We had a fairly short drive day today. Our destination was a favorite mooch docking spot with cousin Julie and Shaun.

An early start

Because we stayed an extra day in Springfield, and because Julie had the day off, we wanted an early start so we could spend as much time as possible with her.

We woke to an alarm. We got up, made coffee, showered, and started packing up. We were just a few minutes late for our planned 8:00 am departure.

No gas required

Because it was a short drive and we started with a full tank, we did’t have to stop for gas on this drive. We did, however, have to stop for a coffee and toilet break. We found parking at a very nice travel stop, I think it was a Casey’s, where we got coffee and breakfast sandwiches.

We also saw the first Amish buggy of this road trip.

A hitch in our giddy-up

We’ve been very impressed with the function of and ease of our B&W Continuum Weight Distribution Hitch. People have asked if the low profile has caused us any trouble. Up until today, the answer was no.

However, the angles of the street and driveway at Julie’s finally provided that trouble. We simple could not get into the driveway without scraping the hitch on the ground. Drat!

We get lucky

I search my iPhone map for campgrounds, and called the closest one. They are pretty full, but luckily we were able to get a site for one night. I called Julie, who was on her way home, to let her know we couldn’t stay with her, and would let her know when we were settled.

The owners (I assume) of Trailside RV Park in Grain Valley, Missouri are really nice, and they have two super friendly dogs that greeted us at the door. Before long we were checked in and set up.

Lunch

We were ready for lunch, and so was Julie so she offered some options and we decided on Culver’s. I’ve always thought of Culver’s as a place for ice cream - well, more accurately, frozen custard. I think I knew they served food, but had never tried it. We ordered butter burgers, which their website says is what made them famous. Maybe frozen dairy treats aren’t everyone’s top priority like they are for me?

The butter part comes from the buttered bun. The meat is fresh, not frozen. The burger is really quite tasty! Their fries are those fat crinkle-cut style that Tony loves and I sometimes don’t even bother to eat. These were cooked well enough that I enjoyed them too. Tony ordered a peanut butter shake and it was really good. I had a (few) cup(s) of the Culver’s root beer. I do love root beer.

After our burger and fries, Julie and I decided we needed dessert so we got mini concrete mixers. That’s what they call their frozen custard with mix-ins. I got salted caramel. What a treat!

A quiet afternoon

After lunch, we headed to Julie’s where we relaxed, played with the dogs Zeus and Goldie, and - naturally - stared at our phones. Julie and I played a game of Hand & Foot. She didn’t skunk me, but she did win. The scorekeeper always wins, somehow!

We talked about upcoming family plans, and we talked about family in general. We talked about the weather. It seems we missed a pretty good rain by staying in Springfield. That rain would have pounded us just as we were trying in vain to park in the driveway. I’m glad that stress turned out less!

Tony took a peek at our new taillight cover, which had arrived at Julie’s house at 5:00 that morning. I had only remembered to order the day before. What a country!

Dinner

Shaun was a really good sport. After working all day and driving home, he came in the house, played with the dogs for a minute, then changed his shirt and was ready to dead out for dinner. Julie had told us their favorite Mexican restaurant was Hacienda Viejo Mexican Grill in Independence. We followed them there, and their son Collin and his girlfriend Makenna met us there. Tony tested the margarita and said it was really good. The server had a hard time hearing and being heard, but we mostly got our orders in without trouble. Shaun and Collin both asked for all rice and they received plates with beans, but another server helped ours get extra rice out to them right away.

We wish Tony had remembered to take a photo of his plate. His standby, chile relleno, made a very pretty presentation with two big rellenos on the plate. My shrimp enchiladas had big, plump shrimp and a superb cheese sauce. We were both very happy with our meals.

Should we do the right thing?

Although we had had a fairly easy day, we both agreed that stopping for groceries and gas didn’t sound like much fun on the way back to camp. We assessed our list, and decided the groceries could certainly wait. And we will find a gas station in the morning either before we hook up, or as we head out. We stared at our phones while our dinners digested, then called it a day.

Different habits

When we are at our sticks and bricks, our normal evening routine is to binge watch a few old TV shows. Currently our line up is House, Young Sheldon, and How I Met Your Mother. I know, Young Sheldon isn’t that old. But we are only on season three of seven, so it counts!

We don’t have a TV in our travel trailer. My evenings are spent looking at Facebook, or playing games on my phone. I currently like the cross-logic puzzles. Tony watches YouTube videos on his iPad.

In the past, camper bedtime meant listening to an old radio show with the podcast Great Detectives of Old-Time Radio Somehow, our bedtime now looks the same as at home: Tony watches TikTok and I read a book on my kindle. Currently I’m reading books by Tony James Slater. I normally don’t like non-fiction, but his stories are so much fun and I really love his writing style. I often laugh right out loud, and often that wakes up my Tony!

I’m also enamored of the series by Jerry Boyd known as the Bob and Nikki series. His books also make me laugh out loud. I think his stories are fiction. Haha. Although Bob and Nikki do live part-time traveling around in a spaceship and part-time in a holler in Missouri. Maybe they aren’t so different from us after all.