Jen and Pete RVing USA

I am in catch up mode here at the moment. Jen and Peter arrived a week ago today, and I am still trying to catch up on the blog. So this will be a composite of the week to date...

After we took Kim to the Dallas Fort Worth airport in Texas on Saturday, and Jen checked out one of the large Hobby Lobby craft chain stores over here, the four of us headed south to the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. After wandering the streets and getting a feel for the place, we had dinner in Billy Bob's Texas - the largest Honky Tonk in the world - and stayed for the live bull riding. See earlier blog for a few more details. The next day we attended the long-horned steer cattle drive in the stockyard area, and Jen and I both got up on one of them. We then spent several hours on a ranch - see earlier blog for details - and afterwards drove into Dallas to check out the city. We took the opportunity to visit the scene were President Kennedy was shot, and it is amazing to see the young people (who were born after Kennedy died) visiting the area and taking photos. His memory lives on.

Jen and Peter checking out a gift shop complete with long horned steer 

Jen and I enjoying downtown Fort Worth Stockyards

A panorama of the Stockyards Station - click to get full effect of panorama -Jen and Pete are sitting to left of photo

Great to see these cattle just off the main street!

Glad he was tied up! 

We left Texas and drove north to Oklahoma City (OKC), passing the tornado-devastated city of Moore en route. The damage could be seen right from the highway. See previous blog for photos. While that tornado was only 15 miles to the south of our RV park in Oklahoma City, today another tornado touched down in El Reno, which is 20 miles East of our RV park. Well, I guess it is in Tornado Alley! While we were in OKC we visited the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and also the Oklahoma Bombing Memorial - see earlier blog entry. After two nights in Oklahoma city we went north to Wichita, and spent a few hours touring through the Cowtown Museum - an authentic village of yesteryear. We spoke to the blacksmith and the bar keeper, watched a gun fight in the main street, and took a ride in a horse and buggy. All very educational!

Jen and Murray crank up the old railway dolly while Peter supervises in Cowtown, Wichita

Watching the blacksmith at work

Taking a buggy ride in Cowtown

We left Wichita, Kansas and made our way to Omaha, Nebraska and dodged a nasty storm that packed lots of thunder, lightning, rain and hail. We could see the dark clouds line the sky, but thankfully we drove a bit further East and escaped the wrath. The next morning we could still see lots of water lying around, so there must have been a lot of rain. In Omaha we had dinner in a brewery and were surprised to see two beer taps on each table, one for light and one for heavy beer. It was self-serve, and a digital read-out built into the table top kept tabs on how much we had poured. 

The Mormon Historic Trail Center in Omaha

In the morning as we were leaving Omaha, we saw that we passed close by a Historic Mormon Trail Center, so we called in to get an idea of the trials the Mormon's had getting from Indiana to Salt Lake City, Utah back in the late 1800's. I think the 'Sisters' hoped to evangelise the four of us during our visit, but it wasn't to be. 

With our Mormon 'Sisters' in Omaha

Brewery in downtown Omaha had beer taps on each table - 29 cents per ounce

We stopped for morning tea and ended up having brunch instead. No, I didn't eat all the pancakes

Jen is supposed to be navigating but is happily taking photos of the Missouri River instead

Although Jen and Peter have only been here for one week, they have already visited 6 US states including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. Only 44 to go! Pity they only have 1.5 days left with us before flying to Seattle to board their cruise for Alaska.

 Jen and Pete in Iowa just before we crossed into Missouri, and only an hour after we left Nebraska