To Ft. Worth again!

We picked up an Itasca Ellipse on a cold, sunny windy day in Iowa. This unit has a unit heater that runs on the diesel fuel instead of LP. Because it can run while the unit is on the road we were toasty warm in a couple of hours. The icy crust on the accumulated snow glistened under the sun. Only deer tracks and occasional snowmobile tracks marred the wind driven snow banks along the interstate. The car/truck tracks in the median was evidence of the severe weather in the past.

This was a $300,000 unit, diesel pusher, slide outs on both sides, 2 bathrooms, 3 flat-screen TV sets(one on the outside entertainment center), 2 leather covered sofa beds, washer/dryer, king size bed, kitchen and dinette.

One of those DOT drug/alcohol tests was added to our itinerary, which meant a stop in Ames. We had the experience of driving city traffic with a 40+ft unit and then finding a parking spot near the clinic! No parking ticket! PTL

Used our new Atlas on this trip. We need to replace every 2 years. Being pro-active this new one is reinforced with clear packing tape at all the wear areas making it really "stiff."

Bethany, Missouri was our overnight stop. The El Nopal Mexican restaurant served a tasty meal. Generous servings and economical prices.

Bucking a strong south wind, that made it impossible to even hear the radio or CD's, we are traveling through the Flint Hills in Kansas. Just a dusting of snow. Past Eldorado. When will we find time to stop at their oil museum?

Into Oklahoma and clouds. Still patches of snow in protected areas. Must give Oklahoma's rest stop and Welcome Center four stars for making a traveler feel very special. The beautiful wood doors with gold handles, inside tiled floors & walls, stainless steel compartment doors with gold handles, and large compartments! Lots of maps and tourist information, too!

Flying J in Ardmore, OK for the evening. Delivery in the morning took longer because we had to drive 10 miles to find a car wash for large vehicles. What a lot of yucky black road slush sticking to this unit and our car! Only clouds and fog, no rain, so we fed the quarters into the machine and washed.

Always interesting when we are in Texas in the winter and it is 50 degrees. The locals are wearing jackets and we are not!

A call to niece in Weatherford, Texas to set up our lunch at the Cracker Barrel resulted in a fun catch-up visit with her and her delightful daughter.

Texas countryside:

Driving north on Hwy 281 through the town of Mineral Wells. A huge abandoned, but for sale, brick building in the center of town was a monument to former days. The discovery of medicinal qualities in waters made the city famous in the late 19th-early 20th century. Today there is a 22 mile hiking, biking and equestrian trail that links Mineral Wells and Weatherford to Lake Mineral Wells State Park. People come to enjoy the mild climate, hunt, fish and float the Brazos River. The Famous Mineral Water Company still bottles the healing water.

We drove past Ft. Richardson Historic site in Jacksboro, TX. This was the most northerly of a line of Federal posts established in Texas after the Civil War to protect the settlers. The town has many petroleum refining and related oil field services.

We see big hills on the horizon in all directions, ranches and shrubs of large round leaved cactus. Everything is in shades of brown except the clumps of mistletoe growing on the bare branches of trees. The land becomes flat with acres and acres of irrigated green pastures for the beef and dairy cattle. Large and small dairies dot the area.

A stop at the Super 8 at Wichita Falls for a good night's sleep, but woke up to fog.

Because of the fog there was no opportunity for "sightseeing" making the interstate the best choice for travel. After stopping at two museums in Oklahoma, both were closed for 2 weeks for cleaning, we drove to Ponco City looking for the Pioneer Women's Museum.

This area has a Conoco Phillips refinery, oil storage and a free museum telling the history of the "wildcatting" days of discovering oil. Someday we will stop and check it out.

Pioneer Woman Statue and Museum:

The following is a description of the statue that was in the newspaper at the unveiling of the bronze statue over 75 years ago:
"It portrays figures caught in vibrant life. The young woman is striding forward with a sure step, Bible clasped in her right hand, bundle hanging from her right arm. A woman with erect carriage, resolute, clear eyes looking out from under a sunbonnet. Chin up and mouth firm. The eager sun treads at her side, his hand in hers as the strange panorama of new life unfolds...."

