Duncan Travels

Snowbird Travels – Stop 9

March 8, 2021March 8, 2021 by tduncan8214, posted in Golf, Snowbird

Days 90 – 118 – Sallisaw, OK

Ah, winter storms. So much fun! But wait, we were supposed to be out of them! Yeah, we definitely did this stretch wrong. We got to Oklahoma early, so we could make it to our appointment to get the kinks in the trailer resolved (our furnace was/is super finicky so heat was off and on), and beat the storm. The day we pulled in we battled wind and rain on the drive, which made it nail biting for sure. When we got to our spot, which is very nice, the rain had caused water to build up so many puddles our sewer was not even accessible, Dan had to wade through the ankle deep standing water to hook it up. Fun times (my phrase for the next 10 days). Once we finally got it all put together, we came in to warm up and dry out.

We were able to see Krista, Cory and Slade the following day (take note of this, as this is the reason we came) which also happened to be super bowl Sunday. We had wanted to watch the game at a casino, luckily Oklahoma had some for us to see too, so we didn’t miss the Mississippi one.

SuperBowl time! (don’t mind my mask for the wrong team)

Monday we took the trailer down to Poteau so it could get fixed Tuesday. We spent the night in a hotel (so grateful for the heat) and Dan made us get a 2 bed LOL so I could share my bed with the dogs and he had room (a major gripe for him in our little trailer bed). Anyways, the rain was quickly turning to ice and sleet so once we got the trailer fixed up we were eager to get back and settled before it all came in. By all came in, I mean all. We had below freezing temps right away, and rain, and ice and snow consistently. It felt never ending. We were grateful for our heater being fixed, and that we bought extra space heaters before it all really came in.

We had 3 times the water froze and we had to take turns with the blow dryer to get it unfrozen where the spicket was or where the water came into the rv. Finally Dan was a genius and wrapped the suckers up and we had water the rest of the time! Just had to make sure our pipes were always warm so they didn’t freeze up on us too. We were constantly checking the weather – ok, the worst will be the next 4 days, just gotta make it through…Uri came in with a bang and we got to experience full on winter camping. We even got to have the power turned off! Rolling blackouts came through and we were lucky enough to get hit with one! What was supposed to be an hour of blackouts turned out to be an hour and 45 minutes. Thankfully Dan had brought along our generator for times like this. Chilly to get it hooked up, but soon we had electricity again and all was well. Fun times!!!

Winter Camping! Just a light dusting…and highs for a few days in the teens!

Those days have passed and I am currently now looking at sunshine and the snow melt starting. We have officially been here for 11 days as I write this, and tomorrow will be the 2^nd time we get to see Krista, Cory and Slade.

Getting back to this as we have hit the road to head to our next spot. We were able to take Slade fishing a few times and enjoy many campfires with them while we were there. We enjoyed a Saturday with Grandma when she came down, and then the following weekend we went up to grandma’s to stay overnight and spend time together. After Uri hit and we watched the news about Texas, we called the campground we were suppose to stay and cancelled the time there. We were able to stay in Oklahoma with no issue.

Of course, this entire trip was planned around our week in Texas. We were right on a lake, and we were going to play a golf course that is the only NFL course (the Cowboys, of course) All for naught, as we cancelled and plan now to do it next time around. We were due to leave March 1, but as February ended and March began, in Oklahoma we sat. Thankfully we got in a round of golf in Oklahoma when the weather warmed up. On the last Saturday of February, I joined Anke virtually for our 5k – very grateful the KOA had a treadmill as I spent many a lunch hour in there running!

We were able to spend another campfire night with Cory Krista and Slade and they made delicious home made tacos for us. I also had taken a day off to golf in Texas, but since we weren’t there we decided to golf in Alma at a course that was recommended to us. It was a great day, with warm temperatures and great time together. Yesterday was Slade’s 4^th birthday, so we got to celebrate the big 4 with him, grandma and Mom – staying overnight with grandma again. Aunt Bev and Uncle Peter came by so we got to see them as well, and Dan enjoyed the time to kick back and talk hunting and as always says, Love ya Aunt Bev!

