Category: Our RV Lifestyle

Good bye tree I’m not ready to see change.  As seen on the side of the highway; a horse and a bullOur first back/rest stop, one of the nicest yet

The view 

Thanks for the hug   

The drive was good, the cities we drove through were not too busy. Lots of reduced to one lane but still OK.

Then bam!  An hour out of Black Hills the dreaded   

It is very warm a “red Flag” warning issued, poor Bailey is overheating.

Allan slowed down a bit and the temperature came down a bit and the light went out.

We made it 

  Being led to our site

What’s missing?

Other campers!  There are 4 rvs here, Sturgis is not busy this time of the year.

Our view from the captain’s seats

The grounds are all gravel, no trees

Trees are on the perimeter

We’re here till September 30th, the day the park closes for the season.

KOA Sioux Falls, we’re here! 

09/24:  Today is Visit Downtown Day

A little chilly waking up, our first in Bailey fire on this trip, temp is c

As we’re driving we wonder if Sioux Falls has any falls.  Then we see a sign, turn here for Fall Park, let’s detour to the parkIt’s a beautiful park with falls 🙂

Satisfied with the falls we head downtown

First we walk to the Arc of Dreams “The Arc of Dreams is a tribute to the dreamers of the past and present and an inspiration to the dreamers of the future. The iconic sculpture is the signature piece of art for the city of Sioux Falls, helping to illustrate this unique and thriving modern city on the prairie.”

It’s hard to tell because of the clouds but the 2 arc sides do not meet in the middle.  

This is a cool guitar

The downtown street that looks like fun

This doesn’t sound tasty at all.  Would you try it?We learn the main street is filled with sculptures.  It is an organized SculptureWalk They have been doing the walks for 21 years with new sculptures every year. I only took this photo, to see them all click the above link.

Lunch was divine!  Best shrimp ever at Blarney Irish Pub.   Drunkin Spicy Shrimp: Succulent shrimp sautéed with white wine and Cajun spice. Served with lemon and a rustic roll.

Mini waterfall 

On our way back we went to a Walmart for a few supplies. This is in their entrance.

Allan tried a new recipe for dinner.  Burrito shells topped with a smash burger, mac sauce, lettuce & cheese.  Spiced to perfection. 

Today’s trip

This delayed us about 20 minutes, didn’t figure out what was wrong.

Left at 834a, arrived at 333p

Set up, Allan is slacking!  No flags out!!

There are many little lakes on the grounds

Allan’s amber beer find in Mexico is available in many places.  This is the fanciest bottles we’ve had.

Fridays & Saturdays the campground opens their Pizza Shack and they deliver to your site.  Of course we had to give it a try.  Pizza and wings were very good.The airport is really close by!We bought firewood from the campground as we normally do at every park that allows fires.  Allan’s a great fire builder but just can’t get this wood to burn.  We gave up on Thursday night, Friday we went to the store to ask about the wood.  She said they just changed their supplier and this is hard oak.  Well it doesn’t burn, what’s the trick?  Charcoal lighter fluid is the answer.

Here’s the fire using fluid

606pm

608pm

609pm

612pm

614pm

Have a few more of these photos but they all end up the same.  Allan’s no quitter but enough is enough.  In we go to continue watching Netflix’s 19-2

Bubba’ J’s RV Park in Nason here we come! 

The road in was sketchy as in, can Bailey fit? Super tight in spots, not sure what to do if a vehicle comes the other way.  Was too busy watching to take photos.

We often wonder how we find this spots… “The current population of Nason, Illinois is 198 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates (released May 2024). The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 201.”

Made it!                                                            Our site #2

All settled in

View from the captains seats

   Neighbour’s lot

This is a bar steps away “Bubba Too”.  May be hard to believe but we didn’t go, Bailey bar has better stuff!

Fire time

September 17th – Wake up to a visit from “Rosie”, looks like Rosie followed us from Mexico

Rosie loved Bob’s running board.  “She” spent time looking at himself in Bob’s reflection.

A trip to check out Mount Vernon, this is what we encounter

 

Race day!!!   

Here’s Josef still signing even after the driver’s autograph session has ended.  What a guy!  Notice the guy getting the autograph is a Pato fan but since smartened up and bought a Josef shirt for him to sign.

First Race is the IndyNXT

Caio Collet 3rd    Good job but I still win the overall standing and breakfast!

Jacob 8th

Final Standings:  Jacob 517; Caio 436

Jacob got me my breakfast win!

Track entertainment, wish the clouds looked happier

We get one water fill & one sewer dump.  They’re here doing the sewer; we missed out on the water fill

Back in our seats…almost start time   

Parachuters arrive 🙂  Notice the clouds 🙁

We’re green!!

The winner is…Colton Herta.

Pato 2nd;                                                          Josef 3rd

The rain stayed away.   Many vehicles still in the parking lotCan’t put it off any longer, time to     

2024 Season Winner:  Allan & Pato at 460 points

                                                              Me & Josef the losers 401 point

Allan winds his dinner, so far he is thinking it will be at the Keg.

