Final Posting

The Grass isnt always greener on the other side of the fence!

 

Well, where do I begin.  I guess I begin by saying, "Vacationing/Staying, at Hilton Head National RV Resort, is a lot different than working there."

This was not your typical Work Camping job.  It was full time, a very difficult job, with one, maybe two, 20 minute breaks, in a 8 to 12 hour day.  Management was poor to say the least.  We thought to ourselves after 3 months working there, "Hey, isn't this is supposed to be fun??"

The stars aligned, for us within a few days.

  I read an article, quoting billionaire Steve Jobs at the end of his life.  He said, "The most important thing in your life is family and friends."  

We were fed up with our time at Hilton Head, and the Heat and Humidity in the South.

Our portfolio had bounced back, plus!  

My sister Maryann called and said, "A house in our neighborhood has come up for sale, its not even got a sign out yet."

We pounced, bought it with only photos, video and Maryann's good word.

We hit the road on August 1st, and took 2 weeks to travel 3400 miles back to Oregon.

We closed on my birthday August 20th.   Happy Birthday to me!

Heres some photos of our trip cross country.

Creekwood Farm Campground, Maggie Valley NC

Our first stop for 3 days was in our favorite campground at the base of the Smoky mountains in North Carolina, just south of Asheville.  Where we decompressed, and gave Teddy a buzz cut.  Which was good because he didnt receive another haircut for 7 weeks.  Thats a long time for a doodle.  Its was rainy and 70 degrees which felt wonderful, after 101 and 90% humidity in Hilton Head.

Here's our route across America

Teddy checks out the geese at a park in Frankfort, Kentucky

Here we are at a campground in Odessa, Missouri.  They had a Dutch Market on the park property.  It reminded us of the Amish markets in Pennsylvania.

Next Stop, Elk Horn, Iowa

Prairie Rose State Park, Elk Horn, Iowa

 We spent 2 days at Prairie Rose State Park near Elk Horn, Iowa where my Mother Eunice Nelson grew up on a farm in a Danish community.  I wanted to see the small town and farm that she called home for the first 15 years of her life.

Elk Horn and the surrounding area was so beautiful, charming, and welcoming.  They have a museum, store and genealogy center in town and I had called the genealogy center a week before and explained who I was, and my family history.  I told them when I would be coming by.  When we showed up, they had 2 files full of photos, newspaper clippings, and documents about my Danish family and heritage.  I had the warm fuzzy's while I was there.  I felt like I could live in that town!  It felt like home.

Here are some photos of what we saw.

Brian in downtown Elk Horn

Bestamor Ottomine's record of arriving in America

Bestafa and Bestamor

Here is a video of driving on Goldfinch st where the Nelson Farm was.  Mom walked this undulating gravel road 2.5 miles to get to the one room school house  where she always told us she was the smartest girl in 5th, 6th, and 7th grade.  She was the only girl in those grades! HAHA!

Windmill the town brought over from Denmark

Moms best friend from high school, Phyllis Hough

Shes 93 yrs old and works in the Danish store.  Sharp as a whip.  Drives all over, town to town.

Brian Mackey impersonating a Dane

Yep!

Beautiful countryside, miles and miles of corn as far as you can see.  The photo below is where the farm stood.  3477 Goldfinch st, Atlantic, Iowa.   Unfortunately the farm house is no longer there.

My Chauffeur

After we left Iowa we headed straight up to North Dakota and turned left.  North Dakota was prettier than I expected.  Though wildfires coming down from Canada made the whole state very smoky.

Two days in Montana, one in Idaho and on to Oregon we go.

Teddy was a trooper, but some long days he would start growling when he wanted us to stop.

OREGON!!

We arrived in Oregon and camped at a park on Hwy 99 between King City and Sherwood for a week called Roamers Rest.  Which also happened to be the place my parents Jim and Eunice spent their honeymoon in a little cabin 75 years earlier.

We closed on our new home on August 20th, and had lots to do.  We needed to empty out our travel trailer which had been our home for 3 1/2 years.  And clean it up so we could put it up for sale.  

Now this is where the story gets crazy.  We thought we were going to settle in the Carolina mountains somewhere.  We had our belongings, furniture etc.. in a storage unit.  They had raised our monthly rent to $300 a month.  Well it was costing us thousands to store our belongings.  So we sold our household goods, minus some sentimental items that my sister Molly had stored for me, to a friend of ours.  He picks up our things and loads them into a cargo trailer December 2024.  8 months later we call him. "Do you have any of our stuff?"  "Most of it, minus the living room furniture and your dressers." he says.  We buy it back, And Bobs your Uncle!  We have our belongings back.

So Brian goes down to Donald, Oregon, where his friend lives, hooks up to the cargo trailer and tows our things up to the house.  We hire a couple of guys off NextDoor to move it in and the unpacking and sorting and buying and donating and selling on Marketplace begins.

It has taken a month, but we have moved in.  Fixed up, sorted, remodeled, tore down, repaired and stained a fence that was going to blow over because it had rotted posts.

Sold the pickup and travel trailer.  Bought 2 cars.  Bought furniture, that isnt here yet.  Were still camping in a way.  Oh my!

Still Camping😆

4839 SE Sandalwood st

Hillsboro, Oregon 

97123

Home Sweet Home

We want to say a special Thanks to those of you who helped us in our transition.  Maryann, Molly and Lonnie, Dorn and Tracy, Debbi, Kevin and Renato Radu our fabulous realtor!

So.....

Happy Trails to You

Till we Meet again

Love, Ruth, Brian and Teddy