My new thrill.

OK - so I've been away awhile-alright, so it's been a long time. Well all I can say was that the last year was a bit rough and I was being pretty domestic in my travels. So there wasn't much to

write about. But things have changed. I've added a new toy to my box. Check it out; a 2009 Triumph Bonneville America. Picked her up in the middle of July

Used to ride all the time, but gave it up to do the family thing. Now, kids are grown and there is once again time for some of the fun stuff. Keep posted for some of the many rides I'll be doing in the near future. Of course the RV is still around and is currently in the shop being tooled up for a bit of traveling as well. Hopefully I'll be able to combine the two. Best of all worlds. Ciao.

A little catch-up.

Ok, I've been a little remis since the last entry in September. When we returned to the house after being gone 3 months on the trip to Canada, we founfd that I had become the proud owner of a weed farm. Needless to say the ensuing clean up took about a month just to get the place back into a manageable state.

During that time a couple major Disabled American Veteran's (DAV) events transpired and as the local Commander I had a bit of catch up work to do there as well.

Visits from our friends from Georgia, Curt and Audrey, were a highlight during this time and we really enjoyed their company. Hopefully, they can stop in again next time they're out this way.



Then came Halloween and Thanksgiving. This year was our turn to host the family reunion (held every Thanksgiving around Texas, usually up in Tyler). We had a really nice turn out even though a few family members weren't able to make it due to illness or looking after those who were ill. Needless to say, we had a great time. The picture above is of the reunion.

Christmas came and was another family event though only our immediate families. For us they great joy was to watch our Grandson experience his first Christmas. Below he gets a kick out of his first rocking horse, he had a blast. We had a great time as well.

I hope all of you had as good a Christmas as we had. Now we're looking to the New Year and future travels. Our rig sshould be out of the shop soon and we'll be ready to roll. Hope to see you on the road as well. Happy New Year.

Vegas, Southern Style

On our continuing journey home we have found ourselves in Tunica, MS, near some casino action (funny how that happened). We arrived on the 26th and will leave the 29th. Sam's Town Casino has an RV resort at a very reasonable rate. Having checked out the other RV resorts at the other casinos, I can say that if you're coming to Tunica in an RV Sam's Town is the best option.

Of course the evening we arrived we had to go out and survey the surroundings. We checked out a couple of the casinos playing at Sam's Town and the Grand. Fun and lively.

The next day we explored the other non-casino areas including the town of Tunica and the River Park situated on the Mississippi River. Tunica is actually a nice little town and if I might make a recommendation, if you pass through, eat at the Blue and White Cafe. In operation since 1937, the breakfasts are great and lunch looked good, too. I didn't have the camera with me so no pictures of the town, but it is scenic with a nice Historic District.

The pic above are of the River park Museum and the dock that holds the Tunica Queen Riverboat hosting play and dinner cruises. Also on the dock are some Ecotour airboats that take you on a cruise up and down the river. I didn't ride them, but if I get back this way probably will.

Today, we took the drive Memphis, about 30 miles north of here, and checked out Graceland - home of Elvis Presley. Very impressive. I have to admit, the Presley corporation/business machine has done a wonderful job of maintaining the residence and Elvis' memorabilia. I do believe they could do a little better for his fans in the way of the tourist trap associated with the attraction. The place did have a sort of Disneyland feel, especially with the diners (not very good) and some of the services available. But hey, it brings in the bucks, which in turn keep the place alive.

The house itself is very nice and was an old farm estate Elvis bought when he was 22 years old. Not bad. The tour included an audio headset that lets you walk through the estate and listen to an essay of the life and times of the King of Rock and Roll.

Throughout the house are the memories of an extraordinary personality that was one of those larger than life persons that come across every once in a while. Everywhere are the awards he earned through music, tv, and movies. Pictures of the family and friends he loved, the toys he was always playing around with, his cars and planes, and footages of great moments in his life.

I am always pleased, of course, when I am reminded that some of these great persons did some pretty amazing, though ordinary, things with their lives. In this case was Elvis' serving in the army in the late 50's. It wasn't much time, but he finished it with honor and selflessness, when he could've side stepped the whole issue using the money and resources available to him. Good show mate.

Elvis passed on in 1977 and his earthly remains rest on the estate grounds along with his parents and his paternal grandmother. A simple marker also remembers his stillborn twin brother. I was amazed that, 30 years after his passing, his fans still come in huge numbers from all over the world to remember him. Quite a statement of the legacy he has left behind.

Though highly commercialized, I still recommend this as a place to come and see. Just eat before or after you visit.

Tomorrow we will be back on the road heading south on our way home. Who knows where we will be next or see that is worth posting on the blog.

One, Two, Hike, Hike...

Yep, the leaves are falling, the temps are dropping, it must be that time of year again - football season. You know, we just came back from seeing the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Well that inspired us to check out the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. Seemed logical as it was on the way home anyway.

Christa, Jan, and Mom inside the entrance to the Football Hall of Fame. Ted and Jan and we are still traveling together and figured we would do one last sight before splitting our separate ways for home.

Here's Ted looking on the statue of one of the greatest football legends Jim Thorpe.

Some of the displays in the hall.

