Welcome to the Mississippi River!

May 31 -  We managed to get on the road by 9 this morning and then realized the gate was locked and we couldn’t get out.  There was no one really up and moving around since most of the RV’s are empty during the week.  At guy went by that took stuff to the dumpster and he said he’d let someone know we were waiting to leave.  So a guy came up on his golf cart and opened the smaller gate.  Bill was a little concerned if we could make the right turn on the small 2 lane road.  I veered as close the left side of the opening as I could and very slowly pulled out and straightened up and got out without hitting the fence or going off the road!  WHEW!

Today was all regular road driving – no interstate.  We have been seeing such beautiful country with lots of huge farms and farmhouses.  So much nicer than what we see in Florida.  There were some hilly and curvy roads but all went well as we headed to Prairie du Chien, WI and enjoyed the ride and views all the way!  No real excitement and really light traffic compared to the interstates. 

Our campground, Sports Unlimited, just a walk to the Mississippi River.  The campground is about 400 sites, mostly seasonals who have single wide pre-fab units that are the size of an RV but some are 1 and a half stories.  The company owns this and a couple of marines and 3 more RV parks along the river.  And you’d think they could provide WIFI!  Only in their office / game room building!

We have a nice spot and hear and see the trains coming and going.  I counted one at 116 cards and 5 of the cars were engines.  I thought I’d hear them at night but I guess I tuned them out if they were running.

We had lunch then drove into town.  We stopped for our current grocery list at Walmart and Aldi.  The crazy. thing about this town is they have 3 round abouts coming through town, one right after the other.  So they are a block apart and there’s no real reason for it.  It was a slow process driving the motorhome thru them but no issues.

The couple next to us is from Iowa and they have a 45’ EXSPENSIVE coach that Bill looked up and runs $400,000 to $700,000.  Wow!  It’s taller too!

No WIFI, no satellite connection and no local air TV stations.  It was is a night for reading.

We had a light supper of leftovers and read for our evening entertainment. 

Happy Memorial Day!

May 30 – Happy Memorial Day!  Travel day for us!  We got hooked up and on the road shortly after 9.  We had planned to stop at Silver Creek and Stephenson Railroad.  They do 3 trips a day on the days they are open.  We called yesterday to see if we needed to book it ahead and they said they are never full.  So we didn’t dilly dally this morning as Bill wanted to make the 1:00 train.  We had been told there was plenty of parking for the RV.

Upon arrived we didn’t see much parking for RV’s.  They have a big grassy area and it was half full already and so we turned at the end of the block and thankfully it was an industrial area and being Sunday they were all closed and we parked in their open lot.  But, as we passed the train station and didn’t see any parking we came to the stop sign.  We both looked both ways after I stopped and were clear to make a right turn.  Well, you know it’s not like a car and we were towing the truck so I had to plan t use both lanes to make the turn.  As I was straightening up a car just about hit us on the driver side as she swerved on the left berm.  We did not see her coming as she was driving extremely fast and we both had looked.  She was mad and you could see her screaming at us but we could hear a word.  Bill said she had a child in the car with her.  We then pulled in the business that had a open parking area.  We were a bit stunned as she nearly hit my side of the RV and she’s the one who was driving like a maniac apparently since she came up out of no where.  Well, at least no one was hurt but she pulled up slowly where we parked and if we could have heard her I’m sure it was rather abusive language!  All’s well that ends well!

We arrived with a few minutes to spare at the train depot and got our tickets.  The bulk of the cars parked were collectible old cars that they just brought out for people coming to the train to be able to take a look, etc.  They were all sitting in a circle and visiting while train passengers gawked at their cars.  There were only 9 of us on the train and it goes 1.7 miles out and then back.  It was nothing fancy but along the way they’ve set up creepy stuff and they do a Haunted trip at Halloween   It was a wooding burning engine so we backed to the end and went forward back. 