As we are heading towards our next 3 stops which is the tail end of the trip, I’ve been reflecting on the time we have had on the road, together, with friends, family and the people we’ve met along the way. We have many funny stories from campsites, golf courses, and time well spent. Overall, we are feeling thankful and grateful for this opportunity. I for one can’t thank Dan enough for the hours spent driving while I sit beside him working, and for being open to spending weeks near my grandma and sister, while also getting to see my brother, mom and Aunt and Uncle. We still have almost 60 days left, but as we are getting closer to home I just am overwhelmed with gratitude.

Off to New Mexico!

Stop 8 – Mississippi

February 17, 2021 by tduncan8214, posted in Uncategorized

Days 87 – 90 – Waveland Mississippi

We left Alabama and I was pretty excited for our next stop. From what I could see (or thought) we were staying in a place right across from a beach and the gulf. Not only that, the weather was suppose to be nice most of the time. Woo hoo. We already had a golf tee time for a day I took off, and we planned to watch the Super Bowl at a casino down the road from us.

Well, we got to the spot and driving in I’m like where’s the beach? It’s literally the road we are on, concrete wall, no sand, gulf. Dan did find me a spot later on to sit and watch the sun set down on the gulf and that was quite spectacular. Then we pull into our spot. It’s not a bad spot. We get set up and situated and I get back to work. It’s about 3:30/4 when we hear something … Dan says, is that a train? I look out and sure enough there are train tracks right behind the campground and we get to watch the train roll by. It’d be cool if I wasn’t awake at 4:30am the next morning after the SECOND train came by and had me up. Makes for one long day…

Later that morning I mentioned to Dan, maybe we should leave early. There was nothing really keeping us in Mississippi after our day of golf, and we could see a storm coming through Oklahoma early the next week when we were suppose to be driving. I called the KOA in OK to see if they had room for us to be there Saturday instead of Monday, and thankfully they did. With that in mind, we were grateful the train was going to be long gone soon.

We enjoyed the Mississippi camp spot regardless of the train – the state park was a nice area, and we were able to enjoy the sunset over the golf and a night by the fire before we golfed the next morning. Our round of golf was at 9am at a local casino that had it’s own course. The course was designed by Arnold Palmer, and overall it was a nice course. Of course, they had no food and no beverage cart, so that’s always a negative. We didn’t play our best round, but ya know what they say, a bad day of golf is better then a good days work.

I must say it was sad looking at the neighborhoods around us. It was still pretty beat up from whenever the last hurricane was that hit them. It was a poor area and the people looked pretty downtrodden. It’s a time for us to count our many blessings and maybe you will to. We’ve see a lot of great things and have enjoyed so much. However, it is sobering to see that others are not so fortunate. Just a little note to say lets help one another when we can.

The next morning we prepared to hit the road again. We were breaking up this drive with an overnight stay along the way – so we left Friday around lunch and headed out! Little did we know we were heading right for Winter Storm Uri …

Snowbird Travels Stop 7 – Alabama

February 10, 2021 by tduncan8214, posted in Golf, Snowbird

Days 80 – 87 – Gulf Shores Alabama

Ya’ll may remember a few posts back we stayed overnight in Alabama on our way to North Myrtle Beach from Arkansas. I was in a hurry to get out of there quick, so this time going to Alabama I was excited, but also a little wary of where we were going. The drive from St. Augustine was a bit longer, so we made sure to have our things packed and ready and hit the road at 8:30am. I was pretty bummed leaving, I really enjoyed having a home base for 5 weeks – and looking at the weather ahead, it was certainly the warmest. But alas, we were off.

The drive wasn’t bad this time around (long for Dan, but he’s a champ at it) and we made it to the new site around 4. We got to unpacking and guess what! Ya know that little pond next to us in Florida? Well, it was full of frogs. So many that on the last night Dan mentioned “Wow the frogs are really out tonight!” I got to see firsthand when I went to grab a chair from the back room of the trailer. Poor lil frog travelled with us all the way to Alabama. He didn’t survive the chair crushing him, though. To hear Dan tell it, all he heard was my shriek of “DAN! Come help!” to get the sucker out of here.

