Welcome to Waikiki!

 June 14, 2021

This afternoon we began our journey to Hawaii. Don is still working on a veterinary hospital build for Ethos and needed to check on the progress. The hospital is in Honolulu on the island of O’ahu and since he has had to make a few trips on his own, I decided it would be nice of me to keep him company on this one! The plan is to stay on O’ahu until Wednesday for work and then fly to Kauai for vacation. 

Making arrangements to travel to Hawaii was not easy. First of all, we had a tight turn around- one day!- between the RV trip and the Hawaii trip. Also, although COVID  restrictions are loosening up in Colorado and other mainland states, Hawaii is behind. This is very understandable because an island has fewer resources and needs to protect their residents from thousands of tourists. Consequently,  to go to Hawaii, we had to register on their Safe Travels website and upload negative COVID test results within 72 hours of arriving. After doing this, we were emailed a QR code which we showed to the officials at DIA who then gave us a wristband that we showed to officials at the O’ahu airport when we landed. If we hadn’t done all of this, we would have gotten to spend 10 days in quarantine at our hotel! Masks are still required inside establishments but not outside, thankfully.

Hawaii is four hours behind Colorado so we landed just in time for Happy Hour! It seemed like it took forever to get to our hotel since we opted to take a shuttle instead of Uber. Due to the current scarcity of rental cars since many were sold during the pandemic to reduce overhead, Uber prices were high and not as readily available. But the long day of travel was worth it when we were upgraded to a hotel room which overlooked Waikiki beach. However, we didn’t stay long. We needed to walk and wake up our legs from sitting for hours and besides we had been invited for drinks at Don’s coworker Connor’s VRBO a few blocks away.

The streets surrounding Waikiki beach were packed with people! I had heard that hotels were fully booked and it showed. We made it to the beach in time to see the sunset which was spectacular. Connor’s condo also had a great view of it and the lit up Honolulu skyline. We had a great visit with Connor and coworkers, Rich, Justin, and Adam.

They put on a terrific Happy Hour complete with snacks that thoroughly welcomed us to Hawaii!

We're off!

Not a bad view at all!

Beautiful sunset over Waikiki

Honolulu skyline

The Journey Home

June 11, 2021

We were up early this morning in order to leave by 6am since we had a 10 hour drive ahead of us back to Salina, Kansas. Things were going well, trying to be as quiet as possible as we were hitching up. Unfortunately in the process, Don inadvertently set off the truck alarm from the keys in his pocket. No shotguns were fired fortunately and we hurried out if there before we were run out!

We decided to drive through Oklahoma this time and all I can say is the state should audit what the toll roads are doing with the money collected. There were toll roads in Kansas and Missouri and as a consequence, we enjoyed nicely maintained roads. The toll roads that we were on in Oklahoma were terribly rough and we had to pay every few miles for the privilege!

With great weather and no problems we made it to Salina and the mosquitos welcomed us back. It seems like a little Red Robin was also glad that we were there. For some reason, this bird sat on the side mirror of the passenger side of the truck after we had parked and repeatedly flew down to the window seal and peeked in. At one point Don opened the door to make sure a bird hadn’t flown in and was locked in there. No bird inside so I guess our feathered friend must have fallen in love with his reflection!

June 12, 2021

Our robin friend was back again this morning but we hitched up anyway and bid him farewell to complete the last leg home. It had been a wonderful trip with great company. We are very happy that Gary and Karen suggested this trip. It turned out that Missouri and Arkansas were very beautiful places to visit and although it involved a lot of driving, that was truly the only way to really see the landscape and appreciate the area.

Our Robin friend

Hiking in the Ozarks

 June 10, 2021

Another guided fishing trip for Don and Gary this morning on the Little Red river so Karen and I decided to hike a nearby trail in search of Bridal Falls. I wonder how many waterfalls are called Bridal Falls? Because of the previous night’s rain and the fact  that we were in Arkansas, hiking was like walking through a bathroom after someone had showered! A lot of moisture in the air. The trail was not marked well and after asking for directions from fellow hikers, and a steep climb down, we found the bottom of the falls. I wouldn’t have called them spectacular but they were pretty. After visiting with some local young women who had also hiked down, we decided to hike another trail that they recommended, Sugar Loaf.

