Potosi, WI to Warren’s Cranberry Festival, Part 5

Or Up One Side and Down the Other

On Wednesday, we took a tour of the area, heading south from the campground to Hwy 82 and across the river to Lansing, IA.

 

 

 

 

 Steel truss Hwy 82 bridge across the Mississippi.

 

 

 

Friends told us a “must see” was Horsefall’s Lansing Variety store.  A writer described it as a cornucopia of merchandise. And it was both.

Wow! Housewares, clothing, lawn ornaments, toys . . . you name it.  The goodies spill onto the sidewalk, too.  

 

 

As we drove, taking in the fall colors on the bluffs along the river, we watched for a place to pull off and view this portion of the Upper Mississippi Wildlife Refuge.  We were pleased to find two improved wildlife viewing areas after we passed into Minnesota, complete with wooden viewing platforms, telescopes benches and signage. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The signs explained the purpose of the Refuge and what you might see.

Looking to the Wisconsin Bluffs, this is the vista from one of the overlooks. We did spot white pelicans and we think swans, as well as eagles, hawks, geese and various ducks.

We stopped in the apple capitol of Minnesota, La Crescent, to purchase some apples. Along the way were several markets featuring apples, fall produce and other tasty treats.

Then it was back to Wisconsin via Hwy 61. Three states, 74 miles.

BuzzNet Tags: Great River Road Upper Mississippi Wildlife Refuge Horsefall's Lansing Variety Apple Capitol of Minnesota

Potosi, WI to Warrens Cranberry Festival, Part 3

After a leisurely drive north on first Hwy 133, then Hwy 35, we arrived Blackhawk Park COE Campground (in center of image below) just 3 miles north of DeSoto, WI.

To access Blackhawk Park, exit west from Hwy 35 onto Co. RD BI fir .7 mile to park entrance. Blackhawk Park offers a mix of shaded, open, waterfront and tent sites as well as day use areas for picnicking and boat launches. The park is only about 20 miles south of La Crosse, WI.

  We found an open site. As it had been chilly and we thought the sun would be nice.  The long spaces can easily accommodate any size rig. 

The park has created a numbered list of trees indigenous to the area with numbered examples throughout the park, as well as an information sheet for geocachers.

But the main pastime at this park is fishing.  I must say, from what I observed, the fishing was good.  Folks would take their boats out in the morning and return in the late afternoon with a 5 gallon bucket of fish.  Then the whirring would begin.  What was this sound?  Electric knives. In the past, when we actually kept the fish we caught, Tom would use a (manual) fillet knife, so this was new to us.  Of course we never caught fish in the quantities these folks had. 

One day the man across from us wore his knife battery down carving up his catch and had to borrow another from a friend.  He had quite the setup for filleting.  He devised a board mounted to the boat trailer frame.  This board had a whole on one end, under which he would hang a bucket for the bad parts.  On the other side of the board he had a dishpan with water for the good parts.  The middle section was his workspace.  Very efficient. The catches included crappie, sunfish and bass.  No catfish as we would have expected.

Texas Part 1

As we headed west towards Texas the clouds broke and soon disappeared.  Unfortunately the calm winds disappeared too.

We agreed to stop at the first Texas Rest Area.  They don’t have a welcome center at the border.  We had to drive 50 miles.

The truck side didn’t have trash cans—what’s with that.  And they didn’t have a sidewalk to the picnic area where the trash cans were.  So I hiked up over the hill to deposit a little gift from the dogs.  The car side was much nicer and had a spectacular view too.  Only when I was heading back did I see the signs to stay away from the tall grass and rocks as there may be rattlesnakes.  Fortunately I didn’t go near either but it would have been nice to know ahead of time.

Stopped for the day in Amarillo at a pretty nice place called Amarillo Ranch RV Park.  Sherry and I made a Walmart run as we both needed a few items. Then we went to downtown Amarillo to find the Polk Street Historic District.  There were several mansions built between 1905 and 1915.  Too bad I didn’t have my camera.  Tom and Jim stayed back at the “ranch” and made use of the pool and hot tub.

For supper we headed to the Big Texan Steak Ranch, home of the 72 oz., free if you can finish in an hour, steak.  We had coupons for Chicken Fried Steak. The campground called a limo for us (restaurant service). 