We got in on a Monday, which meant there was nothing really planned all week as work calls. The spot we were in did have a nice view of the sunset, so when it wasn’t raining we did enjoy a few days sitting out and watching that. We made a lunch trip to the gulf so we could put our toes in the sand, it was a cloudy day but the beach and gulf water were still beautiful. Friday night we had big plans. The Big Earl show was playing at Flora-Bama and according to locals, he’s a can’t miss show. If you have never been to Flora-Bama it has been listed as the number one beach bar in the U.S. many times. We got there a bit early to get a good spot to take it in. The locals were definitely right, as he put on a great show! Full of fun music and lots of raunchy jokes, we had a great time. Saturday we played our Alabama round of golf. The course is tucked away in some farmland area, at first we were not sure what we were getting into. We were pleasantly surprised! The course was well maintained and the scenery was picture esque all the way around. It didn’t hurt that we also shot a great score.

If you know Dan and where he grew up in Arizona, his favorite hamburger place is Whataburger. Well we had one just down the road from the campground. In fact, Dan told me it was .7 miles exactly. He/we got our fill for sure and I have to admit that I am a fan. We also gained a ton of weight eating at Paula Deens restaurant. Good ole southern cooking but the portions we beyond huge! We got to add another state for a church service as well. It is really a joy to be able to visit all sizes of our church families congregations.

Overall the week was a nice one to relax after the hustle in Florida. We were suppose to head out Monday to get to Mississippi, but mother nature had other plans. The wind gusts were between 15 to 25, and after that drive through Kansas I don’t think we want to do that again. Since nothing was tying us down to get to our next stop in a hurry, we decided to play it safe and wait it out. Another day in Alabama wasn’t an issue – we thoroughly enjoyed the spot we were in.

Off to Mississippi!

Snowbird Travels – Stop 6, the finale in Florida

February 4, 2021 by tduncan8214, posted in Golf, NFL Stadiums, Snowbird

Days 55 – 79 – St Augustine, FL

The first weekend of January found us packing up the truck and heading south to Tampa. We were staying just for the weekend, as we got to catch a Tampa Bay game. I won’t go into much detail to save it for an NFL post … plus I am still sad they are going to the Super Bowl and knocked my team out. We enjoyed the time in Tampa, for the most part. This Covid era of things is definitely strange. Having to wear a mask the whole time suuuuuccckeed. After the game Sunday we were looking forward to a relaxing drive back to the trailer Monday morning. No rush, we just wanted to get back safe and take our time. That all changed when at 6am Dan woke with a start, as the hotel fire alarm was going off! Hurrying to grab the essentials needed we had brought (laptop, dogs, my wedding ring, gun LOL) we rushed out the door to the truck to wait it out. Thankfully the hotel was fine, just a kitchen fire, but we were quick to gather the rest of our belongings and get back to St. Augustine.

The remaining time in Florida was spent enjoying the company – Wes, Anke and Mike; lots of fun days of golf and delicious eats while we could get in the fresh seafood. A few highlights were playing at the LPGA golf course – the course was great to play and guess what it was COLD – AGAIN. Some of the coldest golf of our lives has been on this trip LOL. That time we brought a blanket, which was perfect for me and was put to good use all day! I was able to get in my January 5k – this time with Anke in person! (We’ve been doing virtual runs together since July 2020)

We also made sure to hit the Golf Hall of Fame, which was fun to see and take in the history of the game. One cool part was to see Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer play the King & Bear back in the day. It was a short video, but seeing them hit on a course Dan and I had just recently played was really cool. The course was incredible and is one of the best I’ve ever played. The HOF has a replica of the 17^th hole of the Players tournament and we each took our shot at this elusive hole … FYI Dan and Wes were much closer than I was and receive itty bitty buttons to prove it LOL. I’ll blame it on the clubs – without my own I just didn’t hit as well LOL.

Our last weekend the weather was much nicer, and we finally got to enjoy a dinner on the water. The views and the company were perfect. We also got our last round of Florida golf in, playing a course really close to the beach. Which of course meant we got that wind off the water and though it was sunny, you know the story, it was cold. That night we soaked up more time around a campfire and shared laughs as we said “See ya soon” to our dear friends. The following day was spent getting ready to leave and crying into my wine as I watched the Packers lose. (joking of course, but I was/still clearly am sad over that loss)

On to Gulf Shores Alabama!

