Preparing for a Big Move and a Graduation

Tuesday, May 28^th – Friday, May 30^th

(Diamond Lake RV Resort, Owensboro, KY)

We spent a few days preparing to move to Yellowstone National Park.  We visited with some family members and some other general stuff.

On Thursday and Friday (May 29^th and 30^th) we spent most of our time packing up to leave early in the morning on the 31^st.

Our niece graduated from high school on the evening of May 30^th and we went to the

ceremony.  Afterward the graduation, family and friends went out to eat at Cheddar’s Casual Café. Tomorrow (Saturday) there was a large graduation barbeque/party for her.  We really missed not being able to attend but we really needed to start heading west so we wouldn’t be in such a rush.  We asked folks that will be at the barbeque to send us some texts with pictures so we could at least participate vicariously. 

Our niece will be attending the University of Louisville (KY) in the fall.  She received many scholarships and awards and her parents and the rest of us are all very proud of her.  She is a great young woman with a good head on her shoulders and we’re sure she’ll be successful in whatever she attempts in life.

A Stay at Rough River State Resort Park, Falls of Rough, KY

(Rough River State Resort Park, Falls of Rough, KY)

On Thursday, May 22^nd we moved from Diamond Lake RV Resort in Owensboro, KY to Rough River State Resort Park in Falls of Rough, KY. 

In past years we have camped many times here while our kids were growing up.  We used to take vacation around July 4^th each year and camp for a week or longer with family and friends.  The state park always has a great fireworks show.  We camped here many other times throughout the years as well, but we haven’t been here in several years.  They used to be first-come-first-serve but eventually went to an on-line state park reservations system through Reserve America.

When we drove into the campground after checking in, it brought back many memories of camping with our kids, other family members, and friends.  It was great to be back again although they have only water and electric (50 amp) hook-ups.  They do have a dump station though.

After we set up at our site we drove for a little over an hour to Bowling Green, KY, met up with our son, his girlfriend and our niece.  Then all five of us attended the Bowling Green Hot Rods AAA baseball game.  They have a very nice ballpark and we had great seats right behind home plate.  We had a great time at the ballpark.  After the game we went next door to a sports-related restaurant/bar to get something to eat and had a couple of beers.


They all had to work the next day so we didn’t stay very late.

Lisa’s sister Pam and her husband Rob (who live in Nashville, TN) own a cabin at Rough River Lake in McDaniels, KY and it's only a few miles from Rough River State Resort Park. 

On Friday, May 23^rd we travelled those few miles to their cabin for the Memorial Day weekend.  Several other family members also joined us at different times throughout the weekend.  We had a great time although it did rain part of the time.  Pam and Rob own a pontoon boat and we went out on it one day.

On May 27^th we moved the RV back to Diamond Lake Resort Park in Owensboro, KY to make final preparations for our move to Canyon Village in Yellowstone National Park.

A Summary of April and May, 2014

We left Tupelo, Mississippi on April 17^th via the Natchez Parkway, followed it for a few miles across Alabama and we stopped in Lawrenceburg, TN for a couple of nights.

Then we moved on to Nashville, TN.

We picked up the water filter system order and our mail at Lisa’s sister house in Nashville.  We also spent some time with her and her husband before we moved on.

 

 

 

 

After we left Nashville we traveled on I-40 through Knoxville, TN and eventually to Sevierville, TN and checked into River Plantation RV Resort on April 25^th.   It is a very nice, large, well maintained RV resort located on US 441.  The sites are spacious with good hook-ups and we would definitely stay at this RV resort again.

We were at the resort to attend the 2014 RV-Dreams Spring Rally to be held here.  Howard

and Linda Payne own the full-timers RV website RV-Dreams and put on two or three rallies per year. We have been following them on their full-timers blog for several years.

 They are from Louisville, KY and Howard and I have exchanged emails throughout the years and I wanted to meet them and attend one of their rallies.  We attended from April 29^th – May 2^nd.

The rally had many seminars with good information on various topics.  Each night there were dinners, fun games, etc. 

