Villa ridge, Mo (further west)

This morning we left Woodstock and headed southwest into Missouri. After 370 miles of interstate (boring) driving we stopped at a campground in Villa Ridge, MO. While driving thru Illinois there are lots and lots of cornfields and soy beans. There is an old saying “knee high by the 4th of July” today with the hybrid corns and fertilizers it is more like “waist high by the 4th of July”. When you go over an overpass,which is about the highest thing around, al you can see is green, green, green, corn and soybean fields.

We are convoying with two 5th wheels and Lorie driving the van with the speed boat attached. It was kind of hairy going thru St. Louis but other than than, an uneventful trip…..which is the way we like it….no accidents or other problems.

Tomorrow on to Branson West to our resort/campground where we will stay for a week or so.

I did a search for “zip lines” and found a really great one in the Branson area. Hope we can do it, altho it looks like only Linda and I  if we do.

Jim and Bobbie we are “further west” now and only about 800 or so miles from you.

Have a great day, tomorrow

we will be driving again, but only about 200 miles tomorrow .

Love to all of you

Jim and LInda

Last meal at Portillo's

Yesterday we went to Portillo/Barnelli for the last time till next year. Linda had her favorite "chopped salad" and I had my favorite "chili cheese dogs with onions, large fry and large schooner of beer. It will have to last us a long time.
Lorie, Jamie and Jordan were with us and it was Jordan's first chili cheese dog. He loved it.
This Portillo's is decorated in a prohibition ere motif with lots of whiskey barrels, guns, gun mols, whiskey stills and posters and pictures from the era. There are several Portillo's in the greater Chicago area and we all love their food.
Tomorrow morning we start heading west. Will get on the west side of Saint Louis, and Friday to our destination in Branson West, MO.
Have a great day
see ya
Jim and Linda

Working frenzy

This past week has been really busy. Jeff, Lorie, Linda and I have been working on their new trailer getting things put away, making modifications for more storage, and organizing stuff.
Jeff took the air shocks off of the upper beds and moved them to the lower beds with hinges at the back to access all of the storage below. There is a small door on each bunk to access the storage but very limited. Jeff also made 2 ladders to get to the upper bunks without the boys acting like monkeys to get up there. Along with many other things, like adding a switch inside for the electric water heater, and making two of the clearance lights turn signals, and more.
I make 3 new shelves with fascia trim for the boys room, added dividers to several drawers, along with making two new drawers...one under the sink and a remake of one under the stove. The one under the stove was only 17 inches deep, and the wall is 23 inches back. The new drawer is 22 inches deep.
Linda and Lorie have been busy figuring out where things are going and buying storage drawers and boxes. They have made several trips to the stores along with lots of shopping on line for certain items.
Tomorrow we are off to "Old World Wisconsin" for the weekend. Than only two weeks before our family vacation in the Branson, MO area on Table Rock Lake

See you in about a month Jim and Bobbie!!!!

love to all
Jim and Linda

Heading West, slowly

Friday we left my brothers house in South Bend, IN. and moved about 100 miles west to Hollywood casino in Joliet, IL. where we met up with old friends Leroy and Rose. Our son and his family met us there later in the evening and also spent the weekend in their brand new Cedar Creek 41 foot bunkhouse 5th wheel trailer.
They bought a new one as the boys are getting bigger and would like to invite friends to stay with them when they go camping for a weekend. The boys room has two slideouts and 4 bunks, along with 2 extra mattresses that can go on the floor. With the slides out, they have an area 8 ft x 6 ft to play in! The trailer also has the new 6 point automatic leveling system on it....this is a great new feature that we would love to have on our trailer, but at $5000 plus we will have to live without it.
We are now at the kids house in the driveway for the week, and this Friday will be heading north to Old World Wisconsin for the weekend. (oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org) Sorry blogger would not let me put in link.
The 29th of this month we will head further west as we go to the Branson Missouri area to a resort on Table Rock Lake for a week long family vacation. From there we have two weeks to get to Colorado to stay with dear friends Jim and Bobbie and where Jim will take Linda and I on a off road tour of the mountains for three days along with Jim's two brothers. Looking forward to that trip, altho Jim says I will get butt pucker in some spots.
Have a great week
Love to all of you
Jim and Linda