9 May - Scuba Dives and Hancock's of Paducah

9 May
I am going to start with what we did in the afternoon involving one of Doreen's passions - sewing and quilting.  Then we will finish up with info and pictures on what I did in the morning and one of my passions - scuba diving, and many pictures from under water.

The Fabric Store:
This afternoon Doreen and I drove down to Paducah KY to visit a huge fabric store called Hancock's of Paducah.  This picture does not do it justice.

This place is overwhelming to say the least!  For anyone who sews, quilts, etc you likely already know about this place.   Row after row after row after row of fabric.

Any color, pattern and type that you can think of and they have it.  They use odd terms too, such as "fat quarters", "jelly rolls", (ha, ha!).   Doreen said it is so overwhelming that you almost need a game plan before you go in there, kind of like me walking into a tool store!  She did find some fabric she needed for a quilting she is working on.  

Scuba Diving:
Today was my first scuba diving at Mermet Springs, and it was great, for Midwest diving.  My dive leader is Dave, a pharmacist from Paducah KY.  He has been diving for many years.  I was a little slow to get geared up, but just like riding a bicycle and all went well.  They have a nice covered area to suit-up with tables and plenty of area to spread out your gear:

The first dive was deliberately a bit shallower and slower.  We spent some time making sure our weighting was correct and buoyancy was good.

57 ft max depth and total dive time was 61 minutes.  Minimum bottom temp was 42 degrees, but stayed nice and warm in my DUI dry suit.  Here is approximately where we went:

The sights we saw included the school bus, motorcycle, petting zoo (concrete animals), and a Cessna aircraft.  

Divers have to spend some time on the surface before diving again so we can off-gas nitrogen from our bloodstream.  We call this SIT  (surface interval time).  The length of time is based on several factors but primarily how deep you dived and for how long.  So Dave, Doreen and I had a great talk about scuba diving and various other things to include how to get to the Hancock's of Paducah fabric store for later in the day!

Dive 2 involved a deeper dive (stats still in my dive computer), but we visited the mail truck, cabin cruiser, 2-man submarine, train car, fire truck, ambulance and ultimately the Boeing 727 aircraft (fuselage only).  We returned and did a slow ascent up the wall and then fed fish.  Tomorrow we do two more dives and I am looking forward to so more bottom time!

Here are some pictures from Dave's GoPro camera:

Cabin Cruiser

My dive leader, Dave and I

2-Man sub

Reference to Rose Hulman College 

Sub from above

Fire truck

Ed sitting on front bumper

Ambulance

Defibrillator paddles in ambulance

Cockpit of Boeing 727 aircraft

Cabin area of 727

Nose of 727

Engine controls

Seatasea decal (Cedar Rapids Iowa dive shop

Boat

Boat steering wheel

Feeding the fish

Doreen waiting for us on the dock

8 May - Mermet Springs and Scuba Diving

8 May - Happy Mother's Day!
Today we traveled from Scott Air Force Base campgrounds near Shiloh IL to Mermet Springs Scuba Diving destination in southern Illinois, location #4 below.  We got on the road about 9:19 am and arrived about 12:12 pm, 139 miles.  The drive was easy and we just stopped once at a rest area so Liberty could get out of her kennel for a minute.  The weather was clear and warmed quickly to the 80's.  We will be here until Wednesday 11 May and then to Pennyrile State Park in Kentucky.

When I made our reservation for Mermet Springs a few months ago, they advised the park would be closed for diving on Mother's Day (today) and the gate would be closed but we would be able to get in.  Yeah, right!  So there we are, the pickup and the "condominium on wheels" parked outside the gate which of course was locked, and no answer on their phone...  So we stepped over the gate and walked about the place.  No one to be found.  Later, the owner showed up to pick up some items and we explained our situation.  he was very accommodating and apologetic.  He made sure we go in and park, offered up some free fire wood, and could not have been more helpful!

I deployed to Iraq in 2006 and was selected as Wing Command Chief while there.  When I returned from Iraq, Doreen and I both put many things on hold and poured our hearts and soles into the responsibilities of that position and supporting our Airmen.  One of my passions is scuba diving but there was just no time for it as it usually involved travel..  The Wing Command Chief position led to the State Command Chief position, so other than a dive here or there, I have done very little diving in the last 8+ years.  Now that I am retired and Doreen and I have started our various journeys across America, I wanted to get back under water" again!

So why Mermet Springs?  I have wanted to scuba dive Mermet Springs ever since I learned of it.  The lake (quarry) has many sunked objects for divers to find and explore such as vehicles, boats, a railroad coal car and airplanes!  Believe it or not there is a Boeing 727 which was used in the movie US Marshals was sunk here. This is a map of the quarry and a list of the object we will be exploring.

Mermet Springs is set up to accommodate small and large groups of divers from all over the Midwest.  They have covered areas with benches for diver's gear and even white boards for the instructors to use while teaching their students.

It is very convenient they have RV sites right here, but they are pretty basic with 30 amp electric only - no water or sewer.  We will use on-board water supply and sewer for the four days and three nights we are here - no problem!

