Last Call

April 17, 2018 Weather in Indianapolis is sunny, high of 53 and low of 35.    We are stopped for the night just to stage ourselves to travel north to Mishiwaka for an 11:30 am coach appointment.  Our camp for tonight is the KOA East Indianapolis, it is a large park so we did not bother calling ahead to reserve.  It is cold spring weather in the northern states. 

Indianapolis East KOA

April 18 & 19, 2018  Weather is still cool to cold high 48 or 50 and low of 30.    We left an hour ahead of the normal travel time to get to Mishawaka from Indianapolis.  Good thing we did.  Traffic was a parking lot on I465 bypass.  We had 12 miles and it took us almost 1 hour!!!!  Ughhh.  Tip:  next time we will go up to Elkhart area and camp.  It took us almost 4 hours to get there all because of the bottleneck in Indianapolis at work rush hour.  
Cummins Crosspoint is an Engine Service Depot only, nothing else on the coach.  Billy feels they are very well trained and competent so we wanted to stop on our way home.  After we stopped about 45 minutes away in lovely Shipshewana South Campground.  This time we did call ahead, not because we were worried about getting a site..... but that they would be open.  They open April 15 and it is weather permitting.  Once again we got lucky and they were just open and the water is on.

Walking over to the Mennonite Event Center

We are staying a couple of nights just to give Ontario one more day to warm up, pretty please!  Last night in Shipshewana it actually snowed at some point, when the sun came out this morning it melted away - Really Mother Nature, give it up..... please.

Shipshewana South Campground

Shipshewana South Campground is so convenient, nice long sites and big and quiet.  We have been here many times before and we can walk to everything, groceries, shops, restaurants and more in town.

Signs to caution you for the Horse and Buggy

This Amish town is so sweet and lovely.   Food is wonderful, and almost all the RV`s are built in the factories around here. 

Horse and buggy and Trailer on the main street

You will see horse and buggies or trailers on the roads everywhere.  It is a great spot to call our last call.

Record Temperature in Bowling Green

April 15, 16/2018  Weather 48/35 and then down right cold all day Monday our thermometer read about 34 when we got up and all day it did not get over 38. 
We are in Bowling Green, Kentucky at the KOA. 

getting close to freezing

It was tough getting out of bed this morning, the electric blanket was so warm and toasty!   So glad we have that plug in blanket.    As I turned on the coffee pot and jumped back into bed I said to Billy "look outside, what is that?"  
It is a four letter word......... Oh no.   We had snow flurries on and off all morning but it never stay on the ground. 

EEEEEEEKKKK  snow

We planned on getting Uber and visiting the Corvette Museum but neither one of us was in a hurry to leave the coach today.  If we left we would turn off our heat and then when we returned we would have to warm it up all over again.   We had a vote and decided lets come back next fall maybe and ride this area and see the museum.  It looks like a pretty motorcycle riding area.   
In the North,,,,, it appears Old Man Winter just does not want to go away.   Weather on local news tonight stated this was the coldest April 16 on record in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  Oh yeah!  

Pins on the Map

April 12, 13, 14/2018  Thursday in Texarkana, Texas then  Friday and Saturday in West Memphis, Arkansas.

Shady Pines RV Resort in Texarkana, nice clean long sites

Weather  on Thursday 81 and low of 66.   We set our alarm (leave by 8 am) and moved on and up to Texarkana trying to get ahead of high winds coming in later this afternoon.  Mostly it was behind us or to the side but not too bad.   We got in early by 1:30 and enjoyed the rest of the day under a tree at Shady Pines RV Resort.  We like this park as it is much quieter than others in the area located on the interstates.  It is also very pretty and clean, sometime we should stay here for a week and explore.

Radar shows its coming our way in Memphis, going to hit about midnight

Friday Weather - Extreme Winds behind and side of us, 80 and low of 65.... once again we set our alarm (leave by 8 am) to get ahead of a nasty storm that is coming with high winds and possible tornadoes.  It appears if we can get to Memphis and settle in early afternoon we can then ride out the storm as it passes thru.  Billy will leave all the slides in since the wind can damage the slide toppers.  Our coach is easy to live in closed as it has a central aisle and we can use everything.  We were parked and hooked up by 1:30 pm at the West Memphis KOA.  This is just an ok park but convenient for an overnighter.  We recommend you choose a site at the back of the park to avoid some of the road noise.  We booked in for 2 days since the following day would be us driving into the storm after it passes us.  We are going to sit and wait out the weather; you cannot beat Mother Nature!   It was high winds and rain for a good part of the night about 3 inches fell and the campground was quite wet in the morning.  No worries, we are just hanging around today.  Tomorrow will be another pin on the Map.

water at the W Memphis KOA after the storm

All But Lost Arts

April 11/2018  Today was a full day of events, first Magnolia Market, then Dr. Pepper and now just a couple of miles away from our  I35 RV Park a sustainable agrarian christian village.  Tip:  you will not find this village in the Waco Visitors Guide, we happened to have it in a Needlework Directory!  At the entrance there is a General Store and BBQ.  Continue all the way into the Village area parking and start walking the guided trails to the different buildings.

