Home from vacation!

[Sunday afternoon]

As a family, we have decided that late August/early September is a really good time for us to travel since the weather is still warm and most people are busy with back to school and staying close to home. Last year, we spent five weeks in the Pacific Northwest, driving down the Washington and Oregon coasts in our camper before coming home and settling into our fall routine.

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Earlier this year, we had talked about heading north into Canada for our fall camping trip, but plans changed and we headed east instead. We left the day before the eclipse and drove north to Wyoming, watched the eclipse on the side of a two-lane highway and then continued east through Nebraska and into Iowa. We don't drive long days in the camper--we stay off interstates and drive smaller highways, stopping to see what there is to see along the way. In Iowa, we visited the Amana Colonies and even saw a hilarious ice-fishing musical called Guys on Ice at a local theater. The two-man show was excellent and we laughed like crazy!

From Amana, we headed to the Mississippi River and followed it south a ways, going back and forth between Illinois and Iowa depending on what we wanted to stop and visit. WE camped along the river almost every nightHighlights were  a Dutch windmill in a small town in Illinois as well as the John Deere Pavilion where I was able to meet up with a friend from my days in Arizona at Mission Community Church.  We reconnected with some of my Dad's cousins in Quincy, Illinois and heard some family stories for the first time...

 In Hannibal, MO, we visited Mark Twain's house and were able to tour the Tom Sawyer sites before spending Labor Day weekend at Lake of the Ozarks. I was reminded of the great family vacations we took there for many years  and am so thankful for the years of wonderful memories I have! No water skiing this trip, but we did rent a pontoon boat for a few hours one hot afternoon and took Maddie boating for the first time. (She seemed to love it!)

From Osage Beach, we spent about five days in Branson.  Mom and Dad had been a couple of times, but it was my first visit and I loved it! We saw at least one show a day and  all agreed that Moses at the Sight and Sound Theater was the best of them all. The Sunday we were in Branson, we visited Woodland Hills Family Church, where my friend, Ted Cunningham, is the pastor. When we are traveling on a Sunday, we usually find church to visit, which is always fun. (The huge exception to this  in my memory was going to church in  Germany as an early teen without speaking enough German to follow the service-- that felt weird--but not as weird as drinking orange juice for communion!) 

From Missouri, we traveled into Oklahoma and stopped in the small town of  Pawhuska to visit The Pioneer Woman Mercantile and Deli. What delicious fun that was!Naturally, there are a few things I wish I had bought while there.    You can look online to see great pictures of the shop and do some online shopping too. I was too busy having fun to take pictures for Facebook. I did document our trip on my Facebook page (Joanne Heim) and tend to post there more than I do here on my blog. Send me a friend request and a message  there if you'd like

Northwest into Kansas brought us closer to home and we arrived home last Tuesday, a full day earlier than we'd planned. It was a marvelous trip, but nothing beats coming home to my own shower! Traveling in the camper means I do have a comfy bed and a bathroom with a flushing toilet and a hot shower, but it's a  small shower and the hot water is limited more than I'd like.

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 After being home for about 36 hours, the camper was cleaned and parked back in its winter home, the laundry was done, and we are home until January when it's time to migrate south for a good chunk of the winter! We are renting a house in Surprise (northwest Phoenix) for four months.  

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I started Bible study at my church on Thursday (Entrusted by Beth Moore!) and am looking forward to going back to my art group tomorrow  morning, and to my treadmill workout tomorrow afternoon. Routine is good!

Summer is my favorite season by far, but fall runs a close second! 

 

With love, 

Joanne

Comments

[Maryellen Azarian]

Your trip sounds wonderful. My hubby and I like to take the local roads also you get to see so much life along the way. We also loved Branson. We went at Christmas and the shows were wonderful Saw Andy Williams one of his last shows there. We saw Moses at Sight & Sound in Lancaster PA. It was wonderful. I loved the part when he was placed in the basket. So moving... Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Felt like I was along with you.

[Cathy]

Been wondering where you were, glad to hear you are back and had a good time on your travels...home is great and safe, but sometimes we just want to see the country and what's out there. Sure makes us appreciate home, though, right?
We just started Entrusted last week in my Bible study group...I think you and I are in for some good stuff!
How's the driving going? Getting easier, I bet!
Take care...and God bless!

[Charlotte Moore]

So glad you had such a wonderful trip. You saw lots of things that you enjoyed. How Blessed to travel so many miles safely.

[Fiona Van Lent]

Loved reading your travels on facebook and yes holidays are wonderful but home is best. Enjoy the routine of home. Blessings

[Yolanda]

So glad you all had a good trip. Glad for the update. Continued blessings.

[Erin Knight]

I'm so glad you had such a wonderful vacation! It is always so nice to see a a new blog post:)

[Laura]

Welcome back! I always enjoy your travelogs! And the John Deere Museum always makes my heart strings sing since my now 15 year old son is a farmer at heart (we do descend from a few generations of farmers in Michigan) and was a John Deere fan for many seasons (think bedding/tractor clock/tractor lamp/tractor clothing). We visited a few times and drove on the west side of the Mississippi River once down to St. Louis when the kids were little. Glad you're home!