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The last stop in Wisconsin before crossing the Mississippi River into Minnesota was a U. S. Army Corps of Engineers campsite at Highland Ridge overlooking the sparkling Eau Galle Reservoir located in Spring Valley, in western Wisconsin. Highland Ridge has 46 campsites (35 with electric) including 8 walk-in tent sites. We booked a site in the Equestrian Loop with 10 electric campsites up on the hill with a clear view of the sky for our Starlink antenna. Our plan was to explore this area for two days. The Camp Host here gave us some recommendations of where to go and one of them included Burnett Dairy Cooperative, a farmer-owned cooperative based near Grantsburg, Wisconsin. The local store is called Cady Cheese Store. Founded in 1896, they are one of the few remaining full-service cooperatives producing cheese today. We had a great lunch at Peg's Pleasant View Cafe in Wilson. She was there by herself and made a salad for Karen and a bacon/cheeseburger for me. From there we drove east on Hwy 12 to Menomonie for some ice cream at a classic called C&J's Candy Store & Scoop Shoppe on Main Street. The shop had an extensive array of sweets located in multiple rooms and a delicious Madagascar Chocolate ice cream flavor we just had to try. Our last stop before leaving was to get some donuts at the Spring Valley Bakery. The camp host had told us that they had some of the best donuts he had ever had, so we just had to give them a try. Even Karen, the non-donut member of the family, liked them! On Thursday, May 28 it was back on the road again to Bunker Hills Campground in Coon Rapids, MN. Beautiful facilities with a golf course and waterpark nearby. Great bike trails throughout the park. The only down side for most will be the need to purchase a a daily park pass for $6 per day or $30 for an annual pass. It is not included in your campsite fee. When I told them I was a disabled veteran however, they provided me a complimentary annual pass for all their parks. Our primary reason for this destination was to visit our dear friends, George and Donna Snow. Minnesota's official main nickname is The North Star State. This moniker is derived from the state motto, "L'Etoile du Nord," which is French for "Star of the North". However, it is also widely known by a couple of other highly popular monikers, including Land of 10,000 Lakes and The Gopher State. This is their floor plan except reversed with the living room on the right. George and Donna have been our spiritual mentors for years. They are a wonderful Christian couple we knew back in California. They had recently moved to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to an independent living community near their daughter's family. They are an amazing 90+ years young and we wanted to see them and their new home. We met them for brunch at Covenant Living of Golden Valley. and got to see their apartment on the sixth floor. There we visited and met their cat, "Sweetie". On Saturday, the next day, they visited us at our campsite for lunch before attending their great-granddaughter's softball game. It was so wonderful to see them again and reconnect. It's our hope to see them again on our return trip through Minneapolis after our RVICS camp project in North Dakota. Sunday, we departed the campground and drove to the Calvary Chapel Twin Cities to participate in fellowship. Pastor Mike Fernandez taught from Romans 8:29-31. We enjoyed the teaching and fellowship before driving on to Gull Lake Recreation Area in Brainerd, MN. Narrow driveways open into large graded campsite with plenty of privacy. This U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campground is part of the Mississippi River Headwaters - Gull Lake Recreation Area is situated on the Gull River at the outlet of Gull Lake. This recreation area is located 10 miles northwest of Brainerd, MN. The Gull Lake Dam is located on the Gull River about one-half mile below the outlet of Gull Lake. It was put into service in 1912, the last of the Headwaters reservoir dams constructed. Gull Lake Recreation Area draws RVers with its spacious, private sites surrounded by tall trees and a scenic, wooded atmosphere. Many comment on the clean, well-kept restrooms and showers, alongside consistently well-maintained grounds. The campground offers electric hookups, a dump station, and is a peaceful spot with solid fishing right by the water. RVers highlight how conveniently it sits near Baxter and Brainerd. Some mention mosquitoes, which we didn't have, and daytime construction noise on the east side, along with bright security lights in certain spots and tight interior roads, especially for larger rigs. Despite these points, the combination of natural beauty, friendly staff, and easy access to local amenities makes this spot a favorite in the area. We had camped here on June 2, 2025, on our way to Cooperstown Bible Camp last year, so we knew about the campground. No problem at $16 a night with the America the Beautiful Pass. We stayed here two days and explored about ten miles of the extensive trail system outside the campground on our E-bikes. On Tuesday, June 2nd we drove on to Fargo, North Dakota for one night. We had originaly booked the Harvest Host at the Fargo Air Museum but the set up there wasn't the best. We drove to a favorite Mexican restaurant called Plaza Azteca to get an early dinner and talk about other options. Karen had scheduled a dental appointment for the next morning on the opposite side of town, so she called the nearby Costco and asked if we could overnight in their large parking lot. Much to my surprise they gave us the okay. So after dinner we drove over to the Costco and found a perfect location in a far off corner of the parking lot for the night. Unfortunately I discovered a chip in one of my upper molars that I needed to have checked out, so we both saw the dentist. Karen got a dental cleaning that she was overdue for and I decided, after hearing the price of their treatment, to delay doing anything until we get back to Texas. We got on the road for Cooperstown Bible Camp by 2:30 PM.

