July 28 thu 30 Paul used the Conversion Van and Tent Camper to camp with friends at Myre State Park at Albert Lea Minnesota

July 19 thru 23
Mary and Mel and Paul and Tippie just finished a trip to Copper Harbor Michigan we took the tent camper, Canoe  and two bikes.. We left July 19 and stayed at Fort Wilkins for Three nights. on Saturday we moved to Bewabic State Park between Crystal Falls and Iron River. On the way home Sunday a tire developed a slow leak. I tried to change to the spare but one lug nut would not come off. We drove home from Stephens Point WI stopping to pump up the tire every 30 miles. on monday I bought a new tire and replaced all 20 lug nuts.
    We have not decided how to use mary's last 3 days vacation starting July 29 through  August 3rd. Mary's Garden is the best she ever had. we put up a 6 foot high fence to keep the deer and rabbit out and the soil is improving. Every day she goes out and picks beans for supper. I was Driving the Honda Spee and a gas line came loose and I had to push it home a mile. now I will carry a set of tools so if it happens again I can fix it on the road.
    Mary will help with Vacation Bible School August 13 thru 17    6:30 to 8:15 PM
Carol has till september before collage starts again and is busy working and playing volleyball. Paul is keeping his 88 Olds cutlass Going and Lettering Bottle caps. He installed a trailer hitch on his car and plans to pull the tent camper.

Vacation May 13 2000

        Our next scheduled vacation started Saturday May 13 and goes
through Memorial Day May 29.  We started our vacation going to Bettendorf, Iowa,
to visit Steve and Dorothy Earp Saturday.  Next morning we motored into
Kentucky. We stayed at Natural Bridge State Park. Next night we stayed at Breaks State Park.Virginia.
Next day we drove to Beckley, West Virginia, to tour an old coal mine.
We stayed at a camp ground associated with the coal mine.  It was a city park. The following day we
drove the Blue Ridge Parkway and stayed at the Shenandoah National Park.
Next day we drove to Washington DC to the  Cumberland WV Canal. It operated from 1830 to 1929.
We stayed at  the national forest  campground near Thurmon, Maryland.
We learned this is the place where Camp David of White House fame is. The president was not there.
Next we toured the Gettysburg battle ground. We headed home and stopped to
see Joyce and Dick Hargett in Pottervill, MI and then Joanne and Burt Spitler
at Northport MI. We motored through the UP and stayed at Wells State Park just
south of Escanaba MI and returned home at 8 PM May 25. We  lived in the
GMC Conversion van while we were traveling. We went to the  graduation of Damien Rennells
from the Lyle, MN Public Schools May 26  and his reception May 27.
We then stayed that night with Grandma Earp in  Albert Lea.
        Memorial Day weekend Carol camped at Jellystone Park at Warrens,WI. Paul had added
a trailer hitch to his 88 Olds and will take the tent camper to a local campground for the weekend.
 That will probably be the last time we will be able to use the camper.  He will have it from now on.
     Let us know your Email and web page address if you have one. We have left some
family pictures on our web page   www.hbci.com/~melr     Email:    melr@hbci.com

Mel, Mary, Paul, and Carol Rennells

Pets:  Smokey, Katie, Schroom, Tiger, and Tippy
 

APRIL 2000

We just completed our April 2000 trip to Texas.  Mary , Paul
and Melvin left Winona at 2PM Fri April 7  and headed south to
Texas. At 9PM we stopped at a truck rest stop 20 miles north of
Kansas City Mo. Next morning Paul drove through Kansas City on our
way to Grand Prairie TX.  We arrived about 4PM at the  Jeff
Rennells family home. We meet the new daughter of Christina and
Matt Crosswhite born March 6 2000 in Abiline TX. Next day the girls
went shopping and Paul , Mel, and Jeff went to Mineral Wells
State Park and Paul practiced rock climbing. Paul also paddled
a kayak with Jeff in the local lake. Next morning we left for
Corpus Christi and stayed on Padre Island at the federal
campground for only $4 per night. The 3 of us are living in our
conversion van.  Tuesday we toured the aircraft carrier
Lexington then camped near Houston $24 per night. Wednesday we
toured the US Texas WW2 Battleship and spent the night at a
casino campground in south Louisiana $16 per night. Thursday we
tried to tour a southern plantation but it was not open until
till later so we moved on to an Arkansas State Campground. We
used the firewood we were carrying and built a campfire. Next
night we stayed at a Missouri state campground just south of St Louis
Missouri. Paul purchased a lot of wood (actual 4"x4" and 4"x8" about
12 " long. Green rejects from a saw mill). We then drove past
the Arch and toured the Science and Space museum in St Louis.
That night we spent the night in an Iowa State Park in SE Iowa.
Cost $0 they did not have the forms to register and the 40 or
so campers did not have to pay. We started another campfire.
Sunday we drove past our old house in Cedar Rapids Iowa, drove
through Morgan park and Mary and Paul went into a shopping mall
Mary used to use in the 1980's. We then motored home arriving a
4PM.