detergent inside in a plastic tray.  I guess we will start looking for a powder detergent that will work in the Splendide washer, or at least buy smaller bottles that can be used up before they start leaking.

After the laundry was back in the motorhome I went to Ed Pitchford's house in Verdi.  He lives less than 2 miles from the RV park.  We visited for a couple of hours.  It is always good to see people you have worked with in the past. While I visited Ed, Gerri had been busy finishing washing and cleaning up our clothes, plus dishes.  This was the first wash day on this trip.

At Sardina's

At a little after five we went to Kathleen's house.  This RV park is actually working out very well, it is only about 8 miles to her house.  After visiting for awhile we all went to meet Gail Hardy at a restaurant a little south of downtown Reno.

Gail Hardfy with Gerri

Gail worked at the old Sheriff's Department and was Gerri's supervisor for several years.  She has a wealth of funny stories about the old days.  Kathleen and Gail had never met before and seemed to hit off. well.  This restaurant, Sardina's, had excellent food at a reasonable prices.

Sardina's

We all had enough for left overs.  Gerri had a spicy shrimp and pasta dish.  The waiter had warned her about how spicy the dish was and toned down the sauce.  After we finished eating our own meals Kathleen and I both tried bites of Gerri's food.  It was so spicy it sent me into a coughing fit and Kathleen remarked that it was very spicy.  Gerri had eaten a large portion and never complained.  When we packed up our left overs the waiter added some less spicy sauce to Gerri's to tone it down some more.  After dinner the chef came out and visited with us and thanked us for dining there.  She was very nice.

We dropped Kathleen off at her house and drove back to the RV park and very shortly called it a night.  I tried catching up on my e-mail but soon became frustrated with Cox's web mail and went to bed.

Frank's combo plate

Kathleen's Halibut

Gerri's spicy shrimp Napoli