Fossil Rim, Glen Rose Oct 19

Wednesday, October 19

Continental Breakfast again.  Though this park is older, it is well maintained by the city and the showers and bathrooms are spotless!

Today's main adventure is a trip to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.  This is a drive-through animal park dedicated to wildlife conservation.  They have about 50 species of animals, many of which are endangered.  They are part of breeding programs for many of the animals which roam a wide area divided into four pastures.

 We are on the first of 2 buses, which departs at 8:45 for a 15 minute drive.  At the Wildlife Center we transfer to smaller open-air buses for a 2-hour narrated tour.

First up are giraffes and Asian red deer (which are in rut).

  We are given food pellets to feed most of the animals, which include assorted deer, antelope, wildebeests, zebras and other hoofed animals.

 There are also quite a few white and black rhinos, ostriches and emus, some of which approach our bus for an expected handout.

 and a large, fenced complex with cheetahs.  It is one of the most successful cheetah programs in the world and we see a few sets of cubs. Cheetahs are actually rather weak when it comes to being predators, fantastic speed but weak jaws and easily run off their kill by other animals.  Their claws are not retractable which gives them good traction (like cleats) when running, but their claws become worn and they are not able to climb trees.

Back at Oakdale, we make some sandwiches for lunch and then do another drive through the countryside.  Too hot for hiking today - near 90 again!

 Tonight we sit with John and Sally from North Carolina, who we first met in Alaska.  John had a major heart attack at age 40, several surgeries, and is going strong at 74.  We check out a modification to the ac in their rig and discover that they travel with a gorgeous 15-year old parrot!  Many of the folks here  travel with dogs, particularly the singles - of which there are 23 here, mostly women!

Dinner is from Hammond's BBQ and is quite tasty!  Apple cobbler with ice cream for dessert!
Tonight's speaker is Melinda Ray, owner and historian from The Historic Nutt House Hotel in nearby Granbury.  An ex-teacher who inherited the Nutt House a few years ago, she makes an interesting presentation.  We will be going to Granbury tomorrow.

There is a pumpkin carving contest later, but we didn't participate especially when we saw some of the entries.

 I'm more of a triangle-eyes and toothy smile person :)

There is wifi, intermittently strong, so we spend some time catching up with emails and working with photos.

There has been a bit of a breeze today, bringing a welcome cold front - hurray!  It has cooled enough that we don't need the air conditioner tonight, just the overhead fan.

Glen Rose, Oct 18

Tuesday, October 18

Greg gets up early and goes to help set up breakfast for the group.  Continental breakfast includes bagels, pastries, muffins, fruit, oatmeal and yoghurt, coffee and juices.

We skip a board meeting and instead take a ride into the countryside.  There are many fossils in the area, which was once under water, so we decide to stop by the river and look at rocks.  This little side road has two places where water covers the road, but it is very passable.  We find a few interesting rocks but no fossils.

Then we head back into town to visit Barnard's Mill & Art Museum.  Housed in an 1860 mill which later was a hospital, it features some local artists and many bronze sculptures, including one (by Robert Summers) of Tom Landry which is the model for the one at the Cowboys' stadium.

 Most of the works feature western, cowboy and Indian themes.

  Many photos outside too.

Many of the older buildings in town are made of stone and include petrified wood, which used to plentiful here, as part of their construction.

We join several Roadtrekers at a local spot called The Green Pickle for a lunch of green chili burgers, then head back to Oakdale park for a first-timer orientation, followed by an ice cream social sponsored by National Indoor RV.  There are several models of new Roadtreks outside and we check them out.  Road trek has about 6 or 7 different models, ranging from $70,000 to $140,000.  Those attending this rally range from 1990's models to a 2015 Mercedes model.  Ours is a 2006.

At 1:30 there is a short business meeting.  As in many organizations, most of the positions are uncontested in the election.  Roadtrek has 9 regions, each of which has multiple vice presidents and the Roadtrek organization has a president, historian, secretary and treasurer. Funding is from minimal dues and support from the Roadtrek manufacturer.  We are a chapter of FMCA - Family Motor Coach Association.

Next is a seminar on Technical RV Info, with Q&A and information on common issues.

Social hour is followed by a Tex-Mex dinner of Fajitas, beans and rice...

...which is followed by musical entertainment by a lively Blue Grass Band called "Cedar Junction".

Tonight we sit with Woody and Beth from North Carolina and Larry & Teri from Ohio.  Woody and Beth have been doing this for many years and had many entertaining stories.  Larry & Teri have exactly the same model as ours but he is an engineer and has made some interesting modifications.

GLEN ROSE TEXAS ROADTREK RALLY, OCT 17 2016

Monday, October 17, 2016

Today we set off about 8:45 for Glen Rose, Texas to attend a Roadtrek Chapter Rally.  This is a gathering of people who drive Road Trek rv's, planned by volunteers.

