MINNESOTA with Ben , WISCONSIN and INDIANA with more RELATIVES

August 1st we left for Minnesota with an over night stop in Rockford, Ill.  We had rented an airBnB with Victor for the week with plenty of space to relax.

Ben's apartment definitely did not have enough space for all three of us.  We visited with him in both locations.

Ben took the week off for vacation. He spent a couple days with us for tours about the area and also used time to catch up on rest from work. 

Our first stop was Mill City which had been salvaged after a bad five caused by the grain dust when a homeless man made the empty building his place off the streets. 

Ben looking out over this portion of the city.

St. Paul on the east side of the Twin Cities

Gary bending the ear of the tour guide.

Seeing some of the milling equipment was interesting!!  Also the stories!!

While in Minnesota, we made contact with fellow Florida SKP Co-op Members, and met them for lunch in Burnsville, MN.   They also were visiting relatives there.  We spent two hours there visiting and getting to know each other.  We will meet up with them at our Florida location in the fall.

Gary, Audrey, Jan and Bill

Don, we thought of you again!
Gary always has to take pictures for you.

We did check out some thrift and antique stores on our trip.

Especially one day when we stopped in Wisconsin Rapids to visit Gary's cousin, Carol and her daughter, Roxie, son-in-law, Dan and granddaughter, Sharona.  Lovely visit and fun two days!!

Lunch with Carol at her favorite restaurant, Grace's. 

Gary's cousin, Carol, Audrey and Gary
Here we go, eating too often again!!

On to mid-eastern Indiana where Audrey's relatives are located.  

Pearl, I enjoyed all of the days playing Five Crowns after our day time running around and visiting others.  So glad we had the time together. And Debbie and Tina, so glad that you stopped by often.

We also stopped by Tina's to check out her gardens!!  Lovely!!  Your son and family are doing a great job!!

We also took a side trip to visit former RVing friends, Ted and Katherine. 

So good to see them and to know that they are doing well.  We first met them in Florida our first year out, 2008, but they have since stopped traveling very far from their northern home.

Lunch out at Richard's Restaurant.in Marion
Katherine, I promise we will do lunch at your home next time!!

I love the view from their sun room!!  They have so many birds, especially the yellow finch and the humming birds. 

Sunday, after church we followed cousins, Jeanne and Norbert to Blufton where we had dinner at another Richard's Restaurant. Following that they took us on a tour of some Blufton interests.

Jeanne, an awesome idea for pictures!!
And my headache from hitting the back,
did not last too long!!

Norbert, you and Gary look so thrilled with this venture.
But I am sure that you had plenty of laughs when I fell
back into the chair!!  I didn't realize that it was so
far to the back of the chair!!

 Then on to the Quabache State Park.  They knew the history, so I am sure they are very involved with the restoration of this CCC project. 

Bricks in memory and honor of Ploetz and Schaen
relatives on the walkway to the tower. 

Bisson are raised there.  Very intesting!

Restored tower and fenced area.
The kids sure loved the climb!!

Jeanne and Norbert

My sister, Pearl Jean and cousin Jeanne

Jeanne and Norbert, you were both great narrators for the tour!!  So glad that you are both enjoying your retirements from the Hospital there in Blufton.  I didn't realize that you had been there for so many years.  Time sure flies.
Pearl and I also stopped in Muncie to see our brother, Paul. Then we drove on out to a reservoir campground to see Paul's son and daughter-in-law with their grandson.  He is so cute and we sure enjoyed the visit. 

Paul and Titus

This has been an extremely long Blog and I should have cut it into two.  But what is done is done. I am not going to spend two more hours cutting it!!  Too much work.  But hope that you can enjoy it as it is!!
Take care and enjoy this fall weather.  But I hope that we still have some summer to enjoy!!

SPECIAL CAR of A FRIEND'S NEAR SALEM

We have kept pretty busy through July and August with August being a trip to Minnesota to see our youngest son, Ben, a stop in Wisconsin to visit Gary's cousins, and a stop in Indiana to visit with Audrey's siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins.  Now that was a full two weeks!!

In July, before leaving, we went to an annual car show at Copeland Oaks in Sebring, Ohio.  Our friend/Sunday School Teacher, Richard, and his wife, Jane, were there with her VW from 1965.  It was awesome!! I always loved the Beetles!!

Jane

Jane, in her Rod Angels T-shirt!
Richard had been a member of Rod Angels
in high school.

Richard had made many changes to Jane's VW
with the last change being the crop and upgrade of the top.
Jane came home one day to find that he had removed the top!
Surprise!!

Picture of the Rod Angels with Richard in 1961.

We also spent an afternoon at our son, Richard's when Savannah was enjoying the pool that Richard had just installed.  Richard still has a lot of dirt to redistribute!

Audrey, Lynn, Savannah, Richie and Richard

Another outing about that time was Audrey's Class of '62 luncheon where we got to reminisce with former school bus driver, Carol, who drove our children's bus those many years that we lived on Goshed Rd.  She especially had stories to share about Ben.

Carol

 Church camp week at the camp in Berlin Center where we have the motorhome for the summer.

I believe they said there were more than 90 children at
camp that week!!  So we got to watch their activities
in front of our motorhome.

Gary has gone to his share of car shows!

I will share our trip in the next couple Blogs.  Stay tuned!  I think that the rain may be finally leaving the area for a while!!