Of course we had to do all the touristy stuff.

   

Good friends, good food, good times.

Oklahoma

Hurricane Hermine left us with a pretty wet day of driving.  Fortunately no violent weather or strong winds, just rain, rain, and more rain. 

It was decided that we would continue past   our planned stop in Oklahoma City and drive until we got tired.  Then we saw the Cherokee Trading Post.  We stopped and that was it.  We couldn’t bring ourselves to get back on the road. After a bit of window shopping (too pricy for our tastes) we checked into the KOA next door.  $34 to park on gravel ten feet from your neighbor.  Not a big fan.  We did have full hookups, cable and Wi-Fi.  Jim and Sherry came over to visit and we watched Big Brother then they had to dash home when the rain let up a little.

By morning it was just a mist.  Sherry and I  walked down to the the buffalo that were in a pen near the trading post.  There was a chain link fence with barbed wire on top and an inner metal corral fence.  This kept the humans and buffalo a safe distance from each other.

The Wee Hours

Last night we discussed with Jim and Sherry’s family which way to go west through St. Louis.  They suggested we go straight through on I-55 to I-44 and that we had better leave before the rush hour. We decided to leave at 5:30 a.m.  This was the ticket we zipped through in no time.

It was a nice ride today.  Once the sun came up we could see the beautiful countryside. The interstate followed the path of Historic Route 66.  Few of the landmarks are visible from the Interstate. 

We stopped at Russell Stover's for some sugar-free candy.  Also in the same complex was an antique store and a cheese store.  We also stopped at a pottery/cutlery/Swiss Army Knife store.

After arriving at the Big Red Barn RV park we took off to take in the sights of Carthage, MO.  Our first stop was The White Rose, a winery, bed and breakfast and restaurant. In addition to the winery they also have a bed and breakfast and restaurant. We sampled eight varieties and heard some great stories from the owner, Jan.

 Pictured is Jim, Jan’s husband, on the right and son.  Jim, was standing at the wrong end of a destemmer  and  is spattered with grape juice and parts. 

We visited the Civil War Museum in Carthage and a battlefield park.  The battle took place throughout Carthage. 

A Rocky Start

After a rainy night, we were up early and ready to go—almost.

We pulled our RV next to Jim and Sherry’s and discovered that their RV would not start.  There was an RV repair outfit at the Samboree so Sherry went to where they had been set up.  They were gone!  Now what?  It’s Labor Day it will be difficult to find someone to come out.  They called their insurance who tried to find someone to come out for them but no luck.  So they asked Rich, a Rocky Roller friend.  Rich came over and crawled under the RV.  (You need to know that the RV was raised up on leveling jacks.) So Rich is under the RV poking around with his tester and discovered that there was juice going to the solenoid so that was good.  Rich worked some magic under there and the engine started . . . and the jacks began raise up and lower the RV on to Rich.  Screaming ensued, Jim raised the RV again and Rich wasn’t squished. OMG! We thanked Rich, said our goodbyes to the rest of our group and were finally on the road.

The wind that kept us cool all weekend had not subsided and we had a strong head-wind.  A head-wind is preferable to a cross-wind.  A head-wind eats up the gas but it is easier to control the RV.  A cross-wind makes driving a constant struggle.

We planned a short day for the first day or our adventure, only 179 miles.  We arrived at the campground about 12:30 p.m.  Sherry and Jim called their daughter who lives about a half hour away and arranged for them to visit the campground.  We got to meet the family we have heard so much about and Jim and Sherry got to see their three-week-old grandson. 

L to R: Shell, Lexie, Jim, Christopher, Sherry, Joseph, Tomas, Andrew, Tomas’ Mother, Ann and Romeo in front.

Illinois Samboree 2010

We arrived at the Illinois Samboree at around 11:30 a.m.  We were the last of the Rocky Rollers (our camping chapter) to arrive.  We made a good showing and had six units in attendance. 

We’re the little one in the middle.

Most of the Rocky Rollers in attendance. 

