Day 267. April 29, 2014. Hibernating in Sioux Falls

LOCATION: Sioux Falls, SD,  in SE South Dakota

WEATHER:  Terrible.  Cold and rain all day. Highs in 40s

We stayed in, doing fun things like laundry and computer work.  In the PM, we went to a movie to keep dry and warm.  It rained and blew all day.  Could be worse.....10 inches of snow in western SD.  We saw The Grand Budapest Hotel.  It was pretty good.  First time we have seen a movie since we have been on the road.  George doesn't like the loud trailers .....nor the ticket/popcorn expense.

Afterwards we went to a local brewpub.  Cozy atmosphere.

We are trying to decide what to do in the next few days. We are scheduled to arrive in Rochester, MN, where it has been snowing, on Friday.  The cold, rainy weather here is supposed to continue for a few days.  

DINNER:  I did a modified shrimp and grits recipe.  Instead of grits, I used polenta (essentially the same thing).  It comes in chubs that you slice and grill.  There are different flavors. This one is Italian Herb. 

I sautéed the polenta with red pepper slices and onions with the shrimp. I topped the polenta slices with Gouda cheese slices, and warmed until the cheese melted.  Really tasty!

Day 265. April 28, 2014. New South Dakota Residents

LOCATION: Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In SE corner of state

WEATHER: Lousy.  Rainy and windy. High in 40s

We spent the day doing paperwork to become South Dakota residents.  We already have our mail-forwarding service here.  We got our drivers' licenses, car plates, and did voter registration.  We learned that there are 3 million people like us that are full-time RVers with SD as their legal home.

We went to a great beer/burger bar for lunch, a new chain called JL Beers.

Sioux Falls has a pretty park, named after the Little Sioux River that flows through here.

We went to the local museum that had a traveling Toulouse Lautrec exhibit.  Really nice!

DINNER:  Since it was so cold and rainy, I made vegetable soup.  I started with a can, and added dibs and dabs from the refrigerator:  broccoli, peas, onion, garlic, celery, diced pork, and chorizo.  Really hit the spot!

Day 264. April 27, 2014. Northward, here we come!

LOCATION:  Sioux Falls, SD.  Southeast corner of state

WEATHER:  Cold, windy, drizzle. High around 55

The campground where we stayed last night is a municipal one, run by the city of South Sioux City, Nebraska.  It is right on the Missouri River.  I think one reason for its popularity is to accommodate people who want to gamble in the riverboat casino on the other side of the river in Sioux City, Iowa.

We took a walk, but it was too rainy and cool.  Walked along the river.

We drove north to Sioux Falls, about 75 miles.  We will stay here a few days to do business.  We are going to establish state residency here, so we have lots of things to do.  We are staying in a commercial campground in the city.

DINNER:  Paella deliciousa!  I made a modified version with the ingredients I could find:  shrimp, canned clams, chorizo, red pepper, peas, onions, garlic in saffron rice.  We paired it with a carmenere wine from Chile.  Quite gourmet!

Day 263. April 26, 2014. Happy Birthday, George!

LOCATION:  Lawrence, Kansas to South Sioux City, Nebraska

WEATHER:  Super windy.  Sunny. Highs in upper 70s

We packed up from Lawrence and drove 285 miles north.  We are  "headin' home".  The winds were super strong.  Since they were coming from the south, our gas mileage improved!  

We drove through Kansas, Nebraska, far western Iowa, then back to Nebraska.  Sioux City is in Iowa; South Sioux City is across the Missouri River in Nebraska.

George received some nice calls for his birthday.  We will celebrate when we are in Rochester.

Today's topic is breakfast. .... On most days, we have some type of egg dish:  scrambled or poached.  I try to buy wholesome bread, and we have the eggs with toast.  While in Texas, I often made breakfast egg roll-ups with tortillas.  Sometimes we do breakfast paninis with meat, cheese, and scrambled eggs.  Once in a while, we have grits on the side.  Occasionally, French toast.  While in the land of plentiful and inexpensive avocados, sometimes we made a spread for toast.  Here is one breakfast dish....eggs over easy with toast

On days that we are traveling (like today), we do something quick.  I have cereal and George has oatmeal with nuts and dried fruits. We have switched to almond milk which has more calcium and fewer calories.

While in Texas, we had sweet Texas grapefruit for breakfast.  Sometimes we have kiwi, oranges, or bananas.

And of course, always coffee!

If anyone has any menu suggestions, I would love to hear from you!

