Claremore, OK to Oshkosh, WI

July 22:  I hit all of the high points of Coloma Wisconsin, and made it back to the trailer by 9:30!  That included breakfast!

Click picture for more.

July 20:  I got set to have breakfast and do laundry today, really exciting!  You have to keep in mind that I am in a town, population 500, about 120 miles from where the "Welcome Home 121st FA" was held yesterday (take a look at my the homecoming page for pictures).  I walk into the cafe, order my coffee and notice a soldier sitting in the corner with his mother(?) and girlfriend/wife(?).  I overcame my shyness, walked over and said "Did you just get back from Iraq?".  He says, "Yes, yesterday".  "I was there, welcome home" and we shook hands.  I gave the Capt. my web address and asked him to share it with the unit.  After getting back to my table, I flagged down the waitress and asked her to bring me their check.  A little later she brought the check.  $13+, breakfast for three!  I am such a big spender!

July 19:  I took a couple of pictures around the campground last evening.

July 18:  A nice leisurely morning in La Crosse, watching the wild life, breakfast, hook up the trailer, dump the tanks and head for Coloma where I will spend a week and catch a Patriot Guard Homecoming and the Oshkosh Air Show.  I have now traveled about 200 miles in Wisconsin and seen more horses (10) than cows (8)! So, where does the cheese come from?

July 17:  I left Kellogg this morning into a darkening sky and hit rain near Cedar Rapids.  One bolt of lightening landed real close and the clap kept me awake for the rest of the day.  The plan was to go to Prairie du Chien Wisconsin to get the leak fixed that I thought was fixed in California and find a campground (maybe a motel) for a few days before continuing to Coloma (my Oshkosh stop).  I got to Prairie du Chien and found the RV Lot but they only do repairs during the season (wonder when the season is!) and he sent me to La Crosse, another 60 miles down the road.  The 60 miles was right along the Mississippi so it was not wasted.  I got to La Crosse and found two places in the phone book that do repairs.  The first said the tank would have to be replaced and they would have to order one.  The other place was a truck (semi) repair facility!  I couldn't wait for the tank so found a place to stay for the night.  It is on an island in the Mississippi River.  I'll see if I can get into Coloma tomorrow and find a place for the tank replacement.  The tank now will only hold about 8 gallons then starts to leak.  At least it is the grey water tank, just soapy water, not the other waste!

Click picture for more.

July 15:  Here are some pictures from around Newton Iowa.  They are really good to the wildlife as you will see.

Click picture for more.

July 13:  I drove just over 300 miles today, almost all of it in sight of corn fields!  I doesn't look like we will run out of corn flakes anytime soon.  I stopped about 30 miles east of Des Monies.  There was a campground nearby with a fishing lake, store, WiFi, showers, laundry, firewood, horseshoes and recreation room.  I didn't stay there.  The one I picked had an ad, "No Pool, No Pond, No Game Room, Just an economical place to park".  At half the price this is a good deal.  It also has "The Best Hamburgers in Iowa", we'll see.  I thought Iowa would be flatter but it is all low rolling hills!  Not high, not rugged, just up and down all the time.  Did I mention the corn?  Friday the 13th and I finished the day with the same tires that I started with

Click picture for more.

July 12:  I went into Topeka, 20 miles south, yester day and found a new tire for the trailer.  An unplanned $100 expense!  Then I found an RV parts store and got a replacement "sewer cover", a small plastic cap, as the old one left the trailer when the tire shredded!  A grocery store and drug store completed my errands and I returned to the trailer and did laundry.  My domestic day was over.

This morning I went to Holdon Kansas, about 9 miles north, for breakfast and the post office for stamps (don't be running to the mail box, I didn't get that many!).  I couldn't resist a couple of pictures of the town, Oppie could have lived here.

On the way back to the park I stopped by an Indian (Potawatomi) park and War Memorial and took a few pictures of the countryside and wildlife!

Click Picture for more.

In the morning I'll head out through Nebraska and into Iowa for my next layover.

July 10:  It rained off and on last night but had stopped when I got up but, still stormy looking outside.  I picked up a little and went out for breakfast and diesel.  It was raining pretty good while I ate but tapered off as I went to get fuel and stopped while I hooked up the trailer.  How convenient!  I plugged my destination into the GPS and off I went.  Here is a picture of my last night in Claremore.

The GPS wanted me to go through Coffeeville, KS but about 40 miles out of Claremore there was a sign that the road was closed so I headed west for 20 miles to the next highway.  No problem, just a small delay.  It rained pretty good for the first couple of hours into Kansas but let up the farther north I went.  There was a lot of water near the road but none on it.

I guess things were going to well!  I had just gone through a tiny burg, New Strawn Kansas, and noticed a bunch of rubber flying around the road behind me.  I didn't notice any tire treads in the road?  Wait, it is one of my trailer tires!  I eased over to the side of the narrow two lane road and stopped.  The tire was gone!  I mean the tread had torn off and only the side walls were still there.  After a very weak attempt, I decided that this was a job for a professional.  Where could I find one?

There was a house a couple hundred yards down the narrow two land road with a driveway that I could turn around in, maybe.  I eased down the road, flashers flashing, and waited for a break in the traffic.  I managed to back the trailer into the driveway on the third try and got pointed back to the town I had just passed.  Nobody there wanted to change the tire so I got out the number for my 'roadside assistance' insurance.  It worked.  A man showed up in less than 45 minutes and put the spare on.

The rest of the trip to Mayetta was uneventful and I have three days to get a tire, do laundry and visit a grocery store before pressing on to Oshkosh.

Return to Trek 2007 Page

Return to Home Page