Time to head to our campground in Pearl City, IL.  It’s a bit off the road but a really nice campground.  Lots of green fields for kids to run and play in addition to the playground.  A nice shelter for gatherings and an old barn that the bottom is the office and I think the top part is also a gathering place.  We have a pull thru spot right in front of “The Barn”.

It was too close to the sign where they have you stop to register but said to swing left and pull thru.  I KNEW it was not going to work but Bill motioned me to come forward and over to the left and then I was right on the sign touching the side of the RV.  The owner pulled the sign off the post and had me go to the lot past the lot we were in and pull thru an open space and circle back to the spot we were assigned.  Yikes!  All’s well that ends well!  Bill thought I had scraped the trim of the coach but it was paint from the sign, which it got off with my trusty De-Solv-itz!    I’m just the driver who does whatever the parker tells me! 

We had a snack since it was late for a full lunch and just chilled for the rest of the day!

Fancy Dinner out!

May 29 – After breakfast I put in laundry and straightened up a bit since we leave tomorrow.  Bill made a run to auto store.  Who knows what for!

I did some cleaning since we’re one night tomorrow and I got on the roof and tried to use a chop stick and duct tape to make the one antenna stand up.  Also we bought some drain spouts for the roof dripping but we’re going to have to come up with another plan.  We walked down our loop and all of the 5^th wheels have the drip spouts but not the motorhomes.  Something is wrong with that picture!  I think I might get some small black tubing and attach it where the water drains out from and attach it to the RV with silicone and attach a spout to the end with silicone.  There HAS to be a way to cure the problem!

The highlight of the day was dinner out at the Lighthouse Restaurant.  It is on the banks of Cedar Lake, for which the town is named.  It also had a lighthouse on one end of the roof.  The setting is gorgeous and the restaurant is elegant, designed with beaucoup windows, huge and has excellent service and food.  We over did the ordering!  First they brought bread, which we finished off, then they brought the appetizer of a bruschetta.  OMG was is delicious!  Each had 2 big servings and I was pretty full already.  Then each had a salad that was very fresh and lots of goodies in it.  OK, yes were both pretty full and then the main course arrived.  Bill had Lake Perch with French fries and cole slaw (which we brought some home) and my 3 crab cakes came in a beurre sauce and I could barely finish 2, so guess we’re having leftovers tomorrow night!  Such a fabulous meal! 

We were both stuffed but thoroughly enjoyed the place and the food.  I took some photos bot without being out on the lake it would be difficult to get a good shot of the lighthouse.  We were kinda chilly and could not accept that people were on the water and in the water.  Brr!  We were not in Florida anymore!

We did enjoy our 3 nights in Cedar Lake but time to pack up and move on!

Enjoying Cedar Lake

May 28 – We knew we gained an hour yesterday as we are now in Central Time, but I didn’t change my bedside clock.  So I thought it was 7:15 and it was 6:15, so I got a really early start today!  Bill wasn’t far behind me but he ended up going back for a morning nap.

The main attraction here is Uncle John’s Flea Market today and tomorrow.  Since we were mostly going to be browsing there was no rush.  We got there about 9:30 and there was already a good crowd of cars.  There are 4-5 big buildings with stationery booths and out front there is a large area for individuals who can do a week or month or however long they want that spot.  It was a beautiful day so the people were pouring in.  Most of the stuff in the buildings was jam packed in and it would take hours to peruse it all.  Bill was mainly looking for books and in the last building we found the Mother Lode, however, he didn’t have decent light in the area and he was in the process of boxing up all his “stuff”, but we did find 3 books and he bought a couple of sports memorabilia items. So we spent a whopping $12.  The outside booths had a lot of new stuff and hand crafted items.  I checked out of booth with some of the items I make to see if I was pricing comparable from across the country! 

We made a stop at Aldi, then a local grocery along the line of Publix, then headed home for lunch.  After a rest Bill did some washing along the bottom sides of the RV and took his truck in to a car wash in town.  I broke down and bought some rhubarb at $3.29 a pound!  I cleaned and cut it up and used half to make a small crisp for us that should be for 2 nights.  I might put the other half in the freezer. 

