HALL COUNTY PARK, Grand Island, NE 68801

HALL COUNTY PARK

Grand Island, Nebraska 68801

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RV PARK REVIEW:

Hall County Park, Site # 6 $15.00/day

Our rating 4 out of 5. Would have rated 5 if had water hookup.

SITES: Cement pads, grass sites with picnic table, shade trees, spacious.

HOOK UPS: 50amp only. Dump station in park.

BATHROOMS: Dated, but clean.

LAUNDRY: None

PETS: Pets allowed

WIFI: None

VERIZON INTERNET: OK, somewhat slow, but worked consistently.

SPRINT INTERNET: Good connection, but very slow.

VERIZON PHONE: 5 bars

AT&T PHONE: 4 bars

BOOK EXCHANGE: None

AREA/TOWN/SIGHTS: Not much. Lots of stores, but sites? not so much. A pioneer museum locally.

Beautiful park. The RV section is literally on a loop at the end of the park.  If you get a site on the inside of the loop, you have no one behind you.

View from back picture window

Lots of turkeys walking around the park, rabbits, & squirrels.

There is a paved walk/bike path within walking distance of the park. It is about 6 miles long, but no shade.

Lots of areas to walk throughout the park. We have been finding a tick or 2 (dog ticks, not deer ticks) on all of us per day.

Our Site #6

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RV LIFE:
Hot, Hot, HOT!!!! and Humid. Are we back in NJ????? Temperatures consistently in the 90°'s with high humidity. It's a shame. This is a beautiful park with a really nice site with shade trees. I did spend 1 afternoon outside, but that's it. It has just been too uncomfortable to stay outside. We basically go out to walk the dogs and that's it. We don't want to cook inside, because it will heat up the RV. We don't want to cook outside, because it's too damned hot! What's that mean???? Take out! Eat out!!!

I picked up a new computer a couple of days ago. The reason we stopped in Grand Island, is because that was the closest Best Buy!
I bought an HP LAPTOP. So far, I'm very happy with it. A laptop is so much more practical for RV living. I now have one less thing to unhook and stow safely for travel. No more moving the monitor. I just have to fold it closed and take the laptop with me!
What a pain having to transfer files, download programs again, etc.  But I'm slowly getting there.

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PETS:
Devin is once again loving looking out the back window while sitting on MY recliner/rocker. He is now used to squirrels and even the turkeys, but ooooooh the rabbits. That really gets him going.  This is a very good learning experience for him. Learning to keep quiet and fairly calm even though he's very excited about seeing the rabbits.

While on our morning walk, both Lyla and Devin got a scent of something. They honed in a spot and next thing I hear is a "squeeeek, squeeeeeeeeeeeeeek". They found a vole trying to bury himself in the grass and hide. Lyla is a gentle soul and was just curious, wanted to smell and make friends. Devin is a typical young boy. He slams his snout at it, then tries to paw it. I'm holding him with all my strength. I want them to see and smell the vole, but not hurt it. The vole recovers from his shock and gets his bearings and starts digging just under the grass line. Now I saw in action what ruins beautiful lawns. The lawn looked like it was alive, moving in a wave, as the vole tunneled.

Turkeys!

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AUDIO BOOK REVIEW:

Overseas by Beatriz Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Audio book: Very good narration by January LaVoy.
Enjoyable book. Fairly light reading.
Time travel genre with of course romance involved.
How does a Victorian Age man deal with a modern day career woman, and end up falling in love.  He seems to handle more than I could accept.
Like-able characters, interesting story with some deception.


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Meeting place?

Reno, NV: While in Reno, we passed a cute little store called FINE VINES. It is a wine, cheese and gift shop.  We didn't actually purchase or participate, but the concept sure looked inviting. They have seating so you can purchase wine & cheese and sit and chat. They order wine tasting, wine & cheese pairing tasting, cooking demo's, and my favorite a "WINOS" night. Huh? Women In Need Of Sanity. A ladies only night.
This would be a great place for a ladies knitting night group!

CABELA'S RV PARK - Sidney, NE 69160

CABELA'S RV CAMPGROUND

Sidney, Nebraska 69160

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RV PARK REVIEW:

Site #6 $31./day
Our rating 4 out of 5
SITES: Level, gravel, with grassy area and picnic table. Average spacing. Some have a shade tree. Also sites for tents.
HOOK UPS:FHU
BATHROOMS:
LAUNDRY: Decent laundry, only $1.00 for wash and $1.25 for dryer. (2012)
PETS: Pet friendly. Lots of places to walk. Corral for horses.
WIFI: Free wifi worked well.
VERIZON INTERNET: Worked excellent
VERIZON PHONE: 5 bars
AT&T PHONE: 5 bars
BOOK EXCHANGE: No, but did leave a book in the laundry anyway.
AREA/TOWN/SIGHTS: Not much in the way of restaurants. Cabela's Grill is actually pretty good.
There are a few historical places to visit. Large Cabela's retail store on sight.
EXTRA: There is a lot for free overnight parking,with no hook ups, but a dump station and water spout available.
We would stay here again.

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RESTAURANT REVIEW:
Cabela's Sidney Grill
Our rating 4 out of 5
Right in the Sidney retail store, they have a small restaurant.
Staff was friendly, but slow (new staff).
Lots of sandwiches to choose from with not your "normal" meats. Such as elk, boar, bison, & buffalo.
We chose to stick to average. Scott got a prime rib sandwich and I got the Cuban Reuben.
PRIME RIB SANDWICH: Quite tasty. A generous 3/4" slice of prime rib, then cut to fit the thick wheat bread. Lettuce, tomato, and onion added along with some jus. Prime rib was tender and he was able to bite into the sandwich and meat easily.