The Sugar Loaf trailhead was just a little ways down the road and this trail was slightly better marked. It was a steep climb up this time and involved scrambling over a few rocks but eventually we arrived at the scenic overlook where we had a bird’s eye view of the Little Red river. 

No quilt stores were found in Heber Springs but we found a cute store called the Ozark Market. Treasures that I found there included some locally made jams and an Arkansas potholder for the camper.

We found out at dinner in town that night that Heber Springs was  a “dry” county so no alcohol could be sold in the area. It’s a good thing that we bought that moonshine in Branson! We settled for some sweet tea with another delicious southern meal. I could really see how sweet tea could be addicting! 

Great rocks with lots of moss!

Two seasoned brides at Bridal Veil Falls!

Bridal Veil Falls

Lots of climbing...

..and descending!

Sugarloaf mountain

The view from the top!

Little Red river below

Dam - That’s a lot of water!

June 9, 2021

Today we set out to travel further south into Arkansas to Heber Springs in search of more fishing. Don and I were getting pretty good at packing up and hitching up but today we hit an unexpected snag. One of our trailer windows came off the track so Gary and Don spent a good half hour trying to fix it but to no avail. Don ended up duck taping it shut and applied the Sarlett O’Hara solution= “we’ll worry about that tomorrow!”

It was a short drive to  Heber Springs but it was all on narrow two lane roads, thickly lined with trees. Lindsey’s Resort, our destination, was nestled in a forest and had many small rental cabins and a small RV park. The RV park had not been updated to house big RVs so it was a tight squeeze to get us in and we shared a spot, which is usually enough room for only one trailer, with another RV. 

The resort is on the Little Red river that is fed by another hydroelectric dam called Greers Ferry.

I found out that the state of Arkansas maintains over 400 dams! We took a little tour of the dam, the nearby Greer-Ferry reservoir and the small town of Heber Springs which you will be glad to know has a Walmart.

Back at the RVs, dinner was a soggy one. No sooner had Gary started the BBQ, that the deluge hit. The rain continued to pour all evening so consequently we ate inside!  

Hanging out at Lindsey’s

The Little Red river is neither - Little or red!

Greer’s Ferry Dam and reservoir.

On the plus side, maybe my wrinkles will go away - kind of like when you soak raisins?!

Paddling Upstream...with a paddle!

 

June 8, 2021

Today the boys had a guided fishing trip so Karen and I decided to go kayaking. We rented our kayaks from the shop at the campground and we were able to get in right there on the White river. We had to go in the morning because that was when the river level was going to be down and the current would not be so strong.Typically in the afternoon, the dam releases water so the water level increases by quite a bit. The ranger told us to listen for the bullhorn and if we see bubbles, we need to head back because the water is coming. No problem! 

Our goal was to row against the current aways so that we could take a picture of the dam. We rowed and rowed for what seemed like an hour but hardly made any headway. If we would stop and rest, the current would take us back down and we’d have to start over again! There were quite a few fishing boats on the water that day but they were all courteous and slowed down when they went by. It was encouraging that the ranger stated earlier that everyone had a right to be on the water- boats and kayaks alike. 

We finally made it around the bend, got our picture, and then let the current glide us back down. We found a good spot where the water was calmer and paddled around there for a couple of hours. The weather cooperated and it was partly cloudy which made it more pleasant and not so hot. It was misty on the water when we first started out which was created by the high humidity. This made  for a real eerie setting at times but I really enjoyed it.

In the afternoon, Karen drove me around the area. I especially wanted her to drive me to another nearby town called Flippin just because it cracks me up! I could have taken hundreds of sign photos but limited myself to Flippin School District and Flippin High School. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of the park which was called Hickey park which I’m pretty sure is near Flippin High School! I’m so easily entertained! 

