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April 19, 2021

It has been a long, boring, but healthy winter here in Fort Myers.  We hope the same for you.  For the last few weeks, we have been in the planning, scheduling, packing and, yes, purging phase of our eventual motor home trip back to Michigan.  The time is near. 

We leave our park Thursday for several days of maintenance, then by Saturday or Sunday beginning north.  Our itinerary includes Arkansas and Colorado for family visits before heading across the midlands to Michigan.  We us good luck!  

Our main trip this summer is not until Labor Day when plan to take the motor home to New York City (near) and work our way along the Eastern Shore as far as Charleston or Savannah.  We will keep you posted!

April 27, 2021

We had allocated two to three days at the RV service shop.  Everything on the list was done in one day--EXCEPT replacement parts dictated by an intern water leak in the propane furnace, which also provides hot water for the coach.  

Scott, the owner of the shop and resident genius at all things Precision Temp was stumped on Saturday by three wires coming from the internal fan.  I mentioned Saturday, because the Precision Temp factory in Cincinnati was closed for the weekend.  Nobody responded to emails, texts, etc.  Scott is knowledgeable enough to know that a wrong wiring connection could make matters worse.  Monday morning, he reached the service team at the factory and we were on the road by noon.  

Beautiful day, but hot--90+ again.  Pulled into our chosen RV park in Bushnell, FL, hooked up, kicked back and enjoyed having plenty of hotwater!  Today's trip will get us onto Interstate 10 somewhere wast of Tallahassee.  

April 28, 2021

We found a highly recommended RV park on Kings Lake near De Funiak Springs, FL.  Trouble is it was not as near as we were led to believe and we would not have given it the rave reviews Good Sam's did.  However, the staff was cordial.  Had a good night's rest including the extra hour switching from Eastern to Central time.  Tonight we are near Hattiesburg, MS at the Paul B. Johnson State Park.  The place is both rustic and beautiful with multiple lakes for fishing, swimming, water skiing, etc.  They offer cabin rental as well as camping.  Lyle wanted catfish from Mack's Fish Camp.  We drove quite a distance only to learn they are only open Thurs, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Grumble, grumble.  Tomorrow on to Southaven, MS and Memphis barbeque.  Hope they're open!!

April 30, 2021

Memphis Barbeque in Southaven, MS IS open!  Thanks to the governor--completely open with no restrictions.  We nearly opted for carry out, but found a socially distanced booth at 4:30 p.m. Lyle still had a hankering for catfish, so against better judgement, ordered catfish at a place known for barbeque.  It was PERFECTION--lightly breaded in corn meal.  Best he's ever had.  Judy managed to damage a full slab of baby backs.  She pronounced them as very good.  On the road shortly toward Fayetteville, AR.

May 2, 2021

Our visit to Fayetteville was for the first communion of Judy's grandson.  Matthew has very few saintly qualities, but played the part of a first communicant perfectly, including a brief nap during mass.  Lyle is not a blood relative, but identifies with the brief liturgical naps.  

It was great to see all families together for a happy occasion.  Tomorrow, on to Stillwater, Oklahoma.  

May 3, 2021

The purpose of our stop in Stillwater, OK was to get plantation shutters for the bedroom of the coach.  Kirtz Shutters specializes in solid wood, premium plantation shutters.  In our case, solid maple. The installation was quick.  The ten year old window treatments needed updating and this really did iit! Chris Tietz and his staff have a full line of plantation shutters custom made for homes, businesses and more recently motor homes and fifth wheel RVs.  

 May 5, 2021

Yesterday was a travel day from Stillwater, OK to Wakeeney, KS.  Lyle learned to pay more attention to the difference between I35 and 135.  Missed the cutoff to I-135 in Wichita and discovered the goof up about an hour later while on I-35, which was veering east--opposite from where we wanted.  Add another hour to get back on the right route.  It made a much longer travel day.  Pulled into an RV park around 5 p.m., went to our assigned lot.  The photo to the right shows the deep ruts, still not quite dry.  Took a lot adjacent that had not been "used". The maintenance issue speaks for itself. 

Got chilly overnight--40--but the propane furnace worked great!  

Had a wonderful lunch reunion with Lyle's cousins Bonnie and Tom in Burlington, Colorado.  Judy was a good sport, listening to family history that predated her joining the family.  Bonnie insisted on buying lunch, arguing she was the oldest.  Thanks, Bonnie!

 Motorhome Experiences of Judy and Lyle Dean Lebsack

 Above: Lyle's long-time friend and co-worker Ben Kiningham and his Sweet Beth.  Below:  Beth's sister, Rebecca, also a long-time dear friend of Lyle's.through Illinois News Broadcasters.  Missing from the gathering was another sister, Molly, but we had a nice phone chat with her.