CUBAN REUBEN: Delicious. Thick, hearty slices of rye swirl bread, topped with shredded bbq, pastrami, sour kraut, swiss cheese, then put in a pannini grill. Would have liked some russian dressing on it to make it perfect.

Both came with a side and a drink.
FRIES & ONION RINGS: Probably would be good if fresh. They are cooked ahead and then put in a steamer tray, which makes them limp and luke warm by the time they are served.
I would definitely go back for another sandwich. Great prices also.
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 WILDLIFE:
Even though we aren't at a wooded park away from civilization, we still have been introduced to new local wildlife. First, there are signs warning of rattlesnakes! We're in an open area with lots of mowed grass and small trees. Luckily, haven't seen any rattlesnakes.
We have been attacked by small gray birds with yellow breasts.  They are constantly on guard and when you go near "their tree", 3 or 4 fly overhead and take turns swooping down. They sort of stay clear of me, but they have come within inches of Devin! I guess they know who the bird dog is! So now I avoid that war zone on our walks. I tried looking up what kind of bird it could be, but there are too many to go through.  Anyone have any ideas?

There is actually a government site that gives info on how to protect yourself from swooping birds. The site is DEPT. OF SUSTAINABILITY AND EVIRONMENT. They actually have a pdf download with a fake set of eyes to put on your hat to fool the birds. Below is a photo of some of the techniques bikers use to avoid swooping.

Wild wig, eyes on helmet, feathers on helmet.

Also, the other morning while walking the dogs, all three of us, Devin, Lyla and I spotted a large chipmunk, oh wait, naaaaw, that's not a chipmunk. Maybe a skinny squirrel? Nope! I did get a good look and saw how it ran low to the ground with a really long, skinny body and long tail. It looked like a ferret.
So, onto my best friend Google and search "weasel nebraska". Sure enough, found out it's a LONG TAILED WEASEL.

Courtesy of Corbis Royalty Free Photos

Their black tipped tail is a defense marking, hoping predators with think it is their head.  In the Winter, they turn pure white, and as the spring-summer approaches, they get darker until they turn a dark brown. The above photo is the color I saw which makes sense, being a light brown since it is mid season.
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PETS:
We thought Devin's paw was on the mend, but last night he was licking it and sure enough, another big swollen spot with a large hole. That means we need to squeeze, prod, soak and hopefully get another cheatgrass awn out of his paw. Sigh....
While walking the dogs this morning, we were greeted by a very interesting looking dog. First impression pit bull mix. She ran over to my dogs and I could quickly access that she was friendly. Next, that she's a puppy.
Ended up it was a fellow camper with a 7 month old Catahoula Leopard dog. Sort of looked like the photo below.

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RV LIFE:
So our Jinxy July is getting a little better.
Scott thinks he has figured out how to set up the Direct TV/DVR. As of now, he's got it working. Let's see how it goes when he tries to set it up at the next stop. We have two DVR's, one in the bedroom and one in the living room. We can record 5 things at once in the living room and 2 or 3 things at once in the bedroom. Seems very complicated to me. I suppose if I was alone, I'd just be watching campground cable. I'm very happy that Scott can figure all this out.
My computer is still dead, but I've decided to go with a good laptop instead of another desktop, at least while we are living in the RV. The laptop takes up much less space, I won't have to keep unhooking the monitor and putting it on the bed for travel, etc. Scott is the computer guru and he feels there is enough room and speed for me to be happy with it for what I do on the computer.
We  had to adjust our travels to accommodate being near a Best Buy. So tomorrow (Mon, 7/9) we'll head to Grand Island, NE and pick up my new laptop there. I'm excited...a new toy. I am surviving quite well on my present older (cheap) laptop I have now, but it is not fast (quite frustrating) and does not have a lot of memory, plus the #6 key popped off. Also, I use the numbers quite often and miss the side number keyboard that is lacking on this laptop. Also the new laptop will be 17.3".

Weather: Hot, hot hot in Nebraska, and windy. Seems every day we are threatened with high winds and storms. It was quite scary the other night. Our weather radio was set to announce when there is an alert. Sure enough, 3AM, it starts warning us of high winds and yes, our RV is shaking, & our slide covers (like awnings) are flapping noisily. It was quite difficult to get back to sleep.
The park actually has posters stating that on Wednesday's at 10am there is a test tornado warning siren. I don't think we'll be moving to Nebraska.

Jinxed July

Cabela's Headquarters RV Park

Sidney, Nebraska 69160

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July has not started well.
1st: we had to leave our Cedar Creek friends.
2nd: Scott couldn't get our new Direct TV/HiDef DVR system to work
3rd: my computer died
4th: I've been sick with tummy troubles and now dizziness.
5th: Blog problems. Please ignore the white highlight. It shows up and I don't know why. A real PIA to edit out.
RV LIFE:
7/1/12: So we left Verdi, NV and our Cedar Creek friends and  headed approximately 300 miles east arriving at Iron Horse RV Park (review below) in Elko, NV. So much for missing our friends.  Three couples from the CC rally were staying here also. We headed out to dinner to a Basque Restaurant called Biltoki (review below). Scott didn't go because he wanted to set up the Direct TV. Upon our return, he was still trying to get it to work. No luck.

7/2/12: I wake up, walk the dogs and find a great little dog park at Iron Horse RV Park.