This is a summer to remember attending 8 races, our most by far in a season

Can’t wait to figure out what our next adventure will be.

They are still calling for rain off/on, can only hope the qualifying for both series works out as well as the NXT race.  Sunrise gives me hope

753a:  Here comes the helicopter!         200p Quite the crowd.  For a second Josef is #1 Clouds are rolling inSpoiler alert:  Josef got bumped and will be starting 2nd 338p rain rain 🙁

536p Trying to dry the track   

724p Final practice, yes they got it in!  Thank you Mother Nature 🙂

Races tomorrow:  NXT  My Jacob starts 2nd; Allan’s Caio starts 3rd.

NTT:  My Josef starts 2nd; Allan’s Pato starts 8th.

Sad part I win the NXT and Allan wins the NTT without the running of tomorrow’s race but it’s still fun>

Allan called the Indy folks at the Nashville Superspeedway yesterday to find out about the track walk.  They didn’t know anything about it as the track is rented out for the walk but Allan did find out our premium camping does include 4 seats in the stands.

Today’s mission…check out our seats! 

The view is good, you can see the entire track and pit lane. Dilemma! (little known perhaps fact?!  The correct spelling of the word is “dilemma“, not “dilemna”. The misspelling “dilemna” has been used for years, even in books, but it’s not found in any dictionary or grammar book. Do we watch the race from Bailey or the stands.  Guess tomorrow will tell the tale, we’ll try to watch one of the practices from the seats but my money is we’ll watch from Bailey.  

As we’re leaving the seats we see we can go down an extra level to inside track side.  Allan says he thinks we can walk the entire track.  I’m skeptical but I’m in!!

Peek through the wall, this guy didn’t fare well

Here we are on the other side of the track.  Allan is correct, we do make it around the entire track. Here we are on the back stretch

There’s Bailey!  We’re on the wrong side of the gate

Here we are back on the correct side

The day was mostly dreary but little rain, just a few drops here and there.  Now the sun is out, hoping for the same or better weather for Saturday & Sunday.

The last race of the season!

2 drivers can win the championship (not mine as I crashed the last 2 races so Allan gets the 2024 win boo, forgot I’m a good sport ya Allan (inside voice is saying poop, poop, poop)

We get an escort to our site     

  Corner 1, site 6 is us

Here we are

   Just a dude checking out the track

Pointing out where Bailey is on the track 

Pano of the track

So excited to be here BUT I crashed out the last 2 races; Allan has the win so anticlimactic.

Issue:  The weather.  It’s been beautiful 90 degrees, full on sun, until today.  Cloudy & rain. The forecast for the race weekend, not goodThis is an oval meaning the cars do not run on wet tracks.  There are 2 drivers Alex Palou and Will Power who can win the championship.  If they can’t run Alex wins it.

I don’t like either driver but I do love racing.  I’d be so sad if the race can’t run because of weather 

Last time we were here was April 09, 2019, not much has changed except, the bubbles in the hot tub aren’t as bubbly.

The highway truck’s jake brakes are still the same, the birds are still quite tweety – BUT it’s still one of our favourite parks.

Today it’s hop the shuttle and spend the day downtown.  Some sites, kind of a rerun of the April 2019 post

Famous Tootsies 🙂 

Nashville’s biggest and baddest new honky tonk! With five floors, four stages, and six bars.  Kid Rock

                      Elvis says “You will win big!”  I’m not arguing with Elvis!!  Stay tuned!!!

We will forever call this a “Yonge Dundas Square” crossing, no matter what city we are in

We read all the Broadway restaurant’s menus, the winner … Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville

Drinks:    Allan’s, good but needs more Fireball           Mine, delicious!

Dinner

Allan’s  Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich	Mine,  Cajun Seafood Pasta

After dinner another walk up and down Broadway. So many bands in such a small area.  If you like music, even if you are not into country (we aren’t) Nashville is a must. This is taken while walking, there are many such sights.

Finally something about the IndyCar Race.

Nashville AT&T BuildingThe iconic landmark is known locally as the “Batman Building” because its distinctive design resembles the comic book superhero’s mask. In 2009, Le Journal de Net, a French online business publication, named “La Bat Tower” as one of the world’s 12 most original office buildings.

A fire after a great day

Blast from the past!  Our last Nashville visit…

Tuesday, April 09, 2019 Nashville

Good bye Tween the Lakes  (one of my least favourite parks)Hello to one of our favourites, we’ve been here before 🙂Check in and walk around the park time        The shuttle we’ll be taking to downtown

The pool & more importantly the hot tub! 

Although not as hot as the slides when we were kids, this one left me with warm bums

Select sites have “Pet Pens”‘ a private enclosure for your puppy. 

End the day playing King’s Cribbage

Then dinner, then hot tub, our first in way too long, where they had a country singer, then a fire

What’s captured in this photo that I’m not ready for??

Fallen leaves