Arkansas

AD, Ms Scarlett, Ret, Ms Meador
Hugh Connor, Joe Bill & Murray

Downtown Hot Springs

Sandy, Joe Bill, Ret & Murray heading out on the party boat

Murray, John Benton & Joe Bill tucking into lunch on the island

John Benton & Betsy head back to their beautiful yacht

Driver Mark, Jim, AD, Sandy and Alex heading home

Joe Bill & AD take a morning buggy ride

Joe Bill, AD & Murray in the corral

Joe Bill with Cowgirl Ret

Murray taking Rocky through his paces

After a pleasant 4.5 hour drive south from Branson, Missouri, and well fed and watered by our pit stop at a Denny's restaurant for lunch, we arrived at our Hot Springs, Arkansas RV Park. Our dear friend Joe Bill drove up in his truck before we had even checked in. He had reserved the prime lakefront site for us. Perfect for our 2 day sojourn in the area. Ret & AD went off with Joe Bill to join Sandy at the Condo where they would be sleeping. We had a lot of fun in Hot Springs - a different restaurant for dinner each night, a stroll down the main street, a quick dance in the Arlington. But the highlight of the stopover was going out in Joe Bill & Sandy's son Mark and his wife Itzel's party boat on Ouachita Lake. Their daughter Alex joined us, as did Sandy's brother in law and niece. We had a leisurely 30 min boat ride out to a little island where we pulled up to the shore and set up for a BBQ. Mark & Itzel had done a fabulous job as the homemade hamburgers and tasty hot dogs just needed heating up on the grill. Itzel's homemade salsa was a winner too. Joe Bill's eldest brother John Benton and his wife Betsy joined us on their yacht. They had to moor a bit further out, so rowed their dingy in and joined us all. Stunning weather made it a very enjoyable day on the water. It reminded us of a similar day out we had on our last visit here with friend Andrea and her cousin & families. We have been very spoilt as our US friends have been so generous with their hospitality.

After our day on the lake we drove downtown for a steak house dinner, then a walk up the main street of Hot Springs, aptly named for it's thermal waters. It is also Bill Clinton's childhood home. I think I may have mentioned before that Joe Bill was County Judge when Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas, so they were acquaintances.

On Sunday we drove 1.5 hours to Meadolark Farm, Joe Bill & Sandy's property in Fordyce, a small town about 1.5 hrs south of Little Rock. Within 5 mins of our arrival we had seen red cardinals (my favourite bird), redwing blackbirds, hummingbirds and bluebirds. So pretty. I think we had the best fillet mignon steak ever last night - Joe Bill cooked it on the top rack of the BBQ, where we put plates to warm or cooked food to keep warm. He just let them cook slowly, probably about 30 mins, and they were tender, moist and very tasty. Sandy accompanied them with baked Idaho potatoes with all the trimmings, fresh salad and warm dinner rolls. After dinner we sat and watched the fireflies flit to and fro in the back yard.

Today started with us all having a buggy ride. Then AD, Ret & Murray all did a lap around the corral on the horse. I had done my riding last visit. Sandy's mum Ms Scarlett and Joe Bill's mum Ms Meador (100 yrs old) and his brother Hugh Connor joined us for a hot dog and salad lunch on the back patio. Following this we wandered to Ms Meador's home where she played the piano for us. I had sent her the music for Waltzing Matilda and she had practised well, so us 4 aussies sang the lyrics of the song 'God Bless Australia' to the tune of Waltzing Matilda for our 5 US friends. Let me say the piano player was much better than the singers!

Kansas City to Branson, Missouri

Aunty Dympna & Ret watching America go by: their first trip in the RV
Amazing spiral on this church

Christmas at Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri

Gourmet Chicken & Beef Nachos

Fountains & Fireworks Branson Landing

We arrived safely in Kansas City at 3pm Sunday but our luggage arrived at 2am Monday. Darn, it meant we had to visit Walmart and purchase some toiletries and sleeping attire courtesy of travel insurance. I must say it was nice to see all suitcases turn up together despite the wee hours. The next prayer of thankfulnes came when the RV started first time after 8 months in storage. Not bad. I led in our hire car (Chrysler Town Country SUV) and Murray followed in the RV to our pre-selected service center. They were open until 7pm Sun night. They worked until 12 MN M-F, so our RV was all serviced and ready to be checked out first up Tues am. We left Ret & AD in their motel room, picked up the RV and we were ready to hit the trail by 10.30am. Speaking of trails, while the RV was in getting serviced, we took Ret & AD on a mini-tour of Independence, Missouri. We were searching for President Truman's family home when at 1pm, we chanced upon a magnificent temple that had a daily peace prayer at you guessed it, 1pm. We thought it was karma, so we parked the car and all entered the building. Peace personified.