Our next planned state to visit this year was Wisconsin. For the next 13 days we will explore the 'Land of Cheese'. After departing the Great Lakes Naval Station we traveled north to a Fond Du Lac County Park on the east shore of Lake Winnebago. Winnebago is originally an Indigenous Siouan-speaking tribe native to Wisconsin and Nebraska. The name itself stems from an Algonkian/Fox term loosely translating to "people of the dirty water" (referring to the fish-clogged waters of the Fox River). Upon the first view of this massive lake we could understand the name. From a distance we thought we were looking at land, not water, and once we arrived at the 19-acre Columbia Park we were greeted by a seasonal pest and most unwelcome occupant; lake flies. Lake flies (chironomid midges) swarm around Lake Winnebago in massive hatches. While harmless—they do not bite or sting—they are considered an annoying nuisance because they coat homes, vehicles, and sidewalks. They typically last only for a few weeks starting around Mother's Day. When they emerge to create mating swarms, adults live for only 3 – 11 days. Since they do not have functional mouth parts, the adults do not bite or even eat! The location and size of swarms are highly dependent on the wind, and are often concentrated in areas that contrast with the background. We had no idea we booked this RV site during the annual swarm so we asked the RV Host if we could cancel and change to another county park in their system. They were very understanding and helped us arrange a change to Waupun County Park instead. Thank goodness they were able to accommodate us and arrange this other location. Waupun County Park is the second largest county park at 103 acres. The park contains a wooded public campground with 38 single sites as well as a group area. Campground amenities include electrical hookups at each site, campground restrooms and showers and a dump station. Other facilities include playground equipment, two open-air picnic shelters, one enclosed shelter, and a disc golf course. When we arrived on Wednesday, May 13 there were only four other campers in the park. We were located in a pull through site with 50Amp service in the back loop with privacy and quiet for the next 5 days AND NO LAKE FLIES! While in the area I contacted Great Lakes District - Western Region of the Coast Guard, Flotilla 47-01 in Fond Du Lac and met their Vice Flotilla Commander Bob Parish. We got together for coffee and talked about their unit and if I could help out while in their neighborhood. He told me that they had a vessel examination event on Saturday, May 16 to kick off National Safe Boating Week in Manitowoc and I could join them. While I was doing Coast Guard vessel exams at the marina Karen went swimming at the YMCA, checked out the farmers market and looked for thrift stores. I enjoyed our time in Waupun so much I booked another 7 days for later in July to return for the annual Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture event. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 runs from July 20 to 26, 2026, at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Located just about an hour's drive north of Beaver Dam, this massive, week-long convention features daily air shows, night air displays, aircraft exhibitions, and thousands of show planes. We are looking into volunteering during the event in Oshkosh. We had to get into the right cheese sampling mode and tried on the Cheesehead attire. On Tuesday, May 19 we packed up the rig and started a journey on to Sheboygan, WI. En route we stopped in the Cheese Capital of the World; Plymouth, WI to try some of their special cheeses. It’s true! More than 14% of the cheese consumed in the United States goes through Plymouth, Wisconsin in Sheboygan County. Cheese makers began popping up in and around the young city in the mid 19th century and in 1918 Plymouth was the location of the National Cheese Exchange, which set the commodity price of bulk cheese, a pretty big deal in the state known for its dairy products. Today it is home to some of the biggest cheese brands: Sargento, Sartori, Masters Gallery and Great Lakes Cheese. Our reservation was at Kohler-Andrae State Park in Sheboygan. The camping fee was expensive for non-residents and after paying for your campsite they tack on an additional "park pass". Our two nights here was $153 total for electric only. Kohler-Andrae State Park in Sheboygan is the home of majestic sand dunes, miles of golden beaches, shimmering blue Lake Michigan water, whispering pines, an abundance of wildlife and recreational activities. It was fun to explore the bike trails throughout the park. Another stunning view of Lake Michigan. We drove in to explore the city of Sheboygan and found the Blue Harbor Resort located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Sheboygan River on the C. Reiss Coal Peninsula. The peninsula had formerly been used for coal storage. The property was razed and was developed into the South Pier District. This beautiful resort was built by Madison-based Great Wolf Resorts and the 182-room resort opened in 2004. We ended up walking across the street to the Eb' n' Flo coffee house along the marina. We found an excellent latte and scone! We strolled into the main lobby to check it out. Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is a vibrant industrial and recreational hub located on the shores of Lake Michigan, roughly 50 miles north of Milwaukee. Known as the "Malibu of the Midwest" for its freshwater surfing and the "Bratwurst Capital of the World," the city combines scenic beaches with a rich manufacturing and immigrant heritage. Two recommendation on the RV LIFE Trip Wizard suggested we patronize the Parkside Restaurant nearby the campground. We did and had incredibly friendly service, reasonably priced and tasty fresh food. We also checked out Miesfeld Meat Market. Miesfeld’s Triangle Market is a family-owned and operated meat market located in Sheboygan, Wisconsin since 1941. It's the home of Award-Winning Bratwurst with over 25 unique flavors, including their award-winning Grand Champion bratwurst. We purchased some, of course, along with other unique meat products including Braunschweiger with horseradish. Braunschweiger is a type of smoked, spreadable liver sausage originating from Braunschweig, Germany, made from pork liver, pork trim, and seasonings, often with a smooth, pâté-like texture. In the U.S., it's a popular deli meat, commonly served sliced on sandwiches with mustard and pickles, spread on crackers, or used in dips and pâtés, and is a good source of iron, vitamin A, and protein. After 2 days in Sheboygan we journeyed south of Milwaukee to Cliffside County Park in Racine. This lovely campground was a bargain at $87 for the two night stay. It is conveniently located between Milwaukee and Chicago. Access to Lake Michigan is less than 20 minutes away. This area had an extensive bike trail parallel to the railroad line all the way into Racine so riding our bikes became the way to get around. Racine, Wisconsin is primarily known as the Kringle capital of the world, a major industrial manufacturing hub, and the home of stunning Lake Michigan beaches. Located just 30 miles south of Milwaukee, it boasts a rich history of famous inventions and architectural landmarks. Kringle is a rich, flaky, Danish pastry made from 36 layers of buttery dough, filled with fruit or nuts, and often shaped into an oval or ring and topped with icing. Originating in Northern Europe, it became a Wisconsin tradition after Danish immigrants settled in Racine, which is now known as the "Kringle Capital" and officially designated it as the state pastry. Popular fillings include almond, raspberry, pecan, and cream cheese. On Friday, May 22 we returned north to the Wisconsin State Fair RV Park in Milwaukee for a three day stay. After arriving and setting up we once again took our bikes off and rode the Hank Aaron bike trail all the way into Milwaukee. We rode by American Family Field, a retractable-roof stadium where the Milwaukee Brewers play their home games. From there we continued on to the Harley-Davidson Museum near the downtown. The entire trip was about 14 miles total by the time we returned to the RV. We walked across the street from the State Fairgrounds to eat at Liquid Johnnys and find out about their shuttle service to the ballpark. Just buy a meal and a drink and they give you a wrist band to take the shuttle to the game. So after lunch and a nap we returned for the 5 o'clock shuttle to see the Dodger/Brewers game with our tickets from Vet Tix. For those who don't know, Vet Tix provides tickets to events which reduce stress, strengthen family bonds, build life-long memories and encourage service members and veterans to stay engaged with local communities and American life. They support our troops by honoring their service and providing positive family and life experiences, during and after their years of service to our country. The shuttle from Liquid Johnnys dropped us off by the home plate gate. Vet Tix provides tickets to all branches of currently-serving Military and Veterans, including immediate family of troops KIA. Vet Tix secures tickets to sporting events, concerts, performing arts, educational and family activities across the nation. VetTixers sign up online and their service is verified. VetTixers request tickets to events that interest them, then pay a small delivery fee to receive their free tickets. Our tickets for the game cost us $18 for the third party fee. The Dodgers won the game 11-3. Our last day at the fairgrounds was Sunday and we spent the morning attending Calvary Chapel in Milwaukee before enjoying brunch in a downtown neighborhood restaurant. The rest of the day was spent driving the shoreline to see the Veteran Day flag exhibit in the local park, getting more fuel for the truck and grocery shopping at Aldi's before returning to the RV to chill. Monday morning we loaded up the rig and started northwest toward Wisconsin Dells. Wisconsin Dells is globally famous as the "Waterpark Capital of the World", boasting the highest concentration of indoor and outdoor waterparks anywhere. Beyond the mega-resorts and 200+ waterslides, it is uniquely celebrated for its ancient, glacier-carved sandstone gorges and rich Midwestern resort history. We were only there for one day so we opted to just check out the area for a future trip then stayed overnight at a Harvest Host. Fawn Creek Winery is nestled just north of the Dells in the peaceful forests of Dell Prairie, We booked our stay and spent the afternoon upon our arrival unwinding, sipping, and savoring their selection of wines. We have found many beautiful places in Wisconsin!

