We are all excited as we roll up to the Canadian border and receive a huge welcome from a Canadian customs officer and suddenly there, off in the distance, almost a mireage, we see it.

What could be more Canadian then Tim Hortons! We truly are Home! We carried on to London, Ontario and Flying J where we crashed for the night. We are now about 3 hours from home.

I gotta tell you that I couldn’t have completed this long drive without the help of Buster. Bumping across the highways of  Texas and Oklahoma there were some great opportunities for him to practise his driving skills. He still has a bit of a problem with the fuel and the brake pedals but we’re working on that.

The only thing Buster likes to do better than driving is to mark his territory and he’s done a lot of that over the past 5 months. He has left his mark in 4 Canadian provinces, at least 15 American and a half dozen Mexican states. He has spattered his yellow gold over more than 9,000 miles and remarkably, he is not a bit dehydrated. Now I understand why he thinks he is a Superdog.

He, like the rest of us are resting up to do it again in another 7 months. In the interim we will enjoy our family and friends and believe it or not, I am really looking forward to getting back to work for the season.

Stick around, there’s lots of stories left in this old keyboard.

Tags: RV Adventures
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We are in Branson Missouri, the absolute ultimate in “if you build it they will come”.

It’s really quite amazing how they built this area on the top , side and bottom of the Ozark Mountains and by the unfinished development you see around it’s obvious that building here has only just begun. There  are miles and miles of empty land with finished streets winding up and down all the local hills.

We were first attracted by the billboards 100 miles away on I-44. We had some extra time and have heard about Branson, so why not? The closer you get, the more billboards you see. When you finally reach your destination the entire town is “total billboard pollution”. It’s like they visited Vegas and other US tourist centers and asked themselves “what can we do worse?” They’ve done a fine job.

I need to point out that I don’t like tourist traps, that I look for small unique towns with character. Obviously I am in the minority, this place  is busy.

The positive in the whole visit would be our stay at America’s Best Campground. It’s a large, clean, well laid out park close to town.

It is not quite spring in this area. I bet when when spring actually appears the few small natural areas they missed will be gorgeous.

Branson: Been there, done that, didn’t buy the T-shirt.

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This tale takes place in Miami, Oklahoma, home of a dozen casinos and the pupose of our visit, the home of Newell Coach.

Last year on our way home we  stopped in Red Bay Alabama to visit Tiffin Motor Homes. Both Tiffin and Newell are in the same business except where Tiffin’s product starts at about $150,000 when you look at Newell you need to add a zero. Yes they really do start at $1,500,000.

And they go up from there. They build up to 45′ long, with 4 slides and they are truly one-of-a-kind travelling luxury homes. 

 No, we didn’t buy one. They are absolutely gorgeous, but not at all our style, even if we did have have a few million laying around. I just can’t see us sitting at Tres Amigos RV Park in a Newell.

Just to put the money in perspective a new travel trailer starts at about $20,000, a new motorhome starts at about $100,000. The most expensive RV I have ever sold went for $750,000. These are  double that, plus more.

Anyway, it was fun looking and I learned a lot. Let me know if you want one, I’ll hook you up.

Tags: RV Adventures
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