Snowbird Travels – Stop 6 Part 1

January 7, 2021 by tduncan8214, posted in Golf, Snowbird

Days 39 – 55 First weeks in Florida, Christmas & New Years

We arrived to Sunny Florida … only, it was cloudy and when we got to our spot it started to rain, like down pour rain. So much for that sunshine state thing! We were pleased when we got to this spot – 5 weeks in a corner spot that is right on a little lake. Perfect. Dan’s been able to spend some time fishing (again), catching multiple blue gill from the lake beside us. Still hoping for that monster bass! Of course, the host got us in and we started to get things situated and I realized he had us pretty much in the middle of our concrete pad when the stairs came out, taking up much of the space. I asked Dan, can we move it maybe a foot or so? He looks at me incredulously, but gives in. Multiple attempts eventually got us where I was pleased with the space.

I was 100% certain we were level, so we got all unhooked from the truck, started to unpack, put the slides out and … hm. We are slanted it seems. In fact, our slide is tilted enough the level says it’s all the way unlevel. Turns out, actually, we have a slight issue with said slide and get to spend our last day here at the shop to try and get it fixed. Ah well, life on the road.Our first couple of weeks here have been a whirlwind to say the least. Our first full day, we got to golf (another cold round) and that night we went to watch Wes and Mike at their bowling league, which ended in a night at a cigar bar that lasted entirely too long. We golfed again that weekend, and hosted a chili bar and campfire one night, which was a blast. Sunday we were able to go to Calvary Reach Jacksonville, where Pastor Eric Souza is actually great friends with our home Pastor Ed, which was great.

The next week was Christmas – and on Christmas Eve we enjoyed a beautiful day in the 60’s on the golf course. Christmas day … well, it was the coldest Florida has seen in a while. There’s that weather we keep bringing wherever we go LOL. We spent our first Christmas in the trailer, opening gifts together and got to Facetime with Chanse and Dane while they opened their gifts from us. That evening, we were thankful to be able to go over to Mike’s to enjoy a prime rib dinner – and the dogs got to enjoy a big backyard! That weekend, Sunday evening, part of my gift to Dan was a private carriage ride around downtown St. Augustine. They have “Night of Lights” going on right now, so we got to see the lights and also got some fun historical facts while enjoying a romantic ride for 2.

One of the best rounds of golf was played the Monday after Christmas, when we played the King & Bear, the only golf course designed by both Jack Niklaus and Arnold Palmer. That was a lot of fun and a great course (I got a birdie!) That was the only course and place so far that we finally saw an alligator! We played it low key that week, working and taking it easy in preparation for NYE. We got to golf again on NYE, playing a fun tournament style game with 6 others – where I placed 2^nd with my partner … Dan was partners with Mike, his game wasn’t quite as good that day.

We celebrated NYE at Mike’s place with Mike, Wes and Anke. They whipped up some great food, and we all enjoyed some laughs and drinks while waiting for the ball to drop. It was a long night, so the next day was low key as Dan and I got ready to take the weekend and head to Tampa Bay! More to come…

Snowbird Travels – Stop 5

December 21, 2020 by tduncan8214, posted in Golf, Snowbird

Days 33 – 39

After we left North Myrtle Beach (begrudgingly) we were headed to Savannah, Georgia. Location wise it was close to friends Wes and Anke, so we would be able to spend time with them, and we could cross Georgia off the list for golf.

We pulled into our spot, and once again felt like we did a great job on picking the location. We were on the end – always a plus to have extra room for the pups – and we were right across from their private lake. Dan was able to spend time fishing and I always enjoy a good view while I am working.

Wes and Anke came up to visit on Friday night, we enjoyed campfire quesadillas, the campfire, and lots of laughs. Saturday we went out for a fun round of golf, where the weather was warm and we were able to bask in the sun a little. After golf we got to meet Anke’s parents, who were so nice and welcoming.

That night we went to River Street at downtown Savannah, to get there we drove around to see the beautiful southern mansions, old cathedral and walk on the cobblestone to get to a spot to eat (where we had to grab some gator bites). The rain percentage was a 14% chance, of course we were there so that changed and soon it was a rainy evening for us to sit on a rooftop patio and enjoy the views. Luckily, we happened to have an umbrella … though it was broken. LOL. Eventually it did die down for us to sit comfortably, but so far these snowbirds have brought rain everywhere we go, lol.