We used our Tuesday, May 4 one day stay at Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park as a waypoint to get our pass and ID credentials for Naval Station Great Lakes access. We moved on Wednesday, May 6 to the Great Lakes Naval Base RV campground. This RV venue offers small, electric-only sites with impressive lake views and quick access to walking trails and the Metra train, making visits to Chicago a breeze. RV reviewers of this Naval Base campground frequently mention issues with site upkeep, muddy spots after rain, and a campground that's impacted by many long-term, active duty residents. While the waterfront scenery draws positive remarks, some RVers express that the park could benefit from improved maintenance and attention for transient guests like ourselves. We found this to be the case but our strategy was to stay at this location for the convenience to Chicago and the security of a military base not necessarily the amenities in the RV park. Thursday, May 6 was our first trip into Chicago. We boarded the Metra train at the Great Lakes station and took it from zone 4 into zone 2 for a mere $3.75 each! After exiting the train we walked to the RED line elevated subway station to catch the "L" to the Addison station for the Wrigley Field stop. We had Cub's tickets for the afternoon game against the Cincinnati Reds. We arrived at the field early enough to have lunch across the street at Swift Tavern. We had a delicious trademark Chicago Italian roast beef sandwich and roasted Brussel Sprouts with a balsamic vinegar glaze. This was a wonderful meal close to the action and a definite do-over when we come back to Wrigley Field. After lunch we walked around "Wrigleyville" to get the local flavor before entering the ballpark. After seeing this historic baseball venue firsthand, I now understand why it is so venerated and beloved. It is indeed a magical place, like Fenway is in Boston, but I honestly liked Wrigley Field better. The facilities are spotless and best of all our $19 seats in section 327 row 3 were amazing. I can't believe how close to the field we were on the second deck. Since the Dodgers were not playing it only made sense to cheer on the home team. So we were Cubbies for the day and it must have contributed to their fortunes that afternoon because they won! It was a great experience overall and I have a new favorite ballpark after this game. I would love to come back and see the Dodgers play here next. Our trip back to Great Lakes from Wrigley was a public transportation adventure. Turns out that around 2:30 that afternoon the Metra train hit a flatbed semi-truck at a crossing and all the northbound and southbound trains were canceled. So after the game we took the RED line to Howard where we connected to the PURPLE line to the Davis Station located in downtown Evanston; this is a major transit hub (serving both the CTA and Metra Union Pacific North Line) and is a quick 15-minute walk to the Weber Arch and central campus of Northwestern University. We had time to kill and it was the dinner hour, so we walked to Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, a famous location known for their Chicago-style deep dish pizza. This type of pizza takes 30 to 40 minutes to cook and we definitely had the time, so we decided to give it a try. We ordered a medium (too big) and only could eat three slices. I enjoyed it but Karen was not as crazy about it. After dinner we boxed up the leftovers and started walking to the Metra station to see if the trains were running again. We were able to gift our leftover pizza to a lady on the street who was hungry. Unfortunately no trains yet, so we resorted to taking the CTA bus as far north as we could go which was Highland Park. We drove by the train/truck accident site and were eventually able to catch the Metra train back to Great Lakes station. The experience we gained using the Metra and CTA services made us confident in using the public transportation services available in Chicago. We were impressed with the cleanliness, efficiency and economy of their system. We purchased an all-day CTA pass for the L and buses for only $5 per person. This made coming into Chicago easy and inexpensive. Friday we had to drop off Karen's E-bike for some much needed repairs. We found Carlos, an independent bike shop owner in Johnsburg, IL. This was a bit of a drive from Great Lakes but he could repair her tire, replace the brake pads and install a new gear shift controller. Our next trip into the city was on May 9th; we missed the 9:37 AM Metra train and drove into Evanston to take the northern most PURPLE line/RED line combination into the city this time to the Grand Street station. From there we walked to Yolk's restaurant for breakfast then to the Navy Pier on Lake Michigan to see the skyline. We took a bus back into downtown to see the Chicago river and the many drawbridges that cross it. The architecture along the river is stunning so walked along the river-walk on the south bank to get another perspective before returning to the train for our return trip to the Linden station at the end of the PURPLE line. The view looking toward the downtown from Navy Pier. One of the many tourist boats on the Chicago River. We decided to come back on Monday and take a water taxi to Chicago's Chinatown. We left early because we had made dinner plans with my cousin Lisa Scarpelli and her husband Ray at their home in Libertyville. Lisa and I have been trying to get together since we arrived in the area and tonight we were finally able to make it happen! I have been praying for an opportunity to spend time with this side of my family and we were able to be joined by their son, Ray and his wife Gabby who came over later for dessert. We talked until almost 11 PM telling family stories. It was a joy to finally get together and make this heart connection. I hope it happens again soon. A wonderful event years in the making... dinner with the Scarpelli Clan! On Sunday we found a local Christian fellowship to attend and rested up from the extensive days of walking. On Monday we once again ventured into Chicago on the Metra Train and RED line to Grand Street but his time walked south to the Trump Tower on the river to catch the water taxi to Chinatown. I think we traveled under a dozen bridges before we arrived at the Chinatown dock. From there walked to one of the local Ramen noodle restaurant. The weather has been on the chilly side, so soup was the perfect meal for the afternoon. This was the Chinatown dockside structure where the water taxi dropped off all the passengers.. In the Chinese zodiac, the Snake is the sixth sign, symbolizing wisdom, intuition, and transformation. People born under this sign are known for their sharp intellect, strategic thinking, and calm, composed nature. Tuesday was the day we picked up Karen's E-bike and Carlos did a great job getting her back in the saddle again. On the way back to Great Lakes we stopped by Ray Chevrolet/RAM dealership to see both Ray Scarpellis; father and son. The younger Ray gave us a tour of their dealership and we eventually hooked up with his dad. They have a very impressive operation in Fox Lake, IL and they are both very proud of the their business reputation. It was great to see them both and get in a quick visit. It was back to the naval station for the rest of the afternoon to begin the process of getting ready for our Wednesday morning, May 13th departure for Wisconsin. The week went by much too quickly and I'm hoping we return to the area one more time before we head south. Chicago is a wonderful place to visit and I still need to see a White Sox game on my journey to visit all 30 ballparks.

