Abilene, Kansas To Get New RV Park With Horse Stalls

Above, The Beast at Covered Wagon RV Park in Abilene, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in November 2016, during my trip to Metropolis, Ilinois, I stopped in Abilene, Kansas to see the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library.

I stayed at the Covered Wagon RV Park, which was a mile or two from the Library. The word rustic does not even begin to describe it. It had hook-ups, but not much else in amenities. But, it was good enough to catch a night's sleep.

Now, a new RV park is in the works and, according to an article in Modern Campground, is slated to open soon. It is the Windy Trails Premier RV Park. Along with campsites, it will also have horse stalls for those travelers with horses.

According to the article:

With a vision to provide drivers and travelers a rest stop for a night, Abilene (Kansas) native David Strong sought to develop Windy Trails Premier RV Park. After going through a lengthy process, the park will be opening soon.

“I just see the people when I’m driving, there [are] no places to park, there [are] no places to pull over,” Strong said. “With the new government fuels for the DOT (department of transportation), truck drivers can only drive so many hours and they have to pull over and all the rest areas are full throughout the whole country.”

Windy Trails will feature ten pull-thru RV sites, three shower/storm shelter facilities, ten camping sites, a fenced kids play area, a fenced dog play area, covered secure RV/boat storage, eight overnight horse stalls, and a laundry facility. 

To read more, go here. 

Supermoon Tonight

Above, a supermoon shot from Abilene, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We're in for a treat tonight!

We'll be having a supermoon tonight.

According to Fox News:

Skywatchers are in for a treat next week when the full worm supermoon rises in the sky. 

“March’s full Moon, called the full Worm Moon, reaches peak fullness at 1:48 p.m. EDT on Monday, March 9,” explains the Old Farmer’s Almanac. “Look for the spectacularly bright Moon as it rises above the horizon that evening!” 

The celestial event will be the first of three supermoons in 2020, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. EarthSky notes that the full worm moon will be the second-closest of the year’s supermoons.

To read more, go here.

Eisenhower Library Gets A Makeover

Above, the Place of Meditation is the final resting place of the President,
 First Lady, and their first-born son, Doud. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A little over three years ago, I stopped in and stayed overnight in Abilene, Kansas.

Abilene is the boyhood home and presidential library of our 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Above, the statue of Gen. Eisenhower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library campus includes his boyhood home, burial site and museum. The entire campus has recently been reopened after being renovated.

According to KSN.com:

ABILENE, Kan. (KSNW) – The story of President Dwight D. Eisenhower began in Kansas. Now, 200,000 people a year visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home in the neighborhood where he grew up in Abilene.

Over the years, an entire campus has grown up around the family home. It recently reopened after a renovation project. The makeover includes interactive displays and the flexibility to rotate exhibits. 

“It gives us the opportunity to be a little bit more flexible with the artifacts,” said Dawn Hammatt, the director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home. “We can rotate our artifacts more simply and that will give the visitors a different experience when they come.” 

With upgrades in technology, visitors can now choose the time and place they want to learn more about the Kansas president.

When I visited the museum, it seemed more focused on Eisenhower the general, rather than as president.

To read more, go here.

Glad I'm Not There Now!

Above, The Beast at the Limon KOA in November 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in November 2016, I was heading back west into Colorado from Kansas along Interstate 70 

after visiting the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas.

The weather was cool, but manageable.

However, parts of that stretch of I-70 into Limon, Colorado were closed due to blizzard conditions.

KOAA News reported:

A powerful spring snow storm has caused multiple road closures on Colorado's eastern plains. 

High wind warnings and blizzard warnings have been issued across eastern Colorado and western Kansas. Blizzard conditions are expected to last through Saturday morning. 

CDOT said that I-70 has been closed from Limon to the Kansas border with no estimated time of reopening. The closure is extending to Airpark Road as of 3:50 p.m.

News such as this certainly does bring back travel memories. I stayed at the Limon, Colorado KOA. I remember it mostly for all the bunnies running around.

To read more, go here. 

It's August!

Above, Sierra during last year's Metropolis trip. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

August, already?!

This is one time that I am actually looking forward to the hot month of August. It is because I will be heading to cooler (I hope) regions of Idaho to view the solar eclipse on August 21.