The remainder of the trip we spent hanging at the campsite. It was pretty rainy Monday and Tuesday, so staying in was ok for us. There was a cool trail around the lake that we took the dogs out on which was fun. We went over to the Black Rifle Coffee Company per recommendations, which was a cool shop we got to buy some gifts from. Our last night there we enjoyed some more seafood – a great crab dinner and of course, Georgia peach cobbler!

Off to St. Augustine Florida!

Snowbird Travels – Stop 4

December 11, 2020 by tduncan8214, posted in Uncategorized

Days 24 – 33 – Travel and South Carolina

We left Arkansas very early on December 1, and it was COLD. Freezing, actually. We departed the 20 degrees hoping we were headed for a warmer climate. So far this snowbird thing wasn’t panning out weather wise, as Arkansas was mostly cold and rainy while we were there.

Our halfway point on this long drive – the longest of our trip – was a place in Riverside, Alabama. It would take about 10 hours we figured to get there, so we left around 5:20am and planned to arrive before sunset (not making that mistake again!) We got there safe and sound around 4:45pm, with just enough sunlight to hook up necessities and get into the trailer and start the heat – and for Dan, time to relax!! I cooked up our dinner while he relaxed … and by relax, it meant a beer and a shot. Actually it meant MULTIPLE beer and shots. After 10 plus hours on the road, he was pretty fried and needed to just let loose.

Well, we needed to leave early the next morning again as the drive would be just about the same amount of time to get to N. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. As it was once again in the 20’s, I was anxious to get out of there and get to some sunshine! I should also mention, the campground in Riverside … a big non recommendation from us. While the view was ok (a pretty lake) the campground was not and I was happy to stay one night and get out of dodge. Unfortunately, when I went to go wake my wonderful captain, he was not having it. I believe the words were, give me 30 more minutes I am TOO hungover! Being there before, and knowing he had a daunting task ahead of him, I let him sleep a little longer to try and help. Unfortunately when we woke the work began, and we had to unhook and put away the various things set up – which included the sewer. I think I heard “Oh I am going to throw up” a few times LOL. Slowly but surely we hit the road. Until the first of four diesels came roaring up on us, swaying us to and fro, and then the first thing we came to was a bridge. We took the first exit off of the bridge, and Dan had to get some cool air and take a quick break before we could hit the road again. He was shaky, but I had complete faith he would make it through. Eventually we got back on the road and we got to N. Myrtle Beach before the sunset. Suffice to say it was quite the long drive for Dan but the spirit of his Dad was with him.

Our site at NMB RV Resort was a concrete pull through, which always makes it nice when unhooking and staying for a bit. You are almost always 100% level, not needing to try and maneuver to level is a plus. We got a site that had a cabana type structure over the table, and the sites were really spacious with nice grass, a big area for sitting, the cabana and a fire pit. Our first night after getting set up, we were both all about getting some seafood so off we went to a place called The Flying Fish. Dan picked the perfect fish and accompaniments, mine was good but I was regretting my choice after I tried some of Dan’s. I have no idea how he does it but he has a knack for ordering something and having it prepared special. We also went for some fried green tomatoes as an appetizer– I had never had them and they supposedly were a staple of the south! When in Rome do as the Romans. They were pretty good. I am not sure I would order again, lol.

Thursday I had taken a half day off, so around lunch we went to a place called Wild Wing Café. We were suppose to be there for lunch, hit a winery for a mid day happy hour, and then we were going to go back to camp for dinner and a fire. That was the plan, until Dan decided he thought it would be fun to teach me Golden Tee Golf (which I kept calling Golden Wheel, for some reason it sounds better to me!). We enjoyed the game for so long, making friends with a few locals and enjoying laughs with them, and we wound up getting back to camp and not doing anything we had planned on.

The next day we golfed in S. Carolina! Checking it off the bucket list! I will make another post on the golf, but we enjoyed the round immensely.We finished pretty early, so we grabbed some lunch and headed out to get groceries. A little survival tip to readers, during the toilet paper crisis people rarely look in the RV section of the store. Thankfully they had plenty for us to stock up on! I had been begging to see the beach, so after the grocery store we headed to Cherry Grove to check out what the beach looked like. It was overcast as some rain was coming through, but we still got our toes in the sand and I decided I couldn’t wait to bring the pups back with us. That afternoon we spent some time relaxing at camp – playing Mexican Train Dominos and then getting the fire going to enjoy campfire quesadillas for dinner. All in all, Dan and I both agreed that was one of the best days we’ve had.