We got setup just in time for a Dairy Queen run with the group. We love our ice cream. Another must is the Friday night fish fry.  This time it was at the American Legion Post in Henry, IL.  We thought if we got there early we wouldn’t need to wait in line.  Wrong!  The line was already out the door. All Good Sammers trying to beat the crowd as we must get back from supper in time for the evening’s activities.

Samboree Activities included:  Crafts, games-closest to the hole, seed spitting, frisbee toss, ladderball, beanbag baseball.ladies lunch, Rig decorating, flea market and craft show, jam session, pet show, teen and pre-teen activities, Samgo, breakfast Saturday and Sunday, ice cream on Sunday, seminars, popcorn every night after entertainment.

The various chapters hold 50/50 raffles during the Samboree for their charities such as Dogs for the Deaf, Cancer Society and scholarships.  In addition chapters collect tab-tops throughout the year for the Ronald McDonald House.  The tab tops are turned in and weighed per Chapter then a total weight.  There were over 150 lbs. collected. There were 175 rigs present, 19 were from Wisconsin.  The Wisconsinites were asked to stand, then each person was to select a number between 1-50 and the one who got the number won a comp. for the 2011 Samboree (about a $70 value).  Steve and Diane from our group won. Woo Hoo!  Other states represented this year were Minnesota, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Florida, and Kentucky.

The Friday entertainment couldn’t make it. I heard someone say it was due to Hurricane Earl.  So Good Sam members came forward and pitched in.  There was a couple with accordion that sang and keyboardist. All from Wisconsin I might add.  Everyone seemed pleased with the unexpected change.  Generally if folks stay, it’s a good show. 

Saturday’s entertainment was Glen Reader and Band.  He worked with Country Music legends Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl.  He could really sing and the band members were all extremely talented.  Glen featured each for several songs.

Sunday’s entertainment was Wes Harrison.  His act was sound effects—all done with only the aid of a microphone.  He had worked doing sound effects for Warner Brothers.  He would incorporate the sound effects into stories he told. 

When you arrive you are given a schedule of activities. Then you must go to registration to receive a tag with your number (must have to receive door prizes and most drawings), Tickets for the Saturday and Sunday breakfasts and Sunday ice cream.  If you ordered the catered meal you would get a ticket for that also.  In addition you get a bag of goodies.  These may include info from vendors, samples, promotional items such as key rings etc. and local info.

Sherry and Romeo waiting for their turn.

   

Most of the dogs has some type of costume-from bandanas to purple feather boas.

Saturday morning we entered The Boys and Sherry entered Romeo in the dog show. There are categories for longest tail, shortest tail, cutest male and female.  None of our dogs won but we were very pleased how well they behaved with the other dogs and all the people.  A funny story—A little boy wanted to pet The Boys.  I really prefer that people do not touch our dogs especially children.  So I told the little guy that we didn’t let strangers pet our dogs and he said that he wasn’t strange. How precious was that.

Each night there were drawings.  Prizes included: restaurant coupons,  Good Sam bobble heads, RV related books, RV supplies and more.  Jim and Sherry won Good Sam Club Road Atlas which indicated all the campgrounds that give a Good Sam discount. They also won a Glen Reader CD.  We won certificates for free ice cream at the local Dairy Queen.  We gave those away as we couldn’t use.

Camping Through the Years

1970 Something 22’ Adventure Wheels—Taken on the way to Myrtle Beach.  This was the first RV we purchased in ‘82 or ‘83. This motorhome had a rear dinette with a pull down bunk above.  We got a lot of service out of it.    1979 Volkswagen Camper Van—That’s me and Joe taken in the mid-‘80s.  Next we purchased this VW camper.  Imagine two adults and three kids on a trip to Florida.  Me and Tom up, Amy and Tim down and Joe on a hammock above the front seats.  I don’t know how we did it.

1973 21’ Midas —Taken in Washington, D. C.  Note there is no air conditioner.  Had this one for a few years.  As you can see it was small enough to take in the city.  How did we make it without air?

Skamper pop-up year unknown.  We had this for a short time.  As we had a boat, we decided we wanted to pull the boat instead.

We also had a Skamper slide-in truck camper  on our 4-cylinder Ford Ranger for a short time.  Couldn’t find a picture. 