Each building is this quaint and beautiful

What kind of village is that?  Homestead Heritage Craft Village is set on over 500 acres of land where a Anabaptist community is based to live and dedicate their lives to recapturing and preserving the knowledge and skills for essential human needs.  Spiritually and Socially.  These craftsmen were so friendly and quiet.  There was no mention of anything religious.  We had to do some research to find out about the community beliefs.

the real corn brooms

So what is 'agrarian'?  Well it is any society whose economy is based on producing and maintaining crops and farmland.  I guess simply living off the land and their arts make them able to sustain without technology.
What is the meaning of 'Anabaptist' ?   Historically the Brethren grew from the  German Protestant Radical Reformations in the 16th century - today these communities are commonly known as Amish, Mennonites, Hutterites.  Baptism is given to only those who are adult and old enough to commit themselves to the way of life, thus no baptisms are performed on infants and children.
When visiting the Homestead Heritage Village we were impressed with the beauty, simpleness, care and knowledge.  From what we could gather approximately 50 families and under a 1000 people live in this community.
The community provide teachers for the "all but lost arts".

blacksmith at work

Public are welcome to take classes for a fee.  Impressively it provides a Gristmill, Pottery, Fiber Crafts - Spinning - Weaving - Knitting - Sewing, Black Smith, Woodworking, Homesteading & Garden - Bee Keeping - Animal Raising - Fruit - Poultry - Culinary Herbs, Kitchen & Homemaking - Baking Breads - Cheese Making - Soap Making - Canning, Basket Weaving.

working on a weaving loom

pottery for sale

We took the time to wander into each building and watch people at work in their discipline.  Everything is available to purchase as you go along or a final stop in the Barn or Cafe Homestead give you a chance to find something special made  by hand.  Give yourself several hours to see all the buildings and enjoy some home cooking.
Cost of the courses is interesting.  Really learning a skill is priceless.  You will use it over and over again, even being able to pass the art on to your children, friends and other family.  If you do any hobbies or crafts you will also know the value of creating and crafting; it is personally rewarding.
Here are some examples of the classes:
Beekeeping $120
Soft Cheese Making $135
Blacksmithing 1 $135
Sewing 3 day Beginners $490
Knitting Mittens $80
Floor Loom Weaving Beginners $165
Woodworking Blanket Chest 6 day $1440
Woodworking Build a Guitar from Scratch 17 day $3200
and so much more available.
Truly a Treasure Trove of Skills.

hand made soaps in the Barn

Working on our Balanced Diet

April 11/2018  I forgot to mention that parking is at a minimum when visiting Magnolia Market.  We opted to pay $10 and park in the Baptist Church parking lot.  When we walked back to the bike we found out that the Dr. Pepper Museum is about one block away so we thought "why not, lets go".

delivery truck for Dr. Pepper

All under the company umbrella now - Dr. Pepper, Snapple, 7 up, Canada Dry, Crush, A&W, Vernors and more

Billy loves soda pop.  Yes he is a Pepper!  The museum (a 1906 bottling plant) is mostly artifacts and a memorabilia, there is quite a bit of history on the World's Fair that was interesting.  Dr. Pepper was first served all the way back in 1885 in Waco.  It is the oldest soft drink brand in America.....that we did not know.  As in most soft drinks the inventor was a pharmacist.  He was from Waco, Texas and   No his name was not Dr. Pepper!!!  haha.   Legend has it that he named “Dr. Pepper” after the father of a young girl he was once in love with.  There are other theories about the origins of the soft drink’s name.   One conjecture is the “pep” refers to pepsin.

7 up bottling line

After the museum you can visit the Frosty's Soda Shop and that is where we continued to work on our Balanced Diet for the day.  2 Rootbeer Floats please!

That hits the spot after the cupcake

Want to see "Your Fixer Upper?"