After arrival at our campsite at Indian Point on Monday we had to make a quick turnaround and drive into Springfield, Missouri. I had an audiology appointment at 3:45 PM to be evaluated for service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus. The VA was able to set it up while we were on the road. Following that appointment we had dinner with our son-in-laws parents, Tim and Diana Edgington who live in nearby Nixa, MO. On Tuesday we had lunch at the The Keeter Center, where they offer a unique farm-to-table dining experience at Dobyns Dining Room. For over 100 years, work and agriculture, as well as education, have been important at College of the Ozarks®. From its humble farm beginnings and early canning operations to today's student-run farms and Student-Made Products, "Hard Work U"®, as the College is known, continues to serve the Ozarks in many ways. From there we enjoyed another Sight and Sound production at their theater. Two years ago we experienced the musical production of ESTHER and this year we had tickets for DAVID. With original music inspired by the Psalms, DAVID is a state-of-the-art theatrical experience for the whole family. We witnessed one of the most legendary Bible stories as it came to life with spectacular special effects, massive sets, and live animals in this original stage production. This was our third Sight and Sound live production and we were not disappointed. It was simply amazing and inspirational! For our last day in Branson we decided to embark on an unforgettable journey aboard the Showboat Branson Belle for an afternoon cruise and experienced a day filled with excitement, entertainment, relaxation, and delicious dining. We set sail on the open, pristine waters of Table Rock Lake and immersed ourselves in a world of live music, dancing, comedy, magic, and a scrumptious 3-course meal! Thursday, April 30 was our departure day so we got on the road and traveled 284 miles to Triangle H Farm in Edwardsville, Illinois. This Havest Host venue is a horse farm and riding facility just across the border from St. Loius, Missouri where we planned on using it as our base for the next two nights. We had booked tickets for a baseball game at Busch Stadium on Friday, May 1st to see the Dodgers play the Cardinals on my birthday. Prior to the game we went to lunch in the city section of St.Louis known at "The Hill" This is the Italian neighborhood in the city and is famous for their restaurants. We had to try the Toasted Ravioli that you dip in marinara sauce. They were okay but not a do over. Busch Stadium was my 19th Major League ballpark as I journey to visit all 30. We thought about going back into St. Louis on Saturday but I have been concerned about one of the tires on the RV for the last couple of hundred miles. The front passenger side tire has been wearing very unevenly for some time now. So much so that the outside thread was nearly gone. We have been buying all our tires at the Discount Tire chain the entire time we have been on the road and have always purchased their tire warranty with each purchase in the past. We were hoping the warranty might apply to this situation. So instead of heading back into St. Louis, I found a Discount Tire dealer farther north on our route in Springfield, Illinois that could accommodate us that day. It took all day to get the tire replaced but it was covered by the dealership. We just had to cover the cost of the warranty on our new replacement tire. With the tire issue solved we called a church in Bloomington, IL, about an hour up the road on our route, to get some information about church services on Sunday. Our plan was to stay in the Cracker Barrel restaurant parking lot in Bloomington on Saturday night and attend the church service in the morning. Turns out the pastor offered us the convenience of parking at the church overnight. So we drove to New Life Fellowship instead of the Cracker Barrel for the night. That was a blessing! Sunday morning we fellowshipped with the folks at New Life, shared about the RVICS ministry we are part of and made some new friends. From the church we continued a mere 42 miles on to Pontiac, Illinois, home of the Route 66 Museum. We were staying at the City of Pontiac Golf Course for the night and rode our bikes into the town for dinner at Bob and Ringo's Tavern. Karen walking out of the restaurant with leftover ribs and coleslaw for later. We left late Monday morning on May 4 for Naperville, IL, just west of Chicago and stayed overnight at the Cracker Barrel restaurant. My plan was to avoid downtown Chicago and stay west of the city. On Tuesday morning we left after breakfast traveling through two different waypoints. First was the Walmart Supercenter in Streamwood, IL then on to the Costco in Lake Zurich before eventually arriving at Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park in Zion, IL. We had the paved 50 Amp section to ourselves just a short walk to Lake Michigan. Illinois Beach State Park—stretching 6.5 miles along the sandy shore of Lake Michigan in northern Illinois—offers a full range of recreation opportunities at one of the most unique and beautiful natural settings in America. Illinois Beach is the only remaining beach ridge shoreline left in the state, with dunes and swales, sprawling marshes, forests of oak, and vast arrays of animal life and vegetation.