A section highlighting Oklahoma women in Music includes Wanda Jackson and Anita Bryant. The tile floor is inset with old 45 records. Nostalgia! An Edison phonograph with the advertisement: "Phonograph with a soul" and a 1921 Mood Change Chart which had questions that would analyze your mental reactions to music.

A 1949 Admiral 12" Black & White TV/Radio/Phono that sold for $500. The price ranges for the first TV's ranged from $99.95 for a black & white 3" TV up to $999 for a luxury 20" Black & White TV/Radio/Phono model!

An area exhibiting handiwork and quilts featured the following by Mary White from "The Quilters" 1977:

Sometimes you don't have no control over the way things go,
Hail ruins the crops, a fire burns you out,
And then you are given just so much to work with in life.
And you have to do the best you can with what you got.
That's what piecing is:
The material is passed on to you or is all you can afford to buy.
Your fate.
But the way you put them together is your business.
You can put them in any order you like!

Something to think about when you see a quilt made up of all the pieces of material! Also a life lesson on how I view and what attitude I take with the circumstances the Lord allows into my life.

Several pump organs were on exhibit. One was decorated with colored painting of flowers.

An exhibit of "wash day" tools showing that on a 19th century laundry day 50 gallons of water that equals 400# would have to be moved from pump or well to tub in buckets or wash boilers. This would give each load 1 wash in boiling water and 1 rinse. Makes me tired to thing of Monday on the Prairie!

A round, white galvanized metal icebox was on display. It had revolving adjustable shelves. Unique!


A 1903 Art Garland #300 wood burning living room stove with shiny metal decoration.


An antiques baby bouncy seat that certainly would not pass OSHA standards, today!

Also headquarted at the Museum is "Operation Pioneer Spirit," a program that sends boxes to soldiers in Iraq, Kuwait, & Afghanistan filled with the things they cannot buy. Included are toiletry items, stocking caps, handmade small pillows, samples of locally made BBQ sauces and one couple makes afghans to send! It was started when one of the local young ladies serving in Iraq wrote back to her Mom that there was no place to buy anything there!

Back to Iowa:

One more night in Oklahoma and then a week-end stop at daughter and husband in southern Iowa. Grandkids introduced us to a Wii!

Back to the Prairie in the fog!

Thanks for traveling with us!
Prairie Schooners

Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma

We have driven through the Arbuckle Mountain region on the Interstate for years, but this time we took Highway 77 instead. What a fun ride. The region is sandstone. In several areas you can see the slabs of flat sandstone rocks almost standing up and in rows around the mountain. Reminds you of a graveyard with identical tombstones!

Because they are sandstone there will be no standing water on top of the mountains. It all percolates down and creates interesting formations, caves, natural springs, and waterfalls.

There are several lakes and parks in the area, but we chose Turner Falls. In addition to nature trails, caves, picnic areas and cabins to rent there are two natural swimming pools. Honey Creek flows through the park and cascades down a 77 foot fall to natural swimming pool. It was pretty this season, but would be refreshing in the summer to be swimming!

We drove to the top and hiked down to where we could see the falls from the top.

One of the trails leads up the mountain to the remains of a stone castle. It was built in the 1930's with stones from the area and patterned after an English castle. An Oklahoma University professor built it for a summer home and it was used as the headquarters for a large ranch in the area. Turrets, flat roofs, steep narrow steps to reach many different levels of the castle. Would make a great playhouse for our grandkids!

Another example of God's creation and the ability He has given to people to use and enjoy!

Next stop--Our Prairie!

Thank you for traveling with us!

Prairie Schooners

Gene Autry, Oklahoma

We left the Interstate and took Highway 77 north into Oklahoma turning west on State Highway 53 following signs to the town of Gene Autry on Happy Trail Road, Tumbleweed Drive and Prairie Street!

He owned the Flying A ranch in that area. In 1941 the town of Berwyn changed it's name to Gene Autry, OK. When the local school closed it was purchased to be used for a theater and a museum as well as the local post office.