We were able to find one quilt store open and score an Arkansas Starbucks mug so it was a successful afternoon! It was super nice of Karen to drive. I hate driving Don’s truck. I guess I should say I don’t mind driving the truck but parking it is what I do not enjoy. It’s just too darn big!

The fishermen returned and claimed that it was a good trip. Since they didn’t keep the fish we just had to take their word for it! Not a drop of rain today so we had a nice BBQ and campfire although we didn’t need the fire for warmth but for that camping ambiance. 

Ready to row!

Karen is a pro!

After all that rowing my dam photo is blurry!

The large White river

I've said I've worked here often.....

Arkansas!

 June 7, 2021

Today was a travel day to Arkansas. Since we were in the southern part of Missouri, it did not take long to cross the border into Arkansas. Oh the trees! There are so many trees everywhere that it prompted me to do a little Googling. The Arkansas state tree is the pine tree and they have many varieties, all different from the types we have in Colorado. The four native species are the shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, longleaf pine, and slash pine. There are also many lakes. Arkansas has over 600,000 acres of lakes and 9,700 miles of streams and rivers. This is why there is so much fishing….and humidity! 

We stopped in Harrison, Arkansas on the way to pick up Don’s new phone. The Verizon store was conveniently across the street from a Walmart which was great - a big parking lot for the trailers! Did I mention that in Arkansas it seems like every town has a Walmart, a Dollar General and a Sonic? Apparently, the first Walmart was in Benton, Arkansas. Fortunately, Verizon had Don’s new phone ready for him so we were shortly on our way….after we went into Walmart….

We arrived at our destination, Bull Shoals- White River State Park in the early afternoon. It was so green that it felt like we were camping in the middle of a city park. We were near the White river and white tailed deer would happen by every so often. 

Since it was only in the high seventies, we decided to go for a little hike on a nearby trail. Ok, I didn’t take into account the humidity which was around 78%! Even though we were hiking through the densely shaded forest, it was still hot. It is hard to follow the paths here because the ground cover grows quickly and there is moss everywhere. We did see Sassafras trees and white oaks and tried to keep a lookout for poison ivy and poison oak which are also prevalent here.The trail led to an overlook of the Bull Shoals dam which controls the water level of the river. It is a hydroelectric dam, one of many in the state.

Our campground is near a town called Mountain Home and that is where we traveled for dinner. Gary and Karen are familiar with this area and took us to one of their favorites - Fred’s Fish House. It is located next to the Norfolk reservoir which is very scenic. The specialty of this establishment is fried catfish so of course we needed to order it. Entrees came with the fixins which included pickled green tomatoes, coleslaw, hush puppies, and jojo potatoes. Consequently, everything was brown on your plate because everything was fried, however,  everything was delicious- not greasy or fishy since it was fresh. I got a kick out of the waitress when I asked her what alcoholic drinks they had and she replied, “we got beer and wine in a box.” Beer it is!

Happy to be connected again!

We loved our camping spot here

The great fishermen analyzing the White river.

A warm but very green hike.

Sunset over the Norfolk reservoir

It’s Green for a Reason

June 6, 2021

This morning we set off to play a round of golf at Holiday Hills Resort and Golf Club. However, we had a rocky start due to a slight phone mishap. Actually it was a big mishap. Don realized while we were driving out of the RV park that he was missing his phone. Thinking that he had left it on the picnic table, he looped around discovering that it wasn’t on the table but actually on the driveway. Needless to say, even an Otterbox case can’t prevent a crushing conclusion when a phone is run over by a ¾ ton truck! 

Thinking we could contemplate Don’s phone dilemma over 18 holes, we continued on. It  was an overcast day but not cold. Surprisingly for a Sunday, the golf course wasn’t busy and no one was behind us which made for relaxing golf. Karen and I shared a cart which was even more enjoyable! Unfortunately, a downpour of rain hit us just after hole #4. Since there was no lighting, we tried to play through it but it was raining buckets so we ended up back at the clubhouse to wait it out. This gave Don time to search the Internet (on my phone), locate a Verizon store down the road and arrange  for a new phone to be picked up on our travels the next day. “I wanted a new phone anyway” was Don’s final remarks about the situation. 