This week will have me begin to get things ready for the trip. Today, Sierra will be going to the vet to get her vaccinations for the year, since she's also going on the trip. Tomorrow, I will be bringing The Beast in to the mechanic to get its oil changed (I use synthetic oil) and having all the fluids and tire pressure checked. Yesterday, I did my laundry, so I'll be packing some clothing in The Beast.

Above, The Beast at the Covered Wagon Campground in Abilene, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Following the eclipse, I'll be heading into Oregon to Crater Lake National Park and then down into Northern California to the northern Mother Lode.

Will it be a "zombie apocalypse" situation (with crowds and traffic) which I reach Idaho?

T + L: Interstate 70

Above, the Capitol Building in Topeka, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On my return trip home from Metropolis, Illinois, Memphis, Tennessee and Springfield, Illinois, I took Interstate 70 from St. Louis, Missouri to Colorado.

Along the way, I stopped in Topeka, Kansas to visit with State Senator Greg Smith at the State Capitol and Abilene, Kansas to see the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library & Museum.

It just so happens that Travel + Leisure has an article on things to see and do along Interstate 70.

They begin with:

There’s an interstate highway that runs through the entirety of Middle America, starting in Cove Fort, Utah, and pushes eastward to its terminus in Baltimore, Maryland. Interstate 70 covers 2,150 miles, and passes major attractions like the magnificent Rockies of Colorado and the iconic city of St. Louis, Missouri. Of course, there are lesser-known pit stops you'll find on an I-70 road trip, like the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library & Museum in Abilene, Kansas, that punctuate even the flattest stretches of plains and prairie.

Above, the graves of President and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Interstate 70 is a good road for RVs as The Beast took to the highway very well.

To read more, go here. 

Graceland RV Park and Abilene, Kansas

This evening, I uploaded a bunch of photos that I took with my cell phone from last year's trip to Metropolis, Illinois.

I mainly used my Canon camera for my photographs, but I did take a few with my phone for sending via text, etc. or if I left the Canon in the motorhome.

Here's some of them:

Above, The Beast at Graceland RV Park in Memphis. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above and below, Graceland RV Park across from Graceland mansion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, sunset in Abilene, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Eisenhower Library Photos

Above, the Eisenhower statue. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As promised, once I am at a campground with some decent Wi-Fi service, I would post pictures from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library & Museum in Abilene, Kansas.

So, here they are:

Above, the graves inside the Place of Meditation. Photo by Armand Vaquer..

Above, the Eisenhower tomb. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Visitor Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Place of Meditation. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Eisenhower boyhood home. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the living room. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the dining room and kitchen. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the parlor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the ENIGMA decoding machine. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Eisenhower's 1942 Cadillac Staff Car. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, campaign memorabilia. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Eisenhower campaign memorabilia. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Eisenhower Library. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum

Above, the statue of Gen. Eisenhower at the Library's central mall. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The day started off with a hearty breakfast in Abilene, Kansas atthe Hitching Post Restaurant, a block away from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum.

I checked for reviews and found that it had received a lot of good ratings. I had their western omelette. Very good!

Following breakfast, as it wasn't yet 9:00, the Eisenhower Library's opening time, I went to gas up The Beast.

Shortly before 9:00, I went to the Place of Meditation, where President and Mrs. Eisenhower are buried along with one of their sons.

After that, I headed to the visitor center to get my ticket to see the boyhood home (Eisenhower's father bought it for $1,000) and Museum. The Library is just a research center, but they do have interesting displays on World War II on the second floor lobby.

After watching a film on the life of our 34th president, I went to the boyhood home and toured it.

Following that, I went to the museum and looked over all the exibits that ranged from Eisenhower's service as Allied commanding general to President of the United States.

After touring all of the facilites, I then headed west to Limon, Colorado. I made it to the Limon KOA Kampground in the late afternoon.

I will have to post another blog of photos of the Eisenhower Library and Museum as the Wi-Fi here is rather week (many campgrounds are notorious for weak Wi-Fi). I got lucky at the last two campgrounds as they had good Wi-Fi. The above photo took a long time to load.

The Super Moon

Tonight, I managed to get some shots of the super moon.

Cloud cover was beginning to come over the area, so I hurried up and took a few photos.

Here two of the better ones:

Change of Plans, Etc.

