#triumphamerica – Chasing Sonshine

July 23, 2021

Deep in the Heart of Texas

The road was calling and we needed to chase some sunshine, so we headed for the Texas Hill Country. Our destination was Inks Lake State Park in Burnet. When we arrived at the camp, we learned that Texas State Parks require daily pass fees in addition to camping fees, along with extra vehicle fees for each motorcycle. Had we known about the extra fees before we arrived, we might have found a different campground. While these added fees aren’t much individually, they greatly increase the cost of camping in a Texas State Park. In fact, the fees doubled the nightly rate of our campsite. Oh well. We kept this lesson in mind when we planned our next stop in Texas.

In spite of the fees, Inks Lake was a great spot to camp. During the days, we explored the surrounding countryside, sometimes on our motorcycles and sometimes in the truck.

We rode around Lake Buchanan and to the nearby Longhorn Cavern State Park. In the 1930’s, the Civilian Conservation Corps developed this park, crafting unique limestone buildings and structures over the cave’s entrance. We just missed the last cave tour of the day but we enjoyed exploring the grounds.

Sometimes we explored on foot. There was great hiking at Inks Lake.

When we were riding, we did a double take as a castle rose above the scrubby Texas countryside. Castle Falkenstein, as we learned later, was built by a local Burnet businessman and his wife following a trip to Germany. The castle is available for weddings and special events and for nightly rentals through Airbnb.

We took the truck to Fredericksburg as we planned to stay for the Christmas lighting ceremony in Marktplatz (Market Square) which occurs every night during the Christmas season. The star of the show is a 26 foot tall German Christmas pyramid that features carved wooden figures illustrating the story of Jesus Christ’s birth. The pyramid is a nod to Fredericksburg’s German heritage. In addition to the Christmas pyramid, Fredericksburg’s German roots are evident in the many German restaurants, breweries, and wineries that dot the city’s main street.

As music played, the pyramid’s levels turned.

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, a native of Fredericksburg, commanded the Pacific Fleet in World War II. The town wanted to honor its noble son with a museum of his military accomplishments but he refused the offer. He later agreed to a museum that honored all of the servicemen and women in the Pacific War. Thus the National Museum of the Pacific War came to be in Fredericksburg. Unfortunately, we were in town on the one day of the week the museum is closed, Tuesday.

Many of the little towns near Inks Lake have lovely Christmas light displays. We visited Llano and Marble Falls. It was refreshing to walk through the twinkling lights and not be freezing cold. We also appreciated that the lights presented the true meaning of Christmas along with the whimsical Santa, reindeer, and elves.

The Christmas lights were religious and patriotic, sometimes in a juxtaposition that made us smile.

After living in Texas in the mid 90’s, we know Texas pride is unique and often displayed, even in Christmas lights.

After Inks Lake, we moved northeast to Lofers Bend on Whitney Lake. Lofers Bend is an Army Corps of Engineers campground so we did not have any extra fees this time. Abundant deer roamed the campground. We saw them several times throughout our stay and our presence did not faze them, although they startled us a few times.

We saw the deer at all times of the day.

One evening we counted 10 deer grazing near the shoreline.

Waco is not far from Whitney Lake so we headed there to see the sights. We visited the Waco Mammoth National Monument. In 1978, wooly mammoth bones were found at the site. Since then, several fossils have been uncovered including multiple mammoths, a mammoth nursery, a dwarf antelope, an alligator, a giant tortoise, a saber-toothed tiger tooth, and a camel. Scientists believe these animals died in a flood or a series of floods. Hmm, perhaps they died in a world-wide flood? We found it interesting that a camel was discovered along with the now extinct creatures.

While some fossils have been removed, many others are still embedded where they were discovered.

We also visited the Dr. Pepper museum. Originally, the soda was sold as a health drink. “For health-energy and fun-in one”, Dr. Pepper was prescribed three times a day: at 10:00 am, 2:00 pm, and 4:00 pm. That seemed like a lot of soda to us!

Can one visit Waco without stopping at Magnolia, Chip and Joanna Gaines’s shopping mecca? To be honest, we spent about 15 minutes there and that was enough. The turf lawn in front of the repurposed silos was dotted with families and Jo want-to-be’s. The few items we looked at in the crowded shops were, wait for it, made in China. We are sure there were better quality American-made items available but we didn’t stick around long enough to discover them.

