August 8, 2010, Prosser, Washington

Posted by Frankturman, Aug 8 2010, 04:00 PM

We are currently in Prosser, Washington, for the third time this year, this time visiting with a number of old friends who all came to join us for the weekend. We have done some of our usual wine tasting and buying over the course of the past few days. We have also enjoyed reestablishing our long-term friendships. Of course, there has been a lot of great food for sharing, as well as some fine wines to drink.

I think when we posted our last entry we were in Great Falls, Mont. We left there and drove the nearly 200 miles to Missoula, Mont., along state route 200. It was a really nice ride on a two-lane road across the mountains. The last 70 or 80 miles follow the Blackfoot River.

We stayed in Missoula for a week and were able to fish for three days during the week. On one of the fishing days, we broke down and paid for a guide and float fished the West Fork of the Bitterroot River. Both of us caught fish and had a great time in spite of the morning rain.

We also were able to attend the Saturday morning farmers markets in Missoula. They have two of them, each located within a few blocks of the other. The products at the markets are artistically displayed and quite beautiful. The markets have a large number of farmers selling products. One market is mostly vegetables and baked goods while the other has a number of different products, including meats. This is a must-see if you are in the area over the weekend.

Departing Missoula we moved to Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, spending two nights there. We spent a day driving along the east side of the lake visiting the small towns and enjoying the wonderful view.

We then moved south to Clarkston, Wash., spending the remainder of the week there. This area is at the mouth to Hells Canyon on the Snake River. We had a great time touring the countryside following the wonderful routes provided by the hosts at our campground. This is one of the central areas for the Louis and Clark expedition and is rich history and cultural significance. This is also a rich agricultural area -- growing wheat as is primary crop, although there were a few other crops also. We would climb the canyon walls (steep but not vertical) to the plateaus at the top where the amber waves of nearly ripe wheat would stretch out for miles in front of us. Having grown up in the great prairie states, we find this not only beautiful but also a reminder of our youth.

Following our five days in Clarkston we moved to Prosser, which was covered in the first part of this blog entry. Tomorrow we move to Redmond, Ore., to attend the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) convention, Aug. 11 to 14. We look forward to attending a few of the seminars and spending some time checking out the new products and motorhomes the vendors and manufactures bring to the show.

Great Falls, MT

Posted by Frankturman, Jul 19 2010, 10:14 AM

We are a little late in composing our journals this month if for no other reason than we have been busy. We departed Prosser, Wash., and traveled to Lakewood Wash., for two weeks in our old hometown. During that stay we attended the high school graduation of our oldest granddaughter, Alyssa, and also took care of all of our medical and dental annual requirements. We also took some time to visit some of our old neighbors. Frank’s mom was with us the entire time and enjoyed visiting with our friends in the community.

Our daughter Michelle, her husband and four of our grandchildren also live in Lakewood. We had some good times with all of them, and Great-grandma enjoyed their attentions. We took time out to visit some of our favorite restaurants and stock up on seafood.

Following this whirlwind we started east again and spent a few days with our son Sam in Kennewick, Wash. We then moved to Missoula, Mont., to visit our youngest son’s best friends, Ben and Julie, and to see their 16-month-old twin sons. Julie was able to get her baby fix by feeding the boys yogurt and avocado.

Departing Missoula we made a three-day jump to Bismarck, N.D., to take Mom home. During our week there we were able to finish a number of projects at her home, cleaning the gutters and installing a new front door. We also were able to attend the wedding reception for our nephew Chris and his new wife, Lorlyn, who were married in March. This was a great party at my brother’s home where we enjoyed an afternoon with friends and family from all over North Dakota.

Once we had completed these projects, we departed and are once again on our own. We are currently in Great Falls, Mont., enjoying a few days of touring the town as well as the mountains west and south of town. We also have taken advantage of the Exchange and Commissary at the nearby Air Force Base.

Prosser, Wash.

