Grant’s Farm- St Louis, Missouri

In my opinion, Grants Farm is one of the best attractions in the St Louis area. People always talk about the Arch, but if I had to choose between the two excursions, I would choose Grant’s Farm every time. Here are the top ten reasons I like Grant’s Farm-

10. It was the family home of President Grant.

9. You can enjoy pretty horses, and not worry about needing to feed them!

8. You can let someone else do the driving.

7. It’s a fun place to see deer crossing the road, and they won’t mess up your car.  

6. They have Elephants who can paint.

5. There are a lot of goats and cute kids!

4. There was pretty scenery on the tram ride.

3. It was reasonably priced-Like free!2. If you are 21, they will give you free beer.

1. You can let Parakeets decorate your hair or your hat!

The only charge, for the park, was a thirteen-dollar parking fee. (and lunch, naturally!) We chose to visit on a really, really hot day. The only place in the entire park, that was air conditioned, was the rest rooms. So, I promise you, if you choose to visit on a really hot day and you are a wicked witch, you will melt! (You might melt, even if you are not a wicked witch!)

So, anyway, wicked witches beware, and everyone else, I look forward to hearing about your very wonderful adventure at Grant’s Farm.

370 Lakeside, St Peters, Missouri

Traveling to St Louis, can provide a wonderful family vacation experience. But, if you are RV enthusiast, like us, finding an RV Park, located in a safe area of the city or suburbs, might present an interesting problem.  We searched for weeks before our anticipated trip trying to locate a good place to stay. Safety was our first concern and the ability to navigate tight city streets with a 37 foot pull behind (that our son-in-law would be pulling) was our second concern. So, we didn’t want to stay in downtown St Louis, nor did we want to park our very vulnerable rig, in a high crime district.  Finally, after scouring the Internet, we found 370 Lakeside Park in St Peters, Missouri.

When I called, luckily, they had two spots available. The cost is reasonable. We paid 37 dollars a night for full hookups.  The cost for a premium site, meaning one next to the lake is 42 dollars. Believe me when I tell you, paying 5 more dollars a night to be closer to the lake is not worth it! A premium spot is not a private lakeside access point. 

The park is clean and well maintained. We would stay here again.

Sometimes the Best Things Aren’t Planned

Sometimes…the best things in life aren’t planned.

After a long week on the beach, we decided to break up the long drive home by stopping mid-way.  Driving nine to twelve hours in a vehicle is exhausting. So, the midway point, at six o’clock in the evening, was Meridian, Ms. We parked at an underused State Park named Clarkco. We secured two side-by-side camping spots, located right on the lake. The evening there was nice.  We sat in the RV doing nothing more than listening to thunder, as rain pelted the outside of our rig. And, when the rain let up, we sat outside under the awning listening to a free concert, featuring bullfrogs singing from the lake.

Our night was relaxing. But the morning, was awesome. My daughter said it was like camping in a Bob Ross painting. Bright sunshine filtered through the lush green landscape. The lake was calm and serene and all was peaceful.

The weather was perfect; The bugs were few; And, the smell of bacon, cooked on an outdoor grill, penetrated the air.  It was great, we practically had the whole campground to ourselves. Because we were so secluded, we let our Labradoodle, Lucy, off leash for some much needed exercise. She met a new friend, a wire haired terrier mix named Sadie, who lived a few campers away. They chased each other in circles, round and round the campsite, while the people talked and socialized.

After a relaxed picnic brunch, we were ready for the last leg of our journey home.

 

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Pensacola Beach-July 16th

Today we have some reprieve from the heat. The wind is blowing fiercely and the sky looks like the the possibility of incoming rain.

Earlier today we treated Lucy to dog sitter and we enjoyed lunch at McGuire ‘s Irish Pub. Yum!

We are now at the beach and the sunscreen ritual has begun. Every inch, of our bodies, is covered in 70 plus sunscreen, and for extra measure we applied Sea Safe, Anti-Jellyfish, sunscreen as well!

I will never complain about heat again. Did I mention that the wind is fierce? And cold! We are literally being sandblasted.

They are only flying one flag on the beach today. Green- Which means no dangerous marine life and calm seas. Ha! The sea is anything but calm! (They did however eventually change it to a yellow flag)

Lots of waves– for almost teenagers, equals a whole lotta fun! Body boards up!! One, two, three, go!