After we come back from our walk, I turn on my computer and, I turn off my computer and, I turn on my computer, and check to make sure the monitor cables didn't come out, nothing. So I wait for Scott to get up. He opens up the CPU, cleans the dust out, checks cables and starts the comp, well TRIES to start the computer.  He puts in a new power supply, but computer will not boot.  He fools around for a couple of hours and admits defeat. That is difficult for Scott to do. 
Luckily, with all our traveling and never knowing if we'll get good internet connections, I copied my important A&B rescue files to a jump drive. Thank goodness. I've been using my laptop for 5 days. And able to do most things I need.
Traveled 300 miles to Phillips RV Park in Evanston, WY (review below)
Travel 290 miles to RV World in Rawlins, WY. (review below)
Travel 270 miles to Cabela's in Sidney, NE.
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RV PARK REVIEWS:
IRON HORSE RV PARK, Eklo, NV 89801
$32.26/day (10% Good Sam)

SITES: Level, fairly close, paved patio area, no table.
HOOK UPS: FHU
PETS: Pet friendly with nice grassed dog park and gazebo for shade.

Small pool and hot tub.
A lot of permanents, but well kept.

Our site at Iron Horse

PHILLIPS RV PARK, Evanston, WY 82930
$30.15/day (10% Good Sam)

SITES: Some good, some bad. Some grass, some gravel.
HOOK UPS: FHU
BATHROOMS: Didn't check
LAUNDRY: Didn't check
PETS: Pets allowed, but restricted walking to limited areas.
BOOK EXCHANGE: Nice shelve of books in office.
Old campground. Some sites really nice and roomy, others run down.  Our site #36 was great. A pull through with a nice large grassy area, and shade tree.
This park is right on the highway, but not too much noise.
The big down side, was not many places to walk the dogs. I ended up walking along the highway and using the grassy area in front of an apartment complex.

RV WORLD CAMPGROUND, Rawlins, WY 82301
$28.19/day (15% Escapees)
Our rating 2.5 out of 5

-SITES: Gravel that needed replenishing. Close together.
+HOOK UPS: FHU
+BATHROOMS: Modern & clean
+ LAUNDRY: Clean
+PETS: Dog friendly. Large fenced dog area. No bags supplied.
+BOOK EXCHANGE: Yes, by the office.
+WIFI: Free, worked great
+VERIZON INTERNET: Worked great
-SPRINT INTERNET: Bad, no signal
+VERIZON PHONE: 5 bars
Quite a run down park, but yet, I liked it. I felt comfortable here.
Upon arrival, I laughed and said we're definitely going to have to level HERE! To our surprise, it was level.
Park was practically empty. I assume if we were staying longer, we could have parked near the back of the park for more privacy. Sites were very close...so close that to sit outside, I would be right next to our neighbors sewer connection.

Surprising, the office and store was VERY nice with lots of supplies and souvenirs.
They had a simple miniature golf course which was in pretty good condition and a great playground for kids.

There is a building with a large pool inside, but was not filled. Looked like it needed some patching.
Surprisingly, I wouldn't mind returning if need be as long as it wasn't crowded.
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RESTAURANT REVIEW:




Biltoki, Elko, NV: Our rating 1 out of 5 stars

Staff was below par. The older waitress definitely looked like she hated what she was doing. We asked her what kind of dressing was on the lettuce, oops I mean salad and she said "house". We asked again and she replied "house". We think it was watered down Miracle Whip.
All sides served family style.
SALAD: Iceberg lettuce and "house" dressing. At least lettuce was crisp.
SOUP: Crock of soup brought to share with group. Nice novelty. Soup was a cabbage, tomato type. It was fine, but nothing to remember.
BEANS: Just baked beans
VEGETABLES: Terrible. Canned string beans.
FRIES: Excellent
PASTA: Terrible. Fat overcooked spaghetti with a think tomato sauce.
PORK CHOPS: Good. Two huge grilled chopped. Cooked properly, but again, nothing special. No marinade, no seasoning, etc.
FLAN: OK, kind of bland. I did finish it though.
Main course portions are HUGE! But they had no containers to take leftovers in. They supplied us with "doggie bags" and it did look like we were carrying "doo doo" bags home.
Would NOT return.

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BOOK REVIEW:

Kaleidoscope by Danielle Steel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Read in two days. Couldn't put it down!
3 orphan sisters separated at years 9, 7 and toddler.
Follow how each life develops differently and if they ever get a chance to meet again or is the chance lost.
A little romance, a lot of heartache. Very good read!


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Busy traveling

Haven't had time to update the blog. While in Verdi, NV we were hanging out with our Cedar Creek friends. 28 rigs for the International Rally.

Now we are making our journey back East to MA, then NJ, then NC. So we are traveling approximately 250 - 300 miles per day and just staying overnight at parks.  

Little computer time and tonight my computer died, so have to use the lap top.

We will be staying 5 days at Cabela's main store in Sidney, Nebraska, starting July 4. They have an RV park there.

So I catch up with you all then.

Heading East.

Gold Ranch RV Resort

Verdi, NV 89439

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RV LIFE:

We've come to the end of our week with the Cedar Creek RV Owners' Club. A really great group of people, (even if my seat kept being taken).

Here's our rigs all lined up. I think we were 28 rigs and took up 3 rows.

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RESTAURANT REVIEW:

A group of about 45 of us headed out to the Atlantis Casino for the TOUCAN CHARLIE'S BUFFET. 

And upon arriving at the register to pay ahead, we were ID'd!!!!! Life comes full circle doesn't it? In your teens you can't wait to hit 21. In your 30's you're thrilled to be ID'd to make sure we're 21. In your 40's you just look at the clerk and say "really?", because you KNOW you look over 21. Toucan Charlie gives a senior discount for 55 and older. Our FIRST SENIOR DISCOUNT! And yes, we were ID'd.

We are led to the back of the dining room where a bunch of tables have been pushed together for our group. Two long rows of tables and not much room in between the 2 tables. I have no patience for that, so I proceeded to pull the tables away from each other and others helped, so we could get to the seats in the middle. Oh Geeze! As we're moving the tables apart a couple swoops in and takes the seats that we just made room for. Ooooooh boy I was angry. Best for me to just walk away. Which I did and found an empty row of tables. We had much more room at these tables anyway and I knew the folks that sat near us better anyway. So there!

