2015 Summer Road Trip August 17 thru August 23

LAugust 17,18 & 19

We have left the Pla-Mor camp ground and have set up our Trailer at Mike and Di's farm. 

 After hanging out with them we ended the day with a beautiful sunset.

Mike is quite the collector of stuff. He has what they call a huge pole barn that has all kinds of things he has procured.  He coached and taught woodworking in school. As a result there are lots of wood projects in the barn.  He also has painted houses and done work for so many people over the years he has all kinds of paint and everything that goes with it job. Diana has wanted to get it straightened up for a long time.  We decided that it would be cool to help him do just that. Bright and early while Mike was off doing things, Di, Jim and I went to the barn. By the time Mike returned we had quite a bit done. At the end of the day we all finished off the day with a cold beer.

I am so disappointed that I did not get a before photo, but above is the morning after. 

Before you could not see to the back of the building. Today we will sort all the little odds and ends.

Mike has enough nails and screws to open his own shop.  Tossing and cleaning the pole barn has a 

Whole new look. This is our last day with Mike and Diana. We will be off to Charlestown State Park.

It is in the far south east corner of Indiana along the banks of the Ohio River. To visit their duaghter,

Jennifer, her husband Cam, daughters Madison and Masey.

August 21

It only took us 4 hours to get there. It was a hectic drive. A lot of construction happening 

On the highway.

We caught up with Jennifer, Madison and Masey. Madison is really tall and a very good volley ball

As a freshman she is playing on the varsity team. I didn't get a very good photo of her 

Playing. I did get this one of Massey drawing while Madison's team wins 3 straight out of  5 games.

August 

We plan to go on a hike this morning. There are 7 hiking trails in this park. Easy to rugged.

The one we chose will take us to an area called Rose Island.

There is a lot of history leading up to this State Park. In 1941 an ammunition plant was built here

And  after the war it continued  to function. It was bought by Goodyear and sold several other times.

Eventual shut down and the land the Plant 1 was turned over to Clark county in 1960.

The park itself was opened in 1996 after several parcels were donated to the state. It now has 5,100

Acres.

Above is a Ranney well that was built. The water was needed to provide water to the ammunition plant. A Ranney well collects groundwater as well as surface water. It will collect more water than a vertical well and took less surface area. We went by this on our way to the trail we chose.

We walked down a really steep path and came to this bridge. Built in 1912 the Portersville Bridge

It actually went across the east fork of the White River between Dubois and Davies counties.

Charlestown State Park acquired the bridge in 2008, disassembled it, numbered each piece, restored it and rebuilt it here over 14 mile creek. 

This bridge will take us to Rose Island

In 1923 David Rose purchased the property that was called fern island he added  an amusement park,hotel, and a swimming pool and renamed it Rose Island. It included a wooden roller coaster and a Ferris wheel.There was a zoo with Wolves, monkeys and a black bear named Teddy Roosevelt. There was also a combined dance hall/ice rink. There were three steam ships that would bring people from Kentucky and farther up the Ohio. A footbridge on the Indiana side was a wooden swinging bridge. They could park along the road then walk to Rose Island.

Now the park thrived till a flood in 1937. The damage was so bad it never recovered and never reopened. Late January into February the flood stretched from Pittsburg to Cairo Illinois. Over a million

People were left homeless. Above the hand cranked narrator would tell you about the area you are in.

You gotta keep cranking because it will stop.

The blue ring on the pole tell you where the water crested. This doesn't seem like a big deal till

You realize you are at the top of the island.

Above are what is left of the pillars to the entrance from the pier where the steamships landed.

This is the pole near those pillars. If you look at the top you will see the blue ring...

that's where the water rose to.

After walking through Rose Island we took another trail described "rugged." Oh BOY, this is will bring out the jungle princess in me. Actually I did pretty good it was a beautiful hike under a canopy of

Tall trees.

Here's Jungle Jim taking a break. We got home and ran some errands then met up with Jennifer,

Madison and Masey  for dinner. We made plans to catch up with them to watch a scrimmage basketball game that Masey will play in.

August 22

Jennifer is the coach for the team. Here she is coaching while Masey drinks down some Gatorade.

Here's Masey sinking the ball. She's not real tall , but she can play basketball.

After the game we head back to the trailer to spend some time with the pups. On the way we had to wait for these turkeys to cross the road.

Back to their house and we all pile into their SUV to go to an historic town called Madison.

It really is a beautiful little town, this mural on the side of this building tell historical facts about the city.

I found it interesting each picture had a banner beside it telling which business sponsored it.

After lunch we went down to the river.

Madison is on the banks of the Ohio River. Ribberrfest is going on this weekend. That means there is 

A lot of barbecue ribs, beer, music, a pig toss (corn hole) tournament. We tried to get a ride on a speed boat, however we got there too late. So we headed up the hill for ice cream instead.

While I was in working the claw machine, Spider Man showed up outside. Masey got a photo with him.

When we first got to town we past the old Ohio Theater and saw it was showing Jurassic World.

We decided it would be fun to see. After a lot of teeth, people and dinosaurs being eaten. We 

Left talking about how many times we jumped.

Back in New Washington  we stopped by the Lodge for some snacks none of us were ready for a big meal. The Lodge was a Masonic Lodge for many years at one time a school on the second floor.

Now some  friends of Jennifer's and Cam's have bought it and it is a really nice restaurant.

Behind the lodge is the New Washingtons Mustang water tower.

At first when you see the lodge you think church,then school. Besides being the Masonic Lodge

It was all those things as well

The second floor of the Lodge is interesting the rope hanging from the ceiling is the rope to pull the bell up in the tower. They ask us not to pull it because it still works.

