Visiting Family – Spring 2021

We have spent the last month or so visiting family in Texas, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota. It was so so wonderful being fully vaccinated and able to hug those we love and spend quality time together without masks! Thankfully life is beginning to look and feel a little more normal. After visiting Big Bend National Park we stopped for a couple days in historic Fort Stockton, Texas. The fort was established in 1859 to ensure safety of the mail and travelers. The weather was not great while we were in town, so we didn’t do much exploring. I did enjoy walking and running in nearby Rooney Park. Our next stop was Lake Colorado City State Park. It was a very nice state park with a beautiful lake, cabins and gorgeous Texas bluebonnets were in full bloom while we were there. It was another short stay as we were anxious to see our daughter Erica, and her husband Shane in Dallas, as we had not seen them for almost a year due to the pandemic. Our visit was well timed, as they had some very large wholesale orders for their business, River Birch Candles and actually needed our help on their assembly line. It turned out great as we got lots of time to visit while we were working, and had enough time off to relax, shop and go out to eat. I also got to meet my sister Laurie for lunch, and Mike’s brother John and his wife Cheri stopped by the RV for dinner and games. We are very excited for John and Cheri who just bought a 45′ Entegra Cornerstone RV. They are planning to RV for year or so, before they buy their next house.

On our way to Kansas City, we stopped at Arrowhead State Park in Canadian, Oklahoma. We had stayed there before and really enjoyed it, so we booked the same great campsite. It is nice to stay in the same campgrounds again due to comfort level with park and surroundings. Our next stop was Blowing Springs Campground in Bella Vista, Arkansas. We will definitely return due to great mountain and road biking trails, and it is ranked as one of the best places in the U.S. to retire.

In Kansas City, we stayed at Longview Lake in Lees Summit, MO. We has tried to stay here several times before, however either they were closed for the season or they were closed during the pandemic. It was definitely a big improvement from Walnut Grove, the park we had been staying previously in Meriam, Kansas. The campsites were spacious and it had great biking and running trails; plus the lake of course. The best part of our stay, was visiting with my Mom, Dad, sister Mary and brother Mike. Walking in the Overland Park Arboretum, going shopping, and dining out again really felt amazing. I was also able to see and support my sister Mary at one of her Art & Craft fairs, which was pretty cool. Mother’s Day was especially amazing as I got to spend time in the morning with my Mom in KC, and then drove to Omaha to eat dinner and play games with Mike’s Mom in Omaha. We had video calls with our children with both Grandmas, which was very special.

We did not “moochdock” at Mike’s Mom’s in Omaha this time, due to rain prior to and during our visit, which made the ground too wet. Walnut Creek Campground in Papillion, NE luckily had an open spot for us next to the lake, so we definitely had no complaints. Our visit was filled with lots of good food and card games. We even got to see our great niece, Riley play softball and meet her new baby sister Finley. Mike went birding with his sister Mary Jo, and even saw new bird, a “Hooded Warbler”. The highlight of course, was seeing Mike’s 92 year old mother, Rita. She is still sharp as a tack!

Our next stop was Walkers State Recreation Area on Lake Madison in South Dakota. Our campsite was huge, right on the lake, and close to Mike’s brother Jim and his wife Kim’s cabin on the lake. The weather was gorgeous and perfect for boating and just hanging out. We made one quick stop in Oacoma, SD and are now headed to Badlands National Park to start our summer adventures.