The weekend brought us more enjoyable weather – the sun was shining and the temperatures were much warmer then we’d been experiencing. We went to a cute “local” place called Boardwalk Billy’s Saturday afternoon before having an amazing dinner at SeaBlue – where Dan had a delicious grouper and I got a plate with a scallop, lobster tail and 2 shrimp. We were in seafood heaven as the food was decadent and well worth the price. Sunday, after service with Calvary Chapel Myrtle Beach, we took the dogs to the beach, which was no easy feat. Leo, our water loving Lab, seemed awed by the vastness of the ocean. To date he had only seen a small lake and I wish there was a way to show you the expression when he saw all that water. He would walk out into the low tide, and as a wave rolled in he would bolt away towards the beach again. It was so much fun to watch. Poor Tines though was not a happy camper. Any time that water rolled up to him he would prance away in agony. Leo and I eventually had some fun running into the water together – and while the water was cold, it was too much fun to chase waves with him.

Of course this trip isn’t all play, so Monday we were stuck working and we laid low. Tuesday was a bitter cold day, but I had taken the time off so that we could golf again, this time in N. Carolina – so off we went. Dan and I both agree it was the coldest round of golf we have ever played. We layered up and thankfully had a blanket I could throw over my legs, but let’s just say I hope we never play in those conditions again! That night after dinner we decided to drive through a Christmas light show we had seen advertised. It was so cute, and fun to see. They had a special section that was linked up to music, which was cool. It was like the Denver Zoo of lights, just a drive through. We enjoyed it.

We had one last day in this beautiful spot on Wednesday, and we spent it once again laying low (working) and then finally hit the winery I had asked we not forget about. The tasting was fun and the wine was great! Afterwards we went to an authentic Tex-Mex Cantina, Nacho Hippo. It was actually really good, we enjoyed it. Overall, we both really enjoyed the time in South Carolina and agree it’s a place we would for sure want to come back to if we do this again.

Next up – Savannah Georgia!

Snowbird Travels – Stop 3

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020 by tduncan8214, posted in Golf, Snowbird

Days 3 – 23 – Thanksgiving(s) 2020

The night we arrived in Arkansas was frustrating. From trying to back in in the dark, to a litany of issues we had trying to configure it all. One of the things that we had done before we left Colorado was to get the rig winterized. The temps had dropped in the teens briefly before we left, and to be safe we thought it best. For some reason when they winterized it, our black tank lever went missing. For those who don’t know, the black tank is the one linked to the toilet. Anyway, when we had left Kansas I thought I had shut the black tank all the way – because of no lever, I wasn’t 100% sure on that one. Turns out, I didn’t. So when we got to Arkansas and were setting up, Dan had asked me to go over and connect the sewer hose. Typically he does it because I can’t ever get the thing open. This time was no different. He comes over to put the hose on, opens the hose connection, and gets covered. When I say covered, I mean covered in what I can only call fermented black tank gunk. Topping it off, we didn’t have the water heater on to get hot water through the trailer, so not only is he covered, he can’t even wash it off. OOPS. We were able to get him mostly cleaned, and tried to spray down the area to get the smell somewhat away, but that made for a long night. Off to get pizza and beer, we decided wait til the morning to get everything else taken care of. Yes, Dan did get cleaned. And a great friend suggested Dan smell coffee grinds to get the smell out of his nose (thanks Dave). To say Dan was ready to turn around and head back was an understatement!!!

The next day was better, as the sun came up and we were able to see the views around us and realize, this spot was pretty nice. Although Dan had his truck in the shop two days with some computer issues and felt stranded, even he enjoyed being fully surrounded by woods. There were a lot of hiking trails we enjoyed with the dogs and my view from my “desk” while working was the trees surrounding us. The best part about this spot though, was the proximity to my Grandma’s house. It was a short 2 mile drive away – and spending the time close to her was well worth it. Not only did we get to spend time with her, it allowed for more family to visit – starting with my Uncle Jack & Aunt Julie from Wisconsin. We enjoyed time with them, getting to play games, sit and catch up, and of course hit a casino to try our luck there!

