On our way home from Green Bay, WI we made a stop at Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. I was pretty young when Elvis was hitting stardom, and not one of his big fans.  However, I must say, after seeing Graceland and hearing of all the good causes Elvis contributed to, I do have a better appreciation for him.

Seeing where he lived was an awesome experience

The home Elvis was raised in was very modest.

The home of Elvis was continually filled with friends and family who often would partake in meals served in this lovely room

With all the visitors, the kitchen was open 24 hours a day to accommodate them

Elvis’ mothers bedroom

 

This lovely oversized pit couch is where Elvis and guests would relax

Many guests  played pool here.  If you look closely, in the upper right corner right by the pocket, there is a tear.  This was caused by one of Elvis’ guests attempting to make a trick shot resulting in a tear to the felt.

Notice the walls and ceiling.  They are decorated in cloth.  It took three people ten days to completely cover this room in the material.  It was quite lovely and gave the room a warm, relaxing feeling.

This was one of Elvis’ favorite rooms.  The furniture was real unique and quite popular in the 70’s.

Elvis had a great love for horses and would often go riding with family and friends.  When they found out he was going riding they would want to join him.

Anyone who knows anything about Elvis knows that his music awarded him many gold records and other awards.  It was breathtaking to see all these hanging on the walls and encased in glass.  The man had great talent

Every concert Elvis performed at he always wore a very showy costume, whether it be beads, bangles, fringe or bling.  Above are just a few of the outfits he wore.

Decorated with bushes and plants it looked very inviting,.

These were Elvis’ vehicles he owned.  Great vintage automobiles.

This is the limousine that Elvis’ rode in to many of his concerts.

This was Prascilla’s car.

These were Elvis’ big boy toys.

Elvis had been buried at another location, but with fear of vandalism he was moved onto his estate for security.

Buried along with Elvis are his mother, father, and grandmother.

The trip to Graceland was unforgettable.  I am sure one day that we will revisit and once again be awed by the beauty of Graceland.

The song Heartbreak Hotel was released as a single on January 27, 1956.

Entryway into Heartbreak Hotel.  So elegant.

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One of the few Packers games I have seen live.  The excitement was over the top.

Packer fans come in all shapes and sizes,

Hook (R) has his Packer Collar

Nala (L) has her Packer Sweater

 

 

You have to start the game right with a tail gate party.  The neat part of tailgating, everyone shares their food and beverages.  It was fun to walk around and see how everyone was set up.

Some really came prepared

Packer fans now and always

The ultimate tailgate grill

Everyone had their own idea of what their tailgate party should consist of

A little drinking fun

LoneStar with a pre-game cigar

Really cool Packer bus–Can you say ultimate Packer fans

Gypsy enjoying beverages at the tailgate

The tailgate parties ended and then it was time to find our seats

Just a few people

 

It was so awesome to be at the game but unfortunately the Packers lost to the Cowboys.  It still was an awesome experience.

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While we were visiting Angela and Dave’s cabin, LoneStar found out there was a concert featuring Chicago, which just so happened to fall on my birthday. He surprised me with a  5 day camping trip to Moondance Jam 25.

 

Bring your lawn chairs or just relax on the ground.  You could actually set your chairs up the first day of the concert and leave them there for the entire four days.  People were courteous and for the most part left them alone.  This helped since the walk from the campgrounds to the stages was a fair distance.  You could never be assured of the same spot your picked the day before.

Each day live bands were featured.  This lineup changes yearly.  Can’t wait to see who is featured at Moondance Jam 26

When the main stage was quiet, other bands played in other locations.  You could always find the music genre you liked.  Unfortunately, Rick Springfield was unable to make it so Jet (The Wings Tribute Band) played in his spot.

Food, beverages and vendors were abundant.  The tie-die booth was always full of patrons.  There was beer and wine tasting.  And two days they had an art class for anyone who wanted to participate.  For a fee which paid for supplies and instruction you could go home with your own special momemto of Moondance Jam 25.