We also took them to the site where the ruts (swales) left by the wagons from the Santa Fe, Oregon & California trails started out and have been preserved for history. Quite amazing to picture how things must have been back then.

It was exciting to finally load us all into the RV and head south for Branson, Missouri. We hadn't even reached Springfield MO when hunger pains took over and we set the GPS for a Diner. Sadly, the diner it took us to no longer existed, but a few miles further on we came across a cafe that met all our demands. We even learnt what a dirty worm dessert was! It is icecream, with crumbled oreo cookies on top (dirt) and gummie worms (like our aussie jube 'snakes'). Live & learn!

Next stop Branson, Missouri. I had booked my aunt & sister into the Hilton at Bransons Landing, as it was only 0.7 km from our RV park. They had a very nice room there, with the hotel entrance right onto the mall at Branson's Landing, and one shop away from the Taneycomo River. Such a picturesque setting. We all met for dinner the first night at the world famous White River Fish House with a table right over the river. The mist was swirling and rising in front of our eyes - or was that just the effect of the wine. Of course not!

The next day we caught a taxi out to Silver Dollar City. which is an 1880's theme park. Murray & I had been there before, but wanted Ret & AD to experience the American history trip. We sampled the freshly made peanut brittle, watched the glass blowers, shot a few bullseyes in the flooded mine ride, took the steam train, tasted the smoked turkey leg with Buckshot Corn potatoes, listened to a few fiddlers then hit the road for home. Later that same day we met for dinner and decided on a progressive dinner. We had the first course at a Mexican restaurant - we ordered mixed nachos (beef & chicken), but had never had such gourmet nachos before. These were individual corn chips loaded with cheese and either a piece of chicken or fillet steak topped with guacamole & cream cheese etc. See photo. Absolutely delicious.

Today our aunt & sister joined us for breakfast in the RV. Porridge, boiled eggs, toast, coffee/tea. We then met again at 1.30pm to catch a taxi out to see Branson's most highly rated show for the past 2 years: SIX. It is a show with 6 brothers (out of a family of 10 brothers, no sisters). They use no orchestra, but the guys mimic the sound of the instruments so cleverly you would swear they had an orchestra backing them. No wonder it has rave reviews all the way up to New York. Their mother died 8 years ago, but their father was in the audience today, and stood up to take a bow under the spotlight. They played a lot of the music we are familiar, and since 1995 have shared the stage with Trisha Yearwood, Diana Ross, the Beach Boys, Olivia Newton John, Rod Stewart, the Doobie Brothers and many others. Very entertaining.

After such a strenous day, we just had to unwind downtown starting with a mixed platter of ribs, wings, catfish & chicken at one restaurant, and ended off with a sizzling steak, loaded baked potato & green beans at a steak house. Aunt needed an Irish Whiskey for a nightcap, so we wandered to the Irish Pub and sat at an outside table and watched the fireworks in the fountain. Tired and replete, we headed to our respective abodes for the night, excited to be meeting up with Sandy & Joe Bill in Hot Springs, Arkansas tomorrow.

Las Vegas

Aunty Dympna, Ret, Yudian & Tony

Hoover Dam

Bride in Red Rock Canyon

Bride in Casino

Bellagio Gardens

My aunt & sister had never been to Las Vegas before, so we tried to offer them a variety of activities for their 3 day visit. On our second day we picked up a 7 seater hire car and my brother & his wife joined us for the 38 miles (48 km) drive to see one of the seven wonders of the Industrial world, the Hoover Dam. It’s a pity 112 workers had to die in its construction, but it really is an amazing structure. Lying on the border of Nevada and Arizona and fed by the Colorado River the dam creates the Lake Mead reservoir and is a vital water source for this desert location. The power generated from the Dam services the states of Nevada and Arizona as well as most of California

Driving through the desert is such thirsty work that we made a unanimous decision to return to Caesar’s Palace where Tony & Yudian were staying. We found a round table at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago restaurant in the Forum, so had a bird’s eye view of all the people wandering through the area. The food was delicious and the white wine superbly chilled. As usual, it was the company that made it all so much more enjoyable.

That night we were back at our own hotel and after dinner we wandered through the vast lobby/casino area and heard some good music coming from the Irish Pub. We popped in there for a quick drink and ended up staying there until 1am when the band stopped. Interestingly the singer Robbie Howard was a cast member of the world famous ‘Legends in Concert’. He is heading to Australia soon in his role of Frank Sinatra in the ‘Rat Pack’ playing to audiences throughout NSW.