The museum was a walk back into nostalgia for us. We used to listen to the cowboy shows on radio and then our children watched them on TV! Large movie posters used to advertise the movies at theaters and pictures with short biographies of all the cowboys, cowgirls and other actors that played parts in westerns over the years are hanging on the walls of several rooms and the hallways.

Do you remember the names of their horses? Roy Rogers & Trigger. Smiley Burnett & Ring Eye. Tex Ritter & White Flash. Gene Autry & Champion. Dale Evans & Buttermilk. Lone Ranger & Silver.

How many items were sold with Gene Autry logo? Cowboy boots, bed spread, mugs, coloring books, comics, puzzles, wrist watches, lunch boxes, billfolds, belts, clocks, record player, neck scarves & spurs.

Most unusual items: bicycles & tricycles with saddle shaped seats, horse head & a holster & gun! Gene Autry repeating cap pistol. Red rubber boots.(Our kids would have loved these!) Suspenders for little boys.

Whips were a part of some cowboys costumes as well as used in everyday life. A leather holder(holster) attached to a belt was made to hold the coiled whips.

A 16 mm large reel movie projector that was used to show these movies brought back memories for Jim. He used to get called out of his high-school classes to run the projector for teachers, who were showing movies to their classes.

One room has items from the local area showing how life was lived on the ranches.

A fun couple of hours! If we lived closer we'd attend one of their live western shows.

Headed back to Highway 77 and north through the Arbuckle Wilderness Area.

See you along the way,

Prairie Schooners

Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth

We have visited many museums and find exhibits that we can walk past with a "been there, done that!" This one had some new & interesting additions and worth your time and the entrance fee.

The flag collection is extraordinary! As a seamstress I can appreciate the time, craftsmanship & stitching that went into making them.

The movie gives an overview of Texas citizens/soldiers involvement in the war. Another dimension to history for this area that affected our country.

(Interesting note for our grand kids: Our rock with Ft. Sumpter 1861 painted on it denotes the year that the south seceded and attacked the federal troops at Ft. Sumpter, NC! Why is it on our rock??? Good question--perhaps a wagon train going past wanted to leave a message. The trains did go through our area and there is a rocky base in the West Fork River where they could cross.)

Interesting tidbits from movie: Texas was largely free and unsettled. A new state with young males having fought for independence from Mexico under Sam Houston. He wanted the state to join the Union, but the people voted to go with the Confederacy. The US troops left the state leaving the forts to the Texans and Sam Houston resigned as governor.

General Lee liked the Texas regiments! They were fighters! They were recognized for their "Yahoo" battle cry and for not wearing homemade clothes, blankets & moccasins instead of regulation Confederacy uniforms.

Texas had fighting at their coastal ports, but no battles at their capitol.

Texans fitted old river steamers with piles of cotton bales,stunning the Yankees after they had taken the ports with their iron-clad ships.

The only medals awarded to the confederates in the Civil War were made from silver dollars for the Davis Guard who fought at the Sabine Pass.

When the war was over they discovered that the cattle had roamed the grassland and the herds had grown. The returning soldiers rounded them up, drove them north and sold them. (This was the start of the cattle trails)

Since the other southern states were destroyed from the battles former Confederates migrated to Texas. Most of the Union soldiers were stationed at the border forts and did not bother the settlers who were farmers & cattlemen. Land was affordable. Hard work, family & religious convictions formed the foundation for the prosperity of Texas.

Interesting items on display:
A general's trunk had a small box of white dominoes. Wonder if they played the Mexican Train Domino game??

Display of musical instruments used. When battle was imminent the musicians were generally ordered to the rear as stretcher bearers and assisted the surgeons with the wounded.

Note the "over the shoulder rotary valve sax horn." When played the bell rested on the shoulder, thus sending the sound behind the player!



A display of small Bibles that were carried by soldiers. The Union soldiers had an identification pin or pendant so they could be identified, but the Confederate soldier only had his name written in his Bible or on a small piece of paper carried in his pocket.

