25 August, Friday
The Journey from North Platte, NE, to Henderson, NE
We then got gas and left the RV Park around 0940. We drove I-80 most of the way and arrived at the Prairie Oasis RV Park and Campground around 1330 hours. Road construction was taking place at the campground’s entrance, so we had to wait for a flag man before entering.
Prairie Oasis Campground
The campground was only about a third full, and we got a pull-through water/electric site near a couple of shade trees. The pad was gravel but it was level and long enough for both our truck and trailer. The campground was very well kept and had updated restrooms, sand volleyball courts with new sand, and a small pond with a paddle boat and benches and chairs next to it. Though it was near the interstate, the noise wasn’t too bad.
Jojo’s Gelato and Grill
After we set up the camper, we drove over to Aurora, about 30 minutes away, and ate dinner at an Italian restaurant called Jojo’s Gelato and Grill. We both had paninis and some gelato afterward.
Since no attractions were nearby, we just relaxed at the trailer afterward. The wifi was very good.
26 August, Saturday
Nebraska State Fair
We spent the day at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island, and it was a blast! The free parking and five-dollar tickets for seniors made it an incredibly affordable outing. Luckily, the high temperature was only in the low 80s, so it was perfect for exploring.
First, we strolled through the 4-H crafts and visited the barns with the animals. We indulged in fair food like elephant ears, corn dogs, kettle corn, and chocolate-covered cheesecake on a stick. There was so much to see, from a magic show, a water circus, and a transforming car to the Honey Bear dancers, a BMX show, and even wood carving with a chainsaw. We also wandered through several vendor areas and checked out some campers. One highlight for me was riding around the fairgrounds stadium in a massive International Harvester combine.
As the day wound down, we enjoyed a beer at the fair’s beer tent. They sold pink coozies, allowing you to take your beer outside the tent. It was a bit amusing since the coozies were only used for alcohol, and I couldn’t quite understand why covering the label made it more acceptable to walk around with the can.
Overall, it was a fantastic day, filled with fun activities, delicious food, and memorable experiences. We made it back to the camper around 9 p.m., tired but happy from our adventure at the Nebraska State Fair.
27 August, Sunday
The Journey from Henderson, NE, to Kansas City
After heading home, we efficiently packed our food and clothes into bags and loaded them into the truck so we would not have to unpack the camper when we dropped it off at the trailer storage. Once we were ready to go, we made a quick stop at the dump station, as we did not have full hookups, and then set off around 11:00 AM toward Kansas City.
The journey to the trailer storage facility took over four hours. We made one stop for gas at Love’s gas station in St. Joseph.
It was a long day, but everything went smoothly, and we were glad to be home after a successful trip.