Day 7-Everyone is here!

Everyone that is traveling is in Estherville now! It was so fun to meet Duane, Sherry and husband, Angie and husband, David and wife! Yes I know their names but I am still to sick to think clearly. We went to lunch at Godfather Pizza, I like their broasted chicken. Rhonda's grandson brought over the "almosta car" Smart car and took Dock for a ride. Some of the others went for a spin too.
We went to Aunt Nonie's house to visit and wait for my mom to show up. Teresa and mom got in in the middle of the afternoon and we snuck mom up to see Nonie. Nonie just said "Oh, there is Trella. How did she get here?" But no excited exclamations or such. We let them visit for awhile, then got Melvin over to surprise him too. He was more vocal about his surprise.
Then it was dinner at Mother Nature's for around 30 of us! We had a fun time talking and laughing. I got to show Deb the dancing pickle t-shirt and I think she was surprised, but pleased with the one with the names on the back. Mom and Leona went to bed, but a lot of us went back to Rhonda's house and sat around outside. Many of them did Jello shots, but some of us didn't NEED them to be goofy. (Right Teresa?)
Teresa decided that when someone got up from their chair, then someone else should take it so people got to sit by lots of different people. It did not work so well! She accused me of following her around, but I just needed to know she wasn't telling tales.

Day 6-Thursday preparation day

Rhonda is so nice and lets us sleep in! Today she has to go get Duane who is flying in from MN. Dock and I stayed in Estherville to get some stuff done. I made some salads and the Death by Chocolate cupcakes. We had an informal planning meeting in Gruver with Janice. A lot of giggling going on!

Day 5 Still moving east!

We spent the night in Sioux City IA, just over the border from NE. We slept in, then when we left the motel I was a bit directionally confused and it took us a bit to get headed right. Actually, I kept thinking we needed to go to a store, but it was the wrong direction and I couldn't think WHY I needed to go....so we headed on!
We travel slow, really, really slow according to my cousin Becki! We stopped in LaMars where Blue Bunny ice cream was started by the Wells family. We took a couple pictures there and along the way. We stopped at Ocheydan and saw the highest point in Iowa. Then we stopped at Arnold's Park to get some Lake Okoboji t-shirts. When we go on Saturday I wanted to sit and enjoy, not be hunting for shirts.
We got to Estherville around 4 pm, then went back to the lake area for dinner with Rhonda. It is pretty cool weather here, thankfully.

Day 4--Not really lost, but no definite destination!

Now to the 2nd part of the "B"-- breakfast! I am a bit of a picky eater, so this could have been a tricky part of the stay. We went to the main house and had breakfast outside on their patio. The host, Larry, ate with us. He is in a wheelchair following some back problems in 2000. They started the B & B in 1997, and he did all the yard work, so that is a big burden on her now to do all the yard work.

But I digress, we started breakfast with fruit. She served diced fresh peaches with a cream cheesy sort of topping that was really good. It was decorated with some fresh mint and a little viola flower. I did not want to explain why I eat slow, I just said that I did. The daughter told me the main dish as we were coming into the yard, so I asked her to remove the tomato from mine. It was an english muffin, bacon, then poached egg covered in home made Bearnaise sauce with some chive garnish. Dock's had a slice of tomato on top of the bacon. It was pretty good, just a shade sweeter than I expected. I could have had another bowl of the peaches and been happy.


After breakfast we had to see the gift shop. I bought me a t-shirt, Dock a hat, a book, an Indian music CD, and a mug from the B & B. I told the ladies at work I was going to add to my mug collection and this was the first one I saw that I wanted. IF there had been one showing the Mammoth bones, I would have gotten one there.

So we headed south to Nebraska and then east toward Iowa. We were on 2 lane roads, with very little road construction. My gas mileage was 27 mpg, not bad! Dock kept asking where we were going and I could only say "East". I did get a little confused and was thinking I needed to be into Estherville Wed, early in the day, but I don't have to be in until Thursday morning. I want to be there before Rhonda leaves for MN and I need to do laundry and get my "land-legs" back. 

Today, we traveled too late, had a little trouble deciding on a hotel, got KFC to eat in the room and I am wishing the car was closer so I could go get another water!  We crossed into Central time zone around 2 pm. I am not a good provider for Dock, we ate breakfast around 9:30 am, I got him a burger around 3, and dinner at 9 pm.

The room we choose at the B&B.

Day 3-Every which way but up!

We left Chadron and headed north some more. We went up to Hot Springs SD and had lunch....not good. Then we went back south a little bit and saw the Mammoth Site. It was interesting to see the site as they are digging up the bones.

Then we went south, east, and north to find Pine Ridge, Porcupine, Wounded Knee, and Sharp's Corner. We saw those places that are really just bumps in the road, then had to go west, south, and east to find our lodging. I had us a room at a Bed & Breakfast, a first for us! I was a little worried about Dock having to share with others, but was hoping that we would be the only ones there! 

We found the B & B and it was a bit discouraging! They need to watch HGTV about "curb appeal"! We parked, rang the bell, walked around, sat in the car, phoned the house, sat in the car, called the cell phone when we could find enough cell service, and I was only going to give them another 30 minutes when the hostess came around to the car. The guest parking is surrounded by shrubs but...that is where they put it!

