PLAN UPDATE

WRITTEN BY REX

WE ARE STILL CAMPED AT VETERANS PARK IN WEST SALEM, WISCONSIN, NEAR LA CROSSE. IT’S A NICE PARK RIGHT ON THE LA CROSSE RIVER. WE HAVE ELECTRIC, BUT NO WATER, SEWER, OR INTERNET SERVICE. THE WATER IS ABOUT 50 YARDS AWAY AND HAS TO BE HAND CARRIED, 5 GALLONS AT A TIME, TO DUMP INTO THE CAMPER. THE BLACK TANK IS THE PROBLEM TODAY, AS IT HASN’T BEEN EMPTIED FOR 16 DAYS. EITHER TODAY OR TOMORROW WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HOOK THE TRAILER UP TO THE TRUCK AND DRIVE IT OVER TO THE DUMP STATION TO BE EMPTIED.

THE 10 DAY WEATHER FORECAST LOOKS GOOD. THE WEATHER SHOULD BE DRY WITH LOWS IN THE LOW 40’S AND HIGHS IN THE MID 60’S. WE PLAN TO STAY WHERE WE ARE CAMPED NOW UNTIL MONDAY, OCTOBER 16TH. THEN THE PLAN HAS US HEADED WEST TO ALBERT LEA, MINNESOTA, WHERE WE WILL DROP THE TRAILER AND TRUCK JUST SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 35 AT THE NEW DIAMOND JO CASINO. WE WILL CONTINUE ON WEST, ON INTERSTATE 90, WITH THE HONDA, TO SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA TO RENEW OUR DRIVER’S LICENSES AND MEET WITH AN INSURANCE AGENT. NEXT STOP WILL BE JUST SOUTH OF DES MOINES, IOWA AT TERRIBLE’S LAKESIDE CASINO FOR AN OVER NIGHT STOP, AND THEN ARRIVE IN INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI ON OCTOBER 19TH.

IN INDEPENDENCE WE WILL BE CAMPING WITH INTERNET CAMPING FRIENDS STEVE AND VICKI REIGEL. STEVE AND VICKI ARE FULLTIMERS, AND RECENTLY TOOK DELIVERY ON A NEW MONTANA 5TH WHEEL. STEVE IS KNOWN AS THE “WIZARD” ON THE MOC (MONTANA OWNERS CLUB) INTERNET DISCUSSION BOARD, AND WE HOPE TO PICK HIS BRAIN TO LEARN ABOUT SOME MAINTAIN CE ISSUES ON OUR CAMPER, ESPECIALLY THE SLIDE OUTS. APPARENTLY THE SLIDE OUTS ARE DESIGNED TO FAIL WITH A COUPLE OF SHEER BOLTS FAILING FIRST TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER. IT IS POSSIBLE TO CHANGE THESE BOLTS YOURSELF IF YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE AND CARRY TWO SPARE BOLTS WITH YOU, INFORMATION WE NEED TO LEARN. STEVE IS ALSO A COMPUTER EXPERT AND WE’RE HOPING TO LEARN HOW TO USE A GPS ANTENNA ON THE LAPTOP TO PROVIDE US WITH NAVIGATION INFORMATION. WHILE IN INDEPENDENCE WE ALSO PLAN TO TAKE THE HONDA OVER TO BOONVILLE, MO TO VISIT CASINO FRIENDS, MARY & SCROOGE, WHOM WE WORKED WITH ON THE MISS MARQUETTE, AND SPEND A DAY AT THE TRUMAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY.

ONCE WE FINISH IN INDEPENDENCE/KANSAS CITY WE WILL HEAD TOWARDS THE SOUTHWEST. WE NEED TO BE IN LAS VEGAS BY NOVEMBER 7TH TO MEET AMY AND FAMILY FOR A WEEK OF CAMPING WITH MY GRANDSONS. ON THE WAY WEST WE HOPE TO EXPLORE IN MONUMENT VALLEY ON THE NAVAJO NATION RESERVATION IN NORTHEASTERN ARIZONA, HIKE INTO THE GRAND CANYON, AND VISIT A METEOR SITE IN ARIZONA.THE NEXT BENCHMARK IS NOVEMBER 15TH, BY THEN WE WILL BE DRAGGING EACH OTHER’S ASSES INTO THE AVI CASINO IN LAUGHLIN TO REPORT FOR 23 WEEKS OF WINTER OF WORK.