Next morning we took a scenic drive NW of Vegas to the Red Rock Canyon. It is written up as the most scenic area of Nevada. It really is quite beautiful in a rugged sort of way. We were there around 9am on a Saturday, and the place was busy with cyclists, runners and hikers. Not to mention the odd bride or two.

Last night was our last night, so we caught a shuttle up to Caesar’s Palace and went across the road to the Venetian and watched as the gondoliers sang to their passengers in the replica Venetian canal. On our way back to the Strip, I saw a bride sitting at a slot machine. I asked if I could take a photo and she was happy to pose for me. Anything goes in Vegas. It sure is an interesting place to come and visit for a few days.

Next stop Bellagio to see the stunning gardens. What a masterpiece. We wandered outside to catch the 8pm fountain display, but due to windy conditions, they were cancelled. I had seen them before, but the others hadn’t, so it was a bit disappointing as they are very beautiful. We were all rather weary so made tracks for our shuttle bus stop. While we were standing there I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see my young dentist from Ballina! She was in the middle of a 2 week visit around USA with a girlfriend who lives in Coffs Harbour. Small world! When she did my last dental check up a few weeks ago she did say she would be in Las Vegas and I mentioned our visits would coincide, but not once in a million years, amidst all the weekend visitors, did I expect to see her. Next stop Kansas City.

Back in the USA

Farewell dinner in Brisbane
Ret standing at back of cafe in hotel foyer checking her email with free Wi-Fi

First Night. Aunty Dympna & Tony in our hotel, The Orleans

Many of you will know that when Murray & I returned to the USA to do our 4th RV trip on 20 May this year (2 days ago), my younger sister and aunt accompanied us, and will spend the first 2 weeks of our trip touring in the motorhome with us. After a farewell dinner with family in Brisbane the night before we flew out, we excitedly boarded our Qantas 747 flight at 11am and completed the 13 hr direct flight to Los Angeles. Always very impressed with Qantas service in the past, we were a bit disappointed to note the little things that have dropped off the service like not issuing earplugs or socks in the eye shade and toothbrush pack. I had told my aunt & sister the first thing I do is take off my shoes & put on the Qantas socks to travel more comfortably. Oops. Not this time. The mini Cadbury chocolate was also missing from the overnight food packs. Sigh…the economic crunch is taking its toll. However, we were all thankful for a smooth flight and safe landing at 7am, despite each only catching a 20 min sleep during the whole flight.

During our successive encounters with LAX we have appreciated the continual improvements to the building, however this visit was quite a shock. Remember that we had our 86 year aunt with us, so the extra long & slow lines to get through the passport check, followed thankfully by a speedy customs check was one thing. But when we saw the daunting line of people waiting to pass through security for the flight to Las Vegas, we wondered if she would last the distance. I kid you not, the line snaked outside the terminal building. Even the locals were shaking their heads. My sister took my aunt to sit out the wait while Murray and I slowly made our way to the top of the line. My brother flies regularly to USA but in recent years has refused to travel through LAX due to similar experiences. He now flies into Hawaii or Vancouver. I think we might look at those options for subsequent trips. That aside, we were glad to finally get inside our departure gate and have a coffee and meal to revive our flagging bodies – but our spirits never faltered. Bring it on!

We had booked 3 nights at a large hotel , The Orleans, just off the strip hoping it would be a good opportunity to allow our bodies to adjust to the different time zone (USA is 17 hours behind Australia). The hotel provides a free shuttle into the strip every 30 minutes which makes life easy for hotel patrons. For $80 a night we scored 2 queen beds in each room, a roomy bathroom, and a small lounge suite in a large sized room. The hotel has about 8 restaurants, one is an Irish Pub, plus additional fast food shops in a 24 hr food court. There are also 18 cinemas in the hotel. Yes, it is a big place with just under 2000 rooms. On our first night my brother Tony & his wife Yudian joined us for dinner in our hotel. We selected a $13 dinner buffet which surpassed all our expectations. An unbelievable array of food was on offer, and between us we would have tried a small portion of most dishes! We all had to pinch ourselves to think that only 2 weekends earlier we had all been together in Sydney, and here we were in another country together. As it had been well over 24 hours since we had slept, we didn't hang around long after the meal was finished. We scuttled to our rooms and slept soundly on our first night.