The only time we used it was when Joe and Sue took it on an outing.  It was cold and the pilot light on the furnace kept blowing out.  So Sue was in and out of bed all night re-lighting the pilot.  The same weekend Tom and Tim took the van up north fishing.  They were cold in the van too and headed home early.  Sue would not be bested by the guys and made sure they got home first, in spite of the miserable conditions.

When it came time to leave, the campground exit was up a steep hill from the river bottom and the poor little ranger almost didn’t make it.

1978 24’ Winnebago Class C—Taken in Spokane, WA.  Sadie our Black Lab in picture. This was a really nice unit.  The layout worked really well for us.  The sofa and dinette were up front, the kitchen was in the middle and the bath with a large wardrobe in the back.  The bunk in front was huge.

1988 32’ Bounder—Taken near Carson City, NV.  This was our first Class A.  It was “tired” when we bought it. I will write another time about all the “adventures” we had with the Bounder.

1995 32’ Flair—Taken in Zion NP.  Our current RV.

Motorhomes Ho!

Tentative Route

We are about to set out on another adventure.  This trip we will be caravanning with friends, Jim and Sherry.

The plan jelled when the four of us were chatting at one of our spring campouts.  We were talking about things we always wanted to do and the Albuquerque Balloon Festival (ABF) came up. We agreed that it is something we would like to see and it became a focal point for this trip.

Throughout the summer planning continued and we now have plans to go to three Samborees* as well as the ABF.  We will be connecting with two other couples from our group at the ABF.

*A Samboree is an RV Rally sponsored by the Good Sam Club.  Each state has at least one per year. 

Goodlettsville to Home

We left bright and early Monday morning. Our plan had been to stay at Land Between the Lakes but with the oppressive heat we decided to skip LBL and stop at Lake Carlyle then home.

Lake Carlyle is one of our favorite places to stay. The campsites are huge and park-like. The 26,000 acre lake, campground and marina are located in Clinton County, Illinois.

The following morning we connected the car and were leaving the campground and had travelled about 50 feet when the car’s transmission popped back into gear–not a good thing. The car shuddered as the tires caught and the motor home dragged it a few feet. We stopped and Tom put it back in neutral. There were no further problems with the transmission and it appears there was no harm done.

As I described in a previous entry, when towing our car, it must be started and put through the gears at least every 200 miles. This mixes up the oil in the transmission and coats the parts to prevent the transmission from burning up. Well, we left Lake Carlyle and were heading home. It was a total of 300 miles home, so we tried to find a rest area about mid-way to stop. The map showed one south of Bloomington, IL at mile marker 145.

Now, that day was as hot as any during this trip. We stopped at the rest had lunch then Tom went out to start the car. Well the car's alarm went off and the car wouldn’t start. So we had to disconnect the battery cables. Of course first you must dig to find the tools to do so. So here we are, the temperature felt like 100 with the air temp and heat from the pavement, struggling to get the battery disconnected so we could figure out what was wrong.

During our travails a “Country Coach” motor home pulled in next to us. The phrase,”If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” That’s a Country Coach--45 ft. of luxury motor “coach.” Why these people even pulled in next to us is a mystery to me. The rest area was one of the largest we’ve been in. There were only us and one or two semis in the truck/RV area. So they are parked next to us, spewing diesel fumes and more heat toward us. They went to the rest rooms and came back and sat in their air conditioning having lunch spewing and spewing and not asking if we needed help. I was certain they were sitting behind their tinted windows watching our struggles.

We determined that the car battery was dead. We don’t know why it drained but it was dead. So we had to jump the car with the motor home. It would have been a cinch if there wasn’t a spewing (I like this word) behemoth next to us. Tom could have backed the motor home next to the car and ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom that would have been it. But that was not to be, the Country Coach did not move. So Tom had to pull out, turn around, go against traffic and pull in nose-to-nose with the car. Fortunately there was room to do that and no traffic to get in the way.

The green rectangle is our car, the blue dot is the Country Coach and the red line is the movement of our motor home.

After the car was running we had to back the car out of the space to another one and pull the motor home in front to reconnect. WHEW!!

After we got home we decided that the battery problem was caused by the brake buddy being too close to the brake pedal and then possibly shifting when the brake was applied. We will need to prove this theory next time out.