The buffet came out to about $25.00 (w/tax and tip included). Great buffet. Rated 2nd best this year. Last year it was rated 1st. Scott had a plateful of lots of crab legs piled on next to me on my left and Lee Anne piled on next to me on my right. I was a little anxious, since I am deathly allergic to shellfish. I just thought of all the crab juice squirting me as they hammered, tore, & twisted those legs to get at the meat.  Lots of salads, Chinese, Mongolian BBQ, Mexican, fish, prime rib, etc. I would say 95% of the food was great. I was disappointed in the deserts. The cakes were blah, the cheesecake was fair-good.

Wait staff was great. It is very chaotic in the dining room, with hundreds of people expecting to be taken care of.  Our waiter had a smile on his face and was great about refilling our drinks and answering any questions.

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So, we are heading East along Interstate 80, all the way to Mass. Mainly overnight stops, 300 miles and hopefully arrive by 3:00pm.

Segway ride

Gold Ranch RV Resort

Verdi, NV 89439

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RV LIFE:
Yesterday, we had a "pot luck" dinner with our Cedar Creek Club members. This is always a fun dinner. We get to try cuisines from different parts of the country & gather recipes also.
I made Captain Crunch Chicken, which was originally introduced at Planet Hollywood. Here's the recipe I use from CD KITCHEN.

Planet Hollywood's Captain Crunch Chicken

Recipe At A Glance

5 stars based on 7 reviews
 Ready in: Under 30 minutes?
 Difficulty:   3/5

Serves/Makes:   4

   

PHOTO BY: NICK
Click image to view

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Captain Crunch cereal
1 1/2 cup corn flakes 

I use 3 cups CC cereal & 1/2 cup corn flakes

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds chicken breast cut in 1 ounce tenders
vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:

Coarsely grind or crush the two cereals and set aside. Beat the egg with milk and set aside. Stir together the flour, onion and garlic powders and black pepper. Set this aside also.

Dip the chicken pieces into the seasoned flour. Move around to coat well, then shake off the excess flour. Dip into the egg wash, coating well, then dip into the cereal mixture, coating well.

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet to 325 degrees F.

Drop coated chicken tenders carefully into the hot oil and cook until golden brown and fully cooked, 3 to 5 minutes depending on size. Drain and serve immediately with Creole mustard sauce.

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PRODUCT REVIEW:
I made 4 pounds of chicken. I first bought boneless chicken breast and then had to cut the fatty parts out and then cut into bite or nugget size pieces.  This is so much easier with the correct utensils.
To cut off the fatty parts I use Emeril's kitchen shears. The fat really just cuts off like you're cutting paper. There is a big difference between the cheap kitchen shears and the "professional" shears. I think i paid $15.-$20. 5 yrs ago for these shears and they still work great. What's nice about these shears is that they easily come apart for thorough cleaning.
 The other essential is a good sharp knife.  I bought Scott a set of Guy Fieri knives a few years back. They are scary sharp!

PETS:
Devin's paws are doing much better. We are still soaking in Epsom salt and Betadine.

Really, that IS better.

My morning started out lousy.  Our Irish Setter Devin woke me at 7am (which is fine), but I heard chewing, that didn't sound like a toy or his bone.  Sure enough, he was chewing on an antler button! If you've been following what I've been doing, then you know, I just finished the comfy cardigan and used 3 antler buttons.
I've had this finished sweater draped over my recliner (where Devin sometimes sleeps) since it's been finished. I also use it every cool morning. Last night, I left it on my computer chair. The buttons must have been hanging low. And yep, there's holes where the buttons were.
I AM SO ANGRY! My husband took him for a walk this morning because I didn't want to be around him.
Thank goodness the yarn was cheap acrylic and thank goodness it's black.  I can probably sew the hole together and use large round buttons to cover the mending. Grrrrrr. Just think how angry I would be if I had used good wool!!!!

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RECREATION:

Today we headed to the center of Reno for a SEGWAY TOUR! What a fun experience! Cost was $65.00 each. There was 1/2 hour of training, and then 2 hours of riding around town, with Walter giving info about the local sights, history, good restaurants, events, etc.

We toured along the Truckee River in the middle of town. What a beautiful section. the River is open to the public for free. They allow swimming, rafting etc. Very nice to see families cooling off in the beautiful river.

We stopped at Eats & Sweets, about 1/2 way through the tour. Cute little ice cream, candy, luncheon, dog, store.
We passed by the Reno Museum of Art. Isn't this a cool sculpture???

This sculpture looks like wood, tree limbs, but it is made out of bronze. Absolutely amazing.
Overall, this was a really good day!

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RESTAURANT REVIEW:


We stopped here in the middle of our Segway tour by www.RenofunTours.com. Cute little store with a little bit of quite a variety.  Looks like an ice cream store, but when you walk in there are dog treats and dog toys, plus ice cream, plus a light luncheon sandwich menu and a candy section.
CUPCAKE:I had a mocha cupcake, which was pretty good. Rich chocolate cake with a creamy mocha frosting.
CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY: Delicious! Large sweet strawberry, covered with milk chocolate (or dark if you prefer). Yum!
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BOOK REVIEW:

The Gold Coast by Nelson DeMille
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is my 8th DeMille book. I've loved all but 2 (including this one).I thought this was going to be a good book. Thought the "gold coast" community was interesting and aggravating. Snobs! They need a dose of reality. So when a mafia boss moves next door, they see another type of life, but still that is not normal, middle class life.
Book went on and on and on about the day to day life of the rich. And on and on and on.  1/3 through the book, I thought something would have happened, then 1/2 way through, still waiting for something more interesting than the lives of the rich and infamous. 3/4 through the book, I had to finish it now.
Ended with such a sense of sadness, wastefullness.