Of all things they have this wagon on the second floor as well. There were very old TV's and  a lot of  memorabilia  from the families who lived in the area.

We ended the evening with an interesting fully pink and blue sunset of the clouds.

August 23

Up early the kids meet us at the trailer and we are off to Rose Island. Jennifer had hiked the area when Madison was young and Massey was just a baby. Cameron's Grandmother has told him many stories about the area. Àt one time she owned land around here. The last time Cam was here, he was able to ride his 4 wheeler around.

Doogie is a great hiking dog. And he is ready to go. Trying to herd us across the bridge.

This fallen tree looks like it might be a passage to "Wonderland." However the spider webs and creepy crawley things made us not want to travel further into the trunk. 

One of the residents of Rose Island. A little box turtle.

Behind this awesome group are the archways that led from the pier to the Grand Hotel.

Behind that column is the Ohio River. These columns are part of the entrance when passengers 

Came off the boats.  Doogie found the Ohio below and took a quick swim. He was muddy from his belly down.

Rose Island had this swimming pool. The steps out of the pool are still on the side

Great sign for the pool and how to get there.

At one time the pile of rocks behind Madison and Masey was a fountain. It seems rather fragil

For all the time it has been through and the flood of 1937.

Back from Rose Island we go out to the kids house for homemade pizza. Cam's specialty.

Tomorrow is his birthday so Jennifer made his favorite pie for dessert. A Sugar Cream Pie! That is all 

I need to say about it. Other than it is AWESOME! Their home sits way back from the road. It is quiet

And a really calm place to hang out. I played a drawing game with the girls. They are such fun. They make me smile a lot. Jen has a grace about her that compliments how pretty she is. Cam has a slow syrupy voice that makes you listen to the stories he tells.

Frankie is one of two 18 month old boxers. Lola is her sister. All the dogs got along quite well. 

Doogie had never had two females hover over him before. Hmmmm.

Tomorrow we head for home with a stop for the Hotter N Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls Texas

Bye Cam,Jen, Madison and Masey we love you a lot!

August 24-25

Our first day out was uneventful with a totally unworthy RV PARK to take pictures of.

However Tuesday we did a long drive to get us to Ardmore Oklahoma. Our intention was to see friends, Rick and Kay. When we got in touch with them they are out of town. Rats! The positive thing 

Is the long drive got us about 90 miles outside of Wichita Falls.  This park called Hidden Lakes was

A really nice location. When you start choosing RV parks. When you find one with a concrete pad

You get excited over that kind of stuff.

August 26

We are a out to leave Oklahoma. The sign on the left says we are leaving the Kiowa,Comanche,

Apache reservation. The green sign on the right is the Red River. If you ever read about the Red River,

There is so much history along it's banks.  

Boy Howdy we haven't seen Texas in a long time. We have a sign in the trailer that says

"Texas is my happy place!"  This sign makes us smile too. 

We get to the the camp site at the MPEC center in Wichita Falls. Our friends Del and Ellie are there.

We immediately create a compound. With a good hot breeze flowing through...man, it's good to be back in the Great State of Texas" the Plutos, Mike and Judy set up behind us and all is good.

Over at the event center Sam, Jamie, Joe and Irma are ther getting things staged for the Expo.

August 27

Last night Mike, Jim talked about riding in the morning. Ellie talked me into it. She was surprised when I said I might. So when she said that she couldn't believe I wasn't going to ride that did it.

Ellie and I were the only ones to ride. I did manage to open the Pluto's trailer door and tell him he was a wimp! The landscape here is pretty desolate. But I must say it is the greenest we have seen in years.

This turtle is on it's way to lay some eggs. Been in the mud for a while. We moved it off the road. 

Sure hope we got it headed in the right direction

The booth is set up to Rock and Roll. The reward for hard work. Pizza! Woody sitting back it appears 

He may have eaten a whole box of pizza. Just kidding Woody.

The scaffolding is from an old 20 by 40 tent we had. It allows us to creat our space. Each year we

Creates tee shirt for HHH. This year was a good one. By the time the Expo was over there were 30 more tees ordered by friends. Below the pennants show the front and back of the tee. The front had an old fashion round thermometer and the back one of the more traditional tall ones.

This is Robie Cristi. In 1982 Wichita Falls was celebrating it's centennial. The main event was going to be a rocking chair rock off for the Gueniss book of world records. The bike club headed up by Robie

Suggested a hundred mile bike ride. If I eve ever the story right they were trying to come up with a name and during the whole time they kept saying it's gonna be hotter n' hell from ther it is history.

The evening is winding down and walking out of the expo this sunset greets us. Almost everyone comes over to the trailer for dinner. It was a fun time. Tomorrow early bike ride with everyone and one to the expo and bike races.

A great dinner and lots of friends coming by. It was a great way to get ready for the big ride tomorrow.

August 29

 On the course Jim and I stop to wait for Mike and Judy. After a very long time we moved on up the road. We found out later the had one of those long frustrating flat changes. We've all been there.

This what HHH looks like for the most part. Miles of land and a long road full of cyclist.

I have ridden all but one of the HHH's ( had to ride across the U.S.) however in all my years of rigging this event, this is the first time I ever remember being stopped by a train.

Everyone was in good spirits. It was a really long train.

Would you believe a retirement home for old oil pumps?

August 27

This may seem like a anticlimactic photo for all of our travels and adventures. But you know what

For a14 year old Jack Russell, Diggity's face says it all. Just look out that window and watch the world go by. What an awesome trip this has been. A summer of family and adventures. Often made up as we went down the road. I hope all that read this can feel my smile as I write. Can't wait to go again.

Oh and it is awfully hot right now. Love to all.

Rhondaandjimtravels!