We did discover a small family owned shop a few blocks from Magnolia. Iron Willow specializes in metal art and signs. The dad and son cut the projects; the mother and daughter paint the items. We were happy to find some Christmas gifts at this unique small business.

In addition to some delicious Guess Family Barbecue, we tried some pho at Clay Pot. Since the day was chilly, the flavorful, warm soup was a satisfying lunch.

We left Texas and headed to Kansas. On our way, we stopped in Fort Worth to eat our favorite fried chicken at Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken. On our travels, we have eaten at Gus’s in Memphis, St. Louis, Southaven, MS, and (our favorite location) Kansas City, KS. As they say at Gus’s, “If you haven’t eaten at Gus’s, you haven’t eaten fried chicken.”

At the time, we didn’t realize this would be our last camping adventure for a while. We have continued to travel sporadically but that’s for the next blog post. We praise God for the opportunity we had to travel and experience our nation in ways we never imagined. Everywhere we went, we found interesting people, historic sights, and beautiful scenery. For now, we are still Chasing Sonshine but in a less nomadic way!

Lesson Learned: Research can be valuable. Had we read more, we would have known about the extra state park fees. We could have traveled to Fredericksburg on a different day in order to visit the National Museum of the Pacific War. Now we will have to return someday!

We continued to marvel at the local trees…

Deep in the Heart of Texas

January 26, 2021

Okefenokee

You, Lord, are the only God. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their stars, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them and all the stars of heaven worship you. Nehemiah 9:6

We outran Hurricane Zeta by heading east. Our first stop was at Falling Waters State Park in Chipley, Florida. Falling Waters boasts Florida’s highest waterfall surrounded by tall trees and fern covered sinkholes.

Interesting tree fungus in the woods by the waterfall

As we hiked to the waterfall, we spied an unfamiliar animal. We later learned it was a fox squirrel. Larger than our Midwest squirrels, its bright white nose and ears were a stark contrast to its black furred face. At our approach, he quickly skittered off into the woods but not before we snapped a few photos.

These photos aren’t great, but they were the best we captured of the fox squirrel.

From Falling Waters, we went to Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park in Keystone Heights, Florida.

The sandy path between our campsite and the bathroom. On our first night, a long black snake slithered across the path in front of us. From then on, we treaded carefully at night!

Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park is about 50 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. We rode to the seashore for lunch and meandered our way north on the A1A coastal highway.

Two national parks were on our route. Unfortunately, Fort Matanzas National Monument south of St. Augustine was closed due to Covid. Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine was open and we briefly walked around the exterior.

On our honeymoon over 32 years ago, we drove to Florida. In addition to visiting Walt Disney World, Epcot, Cape Canaveral, and an alligator farm, we drove along the coast to Daytona Beach and St. Augustine. In St. Augustine, we drank from the Fountain of Youth. After all these years, we thought it was time for a ‘booster sip’ so we headed to the attraction.

Ponce de Leon visited this area in 1513 on his quest for new lands and healing waters.

Sadly we arrived at closing time so we didn’t get our second shot. However, we did get wet. As we rode back to camp, rain set in. We have rain gear, but of course, it was back at camp. Oh well. We arrived home safe but soggy.

Our next stop was Okefenokee Pastimes in Folkston, GA, located just outside the main entrance of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

Okefenokee is the largest blackwater swamp in North America, covering 438,000 acres or approximately 700 square miles.

Chesser Island Boardwalk winds into the swamp. Because of alligators, dogs are not allowed on the boardwalk. But people are? Hmm….

While the surface waters of the swamp are shiny black, the water actually looks like tea, tinted brown by decaying vegetation and peat.

We took a fantastic boat tour of the swamp. Although our guide was fairly young, he was from a multi-generation swamp dwelling family. He impressed us with his love for his native land and his vast knowledge of the swamp, the creatures who live there, and the people who made it their home.

In the late 1800’s the Chesser family settled this homestead on Chesser Island near the swamp. In addition to operating a sawmill, the family gardened and raised crops, primarily tobacco and sugar cane. They also raised cattle, pigs, and chickens.

This pigmy rattlesnake was coiled under the fence by the homestead. He didn’t seem bothered by anyone tromping past him.

As the days have gotten shorter and the nights are longer, we notice that we don’t meet as many of our fellow campers as we did in the summer months. People tend to hole up in their RV’s during the long dark evenings and we are guilty of that too. We have met some great camp hosts who take pride in keeping their facilities in good order and sparkling clean. We try to let them know how much we appreciate their efforts. Their hard work makes our Chasing Sonshine much more enjoyable!

