With family... time never passes!!

We have been so busy catching up with family that I haven't posted on here.  After leaving Arkansas and a great time with Uncle Ron, we headed west on I-40 toward Oklahoma City, OK!  Our first stop was Lake Eufala State Park in OK.  During this time of year, it is very easy to find some of the "best" campsites in many state and national parks.  All the kids have gone back to school, vacations are over and only the "oldie-goldies" are on the road...well, mostly the "oldie-goldies"!!  Our site was right on the lake with a beautiful view.

Our site at Lake Eufala State Park

Sunset on the lake

Huge knot on a tree at our campsite

We only spent one night at Lake Eufala because we were anxious to get to Oklahoma City where we were going to see my Cousin Jan.  It had been over 40 years since we had seen her.  She was a cute little 13-year-old with braces back then.  We had gone to Texas to visit my grandparents and Jan was visiting also.  She fell in love with little Beth...wish I had a picture of them together to post!!!  Wouldn't that be something, Jan!!!

We were able to find a spot at Tinker Air Force Famcamp for our stay..not the most glamorous Famcamp, but very convenient, not to mention inexpensive!  Most of the Famcamps are reasonable so that the military people can afford some rest & recreation...don't get me started about CALIFORNIA Famcamps though!!

Tinker AFB FamCamp

After settling in, heading to the commissary for much needed groceries and a night of rest, we met Jan Wednesday evening at the front gate for our start of a wonderful, fantastic time of catching up!  The next day we spent sight-seeing while Jan worked and then met her for supper at Chelino's Mexican Restaurant in Bricktown.  THAT was a great meal!  Friday was a day of rest for us (you can wear yourself out trying to get 40 years of catching up done! lol) and then Friday night we went over to Jan's to see her beautiful home and out for great pizza at Hideaway Pizza...she sure knows good places to eat!  

Don't know what Max said, but it must have been good!

What fun catching up!

Jan fighting the wind coming to Chelino's

Nurse Jan fixing my eye!! lol

We talked and talked and then talked some more!!!  I learned so much about Jan's life since that week in Texas so many years ago and I tried my best to let her know all about our family, Janice's family and Susan's family!  Poor Max got an "earful"!  Thanks, Jan, for such a good time!

Later, I will post comments and pictures of our sightseeing trip . . . there is just not enough room or time for both family AND sightseeing here!  Guess that shows how long-winded I am!!

Relatives and Relaxing

Today is a day of rest for the Skinners.  We have been having LOTS of fun with Uncle Ron, running around seeing all the fun places here in the northwest corner of Arkansas, but today we are taking a break and just sitting around the campsite.  We NEED to get out walking and will do that sometime today.  It's kind of embarrassing when your uncle can out-walk you by, oh, about SIX miles!!!!  Uncle Ron walks a total of about seven miles a day (divided up into three walks), but still....he puts me to shame!!!  He has inspired us to get back into the walking routine.

Wednesday was a great day of catching up when he came out to the campground and had lunch with us.  It was so good to see him (although I sure missed having Aunt Sue with him).  Back in June, I lost two of my favorite aunts within just a few days of each other.  We are going to visit with Uncle Earl in Texas in a couple of weeks.  Back to the fun times with Uncle Ron...we just sat around enjoying the time together all afternoon!

I think they were comparing haircuts!!...lol

On Thursday it was time to visit Ron at HIS home in Bella Vista...

Ron was a GREAT tour guide and took us to several places in the area...

Cooper Chapel...beautiful, peaceful place in Bella Vista

Of course you KNOW Max liked this place!

Then, because we are in "Walmart country", you HAVE to visit the Walmart Visitor Center in Bentonville!!  This is where it all started!  This was a fun place...small replica of the Five & Dime and then museum with lots of exhibits that told the story of Walmart & Sam's Club!

Crazy Max had to "do his thing"!!..lol

In between stops, we had a great meal at the Golden Corral...senior lunch is great at this one in Rogers, Arkansas!  Thanks, Uncle Ron, for a wonderful day!

On Friday, Ron came back out to the campground and we rode all around Beaver Lake checking out the other Corps of Engineers Campgrounds for future endeavors!  Silly me forgot to take any pictures though!!