Here are some pictures. It turned out to be a very nice day!

 

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Last Day at the Beach

Well, today we did not actually make it to the beach. Everyone, slept later than they normally do. I, begrudgingly, got up at 8:15.  I was, and am so tired. I think I can speak for our whole tribe or most of them… We play hard, and then, we putter out. Tomorrow, we say goodbye to the beach. It’s been a great vacation and it has been an interesting vacation.

This year we tried something a little different. Three separate domiciles. Our daughters each had their own space in the KOA at Milton. We brought our motorhome. Our eldest and her family brought their travel trailer. Our youngest rented a cabin. So, here is a tip. If you rent a cabin a the KOA Milton, don’t mention a dog. Especially if the dog belongs to another member of your family. (The dog mostly belongs to my husband and me.) Because… people with dogs do not get nice cabins at this KOA! There cabin has lovingly begun to be known as “The Ghetto Box”. It sleeps six (kind of)! The loft has two mattress on the floor. The living room/kitchenette furniture consist of an old lumpy futon, table and four bar stools. There is a refrigerator, microwave, and an electric cooktop with unlevel burners. In the bedroom there is a double bed, nightstand, tiny shower, toilet and sink. The whole place smells musty wet.

However, the campsites are nice enough.

 

Mostly we have gathered as a family in the travel trailer. At thirty seven foot, with two sides, it is ample big enough for twelve people to congregate. Tonight, we will have a campfire and we will roast some mellows.

Tomorrow, we will take one last little trip to the beach, before heading home.

Vacation Day Four-A Lazy Kind of Day

There comes a time in every vacation when you start to forget even what day it is. For us, we are almost there. I begrudgingly got out of bed at 7:30 and that was only because the dog needed to go out for a walk. We texted some of our other family members an hour later and the kids (who are normally up by 6:30) were still sleeping .

Today is Sunday. We are suppose to be in Church and we were planning on going to church….only….we couldn’t muster the energy to get there. I hope God understands.

Instead, we had a relaxed pancake brunch and played around camp.

Later, we are going to have dinner on the beach and go ghost crab hunting! Such fun!

We arrive at the beach around 5:30. As we were arriving droves and droves of cars were leaving. I guess 5:30 in the evening is not a popular time to visit the beach. (which was great for us) We had no problem finding a picnic spot. After dinner it was still early enough that the kids were able to enjoy the water.

it was awesome watching the sunset!

And playing in the sand!

Everything we did was a lot of fun. But, we probably had the most fun chasing the little ghost crabs.

 

 

Gulf Shores- Here we come!

Today’s adventure? Gulf Shores, Alabama. More specifically, Lulu’s for the twelve people in our group and Sea Paws Dog Resort for the four legged one.

Gulf shore is a fair piece away from the Milton KOA. Now, one might ask “Why are you traveling and hour and a half away just to go to a restaurant?” It’s because Lulu’s isn’t just any old restaurant, Lulu’s is an adventure! (Or at least it was a few years ago)

Our dog Lucy is along for the ride because, I have not been comfortable with the idea of leaving Lucy, our Labradoodle, in the camper for our six plus hour excursion to Gulf Shores. So, I researched ahead of time Doggy Day Cares. I hope she enjoys her little outing to Sea Paws. And, I hope she returns to us a little less energetic. It’s really hot in Florida in July. Plus, she is greatly underwhelmed by the fenced in dog run at the KOA. We can almost hear her say, “Oh no, not a trip to the big kitty litter box again. Do I have have to?” This morning I took her and threw a ball a few times. By the third time, her slobbery spit had covered the ball and collected a fair amount of sand. It was too gross even for a dog. Lucy went over and sniffed it and said, “No way, mom. That’s just plain nasty. Even for me!”

We just dropped off Lucy. For now it’s just my husband and I. The others are taking in a movie and will meet us at Lulu’s later. 

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Lucy seemed to have a good time in doggy daycare and we had a good time at Lulu’s.

Lulu’s was still a ‘cool’ place, but it was hot! Really hot! Have I failed to mention, Florida in July hot! Lulu’s is kind of a large outdoor restaurant, complete with a sand beach, founded by Jimmy Buffett’s sister Lucille.