I did laundry yesterday and the bedding today so I’m caught up for a bit.  I do love my washing machine!

We had a nice dinner with delicious Rhubarb Crisp for dessert then went out for a walk.  We visited for quite a while with 2 of our neighbors.  One couple is full time, retired military in a 45’ Winnebago Eclipse.  Super nice RV.  Way too long for me!  The other couple I think is full time also as their kids live all over the US and they have storage units in 3 states.  I love our summers but I love coming home to my cozy log house in the woods.

We made it to Indiana!

May 27 – No where near one of my favorite days.  We managed to get hooked up before the weather turned on us.  It was a day of rain, road work and crazy drivers.  My neck and shoulders were so knotted up!  We arrived at Cedar City, IN about 2 I think.  The campground is only about 12-14 sites and is owned and run by a Christian Ministry.  It’s one lane with a loop at the end.  When we arrived there was just our space empty and while we set up another RV left down the loop.  It’s very quiet and peaceful.

Bill went for a drive to pick up a package we had delivered at the office and later he took me to see how much area belongs to the Ministry.  Then we drove into town just to see what is where.  The city is growing rapidly with huge neighborhoods being built in multiple places.  Not sure where they all work but they are also adding to the schools.  It seems like a nice town.  No big malls but has everything you need – unless you need a Walmart!

We ate leftovers which was nice after the stressful driving in the rain today.  Managed to get a few over the air channels so we watched a bit of TV.  Time to chill!

Crazy drive in the woods

 May 26 – We left Canada today!  It took about 2 hours to reach the bridge/border crossing.  There it took close to an hour to get across.  They didn’t have enough lanes open!  Trucks were lined up as well.  We had no issues getting out of Canada like we did getting in!

Traffic was horrendous as we drove thru Port Huron but leveled out the further we went.  Nothing exciting until we were getting close to the campground.  We got off the interstate where Garmin said and at the end of the ramp we had 2 choices: get back on the Interstate or turn right into the woods.  The turn over the interstate that we were supposed to go on was blocked off!  So no one was behind us and Bill saw an alternate map on either his phone or the garmin. 

Well, I was not at all sure we could go this new route and not get is a bad pickle!  It was almost all single lane dirt road.  The only good thing was it was well packed and recently dragged.  I was so hopeful no one would come towards us as there would be a big issue!  We took several lefts and right and turned at dead ends.  It just seemed we were getting further from the goal.  Finally with serval cars now behind us we dead ended on a paved road that took us thru the town t the campground.  Hallelujah!

The campground didn’t look so good but it was the only place in the area.  We stopped in front of the office.  Bill tried calling the number on the sign on the door but no answer.  Then this tiny kinda ancient Cajun lady approached with her cane and she had the map for us that showed where we were to park park.  She was quite a talker.  I know her life story, sad that it is.  She outlived her siblings, husband and her children.  She was a long-haul trucker.  What a spitfire!

So, she told us how/where to park.  It was on a hillside and since it was just for the night we didn’t try to level it and didn’t open the slides.  We could get to everything we needed without stressing us or the RV.

Once we got settled, we saw we were getting a neighbor.  We figured they were total newbies with her driving the truck and towing a small travel trailer.  They did now go up the little drive behind the space so they could pull in.  They pulled in the from the front and then tried to figure out how to run the utilities.  Then she backed it out and moved it closer to the side of the utilities and still could not hook it up because they were on the wrong side.  Finally they figured out that they needed to back in, which she did very well.  They set up a tent for their son and chairs around the firepit and unloaded a lot of stuff.  We think they are planning to stay for the weekend.  The place has a pool and nice playground.  They just let too many old beat-up RV’s with piles of “stuff” sitting all around.  But we could see it’s a place for families to spend the weekend.

The mosquitos were horrible!  We did go for a walk of the camp and there were some really nice units and several pretty decrepit ones but if you stopped for a moment you were bombed by mosquitoes.