Our next RVICS project is in June. We have time to travel the next month and a half on our way to North Dakota. So we left Colorado behind us and drove to Kansas stopping first at the Sugar Hill Golf Course in Goodland for one night. This is a Harvest Host venue and we thought about playing a round of golf but there was a high school junior varsity golf tournament the day we arrived so we passed up the opportunity and made a $30 donation. We encountered more wind driving this leg east and had to stop more often for fuel. Wednesday, April 22 we drove just west of Hays, Kansas to stay with Tom and Shelley Stafford. They were on our RVICS team at Zephyr Christian Camp back in February and insisted we stay on their property. We enjoyed getting a tour and seeing their ministry "Bethesda Place" which is now operated by their daughter Amanda and son-in-law Jared. Bethesda Place is currently the home of six talented men who have spent years living, working, playing, and praying together. The residents and staff of Bethesda Place lead a meaningful life together as they grow trees for local landscaping development, plant and tend gardens to nourish themselves and others, and have created an inspirational community in which “two is better than one.” Together they overcome each of their unique challenges. Tom and Shelley Stafford, the founders, were both raised in rural Kansas communities and are graduates of Fort Hays State University. While working at a local group home during college they realized they had a passion to see the lives of individuals with disabilities improved through both a meaningful vocation and a secure family environment. In 1979, while Shelley was working as a Special Education teacher and Tom taught Industrial Arts, they accepted the first resident into their private home. With the ongoing support of their family and friends, they were able to welcome more residents year after year. As Tom says, “It is not as if we said, ‘we hereby dedicate the next thirty years of our life to this mission.’ Rather, it was a matter of day after day saying, ‘OK, let’s try this, let’s try this’…until eventually one day we looked around and said, ‘I guess this is what we are doing with our lives.’” They entered semi-retirement in 2013 and now live in their home only minutes from Bethesda. They enjoy working at Bethesda seasonally and every Sunday that they are in town. They continue to impart their wisdom to their children, grandchildren, and incoming staff. Theirs has been a blessed life and they often say, “You can never out give God.” The sky at sunset was ominous with thunder and lightning approaching our location at Bloomington East on Lake Clinton. The next day was Thursday, April 23rd and we traveled on to Bloomington East Park in Lawrence, Kansas. The park is located just west of Clinton Lake, between the Rock Creek and Wakarusa River arms of the lake, and offers several different recreational options. While visiting this U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facility we had to carefully monitor the weather. The forecast was issuing tornado and baseball size hail warnings for the evening, so we keep our TV on the local weather and prayed for the best. We did experience some heavy downpours with thunder and lightning but the serious weather missed us altogether. We got some heavy thunder showers and kept monitoring the tornado weather updates. Friday morning, April 24 was a short 65 mile drive to our next stop at Longview Lake Campground in Lee's Summit, Missouri. En-route we stopped for lunch with Steve and Karin Puleo, old friends from Santa Rosa who recently moved to Kansas to be closer to their adult children and grandkids. After a delicious Mexican restaurant meal and fellowship we continued on to the campground to meet up with John and Janice Lary for our three day camp-out. We had camped there together two years earlier and just picked up right where we left off. We spent the weekend eating meals together, playing cards and sharing stories about our adventures over the past two years. On Saturday afternoon we were joined by Steve and Karin for lunch and on Sunday we drove into Kansas City to attend the Puleo's new fellowship at New Life City Church. John and Janice had the site next door to us at Longview Lake. Sunday afternoon we did have some nice weather before all hell broke loose. By Monday morning, April 27 the weather was once again raining so we departed earlier than usual in an attempt to get ahead of deteriorating conditions. Our next stop was 208 miles southeast near Branson, Missouri. We had booked three night at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Indian Point Campground on Table Rock Lake. This leg of our trip was a mixed bag of gusty winds across Colorado and Kansas with torrential rain, thunder, lightning and the threat of tornadoes and baseball size hail all the way through Missouri.

Our trip to the Caribbean with the kids was a great way to get re-energized. Now back in Smithville, it is time to get ready to leave Texas for an extended period on the road. Our first tasks to accomplish include a number of medical appointment for the two of us. A check up here and there to make sure we are good to go in the physical department. With that out of the way, we said our good-byes to the villagers and departed Smithville. This year-round, family friendly campground accommodates both tents and RVs and has many amenities, such as a playground, restrooms with sinks, flush toilets, and showers, and an activity center. Our first destination is Live Oak Ridge campground located at Belton Lake close by the dam and the city of Belton. Belton Lake was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the construction of Belton Dam in 1954. The 12,300-acre lake is located on the Leon River, just upstream of the confluence of the Leon River and the Little River. Belton Lake is a long, narrow and winding lake with many curves and coves, providing some of the best camping, fishing, and boating in Central Texas. We stayed here two nights and met Al and Marilyn Tumazi, a couple we met on the last cruise who live in the area, for dinner on Friday, April 10. We had a fun visit and dinner together at Luigi's Italian restaurant. What a blessing to make new friends wherever we go. Saturday I was scheduled to assist another Coast Guard Auxiliarist in teaching a Texas boating safety class, but it got got cancelled due to lack of registration. So I met up with Mark Prentice from Flotilla 081-05-07 at his home to talk and get to know one another. Mark is a retired USCG Chief Warrent Officer and has a wealth of knowledge about all topics associated with the Auxiliary in Texas. He will be a valuable resource for me in the future. With the weather expected to deteriorate substantually in the area we packed up in the rain Sunday morning and headed northwest towards our next stop. It would be a long day of driving, about 6 hours to Levelland, Texas in the panhandle. We stopped twice for fuel because of some severe headwinds but eventually arrived at this gem of a stop. One of Levelland's special use parks, this park is reserved for Recreational Vehicles (RVs). The RV Park is located south of Levelland on Highway 385, adjacent to Levelland Municipal Airport and includes seven paved spots with access to water and electricity. The park is for short-term visitors to Levelland to use without cost! Camper spaces are provided free of charge on a first come, first serve basis. This is my review on RV Life, "The city of Levelland's RV campground was level (no joke intended), had water and electric at each site with a dump station available. Be advised, it can get windy here, so we parked our door on the leeward side of our space. There were two large dumpsters for trash. The site is just off the highway into town, so you might experience some road noise. We didn't notice it as a problem. If you're heading either north or south and don't want to drive through Amarillo, Highway 36 is a relaxing drive and you can get everything you need in the smaller towns along the way. Just can't beat the price and the accommodations! We camped at Levelland RV Park in a Fifth Wheel." We drove through Levelland the next morning and that town has everything you might need for the continuing journey. We didn't need to stop so we pressed on for another five hours with a few more fuel stops until we reached Raton Pass Camp & Café, conveniently located off Interstate 25 at the top of Raton Pass between Trinidad, Colorado and Raton, New Mexico. Easy access from either the northbound or southbound lanes is accessed using Exit 460. Crossing into New Mexico we gained a hour entering the Mountain Time Zone. With the rain behind us and traveling downgrade, we hoped to make better fuel mileage than 200 miles on a tank. Diesel was running at between $4.85 and $5.39 a gallon on this leg. Fortunately we are almost to the final destination we booked for a week which was not far from our son, Erik's family, in the Denver, Colorado suburbs.. Located in the Denver metro area and open year-round, Cherry Creek State Park offers visitors a unique chance to enjoy the surrounding prairie with a camping getaway. It has 128 camping sites located on multiple loops at 5,657 feet above sea level. Cherry Creek State Park is a 4,200-acre recreation haven in the Denver metro area for boaters, anglers, campers, bicyclists, equestrians, swimmers, hikers and picnickers alike. Anchored around an 880 surface-acre reservoir, the park offers a natural prairie landscape of gentle, rolling hills and complete outdoor recreation amenities, including camping, picnicking and facilities for group events. They have a saying here in Colorado, "If you don't like the weather, just wait an hour!" On Tuesday, April 14, we arrived at our  pull-thru site #149 o n the Buffalo Loop with plenty of room for our fifth-wheel and the detached truck. This was our base for the next week until Tuesday, April 21. From here we would drive about 35 to 45 minutes to visit Erik, Tori and the grandkids at their home in Thornton. We arrived just in time to help out before Tori left for a trip to Paris, France with her mother and other relatives. Erik really appreciated the help with dinners in the evenings and driving to practices and games the kids have after school and on the weekends. The weather was crazy with 3 inches of snow on Friday, April 17, the very day that Tori was flying out. It worked out for the good because all the practices got cancelled. On Saturday there was still too much snow on the ground so soccer and baseball practices got cancelled. Erik, Mattis and I went to see the Dodgers play the Rockies at Coors Field, Karen, Emery and Arley went to the movies. Sunday, Karen and I took the boys to church and later met Erik and Emery at her soccer match at noon. Monday was our last full day visiting the area. We got to see Mattis play on his baseball team that evening. It was a wonderful, action packed week filled with quality time with our son and grandkids!