This was a very rough trip on us mostly due to the extreme heat. We were planning to take Audrey and Emily camping but we just didn’t feel like it. We also had planned to go to Potosi, WI with our camping group and decided not to go. Saving our strength--and money for our upcoming trip—three Samborees, the Albuquerque Balloon Festival and tour of southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico.

The adventure continues . . .

Greensboro to Goodlettsville

Well we had a great July 4th weekend with the kids and grandkids from Florida.  Ally was to begin here choir camp at Elon University on Tuesday so it was time for us to begin the next leg of our trip.  We said our goodbyes the previous evening so we just had to finish putting things away outside and in and take off. 

We decided to take a different route heading west toward Nashville due to the work being done on westbound I-40 I mentioned in a previous post.  Using one of our favorite travel tools, Streets &Trips, we discovered that the route we had planned to take on westbound I-40 was only 13.5 miles less than heading north from Winston-Salem to Virginia then to Knoxville, TN and east.  So we decided to avoid the possible delays on I-40 and headed north.  Once north of Winston-Salem not only did the traffic thin, the landscape became more rural. 

This days journey was relatively short, only a few hours.  As we were nearing the Virginia border we passed through “Andy Griffith” country.  Mount Airy, NC (Mayberry) is his hometown and Pilot Mountain, NC (Mt. Pilot). Andy made numerous references to traveling to Mt Pilot.  We did not stop as it was already becoming unbearably hot and we were just anxious to get off the road.

Pilot Mountain, NC

Arrived at Fort Chiswell RV Park in Max Meadows, VA at 1 p.m. The outside temperature was 106.  Got setup and then ready for a dip in the pool.  Well the dip didn’t last long.  The pool was hotter than bathwater.  What a disappointment.  It was too hot to use the grill or stove so we just nuked some hotdogs and opened a can of fruit cocktail for supper. 

When the sun got a little lower we took a walk around the campground.  We met a couple from Georgia, who stop at this campground twice a year on the way to and back from Vermont.  They were sitting at their picnic table playing dulcimers.  After talking with them a few minutes we discovered that they got interested in dulcimer playing at Stephen Foster State Park in Florida.  We were at Stephen Foster State Park several years ago.  While there we were invited to a campsite to listen to music.  There was a bagpipe player, violinist, and guitarist.  According to the dulcimer couple, there is a certain weekend a month when musicians gather. 

The next day was going to be just as hot so we got a 7:30 start.  We headed toward Knoxville, TN, and  stopped for gas and LP there.  The temp. sensor on the side of the motorhome read 113.  The Flying J was a madhouse and it took us a half hour to get back on the road.

The next campground was in Crossville, TN just a couple of hours east of Nashville.  It was a nice place, mostly seasonal sites but there was a large section for folks like us.  I imagine if we were there on Friday, Saturday or Sunday it would have been busy with folks from the city getting away for the weekend. 

We did meet some former Wisconsinites there.  The are now in Arkansas.  They came over when they saw the dogs.  They had a neat Class B.  They were so proud of it they gave us a tour.  What a nice little unit.

A short 2.5 hour ride took us to Nashville Country RV Park where we will stay for four nights.  The temperature was 105 when we stopped for the day.

From Kentucky Horse Park to Ashville, NC

We headed south on I-75 from Lexington, KY toward Knoxville, TN.  The drive is easy and not too crowded until we near Knoxville where, as usual, city congestion ensues.  In Knoxville we pickup I-40 eastbound through the Smokeys. 

Shortly after we enter North Carolina we see that the westbound traffic has come to a slow crawl when traffic narrows to one lane.  Around Valentine’s Day (2010) a rock slide closes westbound I-40 just east of the Tennessee/North Carolina line.  I am told it took months and many millions to remove the rock and repair the roadway. Now crews are trying to stabilize the mountainside to reduce chances of another rock slide. 

The traffic seemed to be backed up for 20 miles.  The only alternatives are taking local mountain roads to Hot Springs, NC, and pick up I-40 westbound east of the slide. Or take I-26 north to I-81 south a significant detour.  Many are caught off-guard by the traffic jam simply because they are unaware of the work until it is too late.

