2010 Trip Beginning

The longer we are retired, the slower we get!! Good thing we have five days to get to Lampe, our first Mobile Missionary Assistant Program (MMAP) job!
After four days of packing, we finally left on Monday afternoon! After we left, Nate called to check on us, because Hwy 65 was shut down both ways for several hours due to "an overturned vehicle" . Turns out it was a toxic spill!! Then this morning, Tuesday, it snowed! We left in time to avoid both!!

We really had no plans for a stopping point since we did not want to pressure ourselves with a time to leave. Checking our Coast-to-Coast, we found a spot for the night in southwest Kentucky. When I called, they told me it was closed for the season, but there was one section that was open and had hook ups. They would be gone for the day, but we could settle up in the morning after 10AM. We found a spot (in the dark, which is a major no no) but obviously in the wrong section, since there was no electricity and no water! Oh well... we were tired and went to bed early. We turned the generator on for a while in the middle of the night, it got so cold. The next morning, we had a beautiful view of the lake, complete with a flock of geese huddled, forming what looked like an iceberg!


The ground seemed solid, so instead of disconnecting the jeep to back up, Paul decided to go forward......you guessed it.... oops!!!!

An hour later, after getting a little help, we were on our way. Notice the post (it is a water bib) to the left of the picture of the ruts...I could not get my finger between it and the rig at one point. No matter how hard I pushed, the rig was not moving away from it! I could only pull it as far back as I could!! We missed hitting it by a small fraction of an inch!!!

We stopped earlier on Tuesday night, staying at Ozark Spring Mtn. Really clean, friendly place... gave us a jar of Sorghum/Molasses ... YUM!! I had used up our Louisianna batch!

Wednesday morning, we stopped at Laura Ingalls Wilder House and Museum. In 1894, Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder settled on Rocky Ridge Farm near Mansfield, MO, with their 7 year old daughter, Rose. They originally bought 40 acres, adding 160 acres. They built their home, starting with two room rooms and a sleeping loft for Rose.

In 1928, their daughter had the "Rock House" built with Mitchell Plan from Sears, facing it with rock, as a retirement home for her parents.

In 1932, at age 65, Laura began writing four books for the Prairie series there, after keeping diaries since 1911. They lived there for eight years, but missed their original home, so moved back to it, where the rest of the books were written. Very interesting and informative!

We finished there at noon, in time to stop at the Burger Barn for lunch. Best burger, fried onion petals and chicken fried steak special ever!!! Really friendly place, lots of locals, and everyone joined in every conversation. Wilma was there with her friend "Other Wilma". The cook was from CA, even baking pies for the Julian Pie Co. one summer while in college!! And a great time was had by all....

Our 9-hour trip is now in it's third day.... we ARE getting slow!! But loving it!!