September 2, 2021
Making Memories
By Mary Schricker Gemberling &
Lucille Elizabeth Schricker
One of the best things about being a grandma is sharing the things you love to do with your grandchildren. Traveling, especially in the RV, and writing are two things I enjoy that I recently was able to share with our nine year old granddaughter. On her 8th birthday Gary and I had gifted Lucy a trip with us without her parents or siblings. After a pandemic delay we finally fulfilled the birthday trip this July. With the time restraints of a busy family we were only able to whisk her away for four days. The following accounting was co-written by Lucy and me on the way home from our journey:
One Tuesday Grandma and Grandpa picked me up from gymnastics in the RV to take me on an adventure. Since it was pretty late in the day our first stop was at an RV park in Tipton, Iowa for an overnight stay. Our campground was on the Cedar River and next to a highway. After we set up the RV we ate dinner outside and had Hungry Hobo sandwiches, chips and fruit. I slept in the bunk over the drivers seat and my grandparents slept in a bed that folds out of the wall.
The next morning we woke up and ate cereal and fruit. I helped get the RV ready to begin our journey to Oelwein, Iowa. On the way we stopped at Backbone State Park where we hiked and got to go in several cool caves. We wanted to boat on the lake but could not because of a thunder storm warning. Instead we stopped at the park shop and had a smoothie.
After we left the park we drove to a town called Strawberry Point. This town is known for having the world’s largest strawberry. In the middle of town we stopped to take a picture of the strawberry. Across the street was the Franklin Hotel, which is a famous historic place known for its strawberry desserts. We couldn’t resist having a piece of strawberry pie.
We looked around the hotel and then we drove to Lakeside RV resort, our home for the next two nights. We were excited to see that our campsite was next to miniature golf and near a lake and bike trail. As soon as we got set up we went mini golfing and rode our bikes around to check out the rest of the campground.
Because it was 90 degrees outside we decided to eat inside the RV, and then grandpa taught me how to play a new card game called Five Crowns. We tried to watch a movie, but the Roku wouldn’t work so we watched the Classic TV channel and laughed and laughed while we ate popcorn.
On Thursday morning after breakfast we decided to explore the area around the campground on our bikes. After that we swam in the lake, and I taught Grandma and Grandpa a game called GA GA Ball where the players bounce and hit a large rubber ball around a fenced in area. All that activity made us hungry so we headed back to the RV for lunch and another round of Five Crowns. Later that evening after another game of mini golf, I helped Grandpa build a fire and we roasted hot dogs and s’mores for dinner.
On the last day of our trip we woke about seven, had breakfast, and started packing our things for the return trip. We drove a short distance to Elkader, Iowa to visit the Osborne Nature Center where we saw amphibians, reptiles and animals native to Iowa. My favorite was the black bear who used to be around but now is hardly ever found in Iowa. At the beginning of our trip grandma had promised to take me to Dairy Queen so we decided to find a DQ for lunch. For the last couple of hours of the trip while grandpa drove the RV, grandma and I wrote this article together. When we finished writing we decided to play cards, and I finally beat grandma at Five Crowns. When we were almost back home grandma asked me what I thought was the best thing about the trip? I said it was spending time with her and grandpa and having fun.
As we arrived back at my son’s house it was evident that despite having a good time with us, Lucy had missed her family and was happy to be back home. Next year Pearl turns eight years old, and we can’t wait to spend some quality time with her on another grandchild adventure!
“Some of our greatest blessings call us Grandma & Grandpa”…
Mary, a former educator and Seniors Real Estate Specialist, is an author of four books: West End Kid, A Labor of Love; My Personal Journey through Caregiving, Hotel Blackhawk; A Century of Elegance, and Ebenezer United Methodist Church; 150 Years of Resiliency.