A soldier's "housewife"--A piece of cloth or leather with pockets containing needles, thread, scissors, etc that was rolled up and carried.

A "fid"--(remember this for your next Scrabble or Quiddler game!) It is a pointed piece of wood that sailors use when opening strands of rope.
Sail needles with holder--used to mend holes or tears in a ship's sails.
Sailor's glove--it wrapped around his hand & had thick leather padding to help push the needle through the sail.

A corn cob candle--a corn cob was wrapped in a coil of wax.

My favorite was the room filled with a display of Victorian Dresses!

Long gowns covered with rich embroidery, dresses made in two pieces to be worn on different occasions with a different bodice, hats & parasols to match, little girl's dresses and a display of bustles! Did you know there were soft bustles and hard bustles made out of wire springs???

When the sewing machine was invented in the 1850's London sold partially completed bodices or partially made clothes to dressmakers who tailored them to their customer to insure perfect fit!



Would you wear a hat with a stuffed dead bird? It seems that in the 1890's women were wearing them! Two "upper class" ladies were concerned that women would never be taken seriously (this was before they had the right to vote). They formed a club to protect the birds and indirectly protect women's self respect. This club was the start of the Audubon Society!


I could have spent more time here, but it was time to drive to Dave & Beth's for a sweet evening of fellowship.

Thanks for traveling back in time with us,

Tomorrow will be back to "cowboy" country!
Come & join us for some nostalgia!

Prairie Schooners

Ft Worth, Texas Delivery

A new model of Winnebago Itasca for this trip, a Reyo.
Diesel motor that gave us 12.7 mpg. Had 2 bunk beds in back, one slide out, an abundance of storage space, 2 flat screen TV's, satellite radio, bath room with shower, nice kitchen area, outside cameras & a comfortable ride! One RV dealer stopped by to tour, many people "oogled" as they passed!

The turning signals were "directionally challenged" when we picked it up. We are thankful for the local sheriff who let us know before we got to the Interstate! While waiting for the mechanics to fix the wiring we did had the opportunity to eavesdrop on the "professional" drivers as they made their plans and decisions for deliveries.

View through the windshield as we head South:

Southern Iowa farmers are still trying to harvest corn.
Through Kansas City.
The highway offers a panoramic view of rolling green/brown/rust grassy knolls.
The leafless trees are like black pencil lines scattered over a landscape painting.
Occasional farms,with corn & bean fields & herds of cattle.
Still some fields not harvested & deep combine tracks showing up in the harvested fields.
Piles of sand and gravel stockpiled by the Highway department ready for winter ice & snow.

The Flint Hills of Kansas with acres of pastures dotted with ponds full of water, cattle pens for truck load outs & windmills beside a storage tank and watering tank.

White caps on Eldorado Lake indicates strong wind.
Oil wells, looking like giant grasshoppers, and all the related equipment dot the landscape.
Irrigated crop land with the bright green of winter wheat fields.
Silos and grain elevators intersect the horizon.
Huge bales of cotton lined up at the ends if the fields waiting for transport to cotton gin. (Sorry Jeff, were not made with the new JD BOB picker!)

Crossing into Oklahoma and rough highways--BUT they are working on them!
Flat, wide open Cowboy country!
Crossing over Cimmeran River & Canadian River --wide & shallow with red sand bars visible.
Reminded of how it would be easy for the cowboys to herd cattle across these rivers.
Past a school for Horseshoeing! Many horses to practice on!

Through the Arbuckle Mountains. It's like God has this huge flat sand pile and right in this particular spot he put a pile of rocks! (We drove through the wilderness area on our way back--keep reading!)

Did not get to the local library to pick up audio books so are "singing along" to music CD's--Blackwood Brothers, Mark Trammel singing gospel, a collection of Folk Songs & a collection of Old Classics, pop songs from the 40's!

Across the Red River and into Texas.
Ranches & acres wooden fenced pastures in between towns and industrial areas.
Past the Texas Motor Speedway.
Tall buildings that make up the Dallas/Ft.Worth skyline are ahead.

Another unit delivered!

