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| Above, Eisenhower campaign memorabilia at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Since 2022 marks the centennial of the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, the program featured highlights of the last 100 years.
One of them was a section from the 1950s. This was the first time that I heard that Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower paid a visit to the Ceremonial during the 1952 presidential campaign.
Here's a portion of the page that featured Eisenhower's visit:
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| 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.
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| Above, during my 2026 Metropolis, Illinois trip, my first night's stop was at a KOA in Williams, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The nice thing about retirement is that while traveling in the RV, one isn't in a hurry to get somewhere. At least they shouldn't be.
Retirees can take their time and enjoy the sights along the way. An added benefit is flexibility, where detours can be made and if one particularly likes an RV park so much that can add an extra night or two to enjoy it.
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| Above, flexibility allowed me to check out places such as Meteor Crater in Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Generally, when I am driving somewhere, my rule of thumb is to get an early start (I'm an early riser anyway) and get to the the day's overnight stop in the afternoon. There's one thing I don't like doing, and that is to set up camp after dark. By getting to the stop while the sun's still out, one can enjoy the rest and sit outside (weather permitting) with a cold drink or even coffee and relax. It is refreshing and make the next day's drive easier.
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| Above, after a day's drive, time to relax at the KOA in Springfield, Missouri. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
I prefer a day's drive in the 300 to 450 mile range. I've gone over 500 miles in a day, but I found I am worn out by the end of the day. I'm retired, so why push it?
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| Above, flexibility allowed me to visit the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Naturally, everyone's different. Some like to keep their day's drive under 300 miles and some don't mind driving 500 miles. It's whatever one feels comfortable with.