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Grapefruit Martini!

Gold Ranch RV Resort

Verdi, NV 89439

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RV LIFE:

Laundry day: Laundry: no big deal. Camp laundries have been fine so far. Only average about $10. a month. The worst part of doing laundry is folding and putting away the clothes. That's the same whether you go to a laundromat or launder at home. I wouldn't want to "waste" precious space in the RV for a washer and dryer.

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RESTAURANT REVIEW:

Our rating 4 out of 5.

This is a great place to bring a date, as long as it's not crowded. I loved the cozy atmosphere, with couches around the fireplace, a couple of booths and a few tables. This is not a big place, but has a log cabin cozy feel.
DRINKS: Hubby had a  Bloody Mary which was EXCELLENT. Just enough spice, with some spice I couldn't pick out. Garnished with pickled string bean, & olives. I had a Grapefruit Martini. DOUBLE EXCELLENT!!! Smooth, refreshing, can't really taste the alcohol but can feel it. This is made with real fresh squeezed pink grapefruit. I'd go back for that alone.
POTSTICKERS: Average. Nice dipping sauce.
CRABCAKES: Very good.  Not loaded with crab but the flavor was really good.
RIBS: Not Texas bbq, but above par for restaurant ribs that don't specialize in ribs.
CAESAR SALAD with Chicken: Very good.
BANANA SASQUATCH: Fair. Was sort of like Bananas Foster, but the vanilla ice cream was horrible. Also disappointed that the whipped "cream" on top was greasy fake stuff.
Waitress was terrific.

Bananas Sasquatch

GOLD RANCH RV RESORT in Verdi, NV

Gold Ranch RV Resort

Verdi, NV 89439

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RV PARK REVIEW:

Site #58, $28.17/day (group discount)
+SITES: Long sites for large RV's, paved, but uneven. Gravel with a 12'x12' patch of nice grass.
+HOOK UPS: FHU
+LAUNDRY: Fairly clean. Washers could have been cleaned a little better. 2012: $1.50 wash/dry.
+PETS: Pets welcome. Poop bags provided at multiple dumpsters.
-WIFI: Pay at site, free at office.
+VERIZON INTERNET: Worked great
+SPRINT INTERNET: Worked great, 5 bars, 3G
+VERIZON PHONE: 5 bars
+AT&T PHONE: 5 bars
+BOOK EXCHANGE: There is a nice selection of books and room for more in the office/lounge area. There are book shelves on either side of the fireplace. Nice lounge area with comfy couches and WiFi hook ups.
+POOL: I normally don't include this, but since I had to pass it to get to the laundry, I'll include it. Nice sized pool, clean and also a hot tub.
This park is within walking distance of the casino, Sierra Cafe Restaurant, Jack in the Box, gas station, convenience store. We are actually right off the highway, but we don't really see or hear the traffic noise.

This park is right on the border of NV/CA

When we walk the dogs around the outskirts of the park, we are in California! The pink line above is the state border. Do you think we're cheating if we fill in our travels map to include California? Our RV isn't there, but...
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RV LIFE:
This week is the Annual International Rally for the Cedar Creek RV Owners Club (CCRVOC).  There are 26 rigs gathering. This is a great group of people.
Friendly, but they give you your space.
Knowledgeable.
Helpful with RV mods, upgrades, repairs, etc.: We weren't here 3 hrs and we saw a group of guys with their heads in the hood of a truck engine compartment and their butts sticking out to the ladies. Sorry, it was not a sexy sight.

Last June (2011), the rally was held near Lancaster, PA. At that time we were still living in our house in NJ. This rally was only 3 hours away. What a great opportunity for our "maiden voyage".
This group has a forum and I posted that this would be our first time setting up and staying in the RV. I invited all to come and watch Scott park and level, so they could have a good laugh. (Oh, I'm sooo mean!) Ended up, we had a pull through site, but we did need to level. At that time, I had no clue as to the concept of leveling. Lee was the first to come over and he was great. He watched, but didn't make fun nor offer to do it for us. He just watched and made sure we were doing ok.
So now a year later, with another CCRVOC rally in November in SC under our belt, we are here together again in NV, participating in our 3rd CCRVOC rally. We are much more experienced, having been full timing for almost a year now. Our responsibilities  lessened, with having sold our house. Ahhhh, this is the life.
If any of our blog readers are Cedar Creek RV owners, I would encourage you to join us. Here is the CCRVOC WEBSITE.
Activities for this week include,
Hors d'oeuvres get together
Boiled omelet breakfast
Early bird brown bag (bring your own) dinner
Pot Luck dinner
Boat Cruise
Casino buffet dinner
Sightseeing
Members' dinner provided by the club.
Waffle breakfast (Mmm, Mmmm, Good!)
Open house: we get to look in everyone's RV if their door is open. This is a great way to get ideas for storage, improvement, modifications, etc.
As you can see by our "activities", most are centered on FOOD!
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It has been horribly windy here since we arrived 3 days ago. This is supposedly very unusual, but it really
S-U-C-K-S! To put it bluntly. The sun is shining, the temp is between 65-70°, but the damned wind does not give up! We can't put our setter flags out... we can't put our name sign out... the hanging basket of petunias is really becoming damaged from the constant wind blowing on it. You know how you rotate a plant by a window, so all sides eventually get sun? Well, I have to rotate my flower pot, to give ease to the sides from constant wind damage.  The RV is shaking, our slide out awning covers are rippling. We can't keep our chairs out, because they'll blow away. We are spending a lot of time inside, enjoying the sun and the heat of the sun from our large windows.
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Just a little side note about RV Life-It is very difficult to find cans of seltzer in the West. I don't really drink soda, I am mainly a water drinker, but once in a while I really want some carbonation, and a seltzer hits the spot.  I can find bottles of seltzer, but 12 ounce cans are a rare find. Sigh...
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PETS:
Devin's paw is getting better. He had a slight relapse, so Scott soaked it in water with Epsom salt and Benadine. Then Scott inspected the foot, squeezed here and there and pop! Another cheatgrass awn appeared and Scott pulled it out. Devin was a trooper. Just laid there and let Scott do what was needed.