May 7, 2021

Arrived in Superior, CO yesterday and had a nice visit with Lyle's son and family.  More family visits over the next few days.  

Judy and Lyle cleaned the bugs off the front of the coach and road grime from the back.  Sides survived the trip without much accumulated dirt.  

Weather has been delightful for the last couple of days, but in true Colorado springtime fashion, temperatures will drop over the next few days with rain and maybe snow flurries before we leave.  

A word about Colorado's highways.  Embarassing!  Speaking as a native of Colorado (Lyle).  We rolled from perfectly smooth I-70 in Kansas to the worst Interstate we've encountered anywhere.  Let's think about this.  Kansas has great roads and no marijuana tax revenue.  Colorado has horrible highways with billions in tax revenue from legalized marijuana.  Now the governor is calling for even more taxes to fix the roads.  Never thought Illinois fiscal policies would look good by comparison.

May 9, 2021

Happy Mothers Day!  We're still in Colorado visiting Lyle's son and family.  Will visit with Lyle's sister, Sharon, from Fort Collins this afternoon.  Had a wonderful reunion lunch with Rosalie, Lyle's former next door neighbor (Sterling, CO 1950s).  Life is full of unexpected joys, such as today's brunch at Wrigleys Chicago Bar and Grill in Golden, CO, owned by former Chicago Tribune employee Skip Perry and his wife Paula.  It is full of Chicago sports memorabilia.  Chicago foods are a specialty.  As you can see by the sign, Skip was ready for us.  Thank you, Skip and Paula!   Thank you, Erik and Joanna for "discovering" the place and arranging the delightful, tasty surprise.   Lyle's granddaughter, Shannon, is graduating high school this week.  She also showed us her prom dress.  Her Grandmother Sharon would be so proud.  So is Grandpa Lyle.

May 10, 2021

Weather this morning was chilly with light rain and no prospect for getting better over the nexr few days, so we said our good-byes and hit the road east.  Ran out of rain even before we left Denver, but it caught up with us several times.  

Lyle has a retraction on his rant about Colorado highways.  Turns out only the west bound lanes of I-70 are miserable from the Kansas border.  We took east bound I-70 through Eastern Colorado.  The conditions were quite tolerable, but still not as good as the highway in Kansas.  So, I guess its a half retraction.

May 11,2021

More rain overnight in Colby, KS and as we left this morning.  However, we quickly ran out and ahead of it.  Sunshine most of the way to Seneca, KS.  We have lakefront property for the night. (left)  Very nice.  By the way, U.S. 24, U.S.83 and U.S 36 are wonderful alternates for the busy Interstates.  Very smooth roads, too.

May 12, 2021

Nice dry drive today  to Petersburg, near Springfield, IL.  We're staying on the property of long time dear friends of Lyle's, Ben and Beth.  They have a lovely home on 13 acres, adjacent to a small lake.  Idyllic is the term that comes to mind.  Judy captured the photo to the left from the wrap-around porch of their home.

Beth made a delicious dinner and we talked of old times, which for some reason is easy to do at our age.  We plan to be here one more night and hope to get a chance to see Beth's sisters.

May 14, 2021

Yesterday Ben and Beth took us on a driving tour of Abraham Lincolns New Salem State Park and had a delicious lunch, before Becky's wonderful chicken salad for dinner.

Lyle had not spent time with Ben, Beth and Becky for years, so he really enjoyed the visit.  Judy got the opportunity to spend time with Beth and the two really bonded.

Today we head back to Michigan.  No rain.  Lots of road construction and a time-consuming detour.  Back safely by mid-afternoon.

May 29, 2021

We remain in SW Michigan (St. Joseph) for the Memorial Day Weekend.  Our wish to you is a good and safe holiday.

Newly installed plantation shutters in the bedroom of our motor home.

Above:  Yes, that's water over the road in the Paul B Johnson State Park.  The road is really part of a spillway, but was definitely an attention-getter!

Sheboygan's Harbor Center Marina, host to Jack Carran's Father's Day weekend cruise.

June 18, 2021

Happy Father's Day Weekend! 

The traditional Skipper Bud's Father's Day Weekend is again in Sheboygan, WI.  A good time is always organized by Jack Carran.  We came by land-yacht, since the m/v Heidi Ho has been retired for a few years.  After a stormy windy night in Sheboygan, pleasant, warm sunshine will greet the 14 boats and three motor homes taking part at Harbor Center Marina.  At 5 a.m. the lake was still rough, with waves crashing over the breakwall, but a countering wind calmed the seas somewhat.  Welcome to Sheboygan!  Let's have some Johnsville brats!