Friday, June 30 and Saturday, July 1, 2017, Into Storage in Lebanon, TN

It would have been easy enough to drive all the way from Memphis to Lebanon in one day, but our storage rental did not start until the first of July. Instead, we stopped at the Pilot Travel Center in Hurricane Mills, TN, a short hop of 131.2 miles (83,582.7 miles total). It was a warm one, so we spent a lazy afternoon in air-conditioned comfort inside our coach. 

Thinking through our plans for the next couple of months, we realized we needed to empty the coach of a lot of "stuff" at Mom's. So when we arrived in Lebanon, TN, on Saturday morning after another 116.3 miles (83,699.0 miles total) we parked right in front of her condo. That made things a lot easier than the alternative of at least three loaded round trips in the car. We felt pretty conspicuous parked at the curb, so we made it quick and then headed over to All Things Storage where we tucked our home away for the next two months.

Thursday, June 29, 2017, Pink Palace Museum, Memphis, TN

While we were in Memphis we visited the Pink Palace Museum (an ASTC member). The huge mansion was built by the founder of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain, Clarence Saunders. Things did not end well for Clarence as his empire was usurped by financial rivals before the home was finished. The property was later donated to the city and it became the home of the Memphis History Museum.

Inside we found a little bit of everything - part natural history, part science and part local history. They had an extensive collection of minerals and gems as well.

Rhesus Monkey

"Giant Owl Butterfly" Caligo memnon

Ventral View (belly)

When we saw the electron microscope below, Joani and I were both reminded of the response of a frustrated Dr. Frasier Crane to an obnoxious caller:

"Roger, at Cornell University they have an incredible piece of scientific equipment known as the Tunneling Electron Microscope. Now, this microscope is so powerful that by firing electrons you can actually see images of the atom, the infinitesimally minute building blocks of our universe. Roger, if I were using that microscope right now, I still wouldn't be able to locate my interest in your problem."

Walking through a replica of the first Piggly Wiggly really made us appreciate today's modern grocery stores especially when it came to the refrigerated and frozen foods sections.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017, Move to Memphis, TN

Today we drove 167 miles (83,451.5 miles total) to Memphis, TN. It was mostly a boring drive that got a little exciting as we traveled through Memphis with all of its traffic. We are no longer "out west" since we are now on the east side of the Mississippi.

Within an hour of settling into our campsite at the Agricenter RV Park on the east side of Memphis, we were headed to the IKEA located just 5 miles north of our park to scratch Joani's itch for some Swedish meatballs. I fully expect someday to live in a house that is completely furnished with IKEA furniture.

We followed the IKEA visit with a trip to Costco and then a Kroger - it's good to be home again!

Monday, June 26, 2017, Move to USACE, Maumelle, AR

The Corps check out time (3:00 pm) allowed us time for showers and a nice leisurely breakfast before continuing on our way to Tennessee. Today's drive -124.3 miles (83,284.5 miles total) to another Corps of Engineers Park near Little Rock, AR named Maumelle.

Maumelle was even nicer than yesterday's park, sites here were spacious, grassy and shaded. Our first order of business was to remove Sam's stitches. He had healed nicely and we had to decide whether we should find a vet or do it ourselves. Joani had already discussed the procedure with a vet in Tennessee who seemed to think it was relatively simple, so with no formal training, I clipped the stitches with a small pair of scissors. Sam never even flinched - what a trooper!

We took a sunset walk but did not really capture a lot of color. Fortunately, we did not find a lot of mosquitos making our stroll exceptionally pleasant.  

Sunday, June 25, 2017, Move to Ozark, AR

A mile down the road from the fairgrounds on the way to I-40 we found diesel at the lowest price we've seen since we have been motorhome owners - $1.959/gal. Fortunately, it had been a while since we had fueled up, so we were able to take advantage of that great price.

Joani has really been making life easy for her driver and today was no exception. We drove a nice laid-back 193.6 miles (83,160.2 miles total) to Ozark, AR.

We usually do a Walmart or Flying J / Pilot truck stop for just an overnight-and-hit-the-road type deal.  But Arkansas had so many fantastic Corp of Engineer parks that were, of course, half price to geezers with a National Park Pass.  That was $10 for an on the river site with a view of the barges coming through the locks, and full shade.

While traveling to the Aux Arc Park (Corp of Engineers park located on the Arkansas River), Joani did a little googling to find out the back story on the name.  We had been pronouncing it Ox-Ark - wrong.  "Aux Arc" is a name that originated with French explorers when they mapped the territory. The term meant "the big bend" or "to the bow," describing the bend in the Arkansas River. Google translator sounded more like "oos-aurck" (said with a heavy French accent). Over time, the name was simplified to "Ozark," thus the name for Ozark Lake near the park.