We had leftovers for dinner which made it pretty simple.  I was able to get the antenna to draw in quite a few channels so I did get to watch the last and final episode of “Bull”.  It was a very good ending but sad!

Last day in London, Canada

May 25 – No major plans for today but after breakfast we drove into the small town near us to get donuts from Tim Horton’s.  We also went to Dollarama, which was a pretty nice store.  Kinda like Big Lots, but smaller but decent grocery section and some things we’ve never seen before.  I found a few things I “wanted and needed” and then we went next door to the small grocery store.  It was well stocked and had a great variety but boy, the prices here are way worse than home.  They also didn’t have or maybe don’t carry gallon jugs of water or cases of bottled water so we will manage with what we have and get water when we get back to the US tomorrow.

After lunch at home, I got on the roof to position an antenna and tighten it but ended up having Bill toss of some damp towels to clean the slide toppers a bit and some stained area due to run off of the AC units.  Bill got started on cleaning the front of the RV so we are clean and ready to go tomorrow. 

After checking our gray water tank, we agreed we could do a load of laundry so I got that done and made some red sauce with chicken to serve over Orzo for dinner. 

It’s not as cold this morning as in the afternoon.  The sun has been coming and going all day and being under trees it chills down quickly! 

Getting things tidied up for leaving.  Read a while this afternoon taking a walk and meeting our front neighbors.  They are full timers and making this their permanent place.  They have enough firewood for quite a while and lots of the people here have had fires while we’ve been here.  We have 3 pieces of wood that was left behind and talked about a fire but that about all we ever do is talk about it!

Dinner was good and we have leftovers for another night which is always good for the cook! 

We hope getting back into the US is easier than it was getting into Canada – and to think, about a month from now we have to do it again for our caravan trip!

Great news today!  Our granddaughter Shiloh received the Overall Art Award for the 8^th grade at Blankner, and the Naval Academy Award and was on the A/B Honor Roll.  She’s had a great year and we are very proud of her!  Go Shiloh!!!

Fun day with Jane, well, the guys were OK!

May 24 – Once Bill and I did some tidying up at the RV this morning we went to his cousin Pete’s for lunch with him and Jane.  Simple but good lunch to fortify Jane and I as we headed out for some girls shopping time.  We hit several stores as I was looking for an orange bathroom rug to fit in our tiny RV bathroom.  Jane was open to other things and we both enjoyed the Talavera pieces we saw in several stores and the fancy hosting dishes among other kitchen items.  She did buy some shorts for Pete but I didn’t find my rug and don’t have room to bring anything else in!

We stopped at the bulk store, which is one of my favorites.  I got some snacks that Bill likes, along with some things to share and some granola for my breakfast.  It is a huge version of the bulk aisle in Whole Foods.  Then Jane FORCED me to go in a small well known bakery in the area and of course I could not resist getting something for Bill and I.  I picked a chocolate chunk scone for me and a raspberry one for Bill.  Jane got a blueberry pastry that she was going to share with Pete.  I don’t share well, ask my husband!

The guys arrived back at Pete and Jane’s just after we got in the house.  They spent the afternoon at Fatty Patty’s, which is a neighborhood bar.  Bill also made an unapproved stop at ANOTHER bookstore and bought 3 more books!  I think we were all hungry as we wasted no time getting the food out on the counter for dinner.  Jane had picked up a roasted chicken and a couple of sides and I brought over slaw I made and a jello pie.  No one left the table hungry!  It was all delicious, and those rotisserie chickens are one of my favorites!

We didn’t hang out long after dinner, so Bill and I headed back across London to the campground.  The exit was closed on the interstate so we had to go to the next one and back track.  Wasn’t too far but we figured we better check the status on the ramps as they were closed on both sides and we don’t want to get in a pickle when we leave on the 26^th.

It was nice to come home and not have to cook or deal with dinner – Thank you Jane!  We just read for a while and called it a day!

Made it to London, Ontario - what a day!

May 23 – Today was the most grueling drive so far!  The traffic through Detroit was horrible and the roads were just as bad.  It seemed like we drove for hours and hours and THEN we got to the border.  The real fun started there!