April 11/2018  Weather 81 sunny, low of 61.  Windy.
Our campground is just north of Waco in Elm Mott so we took some of the back roads into the city center.  It is all starting to fit together why the HGTV show Fixer Upper became an overnight hit refurbishing homes in the Waco, Texas area.  While driving in we saw many properties that need some loving....

has some personality, just needs some Fixer Upper

What a success Chip and Joanna Gaines have become!   They refurbished their biggest project for their own Magnolia Market retail store and bakery.  The property is formally part of a cotton seed mill - there are 2 large silos and a 20,000 sq foot huge barn in downtown Waco.   This is 90% Joanna's thing and 10% Chip.   Lots and lots of decorator items and then a corner for t-shirts and hats called Chip's Corner.  

Silo's Bakery - the line up goes down the block but it moves fast

Best part of the visit is to the Silo's Bakery.  The cupcakes are literally to die for!   Not cheap $3.50 each but worth every penny.  

So one chocolate and one strawberry?

Cupcake heaven

The housing refurbishment show is in its 5th and final season and this couple have so much more going on - baby number 5, Joanna releasing a cookbook,  a newly opened Magnolia Bed and Breakfast and newer still Magnolia Table Restaurant.  The restaurant is located where the historic Elite Cafe was in 1919.  Legend has it Elvis was known to have frequented while stationed nearby during his time in the army. 

Enter and let the shopping begin

Truly the Gaines couple have revitalized Waco.  The tourist center estimates 30,000 visitors stop each week  to take in the Fixer Upper extravaganza.  That is truly great for the City of Waco; and they are making a fortune!

My find at Magnolia Market - a recipe holder

On our Way

April 10/2018  Weather Sunny, beautiful day 78.  Low of 48.  That would be in Waco, Texas tonight as we have left our friends in Hill Country.  A short day of 220 miles takes us to a stop in Central Texas at the I35 RV Park. 

Johnston city

Waco

Gazanias

The flowers were everywhere along the roadsides.  Yellows, red, blues.  So vibrant.    The park itself will work for us for a couple days just to do a bit of exploring.  It is mostly pull thrus, no reservations and they take cash only when you come.  We took a site close to the back to try and avoid road noise, It was fine and we slept good.  This park has quite a few covered sites at the back of the park, which appear to have full time residents in the park.  Surprisingly we didn't hear that much traffic leaving for work in the morning.

long term campers at the back sites in I35 RV Park

Do you like my new boots?

April 7/2018   Weather cold and windy, still the same day.  But almost to the end, our last stop.  We must have been getting a little slapstickish!  Girls!  Pam had the best question... "Do you like my new boots?"  Hilarious.

Oh these boots you mean?

Yes, my new boots?

What do you do with Weird?

April 7/2018  Weather - still the cold windy day.  After the Chuck wagon Cookoff Pam and Eric surprised us with an afternoon of adventure.    We went in search of Texas pecan coffee and cowboy clothes and pottery and jam and weirdness.
The "weirdness" is our stop at Magnolia Pearl.  The building is outstanding. 

Magnolia Pearl

Looks to be old, old, old but was built recently with reclaimed and vintage supplies.  Very cool building.  Inside is where the wackiness begins.  On the first floor there is hardly anything for sale but lots of sales people in the designer clothing.....  really?

First Floor - A lot of "nothingness"

Designer clothing is a matter of taste I guess. 
On the second floor you find some racks of clothing.  When looking closer it actually looks like sacks made into rag-tag clothing - the sort of thing that would be on a fashion runway as a statement "i just escaped from a commune"!!!
Or maybe the statement is "i survived the 1930's kansas dust bowl on route 66?"
I apologize but I just don't get it. 
Average price for a clothing item was $350 to $550. (No that's not a typo)
But what do I know is that after leaving there I felt very very NORMAL.  :)

Do they look wrinkled? holes in them?  off colour like they came out of an attic?

Yes that is me,, "Just Normal" !!!!  and what is with the moldy old bed?

 

Chuckwagon Cookies

April 7/2018  Weather  Cold, cold, cold.  And Windy!!!  Some high pressure and low pressure is colliding in Hill Country today.  Only today.  Temperature might get to 52, and the low is 38.  Unbelievable; because today is American Chuckwagon Association Championship Cookoff Day in Fredericksburg. 

Rosey is checking out our wagon (winner from 2017)

"No" we did not ride the Harley.  Our dear friends saved us by inviting us to ride in their pickup.  Thankyou, Thankyou to Pam and Eric. 