Have several hours before our reservation at Dave & Beth's Bed & Breakfast.

Texas Civil War Museum next stop!

See you along the way,
Prairie Schooners

Louisville, KY

We picked up a 40 ft diesel(150 gal tank) Tour to take to the RV show in Louisville, Ky. How long would it take to figure out all of the buttons and controls in this unit? Three flat screen TV's inside plus one outside, GPS & Satellite radio, fireplace, washer & dryer and lots of wood paneling. Seemed that we were in a bus!

Smooth traveling, early morning delivery at the Fairgrounds in Louisville, passed inspection, unhooked and on the road heading west on state highway 150 through the southern Indiana countryside. Destination French Lick, IN.

View from the Windshield:

A variety of vistas--rolling hillside, pastures, some corn, beans & hay fields, large houses, small businesses, small towns, old buildings, new buildings, horses, cattle, hills & curves, forests, White River valley, truck farms, roses & geraniums still blooming, antique stores, deer processing, Paoli ski area resorts, rock quarries, Amish area, and coal mines.

French Lick, IN

Driving into French Lick, we were surprised at the castle-like building at the end of a long tree-lined lane behind a huge arch with the words, West Baden Springs Carlsbad of America! ( We were looking for the Indiana Railway Museum.)

At the Railroad Museum we discovered that the Hotel was built to provide tourists a place to stay and experience the natural warm mineral springs in the area.

The area called French Lick, Indiana was first settled more than 200 years ago by French traders.

After the discovery of rich mineral springs, which attracted animals that flocked to lick the waters and wet rocks, this valley became known among the settlers as “The Lick”.

The French had ideas about exploiting these lush salt deposits, but because of one obstacle and another, not the least of which was relentless harassment by Indians, they never did make much progress. Finally, following the Louisiana Purchase Treaty in 1803, in which Napoleon relinquished claims on that part of the frontier, the French abandoned their trading posts at The Lick.

British settlers moved in about 1812. Despite continued Indian resistance, they succeeded in establishing a permanent fort. Indian incidents continued, however. One of the first recorded was the slaying of Irishman William Charles, who was bushwhacked by Indians outside the fort. His remains are rumored to be buried somewhere beneath the front lawn of the resort.

In 1832, all the lands surrounding the accrual mineral springs, which has been reserved for production of salt, was offered for public sale.

About 1,500 acres – including all the large springs – were purchased by a Dr. William A. Bowles. Within several years he opened the first French Lick Springs Hotel, a ramshackle, three-story frame building. It was an immediate success. People flocked from hundreds of miles to partake of the “miracle waters”. They carried the mineral water away in all sorts of jugs and canvas containers. “Doc” Bowles had struck it rich.

Over the years it has been sold several times. Upgrades, renovations and additions have been built. Today it contains over 525 rooms, spas, a golf course, stables, casino and shopping mall!

Indiana Railway Museum

The museum is in a neat building that was the depot for the Monon Line. This is a branch built in the 1800's for the primary purpose to carry people to the the hotel in order to partake of the medicinal waters that flowed from the local springs.

Walking through the rich thick wooden doors into the waiting room takes you back to those "train riding days." You can sit on the wooden benches in the center and walk around the edge of the room to view the display cases. A ticket counter, where you purchase your ticket for a ride on the train during the summer, is the same as used by those early riders! The Monon Line was also known as the Hoosier Line and ran from Chicago to Louisville, KY. In addition to passengers it carried coal from the south into Chicago.

These early passenger Railroads contained a Five-star restaurant serving meals on real china, glassware and cloth tablecloths. The pullman cars (for sleeping) used only the most luxurious bedding.

On each side of the depot are tracks with old passenger cars and steam engines. The cars have a center isle with seats on each side facing each other. These are used today for the excursion rides in the spring, summer and early fall.

Vincennes, IN

The historic district of Vincennes, on the banks of the Wabash River, includes several historic monuments and museums within easy driving distance. Some are open by appointment only.