At his worst

Much better, just one spot

Devin is now playing with his toys again too!

When we went to the vet last week, we had Lyla weighed. She's got a weight problem just like Mom!  We are both hypothyroid and we are both overweight. Lyla weighed in at 70 pounds!!! Tsk Tsk! She should be about 55-60 pounds at the most! And her Mom weighs in at....well, we won't go there.  But Mom is overweight also!

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RESTAURANT REVIEW:


This is a Denny's type restaurant inside the Gold Ranch Casino. Friendly staff, large restaurant.
CHEESE QUESADILLAS with Chicken: Very good. I was a little surprised that the flour tortilla had some herbs in it. At first I wasn't sure I liked it, since I was expecting just a plain tortilla. But once I accepted it, it was a nice added touch. A combo of 2 or 3 cheeses with sparse chunks of chicken.
HAMBURGER STEAK: (Similar to Salisbury Steak) The meat was average, but the sauteed onions and mushrooms that were generously covering the "steak" was delicious.
ONION RINGS: Average+. If I was in the mood for onion rings, I'd order again, but would not go there specifically for the rings.
Over all and decent , inexpensive place. Even cheaper if you get a free "player's card" in the casino. Then you get discounted meals.

What was that?

Gold Ranch RV Casino

Verdi, NV 89439

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We are currently in Verdi, NV.This is right on the California border. We can walk from our RV site about 300 feet and be in California.
And how are we welcomed??? EARTHQUAKE! We haven't been here 6 hours and we felt it!
It's been REALLY windy here. Shaking the RV, not pleasant to be outside, etc. So while we were settled inside, I was at the computer and Scott was watching TV in bed about 9pm. We've been feeling the RV shake all day, so got to know that feeling well.
Huh? That's an odd sensation, almost like someone pushed on the RV or a wave current. I looked at Scott and Scott looked at me. We both joked and said "Earthquake?". Scott entered a Google search of "Earthquake Reno". Sure enough a 4.2 magnitude earthquake hit at 8:51pm about 20 miles South of us!!!!!! Oh crap!!!!!

From the LA Times: A shallow magnitude 4.2 earthquake was reported Friday evening six miles from Incline Village-Crystal Bay, Nev., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 8:51 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 6.8 miles.
According to the USGS, the epicenter was six miles from Tahoe Vista, six miles from Kings Beach, 16 miles from Reno and 96 miles from Sacramento.
In the last 10 days, there have been no earthquakes magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.

No damage was done at the center of where the earthquake happened. And we only felt a ripple, but that was a new, eerie experience for us!!!

About 20 miles away

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ELECTRONIC WOES:

Seems our bedroom Tivo has bit the dust.  A month or two ago, our Living Room Tivo needed a new power supply and has been fine since. These are older units, so they are expected to not last long. 

Now the decision, do we stick with Direct TV/Tivo combo, like we presently have only newer model? Or, do we just get Direct TV's DVR model. I love Tivo and that is what I'm used to. I do not like learning new remotes and Scott has been on the receiving end of my extreme unhappiness when I have to use 1 remote for one thing and another for something else, or Scott changes the screen to wide screen and forgets to put it back. It is not a nice experience hearing me rant. 

With that being said, Scott is sticking with what I know...Tivo, even though the Direct TV DVR has more features. But so I don't sound so horrible, another reason Scott is sticking with Tivo is so we can swap the hard drive from the old one, so we can see the shows already recorded and also, so he doesn't have to rewire things for a new device. That's the story and I'm making him stick to it!

WINNEMUCCA RV PARK, Winnemucca, NV 89445

Winnemucca RV Park

 Winnemucca, NV 89445

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RV PARK REVIEW:
Can't really rate this RV park. We were lucky to get a site since we didn't arrive until 4pm and they only had 2 sites left.  Staff is nice.
- SITES: Tight together, short, buddy sites (shared utility post).
+ HOOK UPS: FHU
- PETS: Policy states must be under 25#'s, but they let our 60# dogs in without question. Small (10'x20'), dirty fenced in pet walk area. No poop bags supplied, but they do supply a heavy metal shovel and a bent up rake to scoop. A sign is posted that dogs should be on leash. Huh? In a fenced in area? I'll be glad to leave tomorrow.
 That is the only place they want dogs to do their business. The grassy areas along the edge of the park are for tenting. They try to use every inch for income. These tent areas are 10'x10' areas with a grill along the fence line.
/ WIFI: Free, but they did not offer us the code and we didn't bother since it was only overnight.
/VERIZON INTERNET: Very slow, sometimes timing out.
-SPRINT INTERNET: No signal at all
I was VERY happy to leave this place. I couldn't take this more than one night. I'd rather boondock in a parking lot than stay here.
Now, when I hear the name Winnemucca, its a trigger!

WINNEMUCCA?!! Slowly I turn, step by step...

Maybe you're too young to know what I'm talking about. Let the video below explain.