We arrived a bit late this afternoon in the campground.  We took a short walk, but it is so windy.  We did not unhook the camper, as we are leaving tomorrow. 

DINNER:  Leftover spaghetti to which I added bits from the refrigerator ....mushrooms, onions, scallions, garlic and meatballs.  

Day 262. April 25, 2014. Hip Lawrence, Kansas

LOCATION: Lawrence, in SE Kansas

WEATHER:  beautiful, sunny. High around 80

Lawrence was recommended in the book "1000 Places To Go Before You Die" as a hip, liberal college town in an otherwise conservative state.  Our campground is on a beautiful lake right outside of town.  We biked around the park, then went into town.  We had a delicious avocado chimichurri roll-up at a brewpub downtown for lunch.  We walked up and down their long Main Street.  It reminded me a lot of Ann Arbor.  Since the weather was so pretty, lots of people (mostly college students) were sitting at outdoor cafés.  Shops were busy, both national chains like Gap, as well as local  places.  George bought some nails at an old-fashioned hardware store; it was like stepping back in time.  

I really feel like we are back in th Midwest, with familiar surroundings: Canada geese, dandelions, Hy-vee stores, great public TV and radio stations.

Tomorrow is George's birthday.  He was goofing around posing as a homeless person, out of work, as one year ago today, he resigned and did not renew his RN license.

DINNER:  I modified a new recipe with boneless pork chops. First we grilled them over the campfire, leaving them pink inside.  Then, I coated them with a little flour and pepper, and finished cooking them on the stove in olive oil.  I added pepperoncini, grape tomatoes, scallions, lemon slices, and garlic, and chicken both.  Unusual, and tasty.  The recipe recommended serving it with couscous.  I substituted quinoa, since I already had some.  

Watched delightful TV....reruns of "All in the Family", and my very favorite PBS show,  "Call the Midwife".  

Day 261. April 24, 2014. Amazing Crystal Bridges

LOCATION:  To Lawrence, Kansas, in SW part of state

WEATHER:  Cloudy and rain.  Highs in 60s

We packed up early in Fayetteville, and drove a few miles to Bentonville, home of Wal-Mart.  First we went to the Wal-Mart Museum to learn about the evolution of the business.  

It was well-done.  This is a very nice town, appearing to be quite prosperous.  We visited a very modern museum/hotel in downtown called C21 (for 21st century).  This is a new boutique hotel chain that has lots of "edgy" art.  

When we got into the car, we encountered a dead battery.  We found a super nice car repair shop where they installed a new battery for us without making us wait.  

Then we went to our destination.....Crystal Bridges Museum.  The granddaughter of Sam Walton built this amazing museum about 3 years ago.  The grounds and building are amazing.  

Everything is from her personal money, and there is no admission fee

We toured the permanent exhibit.  This is from Andy Worhol.

This is Mary Cassat

Everything was very tastefully done.  

Then, we hit the road, heading north.  We drove about 5 hours, through Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.  We arrived late in a state park near Lawrence where we will spend a few days.

DINNER:  I needed to use up some cooked Asian vegetables and rice, so I stir-fried them with some canned crabmeat, seasoning with soy sauce and sesame seeds. 

Day 260. April 23, 2014. Charming Eureka Springs

LOCATION:  Fayetteville, Arkansas in NW corner of state

WEATHER:  Beautiful.  Sunny, high around 75

We made a day trip to Eureka Springs, as it was recommended in the book  "1000 Places to See  Before You Die".  It is a cute town perched on cliffs.  It became famous due to its hot springs in the 1800s.  

It is full of shops and Victorian houses and B and Bs.

 

We went to Bubba's BBQ for lunch, also recommended in the book, and ordered their Bubba Link Special....smoked sausage with chili and cheese.  Can't imagine the number of calories!

It is such a small world.  As we were strolling along looking at the shops, I saw a woman I know through a former professional organization, from Wisconsin.  She was vacationing in nearby Branson, MO, and was visiting Eureka Springs for the day.

It was a beautiful drive to and from Eureks Springs.  We passed hundreds of beautiful new "McMansions".  We found out later that many are owned by Walmart execs in nearby Bentonville.

Back in Fayetteville, we continued visiting microbreweries and getting our Ale Trail passport stamped.

DINNER:  Pizza from one of the brewpubs.  

