The Traveling Ducheks

 

We moved to Lake Catherine State Park in Hot Springs.  This is one of my favorite campgrounds.  I have so many wonderful memories here!  We didn’t really do much other than chill and enjoy the campground.  The sky was wonderful here and the nights were perfect campfire nights!

We moved to Branson, Missouri and are staying at the Treasure Lakes RV Park.  This is a great park with big sites and it’s a quiet campground.

 

The campground had some cute Halloween/Fall decor, so I had to spruce up the camper a bit with some Halloween decor.

 

We went to Silver Dollar City on the 28th.  Everything is decorated for Harvest Festival and I had a blast getting fun photos!

 

Ed had been planning getting this cinnamon bread for days…he ate the entire thing himself in ONE setting!  I don’t know how that man can eat so much sugar and NOT have diabetes! LOL!

 

I really liked the Jack-O-Lanterns….in case that didn’t come across in the past 50 photos….lol

Ed cracks me up at how serious he takes these shooting rides at amusement parks! 

 

We decided to go to shows that we haven’t seen before…so we went to the Reza Illusionist show, which was awesome (I didn’t take any photos there) and the Who Dunnit Murder Mystery Hoedown, the food was really good and the show was hilarious.

This huge chair was outside the venue where we saw the show…we couldn’t resist a photo op!

 

We rode the Branson Scenic Train ride.  We have done this one several times, but it is so pretty and we always enjoy it!

 

We always see the Dixie Stampede when we go to Branson.  It’s one of our favorite shows and the food is always great.  This time we saw the Christmas program.

 

We also went on the Showboat Branson Belle.  The show was great and the food is always a treat.

 

 

We didn’t eat here, but we had to take a photo as we are big Guy Fieri fans.

 

We went back to Silver Dollar City on our last day in Branson, because they changed to the Christmas decor!  It was so fun to be there during the switcheroo period from Harvest to Christmas.  A couple days prior to our arrival, the train derailed, so we had hoped it would be running this visit, but it wasn’t.  Bummer, but something for next time!  I looooove Christmas, so it was a great way to end our visit here in Branson.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ED!!!  

I got you a shredded tire, a destroyed wheel and a roadside seat for HOURS!!! 

 

*SIGH*

 

We were literally 8 minutes from the campground when I noticed a strange ‘sound’ coming from the camper.  Well, this was the situation.  We are so grateful that this did not cause a fire or much worse damage than it did.  It took several hours before the rescue arrived and I almost cried when I saw him…he looked 12 years old to me!!  LOL!  He actually was super at getting that melted tire off the camper and getting us back on the road.  I drove 25 mph for the 8 miles to the campground.  

 

The sky was beautiful at the campground & we did appreciate it after our not so great day!

 

 

Downtown Odessa had scarecrows at each storefront. It was super cute!

 

 

We found this awesome house just off the downtown area of Odessa.  I think these folks REALLY enjoy Halloween!

We went to Kansas City and to the base at Leavenworth.  We also went to Saltgrass Steakhouse to celebrate a belated birthday dinner for Ed.  The RV repair shop ordered the tire and wheel and will install it on Wednesday.

 

While the camper was being re-shoed, we went back to Kansas City to visit the Blick Art and went to see the Rosedale Arch.  A letterbox lead us to this spot.  It was a cool place to see.

I am FINALLY Covid-free!  We moved to Cutty’s Campground in Des Moines, Iowa.  We are apparently here at the very end of the season, right prior to when they close for the winter.  It is cold, for sure and at night, they shut off our water so that the pipes don’t freeze.  

The first day, I drove over to the Free Little Art Gallery at the Des Moines Art Center. 🙂

We went to Ames & Boone and rode the Scenic Valley Railroad Train.  The ride was ok, but not the best train ride we have been on.  The windows were pretty hazy and the views were lackluster.  They did have rail bikes and maybe I will get Ed to try that out someday somewhere!

 

We went to Reinman Gardens to see the Worlds Largest Concrete Gnome and the butterfly garden.  

 

I visited the F.L.A.G. at the Arts Center again before we left.

 

I still have COVID, I am still pouting about it and I even cried a bit when I found out that the KOA we moved to was having a Halloween Night that I had to hide inside my camper and watch from afar!  I am ready to get that negative test so I can get OUT of quarantine! *Sad Diana*

 

I also cried that I missed my beautiful mama’s birthday!  Joe and Annie threw her a wonderful party and made her Queen Birthday!  I was jealous and feeling sorry for myself, but I was also so incredibly  happy that she had such a fabulous day.

 

When I finally tested negative, I stayed out of the public, but we did drive to Crete to see where Ed’s paternal grandparents lived and where his father grew up.  Ed visited here often when he was a child.  We found his grandparents and his aunts graves.  It was really pretty cool to visit and see places that brought Ed back to his childhood and listen to his stories.

 

 

Another place we visited once my quarantine was officially over was the Freedom Park Museum in Omaha.  

We also visited a few Free Little Art Galleries in the area, which is one of my favorite things to do!  I am always so appreciative that the people who run these keep them so fun!

Still have COVID, but since we had reservations, we moved along.  I’m still in quarantine and it still sucks.

I got COVID, Ed got COVID.  I got the worse of it.  Back on breathing treatments and fully quarantined.  This sucks.

 

We moved to Cripple Creek KOA and it is a great campground!  We really love the view and it is a super peaceful place. 

 

We rode the Cog Railway up to Pike’s Peak.  I was not thrilled with the face that my knees were almost touching the strangers across from us, but being the chatty one that I am, by the time we arrived, we were no longer strangers. LOL! The Cog Railway was an experience!  I really enjoyed the ride, just not the seating arrangements.  The view, of course, is stunning and it was COLD at the top.  Ed bought the high altitude donuts, apparently they deflate if you take them back down to the base of the mountain.  We didn’t personally find out, as Ed gobbled them up! LOL

 

We also visited the Manitou Cliff Dwellings while we were in the area. I’ve been here many times, but have never visited the cliff dwellings.  We really enjoyed them.  It is so interesting to touch areas where native people lived so many years ago.  

We drove past this tunnel several times on the way to and from the campground and we decided to stop and take a look.  We are not too sure what it is, I think possibly it was the old road that went through the mountain, but it seems strange.  Kinda spooky even. 

We drove around and explored Victor and Cripple Creek.  I was here years ago with Mom and we loved the ‘Donkeys at Large’ signs, so I had to find one!

                    FOUND IT!!!

 

I was a bit disappointed to see that they are building a HUGE casino in Cripple Creek.  I understand that it is a huge economic benefit here as that is what brings most people to Cripple Creek, but it just makes me sad that the old ‘gold town’ feel will be gone with this huge development. 

We visited the Peterson Space Force Base and the museum there. 

When we were in Cripple Creek one day letterboxing, we came across this little family of field mice hiding out in a tire….they were so cute.

 

We went to the Cascade Farmers Market…it was great!  I ended up buying some tamales from a wonderful vegan vendor!  The roasted hatch chili aroma was devine!