Tag Archives: Valley City

Visiting Mom, Sister & Friends — 8/31 to 9/9, 9/13 to 9/16, Bismarck & Valley City, North Dakota

Every year when we are back in the States, we spend considerable time in Bismarck.  Many of you know why:  that is where Mom and sister Zona live!

This year, we will also spend a lot of time in Bismarck, but in several segments.  We interrupted our visit to fly back to Las Vegas for Barb’s dad’s 90th birthday celebration, and we interrupted it again to head to Minnesota for a time.  But to talk about the Vegas and Minnesota visits is to get ahead of myself.  More about them later.

While in Bismarck the first and second times, we slept in our camper, parked up behind Zona’s house and plugged into her storage building.  But we had most meals down at the house, when we weren’t taking advantage of some great restaurants downtown for lunch.  We played a lot of cards with Mom and Zona, with Mom proving once again that at 96 she is still a better player than the rest of us. She also posed for me in pictures that Zona used to advertise (and sell) her recliner.  We visited with niece Cathy & her hubby Jon and their kids Cole and Katy, and went to one of Cole’s football games.  Barb joined Zona at a bookclub meeting.  Friends Marvin & Violet and Floyd & Sheila and Dawn came to visit. High School buddy Curtiss DuRand extended a North Dakota visit and came to see me briefly.  We toured the State Capitol Building on a foggy/rainy day.  I spent DAYS washing and then waxing the camper.

And on our way to Minnesota, we stopped overnight at a campground in Valley City, ND, where Lynne & Steve joined us for dinner.  Barb & Lynne are a dangerous pair.