We got back from our second RVICS project on Thursday to pack for our upcoming cruise departing on Sunday. Our son Nick and granddaughters, Morgan and Grace were arriving from Sacramento on Saturday night for this week-long Royal Caribbean cruise out of Galveston. Our destinations included two days at sea before our first port of call in Roatan, Honduras, on to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico before returning to Galveston. Our ship was the Allure of the Sea , a 225,282-gross-ton, Oasis-class cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International, accommodating over 6,300 passengers, one of the largest ships in their fleet. She has 17 decks and offers extensive, varied entertainment. Features include a variety of theme Restaurants, Broadway shows, ice skating, and dedicated, themed neighborhoods. Previous reviews often praise the diverse entertainment options, specifically the Broadway-style shows and the unique Central Park area with live plants. We boarded the ship at 1:30 Sunday afternoon and went immediately to our cabins. Karen and I had a balcony cabin on the starboard side of the ship on deck 7. Nick and the girls had their balcony cabin on deck 6 port side. Since our first two days would be at sea, it gave us plenty of time to relax and explore the ship. Karen and I would enjoy a quiet breakfast in the American Icon dining room while Nick and the girl slept in. Karen liked going to the gym and I preferred walking the track around deck 5. At dinner we choose to enjoy the less crowded and more formal seating arrangement at our designated table 701 for the five of us in the dining room called Silk on deck 5. Here we were served by our waiter John and assistant waiter Marvin for the entire week. All our meals were three courses; starter, main and dessert. Morgan loved the cheese rolls served at every meal and I think Grace had a Caesar Salad every night. The dining room food was hot, delicious and served quickly. It is a definite dining improvement over the crazy atmosphere of the Windjammer buffet on deck 16. There was plenty to occupy the time at sea with multiple pools, water slides, Flow Rider wave pool, climbing walls and a 6 story dry slide called the Ultimate Abyss at the stern of the ship. This is the entrance to the Ultimate Abyss slide. You sat on a rug sleeve and rode it down the tunnel in the dark. Karen screamed the whole way down. The slide ended at deck 6 where there was a sports bar, carousel and hot dog eatery. At the back was the outdoor theater for the water show. Royal Caribbean's AquaTheater shows are high-octane, complimentary performances featured on Oasis and Icon-class ships, combining Olympic-level diving, aerial acrobatics, slacklining, and synchronized swimming. Performed in a specialized rear-facing amphitheater for the Icon-class AquaDome. There was an ice rink on deck 8 where we saw a wonderful ice show. And the main theater at the bow of the ship had musical revues and the broadway show Mama Mia performed on the last two nights of the cruise. When not at sea we enjoyed our three ports of call. First was Roatan where we did a shore excursion that included a zip line course, snorkeling on the reef and lunch. The zip line experience was great, the snorkeling not so much, the lunch mediocre. But we all had a great time.. I discovered that I must have encountered some mosquitoes or jellyfish because I came back to the ship with multiple bites on my legs and ankles. Day 4 was Costa Maya after Roatan. We got off the ship to explore the port. This is where we couldn't land on our last cruise with Bob and Gail Conrad before Christmas last year due to the windy conditions. Well, we didn't miss much. The port is just a tourist trap where the locals sell their overpriced souvenirs. The actual town was a couple miles away and we later found out this cruise ship terminal was built by Royal Caribbean for their use. Note the huge difference in the size of our ship and another Royal Caribbean vessel, the Grandeur of the Seas. Not so grand compared to the Allure of the Seas! Our last port of call was one of our favorite places to travel to for diving. Cozumel is a mostly undeveloped Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea and is a popular cruise ship port of call famed for its scuba diving. At Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, there are diving spots around a section of the Mesoamerican Reef and the Museo Subacuático de Arte’s submerged sculptures. Chankanaab is an eco park surrounding a lagoon with underwater caverns, home to dolphins, manatees and sea turtles. In Cozumel Karen and I got to dive! Here we are on our way to Chankanaab and Via Blanca. We had 18 divers with various skill sets so we didn't do anything exotic. But it was great to get back into the warm water. From Cozumel it was one day at sea before arriving back into Galveston on Easter Sunday morning. It was good to spend this time with our son Nick and the girls. And we enjoyed our quiet time in the adult only area of the ship reading, resting and taking in the warm Caribbean sunshine.

With week one completed, we all moved into our week two and three working rythyms. The women continued building the new queen beds for more of the conference center lodging venues while the men started construction of a new storage shed behind to the kitchen and dining facility. This was not some 'kit' but was constructed the old fashioned way, from the needed raw materials provided by the camp. The 12' by 18' shed would be constructed from the ground up between their covered refrigeration storage facility and the elevated walkway to the second floor dorm rooms above the dining hall of the Lee Building. The ground was prepared and 8 concrete footings were placed for the floor joists. The floor joists were covered with 5/8" treated plywood before we started laying out the walls. The sloped side wall common with the existing refrigeration units was constructed first. This was critical to getting the adjacent roof line lined up with the hole we created in the old wall which we removed next to the refrigeration storage area. This wall would also have the pedestrian door in it for access. The back wall was laid out on the shed floor prior to lifting it up and attaching it to the plywood floor and the adjacent wall. Construction on the shed got to the point where we had too many bodies so some of us were reassigned. While Karen and Janice were asked to paint the inside of the lifeguard storage shed, Paul and I were asked to cut/chisel out the edge of the concrete pool deck and add additional depth indicator tiles around the pool. This was one of those safety code compliance projects the staff was not comfortable doing but needed it to be done. It would require some finesse to cut down just enough of the pool deck concrete and square the corners. Paul did a marvelous job with the concrete saw and grinder while I cleaned up the rough cut space, added mortar to float the tiles even with the deck level and smoothed out the edges. Having never done anything like this in my life I was quite happy with the results. It came our great and the camp staff was thrilled. From there Paul and I moved over to the Chafin Lodge building to remove and replace two windows that were problematic. The old windows went down to the floor and apparently a camper fell through one of them and was injured. The staff wanted us to replace them with smaller windows above a wall we would construct. This is what we did until the end of the project. When we had some free time we used the camp's kayaks and paddle boats to explore the north end of Lake Livingston. We also enjoyed some dinners out with the team. The men working on the storage shed were able to complete the roof deck after installing these trusses. All in all, it was a very productive overall assignment. The camp director was extremely pleased with the quantity of work we were able to accomplish and the quality of our product. This was the first time an RVICS team has worked with this camp and I anticipate they will want us back in the future. Karen and I said our goodbyes to our fellow RVICS workers and departed the camp on Thursday, March 26th so we could return to the village in Smithville. We were expecting family to arrive on Saturday night and needed to get back earlier than usual.