Lesson Learned: Every geographic area has beauty and something interesting to explore.

On the surface, this swamp prairie doesn’t look much different than a Kansas prairie. Step foot in it and you’ll immediately know the difference!

A swamp song from Cy’s childhood

December 5, 2020December 6, 2020

Mockin’ Bird Hill

The terrain changes considerably when one travels from Northwest Arkansas to Northeast Louisiana. The tree covered mountains give way to flat river bottom farmlands. When we drove the rural highways south of Pine Bluff, Arkansas and into Louisiana, the cotton harvest was underway. Large round bales of pink and yellow plastic wrapped cotton dotted the edges of fields and stray pieces of cotton floated like snow before settling along the highways’ edges. For a couple of North Central Kansas kids, the cotton fields and harvest was interesting to observe.

We camped at Poverty Point Reservoir State Park between Epps and Delhi, Louisiana. In the mornings, the bright call of the mockingbird woke us. On our first morning, it sounded like a whole flock of songbirds was outside our camper but we soon realized it was just a few mockingbirds. Their bright and varied songs were new to us but what a joyful sound! Listening to the mockingbirds was one of our favorite things about camping in Louisiana. We didn’t record any of the birds, so here is a link to a mockingbird singing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNNX3f3_svo

About twice a day, some fellow campers walked through the campground. Since we cook our meals outside and use the truck’s tailgate as our kitchen counter, the husband would ask, “What’s on the tailgate tonight?” We had a really nice chat with them and some friends of theirs. They were all natives of Louisiana, retired, and genuine people of faith. They treated us to some delicious zucchini bread too.

Poverty Point World Heritage Site was just a 20 minute ride from our camp. Constructed by indigenous people between 1700 and 1100 BC, Poverty Point consists of several earthen mounds and six concentric C-shaped ridges. Archeologists believe the area was a massive trading and ceremonial center for the native peoples. Not much of the site has been excavated so there is a great deal more yet to learn about these mysterious land creations and the people who formed them.

The largest mound. A wooden boardwalk goes to the top.

View from the top of the largest mound. To gain perspective of the height and size of the mound, our motorcycles are near the shelter.

After Poverty Point World Heritage Site, we decided to ride to West Monroe to see if we could find the Duck Commander headquarters.

In the gift shop, a tee-shirt said, “Arise, Kill, Eat” from the vision Peter had in Acts 10:13.

The roads in this part of Louisiana are fairly flat. In some places, swamps exist on either side of the highway. While we watched for alligators, we didn’t see any although a black snake raced across the road right in front of us. Thankfully, we missed him and he missed us!

One sunny day, we rode our bikes to nearby Vicksburg, Mississippi. The bluffs along the Mississippi River were more interesting to ride than the river bottom of Louisiana.

Vicksburg was a crucial city during the Civil War; whoever controlled it, controlled the lower Mississippi River. In early 1862, the Vicksburg Campaign began and the campaign ended when the Confederates surrendered on July 4, 1863. The battle and siege raged for a year and a half. Over 48,000 lives were lost. Soldiers from Missouri were present on both sides of the conflict. Kansans fought for the Union.

This monument honors the 42 Missouri units (27 Union and 15 Confederate) present at Vicksburg. It stands where two opposing Missouri regiments met in battle.

Because of Covid, the National Military Park was closed but the 16 mile driving loop was open. We started riding through the battlefield with Cy making frequent stops to take photos. We soon realized we wouldn’t make it through the park before it closed if she stopped at every interesting marker. Later we learned that over 1,400 monuments and markers dot the winding road through the battlefield commemorating the soldiers and commanders who fought and died on that hallowed ground. The drive was a solemn reminder of the high cost of freedom and the sacrifice that was made to keep America ‘one nation, under God.’ Our country isn’t perfect, but knowing so many people bled and died in that hilly forested area and how many loved ones grieved their deaths was sobering.

Battle lines were present throughout the drive.