Everything is compacted in the Smokeys.  The mountains are much smaller both in height and at the base.  As the highway winds around them the curves are tighter.  Speed limits are not suggestions.  If they say 55 mph for trucks it is for a reason.  Another difference is the exit ramps.  You need to dive out of traffic and slow to 20 mph to make the curves without mishap.  Entrance ramps are iffy sometimes they are really long and sometimes not.  I guess it is all a matter of space. 

Rest areas are compact not sprawling as the rest areas out west or to a lesser degree in the Midwest.  Rest areas in the Smokeys are snugged-up between the highway and the mountain.  The parking for semis and RVs is more like parallel parking, not the angled pull-through we are used to. 

Traffic is generally heavier heading east.  A plus is that most Interstates are at least 3 lanes in each direction.

We stop for the night in Swannanoa, NC at Miles Camper Sales and Campground.  It is a nice place close to the Interstate so it is easy on, easy off.  We are in a valley surrounded by the mountains.

Kentucky Horse Park

The Kentucky Horse Park is part of the Kentucky State Park system. Opening in, I believe, 1978, the Kentucky Horse Park is 1200 acres of pastures, museums, equine presentations, show venues and seminars. We were here to see a special exhibit through October 2010. “A Gift of the Desert: The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse,” celebrates the Arabian horse. There is also a museum dedicated to the American Saddlebred. This breed was developed in Kentucky over 120 years ago. The park will host the 2010 World Equestrian Games September 23 to October 10. This is the first time that the event will be held outside of Europe.

The Kentucky Horse Park is a great place for horse lovers like me.

What can I say but wow. Beautifully maintained, wide shaded and paved sites, beautiful well-maintained pool, and a shuttle to the horse park. Just off of I-75. Do I sound like an ad? Well I highly recommend this campground.

July 4th Weekend Reunion Part 2

A picture is worth a thousand words. So these should be worth seven thousand.

July 4th Weekend Reunion Part 1

We planned to meet on Friday, July 2 at the Greensboro Campground. Tom has used MS Streets and Trips to plan our route and each day puts the info into “Jill” our Garmin GPS and we are set.

Problem--our Streets and Trips is 2005. Tom has found Fields Campground, which he called before we left to make reservations. He is told that “Greensboro Campground (GC) has taken over for Fields. GC doesn't tell him that Fields is actually closed and GC is getting their calls. So Tom makes reservations for four nights and enters the address for Fields Campground in the GPS.

“Jill” works like a charm and took us right to Fields. Taking a wrong turn or getting lost in a strange town is always stressful, but when your vehicle is a 32’ motorhome pulling a car it is worse. You cannot back up towing a car, so you need a space to turn the whole thing around or you are forced to disconnect the car. Disconnecting the car is no big deal except it is just a pain. Well we find a place to turn around and stop to check our camping directory which has the correct address and directions. When we get home we will invest in a current MS Streets and Trips. You will see that getting lost and misinformation is a theme for the weekend.

Dave and Amy did not have the same trouble we had and got to the campground a couple of hours after we did. It was sure great to see everyone. Ally and Brandon have gotten so big in the year since we last saw them. Ally will be going to choir camp in Greensboro the following week and that is why we decided to meet there.

North Carolina Trip—Day One

• Fridge Trouble (Self-inflicted)
• Is the Garage Door Closed
• Road Construction in Indianapolis and Indiana Roads in General
• Hidden Paradise Campground

Fridge Trouble (Self-inflicted)

Here we go again.  The motorhome was on the street and the car was hooked up when we noticed the fridge did not light.  When we were at the Wisconsin Samboree two weeks ago we had problems.  We asked around and were told that the igniter needed cleaning.  So after cleaning, it worked fine. 

So here we are ready to go and we are trying to clean the igniter.  I had the idea to get the can of compressed air from in the house and blow the dirt off.  So into the house I go—open the garage, unlock the inside door and search for the can.  I found one can that was almost empty in the laundry room cabinet.  On to the basement.  After some digging I finally found it.  Now back outside, making sure all the lights are off on the way. 