Here’s a Gypsy original.  This was with acrylics.  It was so much fun.  Class lasted about 2 hours and you could still hear bands playing in the background.

Boston–My kind of rock and roll

Buddy Holly Tribute Band–They were excellent and brought back lots of rock and roll memories.

Buddy Holly Tribute Live at Moondance Jam – Oh Boy

Buddy Holly Tribute Live at Moondance Jam – La Bamba

 

 

Godsmack, a heavy metal band.  I don’t like heavy metal but they actually had some songs I enjoyed.

Jet: live at Moondance Jam 2016 — Live and Let Die

Jet: Live at Moondance Jam 2016 — Jet

 

Chicago–Now that was the way to celebrate my 65th birthday.  Awesome!!!!

Chicago Live Video – Call On Me

Chicago Live Video – Clip 1

Chicago Live Video – Clip 2

Chicago Live Video – Clip 3

Check out the Video Clips below.

Fabulous Armadillos: Tribute to the Eagles Live at Moondance Jam – One of These Nights

Fabulous Armadillos: Tribute to the Eagles Live at Moondance Jam – Witchy Woman

Godsmack Live at Moondance Jam 2016 clip 1

Godsmack Live at Moondance Jam 2016 clip 2

Little River Band Live at Moondance Jam 2016 – Help is on Its Way

Loverboy Live at Moondance Jam 2016 – Turn Me Loose

Boston Live at Moondance Jam 2016 – Rock & Roll Band

Boston Live at Moondance Jam 2016 – Clip 1

Boston Live at Moondance Jam 2016 – Clip 2

 

The crowd was amazing and for the most part well-behaved.

What happens at Moondance, stays at Moondance

Just rockin’  with Bush

Indoor restaurant that served excellent food and beverages

Back at the campsite after the bands there were many activities.  One is a Flaming Chimney.   See pictures and videos below.

Flaming Chimney Campfire at Moondance Jam Part1

Flaming Chimney Campfire at Moondance Jam Part2

 

This concert happens every year.  The lineup changes, but be assured if you decide to go there will be a band you like.  You can get daily tickets or a package deal.  Go and enjoy.

Click this link to go to the Moondance Jam Web site.

© 2016-2026 ArchBooks, Inc.

Corps of Engineers (COE) Parks are a great place to camp whether for one night or longer.  COE parks usually consist of several parks within them.  Lake O’ the Pines Recreation Area in Jefferson, TX has three parks for RV camping.   They have cement pads, water and electric hook-ups and a dump station.  Tent sites available.  Hiking and biking and fishing are popular.  Pets welcome.  Bathrooms and showers are clean and well-maintained.  Sites can be reserved ahead of time by just contacting them at www.lakeothepines.org  or  call   877-444-6777.

ALLEY CREEK CAMP– Jefferson, TX  

When we arrived we found out many camp sites were flooded.  Actually, half the park that we stayed at was closed due to flooding.

Fire rings under water

Level cement pads for your RV

Biking, hiking or just relaxing, Lake of the Pines is the place to do it.  The scent of the pine trees is in itself relaxing.

Bonfire rings provided at campsites.

Beautiful sunset

We will definitely came back to the Lake of the Pines.

 

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Another Civil War site we stopped to visit was Vicksburg, MS in April 2016.    The Civil war always intrigued me (Gypsy), and to visit the sites gave me a better understanding of it.

The Vicksburg National Cemetery was established in 1866.   There are 17,000 union soldiers buried there.

The Shirley House was restored to original and is the only remaining wartime building inside the military park.

Ironclad ships from the Civil War.

On site there was the last of its kind.  The damage it sustained during the war is evident.

I cannot imagine what that must have sounded like to hear cannon shells hitting the metal of the ship.  It had to be deafening.

The USS Cairo was sank on Dec 12, 1862.

