This is significant in my family, as odd years are Reunion years. My first conundrum is that Reunions can conflict with attending the Oregon Gathering. In 2007 the scheduling of each event was such that I could not attend both, and had to choose between them. I decided that Blood is thicker than Resin, skipped the Oregon Gathering, and went to the Reunion, that year held in Ardmore, Oklahoma. One feature of my family’s Reunions is that now these events are moving targets, depending upon which family member acts as host.

These reunions remind me of how, when I was a child, our extended family used to spend our summer vacations at Grandma and Grandpa’s 160-acre farm, whose cash crops were peanuts and watermelon. Grandma also raised chickens and sold eggs. In 1961 the state dammed Sugar Creek to build an irrigation reservoir on the eastern boundary of the property, stocking it with fish. Grandpa built and maintained a private road across his fields and charged $1 per carload to use the road, so area residents could swim and fish in the lake and hunt in the woods. My best friend in 3rd grade had a Grandpa who owned a Cabin Cruiser. But MY Grandpa “Owned” a whole Lake!

It is because of my family Reunions that I own a Fiberglass Travel Trailer in the first place. “The Family” consists of the descendants of John and Ina Belle Teeman, of Lookeba, Oklahoma. After my maternal Grandpa John’s funeral in 1984, it was stated: “Let’s not wait for another funeral to get everybody together again.” It took a while to get the plan going, but in July of 1987 the 1st biannual family reunion was held.

After a circuit of staging these reunions in overcrowded family member’s homes, we decided to rent the group camp at Roman Nose State Park every other year. It’s proximity to the family farm made an ideal location while Grandma was alive. But the group Camp’s accommodations, while affordable, were less than luxurious. For the last 2 reunions held at Roman Nose, Robert and I pitched a tent, while my older brother retreated with his family to the Resort Hotel. I plotted to buy a Travel Trailer.

After Grandma died, and the farm was sold, the venue began to rotate amongst younger generation hosts. The Family decided to upgrade the accommodations to “Vacation Condos” to make older participants more comfortable. To keep costs down, rooms would be shared by up to 4 persons. I bought the Compact Jr. as an excuse for Robert and I to have an affordable private room nearby to the main venue.

The 1st reunion with the Compact Jr. was at The Lake Of The Ozarks, in Missouri. Two years later the reunion was held in Hot Springs, Arkansas. After that I discovered Fiberglass RV. In 2005, we were encouraged by new friends on this website to attend The Oregon Gathering. But the Family Reunion was scheduled for the preceding weekend at Oneida Lake, New York! What would I do? I wanted to go to both!

I decided to reach for the brass ring, and my “Long, Long Trailer Trip” of 2005 was born. We would leave San Diego, CA and go to Oneida Lake, NY spending 3 days there. Then we would leave Oneida Lake, NY and go to Bandon, OR for 2 days. Finally we would return to San Diego, a mere 16 days after our departure from the starting gate!
I “Blogged” about the trip then here on this website. (That thread was lost when this website was hacked later that year.) People jumped in with suggestions on what online mapping services to use, and what were good places to stay along our route. A couple of people invited Robert and I to stop and visit on our way through. We bought our first digital camera, and I had my first laptop, and I thought I’d update the “blog” along the way.

And we were off! And things went wrong right away! But we muddled through and I updated the blog every few days, and we met wonderful people. We even had a “Fred and Robert sighting report” when someone on the way to the Oregon Gathering saw us going in the wrong direction. I had great stories to tell of our disasters along the way when we finally got to the Oregon Gathering.

Well, another odd year is upon us. The Family Reunion will be at a hotel in Saint Louis, Missouri this July. My family knows how committed I am to Weighing Trailers at the Oregon Gathering, which I will gladly do again this year. After some negotiations, the Reunion is scheduled for the weekend after the Oregon Gathering, so Robert and I will Revisit our “Long, Long Trailer Trip” in the opposite order of how we did it 4 years ago. We are also scheduling 3 weeks/4 weekends or a total 23 days away from my job for the round trip.

Click to view attachment
The 1st leg of the trip will take us north, from San Diego, to an overnight stay near Stockton, CA

Click to view attachment
The 2nd leg of the trip will have us spending time with Robert's Sister.

Click to view attachment
And then we will arrive at the Oregon Gathering on Tuesday, July 14th.

Sunday, July 19th Click to view attachment
After we leave the Oregon Gathering, we will stay with Robert's Brother in Portland.

Monday Click to view attachment

Tuesday Click to view attachment

Wednesday Click to view attachment

Thursday Click to view attachment

Click to view attachmentFriday

I expect it will take 5 days, at around 450 miles per day to make it to the Family Reunion.

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

And I expect to take 4 days to get home after the reunion.

Does anyone have any suggestions for different routing?
Should I go through Kansas instead of Nebraska?
Keeping in Mind we want to get 450 miles down the road each day, is there a better way?

Sorry, I have nothing constructive to contribute, I just had a cartoon image of some poor Schmoe looking down two very bleak, very flat roads, while scratching his head.

Even though it likely wasn't your intent, I thank you kindly for the hearty laugh.

I live in Kansas and have been through both states. I would have to say that the eastern side of Kansas beats the state of Nebraska. The western side of Kansas stinks but the WHOLE state of Nebraska stinks as far as scenery. By the way, where is your stop in Missouri? I'm looking for some nice close spots to try our new camper out.