Friends visit from Florida

Rainie & new friend
April meets kangaroo

Koala with baby in pouch (click on image to see full size)

Tasmanian Devil

Murray, April, Ret, Trish, Rainie

See the paraglider? Rainie, Murray & April can...

Two sisters at Lennox Head overlook

Bill, Gemma, Murray, Rainie, April, Aunty Dympna

The dinner guests

Aussie Poetry Reading

Our American friends Rainie & her sister April arrived from Florida on Friday, and planned to spend 3 nights with us. We met them at Brisbane airport and spent the day at Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo. They thoroughly enjoyed patting the cute kangaroos and koalas, as well as a fat wombat and an ugly Tasmanian Devil. They didn’t get to touch the rest of the animals such as the echidnas, crocodiles, pythons, birds, cassowary & dingoes! All four of us were thrilled to see a koala with a baby in its pouch. Too cute for words. We spent the first night in Caloundra which is a pretty coastal town.

My sister Loretta was unable to join my brother Tony & his wife Yudian with our group for lunch the next day so we made a quick detour to the Sheraton on Main Beach where she was having breakfast with family & friends. She met Rainie & April after all.

On top of Mount Tambourine at the back of the Gold Coast we sat and watched a paraglider catch the prevailing winds and sail off down the mountain. The view was quite beautiful. Our drive meandered through the back of the Hinterland before connecting with the M1 heading south to Ballina. We left the M1 to visit the popular seaside city of Byron Bay. If you follow the path around the cliffs you will be on the eastern most point of Australia.

The next day we all walked to church then had morning tea overlooking the ocean. Sadly the dolphins were being evasive that day, but they are a regular sight where they live in Florida. We collected some shells for their sister in law Dusty who was unable to join them on their trip. She will join them on their Sydney leg. They enjoyed the view of Lennox Heads from a lookout that also afforded a great view of the many surfers out there catching the waves. After a brief wander through a local market and devouring a sausage sizzle for lunch, Murray taught Rainie the finer points of Australian Football. Later we all sat to watch his team play, but sadly they lost to a better side on the day.

Last night we had dinner at my sister Gemma and her husband Bill’s home. Our aunt Dympna joined us and we were treated to my special request, Gemma’s roast chicken dinner followed by individual lemon puddings (my mother’s recipe) that on this occasion were topped with whipped cream and pomegranate. Delicious. That will be my last special roast chicken dinner for 4 months until we return later in the year.

Apparently April’s family (she has 7 adult children) back in Florida have long been fans of the movie ‘The Man from Snowy River’. It is their all time favourite movie. She didn’t realise it was based on a poem written in 1890 by Banjo Paterson about local bushmen. As post dinner entertainment, Gemma & Bill bought out their book of Australian Poetry, and Bill and I alternated to read in turn all 13 stanzas (each stanza had 8 lines). It gave April & Rainie a glimpse back in time of life in Australia for bushmen in the late 1800’s. April’s family love the scenes with the wild bush horses (brumbies) in the movie, and Bill presented her with a bottle of wine which explained (on the back label) how the term for brumbies originated. We wrapped the bottle in bubble wrap, so I hope it makes it home safely.

After an enjoyable 3 days together, Murray & I put them on their plane to Sydney this afternoon where they will join Dusty. Now they will have a great time touring Sydney and the Blue Mountains for the rest of the week until Rainie flies to Canberra for a work meeting. It was great having them visit...

Mother’s Day

Mark Trish Kim Benn at Manly Beach
Benn & I on ferry passing Opera House

Benn & Daina

Cousins Colluding

Yudian Trish Murray Tony having Chili Mud Crab at Darling Harbour

Mother’s Day this year was very special. Not only did I have my three kids together with me on the day, but it was also the wedding day of my nephew Peter to his now wife Samantha. See the blog below for the wedding coverage!

Sadly, while I couldn’t be with my own mum on Mother’s Day this year, I did visit her on the Wednesday before Mother’s Day and took her some lovely flowers and chocolate. The next day my other sister Gemma & her husband visited mum and took her a pretty corsage. On the Sunday, my sister Rose and brother Tracy visited mum, and the rest of us phoned in to say hello, including my brother Chris from Japan. She is certainly a much loved mother. At 93 years of age and 8 kids later, she has seen many Mother’s Days come and go.

Getting back to my own kids, it was the first time in 15 years I had all 3 of them together with me. Benn lives in Sydney and that is where we all congregated. First Kim arrived from Copenhagen, then Mark arrived down from Darwin, and last but not least, Murray & I flew in from Ballina. We celebrated with Moet champagne before walking to a local Coogee Tapas Bar to sample their delicious food.