The younger kids enjoyed playing in the sand and water before dinner. Not so much the teenagers. I guess for teenage boys the magic wears off somewhere around the age of twelve?

It took us a hour to get seated. But, it was worth the wait. We had a giant picnic table where we all sat together, under a patio, on the canal. Boats sauntered by as live music played in the background.

I order a burger. A half pounder is as small as they come. I barely finished and I could not finish my fries.

The service was a little slow, but Lulu’s is not a place you want to eat fast and leave in a hurry. Nor, do they really want you too. Folks sometimes just stick around after dinner, listen to the music and watch their kids play.

 

We are now full, tired and happy and on our way back to camp. How about a little Jimmy Buffet, anyone?

 

Navarre Beach

I am a beach ‘whim-wam’.  -Translated, I am a big sissy.

Today is our first day at the beach. This season, at the beach, people are coming down with rashes all over their bodies…caused by microscopic jellyfish! When we arrived at the beach today, purple flags were flying high! Warning-dangerous marine life!

Because of the warning, it took me a hot minute to get in the water. I paced back and forth, just looking. Honestly, when I am at the sea or a lake, I go through this ritual every time… Unseen things floating, buried, swimming in the murky depths… What if something eats me?

Finally I am in the water, and I am perfectly fine. But, the worry-wart in me is still skeptical. I will let you know if I get jellyfish rash!

The beach is beautiful. Today, lush, emerald-green water is gently lapping the warm white sand. I think the beach is God’s canvas, and I love the way God paints a different picture every day. Minute by minute, the picture changes.

Majestic. Powerful.

Here in this place, I pause to ponder…I am a grandmother with seven grandkids, and the beach is usually the focal point of our big family vacations. Over the years, I have watched my grandkids grow and change too. During the first family vacation, the oldest grand baby was only seven, and the youngest was just a few months old. Today, the oldest is fourteen and practically a young man.

They are growing and changing ever day. But, so am I. Where has time gone? “Just yesterday”, I was a young girl. “Just yesterday”, I was married and our own children came into the world. “Just yesterday”, our children were married and my first grandchild was born. “Just yesterday”….

Today I am content to just be. Here, now, in the moment. As I write, I am sitting under a pavilion, listening to the sound of the birds and the laughter of children. I feel the breeze lovingly brush my skin.  God’s kiss.

This is my happy place.

 

Does She Cry?

I wonder if the Statue of Liberty ever cries? Her motto is “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

I think we have forgotten how we became a nation in the first place. In the beginning (unless you were born a Native American) we were all immigrants.

The last two hundred years, as a country, we have not really been faithful to the words at the bottom of our statue. In 1916 there was a bill before congress requiring immigrants to be able to pass a literacy test. Thankfully, the bill never passed. It went through Congress twice and was vetoed by two different Presidents. I read a commentary from a newspaper article, dated 1916, which argued that a Bill preventing illiterates from entering the country would not accomplish it’s purpose. You see, many thought the poor, illiterate people would bring more crime into the country.

From 1840 to 1930, 900,000 French speaking Quebec natives immigrated to New England. It was a time in Quebec history where Timber Barons ruled the land, farming produced low yields, and the general population lived in poverty. Some came to America hoping to return home with enough money to buy land. Others came to stay.

Some of my ancestors hopped the boarder continuously. They couldn’t decide which nationality they wanted to be. I think they lived where they could find work. My great-grandfather entered the United States for the final time in 1923. But, he had lived here before from 1895 to 1908. My older Great Aunts and Uncles were born in the United States. My Grandmother, who was one of the younger children, was born in Quebec. She came to America in October of 1923, at the age of 14, accompanied by only her five younger siblings. The whole family did not cross the boarder together. They wanted to make sure they were welcome and could find work before settling in the whole family. I don’t believe they were required to have formal paperwork to work in America. They just came. They lived in a little town in New Hampshire. They worked factory jobs, that nobody else wanted, in textile mill, and they lived in a little ethnic conclave. They were bullied…called names like frogs, pea-soupers and Canucks. Or, worse dumb-canucks! They were told they needed to speak white! They worked for lower wages than their English speaking counter-parts and were often used as strike breakers. You see, people did not like them because they refused, or were slow to assimilate.