1860's photo of Old West Chuckwagon

In 1996 at a chuck wagon competition in Amarillo, Texas, a small group of Old West enthusiasts and wagon masters talked about an association. The mission would be to preserve the heritage of the chuck wagon and its use in the short, but significant, era of the cattle drives.  Cattle drives were no small feat.  Texas Longhorn herds could range from 1 to 3000 cattle.   The cattle could only be run about 10 to 12 miles per day to avoid much weight loss.   A typical cattle drive from Texas to Kansas would be 3 months.   Interesting history about the Chuck wagons...The Goodnight-Loving cattle trail, co-founded by Col. Charles Goodnight, decided to gain interest in his trail drives through good cooking. Side note: An injured or dead cowboy could be easily replaced, a good trail cook could not be so easily replaced! 

The Twisted Sisters Wagon

It was critical that Chuck wagon supplies had to travel well and not spoil; yet provide sustenance to keep the cowboys healthy.  The wagon would have flour, sourdough, salt, brown sugar, beans, rice, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, dried apples and peaches, coffee and syrup.  Cookies were the men in charge of feeding 10 to 20 men who tended the cattle on the drives.  For days on end the cook would have to be inventive on how to make the same ingredients in different ways.  Fresh beef was the main meat, sometimes wild game and fish along the way and always bacon grease and sow belly.
The Fredericksburg Competition had 13 wagons.   We thought in the adverse weather conditions anything they could cook up today would be a miracle.   The cookies said the wind was the worst to deal with as it would heat up the cast iron too quick causing food to burn.  

the wind was killing the cook

oh oh, burning the biscuits

We watched the biscuits get burnt by a helping hand and the Cookie told us "You just can't get good help since the War".    What a camaraderie!!!  

looks like the old picture doesn't it?

cast iron dutch ovens,,, beans, biscuits, potatoes, cobbler

The wagons were all authentic and the supplies too.    The judging was per authenticity and then lunch was served up and judged too.   Each ticket gave you a meal at one of the wagons.  Our plate had biscuits, potatoes, chicken fried steak, beans, cream gravy, peach cobbler for dessert.  A hearty meal and great fun was had by all.  What an interesting venue, history comes to life in Fredericksburg, Texas.

serving up the peach cobbler

The Buckhorn Lake RV Resort Gang chowing down

Can I Have That?

April 2018
Sometimes you find a great thing in your Mother's cupboard and you ask "Can I have that?"
My Mom had the smallest little camping coffee pot/tea kettle.  Cleaning cupboards at her place a few years ago I spotted it and thought it would be great in the motorhome.

Vintage travel coffee pot/tea kettle

Now let's think how old this gadget might be.  Mom is 91; I'm 58.  Mom never throws anything away.  She said she used to take this with her on some road trips when they were in a motel room.  This has to be before the small coffee pots in the rooms.  50 years ago?  Oh my gosh it could be.....
Well this winter the bottom kind of rusted right through while I was boiling hot water for a cup of tea!!!  So my search was on for a little tea kettle.  Voila!  Found the perfect one and it is collapsible.  How cool is that. 

Gourmia Travel Pot

And it grows!  Auto shutoff too.

My Name is Shawn

April 5/2018  Weather 73, sunny and a low of 53. 
Spoiler Alert:  FYI  there is "No" city in Willow City.  It would be fair to say it is a Ghost town.   You won't find gas, or restaurants or much of anything in Willow but some great views.

Willow City Loop Road

We are in search of the wildflowers today and even though we have heard unfavourable reports we will take the ride on the Loop.  Before heading north on Hwy 16 from Fredericksburg we are stopping for some lunch.   A fun stop is at the Airport Diner.   While enjoying our food we can watch the planes flying in and out.   This is a busy small airport with a boutique hotel.  Not something you hear about often; a cool diner and hotel attached to a small town airport.

our view from our booth at the Airport Diner

Hey there's 2 fellas that will be in the Chuckwagon Cookoff this weekend (Fairgrounds are right next door to the airport)

Cruising through Fredericksburg on Hwy 16 to Old Willow City Road we catch the Loop road (you can also get on it at FM 1323).  The scenery is breathtaking any time of the year and can be jaw dropping during wildflower season in the spring.   Sadly this year is the poorest we have seen in the last three years.  Flowers are sparse at best, it appears the ranchers have graded and cleaned and put in fences along their ranch property thus disrupting the natural seeding of the flowers.  The narrow road travels through canyons that were cut by creeks; the ride itself is a great motorcycle road except it is pretty busy with other cars/trucks ~ flower peepers!   

bits of bluebonnets; we have seen this covered before like a blue carpet

white poppies

The ride up and back is about 13 miles each way.   This year we stopped at Harry's on the Loop to get a cold refreshment.  We walked in and chatted with others sitting around and then a fellow got up and said "would you like a beer?"  Well we said "Yes, you must be Harry".  "Nope" he said "my name is Shawn" ???????
And isn't that just the way things go.  Funny.  

Harry's on the Loop