There is no sign telling us if we belong in the car lines or the truck lines.  Seeing another RV in the truck side, I attempted to get in line!  Then a government employee flagged me down and said I was in the wrong line!  So we waited a long time for the trucks to my left to move forward so I could crossover to the car lines.  The lady first told me to back up!  Yeah, like you can back up a flat tow vehicle.  I told her it’s not possible so we waited it out.

Then the wait in the line was long as well.  We got to the window, answered all the questions, showed him our passports (Covid info was not asked for as we were told it would be), attempted to give him Molly’s vaccination paper, which he did not want and then he gave us directions to pass under an opening between 2 buildings and park on the other side and we’d be seen by someone there.

Now we were a little concerned!  A custom’s lady comes out and asked if we knew where the “warehouse” was. My sarcastic mind was close to saying “it’s on Plant Street in Winter Garden, FL” but I knew that would not make any impression on them!  I told her no and she said to follow them.  So we drove the main road about 3 miles and went into what looked like a truck repair center with 2 huge lots.  We followed her thru the gate where there was a huge truck with a scanner gizmo and very specific markings on the pavement for us to pull in VERY close to the photo truck.  Then the custom’s lady pulled her car up close to our front to keep us from trying to take off.  Now who is going to try and out run a police car in a 36 foot motorhome towing a truck!  So they had us take Molly and sit in a bus stop enclosure (and it’s windy and cold) while they scanned the RV.  Then they go in the scan truck and look at what they saw and the agents go in the RV.  They were not there long and came over and told us we were free to go.  I asked if we could park in the big lot and have lunch and they said fine so that’s what we did.  2 hours wasted!!

The campground in London, Ontario is crappy!  Never has been very nice but gone downhill with RV’s that are nasty and junk cluttering the sites.  The power is no more than 30amp, once you find a pole that works!  So we’re here for 3 nights as it’s the only campground around.

We went over and visited with Pete and Jane and then we all went to a nice restaurant for a great dinner.  We retreated to their house for about an hour after dinner and time to head back to the RV.

Lunch out and nice Museum visit!

May 22 – Busy day today!  We didn’t get going super early but drove into Toledo in time to go have lunch at Tony Packo’s.  It’ s the original that opened in 1932.  Made pretty famous by Toledo resident Jamie Farr who played Klinger on MASH.  Bill always has the chili topped hotdog and I have Chicken Paprikas which is boneless chicken simmered in an authentic Old World spicy sauce over what is Hungarian dumplings.  My grandma would call them rivels, but they are tiny cooked dough pieces.  I only ate half of mine so I have a dinner ready for an upcoming evening.  I also bought a new t-shirt.  Maybe I’ll post a photo of it when I wear it!

Then we drove around a bit looking at the beautiful bridge and stopped at the National Museum of the Great Lakes.  That was well worth the fee and the time.  It was all about the boating, lighthouses, area growth related to the 5 great lakes.  The movie was very good and the displays were great. 

We didn’t do the tour of the big docked lake freighter, the Colonel James M Schoonmaker.  In front of it was a tug boat that I walked up on to get a good photo of the bridge. It was a beautiful day out with just a nip in the air.

Time to head back towards the campground!  We stopped at Camping World for a few things and then we went across the road to the Bass Pro Shop for a couple of things.  Time to make a quick stop at Meijers for Bill’s Snapple and a couple of things we were getting low on before heading into Canada tomorrow.  We have all of our shots and papers so hopefully we don’t have any problems at the border.

More eating out....

May 21 – This morning was more laundry, sweeping and mopping the floors and then showering and getting ready to go meet for lunch in Bowling Green.  We left early enough to drive around the campus so Bill could see what has changed and a stop at the baseball field.  He was able to walk onto the baseball field and pretty disappointed at the condition of it.