Day 259. April 22, Fayetteville, Arkansas

LOCATION:  Fayetteville, Arkansas, in northwest corner of state

WEATHER:  Beautiful.  Sunny in 70s

We left Hot Springs in the AM and drove 180 miles northwest.  Arkansas is really beautiful.  There is a lot of wild wisteria growing in trees along the highways.

In the towns, there are colorful azalea bushes.

We drove through part of the Ozarks Mountains on a "scenic byway".  Lots of lakes and green fields.  

We had a little "oops" in the camper as we drove through the winding mountain roads. We stopped at a picnic area for lunch, and when we opened up, we found that our storage cupboard had popped open.  Everything had spilled out, including our liquor supply.  A wine bottle cap broke off, so we had a puddle of wine (red, of course), floating on the floor.  Our camper now smells like a winery. 

We are staying at a commercial RV park so we can do things around the city.  It is a college town (University of Arkansas) with a hip vibe.  We picked up an ale trail "passport" in the visitor center.  You get your passport stamped when you visit one of the 7 microbreweries in the area.  We made it to two.  Both were cozy neighborhood pubs.   

DINNER:  Like most commercial RV parks, there aren't grills.  So, I made spaghetti and meatballs with a veggie sauce.  We had a spinach salad and French bread.  Pretty good.

Day 258. April 21, 2014. Hot Springs National Park

LOCATION:  Hot Springs National Park in west central Arkansas

WEATHER:  Sprinkles. High around 70

We hiked on the trails around the campground.  There are beautiful wildflowers, ferns, waterfalls....so pretty.  

Then we went into town.  Hot Springs is the smallest of all the national parks.  It is split between the campground, and actually parts of downtown Hot Springs.  The visitor center is in one of the old bathhouses with the water from the springs piped in.  We toured the building.  All the bathhouses were quite grand at the time. This is the ceiling in the men's changing room.

Some of the apparatuses seemed more like a torture chamber

 Each person had an individual tub for soaking

The town was quite splendid at one time, with the bathhouses along one side of the street and grand hotels along the opposite side.

Several of the baths are still in operation.

We went to this one, planning to use the thermal baths. Unfortunately, it was $20 pp, so we decided not to.  We then went to this one...

.....which has been converted to a brewpub!

We met a young couple at the campground who are traveling around the country in an Airstream, too.  They visited our camper  for happy hour and gave us lots of good information.

DINNER:  I made paninis on the George Forman grill with the steak leftover from the Oklahoma City   steakhouse.  We sliced it thinner, and toasted with cheese and horseradish.  Really good.  Celebrating spring, we had steamed asparagus again.

Day 257. April 20, 2014. Happy Easter from Arkansas!

LOCATION:   Hot Springs, Arkansas, west central part of the state

WEATHER:  beautiful.  Highs in 70s

We got up early in Oklahoma City and drove 325 miles southeast to Hot Springs.  We wanted to come here as it is one the National Parks.  It is amazing how the geography changes from state to state. We drove through the foothills of the Ozarks.  Everything is green.  

We stopped at a roadside picnic area for lunch.  Our Easter feast was canned smoked oysters on a piece of bread (out of  crackers)!

We took a wrong turn in Fort Smith, AR, and ended up in an older section of town, with genteel Southern style homes.  It was a lucky turn, as the homes had mature azaleas, tulips, irises, and wisteria, all at their peak.  Just beautiful.

There are also a lot of dogwoods along the highway interspersed with green, so they really stand out

We arrived at about 4:00 at the park's campground.  We got one of 3 sites left.  It is very nice, and only $12 per night. 

We are out of the drought area, so there is no more burn ban.  We cooked over a campfire, the first time in more than a month.  

Several folks have asked me why we had to buy new tires for the Airstream.  When we were at the Airstream rally, several "veterans" warned us to take them off.  They said that for some reason, Airstream puts cheap tires on their new products.  Also, we bought the trailer used, and the former owner had not pulled it much, so the lack of movement wore the tires town.  George did look at the old tires when they put on the new ones, and did see some signs of separation.  

DINNER:  I finished up the bag of shrimp by sautéing them with onions and jalapeños.  I seasoned with a bit of soy sauce.  The side dish was frozen Asian vegetables mixed with leftover rice.  George also made himself a salad by picking wild dandelion greens and garlic shoots from around the campsite.  I did not partake. 

Day 256. April 19, 2014. Exploring Oklahoma City

LOCATION:  Oklahoma City, OK

WEATHER: beautiful, sunny. Highs in 70s

Oklahoma City (OKC) has several different districts.  We started out downtown and walked to the Asisn District.

