Singapore May 2 2015

Arrived in Singapore at 230 am on the 30th.Very tire after a 18 hr flight. Singapore is a very clean and beautiful city.It has been very hot and humid along with some rain.We went to Chnatown and visited the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore.Very ornate. Tonight went to the night safari at the zoo.Little did we know there would be over 40,000people there. It just happened to be national holiday.Only stood in lines to get in and to ride the night tram.Total about 2 to 3 hours.As I said very hot and humid standing in line.Tomorrow we will be going to gardens of the Bay and then meeting people that will be going on cruise for dinner.Sunday we start our 40 day cruise. Will try and post if I get a chance.

Chinatown

                                                                        Merlon

                                                                               

marina bay sands hotel and singapore flyer

We loved Singapore and definately want to return.

Our next stop was Kulau Lumpur, maylasia. Didn't see much there except for the Petronas Towers.We got a very disapointing tour there and was sorry we didn't take a different Shore Excursions.

Petronas Towers

That's it for now.I will try and post oter ports when I can get internet.

Jan.1,2015 Happy New Year (Recap 2014)

We wish everyone a happy new year, good health and happiness. Since I was lax in getting my blogs out last year here is a recap of 2014.
Jan.
We started our year out in Quartzsite with friends from Ark., and Calif. This has been our 16 year being in Q for Jan. Again there were happy hours, visiting friends, potlucks and shopping.We love to come to Q and met up with friends old and new.We were busy while here.

Feb.and March
Our next destanation was Benson where we have a lot and stayed for 2 months.This is a Escapees CoOp park and we love it here. I engaged in beading and Sam working on getting our casita painted and doing various other things. We participated in 4 wheel drives, happy hours, potlucks, dinners dances and many other activites.We never have a dull moment here keep very busy.

April
We left Benson and ventured up to Tucson for the chapter 21 rally and had a enjoyable time. We visited Sabino Canyon, went to a play and saw Beach Blanket Bingo and had happy hours along with dinners.A great time was had by all.After the rally we moved up to Park Sierra another SKP Co Op.We stayed here going to Dr's and getting caught up on things that needed to be done.Then it was off to Ore. and Wash. to visit family and friends.We had a nice visit with our niece and her roomate with adinner at restaurant nearby.Next came May and time is flying by.

May, June, July, August.
Well we arrived at our lot in Chimacum, Wa. another SKP CoOp. Weplanned on staying here till the end of Aug. when we will head east for the rest of the year.We had lots od things going on here this summer.We attended both the Jazz and Fiddle concerts at the Centum in Port Townsend.Went to concerts onthe bay in Port Townsend on Thursdays, dinners at the Elks, and potluck BbQ on Fridays.Yes there is lots of eating here and happy hours.I also started a wine tasting gathering once a month and this was a big hit.I also fit in MaJong twice a week.Sam kept busy at the workshop. 

Sept.
We left Chimacum and headed east with a stop at Star Valley Ranch in Thayne , Wy.Our friends Dave and Brenda Neil,and Ken an Carolyn Kimpton have lots here and we stayed here for 10 days.What a beautiful area this is, surrounded by beautiful mountains and rivers.We really enjoyed our time here and want to return. There was a couple of trips to Jackson to see a play and have dinner.Ken also had a Thanksgiving in July party and cooked atrash can turkey.Lot of food and wonderful time was had by all.After 
leaving here we stopped at Bent's Old Fort a Ntl.Park site.We moseyed and stopped in Ft.Worth to see friends we had met previously on a cruise.We left Ft. Worth and went to east Tx. To visit our dear friend Neva.Neva and I were roomates before we were married.We have known each other over 50 years.Neva's husband passed away in April and we miss him terribly.We have lots of memoriesofall the good times we have shared together.We'off to Arkansas.

Oct.
October was another busy month.We went to Bella Vista skp friends Ken and Vickie King.They took us around and showed us the Walton Museum and a beautiful art museum.We also went up to Branson for 2 nights and went to a show featuring the Texas Tenors from Americas Got Talent.They were great.Afer leaving Ark.we headed to Tenneessee to visit Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and the Smokey Mts.The fall colors are out and it was beautiful. Next we stopped for a few days to see skp friends Monica and Hank Rose.We usually see them in the winter in Yuma.On to Ashville and into N Carolina to visit longtime friends David and Lynda Cannon.We've known them for years from California and had rv'd together for many years.We all went to the state fair and a winery with some fine wines. We had a great visit but time to move on.

Nov.
Since we hadn't been to Atlanta we stayed there at the Elks and went to Coca-Cola and CNN.There was lots to do in Atlanta but we were anxious to get to Charleston, S.C., one of our favorite cities.We've been to Charleston several times but this time we did a free walking tour and learned a little bit more about this great town.Of course we went to the straw market and saw many sweetgrass being made.Also couldn't leave without having some of that good ole southern cooking.The next stop was another favorite place of ours Savvanah.We did a free walking tour here as well and learned a little more history.We stayed in Hardeville and met up with other skps where we had a few happy hours together and a night out for dinner.Those camped here were DelRosario, Lonnie Hodge and Becky Hazen, Stephenson and a few others.We said our goodbys and down the road we went.Our next stop was Florida and we ended up at Ft McCoy for Thanksgiving with the Boomers.I think there was about 20 rigs and the Indians had their Pow Wow.We had a great time with old and new friends.

DEC.
It seemed like Dec. went fast .We went St. Augustine, spent tine in Orlando, visited friends in West Palm Beach, took a short 4 night cruise to the Bahamas, spent sometime in Punta Gorda.We took in the Edison-Ford Mansion, went to a flea market, and ate at Fisherman's Wharf.We spent a quiet New Year's at Tousand Trails in Wachula.That's our year in a nutshell.Wishing you the best life has to offer in the new year.