The celebration of Peter Gibb’s wedding was a great occasion for many other family members, and it was wonderful for us all to be together. We see family individuals from time to time, but it was just such fun to have us all under the same roof for 8 hours. Add some food, wine and dancing, and what more could you ask for. Most of us were in Sydney for 3-4 days. Fabulous.

The day after the wedding we met up with other family and eleven of us caught the 30 minute ferry over to Manly. Some had fish & chips on the beach while others sat in an outside café and enjoyed their meal watching the passing parade of visitors & locals wandering the mall area free from vehicular traffic. From the minute we arrived in Sydney until 4 days later when we flew out, the weather was absolutely glorious. Cool overnight but warm, sunny days. We all agree that we never tire of seeing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House with the shimmering water in between. Such a beautiful harbour.

My Nephew’s Wedding

Samantha, Pete & Ret (Opera House in background)

Benn, Kim, Trish, Mark (Under Sydney Harbour Bridge)

Murray & Dympna Dancing

Sisters Ret, Gemma & Trish with sister in law Joy standing

Bride & Groom wave goodbye...

My sister Loretta has only one child, a son, Peter Gibbs. His wedding to Samantha on Mother’s Day drew a large family attendance, most of us travelling interstate for the occasion. The wedding was held in Sydney and apart from Benn who lives there, the rest of our family flew in from Queensland, Northern Territory & Northern New South Wales – oh, yes, and my daughter Kim flew in from Copenhagen. Pete is a very popular member of the family, and our attendance en masse was testimony to how loved he is, and how happy we all are with his choice of a wife. Sam is a delightful person and we wish them both a happy life ahead.

The wedding ceremony was held in a park under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, looking across to the Opera House. The reception was in a restaurant, also under the bridge and looking across Sydney Harbour to Luna Park. The night lights illuminated the bridge and the winking colourful lights from Luna Park added to make a pretty backdrop to the bridal table. It was great seeing the nieces & nephews dancing and catching up together, as this would be the first time this group have been in the same city at the same time. A fantastic wedding and family get together.

Anzac Day & Breakfast BBQ

Amazon Kindle

Grandson Blayke with Grandpa

Michael & Murray Anzac Day Hobart, Tasmania

Breakfast BBQ by the river this morning

Never a dull moment in this household these days. I hardly have time to blog. What, with skypes to family & friends (Copenhagen & Sacramento), getting outfits ready for my nephews wedding, planning our USA itinerary for this year and frequent family get togethers, there isn't much time left. But what a fun time we are having...

Murray had a week away to visit his 3 kids and the one & only grandchild in Melbourne. That will be the last time he sees them until we return to Australia at the end of September. Then he flew on to Hobart to catch up with his younger brother Michael. They both marched in our Anzac Day (25 April) parade to honour those who fought in wars - their dad was in the Polish Army, fought as a Rat of Tobruk (Middle East) & at Monte Cassino (Italy). Their mum was in the Australian Air Force, so they shared their parents medals (plus Murray wore his own on his left chest) and they marched alongside the Polish Army group. They caught up with some old friends of their dad and had a beer with him and also their younger brother.

Meanwhile on the home front the nights are starting to cool down, but with such glorious autumn days - it is a real pleasure to be outside and lapping up the last days of summer. Yesterday my niece and her family came down from Brisbane to share an early Mother's Day with her mum - even though we will all meet up in Sydney on Mother's Day for the nephew's wedding, she couldn't wait to present her mum (she went halves with her sister Ally) with her Mother's Day gift - a Kindle (a software & hardware platform for displaying ebooks). We lucked out as we got included in a full roast lamb dinner served at lunch time. It was followed by a wine trifle. If any of you have tried my sister's roast lamb, you will know how delicious it is. So is her simply amazing roast chicken - I hope she reads this and invites us over for a chicken dinner before we head back to America. This morning to cap off the niece's visit, 9 of us met for breakfast to have a pancake, bacon, egg & sausage BBQ on the riverfront. My sister's husband Bill & Murray did the honours in cooking up the food, but in the photo I have posted above, Murray seems more interested in talking to a visitor to the area. The chap came up to ask for directions to a town up the coast, and ended up joining us for breakfast! He lives south of us on the way to Sydney, and although he is from Germany, he has lived in Australia for 23 years. He seemed to enjoy the family interactions, not to mention the food. To complement our breakfast, we treated ourselves to skinny flat white coffees from the cafe next door, and our aunt generously paid for the round. Thanks Aunty Dympna!