Posted by Frankturman, Jun 9 2010, 12:04 PM

This past month has been a whirlwind of family, friends and weddings. We departed Storm Lake, Iowa, and made a two-day jump to Aberdeen, S.D., where we spent a few days with Julie’s aunt Mary Joan and her daughter Kim. We had a great time there visiting and, of course, enjoying some good food.

We then moved to Bismarck, N.D., to visit Frank’s mom as well as numerous family members who live in the area. Both of us originate from the Bismarck area in the days before our military days, so it is always fun to go back there and visit. We also had a number of projects to take care of for Frank’s mom, who still lives at home.

We flew, with mom in tow, to Orlando, Fla., to attend the wedding of Frank’s nephew Jay to his new wife, Niccole. We enjoyed ourselves in the area. We were able to indulge our seafood cravings both at the wedding and the few meals we had to eat on our own.

Following our return to Bismarck from the wedding, we packed up Mom in the motorhome and headed west at a pace that is uncommon for us. We moved in two days to Livingston, Mont., where we rested for two days and toured the Yellowstone National Park.

We then made a two-day move to Prosser, Wash., where we plan to meet up with our son Sam, his wife, Vicky, and two of our grandchildren as well as some old friends for a weekend of wine tasting, food and fellowship. This past week we have been in all four time zones of the U.S. mainland, lower 48 states.

Storm Lake Iowa

Posted by Frankturman, May 10 2010, 10:43 AM

I am told that I made a grave error in our last update to this blog. I mentioned that the bluebells were prolific this year when in truth they are bluebonnets, the Texas state flower. My apologies to all you Texans out there.

The end of our last entry had us in Grove Okla. From there we moved to Branson, Mo., a drive of a little over 100 miles. We really enjoyed our stay in Branson, not that we took advantage of the many shows that proliferate the area. The part we enjoyed was the Ozark Mountains. They were beautiful in the spring and the weather was wonderful with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. We visited a few of the local wineries and took part in some of the wonderful food that is available in the area.

Our next move took us to Junction City, Kan., just outside of Fort Riley, where we spent seven years of our military careers. All three of our children were born at the post hospital. While in that area we were able to visit some old friends, Jerry and Peggy, whom we served with while stationed there. The area has seen great changes in the past 30 years, although the historic buildings on the military base are still the same on the outside. We were able to find a few good wineries in the area and even picked up a few bottles to sustain us during our travels.

Our next move took us to Omaha, Neb., and the Offutt AFB Family Camp for a weeks stay. We visited three of the diners, drive-ins, and dives featured establishments in the Omaha area. All three lived up to the hype of the Food Network TV show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." We were able to find a local winery and enjoyed the produce of their vineyard.

One of the highlights of our driving tours in the southeast Nebraska area was observing the farmers putting in their crops. Times and technology have changed a lot from our childhood years, and watching the farmers complete numerous tasks with one pass of the field is intriguing. Also, the speed that they are able to drive their tractors while planting is surprising. We had a wonderful time in Omaha and will return in the future to continue to explore this area.

This past week we have moved twice, once to Onawa, Iowa, to visit a cousin of Julie's, Denny and Sue. We had a wonderful evening with them catching up on the family changes. We then moved to Storm Lake, Iowa, another 100-mile move, to meet up with our old friends Nick and Ed. We have had a wonderful time with them enjoying the restaurants of Storm Lake as well as catching up on their families and old times. Leaving here, we move to Aberdeen, S.D., for a visit with Julie’s Aunt MJ.

Grove Okla., April 12, 2010

Posted by Frankturman, Apr 12 2010, 10:09 AM

Spring is finally here and we are enjoying the warmer temperatures and the sun-filled days. Our last posting had us in Dallas, Texas. We moved from there to San Antonio, where we spent a week enjoying tours of the old missions, as well as the wildflowers that were springing forth along the roads.

The bluebells were very prolific this year with entire fields covered with their blossoms. I have placed some pictures in our new album that is attached to this entry. Now that I know how to do this, we will try to include more pictures of our travels.