The 4-hour-plus drive takes us through College Station and around Waco,  through mostly rural Texas.  Lots of cattle and, as we get into rockier, drier countryside, many goats.  Most all of the small towns have outstanding court houses on their squares.  Many were built in the second part of the 1800's from local materials, mostly stone.  This one is in Meridian.

Then we arrive in Glen Rose.  Here is their courthouse.

We head to Oakdale Park and pick up our rally packet.  Over 60 Roadtreks are here, from all over the US - and one from Ontario, Canada.  We find our site, 85, and set up.

 Meet and chat with our neighbors, Lonnie & Butch who are also from Texas.  (Butch is a feisty gray haired woman in her 80's!)  Jacqueline, a women we met in Alaska, stops by for a visit.

Then we walk a short way across the highway to Big Rocks Park, a city park.  There is a nice trail along the Paluxy River, but it is closed after about 1/4 mile due to flooding damage this Summer.

Back to our rig and we head to a nice large meeting building, thankfully air-conditioned, for "social time".  Some of the folks frequently attend rallies and know each other.  This is only our third, so there are only three people that we recognize, but we meet several others and end us sitting with Tom from Wausau and Jill from El Paso when dinner time rolls around.  Dinner is catered by Linda's Southern Restaurant and includes pork chops (or chicken), potatoes and green beans with an apple cobbler for dessert.

After dinner there is a break and then welcome announcements and a local speaker who talks about the history of the Glen Rose area. Founded in the 1850's by many folks from Missouri who left the Kansas/Missouri area because of the violence going on there due to slavery issues.  They were only here for a few years before Texas left the Union and they ended up fighting for the Confederates!
Interesting talk, and we called it a night.

July 27 Missouri to Oklahoma - OK; July 28 HOME again.

July 27, 2016  Missouri to Arkansas

Lots of hawks in the hayfields along the road this morning.  We are heading towards Independence, Missouri and the Harry S. Truman Museum and Library. Independence is now pretty much a suburb of Kansas City but we find the Library with no problem.

We begin with a film that covers Truman's pre-presidential years.  He was born in 1884 and worked in a bank when he finished high school because he could not afford college.  The family needed him, however, so he moved back to the 600 acre family farm where he regularly worked 14 hour days for several years. In 1917 he answered the call to arms by joining the National Guard and was sent to France where he proved an able leader.  When he returned, he started a haberdashery shop with a war buddy, but it didn't do very well.  Then the powerful Pendergast Democratic Machine chose him as a candidate for judge and later as Senator.  Although not an eloquent speaker,  his down-to-earth demeanor, honesty, and familiarity with farming made him popular.

As the country approached WWII, President Roosevelt was running for his 4th term.  The VP at the time was not popular and Truman was chosen as Roosevelt's running mate, expecting that he would take a back seat for the duration.  Roosevelt died of an aneurysm about 8 weeks later and Truman stepped in at an incredibly difficult time.

  In short order he had to make decisions on dropping the A-bomb, negotiating peace settlements, dealing with post-war Europe and Japan, strikes and difficult economic transitions, the UN and NATO, recognizing Israel, the Cold War and spread of Communism,  and more.  Whew!

 He famously and unexpectedly won re-election over Dewey.

Another President who did not win the popular vote. Many of his programs did not get implemented - like Civil Rights - because of political grid-lock (sound familiar?)and it took a few years for history  (and the American people) to appreciate his contributions.

Of the Presidential Libraries we've been to, this would be near the top of the list.  Very thorough, many interactive displays, lots of history inside and outside of the White House.  Truman spent a lot of time planning and designing it. Here is his office here at the Library, and a replica of his oval office.

Replica of Truman Oval Office

Truman office at Library.

As we head further south, the temperature rises to 90.  We stop in Carthage, Missouri thinking we might find some Kansas City BBQ.  We try a place called Boomers, whose owners are big Oklahoma U fans. The bbq is only so-so.

We hop on an Interstate and move on into Arkansas continuing till about 7PM (usually stop around 3:00) and stop at a Walmart in Alma, near Fort Smith.  This will give us one long haul to reach home tomorrow.

July 28

It is 78 degrees at 5AM, so we head out.  Greg drives while Beth sleeps a bit.  We move into Oklahoma, taking 40 to 69S, across the Red River into Texas.

The heat may have been going up the past two or three days, but at least the gas prices have been falling!  We pay $1.86 this morning at Denison, Texas.  The high was probably about $3.50 in Canada.

We stop for some real Texas BBQ at Woody's in Centerville, TX. Yum.  As we near home, rain and traffic greet us.

But it is great to walk into the 75 degree house (thanks, Cheri). Home again, Home again, jiggedy jig!

7,770 miles - 20 states and 2 Canadian Provinces.