A local RV dealer, RV’s For Less, brought three RVs to the rally for display and while we were there we walked through them to a look at anything new being installed.  We also wanted to go through them just because we love RVs.

In 2012 we bought our Heartland Landmark Grand Canyon from RV’s For Less which is located in Knoxville.  We actually bought our RV at a show in Louisville, KY and we picked it up in Knoxville.

Butch and Karen Burson are the owners of RV’s For Less and Butch was on hand to answer questions.  While I was talking to him he told me about a new electric furnace they were starting to install in their RVs as an after-market item.  It is reportedly super efficient and saves money, versus LP gas furnaces, on heating in the cold winter months.  We are considering upgrading our furnace because the current LP gas furnace in our RV is not very efficient.  At times during the past winter I estimate that we were spending $10 per day for LP gas.

Howard and Linda Payne had their inflatable boats on hand during the rally for display



during one evening.  I’ve been trying to talk to Lisa to purchasing one so we could do some canoeing at times.  The Payne’s demonstrated the inflation and setup of their boats and it looked quick and easy.  They deflate and pack into bags that are about four feet by two feet so they are small enough for RVs.
They are partners with InflatableBoatsForLess and have at least three of their boats.

On Friday, May 2^nd we left Sevierville, TN and headed West on I-40 to Center Hill Lake, TN and checked into Long Branch Corps of Engineers (COE) Campground.  Lisa’s sister Pam, and her husband Rob, who live in Nashville, TN, had bought a new Jayco Seneca class-C RV and wanted to get together for some camping.

Long Branch Campground is one of the nicest COE campgrounds in which we’ve camped.  Nice, large sites with very good hookups.  There is a boat ramp to the river there also.  The only possible negative is the fact that it is located at the base of Center Hill Lake dam and cell phone service is very spotty; although that aspect may be an incentive for some folks. I’ll let you be the judge.

We had a good time with them, grilling and just hanging out.  It was over too soon and we headed out on May 4^th and drove to Bowling Green, KY and stayed at for a couple of nights.  We hung out with our son and his girlfriend and had a good time.

On May 6^th we packed up and headed to Diamond Lake RV Resort in Owensboro, KY. We stayed there for a few days and prepared for a trip to visit our niece in Prairie View, Wisconsin.

On May 9^th we drove to Pleasant ,Prairie Wisconsin to our niece’s house. She is married to a Marine who is stationed in California.  He will be transferring to Great Lakes Naval Station in Great Lakes, Illinois toward the end of this year.  She moved back to the northern Illinois/southern Wisconsin area to accept a position at a pharmaceutical company and buy a house in anticipation of his transfer.

Initially we planned to pull the RV to Wisconsin and stay at a campground.  We had researched several campgrounds within a decent driving distance of her house but they were all closed until May 1^st.  We narrowed the short list down to one possibility.  We called in April to try to make a reservation but the call went to an answering machine that said their office was closed until May 1^st and to leave a voice mail.  Their voice mailbox was full and we couldn’t leave a message.  So in the end our niece invited us to stay in one of her extra bedrooms.

We went up there to visit with her and help with several projects that they wanted to complete.  Our brother-in-law, who lives in Nashville, TN, also went there at the same time.  Some of the projects we completed were:

• Clean out and clean up a sunroom.
• Remove old backsplash and install new in the kitchen.
• Install a light/switch over the kitchen sink.
• Install an exhaust vent over the kitchen stove.
• Install wiring/switch for a garbage disposal.
• Install screen/storm doors at the front door and kitchen door.
• Work on the Koi pond and stream.
• Install wainscoting in the master bedroom.

 



While we were there we toured the Jelly Belly candy factory in Wisconsin.  It was a free, interesting tour of the history of the company and of their products.  We couldn’t take any pictures inside the facilities.

 

 

 

We left May 19^th and headed back to Diamond Lakes RV Resort in Owensboro, KY.  We stayed there for a few days until May 22^nd then moved to Rough River State Resort Park, Falls of Rough, KY.