We have had quite a trip.  

Left home on Sunday August 25th staying 1st night KOA in Joplin then left there headed both to Osceola Iowa where the casino has a great full hookup easy in and out $35 a night.  We like the restaurant there not big casino people. From there to Forest city Iowa to have Winnebago fix some things they fixed a year ago like the heater.   they fixed the front heater in August 2023 where first the guy talked to me like I didn’t know what I was doing to turn it on   After I jumped his ass stating I run the f—-iPad control and I know what to f— do. He finally said he wiggled the wires and it worked!! From  there we went Denver where nights were cool turned on heater and that spot didn’t work   Dennis immediately called to report problems but couldn’t return to Winnebago for a year. We arrived the night before where they only have elec hookups for free at 7 am Aug 28 we turned it over to them I EXPLAINED the crap of wiggled wires and we left it with the workers and drove to Mason City to our 2 favorite stores. FarmFleet and Menards ate lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings against our rules as if we have the restaurant in our home town we can’t eat there, problem was Dennis doesn’t like drive thru eat in car and the only other sit down restaurants we tried before and didn’t like. Anyway made it back to get rv by 3pm.  See you drop off at 7am and they return at 3 pm don’t be late unless you tell them keep for night if needed which we had done in past. We talked about spending one more night there but it is like boondocking with just elec and we like to shower every day.  So as we picked it up we decided to head southeast to Waterloo that had a KOA. There we went to the John Deere museum which was very interesting.    Our Biggest problem was finding campgrounds because of  Labor Day weekend and we could only stay 2 nights at that KOA so we decided to head to Burlington since it was on the river and close to Mt Pleasant where there was a big farm show going on.    We finally got a woman who said her park would hold our 45 ft. But we couldn’t fit in the narrow crappy Spring Lake campground. We figure park on road would be better off. I finally got a place Hickory Haven in Keokuk   Only slightly farther to Mt Pleasant.  

Mt pleasant farm show was amazing. It had an area showing steam pumps to produce electricity and water to towns plus steam tractors   They had over 1000 tractors of all kinds and sizes. So much to see. Also antique cars, pickups and lawnmowers riding and push and every kind of motors.  One man took old style push that didn’t have a motor and attached a motor. Like I said so much to see.  Several places to eat but all had long lines.  We left Mt Pleasant heading back to Keokuk and stopped at only gas station where they had a grill to cook so we ate lunch before continuing back to rv.  

We found a pamphlet showing a loop on both size of the river. We left campground and drove south to the park where statue of Chief Keokuk. Then over to the national cemetery.  We crossed the river into Illinois  enjoyed seeing the river.   Nauvoo where the Methodist church was having a big festival  so we decided to drive around town where we found a great statue of two guys who started the Mormon church there     Frpm there we continued on to cross the river back to west side (Iowa) to look over Fort Madison and were searching for a place that would make fried catfish never found a place..  Drove along the river back to Keokuk and decided to drive to the dam and locks,  while there they had the steamboat George  M Verity.  The guy gave us a great tour explaining everything  and then told us how to go see the lock 19. Always interesting to figure out how the boats go around the dam

From Keokuk we went to Hannibal MO because of Mark Twain and stayed in Mark Twain Cave and Campground. Booked deluxe but was hard to level and I couldn’t see anything different to make it worth while.   On Tuesday Sept 3rd we went into the cave with a tour guide and it was different from other caves as no stalagmite or stalactites  but loaded with signatures written all over and saw where Jesse James and group hid. We then toured the city going to Mark Twain Museum and Mark Twain Boyhood home.  In the evening we went on the Mark Twain boat for a supper cruise.  They had a great singer playing and served buffet food of beef or chicken with sides of baked potatoes, bread, green beans, macaroni salad and regular salad.  We bought me 2 Pina coladas with glasses to keep.  

Sept. 4 headed to St Louis KOA

Sept 5 we drove around. Went to the Arch again it has been changed where you park and where you go in. From there we went to Grant’s house. First trip looking for house we looked to the left saw Grants farm but couldn’t entrance so tried to return with lots of zigzag  no streets straight ended back on main road and looked at the map. The house was on the right. Went end and enjoyed reading all they did. 

Sept 5 was our 56 anniversary so we went to the Melting Pot and enjoyed  the food. 

Sept 6 we headed to St Robert to see Shannon then Sept 7 we all drove to Springfield to visit the kids there. Liz and Jake had a great garden so he picked peppers and okra  for us. Had a great visit with Jake’s parent Steve and Linda. So much fun talking to them.  We met Mat at the putt putt had fun then we to the restaurant he likes. Vero met us there

Sept 8 we headed home

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