If you ever get near the Vicksburg area, you have to take the time to visit the National Cemetery.

 

 

 

 

 

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Andersonville was on of the most notorious prison camps during the civil war.

 

The caption on the bottom of this statue reads:

“Turn you to the strongholds ye prisoners of hope”

Dog Tags had not yet been invented, so came the grave of the Unknown Soldier.

Sections of the original stockade still stand.  It was exciting walking back into history.

I was not aware of all the different types of cannons that were used in the Civil War.

 

The above monument built for the prisoners of war who died at Andersonville.  Twelve of these monuments stand in the cemetery and eleven at the prison site.

State memorials

The Civil War has always drawn my interest and the visit to Andersonville was a highlight of our adventures.

 

 

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It was great to finally get to Twin Lakes.  We met up with our friends and decided to go to lunch one day.

We put Cerys into the camper and we went to enjoy a pleasant lunch.  When we arrived back at the camper, we saw several people around our RV.  I assumed Cerys had been barking and irritating other campers.

 

Then I saw Cerys running around near our RV.  We could not imagine how she had gotten out of the locked camper.

We comforted Cerys and then tried to figure our how she had gotten out.  We opened the door and the entire screen was ripped off the screen door and dents and deep scratches on the metal door.  As I walked to the back of the camper, I found the window shade completely pulled down and torn up and a big hole in the screen.   The rear window had been open giving Cerys the opportunity to jump out through the screen.

I was sickened at the thought of what this poor dog had gone through to be in such a panic as to do all that damage and then jump through a screen window.

She had a few issues on other camping trips with damaging a part of the screen but we had fixed it and thought she just needed more time to get used to the camper.  This time, however, we had  left her alone for longer than usual.

Now, decisions had to be made.  We were going to be gone for 3 weeks and it was obvious that Cerys was not an RV dog.

My brother (Ten Pin) immediately got on the phone and started calling ‘no kill’ shelters, anticipating what we were going to have to do.  I was an emotional wreck and unable to make any decisions other than we could not put this poor animal through this anymore.  The RV damage could be repaired but Cerys could not be expected to go through that panic every time we had to leave her in the RV.

The no-kill shelters said they had no room so LoneStar and Ten Pin decided to take her to a regular shelter.  We had Cerys for almost four years and I was quite bonded with her.  Every step I took, she was right behind me and now I was going to have to send her to a new home.

LoneStar  and Ten Pin came back about an hour later.  I was fearing what they would tell me.  However, God had once again intervened.  They took  Cerys into the shelter.   Several volunteers were inside the shelter talking to the receptionist.   The volunteers happened to be going to the no-kill shelter that we were told was full and would not accept any more dogs.  They saw Cerys, took her picture and sent it to their boss at the no-kill shelter.  They were told to bring her in as they had several families wanting a beautiful standard poodle.

Although this story sounds quite tragic, it does have a happy ending.  We do not know what home she was placed with but are believing she is happy and loved wherever she is at.

It is sometimes hard to make such sacrifices  but to put Cerys through such trauma was cruel.  Our future included a lot of travel and she wanted no part of it.  Cerys was a very well-trained dog, her only issue, enclosed spaces.  So to relinquish her to a home where her new family was made aware of her situation, was the best thing to do for her and us.

Cerys will always be in our hearts, and we know she is filling another home with tons of Poodle love.

© 2016-2026 ArchBooks, Inc.

 

We started taking some short trips with our RV. One stop was a corps of engineers (COE) park at Ft. Richardson in Jacksboro, TX.

The park was very well kept and also offered some history. Again we only took a few photos but it will give you an idea of the park.  The gravel sites were fairly level, and spacious.  One morning we woke up and there were about 30 deer grazing right outside our window. Sure wish we would have snapped a photo.

Things worked out well on our first trip. Our dog Cerys enjoyed her walks and resting with me

Being an old fort, some of the buildings were still standing.

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