One newspaper article from 1923, during the era of prohibition, said that “Quebec was a wet province and that extra immigration officials had been called to the boarder to take care of the endless procession of Canadians lured to the United States.” I wonder if my great-grandparents were amongst the endless procession of Canadians mentioned in the article? I wonder if they were ever accused of being boot-ledgers? I wonder if my Great grandparents ever became US citizens? I think my grandmother eventually did. I wonder if our country ever thought about just packing them up and sending them back to Quebec?

My great-grandmother never learned English and my grandmother did not speak English until she was 16. Her english was very accented and her spelling was atrocious. My great-grandma never assimilated. My grandma was only partially assimilated. She was proud of her French-Canadian heritage. My mom was born here and really embraced American culture. I never really thought about my mom being French or Canadian at all. Her daddy was an English speaking loyalist, born in the USA, with strong Quebecan roots. Me? I’m 100% American. Culturally, I’m a mixture of all who have settled this country before me. I love tacos, spaghetti, pizza and roast beef. I’m Yankee and Hillbilly, all mixed together. I speak Southern with a Mid-west twang. Total Heinz 57.

Because of our French brethren and others, we can have a little tête-à-tête. We might have it on the patio while grilling Bratwurst and enjoying our little dash hound puppies. Because of the influence of other countries, we are not brought down or destroyed. Yes we are changed. We are enriched.

Our country has not suffered because a century ago, 900,000 French speaking people crossed the boarder to immigrate. French has not become our national language. My French-Canadian ancestry has not caused me to be a criminal or ever engage in criminal activity. Nor my mom, my grandmother, or my great-grandmother. My family was just a poor family coming to America to try and forge a better life for themselves…just like our Mexican brothers and sisters.

It is awful how illegal immigrants are being treated now. When will we stop this and come up with a better way? When will we say enough is enough and truly allow our differences to become our strength. When will we realize that our great diversity all melted together is who we really are and why do we frown so much at those who choose to remain different?

When we learn from our past?

 

 

 

Motor Home Repairs

My idea of Motorhome service and repairs has changed over the years. I used to think if I needed a repair I could go and get service cheaply and quickly. Right? I thought we could drop off our Motorhome at Camping World, pay our $250 dollar deductible, have our Motorhome serviced, and after a few days pick her up and live happily ever after. Pretty nice vision?? Right?

I was willing to pay top dollar insurance premiums for the ease of these inexpensive deductibles, that covered almost anything that could go wrong with our Motorhome.

This is, or was, until….

The fan motor on our furnace went out last year. We price fan motors, purchased one ourselves, called Good Sam Extended Service Plan and Camping World to schedule a repair date. We called them mid June. The soonest appointment they had open was mid July. So…we brought it in mid July. Two weeks later they finally got around to looking at our needed repair. It was at that point, they told us we needed a brand new furnace. And.. they said Good Sam would only cover a portion of the cost. They said we needed a new furnace because our furnace parts were no longer being manufactured! We gave them the right part that we had just purchased off of the Internet! So…for another three weeks we went round and round with Good Sam and Camping World trying to get straight answers on what was covered and what wasn’t. In the end, we told Camping world to please just repair the furnace with the part we supplied. Which is what we wanted in the first place. They refused. So after a month and a half, we picked up our camper that still had a broken heater.

My loving husband and son-in law did the repair themselves with the part we purchased. The heater preformed wonderfully last winter with it’s new part.

Since the heater incident, we dropped our Good Sam Extended Service Plan to a one thousand dollar deductible, just to cover anything major that might happen. Otherwise, we are attempting the small to medium repairs ourselves.

We have replaced the TV antenna, the front door locking assembly and the awning. Lastly, just this last weekend we replaced the air conditioner.

We purchased our new unit from Amazon. They delivered to our door with free shipping via prime. YouTube is a great resource for how-tos. There are videos for most of your RV how-to repair needs. We watched a video on YouTube by He provided step by step instructions on how to remove the old unit and replace it with the new unit. In less than three hours the old air unit was removed and the new unit was up and running. Here are some pictures of our progress.

The old unit is out!

 

The new unit is in!