The hostess said we would be in the Folks Home, a separate lodging from their home, and that we would be the only ones there so we could pick any room! Think of a farm where the grown son builds the "new house" and the folks keep the old house. The hostess and her daughter had been at that house doing yard work. It was a very overgrown yard.  BUT the inside of the house was neat and tidy and the furniture was antiques, except for the flat screen tv! It was really nice. I could not get internet service, but Dock read tractor books and we watched TV until bedtime. I left lights on so Dock could get to the bathroom and find his way back to the bed!

Day 2--Headed North

We left Sterling after church and headed north to Nebraska. We saw Chimney Rock, Jailhouse Rock, and Courthouse Rock. We did not get to Scottsbluff, but saw the bluffs that gave the area its name.
Dock putting Lil Dock on top of the Rock!

We got to Chadron with daylight enough to see where we were going. For those of you who know me, that is quite an accomplishment. When we would go camping, I realized we did not know how to put the tent up in the daylight because we always set it up in the dark!! When we travel I always pack our swimsuits but never get to the hotel in time to swim!

On this trip I thought we could take the time to see "Hysterical" markers and local sites, but that is so not me! Why do I think it sounds like fun when I should know I will not stop!  I told myself that we would get out every 3 hours or so to walk around, even thought we could find cemeteries to walk in (that way we would not bother anyone), but NO that is not me! I have been getting gas when the car is 1/2 full, and if I let Dock have soda we have to potty stop too! So that is every 3 hours or so, that should count.

In Chadron I tried to get salad bar, but they only had that with the lunch buffet, so Dock had chicken strips and I had chicken dinner. Wow, the chicken was really good. We both had leftovers. We had a table in the hotel room so I could type easier, easier than tonight where I keep sliding down in the bed with the laptop on my lap top!

Day 2-Part 1

Technically Day 1 was Friday, but since we only traveled 3 hours, I am not counting it as a "Day". I wish I could express myself like Dock's niece Lisa. She is so good at thinking with her words and making things come to life. But you all are stuck with me.
So yesterday was Saturday, Day 1. I talked a little about our dinner, but I will tell you about the town where we spent the night. I am not sure why it was so important to me to go to Sterling CO with time enough to drive around. I only lived there for 3 years and they were the dreaded Jr High years. I did not have a lot of friends, poor poor me, but that is what happens when you move around. I remember taking my lunch and climbing up to an unused room to eat and I remember looking out the window at people playing. Now, that is how I remember it, but maybe I was just hiding and reading. I love to read so a quite place to read would be nice. I only remember one friend and we did some fun things. But still, a trip to a place that I could not even drive around when I was there, means there were places that I could not locate, that and the 42 years of busy, mind erasing life, could create problems.
I found both houses that we lived in, we drove through the park that we played in (the swimming pool is gone and the area they used to flood to ice skate is changed), I saw the outside of the church we attended, and I took pictures of their old library building. That was a wonderful place and I can remember the inside of that building! Again, I love to read and I remember getting lots of books. "In those days" the books were hard back books, and when we traveled to Estherville, I would bring one book for each day.
The Dairy Queen is the same building, the Vet's office we took Coco to is still there, but I could not  identify the candy store that sold white chocolate by the hunk! What a love affair with chocolate that started.
We attended Church in Sterling. I was thinking how nice there was a congregation there now, but one member told me there has been a congregation for many, many years. When we lived there they were meeting, but probably in different places.
We drove on 2 lane roads up to Nebraska, but they were mostly well maintained and smooth sailing! I think we got good gas mileage doing that. We had a good dinner and glad to be in a safe warm hotel to sleep.

Yes, Folks, guess what we saw hundreds of?????

More of Day1

We had a good dinner last night with a bunch of Farrens!! For those of you who know some Farrens be comforted to know they were almost all female Farrens, except Dock. Alfred, Dock's brother in Cheyenne, passed away August 4th, just 2 days before my dad, so we did not get to go to the funeral. We did get to eat dinner last night, Sept 3, in Cheyenne with Alfred's first wife, their 3 daughters, Dock's Aunt Bonnie and cousin Crystal, and an assortment of fun kids and 1 brave husband of a niece. 13 of us in all. It was a fun time to get acquainted with family we haven't seen  for many years. I will try to add pictures later.

Time to think while driving.

Dock and I got off, at least 1 hour later than my latest target leaving time! It took some time telling my mom good-bye and I could not find my ipod, so I went home to look. No luck in finding the item that I spent hours filling the playlists for. I had Sunday music especially for ....Sunday, of course. I hate when you put something away safe and it is so safe that you can not find it!
The 1st thing I realized, as we were riding together in the car, was that I can not remember if Dock and I have ever gone on more than a 4-5 hour road trip alone before. We have been to Iowa before, but with kids or my folks; we have been to Oregon, but with good friends; we have been to California, but with Dock's sister.....so I can not remember a single trip that was just Dock and me! Unfortunate for me, it is at a time in our lives that Dock is not very helpful! He is only moderately helpful at loading the car, carrying in things from the car, keeping track of where we are, etc...But, he is easy to entertain, excited to see things, enjoys listening to books on DC, is fixated on wind turbines, and not picky about food!
The first 2 night we have gotten in after dark, but that will have to change! I want to see where I am at!