Here I am in front of the Dallas Cowboys shrine, I feel blessed standing here. The Hall is spectacular and full of football legends, memorabilia, curious facts and a bunch of stuff those of us who love the game get a kick out of. I thought the Baseball Hall of Fame treated the vets better with free admission, but still, a good place to visit and not to hard on the pocket book.

We stayed at a nearby KOA that was a good location to visit from. Ted and Jan left to go home after this visit and we had a real good time. Hopefully we will have an opportunity to travel together again.

For us, we also will continue on a southerly trek home, but we will be making some stops of interest along the way. See ya down the road.

Are you thirsty...

... well here is a little water for you. Niagara Falls in Niagara Falls, NY. We stayed in the Niagara Falls Campground and Lodging. A good park, but takes a bit overpriced. I guess when you have a close place to the action. We would only stay here long enough to see the Falls and then move on, talking to most of the other campers this seemed to be a general consensus.

One nice feature to this CG is the inclusion of a tour company on the premises, Bedore Tours. We had a marvelous guide pick us up at our coaches and bring us back, her name is Marnie. She took us to all the American side hot spots at the falls including the "Maid of the Mist" tour boat, the "Cave of the Winds" hike tour, and the whirlpools. Here are some of the picks from the tour.

A great trip. We had plenty of opportunities for photos and we hammed it up.

On the left are the girls: Jan, Mom, and Christa. To the right is me, Christa and Mom.

Here is Jan and Ted standing in front of the American Falls and me with the American Falls behind.

Truly one of those totally awesome natural wonders. The thunder of the water and then rush of the wind caused by the falls are exhilarating.

From this point we start heading southward in earnest. We'll make and overnight somewhere between here and Canton, OH, where we are looking forward to checking out the Football Hall of Fame. We were in Niagara Falls 20-22 Sept.

The Baseball Hall of Fame

Ok, we're once again back in catch up mode, We're a little behind due to some non-satelite campgrounds so lets get started with a real cool stop - the Baseball Hall of Fame.

We arrived at the Beaver Valley Campground near Cooperstown, NY, on the 18th of September. Of course the main goal is to see the Hall, but we were pleased to stay at a real nice CG. We weren't able to et out with a signal, but the park made up for it with beauty and tranquility. Full hook-ups, friendly ownership, the quietness of an off season stay, and the nearness to Cooperstown make this a superior Camp choice.

We awoke on the 19th ready to go see the Hall and found a beutiful sty for a stroll and sight seeing. This picture is of the pond at the CG, sort of set the mood for the day.

Making the short drive through the surrounding farm land was a pleasant change from the highways and added the enjoyment of this particularly scenic part of NY state. The campground sits about 6 miles from the Hall and so it was a fairly short drive. This is a very nice area with a whole lot of other reasons to visit besides the baseball, I wouldn't mind being here again in the future.

Once in town we parked in the Community Center parking lot which is free. During the high season I can see where you might have to use the numerous pay lots in the vicinity, fortunately we're here in the off season. In this parking lot is the famous Double Day Ball Field, here's a picture of it.

On our way to the main street we passed this statue of "The Sandlot Kid." Sets the stage for where the heart of baseball resides. This theme will be repeated throughout the Hall.

Before going into the Hall, we figured that we ought to forify ourselves with a hearty breakfast. On the CG owners suggestion, we tried the Double Day Cafe. A great choice and I echoe the recommendation. A great breakfast at a reasonable price, we would later enjoy dinner here as well we were so pleased. Fun place.

After a good breakfast and a good time we headed for the Hall of Fame. Here Christa and I pause to create a reminder of the visit.

As you enter the Hall, you get the fealing that the place is probably going to be a small place, this is misleading and the Hall unfolds like the proverbial Ahab's Tent. The cost is reasonable and I was pleased that the fee is waived for active and retired military persons. Even better.


One of the first exhibits is a room that shows some figurines and statues. I couldn't resist this shot of one of my game heroes - Nolan Ryan. Thes figurines are remarkable in their detail.

Turning down the first floor main hall (there are 3 floors), off to the side is a painting honoring this year's inductees, Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. I really liked seeing Gwynn as I was able to follow his career closely while I was stationed in San Diego through the 80's and 90's.

Turning down the main hall, we are introduced those who made the Hall possible, they did a great job on this place.

As you turn into the actual Hall of Fame, the first plaque to encounter is dedicated to those players who served in the our nations military service. I found this to be a super touch. Sadly, I was also able to note that there apparently have not been any others to serve since the Korean War. Still, a nice tribute.

In the Hall of Fame are all of the inductee plaques, of which there are many. Here is a shot of the first inductees from the year 1936.

Here, Christa and Mom check out some of the many pieces of memorabilia. This place has so much stuff that to show it all here would be to use up all my allocated space. Again, if you're a fan, you have to come and check it out.

One of the things that I am always forgetting is who is featured on the most cherished and sought after baseball card. The man is Honus Wagner and the card was issued in 1909 by a tobacco company without his permission. Maybe I will remember now.

One of the things I found to be really cool, was they had a place where they had some of the more famous fans on display.

All in all, we spent about 4 hours in the Hall, and could have spent more except my dogs were killing me, and Lucy probable appreciated us getting back to let her out of the rig. This was a fantastic exhibit that I can't recommend enough.

Our next stop is Niagara Falls, that should be a fun stop as well.