Here's another RV park with a ridiculous pet friendly policy. Story is from GO PET FRIENDLY, travel blog.
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SIGHTS:

Traveling from Boise, ID to Winnemucca, NV, we did spend about 45 minutes in Oregon.
This trip on US 95 took us through a lot of nothing.  Desert like, desolate ridges, then we hit some huge sand dunes, before arriving in  Winnemucca on Winnemucca Blvd. at Winnemucca RV Park. (Ohhhhh, that name will haunt me!)
We saw at least 3 casinos in this town. I think the town "boasts" 5 casinos.  Gee, that's a reason to stay. Yea, right. When I was in my late 20's I used to go on bus trips to Atlantic City. Someone from work would hire a bus and we'd fill it up. Lots of drinking on the bus. My friend, Beverly would make a thermos of Kamakazi, and we'd do shots the whole 1.5 hr drive down to AC. By the time we arrived, we were feeling very goooood. Part of the package deal for the bus, was we'd recieve a roll of quarters to get us started at a Casino. But not Bev and I. We'd use the money to go eat, or shop or whatever on the boardwalk. They were great times.
I didn't realize all of Nevada allowed gambling.  The only thing I like about the casinos are the cheap and good buffets!
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RV LIFE:
Weather has been crazy! Extreme changes in temperatures. Arriving at Winnemucca (slowly I turn...), it was terribly hot. So hot the dogs didn't want to get out the of air conditioned truck even though they were stuck in there for 4 hours. When I got them out, they tried to jump back in!
I was hoping to do a quick wash (if there is such a thing), but it was so hot out, I have HAVE to stay inside.

Scott is the cook in our family. He hasn't been cooking as much while living our RV life. The kitchen is very small and there are so many new restaurants to try out. But when he cooks, it's always a treat.  He even cleans up the kitchen and does the dishes, well sort of.

I guess he doesn't like to do flatware. Can I really complain? No I can't, but I can still tease him about it. Yes ladies, my hubby is sweet, easy going, a gentleman, & he cooks...and he taken...he's mine. I'm very lucky.
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PETS:
We were late arriving in Winnemucca (grrrr! that name...) because we didn't wake up until 9:30am!!!! I'm usually up by 7am because Devin gets me up. The last 2 days, he has let me sleep AND HE HAS CUDDLED WITH ME!!! So, is this because he is not feeling well because of his sore feet? or is he just changing? I love that he is cuddling with me, but I don't want to be sleeping to 9:30am again...7:30am is a perfect time for me to wake up. Do you hear that Devin?

We're from NJ, we didn't know!

BOISE RIVERSIDE RV PARK

Boise, ID 83714

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RV LIFE:

Our time in Idaho and being anti-social has come to an end. We will be heading to NV and joining other Cedar Creek RV owners for the International Rally. This is a VERY friendly group and a lot of eating together, hanging out together, etc. We'll make sure to take a shot of 100 proof something, to help us be more social.  Don't get me wrong, we do like these folks, but sometimes it's difficult to be "on" when we like to just be alone.

We have really enjoyed our time in Idaho. We enjoyed Declo and it's quiet, nothing to do, country style. We enjoyed our time with Don & Marsha and 4 wheeling & seeing the beautiful mountains. And we've also enjoyed Boise, even though it was much more crowded & busy. Each has it's own qualities. Idaho could be a state we consider settling in. It's still too early to really think about that, and we'd have to spend more time here and research the pros and cons.

Boise gave us a great send off. We had a beautiful fireworks display right next to the RV park! Next to the RV park is the Boise Fairgrounds & I think a minor league baseball stadium. The fireworks were after the baseball game. Devin wasn't thrilled with the fireworks, and Lyla laid down and ignored the lights. She's deaf so she didn't hear all the booms!

Our walks with the dogs have become limited. You can read why under "Pets". We didn't make it to the dog park either. We certainly are becoming quite lazy.

I think after 7 months of traveling, we are definitely settled into an RV life routine. I now call the RV "home" or "the house".  We both seem to have a general daily routine and the days fly by whether we sit around the site or  go out shopping or sight seeing.

We've been eating out quite a bit. Unfortunately, not healthy eating either.

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PETS:

Since being brought up in NJ, we are used to the "hazards" that may await us while walking the dogs. We do have a terrible deer tick problems, which means Lymes disease is very prevalent. We know to avoid tall grassy areas, but even walking through the woods, it is likely we'll come home with a tick or two. There's also plenty of poison ivy that is best to avoid also. 

But NJ doesn't have poisonous snakes, or scorpions around while walking. So when we hit FL and on from there, we have kept our eyes open for snakes.

We've been walking our dogs along the Boise River Greenbelt, which is a beautiful paved bike trail. Some areas pass beautifully landscaped yards, some areas have been maintained as far as keeping the brush trimmed along the sides of the trail, but there's also parts that are overgrown.

Lyla, our Eng. Setter is a little bit prissy. She prefers to walk on the paved area, while Devin is like "Dennis the Menace" and needs to explore, eat things, jump around in the river, etc.

While giving Devin a quick brushing, I noticed he had a sore foot. Upon closer inspection, it was REALLY SORE, in fact maybe infected. It was swollen and seeping. Sure enough, his other foot was bad also, but not quite as bad as the first. But they were so bad that we felt a vet was needed to give a thorough cleaning, and some antibiotics for the infection. Also, maybe find out what the cause was.

I've read many dog magazines and books. I remember mention of "foxtail" being very dangerous for dogs. But from what I read, that was in California. Check THIS LINK, for a graphic story of one dog's bout with foxtail penetration.

No, we didn't have a problem with foxtail, 

Foxtail

but we did have a problem with "cheatgrass"! What's the difference? Not too much from what I can tell. They are both a Bromus Grass, which is a a tall grassy weed.

The problem with both foxtail and cheatgrass is that they they have tiny barbs that once the point pokes the skin, it just keeps working it's way in because the barbs prevent them from coming out. They keep going deeper and deeper and of course the body knows there's something foreign in there, thus the swelling and infection. It can be bad enough that an operation is needed to get them out.

Cheatgrass

Cheatgrass awn

Each of these little seeds? easily pull off the above plant and that is what embeds in the skin.