After Camp Zephyr we returned to the RVICS Village on Friday, February 27 for an Italian potluck dinner. Karen and I had medical appointments for the coming week before our next project. On Wednesday, March 4th we drove up to a US Army Corps of Engineers Park outside of Waco, Texas for two nights. Karen was able to spend some time with her friend Lisa Stary who lives in Waco and also get a haircut. I spent my time working on a USCG Auxiliary specialist course in Marine Safety and Management. We were originally planning on heading north to the Dallas/Fort Worth area so I could attend the District Training Seminar for Risk Management/Team Coordination Training (RM/TCT) but alas the clowns in Congress haven't approved funding for DHS, so the entire event was cancelled. When Friday rolled around we headed for our next RVICS project at Trinity Pines Conference Center. Trinity Pines is a beautiful lakefront campus located just two hours north of Houston. Open year round, they welcome ministry groups of all sizes, from one to seven hundred. All nations and people groups are welcome and encouraged to experience the Christ-centered, spiritual setting of Trinity Pines. Their campus has a variety of lodging selections, conference rooms, delicious dining services, a wide array of recreation areas, and exceptional outdoor meeting locations with a high ropes course, lakefront activities, a pool, campfires, wagon rides, hiking trails, gaga ball, miniature golf, disc golf, volleyball courts, basketball courts, and more. We arrived on Friday, March 6 around 3:30 PM and found a nice back-in site surrounded by pines. We are in site #3 next to our team leaders, Scott and Shalon McCart who are in site #2 and Jim and Tamra Studioso in #4. We have a large team of six couples on the assignment that include the Kline's, Tony and Barbara, the Willis', Alan and Pat, and our previous team leaders the Hazelet's, Paul and Janice. On Sunday, March 8 the camp staff included us in a Crawfish Boil. We got to meet many of the permanent staff members and their families at this get-together. Our first day of work started on Monday, March 9 in the Brumley Motel, a two-story lodge with 27 rooms. Each room has 6 bed spaces with one queen bed and 2 sets of bunk beds. The women were assigned with the task of disassembling the older wooden queen beds and replacing them with new metal frame beds. This is what the room furnishings looked like prior to the remodeling with new beds. Karen and Tamra building a new queen bed in one of the Brumley rooms. Some of the men helped move the wooden beds out of the Brumley Motel and move the new metal beds close to the rooms for the women to complete the assembly. The other men began the process of removing and replacing the motel room front doors. We completed all 27 rooms by the end of Wednesday of the first week and went on to Chafin Lodge to replace more queen beds. The Chafin Lodge has long been one of the most requested lodges at Trinity Pines. Chafin has 11 private rooms and a full kitchen. Each room has 5 beds and 6 bed spaces with 1 queen bed and 2 sets of bunk beds. Chafin holds a maximum of 66 guests with a minimum of 35 guests to reserve. This where we finished out our first week of work in the camp. Friday was tour day and we all drove down to Huntsville to visit the Texas Prison Museum. The Texas Prison Museum offers an intriguing glimpse into the lives of the state's imprisoned citizens. The museum features numerous exhibits detailing the history of the Texas prison system, featuring a look inside the operations behind the fences and walls. Huntsville Prison (the "Walls Unit"), opened in 1849 as Texas's first state penitentiary, is primarily known as the most active execution chambers in the United States. Located in Huntsville, it houses the state's death row, was the former home of "Old Sparky" (the electric chair), and previously hosted the famous Prison Rodeo. After our tour we enjoyed lunch at the City Hall Cafe and Pie Bar. I had their Orange & Bleu burger. Sharp and salty aged bleu cheese and homemade jalapeno fig jam, oven baked bacon, pickled red onions, and lettuce. Karen selected the grilled shrimp and salad bar. Our server Anna was super attentive and I finished off lunch with a slice of vinegar pecan pie. I learned that most good pecan pie fillings, even without corn syrups or chemical thickeners has to be (and usually is) borderline disgustingly sweet. The vinegar helps cut the sweetness just a bit, and adds a tiny-bit of much needed acidity. It was delicious! Week one at Trinity Pines Conference Center completed. We are all enjoying this assignment and accomplishing more than the Camp Staff expected. 😃

With the bunk beds built and ready for a couple of coats of polyurethane, the ladies took over. The men moved into the new Dimmick building under construction to start paneling out the four dormitory rooms for the campers. Two rooms for the girl campers and two rooms on the south side for the boys. We set up a large table at the end of the table saw to accommodate the cut sections of 4x8 T1-11. It also made a great platform for cutting out some of the switch and outlet holes with a router tool. A team of two positioned each sheet, checked with a level and then stapled. When we started, the rooms were framed out, wired, plumbed and insulated. Our job was to cover all the walls with T1-11 siding, cutting out the holes for the wiring and plumbing, then finish trimming out all the corners and ceiling. Stuart discovered years ago that to use T1-11 in the dorm rooms was the way to maximize durability over traditional gypsum board in these heavily used rooms. We discovered that working in teams of two or three to measure, cut, position and nail the panels to the framed walls was the most efficient method of tackling the project. We had two portable compressors available to power the staple guns used to attach the 1/4 inch T1-11. Holes were cut with either a battery powered router or oscillation saw that team members had with them in their RV's. In four days, we managed to use up the 200 sheets of T1-11 delivered to the camp and more had to be ordered. The large rooms were completed rather quickly, it was the smaller spaces like the shower rooms and bathrooms that slowed the process down with multiple smaller panels and odd cuts to accommodate shower inserts and plumbing. Once all the panels were cut and installed we finished off the walls with inch and a half strips of cut T1-11 trim at the ceiling edge, horizontal wall seams and exposed wall edges. Back in the gym the ladies were coating the wooden bunks with multiple layers of polyurethane to seal the wood. All the bunks had three coats by the end of the third week of the project. We completed our RVICS assignment at noon Thursday February 26 with only a couple of unfinished bathrooms, upper two foot panels and trim to finish. We would have completed the entire project had we not run out of materials. Ironically, more material arrived on a truck Thursday evening. On Friday morning as we were packing up our RV's to depart, we noticed the camp staff moving the new materials into the building to finish what we started. The 'Fab Four' of RVICS on the last day of the Zephyr Project.