The rain finally let up and we resumed our game. It was sunny skies again until it wasn’t and we were dumped on again at hole #12. This time it was short lived and we were able to finally finish after 5 and a half hours! To give you an idea of how much it rained, at one point we had to wait for a turtle to cross the fairway! I have never seen that before!

Later that evening, Karen and Gary drove us out to the other part of Branson where all of the venues are for the various music shows and all of the adventure parks you can imagine. I have heard someone describe Branson as the Christian Las Vegas and I think it is quite accurate. The shows are wholesome and there is no gambling but I could see families dropping a bundle on all of the attractions offered for kids. 

A relaxing evening next the the lake wrapped up a fun yet wet day.

The lakeview from our front window.

Soggy golf!

All smiles because at least it’s not cold!

Ambling across the fairway!

A misty lake at night.

Oops!

Moonshine over Branson

June 5, 2021

This morning we pulled out of the KOA at 6:07am! An absolute record for the earliest start for the Ostwalds! My motivation was that we were stopping up the road at Starbucks - not just for a cup of daily motivation but also for a Kansas mug. I try to collect them wherever we go and had not yet added a Kansas cup to my collection. With coffee and mug secured, off to Missouri we went.

Missouri is very green. And, unlike Colorado and Kansas, trees line the sides of the highway so you can’t see much beyond them. Our early start today was so that we would arrive in Springfield, Missouri before 2pm. We had tickets to enter the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium at 2pm. We made it in good time and were able to have lunch in the parking lot. That is a great thing about trailers, you always have your lunch and table with you!

The Wonders and Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium was created and funded by Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro shops. Of course the museum is connected to a very large Bass Pro shop which we had to visit as well! The museum and aquarium covers 350,000 square feet with around 35,000 animals, although most of them are dead(!) There were impressive displays and encouraged animal and land conservation but this was a little contradictory since there was so much taxidermy. There were live fish in the 3 story fish tank and one highlight was the playful penguins. All in all we were glad we stopped and clocked an impressive number of steps on our pedometers.

Branson was just a short 40 minute drive and we were pleasantly surprised to have an RV spot right next to Lake Taneycomo. This lake is actually a reservoir on the White river. It is not very wide but it flows through the historic Branson downtown area. We easily walked to the historic downtown, ate outside by the river, perused through the infamous Dick’s 5&10 and did a little moonshine tasting! 

A very unique boat on Lake Taneycomo!

Not quite sure what this is all about!?

Moonshine tasting - none of us made it to #14!

Dinner along Lake Taneycomo.

We’re Off!

June 4, 2021

Today we started our adventure in the new 5th wheel that we purchased last November after our beloved Tajma-Haul succumbed to the East Troublesome fire. Our first adventure in the Tajma-Haul was with our friends, Gary and Karen, exploring all 5 National Parks in Utah. So it was fitting that we go on our first adventure in the Tajma-Haul #2 with Gary and Karen. 

Our journey this time includes a visit to Branson, Missouri and then on to Arkansas where Don and Gary will test the fishing waters and Karen and I will explore. 

Today was spent driving to Salina, Kansas. Our friends planned on leaving at 6am and so Don planned that as well. I laughed. We actually ventured forth  at 7:29am which is pretty much a record for us. The heart wrenching part of the day was leaving the dogs behind. We decided against taking the dogs since we weren’t planning dog friendly activities so they would have been left in the trailer most of the time. The mournful face of little Bear staring at me through the fence as we pulled away just about did me in! Fortunately, a panicked  text to my friend Kim resulted in her and daughter Rachel driving to our house to comfort Maggie and Bear for a little while before “manny” Alex got off work.

We made it to Salina without any hiccups and enjoyed a nice happy hour and dinner at the campsite. The mosquitos had a nice feast as well but nothing that a little deet with the wine couldn’t handle!

Tomorrow...Branson!