ependydad...Doug 176 Posted November 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 Finally updated again. I added an entry about getting to and staying just outside of St. Louis from the last week of August. This update is very picture heavy: Now Or Never - an RV Tale: Springfield, IL and East St. Louis, IL - recap You actually stayed in East St. Louis? Did the campground have armed security? I notice that your picture of a covered wagon actually has a cover unlike the one at a well known attraction. Believe it or not, we never felt unsafe in East. St. Louis, but other than grocery shopping- we really didn't leave the RV park (which, itself was totally not secure in any way- no gate, no guard, just a fence that was wide open where you enter the park). And covers for covered wagons are strictly an Illinois thing. I don't think they can be sent any further south! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 Love the memories that y'all are making. Some really great pics!! My family and I went to St. Louis when I was around 20. We stayed at a hotel across from the Arch and I just remember that it was SOOO hot (I think we were there in July) that we stood at the window, debating if we wanted to go over it. I want to say we walked by, but I know we didn't take the ride to the top. As 20 year old, I probably would have gone up but now at 44... I think I'll pass. Makes me a little queasy, just thinking about it :) Oh... also, love the trip to Cahokia Indian Mounds. That would have been neat to see... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted November 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 Love the memories that y'all are making. Some really great pics!! My family and I went to St. Louis when I was around 20. We stayed at a hotel across from the Arch and I just remember that it was SOOO hot (I think we were there in July) that we stood at the window and debating if we wanted to go over it. I want to say we walked by, but I know we didn't take the ride to the top. As 20 year old, I probably would have gone up but now at 44... I think I'll pass. Makes me a little queasy, just thinking about it :) Oh... also, love the trip to Cahokia Indian Mounds. That would have been neat to see... You're definitely not the first to say "oh heck no" to the ride to the top, but it is so unique and so worth doing. The views weren't all that amazing, but it was cool to see. Especially looking out towards the campground. But riding the pod and actually doing it was something. Then again- small spaces don't make me queasy! :D They were cool. It was one of those things that someone told me about and I figured we would check it out. I'm a little sad that we missed out on a museum. It's supposedly very well done and free (or cheap). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bhall 115 Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 LOL @ the camp store "inventory". if the trailer's a'rockin........ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted November 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 LOL @ the camp store "inventory". if the trailer's a'rockin........ Sure made me chuckle. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted November 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 We went into Hollywood tonight and I thought I'd share a couple of Disney-related pics -mostly Walk of Fame stars. But first the Chinese Theatre. I'll admit that I didn't know what the inspiration was for this in DHS, but now I do: And now, WOF stars: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith_h 420 Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 No picture of the mouse's star? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mouseketab.....Carol 1,261 Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Cool Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted November 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 No picture of the mouse's star? Didn't see t and didn't think of looking for it. We only went looking for Walt's star. The rest, we just happened to come across. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted December 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 Whoa, I haven't updated this thread in a while. We left St. Louis and headed to a Fulltime Families rally in Branson, MO:http://nowornever.learntorv.com/2015/11/branson-mo-fulltime-families-rally.html From Branson, we went to see my wife's aunt in Kansas City and also did a couple of things there (Lego Discovery center, Hallmark Welcome Center, and a restaurant called the Beer Kitchen!):http://nowornever.learntorv.com/2015/11/a-short-week-in-kansas-city-ks.html And the final update, we started on our way to Colorado Springs, but it was further than I wanted to drive in a day so we stopped in Goodland, KS and checked out something called the Mammoth Rocks (which turned out to be very, very cool):http://nowornever.learntorv.com/2015/12/goodland-ks-big-easel-and-mammoth-rocks.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 So jealous of all that you guys are getting to see! So very cool!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted December 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 So jealous of all that you guys are getting to see! So very cool!! Thanks, NaCole! It's been very exciting so far. And, continuing on! We spent 2 weeks packed full of sight-seeing in Colorado Springs. In fact, so many pictures resulted in me splitting the blog post into 3 parts: http://nowornever.learntorv.com/2015/12/colorado-springs-part-1-of-3.html http://nowornever.learntorv.com/2015/12/colorado-springs-part-2-of-3.html http://nowornever.learntorv.com/2015/12/colorado-springs-part-3-of-3.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted December 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Double post. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Wow, you are a family of daredevils! Seriously, what great memories you are making ... loving all your pictures of these places I'll never get to see. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dvccamper 32 Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Wow, what experiences your family is having! Great shots, can't believe you went on that gondola, you must not have a problem with heights. I was beginning to sweat just looking at it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted December 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Wow, you are a family of daredevils! Seriously, what great memories you are making ... loving all your pictures of these places I'll never get to see. I'm most proud of my wife who has a bit of claustrophobia issues. She sticks it through these things and talks about how cool they were at the end. Wow, what experiences your family is having! Great shots, can't believe you went on that gondola, you must not have a problem with heights. I was beginning to sweat just looking at it! The gondola was pretty crazy. We were in with a girl and her grandmother. She wasn't the frail little ole grandma like you might imagine- they were planning on the sky coaster and then the zip line across the gorge! I want to be her when I get older. :) My daughter is just like me. If I'm secured in some way, I'll hang my body out over a ledge. But make me walk up to it without anything and I'm terrified. For some of the Pikes Peak pictures, she had a death grip that actually hurt my arm! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted December 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Ghost. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted January 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 It's been about 6 months since my last weighing. Since we were 3 miles from the campground and stopped for fuel anyway, we stopped and got weights. Looks like I'm maxed out on the truck (40 lbs. over GVWR) and am 1,000 lbs. over on the camper's GVWR (maximum weight carrying capacity). Camper axle weights historically have carried about equal amounts, so they should be just shy of being maxed out; my tires are fine with the upgrade to 17.5" wheels. And I'm under all of the other truck ratings (GAWR, GCWR, maximum trailer).Fresh water tank (42g) and water heater (10g) were full. All 3 gray tanks were empty or close to it. And black tanks both had about 8g of water in them. That accounts for over 550 lbs. of the weight- but it is typically how we drive down the road.http://towingplanner.com/ActualWeights/FifthWheelCatScales/?w1sa=5300&w1da=7040&w1ta=13860&w2sa=5300&w2da=4060&a=2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted January 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2016 The top picture is my old house that I'm renting out. The bottom picture is my new "house" that I'm living in. I've never been happier for a blizzard- so long as nothing bad happens to the top house. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith_h 420 Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 I'm glad that snow isn't at my house. Just think of how spacious the top house will be when you finally get off the road. You'll have so much room you won't know what to do. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted January 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 Catching up. We were in Las Vegas from October 13-27, 2015. We had a good time, but were just talking tonight that we have no interest in returning to the city or strip itself. Though, there are more things in the surrounding areas that I wish we had gotten to (specifically, Valley of Fire State Park). Vegas recap Following Vegas, we went back to our hometowns in Maryland and Pennsylvania to visit with family and friends. It was a great visit, but at the end of the day- it was good to go home to our camper. 2 Weeks in PA/MD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
momof3kids-Yvonne 594 Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 I use to live in the neighborhood where the bowling alley is located in Columbia. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted January 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 4 hours ago, momof3kids-Yvonne said: I use to live in the neighborhood where the bowling alley is located in Columbia. It's nice over there. We lived in a neighborhood behind of it when we first moved to Columbia. But more recently lived across town (near the mall + hospital). Nice place - I don't think we ever bowled there before. On 1/26/2016 at 7:51 PM, keith_h said: I'm glad that snow isn't at my house. Just think of how spacious the top house will be when you finally get off the road. You'll have so much room you won't know what to do. It's funny you say that. I like the house, but really don't miss the size or it-specifically. There's a few things that I won't miss when we leave the camper... like, the constant HVAC noise (be it raging loud air conditioners or the blowing noise of the furnace/space heaters). But, we recently visited a buddy in Houston. His house was HUGE- like get lost in their walk-in closet huge. It had everything you could possibly want, but just felt too big. I guess that was the opposite extreme, though. I do know that I'm not headed back to MD. I don't ever want to deal with snow again. :) It'll be curious where we end up and in what, once we're done being on the road. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted January 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 Blame it on a long conference call, but I'm crushing out some blog posts. Just did Pahrump, NV where we explored Death Valley NP. So beautiful and wish we had more time there! http://nowornever.learntorv.com/2016/01/exploring-death-valley-from-pahrump-nv.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 Great blog updates! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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