We next made two moves in one week, which is not our normal habit. We moved to a campground in Stonewall, Texas, near the Lyndon Johnson Texas White House. We spent three days in this area because we were unable to book the campground for longer. (This happens when you don’t reserve long in advance.)

We then moved to Tyler, Texas, where we finished out the week. In Stonewall we were able to spend a day at the Johnson Ranch and some time in nearby Fredericksburg. Both places were enjoyable and educational. Tyler was in the second week of its azalea feastable, although the azaleas had yet to bloom.

Next, we moved to Little Rock, Ark., primarily to visit a cousin of Julie’s whom she had not seen for more than 40 years. We had a wonderful evening with her and her husband, renewing that relationship and establishing new ones. Although the temperatures in Little Rock were pleasant, we were given the impression that the wind never quit blowing. We had strong winds every day we were there.

This week finds us in Grove, Okla., in a nice campground on the banks of Grand Lake. We have enjoyed this area lunching at some of the Route 66 Diners made famous by the Food Network Show “Diners Drive-ins and Dives.” Our next move is to Branson, Mo.

We have noticed this year the pollen seams to be much worse than it has been for a number of years. Our silver-colored towed car is now a tinge of yellow-green. Our hay fever is also acting up more than usual. Hopefully this will improve as the spring wears on and our travels continue to take us north.

March 15, Dallas, Texas

Posted by Frankturman, Mar 15 2010, 10:42 AM

Here it is March already and the weather is improving with spring’s arrival just around the corner. Again we have had a busy month, even with the cooler weather that seems to have enveloped the nation this year.

We spent a week in Biloxi, Miss., in the middle of February. We stayed in a nice campground within walking distance of the beach. This area still is showing the ravages of the hurricanes from earlier this decade. As you drive along the beach hi-way you see large expanses of vacant property that once were the location of a nice homes destroyed by the storms and the surge that accompanied it. In some cases there is patio furniture placed on the concrete pad to show that someone still comes by to enjoy the view. We also made a day trip to New Orleans and the French Quarter for lunch.

The following Week we visited south-central Louisiana, where we found a nice campground in Breaux Bridge. This is the heart of Cajun country, so we enjoyed the crawfish and other delicious foods offered by the local restaurants. We made day trips to New Iberia and to the Tabasco factory at Avery Island. Both trips are an experience that should not be missed if you are in the area. As usual, we also enjoyed touring the countryside and observing the local wildlife.

We next moved to Marksville, La., and spent some time with old military friends Dean and Judy catching up on our lives and reminiscing about the old days. We also had time to tour the area, stopping in Natchez, Miss., a place we will return to in the years to come.

We are currently parked just east of Dallas, Texas, so we are close to a major airport. This enabled us to fly to Fargo, N.D., this past weekend to attend the wedding of a niece. We had a great time at the wedding and associated events. We also had a chance to visit with all of the relatives who were also able to attend. The weather here has improved so that most days the temperature is in the '70s, which is more to our liking.

We move tomorrow to a campground just to the south of San Antonio where, hopefully, the weather will be much warmer. From there we will start our trek to the north.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Posted by Frankturman, Feb 15 2010, 11:11 AM

We are running a little behind this month in getting our writings out and on the web site. We have been moving around quite a bit in the past six weeks. We spent a week in Panama City, Fla., with cold days and nights. We did get in a few walks on the beach; however, they were short due to the temperatures and cold winds that would cut through our clothing. Julie was able to pick up some seashells -- it is difficult for her to walk on the beach with out picking up something that catches her eye. We were also able to fulfill some of our sea food cravings over the past month.

Following Panama City we moved to Pensacola, where we spent the best part of two weeks. Julie’s cousin Harley and his wife, Margret, winter in Orange Beach, Ala., a short drive from our campground. During our stay in Pensacola the weather improved to the point where we were able to get a few days in shorts and sandals. No, it wasn’t 80 degrees, but we did have temps in the 70s. We enjoyed some longer walks on the beach and visiting the National Sea Shore in this area.