Last time we drove that stretch of Nebraska, several years ago, it was rough. Fred drove a cement truck pouring the original interstate in college, wonder how many times they improved it since then. I would tend to recommend the Kansas route to you. However we may drive that Nebr stretch again this March so I will be able to report to you at the Oregon Gathering how it was.

Haven't been in western Kansas, but we felt a lot different when we left Nebraska and hit Kansas going north/south on secondary roads in the eastern half last November. We were born in Nebraska and it was a strange feeling to like Kansas better. While driving along I was wondering about the sociological reasons for the nicer feel of Kansas.

Nancy

You might get more suggestions if this was in another place than Oregon Gathering.

Just a thought.

Nancy

Good Idea.

I have experience with bleak, flat roads... I-40 across New Mexico & Texas, for example...
We have taken the Nebraska route on previous trips; traveling in both directions. Rand McNally online recommends that route as being quicker. Kansas, OTOH remains blank on my trailer's map.

The one I've labled "Camp5"?
Link: It's a KOA

This past summer we traveled from Oregon through Colorado, Wyoming to the border of Kansas/Missouri. We found the travel through Kansas to be more interesting and faster than the Nebraska route. The western part of Kansas was flat but not altogether uninteresting. The road was wide, traffic flowed smoothly and it gave us some stress-free miles. The route became more beautiful from mid Kansas on east. We then found a gold mine of a camp just outside of Lawrence, Kansas at Clinton Lake Park. It has many acres and is a natural wildlife preserve. We saw many birds, including pelicans and bluebirds. At night we heard coyotes and the campground was not crowded. It had easy access and was easy to find. I would highly recommend considering it as a stop.

Don't worry, it will even out next year.

From camp two I see that you are going south. Why not take a couple of days and detour through Yellowstone and then head south?

Frederick -

Where abouts in the "near Stockton" area????

I think Colorado and Kansas are feeling left out on your trailer's map. They might start developing a complex...

I vote dip down into Colorado, take the toll loop around Denver till you get to the interstate then left into Kansas.

Link: Dos Reis County Park

Robert and I stayed there last year on our way to the Oregon Gathering.

Shhhh! Robert will hear you. You'll give him ideas...

We actually have a strict time budget... and the Family Reunion starts at 2:00 PM on Friday the 24th. I'm leaving The Oregon Gathering early Sunday Morning on the 19th to make into Portland so we get to spend a few hours with His Brother's family. Then We leave Portland early Monday morning.

Time will be against us as we drive east, crossing 2 time zones and loosing 1 hour each time.

I trust, Frederick, that a trip detour through Iowa again is out of the question?

Have a great trip!

Rog

Ah Roger... so near and yet so far.

Heard of it, never been there. BUT - thanx for the link... GREAT place to take the G'kids for a weekend. And nice & EZ access to I-5.

I think so too. I like your idea.

Click to view attachment Monday, July 20 (same as before)

Click to view attachment Tuesday, July 21 (same as before)

Wednesday, July 22 Click to view attachment

Thursday, July 23 Click to view attachment

Thursday afternoon Click to view attachment

Gee TOTO, if we ARE in Kansas, we've got to see The OZ MUSEUM

Friday, July 24 Click to view attachment

Make it to the Reunion on time!

I think on your way home you need to get off the 40 at Holbrook, AZ and drop down into Clay Springs.

I know a nice RV Park there.. but they tell me the manager is a pain

Fred

I think you may still have my number?
Call me.

I have just spotted this thread and I have made this journey several times.

I go through the part of Kansas you are looking at each summer on the way to the Colorado Mountains where we have a small cabin.
I have some definate recomendations/warnings about it.

Also I will expect to at least get enough "Face Time" with you guys to meet in person and shake hands if not "Driveway Time" to which you are certainly welcome.

Sounds like an adventure for sure!

Ed

OK. New route home:
Click to view attachment Monday, July 27 (same as before)
Click to view attachment Tuesday, July 28 (same as before)
Wednesday, July 29 Click to view attachment Visit Clay Springs, stay a day...
Friday, July 31 Click to view attachment Stop in Palm Springs
Click to view attachment Saturday, August 1 Home!

T-minus 2 days to launch!

I'm anxious to hear your feedback on the route you take. I am debating whether to go back to San Diego (from Indy) by way of Kansas, Colorado, N.Mex then AZ or to go Missouri, OK, TX, NM, AZ (like your return trip). I took the Kansas route in 2007 to get here. I prefer KS to Nebraska, in my experience. Western KS and Eastern CO were indistinguishable, but didn't last as long as Nebraska. I am wondering if the Texas midlands will be an even longer time to go through flat, treeless, dry landscape with only an occasional oil derrick or feedlot to add to the ambience.

I had friends the bicycled across the states (Oregon to D.C.) in the 80s.

They called Nebraska the "Dead Animal by the side of the road" state.

I have driven from San Diego-to-Phoenix-to-Flagstaff-to-Albuquerque-to-Amarillo-to-OK City-to-Tulsa-to-Springfield-to-St. Louis SO many times! I have to warn you that the "Texas Midlands" last from Albuquerque to the Oklahoma State Line. Makes me wish I had Auto-Pilot, not just Cruise-Control.

I can't offer any route suggestions but I just wanted to wish you a safe, enjoyable trip! I would love to take a long trip with our Scamp but work limits our travel time. I hope you'll share your adventures with us along the way!
Sandra

I decided to continue this story in a new thread:

The Long, Long Trailer Trip: 2009 edition