We parked the trailer quickly and set-up went without a hitch.  Other than the owner's trailer (unoccupied), there is no one else here which is kind of nice.  The RV site they gave us has a clear view of the southwestern sky, so the satellite worked and we were able to pull in the Chicago Cubs game.  Doreen had purchased a beef roast and vegetables, so we fired up the Dutch Oven and enjoyed a nice Mother's Day meal.

Tomorrow I will register and will get in two or three dives with one of the instructors here since I am "buddyless" and I cannot dive by myself.  We will do that again on Tuesday and then depart Wednesday for our next destination in Kentucky.  Doreen plans to get some sewing done while I am exploring the abyss.

6-7 May - Our last days at Scott Air Force Base

6 May
We restocked at the Commissary prior to leaving Scott Air Force Base.  That was quite a venture as they were having a "case lot sale" and I swear, every retiree with a 150 mile range of St Louis was here!!  It was a challenge to even find a parking place.  After that we ventured into Belleville to find the Bank of America office to get Doreen a new ATM card.  Apparently she used her card at a vendor who has multiple cards compromised.  BoA therefore cancelled her card and promptly mailed her a new one.  Normally that would not be an issue but we are very mobile right now and not able to get postal mail!  So her new card is at dan's house in Ankeny Iowa and we are in St Louis!  Finally they said she could get a temporary card at the nearest BoA office.

Later we were invited to Howard and kathu Steffey's house for dinner.  Howard is retired from the Iowa Air National Guard and I served with him for many years.  Howard was the first Command Chief Master Sergeant at the 132d Fighter Wing.  I was the fourth Command Chief Master Sergeant, so he was my mentor.  They had smoked some fabulous ribs and we enjoyed reminiscing service with the Fighter Wing.  Was a great time.  Howard recently bought a remotely controlled quad copter and I had never attempted to pilot one of those, so I got my chance!

7 May
Chores day again.  I headed into the Lodging Office for wifi access so I could get all the pending updates done to our iPad and iPhones.  Doreen knocked out some more laundry, cleaned up the "condominium on wheels", and prepared for departure tomorrow.  Later we ventured back into Belleville to fuel the truck and take Doreen out for an early Mother's Day meal.

Mid-afternoon some weather moved in but we had already "battened down the hatches" in preparation for our departure tomorrow.  We got a little wind and some rain, but nothing bad.

Chief Master Sergeant Tim Whisler and his wife Terri were headed from Savannah GA back to Des Moines and planned to stay at Scott AFB overnight, so they stopped by the camper and it was great to see them!

Tomorrow morning we move down to Mermet Springs where we will camp for a few days and scuba dive!! Yeah!!

5 May - Cardinals vs Phillies

Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Today we took the train into St Louis and attended a St Louis Cardinals vs the Philadelphia Phillies baseball game.  The weather was great, upper 60's and sunny.

Unloading from the train and making our way literally across the street to the stadium was indeed a "sea of red" with both the Cardinal fans and any Phillies fans both sporting red apparel.

The stadium filled steadily but was definitely not full, maybe due to the game being during the week and shortly after noon.  This is a panoramic I took from our seats:

Here is another couple shots:

We plan to sample a "dog and a brew" at each of the eight ballparks we will visit this summer and rate them.  I give this one a 5 of 10.  The dog was not bad, good size and flavor, but not real warm and the bun was soggy.

We left at the middle of the 7th inning as we had a 42 minute train ride back to the base and our puppy would be ready for a potty break.  St Louis was up 1-0 but they scored 3 at the bottom of the 7th  and ended up winning the game 4-0.

We hit the Scott AFB Lake again tonight and hooked several small bass.  The last bass we caught would be a keeper, but all large mouth bass are catch and release here, so sent her back to the abyss to make more little basses!

Tomorrow we will tend to some chores here, and some other errands, and then link up with Howard and Kathi Steffey for dinner.  Be safe, everyone!

4 May - Military Records and Anheuser-Busch Brewery

May the Fourth be with you!
Today started at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).  Bucket list item for me.  Researching my father's military service, I corresponded with NPCR as they hold all of his military records - original documents. Since we were going to be in the area, I saved $60 by making an appointment and taking pictures of the document rather than having them do it.

Security was incredible to get in the facility, and I even had to go through a training class (Power Point, of course...) on how to handle the documents as they can be very fragile.  They have to remove staples.  They have to straighten any folded papers, all very delicately. I took in the iPad and they have a Plexiglas stand that works perfectly.  In about an hour I took digital images of 148 documents dating back to his enlistment in January 1942, Enlistment, pay, personal equipment issue, promotion orders, discharge documents, etc.  Here are a couple of the documents:

From there we cruised through Ferguson MO on the way to the Anheuser-Busch brewery tour.  The damage to the buildings in Ferguson was evident still today.

The brewery tour was very interesting although we had seen it before.  We had a nice small group which was nice, and it was free.  The facilities are amazing and immaculate.  The Clydesdale horses and their stables were impressive.

Interesting that during Prohibition, since they could not make beer, Anheuser-Busch made and sold soda pop, ice cream and baker's yeast among other things.