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Oct.2014 Tennesse/ North Carolina

We left Ark. and headed into Tennessee. Our first stop was Memphis. Although we have been here before we did other things this time. We crossed the bridge into Tennesee and stopped at the Visitors Center to pick up info on things to do. We decided to stay at the Agri Fair grounds and stayed a couple of days.

 

Crossing bridge into Memphis

 

 

Memphis home of Elvis and the Blues

 

One of the things we did was to go to the Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was assainated. This was a nice and very well done museum. It told of the civil rights movement from the very beginning. Well worth going to see.

 

 

 

Where Dr. King stood in front of his room when shot.

 

 

Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus.

 

That night we went to Beale St. for some BBQ and to listen to some Blues.We went to the Rendovous in a alley for great ribs and stopped in one of the clubs and listened to some great blues. Later walking down the street we stopped at a park and there was a band playing,we ended up staying a couple of hours. We really enjoyed Memphis.

 

 

 

Next stop Knoxville.

 

After leaving Memphis we stopped at Raccoon Valley SKP park for a few days and went to the Smoky Mts. to visit Cades Cove. To get to Cades Cove you drive a 11 mile one way road passing historic sights and beautiful views.

 

 

This is the Primitive Baptist Church established in1827 in Cades Cove. During the Civil War the church was closed because of the rebellion and they were union people and there were rebels in the area.

 

This is the Methodist Church. You'll notice this church has 2 doors .In a lot of traditions one door was for men and the other for women. This was not the intention of this church as they borrowed the building plans from another church that did practice that custom.

 

 

Changing colors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Oliver house was built before the Civil War and they had to build everything for their needs. A cantilever barn, gristmill, corncrib, blacksmith shop. They were very self sufficient.Ihe weather was great and we enjoyed the day in the Smokies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oct.2014 Arkansas Part 2

While at Ken and Vickie's the 4 of us decided to go to Branson for a couple of days. We rented a lovely 2 bedroom house close to Table Rock Lake in the woods. While there we went to see The Texas Tenors from America's Got Talent. Ken didn't want to go so the 3 of us went and what a fantastic show. They are great singers and totally entertained us.

 

                                       Here's a few photos of Table Rock Lake and the Branson Belle.

                                                                        

 

 

Before leaving Branson we stopped by Bass Pro Resort and drove around the place. Wow what a nice resort. Too bad they didn't have a campground.

 

 

 

 

We stopped at Eureka Springs for some good ole BBQ and stopped to see Throwncrown Chapel. This is a beautiful chapel made of glass and wood. A perfect view out of all the beautiful glass windows. Picture perfect.

 

After a wonderful 3 days we got back to Bella Vista and left Ken and Vickie's to head back to the RV. Just before we got to the rv the winds and rain started and the radio said to take cover a Tornado in the area.We headed to Walmart and everyone was taken to the back of the store until it passed.One of the scariest moments in my life. There's no way we would live in this area of the states. Finally back t the RV safe and sound. Next stop Tenneesse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oct.2014 Arkansas Part 1

We left Texas and headed to Arkansas to visit friends Ken and Vickie King. They're Escapees and we met them in Benson Az. some years ago.

Vickie has a brother with a lot of property near Bella Vista so we were able to stay there during our stay. That was very generous of them and we really appreciated it. One day we went to Bentonville to tour Walmart's Sam Walton Museum. It was interesting and how it grew over the years.

                                                           
                                                  Walton's first 5 and dime store.

                                    
                                                                    Bentonville Town Square

                                                     

                                                   Sam Walton's office
                                                   
After visiting the Walton museum we went to Crystal Bridges Museum of America Art .This museum was founded by Alice Walton and opened in 2011.This is a enormous place with all kinds of art and sculpture along with walking trails. They have great lunches there as well.

                                                      

 

 

Painting by Audubon

 

 

Tunnel made of Afghans

 

It was a wonderful day with friends.

Sept.- Oct.2014 Wyoming to Texas

We left Wyoming headed for Texas to visit friends and do some sightseeing along way. The first stop was Fort Bridger. Fort Bridger was originally a fur trading outpost established in 1842 by Jim Bridger. It was later used as a supply point
for wagon trains heading to Ore.,Calif. and Utah. Eventually the Mormans ran Jim Bridger off and took over the fort. Later battles ensued between the Mormans and Army and after all the dust had settled Wm. Carter and his family took over the fort and became the 1st millionaire in Wy.                                                        

 

Original Ft. Bridger

 

 

 

 

Views of rocks along the way

 

 

 

Next stop was Bent's Old Fort in Colorado. It was called the Castle of the Plains, reconstructed in1840 of adobe. The fort was a fur trading on the mountain branch of the Santa Fe Trail. This is where traders, trappers, travelers, Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribes came together for peaceful trade and Buffalo robes. Bent's Fort was the only place on the Santa Fe Trail where wagons could be repaired and supplies replenished.

 

 

 

 

Our next stop was in Texas where stopped for 2 nights to visit friends we met on a cruise. We went down to see the Stockyards and had a nice Mexican dinner.

 

 

Friends Pam and Fred Wendt

 

 

Sam and I

 

 

 

After leaving Ft. Worth we were on our way 2 hours east to see a very special friend for a couple of weeks. Neva and I have known each other over 50 years. We were roomates and in each others wedding. We have lots of memories of our times together. Her husband passed on in April. While we were there she and I did a lot of shopping and ate out a lot. It was so good to see our very special friend.Here's a photo of her and Sam at AJ's. lots of catfish and shrimp.

 

 

Sam and Neva at AJ's Fish House

 

That's all for now. Next stop Arkansas.