From Pensacola we moved to the FMCA Southeast Area Rally in Brooksville, Fla. This being a 400-mile trip, we did it in two parts, spending a few days back in Old Town. The rally was a great opportunity for us to attend the RV Safe Driving Course. This course is a great reminder of the little tricks you can use to keep your travels safe. We also enjoy meeting some of our fellow members of FMCA in the casual setting of the rally.

Following the rally we worked our way up to Ozark, Ala., and the Ft. Rucker area of southeast Alabama. We spent a few years of our military careers in this area and it is fun to come back and see what has changed and what has not. We have also run into a few friends who remain in the area and, as always, it is fun to renew old relationships. While we were in Ozark we experienced our first snowfall of the year. About 3 inches of the white stuff fell on a Friday, closing all of the schools as well as most of the businesses.

This week we move to Biloxi, Miss., for a week back along the Gulf Coast and hopefully warmer weather.

November 2009

Posted by Frankturman, Dec 2 2009, 10:31 AM

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

We spent the first week of November touring Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding area. We stayed in a nice campground just off of Interstate 40 and north of the park. The national park is beautiful this time of the year with the leaves in color. At times we thought that the leaves that had fallen from the trees and were lining the forest floor added to the spectacular view.

We also had some disappointments in the area. The commercialism of the area leading to the national park is an eyesore, distracting from the natural beauty of the area. There is a dichotomy in a county where there are no liquor stores (Dry County) but they allow adult entertainment establishments next door to children’s entertainment. This does not compute for us.

From the East Tennessee area we moved to North Carolina, spending three days in the Chapel Hill, Durham area. We have some friends from our military days who are living in Durham and we had a wonderful time visiting with Pete and Dolly. We look forward to the time when we can return to the area and spend a little more time renewing our friendship.

We then moved to Fayetteville and spent a few days with Dan and Marge another retired military couple whom we had not seen for over 25 years. It is funny how you can just pick up with some people where you left off. We had a great time renewing our friendship and getting reacquainted with them.

Following our visit in Fayetteville we moved to the Atlantic Coast staying at the Onslow Beach RV Park in Camp Lejeune Marine Base. Our parking spot was about 100 Yards from the beach. We had a great time here touring the area and visiting the old towns with great history. One of the memorable towns was New Bern about 50 miles north of the campground. There is the classic architecture of the 1700 and 1800’s that is well preserved.

We also enjoyed the great seafood that dominates that restaurant fair. I think that the first few days Julie must have eaten fried oysters every lunch. We also enjoyed picking up fresh seafood and cooking our own meals.

We had some vary nice days while we were at Onslow Beach with the temperatures reaching the mid 70’s so we were able to enjoy long walks on the beach picking up some east coast seashells for our grand children. We were also able to find a few sharks teeth to send to them.

We left there on Nov. 30 and moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where we again are camped within a few yards of the beach. As I write this today it is raining hard, so there will be no beach walks.

October Travels

Posted by Frankturman, Nov 2 2009, 11:25 AM

In October we covered most of three states: Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee. We moved from Sparta Il., to Fort Knox, Ky., and stayed there for 10 days. During this time we toured a good part of Northern Kentucky, enjoying the sites and tastes of this area. There are a great number of adventures to take part in in this part of the country. We visited a bourbon distillery, wineries, Mammoth Cave National Park, and a number of Kentucky towns with their wonderful old homes and buildings. Many of the towns are going to great efforts to restore their downtown areas and by all appearances are quite successful in their efforts.

We then moved to Indiana, staying in a nice park in Jamestown, which is just west of Indianapolis. We were in the area of the Covered Bridge Festival, a gigantic flee market and food fest that takes place every year in mid-October. The leaves in this area were starting to turn, so the views were spectacular. The sounds and smells of fall were everywhere, with farmers in the fields harvesting the corn and beans. There was a farmer in the RV Park who was able to answer our questions on harvesting methods and equipment. The modern equipment is highly technical with GPS, and moisture sensors are installed in the combines.