The RVICS men started working on Monday, February 9th here at Zephyr on our first building project. The camp needed another 22 bunk beds constructed for their new dormitory. While we were cutting 2x6's and 2x4's, the women were tasked with inspecting all the cabins and hotel rooms to create a punch list of any and all needed repairs before the camping season began. They followed that assignment by sanding the 18 "well used" bunks beds in preparation for a new coat of polyurethane. Lumber was delivered to the camp gym and we began the process of cutting down the material to the component parts using a chop saw with a jig to keep the cuts consistent. Once all the bunk parts were cut we started systematically assembling one bunk bed at a time. We eventually got a routine going with Steve and John assembling all the bed components together while Tom and Paul did the router/sanding finishing work. Two of our ladies, Kathy and Karen, assisted us in painting the bottoms of the upper bunk bed panels. Stuart, the camp's retiring maintenance manager, came up with this brilliant solution to eliminate the writing that campers like to add to the bottom of the top bunk beds.. He's never had a camper come to camp with a while marker or pencil so they don't have to deal with inappropriate graffiti. By Thursday afternoon, February 12th, we had all 22 bunk beds completed and a mess to clean up in the gym. It's a blessing to work hard and serve the camp staff! But it wasn't all work and no play during the week. We play hard too! Monday night after dinner we played "Mölkky", had a campfire and made popcorn. Mölkky is a popular Finnish outdoor throwing game played by knocking over 12 numbered wooden pins (1–12) with a single throwing skittle to score exactly 50 points. It combines strategy and skill, as players must stand pins upright where they land after each throw, causing the playing area to spread. Paul is melting the butter for the popcorn he made over our campfire after Mölkky. Wednesday evening we were invited by the Camp Director Nathan and his wife Jade to join their family for dinner and a time of fellowship. We enjoyed a baked potato bar, home-made chili, salad and mac 'n' cheese with their four boys and one of the camp staffers. Dessert included an ice cream bar with all the fixings! Friday was a day to get out and explore the area so we all drove into Corpus Christi, about an hour away, to tour the U.S.S Lexington Museum. USS Lexington (CV/CVA/CVS/CVT/AVT-16) is an Essex-class aircraft carrier built during World War II for the United States Navy. Originally intended to be named Cabot, the new aircraft carrier was renamed while under construction to commemorate the recently lost USS Lexington (CV-2), becoming the sixth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name in honor of the Battle of Lexington. Lexington was commissioned in February 1943 and saw extensive service through the Pacific War. For much of her service, she acted as the flagship for Admiral Marc Mitscher, and led the Fast Carrier Task Force through their battles across the Pacific. She was the recipient of 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation. Sixteen decks. A length of three New York City blocks, a displacement of more than 33,000 tons, and a flight deck big enough to hold 1,000 cars. More sleeping space than the world’s biggest hotel and the ability to produce enough electricity to power a city of 150,000 people. All of this describes the USS Lexington. It was fascinating to visit this American legend on the Bay. Nicknamed the "Blue Ghost" by the Japanese after they discovered it was named after the prior Lexington (CV-2) that they sank at the Battle of the Coral Sea. We spent 6 hours and still didn't see everything. Our dinner destination after a long day of walking on the "Blue Ghost" was Snoopy's seafood restaurant on Padre Island to complete the evening.

After returning from our trip to San Diego, California we packed up the RV for our first RVICS project of the new year. Departing Smithville on February 2nd we traveled south to spend three days at the Goose Island Texas State Park. Goose Island State Park (green dot), located on the Texas coast near Rockport on Aransas Bay, was established between 1931 and 1935 on land acquired from private owners and a state-owned island. Developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, the park is famous for the "Big Tree," a 1,000+ year-old coastal live oak, and serves as a key area for birding. Although it is located on the seashore, there is no designated swimming area at the park, as the shoreline consists of concrete, oyster shell, mudflat, and marsh grass. Instead, the main park activities include camping, birding, fishing, and boating. The park averages more than 60,000 overnight campers each year and has about 200,000 visitors annually. There are 45 shade shelters with electricity and water on the island. There are 57 shelters with electricity and water, and 27 with water and no electricity. A massive wooden wharf structure extends out over the water and is used for fishing the speckled trout, redfish, drum, flounder, and sheepshead common to the region. While in the area I had an opportunity to visit another Coast Guard Flotilla in our Division. Flotilla 07-09 was meeting at the Rockport Yacht Club on Tuesday, so I drove into town and attended their meeting and later joined them for pizza at a local establishment. Despite the windy conditions, we experienced some spectacular sunsets on the Texas coast. After two of the three days booked, we deciding to leave the afternoon of Wednesday, February 4th for our RVICS project at Zephyr Baptist Encampment near Sandia, Texas. Our RV area is next to the camp's ropes course and zip line down to the lake. Zephyr Baptist Encampment is a Christian Camp & Conference Center located in South Texas. It was founded in 1957 by a group of individuals and churches who had a passion for Christ and a desire to see Him work through camp ministry. The goal of Zephyr Baptist Encampment is to provide an environment that encourages development in spiritual, intellectual, emotional, social, and physical areas. Their constant desire is that each person who comes through the gates will feel the love of Christ through friendly service, well maintained facilities, quality meals and attention to detail. We arrived the same day as our team leaders Paul and Janice Hazelet from Gilette, Wyoming. By Friday, February 6th, the rest of our team arrived. Tom and Shelley Stafford from Hays, Kansas traveled from the RVICS Village in Smithville. Steve and Kathy Yoshimi are on their first RVICS project and come to us from Yucca Valley, California. Top row: Paul, John Tom and Steve and seated: Janice, Karen, Shelley and Kathy (front left to right) Monday, February 9th is the first work day at Zephyr and we are looking forward to all working together and accomplishing our mission and ministry to the camp and its staff.