After they left, my mom came in to spend almost a week. She was gracious enough to get an Air B&B for my brother and his family to stay in as well. With all of them arriving, we got to celebrate Thanksgiving early – with all of my siblings, the kids, and of course the grandmas. It was a wonderful celebration and there were so many laughs shared. Josh and Dan were able to go fishing together and of course they hit the casino as well. Now Dan had some funny things to say about fishing with Josh but that aside he said he really enjoyed just getting away and chatting with him; even if Josh tried to hook Dan a few times, had him tie a swivel on and lost a good lure lol. Josh was the only one to land anything; which turned out to be a 6 foot foam platform of some kind. Dan and I got to enjoy a sleep over with Eloisa – she enjoyed spending the night with us in “her room” (the bunk room) of the trailer.

Once they all took off, we were able to enjoy more quiet time with grandma – from sewing lessons (she gave to Dan), golf, walks with the dogs, and the official Thanksgiving – with NO turkey! LOL. We had our third Thanksgiving that week, when Joe (D3) came out and we went down to my sisters to celebrate with them as well. We gave Slade an early Christmas gift that day, a fishing pole for him to learn on for when we come back around and Uncle Dan can take him out for real. The food was great and the company was also. We will see them again in February.

Some of the other things we enjoyed was a visit to the Cooper Memorial Chapel, a breathtaking chapel located right in Bella Vista. We also popped into a Calvary Chapel service – which was a delight to be able to visit and worship with them. I also made sure to get in my November 5k – this time with Leo along for the fun!

Off to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina!

Snowbird Travels – Stops 1 & 2

November 10, 2020 by tduncan8214, posted in Uncategorized

Day 1 – Travel day

We decided a while ago to take this trip, and our date to go has always been November 9. We spent months planning the trip down to the wire – from gas stops along the way to churches we would want to hit up. Well, Colorado and Covid 19 changed our minds as Covid started to run rampant and it was clear that soon we’d all be on lockdown. (At the time of this, the CO governor has issued a state wide curfew) On top of it, Colorado decided to have a snow storm blow through on November 9, so we hit the road on November 8.

Lucky us, the snow storm was being blown through with wind gusts of almost 40mph sometimes. It was a nail biting drive for sure, but Dan did a great job of getting us to our first stop (Hays, KS) safe and sound. We arrived in the dark and felt uncomfortable leaving the slides out with the wind, so all of us curled up in bed for a sound night of sleep – just to hit the road and chase the wind again!

Sunset view in the rearview mirror during the looooooong drive through Kansas

Day 2 – Off to Arkansas

We woke early in Kansas to try and get a head start.

The Morning view from our site as I took the dogs out

Sadly we woke to more wind, this time accompanied by rain as well. We tried to get out some of the kinks we couldn’t care for in the dark when we had arrived the night before, which wound up getting us on the road around 9am. Off to Arkansas! Windy conditions made for a treacherous drive again (poor Dan!) – this time I was distracted by work but boy the wind whipping our RV is not a fun experience!

Because of the wind, the drive was somewhat slower, so once again we arrived in the dark. This is something we are going to definitely remedy on the next round. Setting up in the dark makes for an unhappy couple, as Dan backed in the RV, and we used just flashlights on our phone and a headlamp to try to figure out where and how to get everything set up. So far, from what we had seen last night, we aren’t thrilled with the location we are in camp site wise, but we are going to make the best of it! Settling in and here to stay to enjoy time & Thanksgiving with family!

2018 – Oregon

November 5, 2020 by tduncan8214, posted in Golf

We celebrated our 4th year of marriage in Oregon to check it off the list for golf. We flew into Portland and got a rental car to drive about 2 hours to the coast. I was really looking forward to this location, as it was right along the beach and was going to make for a relaxing, romantic anniversary.

We spent many mornings and evenings enjoying the view

As always our main goal for this destination was to golf and get the poker chip, checking Oregon off the list! Along the way we enjoyed dinners at small boutique restaurants, time together laughing and celebrating, and lots of walks on the beach to check out Haystack Rock.

The golf course we found was a links style and had some pretty cool history behind it.

The Oldest Course west of the Mississippi

Overall we enjoyed Oregon, mainly though we enjoyed celebrating each other!