Touring the South makes us more aware of the complexity of man and our history. Many men we honor did some terrible, immoral things, including the enslavement of people. As Johnny Cash sang in the song Best Friend “A diamond is a diamond and a stone is a stone, but a man’s not all good nor all bad. When the chips are all down and your back’s at the wall, God is the best friend that you’ve ever had, God is the best friend that you’ve ever had.” We all need Jesus. In Him, all sin can be forgiven, even the heinous act of slavery. Jesus offers freedom and life for all who believe in Him. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” 1 Corinthians 15:57

The silent cannons and clouds display the horror of war and the hope yet to come. “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” Mark 13:26

November 10, 2020

Nothing But the Blood of Jesus

Our search for sunshine led us to Buckhorn Campground at the Lake of the Arbuckles near Sulphur, Oklahoma.

It soon became apparent how Sulphur got its name. As we drove through the town’s valleys, our nostrils were assailed by that familiar rotten egg smell. It turns out that Sulphur has natural springs that are high in elemental sulfur. While public mineral water fountains are available in Sulphur, we didn’t try the water this time. Thankfully the noxious smell tended to hang in low spots and didn’t permeate the whole area.

While we were there, we explored nearby Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

As we hiked the trails, we watched armadillos snuffling through the woods. These little creatures buried their noses in the ground and bulldozed their way through the forest, eating dinner as they went.

He looked at us, scurried deeper into the woods, and continued his lunch.

Thankfully, we didn’t see any but they might have seen us!

After our time in Oklahoma, we went back to KC so we could vote absentee. We had planned to vote before our trip south, but we failed to remember that county offices would be closed on Columbus Day. Although the miles add up, we didn’t mind returning to KC to perform our civic duty.

When we are in Kansas City, we get to see some of our kids and we get to worship with our church family. When we are on the road, some Sunday mornings we watch our church’s online services and sometimes we find a local church to attend. It’s encouraging to meet fellow Christians throughout our country and it’s fun to experience how different churches worship the Lord. Upon arrival at one church we visited, we were each given a small paper lunch bag which contained our communion elements. In the churches we have attended, communion is celebrated with a small wafer and a sip of juice. However, this church gave us a generous wafer and an eight ounce can of grape juice. After the communion meditation and prayer, the sound of popping can tops echoed throughout the sanctuary. It took several swallows to drain the juice can. At first, the copious amount of juice made us chuckle but on reflection, isn’t that what Jesus offers? His blood was shed to cover all of our sins, not just a sip of them. He invites us to drink deeply and be filled with His love and His grace. An acronym for grace is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. We left that service with a fresh reminder of God’s riches and Jesus’s abundant, overflowing love for us, thanks to an eight ounce can of Welch’s Grape Juice.

https://youtu.be/Ju-9_NBB1Yo

September 18, 2020September 18, 2020

We’re Going To Be Friends

As we began our travels, we expected to meet new, interesting people. We have met several wonderful couples who shared their stories with us. Each couple was kind and welcoming. Roy and Kathy told us about the dream vacation they took with their children and grandchildren only to have it end with regrettable unresolved family strife. Reggie and Jean recounted God’s faithfulness in providing a principled buyer for their successful farm equipment business. Dianna and Dave offered travel tips they have amassed over their 10+ years of RV’ing. Brittney and her husband recommended local restaurants and activities, after their niece and son entertained us with their enthusiastic dance-off competition. However, one person we met in Arkansas had a tremendous impact on us.

When we arrived at a mostly empty campground outside of Rogers, AR on a hot afternoon, we noticed a lone man camping nearby. His campsite consisted of a tent and a cooler, nothing else. Typically campers have a vehicle but this man did not. As we set up camp, the man paced his campsite. Then he started walking up the hill toward us and turned around abruptly and returned to his site. He did this multiple times. Unsure of his behavior, we became a little nervous and concerned. Finally he walked all the way to our site. He asked the best question he could have asked to disarm us. “Do you have a cold bottle of water?” His question brought to mind the words of Jesus about giving a little one a cup of cold water. The man had a lonesomeness about him, with his tattoos and well-worn clothes, and looked like someone in need of water, living water. We explained that we didn’t have any bottles of water, but we had a cooler full of ice water if he had a bottle to fill. He said he had a cup, so he returned to his site to get it. After filling his cup, he drank it immediately. We refilled his cup and he drank it all again, exclaiming “that is the best tasting water I have ever had!”