Corp of Engineers' parks always have dams nearby. This one was only a short walk to the end of the park, but it was surrounded by chain link fence and not very interesting.

We spent a beautiful, relaxing, cool evening watching the geese frolic on the lake shore while an endless parade of barges cruised up and down the Arkansas River and through the locks at the dam.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017, Oklahoma Land Run Monument

Sam had another appointment with the vet at Banfield (drop him off at 8:30 am and they call when he is ready), so we found ourselves in Oklahoma City again with time on our hands. There was so much to explore and with only a couple of hours, we decided our first stop would be 1889 Land Run Memorial highly recommended by our friends Mike and Lorraine.

The territory of Oklahoma needed settlers - what could be a better enticement than free land. The Unassigned Lands were opened through a Land Run with more than 50,000 Americans vying for 160 acres plots or a town lot. At noon on April 22, 1889, competitors rushed in on wagons, horses, foot and trains. Towns were formed and homesteads were staked. The march to statehood had begun. Apparently, some of the folks chose not to wait (cheated!) and hid in bushes near their chosen lot instead. When the rush started they popped up and staked out some of the prime lands. They were referred to as "Sooners" and I guess the name must not have had much of a negative connotation since the entire state adopted the nickname.

This monument went on seemingly forever, and it was not complete - the artist still had 5 more statues to go. There will be 47 statues when it is done.

I was blown away by the sculptor's ability to capture the urgency, drama and movement of the subjects.  The covered wagon losing its load bringing down a fellow traveler, a concerned fellow looking back and losing his hat, the dog next to the wagon in full gallop trying to keep up - all contribute to the conveyance.

The amount of detail was amazing.

The monument crossed a beautifully landscaped waterway and continued on the other side.

A groundskeeper told us that the buckboard driver below was a self-portrait of the artist, Paul Moore.

David noticed the detail of the hoof imprints on the edge of the bank (actually in concrete).

The Oklahoma Science Museum was on the ASTC list, so we thought we would check it out. It was a kids museum, but it was still interesting and one of the largest we have visited.

This museum blew us away.  It was the largest and nicest science museum we had visited so far.  Very Kid centered but with plenty to offer the over-50 crowd, too.  It was packed at midday - go early!

A very large "Wunderkammer" (German meaning "Wonder Cabinet") display sat at the entrance.  This picture captures a fraction of the display.  The poster in the middle caught my eye.  (Does it look familiar, Jon?)

The planetarium presented a journey to the planets that might have kept the kids entertained. I'm not sure because with the extremely comfortable reclined seating I might have fallen asleep for part of the trip.

My rendition of the Star Trek theme on the Theremin below was not recognizable, but I made some awesome random noises.

I suppose the background behind me, below, is a giveaway that I did not really go to the moon to plant a flag on its surface. This was, without doubt, the largest and best presentation of hands-on science exhibits for kids we have seen.

One of the advantages of the ASTC membership is you never feel bad if you need to leave early since you didn't have to pay to get in.  

We could have spent a lot more time in the museum, but the vet called to say Sam was ready. The folks at Banfield said he sat still as they pulled the drains out - I'm just glad I didn't have to watch. He was feeling so much better as he gave me that look that said: "could you just stop humiliating me with this cone?"

Sam's tubes were out and his hair was starting to grow back.  We needed to wait 5 more days before the remaining stitches could be removed.  He was doing so well!

Monday, June 19, 2017, Oklahoma State Capitol

We took Sam to the vet to get his drains removed, but it was going to take a few hours. That allowed us a chance to visit Oklahoma's capitol building. Unfortunately, it was in the middle of a large refurbishment project, so we did not get to see it at its best.  

"Bronze tribute to the romantic riders of the range" 1930, by Constance Whitney Warren

The building included a lot of the classic architecture we usually associate with a capitol building. We will be sure to visit again when the facelift is complete.

We stopped in the information center at the top of the hour to take a tour. It was not a busy day, so we had our own private showing of the capitol building. Our tour guide, Bill, seemed to be pretty well known. As we were walking around, the Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor, Todd Lamb, introduced himself. He talked for a few minutes about being stationed in Brunswick, Georgia, before telling us we had the best tour guide in the Capitol.

It's the tour guides that make capitols interesting.  They are usually a wealth of information.  Bill was no exception.

 "The Guardian" Sculpted by Enoch Kelly Haney, Seminole-Creek Master Artist and Oklahoma Senator

This is a 9-foot edition of the statue that sits atop the Capitol's dome (a 22-foot 9-inch sculpture raised and mounted in 2002.

I thought it was interesting that the capitol building was completed in 1917 without a dome at a cost of $1.5 million. The 157-foot steel and granite dome that I was viewing above was added in 2002 for a cool $22 million. Don't worry, it was mostly funded through private donations.