Lunch was both delicious and Bill’s friend was such a nice guy and his wife was very nice as well.  The guys talked about so many people they grew up with and stories and Bill shared about his life and Dudley shared about his life.  Bill has wanted to get with him for years and was so excited and happy to get to see him again.

We didn’t leave the restaurant until about 4 and made a Wal-mart stop for a short list and then headed home.  I had told him we were having the hot dogs he bought and he was happy to hear than.  I gilled them on George and had bought buns and cooked 2 big ears of corn.  Filling and easy meal and Bill was very happy!  I’m not a hot dog person so with mustard and relish I managed and the corn was very tasty!

I have another load of laundry in the dryer so I’m done for the day!

Got my tooth fixed - finally!

May 20 – The day started with a drive into Toledo for me to finally get to the dentist.  Although they got to me tight away, it was a bit of the right hand not knowing what the left hand was doing.  They have more offices than any dentist I’ve ever been to.  However, the whole ordeal was well worth getting my chipped tooth repaired so my poor tongue won’t continue to get sore.

We made a quick stop at Harbor Freight as I received an email about free flashlights so we each got one!  You can never have too many flashlights!

We had a nice lunch at Panera with some gift cards I had so that made it even better.

On the way back we stopped at Bill’s high school friend’s house, Mike Herzfeld.  He’s not in very good health but at his best he is 6’7”.  Boy do I feel like a midget! We had a nice visit and we got to meet one of his sons who lives in Oregon but came to check on him and help him getting settled in his newest house.  It was a nice visit and I know he was happy that Bill came by.

He came back to the RV for a while.  I did some laundry.  We had some rain so wasn’t good weather to be outside.  Later it stopped in time for us to head to Perrysburg where we met up with Clyde and Jane Whitlach.  At one point in time many moons ago they moved to Florida and taught there, but decided to move back to Ohio.  We always meet at the same El Vacquero Mexican restaurant and I tried something new, a salad loaded with goodies, and it was delicious.  So far this trip I’ve been very happy with the food! 

We sat and visited for over an hour after the food was gone and luckily, they still have other tables open or they might have asked us to leave.

Moved on to Maumee area!

May 19 – Today no way compares to yesterday!  It was rainy when we got up but cleared by the time we were packed up and ready to hear north to Maumee-Bowling Green area.  Bill’s turn to reminisce now.  We left 10 as check in wasn’t until noon or 1.  We got here pretty early and our spot was vacant so we settled in.  We’ve stayed here numerous times as here as there are not many other campgrounds around.

Bill worked on polishing another of the rims while I did some laundry and stored stuff away.  I got a package ready to mail tomorrow when we head to the dentist for my chipped tooth.  I had some leftover pumpkin and crushed pineapple so a threw together 3 mini loaves of pumpkin pineapple bread.  He took one to his friends he was meeting for dinner.  I made a pizza on a tortilla!  Now that’s a thin crust pizza!

I washed Bill’s load of rags and read a while.  Just kinda relaxed and caught up my check book and paid a couple of bills. 

Bill enjoyed his perch dinner with his friends.!

It's been 50 years...

May 18 - It was a full day and a very fun day!  Bill and I left about 10-10:30. We made a lot of stops!  We went to my old house at 2185 Grimmwood Drive and it looks the same except the tree in the year is 50 years older and bigger!  Then we went to my high school, Shawnee and drove around the outside and along the road side.  I was reminiscing about my years there working in the school newspaper and yearbook room.  What windows were which rooms?  Life can’t stand still but those were great days for me.  The area was familiar yet so much has changed.  Lots more businesses!  We went to see where the American Mall used to be and now it’s just a big concrete pad.  Very sad as I had my first “real” job there in Jo Ann’s!  We looked for a house that Kam’s cousin just bought and she wanted me to take a picture and send it to her.  We drove out to the Lima Mall and it’s there but doesn’t seem to be very active. 