Back to Devin and the invasion of the cheatgrass.  We happened to pass a small veterinary hospital the other day.  I checked them out on YELP. There was only 1 review, but I liked what they said. This office isn't associated with VCA, (I hate VCA). VCA has taken over 500 vet hospitals. They probably help out the vet financially, etc, but then the client is nickled and dimed, (more like 50 dollared) to death for every little item. 

Anyway, Henricks Vet. Hosp. is a small "mom & pop" type hospital. It reminded me our our NJ Vet, Belmar-Wall Veterinary Hospital. The office was homey, not decorated with anything fancy, the examination rooms didn't have the fancy lifting tables, but instead had older kitchen type cabinets with the stainless steel on top for the table. Everything was clean, but it was nice to see they probably help keep costs down, by not renovating. Just like my house, I don't need stainless steel appliances when enamel is fine for me. (On a side note, that is why we were able to retire at 55 and do what we are doing. No fancy upgrades to our house, no new cars, etc.) 

As soon as the vet tech looked at Devin's foot, she said,

"Oh, he got into some cheatgrass!" 

Huh? What's cheatgrass? (Note to P.L.: Why didn't you warn us about this?)

And then our education to Western nasty weeds.

Luckily, Devin was a very good patient and was able to handle the poking of a forceps type instrument, that was literally poked right down the center of each bubble (see paw photo above), and the vet moved it around and grabbed and pulled out and continued, until he found the offending awn. If the vet didn't get results, we would have had to put Devin under anesthesia to get the awns out.

Hopefully, Devin will be feeling better in a day or two, but right now he's not himself. He's not really eating, doesn't want to walk on the grass, laying in bed, etc.

Poor baby.

VETERINARIAN REVIEW:
Henricks Veterinary Hospital
6224 W. State St., Boise, ID 83703
208-853-0640
Great staff. Friendly, helpful. Dr. Pesnell did a great job taking cheatgrass out of my dogs paws and explaining what it is and after care. We are from NJ, so have never heard of cheatgrass. He was gentle and considerate of how much discomfort our dog could take.
Also updated both dogs rabies vaccines. Only down side is I wish they gave a bigger break on 2 dogs at one visit. A visit cost $49.50, 2nd dog was $41.00. I think they could have reduced to $25./$30. for 2nd dog during same visit.
I think they had a slow day and we spent 1.5 hours between time with the vet tech. and the vet. So can I really complain? No.
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RESTAURANT REVIEW:
Three items I've never had before...
Fry Sauce: Sort of a mayo/ketchup combo that is served more than ketchup with fries in Idaho.
Steak fingers/Chicken fried Steak: Steak breaded and fried just like fried chicken.
Idaho Potato Ice Cream:  Ice cream in the shape of a potato with topping to look like sour cream/butter.


Stopped by because of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
Only outside seating, but there were umbrellas to protect us from the sun.
This place is known for their Prime Rib served on Fridays & Saturdays. An old drive-in joint serving Prime Rib?
Yes and it was delicious.
PRIME RIB: Right up there with the best I've had. Au Jus was delicious! Great to dip bread in.
CORNED BEEF DIP: This was a great sandwich served with swiss cheese melted on great bread. The au jus for this was just fair. Just tasted like beef broth.
MEATLOAF: Very good, we had a meatloaf sandwich and meal.
STEAK FINGERS: I got this for the novelty. Being from NJ, I never heard of them. Heavy breading, but very tasty. I was very surprised that the strips of steak stay so tender and moist. I thought I'd be gnawing at them, but was easy to bite and they broke off easily for nice small bites.

Steak Fingers

FRIES: Average. I think they were sort of like those seasoned type fries.
FRY SAUCE: Seems some pickle juice is added. Nice.
ONION RINGS: Very average. Seemed like they were just the frozen breaded type.
IDAHO POTATO ICE CREAM: Again, had to try for the novelty. Does look like a real baked potato. Was basically just vanilla ice cream in the shape of a potato, with "Hershey's" type chocolate sauce and some CRAP on top to look like sour cream. I was very surprised that real whipped cream wasn't used. Instead there was some greasy stuff on top.

Idaho Potato Ice Cream

SHAKES: Delicious!!!! One day the special was a blueberry shake. The large for the price of a medium. Delicious shake with REAL blueberries.  Also had a chocolate malt and a B&W malt. All EXCELLENT.
We liked the Prime Rib so much, we went back the next day to enjoy all over again.
Would return for many great items, but would also stay away from many items.




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We ate breakfast here twice. First time we almost didn't. It was Father's Day and it was packed! Kids crying, kids sucking on the ketchup bottles, a few well behaved kids with their Dad, but overall very noisy. No fault of the restaurant. In fact, that shows that it is liked enough to bring Dads here on their special day. The second time we went, what a difference. Much quieter. Whether busy or normal, the wait staff was friendly and very willing to please.
COFFEE: Pretty bad. Not horrible. I usually drink coffee black, but HAD to add cream & sugar to make it good enough to drink (not enjoy).

FARMER'S PLATTER BREAKFAST: Diced ham, chopped bacon, country sausage, onions & green peppers atop golden hash browns. Topped with Cheddar cheese & 2 eggs. Very good. The hash browns are shredded potatoes, which needed a little more browning, but otherwise and very good breakfast.
COUNTRY PLATTER BREAKFAST: Big chunks of chicken fried steak & grilled onions, atop golden hash browns, smothered in sausage gravy. Topped with 2 eggs. Excellent!!!
PANCAKES: Good, but nothing special.
DENVER OMELET: Diced ham sauteed with onions and green peppers. Topped with Cheddar cheese.Very good.
GIANT CINNAMON ROLL: Excellent. Not quite as gooey as Cinnabon, but fresh, full of cinnamon, with thin white icing drizzled and a huge pat of butter on top. So large, Scott & I split it.