 "Flight of Spirit" 1991 by Mike Larsen, Chickasaw

 The mural was commissioned to honor the five world-renowned Indian ballerinas from Oklahoma: Yvonne Chouteau, Cherokee; Rosella Hightower, Choctaw; Moscelyne Larkin, Shawnee; Maria Tallchief, Osage and Marjorie Tallchief, Osage.

  Dialogue, 1991 bronze, by Allan C. Houser

 (This was a glassed-in gallery safe from the dust of the renovation.)

In the hall below, a quick "head count" told me there were too many Governors for the states very young history (Oklahoma became a state in 1907). Bill rather sheepishly admitted several were impeached and did not serve a full term.

We received a call from Banfield, Sam's vet, who told us we could pick him up. The call was very early because his wounds had not healed enough to remove the drains. It cut our sightseeing short, but we decided to get Sammie home.

Saturday, June 17 through Saturday, June 24, 2017 ACA Rally, Shawnee, OK

Well, technically, Friday, Saturday and Sunday were ACA Southeast Chapter's "pre-rally" days, but just about everyone was already here and we had a happy hour each day with old friends, really great munchies and BYOB. I attended alone while Joani comforted poor Sammie on Saturday. Whenever we both left him alone he had to wear the cone. The look below tells you just how much he enjoyed that.

I think I see tears in his eyes! After three days he woke up and said "enough with pain! It's time to move on!" And he has been getting back to his old self ever since.

I caught a lot of grief for taking two pieces of pizza - one for Joani, of course, and there were plenty of leftovers before it was all over. Sunday Joani attended and loaded her own plate with fried chicken.

On Monday, the official beginning of the rally, a few dozen more folks arrived. That brought the rally total to about 110 shiny American Coaches - what a sight to behold!

Monday night we had "heavy hors-d'oeuvres." Great stuff, but a bit disorganized. We were like hungry hogs feeding at a trough. There was no line, so it was nearly impossible to get a little of everything on the first go-around. After the initial frenzy everyone got their fill and then some (as with most rallies, overeating is the norm).

I did a poor job of capturing people - not a single good shot of everyone at our table. Someone was always cut off or blurry. Maybe I can blame the BYOB policy.

Tuesday night we had another fabulous feast. The menu included peppers and beef and smoked ham and lots of vegetables to round out the nutrition. Of course, the meal was topped off by peach, apple and blackberry cobblers.

Our meal was followed by comedy from John DeBoer. He did a lot of ad-libbing and was pretty funny. I had some reservations, however, when some of his material revolved around keying cars with vanity plates.

Bob Hurley RV's crew was doing their best to sell all seven of the models they brought to the rally (three Revolutions, two Dreams and two Eagles). After thinking they had not sold a one, we were told that at least three people left with a new coach. 

We looked at the show coaches several times.  Joani decided she really liked the Eagle 45C and asked for a brochure. That got them excited - a live one on the hook. I liked it as well, but some quick math showed, with an unrealistic trade-in allowance, we would still be looking at a $3,000/month payment for the next 30 years. That put a damper on things. Our humble coach has everything we need without a monthly payment so I guess we better keep it.

The American Eagle 45C - This photo does not do it justice!  It is so pretty.

I would love to put this shower in our coach - I think we could do it!

A new offering from American Coach - a Class B. Very sleek and perfect for extended trips or weekend get-aways.

The new American Coach Patriot (just under $130,000 - ouch!)

Wednesday night we had pizza - nothing special on its own, but the company certainly made the evening pleasant.

We had a free night on Thursday and we joined two other couples and hit a local Mexican restaurant by the name of Rosa's. It was good food made even better with the addition of some of the best homemade "hot" sauce I have had in some time. I ate too much - I guess the rally mindset extended outside of the park.

An American Coach Tech fixed our water valve problem that we have put up with for over a year. The water pump no longer burps due to fresh water leaking back into the tank. They only charge you for parts - no labor - what a deal!

Friday night - our big night - prime rib cooked to perfection with a nice selection of veggies and mashed potatoes. German chocolate cake and carrot cake made a fine finishing touch. Entertainment for the evening was provided by Johnny Counterfeit. That guy had you believing you were hearing a nearly endless list of famous people including Johnny Cash, Elvis, John Wayne. Jimmy Stewart, Willie Nelson, Dean Martin (and the rest of the Rat Pack), Paul Lynde, Archie and Edith Bunker. I liked the way he modified song lyrics to fit the character of whoever he sounded like. The Time Traveller Band did a great job as well. They clearly knew their audience - everyone sang along with a selection of songs that were easily recognized and obviously favorites.

Saturday morning the thunder of big diesels roared as nearly everyone headed off to their next adventure. I say nearly everyone because we, along with 15 other coaches, stayed an extra night before leaving. We certainly enjoyed our time at the rally and the camaraderie of the group (with the exception of one irresponsible dog owner) and look forward to the next time we can all get together.