We left the gorgeous town of Asheville and spent a week traveling to some notable sites on our way to Iowa. The first day, leaving North Carolina, we took mostly back roads and ended up traveling through 3 states that first day (Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri). We picked out some fun events and venues to break the trip up, including taking the shuttle from our campground to a St. Louis Cardinals game across the Mississippi River, and visiting the Mark Twain historical site in Hannibal, MO.
Once we reached our acreage in Iowa on Thursday, April 12, we were tired of moving constantly and anxious to park and stay with an active routine over the next several weeks.
Triplets signing letter of intent
The day after we arrived, we learned that the triplets, Kelsee, Kylee and Gauge, would be signing a formal agreement with their respective coaching staff at each of their universities. Needless to say, there were a lot of proud parents and grandparents.
By Sunday, we woke up to 3” of snow on the ground and felt little desire to venture out of the warmth of our little Airstream!
Snow on the pond
Joe was happy for the wet ground cover, predicting good news for morel mushrooms. John and Joe headed out for several days and managed to bring in a few for Joe and Maiga, and a few for our gnoche pasta.
Joe frying morel mushrooms
Days have been focused on family activities: Joe’s graduation with his Master’s degree, triplets attending senior prom, regional track meets, and finally, high school graduation.
Joe’s graduation
Gauge at Drake Relays
Triplets at graduation
Teresa and Tamara
My sister, Tamara, flew out from Washington state to spend a few days with us, enjoying the grandkids, as she always does. And RVing friends, Gordon and Susie Hilaski stopped at a nearby RV park, and we had some fun showing them around.
After graduation, we treated Joe and Maiga, and her parents, Pam and Tom Mohr, to an evening with Jimmy Buffet, playing at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Jimmy Buffet
Our last week or so, we spent time winding up some family commitments, and generally hiding in air conditioning to avoid the first heat wave to hit the Midwest. On to the mountains of Colorado to visit friends in Boulder, and then to West Yellowstone to rendezvous with friends Marilyn and Steve Holland again.
Teresa Van Haalen Ventures 