Columbia, MO

We went to the motel to check in after being invited back to the 4 o'clock Happy Hour.  I had a headache trying hard to turn into a migraine and I didn't want to chance sitting in the bright sun which is a trigger for me.  So Ted went over by himself and called later to say everyone was going to dinner.  I sent him on with the other five couples and stayed behind. 

Apparently there was a bad storm through the night and neither Ted nor I heard a thing.  I guess it was a blessing we were in the motel and not the trailer like the rest of the folks.

We had breakfast at the motel and then went back to the factory where Judy and Greg and Linda and Paul were waiting also.  Eventually both their rigs were ready and after handshakes and hugs, they took off.  We will see them in Michigan in August. 

Ed the salesman came to get us.  He wanted to show us the 2012 version of our 2008.  It was laid out exactly like ours but it only had a queen bed, minimal medicine storage in the bathroom and I wasn't crazy about the couch.  It did however have the new shades, electric cord reel, cherry wood and a 44" TV.  But at $106,000 we'll hang on to our current one for a few more years.

This was our rigs' second bi-annual check up.  We also needed the floor repaired where a screw underneath the slide gouged the floor when one of the "feet" cracked.  They had three boards left in Amrstrong Butterscotch, just enough to fix the floor without having to replace the whole thing.  The extra time was having to tip out the slide to replace the foot.  The slide has been working OK but they were concerned it would put undue pressure somewhere and hang the slide up at some point.  Thus the added time.

Our first check up was at no cost.  This one was $700.  We are still pleased with NuWa and the HitchHiker product quality, workmanship and service.  If we ever opt to get a new trailer, it will be another HitchHiker Champagne.

Ours wasn't done by noon so that meant we had to wait for them to return from lunch so we went into town to eat too.  The food was really good, came quickly and we so enjoyed watching everyone greet one another because in this small town everyone knows one another.

We were able to take off about 1:30 and drove north to Kansas City and then east to Columbia.  We have stayed here at Cottonwood several times before.  It is an excellent campground and we were glad it was at a good stopping point for us.

We opted to not unhook and just eat in.  Television is boring with all the reruns so we turned in early.  I was up before 6 and am showered and ready waiting for Ted to get up.  He has to drive so I never wake him; he'll wake up when he's had enough sleep.

I did make a reservation for tonight in Terre Haute, IN.  We will drive out of Missouri, through St. Louis and across Illinois and be at the western edge of Indiana by this afternoon.  From there the drive into Cincinnati isn't bad.  We'll just go through Indianapolis along the way.

It feels as if we've been on the road for awhile but it has been less than a week.  We so easily get back into the RVing lifestyle.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” ~ St. Augustine