We learned that OKC has one of the largest Vietnamese populations in the US.  We went to a noodle shop for a delicious lunch.

We were the only English-speaking people in the shop.  Always a good sign

Then we rode a bus to a district called Bricktown.  They have converted old warehouses into restaurants and bars.  We had an OK beer in a pub.  Then we walked to the memorial of the Alfred P Morrah Federal Building that was bombed 19 years ago. We just happened to be there on the anniversary of the bombing.

There were lots of people there visiting the plaques of the people that were killed.

These were placed on a memorial fence to remember the children killed in the building's daycare.

Then we drove to the stockyards district for dinner.  OKC has one of the largest in the US.  The book "1000 Places to Go Before You Die" recommended the Cattlemen's Restaurant there.  Supposed to be some of the best steaks ever.  The atmosphere was from the 60s. .  While we were waiting for a table, we went to their "bar" which was kind of like a reception area.

The food was excellent.  We shared a huge ribeye.  It came with baked potato, salad and Parker House rolls.  A custom there is for the waiter to watch you slice  into the meat to make sure it is cooked the way you like it.  Hardly needed a steak knife.  Really decadent

Day 255. April 18, 2014. City stresses

LOCATION:  Oklahoma City, OK

WEATHER:  beautiful. Sunny, highs in low 70s

Today is our "business day".  First, my iPad quit working.  We found out there is an Apple store here, so headed that way.  But since I couldn't use the iPad GPS, we got lost and drove on freeways in every part of the city.  City driving is so stressful.  We were pulling the Airstream because we had to take it in later that day.  The good news is that it was an easy fix, and I'm "cooking with gas" now.  

Then, we went to Pep Boys where we had an appointment to get new tires for the Airstream.  While  we were waiting, we went to a nearby sandwich place.  I had read that Oklahoma City is famous for their onion burgers.  The story goes that in the Depression and in the hard times during the Dust Bowl, people cut up lots of onions and added them to hamburger meat to make it stretch.  The custom continued because they taste so good.  In this restaurant, they were called "Fatty Burgers" which was a little off putting, but we ordered anyway.  Yes, it was good. George took a bite before I could get the picture taken!

When the Airstream was ready, we took off looking for a grocery store.  This city hardly has any!  When we asked people, they didn't know.  Strangest thing!  When I searched on the iPad, I found 1 or 2 but they were 10-15 miles away in a different part of the city.  Finally, we gave up and went to a Walmart.

We got settled again at the RV park.  Our new neighbors are from Holland. This RV park has a lot of permanent residents.  I think they are guys working in the  oilfields.

Then, we drove to a part of town that was having a street festival.  It is called the film district.  When Hollywood used to have film on reels (before digital), Oklahoma City was the main center for distribution.  There were a lot of old buildings now converted to art studios and restaurants.  There were all kinds of food trucks, music, games for kids, and later an outdoor movie.  Nice evening.

DINNER:  I sautéed some shrimp with onions and garlic.  Served it with mushroom risotto and steamed asoaragus.  I made a white wine/garlic sauce to drizzle on top.  Good!  

Day 254. April 17, 2014. Adios, Texas!

LOCATION:  Oklahoma City, OK

WEATHER:  Windy. Cool, high about 50

We packed up from Palo Duro Canyon State Park near Amarillo, TX and drove all day, 250 miles east, to Oklahoma City.   We ended spending 3 months in Texas.  We saw a lot, but there is lots more to see and do here.  

 It seems like it is always windy in this part of TX and OK.  The wind has been coming from the north and west, so we were looking forward to the wind pushing us east.  Bad luck....the winds turned, and blew hard from the east today, so we drove into the wind all day, making our gas mileage poor.  

We are staying at an RV park near the city, as we have  an appointment to get new tires on the Airstream tomorrow. We will stay here a few days to explore the area.

Here are photos of our cooler.  We use it mostly for cold drinks, aka beer.  It is electric.  

It is so nice to not buy ice all the time, and to avoid the frequent cleanup when the ice melts.  When we are at a campground with electricity for several days, we keep it in the shower and plug it in.  When we are somewhere only one day, we can leave it in the car or on the ground, and plug it in outside.  And, when we were traveling, we can plug it in the outlet in the back of the car.  One if the best purchases we have made!