Next we moved to Nappanee, Ind., to the Newmar Factory to have some much needed work done on our coach. We were there for five nights and with the coach in the shop all day we enjoyed the local area. This is the heart of Indiana Amish country, so there were horsedrawn buggies and people on bikes everywhere. They have special horse parking areas at the grocery stores, as well as at most shopping areas. We were able to visit one of the tourist attractions and learn a lot about the Amish way of life. Again, the leaves in this area were at their peak, so we were able to enjoy the fall colors. We took in a tour of the Newmar factory and enjoyed seeing how the coaches were made. They are producing about 15 coaches a week now, one of the few who are producing anything.

Our coach work was completed on Friday and we moved on Saturday morning back to Fort Knox. We spent three nights there resupplying before moving on to the Nashville, Tenn., area. We enjoyed this area immensely as the leaves were at their peak when we arrived; however, many have now fallen as there was a rain and wind storm last Friday.

We do not normally enjoy the large cities and so have avoided the downtown area of Nashville. We have enjoyed the rural areas surrounding the city. Again, the small and medium size towns have done a remarkable job of restoring and maintaining their downtown areas. Most towns have some type of square in the central district, which has been revitalized, and most of the store fronts are occupied.

Tomorrow is moving day, so we head to eastern Tennessee and the Great Smokey Mountains.

Sparta, IL

Posted by Frankturman, Sep 30 2009, 09:20 AM

Tuesday, September 29

We were in Charles City, Iowa, for Labor Day weekend. While we were there we attended a Thrashers Reunion at an active museum that specializes in steam engines. They had a number of working steam tractors that were used to power the threshers. The day we attended they were threshing oats, large sheaves of oats were hauled to the threshing machines on trailers or sleds and then put into the threshing machines by hand. Grain came out one end and the straw and chaff out the other. They also had a large number (over 200) of tractors dating from as far back as the early 1900s. In addition to the threshing machines, there were bailers that worked, some of which were stationary so the straw had to be put into the bailer by hand.

We were impressed with this operation because for years we have traveled the Dakotas and Montana where these threshing machines sit on hill tops along the road ways and are called prairie dinosaurs. To find some in working condition and actually get to see them working is great. We both grew up listening to our parents and grandparents stories of threshing and how much work it was. My estimate is that they had to handle the grain 6 or 7 times before the task was complete. This is compared to modern equipment where it is only handled once before it is in the truck. I would recommend this or other reunions of this type any time you happen to be in the area where one is occurring. The one in Charles City is held every Labor Day weekend.

The following week we went to Amana Colonies Iowa, a lovely collection of small villages started in the mid 1800’s by a religious sect from Germany. Until 1932 they operated the colony as a true commune. They have a huge RV Park there that can accommodate over 500 RV’s. The local economy is now based on farming, manufacturing (Amana Radar Range was made here), and tourism.

While in Amana we also made a side trip to the Amish area in south central Iowa. Kalona has a wonderful museum that takes visitors through the local history as well as a Mennonite museum that details some of the history of their religion.

The following week we moved to Mahomet Illinois. The main purpose of this stop was to spend some time with one of our nieces who lives in a small town about 40 miles south west of Mahomet. We had a wonderful time visiting their home and hosting them at our home on wheels. While we were in Mahomet we traveled to Springfield to visit the Lincoln home and museum. Both were enjoyable however we enjoyed the home, which is run by the National Park Service, the best.

This week finds us in Sparta Illinois at the World Shooting and Recreation Complex. They have a huge RV park here with over 1000 sites most of which are not occupied. This is a complex built to host large Trap and Skeet competitions. This is a great example of the things that can be done with an open pit coal mine when it plays out.