 
The tour culminates in a visit to their Biergarten where each of us gets a cold glass of beer.  Doreen does not drink beer so I just could not let it go to waste!

Tomorrow we take the Metro train from Scott Air Force base to Busch Stadium to attend the St Louis Cardinals baseball game vs the Philadelphia Phillies at 1245 hrs.  The weather is supposed to be great, so we are hoping for another enjoyable day!

2-3 May - Exploring Scott AFB, Busch Stadium and the Arch

2 May
Even a great journey requires some maintenance.  Monday was laundry day, maintenance on the five-'er and restocking supplies.  Doreen knocked out five loads of laundry.  The good news is we can do it in the RV park, about 50 ft from our camping site, and cheap.

I spent the morning de-bugging my newly repainted front cap on the fifth wheel and giving it a good coat of carnauba wax, debugging the front of the truck, and some other preventive maintenance.  A shout out to Jayco and Des Moines RV for facilitating the refinishing of my fading Gel coat on the front cap of my Pinnacle.  That much Fiberglas sticking up in the air going down the road catches a lot of bugs.  Gotta take care of it!

We also visited the Base Exchange (BX), Commissary (food store), Welcome Center, post office, Shopette (military wine store), and base travel office.  We also went to the Outdoor Recreation Office and the metro train station to scope out our journey into town.

3 May
Today the mission is to take the Metro train into St Louis to visit the St Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium and the Arch. It all started at the Metro station, which leaves right from Scott Air Force Base and takes us all the way to Busch Stadium.  VERY convenient, not having to drive into St Louis.

   Our first stop was Busch Stadium and we did the stadium tour.  Holy Cow, as Harry Cary would say.  OK, sport fans, we are Chicago Cubs fans NOT Cardinal fans, but as Americans you should be baseball fans, and as baseball fans you have to appreciate the history of the Cardinals organization and their facilities here at St Louis.  In front of the stadium is the statue of one of the great baseball players ever, Mr. Stan "The Man" Musial

The stadium tour was worth every penny.  Doreen and I thoroughly enjoyed it, from the Champions Club with the World Series trophies (Cubs are short on these!)

 to the Broadcast booth where Harry Cary used to announce the games,

to the Cardinals Dugout and stepping foot on the field.

 You don't get much closer than this!

After the stadium tour we headed out to Cardinal Nation and toured the Hall of Fame Museum.

 Doreen steps up to the plate with Ozzie Smith's bat!

 Then to the arch.  The area under the arch is under construction.

 A view from the top.

 630 ft up, at the peak of the Arch!

Doreen and I in the Arch tram.  A bit un-nerving  how it equalizes itself as it travels up the arch.  The area inside the tram is a while lot smaller than this photo shows!! 

Back at the campgrounds, Gramp's slaying the bass at Scott lake

Mister Twister, can't miss!

And then there is supper.  Dutch oven pizza!  Gotta love it!  Oh, life is good!

Stay thirst, my friends!

 

1 May - Scott Air Force Base Family Campgrounds, Belleville IL

1 May
Today we traveled from White River Campgrounds in Bull Shoals AR to Scott Air Force base Family Campgrounds (called "Fam Camp"), location #3 below.  We got on the road about 8:41am and arrived about 3:15pm, 302 miles.  Today was again overcast but no rain and another uneventful travel day other than just long and tiring.  We will be here until Sunday 8 May and then to Mermet Springs IL for some scuba diving!!  Yea!

We are really looking forward to spending a week here at Scott AFB and the St Louis area.  We have been here before with our kids, many years ago, and really had a good time.  There is much to see and do.  One of the attractions we plan to revisit is the famous Arch!  Doreen took this picture as we traveled from Missouri to Illinois.

Among other things, Scott Air Force Base is the home of Headquarters Air Mobility Command and Air Force Communications Command, the command that I served under when I was in the Air Force.  

We are staying at many military campgrounds, state parks and Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds during this trip as the cost is very reasonable and they are typically very nice.  Military campgrounds use is restricted to active and retired military and DoD employees.  We also have access to the Base exchange (BX) and the commissary, so we can restock at a reduced rate.  

This is our first stay at an Air Force fam camp, and so far, so good!  Our campsite is 80 ft long and 18 ft wide, so it accommodates our "condominium on wheels" as Ernie Souther describes it, very nicely!    

We have a restroom/shower facility near our campsite and it has washers ($0.75/load) and dryers ($1.00/load).  That will be very handy as the laundry has accumulated since we left home.

The "to-do" list here is fairly long.  We are looking forward to reconnecting with 132d Fighter Wing's first Command Chief Master Sergeant (ret) Howard Steffey and his wife Kathi.  I have an appointment to visit the National Personnel Records Center on Wednesday May 4th to view/photograph my father's military personnel records.  They are archived here.  We have tickets to see the St Louis Cardinals play the Philidelphia Phillies on Thursday May 5th.  We will visit the Arch again and explore downtown St Louis.  There are many other sites Doreen has identified that we will visit.  That's it for now!