Old French House and Indian Museum:

We chose the Old French House and Indian Museum built in 1809 by the French Fur trader, Michel Brouillet. We joined a tour that was just starting and enjoyed the sense of living in the 19th century on the frontier with a fur trader & Indian trader!

It is an example of a French Creole cottage built by French settlers in the Mississippi Valley using "poteaux sur sole"(posts on sill) construction. This is unlike the Anglo-American log cabin with it's horizontal logs.

It uses 14 ft upright posts, spaced about a foot and half apart and fitted into a horizontal beam, called a sill. The posts are caped by another horizontal beam, called a plate. All the large timbers of the framework are mortised together. A projecting tongue (tenon) is cut on the end of one timber and a matching slot (mortise) in another timber. After assembly, a hole was bored and a wooden peg driven in to pin the pieces together.

Ceiling beams with a bead decoration carved on the bottom edges, slid into mortises in the upright posts. Ceiling & floor was made with boards fitted together with tongues and grooves on the edges. An A-frame roof was formed with rafters, covered with hand-split shingles.

The walls are insulated with a mixture of mud and prairie grass, known as "bousillage", daubed over wooden stakes jammed between the posts at 6 inch intervals like the rungs of a ladder. These walls are coated inside and out with a rough plaster made of sand and quicklime, then whitewashed. (In an area that was exposed we could see the hand prints of the person applying the plaster!) Lime was made by burning mussel shells from the river. Porches, called "galleries," protect the plaster walls from the weather and serve as an outdoor living room in the hot summer.

Interesting items in the home:

An enclosed bed or "lit clos." To protect from drafts the beds had doors that closed at night. This one was made from Flemish Oak with the date 1759 carved on the doors. It is decorated with carved concentric circles, called "galettes," a characteristic decoration from Brittany. It was pegged together so that it could be taken apart to move. Later they were made into armories by the addition of shelves.

The top of the dining room table swiveled to the side to expose an area for the bread dough to sit and rise. The table was always set in front of the fireplace allowing the warmth to aid in the dough making. The French liked their bread!

A top hat made from beaver fur!

A dug-out canoe used by the fur traders.

The Swiss Army knife of that era---- a pipe with an axe blade attached. They liked their pipes. In fact they measured distances by so many pipes (how many pipes full tobacco they would smoke between points.

One of the buildings on the grounds houses a museum with artifacts from all four periods of local Indian history.

Grouseland:

Earlier we had visited Berkeley Plantation in Virginia the boyhood home of William Henry Harrison. This mansion on the knoll above the Wabash River was built when he was the Territorial Governor in 1803.

A palatial two-and-a-half story Federal Style house was named for the game bird that Harrison loved to hunt. In this house he raised his family, negotiated and signed several treaties with the Indians and entertained local and government visitors. It is known as the "white house of the west."

The rooms are furnished with furniture and accessories of the 1800-1812 period, some are actual Harrison antiques. The work areas show period equipment and utensils. Campaign memorabilia from the famous 1840 Presidential campaign (Tippecanoe and Tyler too) are displayed.

Before being in office as President a month, he caught a cold which developed into pneumonia and he died. His grandson, Benjamin Harrison, was also President of the United States making them the only grandparent/grandchild pair of presidents.

It was interesting to know that the house stayed in the family until 1848 when it was sold and used as a railroad hotel as well as residence. The RR tracks are just across the road from the mansion. Deteriorating, the house was finally in use as a granary and livestock barn in the 1890's before scheduled for razing. In 1909 members of a chapter of the DAR raised money to buy it and refurbish it as a museum.

Back to reality! Driving to our Prairie Home with another perspective on the people and events that the Lord used to shape our country. It seems much more interesting and real when "seen" then what is written in the history books, but we are also in a different ''season of our life."

Thank-you for traveling with us!
See you along the way----
Prairie Schooners

Rural Hall, North Carolina Delivery

This was a “fast one”! Started checking for a unit Monday AM. An hour later there were 4 that we could choose from. Picked the unit, a View, up at noon in Forest City. Had about 3 hours to pack it up before our 7:00 Bible Study on Revelation. Finished last minute arrangements before bed.