So Tom starts squirting air around the igniter while I go inside to check the fridge.  No luck.  Try again and again. No luck.  Then Tom asked me if the LP Gas Detector was on.  I check and no flashing green light.  That means it is off.  The LP Gas Detector is also an on/off switch  for the gas valve.  It must be on for any of the gas appliances (fridge, water heater and range) to work.  So once I turned it on everything it worked. 

Is the Garage Door Closed

I had just pressed the garage door button and we were just putting everything outside together when the neighbor stops on his way to work to talk.  Now, of course, I don’t look to see the door go down.  

We are on the road about 20 miles away when I thought about it.  Was the garage door closed?  I may have looked as we were leaving but couldn’t be sure. So I call Joe, mind you it is before 8 a.m.—not a good time to call.  Joe does not get up early as he works 2nd shift.  What luck he is up and will check the house for us. Whew!

Road Construction in Indianapolis and Indiana Roads in General

I don’t now what Indiana does with it’s highway money, but it certainly was not spent on I-74. Except, of course, in Indianapolis on I-74/I-465, where three narrow lanes barrel along at breakneck speeds with absolutely no room for error. Try this in a 32 ft. motorhome pulling a car.  I could almost reach out my window and touch the semis in the right lane.

Hidden Paradise Campground Somewhere off I-74

A sprawling campground with riverfront sites, wooded sites, so many sites (168) we didn’t get to see them all.  The camping directory states typical sites are 34 ft. wide.  They didn’t give us one of those, oh no.  Our site was about 10 ft. from the motorhome next door.  On a corner near the bathhouse and laundry. Traffic was constant.  Things did settle down finally, then someone started shooting fireworks off.  Very loud fireworks. 

Camping at Pec

Last week was our monthly Good Sam Club campout. The campground is small, only 50 sites. About half have electricity. The inside of the loop are the premium sites this time of year as there are fewer bugs. Spaces are about 40’ wide and can accommodate tow or towed vehicles. The outside of the loop is adjacent to the woods where the bugs live. Every site has at least some shade which is nice.

We arrived on Thursday around noon. Several of our group were already here. We got one of the prime inside electric sites. We had 9 rigs here. One was a new member with a a new rig. The “rigs” vary in size from a van camper to 39’ motorhome; 18’ pull-behind trailer to 36’ fifth wheel pulled by a freightliner. The rigs range from 1978 to new. The campers are from 40-ish to mid-80s. Kids and grandchildren often tag along.

Our campout weekends include an ice cream run to the local ice cream shop, Friday fish fry, Saturday potluck and meeting, Sunday morning breakfast (usually continental style). Various games are available if you so choose. Ladder ball is popular in the afternoon and cards in the evening before the campfire. Various side trips may include a run to the local Wi-Fi hotspot, shopping, or local point of interest.

The days of the HUGE campfire are over. The Emerald Ash Borer has put an end to that. You can’t bring firewood from home (except scrap lumber). Firewood must be purchased on-site usually $5-10 per bundle and of course harvesting your own in the woods if frowned upon.

Almost everyone in our group has a pets. One, two even three dogs; Chihuahuas to a Golden Retriever and even a Cockatiel.

We have a very loud neighbor. A Catbird. He (she) begins his repertoire when there is an inkling of light. In late May that is about 4 a.m. His haunt is the bush behind our motorhome, very near the bedroom. He continues all day until dark. What a busy guy.

We decided to leave the motorhome at the campground for three days as we were going back on the following Wednesday for Memorial Day weekend. This cost us only $8 per night, saving us the cost of gas driving back and forth. The problem is we had to remove all the perishable food, clothing to be washed and a ton of other stuff that we did not want to leave. Of course we needed to restock not only the perishable items but also the dry goods almost more trouble than it was worth.

This weekend there were five from our group there. The mosquitoes were just horrible. I am convinced that they were immune to repellant wipes, sprays, candles and mosquito coils. We did use our screen room a lot, until we sold it. Long story not worth telling really.

A couple of us had hummingbird feeders out and they would come by all day long. At the campfire they would come to the feeder while we were all sitting right there. So several of us got our cameras out. It’s really hard to snap a clear picture of a humming bird, at lease for adults to snap a picture. One couple brought their granddaughter with for the weekend and guess who got the good pictures. Here are a couple of pictures I took. One at our campsite and one at the campfire.