We continued north when leaving OKC. One quick night at the Junction City KS Elks Lodge allowed us to arrive early the following at Tuttle Creek State Park in Manhattan KS. We would be in the area for 2 weeks, plenty of time for visiting our niece and her kids, as well as the scheduled install. This was our third time coming to the area with our home, but the first time staying at this state park. On previous visits we’ve stayed at Tuttle Creek Cove Park Campground, which is a COE park. It offers great views of Tuttle Creek Lake. This time we had reserved there, but 2 weeks before our scheduled arrival we got a call saying they would be repaving the park and our (and our clients) reservations were being canceled. I knew about the state park, so I immediately called and reserved for both of us.

The last time we were in that area was back in 2018, and while Bill stayed the entire 2 weeks, I had to cut my visit short when I needed to drive to PA to help my son. I was excited to be back! One of the most exciting reasons to visit was to FINALLY meet Avianna’s little girl, Aurora. Angela and Will came over to say hello after we were set up, Avianna was working.

The following day we met our client, who had driven from Wyoming for an install on his Grand Design 5th Wheel. It was a pleasure meeting him and getting him off-grid ready! He stayed a few days following the install to learn his system and he was very excited to put it to use!

When we decided to drive into tornado alley during the springtime months, I have to admit I was a bit nervous about the weather. I knew I’d be keeping a close watch on it, and when we pulled into the state park, I asked the lady that checked us in where could we go in case of bad weather. She told us to go to the cement built bathrooms. I made a mental note of that, while at the same time hoping to never need that information. Turns out it was good I asked as one evening, and into the night, we experienced bad storms. There were thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches for the entire area and I monitored it carefully. I asked Bill to get Callie’s crate out from the basement, just in case. After watching TV for a while, Bill went to bed about 11:30pm while I stayed up. I continued to watch TV and check in with my weather apps. I knew there was no way I would be able to fall asleep. Finally around 1am, I decided to try and sleep and got into bed. I was just starting to doze off when I heard the sirens go off. I checked the weather apps since I wasn’t getting an alert and the watch had become a warning, but it didn’t look like it was so bad in our immediate area. I listened for a few minutes, while getting up to peek out the windows and see if anyone was moving around heading to the bathrooms. There were some cars moving around, and since the siren was still going off, I woke up Bill and told him I think we need to go to the bathroom. We got dressed and put Callie was in her crate, all the while listening to the siren. We headed out to the car and quickly drove to the bathroom. A couple of people were already there, with a few more coming after us. Everyone had their weather apps open. At this point, it didn’t seem so bad; it was raining and there was some wind, but nothing really concerning except the siren, which could still be heard. The siren continued for another half hour or so and when it stopped we figured it was safe to return to the rig. Needless to say it took a while for us to calm down and finally sleep.

Only one other time did we have bad weather to the point that we thought about taking shelter. We were staying at Mountain Top Campground in Tarentum PA (north of Pittsburgh). It was about 10pm and we got alerts on our phones. We turned on the news and sure enough there were tornado warnings for some counties. In spite of having a map on the screen, we had a hard time figuring out where on the map we were. A lesson we learned that night was always know where you are on a map and the name of the county you are in, and preferably nearby counties also.

Avianna and Aurora finally came to Manhattan the following weekend! The both loved the dress I brought from TX – and it fit, with a little room to grow!

Will, who was getting ready to graduate High School, had started CrossFit about 18 months prior to our visit and we went to watch him lift one afternoon. He is strong, lifting a top weight of

Avianna had invited me to come stay the night at her place in Topeka, so I headed there one afternoon. We had a great girls only evening! The following morning, we got breakfast at Cracker Barrel before I made my way back to Manhattan. Thanks again for a great time!

Our next stop was to finally catch up with long-time blog readers Mark and Karen, of Our Future in an RV. Especially if you are in the planning stages of RV living, Mark has kept excellent records of all their decisions and how they made them in his blog. Lots of great details – check it out. We planned a one night stopover in the very small town of Sarcoxie, which isn’t far from Springfield, MO. They had prepared a delicious dinner for us and we chatted well into the evening. The following morning, they insisted on making us breakfast before we headed out to meet up with a client. Bill had actually met them last time he was in KS, but since I had driven to PA he met them on his own. Mark and I have had numerous chats via email and through a forum we both used to belong to, but it was great to finally meet these two, and their adorable dog Wyatt, in person. Thanks guys for being so welcoming and your wonderful hospitality. We hope our paths cross again soon – maybe for a longer visit!

We had a momentous occasion happen in-between Sarcoxie and Springfield – my car, a 2006 Honda CR-V, turned over to 300,000 miles! I knew it was coming and I set up the phone to capture the moment for Bill – he was so excited. He belongs to a bunch of high-mileage car groups and was happy to brag.

We had about an hour drive to the Springfield MO Elks Lodge, where we would be parking for one night while doing a small switching out panels install. We have had a few of these recently because Leisure Vans have been gluing flexible panels onto their roofs. This can be a problem because it creates heat under the panels, which causes crazing in the fiberglass. The reason that is bad is because water can get into the cracks, freeze in cold weather, cause the fiberglass to degrade, and then potentially cause a leak. What Bill had to do was remove the panels and install the type we use, which on vans is Renogy 100 watt panels. Since the wattages are the same, Bill is generally able to use the existing wires and it would be a direct replacement. The way we install panels is we use AM Solar hardware, which is stainless steel, and it allows about 2 1/2 inches between the panel and the roof, which actually helps keep the roof cooler. Bill had to replace this clients combiner box, which was no big deal.

You’ll have to check back next time to hear about our stops in Poplar Bluff, MO and Louisville, KY. See you then!

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