Tomorrow will be a day of worship with Ron at his church, lunch and then goodbye until next time.  What wonderful memories we will take with us!!!

Dam Site River Campground in Arkansas

Well, we enjoyed our stay at the Air Force Base in Little Rock and are now settled in for the week near Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  I have an uncle who lives nearby so our plans are to have a nice, relaxing visit with him while we are here.  It's been close to seven years since we have seen him.  What fun it will be to catch up!!!  I sure will miss Aunt Sue though!!!  Aunt Sue AND my Aunt Louise both passed away within a week of each other this summer!  A friend of mine reminded me recently that WE are now the "older generation".  So many of those WE considered the "older generation" are now celebrating in Heaven!!!

Of course everyone knows that Max was beside himself while we were at the Air Force Base....surrounded by C-130's flying all day; airmen, soldiers and some marines everywhere; Taps, National Anthem played EVERY day over the PA system...what more could a retired Army guy asked for!!  For me, it's always emotional to go to Chapel services on base.  There is just something moving to me about seeing those who are willing to give their lives for our freedom gathered together to worship!  I'll post some pictures later...here at the campground the internet service is very S L O W!!  I was going to download a video session for the Bible Study I am beginning, but it was going to take SIX HOURS!  Nope, not gonna happen!! lol.

OK...I'm off to, ummm, do NOTHING!!

Things to do in the laundromat!!!

1)  Of course, wash and dry clothes....but that's no fun!!!
2) Read all the signs that tell you what to do (and that no one pays attention to)
3) Listen to all the crazy conversations..."This dryer is not working!".."somebody call the attendant, there is water all over the floor"...and others that are not repeatable!!! lol
4) Watch the little ones push laundry carts around the laundromat!!!

But, at least the clothes are clean for another week or two!!  We appreciate Military Campgrounds more and more because they don't charge an "arm and a leg" to do your laundry!  Guess that's because the soldiers already gave that!!!

Yesterday we left Natchez Trace State Park in Tennessee and ended up at Village Creek State Park in Wynne, Arkansas!  The campground is "back in the woods", so internet service and phone service is spotty at best!!  So, I am taking advantage of service while at the laundromat!!!

Nathez Trace was a really nice campground, right on Pin Oak Lake.

This was the view from our campsite!  We had a nice, relaxing time here.  Max fished and caught a few, but nothing big enough to keep.  Fortunately, there was a camper here that had a pontoon boat (which he took out every morning) and he caught bunches of Crappie.  He brought some over and we had grilled Crappie for supper one night.

Our campsite at Natchez Trace

Pin Oak Lake at Natchez Trace State Park

Haven't taken any pictures of our latest stop, but will do that when we get back from town!!  I figured no one really wants to see pictures of us slaving at the laundromat!!!

"What in the world am I doing?".....

Ok....here I go!!!  I am trying out my hand at this "blogging thing", not having ANY idea of what I am doing!  But, hopefully, this will be the beginning of a way to journal our travels.  Although we have been on the road for eight years and I have kept tabs on where we have been through my own personal journals, storing "millions" of pictures on my computer, CD's, etc., I have not had a place to let everyone else "join in" on this crazy life of ours.  Well, that's not quite true.  I DO post lots and lots of pictures and status updates on Facebook, but not everyone who calls me "friend" may want to "travel down the road" with us!  Hence, this blog!!  I truly hope to be able to use few words (I'm sure that will be impossible) and show everyone how much fun we are having!!  Keep coming back and seeing where this "camper" ends up next.

Sunset at Floating Mill COE, Cookeville, TN

Max enjoys fishing no matter where he goes

Our campsite at Floating Mill COE

Enjoying supper at Floating Mill COE

Right now we are in Tennessee at the Natchez Trace State Park RV Campground, heading slowly west!!  We just left Floating Mill COE (That's Corps of Engineers) Campground near Cookeville, TN where we enjoyed relaxing and watching boats go by on the Center Hill Lake as well as enjoying beautiful sunsets!  Next stop will be somewhere in Arkansas!!