June 1, 2016
Dawson Creek, British Columbia
Mile 0 Alaskan Highway
June 2, 2016
Ft. Nelson, British Columbia
June 3, 2016
Watson Lake, Yukon Territory

June 4, 2016
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
(I still haven't found Sgt. Preston)
Hey there, it's me again.
     When Richard and I first came to Alaska in 1997, the roads were mostly gravel, with construction around every corner.  Dust filled the air when an inconsiderate driver would speed by us, not even bothering to slow down, and add more grease and grime to the vehicles trying to avoid them.  The last time (2013) the roads were wonderful. 
     This time it is 1997 all over again.  I hate to see the bus so dirty that you can't even see the color.  Not so much for me, but Richard's OCD kicks in and darn if he isn't a little testy to live with.  Don't forget we are in a moving vehicle (40'X8') with no where to run and no where to hide.  And, yes, for those who don't know Richard (my husband of over 42 years) he does suffer from OCD, or as I call it SCS (Sheldon Cooper Syndrome). 
     Two things people ask me about our bus is "Do you help wash it?" and "Do you drive it?" Well, no, I don't help wash it.  As for driving the bus, no, I just hold onto the steering wheel and Richard drives from the passenger's seat.  :-)

Along Our Way

     After we left Lincolnton, we made a beeline for Independence, Missouri, to meet up with Jack and Jeannie Dickson, my BFF, extraordinaire.

     Along the way, we stopped at a rest area to have lunch and discovered we were right on the shore of Nickajack Lake.  I’m sure you’ve seen it many times, Lizzy Long, but here’s a picture, just in case.

Nickajack Lake, Tennessee

     We and the Dickson’s arrived at the campground just moments apart.

     Last summer, when Richard and I took three of the grandsons to Key West, I became very interested in our 33^rd President of the United States.  Harry S. Truman spent a lot of his time at the Little White house in Key West.  Other presidents had too, but it has been left just like it was when Truman was in office.

     Since Harry S. Truman’s real home is in Independence, I couldn’t wait to tour it and see if I could pick out the difference in the two places.  The Little White House in the Keys was tropical, light greens, palms. Although, some of the furnishings would appeal to a woman, the poker room was definitely masculine. The Truman Home in Independence was done with mostly dark, polished woods and Victorian décor, which I love.

     The house was built by Bess Wallace Truman's maternal grandfather.  George Porterfield Gates, built the house over a period of years from 1867 to 1885.  After Bess’s father committed suicide, she and her mother and brothers moved in with her grandparents. From the time of their marriage on June 28, 1919, until Harry’s death on December 26, 1972, he and Bess lived in the house.  I was fascinated with the house especially the over-sized piano they had given to their only child Margaret. I think the tour guide said for her eighth birthday.  Margaret was disappointed because she wanted a pony. 

     In the kitchen was a small table placed against the wall, where Harry and Bess sat across from each other to eat breakfast and read one of the many newspapers he would read every day.  On the wallpapered wall, not too far above the table, a lamp, with an on/off chain hanging from it, was mounted.  Right below the lamp, the wallpaper was worn away where Harry would turn the light on to better see his newspapers. I don’t know why that stuck with me so much.  Blame it on the paste.

     We stayed in Independence for about 3 days.  Then we found out there was a heavy metal music fest coming to town over the weekend, expecting 30,000 people.  I used core math I had learned from my grandkids to see how throwing four senior citizens into that mix would affect cantaloupe crops in Guatemala. Using what I could remember of the core math formula, I took a sheet of plain paper and drew all 30,000 boxes, plus three cantaloupe and two stick men and two stick women who looked like members of the ratchet people to explain my calculations.  Within minutes, we packed up and left town, leaving skid marks on the pavement.  Not really sure what happened to the cantaloupes. I’ll leave that for the geniuses who developed the Core system.  LOL

     Before we fled Independence, we visited two other places I’d like to tell you about, but I’m tired and a little punchy, so, I’m going to post this puppy.  Tomorrow night, I’ll tell you about the other two places I really enjoyed.

BTW, do you know what the “S” in Harry S. Truman’s name stood for?

Until later,

Dolores