MAY 26 - 30, 2023 - Paroled: On our way back home to Star Valley Ranch, WY.

As the John Denver (RIP) song says (for those of you old enough to remember that song, and John Denver) "We're leaving on a jet plane..." (or in this case, on our motorhome).

Finally got the clearance to leave the REV Decatur IN Warranty Service Center, with 95% of our issues fixed. What's left, along with anything else that comes up between now and December 30, 2023 (our 1 year warranty period), we'll address when we return in September or October 2023, on our way to Florida (and so we can visit our favorite haunts in this area, like Lowery's Meat Market in Buchanan, Michigan and Yoder's Meat & Cheese / E&S Bulk Sales in Shipshewana Indiana).

Before leaving REV though, waiting for them to correct the type of jack feet put on the front jacks, we went to the Indiana Pancake House, which had been closed for much of the time we were there, but since they were now open and we had heard so many good things about it, we opted to go for a sort of Brunch. Bill had his usual Country Fried Steak and Mary had Bacon Scrambled Eggs Toast and Hash Browns. It was all delicious, and the establishment they are in used to be a Chipotle restaurant, so it is all decorated in typical Mexican décor. Highly recommend it if you find yourselves in Decatur IN, where there is precious little to do.

Mary being aggravated by Bill the paparazzi, 

showing that the place is pretty amply, so finally she had to pose.

Mary doing her best 'Kilroy was here' impression, 

and showing they have a very ample menu. selections.

The food

Below... a mural remnant of its previous Chipotle restaurant days.

OUR ROUTE BACK HOME: 

Our route from REV is Hwy 224 to Hwy 24 WEST to I-39 NORTH to I-80 WEST. Then, continuing WEST on I-80 all the way to Hwy 30 (just past Little America) to Hwy 89 NORTH to Star Valley Ranch.

DAY 1 May 26, 2023 (9:00am - pm)

From REV is Hwy 224 to Hwy 24 WEST to I-39 NORTH to I-80 WEST to Great Saulk Trail Rest Area (297 miles)

DAY 2  May 27, 2023 (8:00am - pm) 

From Great Saulk Trail Rest Area (Wyanet IL) to Melia Hill Rest Area (Gretna NE) (380 miles)

DAY 3 May 28, 2023 (9:00am - pm)

From Melia Hill Rest Area (Gretna NE) to Truck Parking (Big Spring NE)  (330 miles), which is just a big open parking area mostly where trucks (and some RVs) stop to spend the night.

DAY 4  May 29, 2023 (9:00am - pm) MEMORIAL DAY

From Truck Parking (Big Spring NE) to Rock Springs Rest Area (Rock Springs WY)  (360 miles)

There were these holes all over the ground, which we later found out were Prairie Dogs, who seemed totally at ease with all the people and pets in the rest area.

We stopped at the Star Valley Rest Area on Hwy 89, just south of Thayne, to unhook the truck from the RV so we could stop at the Maverick Dump Station. However, when we got there, it was CLOSED. We tried to call ahead to make sure it was open, but no one EVER answers their phone and their website gave no indication that the Dump Stattion was closed. So now we'll have to wait until we get to the SVR RV Resort to dump. No worries though, we were only 1/3 full and generally can last up to 2 weeks without having to dump. So all is well.

DAY 5  May 30, 2023 (9:00am - pm)

From Rock Springs Rest Area (Rock Springs WY) to HOME at 30 Last Chance Circle, Star Valley Ranch, WY  (239 miles). We parked the motor home on the shorter side of the circular driveway and still had plenty of room to spare with a 50 ft electrical cord to the 50 Amp outlet. Even with both sides of slides open, there was no rubbing on the tree limbs. The only problem for it here is that the satellite signal is a bit spotty due to the trees, yet it still does get relatively good signal.

And the 1,200 watts of solar panels still  do a great job.

Still plenty of space for parking other vehicles, as well as the driveway to the separate garage.

Broken window from the roof snow shed. During winter one can see that the snow curls as it slowly slides down the roof, and when it finally decides to shed SOMETIMES the curl part COULD reach a window, as it did here. The window is a dual paned window, and only the outer pane broke, so id did not allow any cold air intrusion. Later we found another window in the garage, broken the same way. Still, only two windows broken given the magnitude of this last winter's record snow load, seems miniscule. Of greater importance is that the metal roof held the snow load until it shed it.

Somewhere... probably at the Big Springs NE Truck Parking lot (which is in the middle of nowhere, just an open area for trucks to park overnight), we picked up MOTHS (as the one pictured below). They are all adult and hopefully all male, so they won't be reproducing, but more than likely they are reproducing because no matter how many we kill (so far over 40), there are always a few more the next day/night. 

At Star Valley Ranch, we decided to rent a lot at the SVR RV Resort to put the RV at, so we can have it hooked up to WATER and SEWER, as at the house we only have the 50-Amp electrical connection, and we will be staying in the RV so we can leave the house always clean and ready to show. So, when we get the RV parked somewhere, we will probably have to fumigate it when we leave it in the morning to see if that takes care of them. 

E N D   O F  T H I S   P O S T 

See you on the next post, to follow our journey... to sell the house and relocate to Florida for the Winters so we can return to Star Valley and points West, every summer.