DINNER:  We could not find a grocery store nearby and didn't want to drive around with the Airstream.  We are not unhooking as we have to take the Airstream in tomorrow for the tires.  So, dinner was a repeat of last night's Borracho beans.  I turned the leftovers into a stew by adding chicken broth and more smoked sausage.  It turned out well.  The refrigerator is almost completely empty!

Day 253. April 16, 2014. Hike survival.

LOCATION:  Palo Duro Canyon State Park near Amarillo, TX, in north Panhandle

WEATHER:  Cool. Sunny, high around 75

We went on a 6-mile hike in the canyon.  This sign, with its dire warning, greeted us.  

Here I am with my walking stick and hiking boots ready to hike.   We started in the AM so it wasn't too hot yet.  We had a picnic along the way.

Back at the campground, some deer came begging for food at our picnic table

Obviously, others have fed them...we didn't

DINNER:  I had soaked cannellini beans all day.  I cooked them up, adding a large amount of sautéed onions, some garlic, and a few small slices of smoked summer sausage.  I made  "borracho beans", a popular dish in Texas.  Borracho means drunk in Spanish.  To make the beans,   I added beer, BBQ sauce, Worchestire sauce, and  mustard to them and cooked for awhile.   I served them over baked potatoes.  George really liked it. 

Day 252. April 15, 2014. Amarillo adventures

LOCATION:  Palo Duro Canyon State Park near Amarillo, in north Texas

WEATHER:  Cool,and sunny.  Highs in 50s

The morning started with a hard freeze.  Our water pipes were frozen.  It warmed up nicely.  We drove into town to get an oil change for the car.

Afterwards, we visited an RV museum.  It contained campers  from the 30s on.  This one was used for the movie called RV.  Here is George pretending to be Robin Williams from the movie

Then we went to the Big Texan for lunch.  It is touristy, but had good food.  It is "the home of the free 72 ounce steak".  If you can eat it in an hour, along with multiple sides, it is free.  We passed on that and split a smoked brisket sandwich.  

A note about lunches.....We normally eat lunch out once or twice a week, sharing a sandwich or the house specialty.  Usually, we are at the campground midday.  If so, we make a sandwich.....out of cheese, lunch meat, tuna salad, egg salad, or pimiento cheese.  Sometimes, I get a bit fancy.  On this day, we had leftover salmon burgers with marinated grape tomatoes

  Sometimes, we take food with us if we will be out hiking around lunchtime.  Tomorrow, we are planning a 3-hour hike, and we are taking hard boiled eggs, some smoked summer sausage, and crackers.  If anyone has lunch ideas, please send!

Back at the campground, we went on another hike.  Watched the wild turkeys strut around the campsites in the evening.

DINNER:  We almost never eat dinner out, as most campgrounds are far from cities.  Tonight, I dipped into our food storage box for ideas.  I sautéed jalapeños, bell pepper, mushrooms, and onions.  Then added a can of chicken.  Added some garlic and wine for a sauce.  Served over leftover orzo.  Surprisingly hood!

Day 251. April 14, 2014. Freezing in Texas!

LOCATION:  Amarillo, TX, in north central Texas

WEATHER:  Cold and windy. High about 40

We hung out in our motel room in Lubbock while it was cold and windy...wind chill in the teens.  Then we drove into town for lunch.  We had a chicken chile pepper pizza with a garlic sauce.  Really good.  Then we drove about 125 miles north.  We are staying at a state park outside of Amarillo.  

We are in the far north part of a Texas, the part that looks like a narrow vertical rectangle.  It is called the Panhandle Plains.  We are about 75 miles west of Oklahoma and 75 east of New Mexico.  

The state park is called Palo Duro Canyon.  It is the second largest canyon in the USA, after the Grand Canyon.  It is really pretty.  The campground is in the bottom of the canyon.

There aren't too many other campers.  

We bundled up and went for a hike.  There are lots of wild turkeys here, including Toms that strut around with their feathers fluffed up.

DINNER: At the Airstram rally potluck, I really liked the stuffed jalapeños that someone had brought, so I tried to copy them for an appetizer.  They turned out amazingly well with my improvisations.  I cut them lengthwise and removed stems and seeds.  I sautéed them a bit on both sides.  Then I tore up some of the leftover pizza in teeny bits for the stuffing. I sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top and zapped them in the microwave to warm up everything.  How easy for a party!  (As long as people like spicy food).  For our entree, I made an omelette with more veggies than eggs.....bell pepper, spinach, onions, garlic, potatoes, and mushrooms.  Delish!