Chanute, KS

After breakfast with Mel & Dee we packed up the HitchHiker and Judy drove the 143 miles here.  When we arrived she even backed the rig into the site.  Riding shotgun is boring and the F350 doesn't have enough foot room for me as a passenger on long trips, maybe I'll try the back seat next time!  We are tired and four days of travel and are looking forward to the weekend downtime before Monday's service appointment to replace the slides seals.  Weather allowing we might wash the HitchHiker and truck.

Wellington, KS with Mel & Dee

The next stop was in Wellington, KS to visit Mel & Dee.  We stayed in a KOA for $36 that should have cost half that.  We went out to dinner Thursday night and breakfast Friday morning with them.  Dee fell and broke her shoulder a year ago and has been having significant problems since and Mel has had some too.
All of this has kept them off the road until they heal.  Good visits.

Tahlequah, OK with Wes & Tonia

Here's Wes & Tonia in one of their toys.  We had a nice visit with them and dinner at Chili's then we sat around and talked some more.

Tonia and Pixie.

                               And here's Taz, no matter how many times you throw his toy he's ready for more.

Bye bye Texas

The rally is long gone and it's down to 3 couples remaining here in Ingram, TX.  We'd like to visit some RV friends on our way north and stop in Chanute, KS at NuWa to have some work done so it's time to leave TX.  It was a long day, 7 hours and 348 miles with very little expressway so we could avoid Dallas/Ft Worth but we arrived in Thackerville, OK at 4pm and settled in.  We were too tired to go out to eat so Judy used some of our Coopers BBQ and left over scalloped taters with some brussel sprouts for supper.  We had a relaxing evening resting up and if nothing else the long travel day confirmed we don't like them!  The good news is that the Ford dealer fixed the truck as there were no "clunks" when shifting onto R or D.  This new F350 is a wonderful towing trick compared to our 2007.  The new truck is 2WD so lower to the ground and easy to get in and out of, VERY quiet, towing power up the ying yang, and getting significantly better diesel mileage.  I think if all 4 HitchHiker wheels fell off the Ford would never notice and just keep on trucking.

Visit with Tom & Annie

Today we rode over to the Escapee park in Hondo to visit Tom & Annie, MI RV friends we first met in 2007 in Gulf Shores.  Sorry, no pics of them!  They wintered in Benson, AZ and were headed back to MI. We had a great visit with them and went out to eat at a local place in D'Hanis that had Texas character galore.  It looked like an old saloon, big and open, bar, wood floors, 2 stories (guess the saloon gals were upstairs). On the way back Tom swung by an old church.  They are going to be in Gulf Shores next winter and assuming we return too we'll see them there next.

Stonehedge & Easter Island; Alamo Springs lunch

We visited a local ranchers version of Stonehedge in 2008 but it has since been moved into Ingram.

The rancher was also fascinated by Easter Island so he also made a couple of their statues here in Ingram.

On Wednesday several of us still here at the rally site made a back road trip to nowhere where there was once a general store serving a population of 300 on surrounding ranchers.  They also had a lunch counter.  Well, a couple years later when visited by a Texas restaurant reviewer their burgers were rated the third best in Texas.  That was the end of the general store and the restaurants expanded into that space.  We arrived about 2:30 on a Wednesday afternoon and fortunately got the last two tables.  Tes, the burgers were very good, Judy said better than Classic burgers in Kerrville.

Coopers BBQ

Today about 30 or us trucked up yo Llano to a BBQ place called Coopers.  We went there twice 2 years ago when we were here for the first TX rally.  As you enter they present a collection from all their grills and you say how much of what you want....sausage, jalapeno sausage, beef or pork ribs, brisket, pork chops (3" thick), chicken, or pork; I suspect I missed some other cuts.  Inside you can choose deserts and side dishes.  You pay for the meat by the pound.  We got extra to take home for 3 more meals.

                                                          It's a popular and crowded place.