The "View": $119,000 list price. Slide out with sofa bed, Euro Recliner w/ottoman, overhead bunk, recliner,large flat-screen TV, satellite radio, cherry cupboards, beachcomber tan walls & carpet, silver & opal exterior paint. Pretty smart looking unit. Diesel engine getting about 12.5 mpg.

Next morning we were on the road 5 AM headed east. When daylight finally dawned on the horizon we noted the clouds—reason for late sunrise! It was a good thing—no sun in our eyes. Very windy from the North making for a bouncy ride.

Through the Windshield:
Across southern IA, central IL & IN were acres and acres of corn yet to be harvested. Most of the bean fields had been combined. Driving in intermittent rain! Chose to drive through middle of Peoria to avoid road construction. Great new highway. Interesting city skyline with the older architecture of buildings mixed with the modern office buildings!

Brown landscape with an occasional accent of green grass in the ditch & some late color in the leaves of some of the trees until we headed south toward the Kentucky border—more green and more color! Wooden fences outlining corrals indicating we are nearing horse country.

Lost an hour as we drove into Indiana (eastern standard time) and we lost some $$$$ because we did not get gas before the border!!

This should make you chuckle! We had our first experience with a touch pad radio. Yes, you can imagine the interesting conversation as we tried to figure out what to press when! The tiny screen on the dashboard displays the camera’s eye view from the back of the vehicle (like a rear-view mirror) and the radio controls!

Long John Silvers, (they do have grilled meals), Walmart Supercenter, checking Goodwill store for audio books & DVD’s, bookwork, checking tomorrows route, reading & sleeping in another “doll house” make for our evening before delivery!

On the road by 4:45 and thru Louisville, KY in the dark with very little traffic. Sunrise showed blue sky above us, but clouds to the east. The highway runs through rocky ledges covered with green leaved shrubs with accents of the colored leaves remaining on the taller trees.

Rolling hills with brown or white wooden fences surrounding the green pastures indicate it is horse country. The fences divide areas into smaller corrals with their own small building for the horse’s protection from the weather. Large mansions dot the countryside. The radio newscaster tells us that Eastern KY is very dry and experiencing fires. We have not seen evidence of any along our route.

Into WV : Our view from the interstate looks down on the rooftops of the cities that have grown up in the valley along the river. The familiar gold dome of the capitol building in Charleston is brilliant in the sunlight! The yellow, gold, & rust colored leaves on the trees along the bank of the blue sun sparkled Kanawa River makes a striking picture. The mountains ahead are covered with trees, but only the oaks still have their leaves. The sunlight highlights the brilliant red/rust color.

NOAH weather warning test interrupts our music CD. Great to know that we can be warned of severe weather.

Checking our miles and the time. We can make it to the dealership today! Through the East River Mountain Tunnel and into Virginia and the Appalachian mountains. Green pines are interspersed with the rust/red of the oaks in this area. Clouds are coming over the mountains and we drive into rain!

Last Miles --Tension

14 miles from the NC border we are stopped in a traffic back-up due to an accident a mile marker 3 ahead of us. We call the dealership to let them know what is happening and to see how late they will be there. The receptionist tells Jim that if they know we are coming they will wait. They close at 5:30. We ended up in that traffic back-up for over 2 hours. But we drove through the rain and wind and was at the dealership 10 minutes before they closed. We unhooked & unpacked the unit, locked it, and found a motel for the night.

(The accident—was mostly cleaned up when we got to it. As we passed in the one lane traffic beside the mountain, the semi trailer that had been torn apart was parked and end loaders were cleaning up debris. Later we found out that often there are accidents in that area because of the severe cross winds.)

Watching the news we learned that the wind was gusting up to 40 mph and there had already been up to 3 inches of rain in this area. Rain & wind was due to Hurricane Ida and would continue until Saturday.

We had a good night of rest, repacked the car, good breakfast at Waffle House, got windshield wiper replaced at an auto parts store (buy 1 and get 1 free), filled Saturn with gas, drove back to the RV dealer & checked in the motor home.