Above, The Beast at the Covered Wagon Campground in Abilene, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A couple of things.

The infusion of cash finally came through. So now I have plenty of dough to get myself home and then some!

I am currently safely "tucked away" at the Covered Wagon Campground in Abilene, Kansas. I'll tour the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum tomorrow. After that, it is onward to Colorado. The owners of the campground must be very trusting souls. The office was closed and all I had to do was to get one of their envelopes, fill out my information, put a check in it and drop it into a red mailbox.

Next, in looking at the AccuWeather website, it appears that the roads may be too rough for The Beast and the temperatures too cold to go to Montrose, Colorado. Instead, it looks like I'll be heading south from Colorado Springs to Pueblo (I was last there in 1987 on insurance claims catastrophe duty for ten days). From Pueblo, I'll head to Durango. It appears to be an easier route to take. This wouldn't be a concern if this were the middle of summer. There's always the chance for some autumn snow in the Rockies.

Eventually, I'll go from Durango (and maybe make a stop at Mesa Verde National Park) to Monument Valley in Utah (location for several John Wayne/John Ford western classics). After Monument Valley, it will be the Grand Canyon and then home from there. If the Durango train is running (the shorter winter season trip) when I get there, I'll take a ride. It has been nearly 30 years since I last did so.

It is hard to believe that it has been two weeks since I started this "little" road trip.

A Visit With Sen. Greg Smith

Above, the west front of the Kansas Capitol Building. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Well, I made it to Abilene, Kansas, "The Home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower".

I am at the Covered Wagon Campground, a few blocks away from the Eisenhower Library and Museum. I will likely take the tour tomorrow.

I am still waiting for the money transfer, but I have enough to press ahead to Abilene. The transfer will be completed by tomorrow at the latest.

Above, yours truly with Sen. Greg Smith in the Capitol Building.

Before leaving Topeka, I stopped by the State Capitol Building to pay a quick social call on Kansas State Senator Greg Smith (Overland Park). As luck would have it, I arrived at the committee room where Sen. Smith was chairing a committee and found him just outside the room. They just began their lunch break.

He recognized me immediately and we chatted for a while on politics, local and national and other things of interest. Unfortunately, he lost his re-election bid during the primary by an "alleged" Republican moderate (like me, Smith is a conservative). His term ends in January.

Above, a shot of the Capitol with the sun just behind it. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One thing he told me that I found interesting is that Kansas is neither a Red State or Blue State. He called it a "Purple State". This is probably due to the numbers of moderate Republicans. Kansas may not be as reliable for Republicans as in years past, although Donald Trump won the state last week.

The Kansas State Capitol Building had recently undergone a restoration and it reminded me of the California State Capitol Building in Sacramento.

As I needed to get on to Abilene and Greg probably had a lunch appointment, we said our goodbyes and I proceeded to The Beast.

It was a joy to finally meet him in person.

Tomorrow...

Above, barbecuing chicken at Deer Creek Valley RV Park in Topeka. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's a couple of things I am looking forward to tomorrow.

First, it will be the day (hopefully) that my money transfer will go through so I can proceed on to Abilene, Kansas to see the Eisenhower Presidential Library and then, from there, go on into Colorado and be back in the western part of the United States.

Above, Sen. Greg Smith.

Second, if all works out, I will meet with Kansas State Senator Greg Smith. Most likely, this will take place after he completes a committee meeting in the state capitol. Thank goodness that I brought along a business suit (for the Noel Neill memorial service) so I won't be going there all grubby.

Depending upon when my money transfer takes place, I will either remain in Topeka (it is Kansas capital city) another night or proceed on to Abilene after meeting with Sen. Smith.

Thanks goodness I went to the Springfield, Illinois Walmart and did some grocery shopping. I have enough food and other necessities to last me a week while waiting for the money transfer. The transfer was made necessary after I shredded two tires on a sharp-edged curb of a traffic island in St. Louis, Missouri and I had to pay almost $500 for two new tires.

But, I can thank my lucky stars that that's all it was. No damage to The Beast itself. I do have to replace a wheel cover (the rear one) that got mangled. The driver's side front wheel cover got banged up, but is usable. I wait until I get home to deal with them.

In the meantime, I am barbecuing chicken tonight for dinner!