As we talked with him, we discovered that he was stressed about several things. Due to the pandemic, his family (including his wife, four kids, and three dogs) had lost their housing. He said his kids were safe and had started school that week. His wife was with her brother, but he had not heard from her all day. His phone screen was broken so he could not make outgoing calls but he could receive calls. He borrowed Bill’s phone to call his wife but her phone went immediately to a full voicemail box. In addition, his boss had not called him to work that day. His job, which he was extremely excited about and enjoyed tremendously, was with a company that contracts with the Corps of Engineers to clear trees from the boundaries of Corps’ property. He told us he carries a chain saw in one hand and a weed whacker in the other and gets paid $15 per hour. He clearly loved his job and was willing to work hard.

As we talked further, we introduced ourselves and learned that his name was Caleb and that he was just 29 years old. Cy asked him if he knew Jesus. Caleb said that yes, he did. He had attended church weekly with his father when he was young; however, his dad had died 12 years ago, and Caleb quit going to church. We chatted more and eventually asked him if we could pray for him and his family. He said we could pray. After praying, Caleb went back to his camp site. Later that night, he returned to talk again and he told us his boss had called him and he was getting to work the next day. Needless to say, his spirits were lifted and ours were too.

The next day we did not see Caleb until the late afternoon. Bill asked him how his day had been. His response was, “it was awesome.” His boss had paid for two more nights at the campground, bought him some food, and promised to pick him up for work again the next day.

After work the next day, Caleb was in even better spirits. He had experienced another good day at work and was encouraged further by his boss. He still had not heard from his wife, but he had gotten a call saying his van was repaired and ready for him to pick up in Springfield, MO. He was confident a coworker would take him to get the van. As we continued talking, Caleb revealed that he had done something the night before that he had not done for a long time. He had prayed. Caleb praised God for hearing his prayers and we did too. We encouraged Caleb to make Jesus his King every day, to continue praying, and to find a nurturing church to attend to strengthen his growing faith. We also gave him a pocket New Testament. He told us that he had never learned to read very well due to ADHD. We told him that it was okay to just read a little bit each day. Later that night he stopped by and said that he had read four sentences and that was all he could do. We told him that was a good start and encouraged him to keep at it.

Caleb was disappointed that we were leaving the next day. He said he had been lonely before we arrived and that it meant a lot to him just to have someone to talk to at the end of the day. We told him we enjoyed meeting him and that we would be praying for him.

We landed at that Arkansas campground to see our daughter and her husband when they were in Rogers. Even if we hadn’t been seeing them, we believe we were meant to be at that campground just to meet Caleb. Meeting him changed our perspective on people. We learned not to judge people too quickly, based on their behavior, appearance, or circumstances. Each person is precious and has a unique story to tell. God wanted us to share the gospel with Caleb and encourage him in his faith. In return, Caleb encouraged us with his brightened countenance and hard-fought endurance in tough circumstances. And it all started with a cup of cold water.

Lesson Learned: We are praising God for Jesus, the living water, who saves sinners like us and uses us for His glory.

While in Arkansas, we enjoyed the twisty back roads and beautiful scenery.

We rode the Pig Trail (Arkansas 23) with Cy’s sister and her son.

Gus, the gas station attendant, checked Cy’s tires. This cute little guy appeared to live inside the fuel pump.

We crossed two narrow, wooden plank bridges: one at War Eagle Mill and one over Beaver Lake. Not Cy’s favorite thing to do!

We went to The Momentary, a new museum in Bentonville, with Kaidyn and Kyle.

A few weeks earlier, we had been at The Momentary with Kolton and Karson.

September 15, 2020

Our House

When we tell people that we sold our house and are traveling, we often hear, “I’m jealous!” Well, the reality of living in a 60 square foot travel trailer isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. The truck and trailer get messy. Belongings become cluttered. Things get muddy. Bugs are constant companions. High humidity and pollen are impossible to escape. Campground bathrooms and showers range in cleanliness from a Mr. Clean commercial sparkling clean to an old convenience store ‘pee-key required’ dirty. Frustration happens. However, in spite of these inconveniences, we are enjoying our life on the road. While we could return to the KC area and rent an apartment anytime, we aren’t ready to quit yet. We feel God’s peace that we are supposed to be on this journey. We aren’t sure yet what He is teaching us or how He is using us to impact others, but we know He has set this season in motion. So until we find land and start the home building process, we are, for the most part, happily Chasing Sonshine.

Lesson Learned: One of our past daily Bible readings included this passage: You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn. Jeremiah 35:7. HMM….Are we being led into exile and an extended time of wandering??!!!! In the meantime, we will wait upon the Lord!