Leaving the storm behind:

The forecast was for continued high winds and rain as a result of Hurrricane Ida. Even though the leaves were beautiful in North Carolina, the weather was not allowing us to stay & sightsee. We headed west for Virginia. Listened to audio book: One of Brock & Bodie Thoene's Gallaway Chronicles while we drove through rain & watched the clouds hover over the top of the mountains.

West Virginia and blue sky and sunshine! We started looking for something to “tour!” Had found a plantation museum along the Ohio River, but a sign along the interstate stating “glass factory tours” grabbed our attention.

Blenco Glass Factory:

We followed the signs. Our destination was the Blenco Glass Factory Visitor Center in Milto

n, WV. What a variety of glass ware is displayed for sale. Everything from marbles to 3 ft high vases & pitchers. Even glass cowboy hats!! Upstairs are examples of stained glass windows made with their glass. Artisans like to use Blenco Glass because its colors are consistent.

Outside are baskets with glass blocks for sale. Use them in landscaping edging or inserted in a wooden wall. From the 2^nd floor of the Visitor Center, You can walk to the factory past the “oops” piles of colored broken pieces. Inside the factory is an area for you to stand and watch the glass blowers work.

Plan B:

We tried to find the Jenkins Plantation Museum near Lesage, WV. Could not!! (later found out that we did drive far enough North and that it was closed for some re

novation) So for plan B crossed the border and headed south on Hwy 23 known as the Country Music Highway. The highway borders a long area of industry, some scenic areas through the mountains and many small communities. Paintsville, Kentucky is our destination for the evening and a great supper at Bob Evans Restaurant!

Natural Bridge State Resort Park:

After all the rain we appreciated a bright sunny day heading East on the Combs Mountain Parkway through the Red River Valley and to the Natural Bridge State Resort Park. The Combs Mountain Parkway, named after the governor who is credited with getting the road built in 1963, was originally a toll road which opened up travel to eastern Kentucky.

Through the windshield: Occasional oil wells scattered in the mountains; homes of various sizes , shapes & state of repairs scattered along the valley beside the highway; horses, puppies for sale, chickens, and an occasional farm where valley was flat & wide; very steep & curving driveways; painted quilt blocks on the barns with so

me complicated designs; Forest areas have bare trunks and branches that allow you to see further into the forest; rocky ledges; red sumac; shadows made by the peaks of the mountains; large towns & commercial areas for several miles along the top of the peak and road work signs that indicate the "blasting zones."

The Natural Bridge State Resort Park has motels and cabins for rent plus a commercial area for tourists in the summer. Only the motel is open at this time of year. Surrounded by the Daniel Boone National Forest it has 18 miles of trails in the park, a lake for fishing & boating and awesome sandstone rock formations.

The Kentucky Union Railway was built in 1882 to haul lumber and coal out of Eastern Kentucky but went bankrupt in 1891. Newly organized L & E bought the railroad at a foreclosure sale, finished development of a railroad resort and opened the park to the public in 1895. For many years the railroad was the only way to reach the Natural Bridge. The trains would drop the tourists off at the lodge. (As we climbed the rock steps to the "bridge", we thought of all the people over the years that had climbed the same rock steps!) Later the Louisville Nashville Railroad acquired the property and in 1926, donated the lands around Natural Bridge to the state park system. Visitors could ride the excursion train to the park until the line was dismantled in 1942.

Natural Bridge is composed of what is known in geological terms as Pottsville conglomeratic sandstone. Large blocks of stone falling off either side of a narrow sandstone ridge caused the first opening that began the transformation of the sandstone outcropping into an archway. The weathering process, along with the root systems of plants, continued to develop the unique archway that makes up Natural Bridge. The arch spans 75 feet and is 65 feet high.

The skylift was closed for the season, but the rock steps & wooden railings made the .75 mile climb easy. On the way down we met a gentleman with a cane climbing! The view from the top was spectacular!

A day and half drive back to the Prairie!

Thanking the Lord for a safe trip plus the opportunity to see His creation both through the hands of the artist and in the outdoors!

Thank-you for traveling with us,

Prairie Schooners