Today was a day to be on the road. The camper was packed up early and a little while after lunch the truck pulled it into the busy traffic of Kansas City. A short stop for gas in Jefferson City, like the Oregon Trail people, who provisioned in that city before setting out on their journeys, and it was an uneventful trip up Interstate 29, across Iowa. Just a couple of miles into South Dakota, it was a good time and place to stop and camp for the night. The campground is pretty busy for this time of year. The day was pleasant and the evening offers a nice cool breeze through the open windows of the camper. Full hookups tonight so that all of the tanks can be drained and flushed out in the morning before heading back to Rapid City.

This has been a wonderful adventure for the family, with a great visit with Rachel and Michael. Edward is excited that the camper made it to the homes of both of the Huffman children this year.

Winter is coming and there may be one or two more camping adventures, but soon it will be time to put the cover over the camper and for Edward to hibernate for another winter. He's starting to think about eating all of the time, just to get ready.

Edward recognized space 30 in Knob Noster State Park when they returned after only one day at Bucksaw Resort on Lake Truman. Things were a little different today, however. Thunderstorms came through the area and there even was a tornado warning. During the warning, Ted and Susan were safe at Rachel and Michael's and Edward was bravely staying with the camper at the park. The warning expired with the worst of the weather passing to the south of the park. There was some rain and the lightning put on a pretty good show off to the south, but there was never any danger for the camper or Edward.

This is a fine campground for visiting Rachel and Michael. Even when it rains, things are very comfortable. There are nice shower houses and the camping spots are far enough apart to afford some privacy.

The campground has more campers tonight. It is Friday and there are more people out exploring the outdoors on the weekend than was the case during the week.

Edward, as usual, is ready for more adventures!

Edward Bear was ready to explore Missouri when the camper was hitched to the truck and ready to go first thing in the morning. After breakfast at Rachel and Michael's home in Warrensburg, they headed south to Clinton and across the open country to Harry S. Truman Reservoir, one of several large reservoirs in Missouri. The Truman Reservoir is relatively new, having been completed in the 1970's. There is a beautiful visitor's center where there were lots of turkey vultures flying around in the sky.

Bucksaw Resort has a campground, cabins, a lodge, a marina, a restaurant and a lot more. There was time to put the canoe and kayak into the water and paddle around as well as time for a cookout at the camper.

The Trip to Missouri was quite an adventure for Edward! From the Interstate in South Dakota, he could see the water tower of a town in Minnesota. From Council Bluffs, Iowa, he could see Omaha, Nebraska. From Kansas City, Missouri, he could Kansas City, Kansas. His trip took him through three states from which he could see three more!

The family is camped, for a few days in Knob Noster State Park. It is about 8 miles from Rachel and Michael's home in Warrensburg, and not far at all from the Air Force Base where they work.

Yesterday there was a wonderful birthday party for Rachel. There were barbecued ribs, coleslaw, garlic toast, birthday cake and Moose Tracks ice cream! It was a wonderful celebration.

Today, Edward has been hiking around the park. There are lots of trails to explore and lots of creatures. A turtle was walking down the trail in one place. Edward is looking forward to more days to explore this place. Missouri is a new state for Edward and he is having a wonderful time!

Edward Bear is off on a new Adventure. Today, when the camper was pulled onto the highway, they headed East! After a few miles, Edward Bear was on new road. The camper has gone North and West, but not too far East or South. After getting a later than usual start, they were off for smooth cruising on the Interstate. They crossed the Missouri River at Chamberlain. Edward was surprised that it was so wide, but there is a dam and so they really crossed on Lake Francis Case, which made it wider than it had originally been. They went through a time zone change and now are on Central Time, which is later than Mountain Time. Time Zones are a bit confusing, but it sure got dark quickly. At 7:30, there was plenty of light. By 8:00, when they stopped for the night it was dark.

Edward found a good tree to climb in the Famil-e-Fun Campground, but it was soon time to go to bed. They have about eight hours of driving tomorrow to get to Missouri. The trip will take them to states that Edward has not yet visited: Iowa and Missouri. And they will be within sight of Nebraska and Kansas. Most of tomorrow's driving will be heading south.

It promises to be a fun adventure.