Then we headed downtown where we had lunch at Kewpie.  Bill had never been there or had a Kewpie burger.  They are hand made fresh and best with standard mustard and pickle!  Bill went with ketchup!  We shared an order of REAL French fries cut fresh as well.  Yum!  Then we stopped at the ONLY post office in Lima for some stamps and to mail some cards.  It’s an OLD building but at least the downtown was clean and the buildings that were open or not looked maintained.  I used to work at a bank kiosk in the heart of downtown and we took walk ups and drive thrus.  It was a fun job!

We stopped at 2 bookstores and Bill didn’t want to leave the second one.  It was all used books and there were thousands!  They were pretty well organized but just so many!  I think he left with 8 books.

At 3 we arrived at my friend Pam and her husband, Dave’s house.  She was the first friend I made when we moved across the street from her when I was 14 and entering high school.  We used to babysit across the road from each other every Saturday night.  We each had regular customers but if one of us was not available the other would sometimes be able to cover.  The babysitting was good but it was nice that we could be in the yard across the street and visit while babysitting.  Her parents were also good friends with my parents and the moms took golf lessons together.  We knew it was only because the gold pro was a “hottie”.  The dads and our neighbor Rex played cards together.  It was a great neighborhood to have landed it for sure.

Anyway, we visited with Pam and Dave (well Pam and I were catching up, the guys were probably talking sports) until it was dinner time and the 4 of us headed to a very nice Mexican place where they had a HUGE menu.  The food was delicious and the staff was great.  I think we all were well satisfied with our meals.  It was getting late and we had to drive back over to Wapak so we were going to leave from the restaurant until Bill remembered Pam baked a Rhubarb Cake and so we followed them home.  The guys talked outside and Pam and I went in to get the cake and ended up talking more as well!  I think I’ve convinced her it’s time to make a trip to Sunny Florida this fall!!  So good to see such a good friend.  We also spent hours at the Quija Board in my room and it worked its message while we just talked away.  It was AMAZING!

Traffic was light getting back to our campground!  We were pooped but I have to say it was so good to spend time with my friend.  It’s like we’d seen each other every day!  Miss you Pam!!

Made it to Lima area

May 17 – We left Dover this morning around 10 and the drive to Wapakoneta was not bad at all.  We are staying at a KOA as the choices in Lima are few and scary looking or first come, first served.  We don’t normally stay at KOA as they are over priced.  We have a pull thru here but it’s nothing special.  We met our neighbors on the right when we arrived and they bought their new RV in Winter Garden!  Later in the day a younger couple pulled in on the other side and they winter in Florida and summer in Michigan where they are originally from.  They have owned 4 businesses in the Orlando area and now are retired.

We went to Walmart so Bill could get his last Covid booster or he can’t get into Canada next week to see his cousin.  I was still looking for a baby pillow but settled for a Travel pillow that I’m going to take some of the filling out of.  Picked up a little produce also while Bill got his shot and then we went for a drive by of the house where Neil Armstrong grew up.  It’s now owned by a former school principal.  There was no traffic so Bill pulled over and I took some photos and then we saw her leave with someone and pulled up along the side and got some better and other photos.  

Bill did is almost daily duty of cleaning the front of the RV and I made linguine with alfredo sauce for dinner with salads.  I didn’t have quite enough leftover sauce so I added some half and half and grated fresh parmesan and cut up 2 thick slices of deli turkey and let it simmer while the pasta cooked.  Turned out delicious and you couldn’t tell it was turkey lunchmeat!

Kam said I should let my followers know that I post some photos on my Instagram account instead of all the downloading, resizing and cropping that I was doing.  My account is kellyocoee1.

Trip to Amish Country

May 16 - Diane was very prompt in picking us up this morning at 9.  It was a bit on the chilly side but we ventured on our way to Amish country.  First, we just drove and looked out at the beautiful plush green countryside that we don’t see at home.

Then we started stopping at various shops and did some shopping.  We all bought something!  I found some cute hedgehogs that will be going home with us.  Diane picked out a little joke piece for her daughter Tracy.   There was a lot of cool stuff but lack or space limited what we could buy.  We stopped at a couple of thrift stores where Bill found a nice Cleveland INDIANS t-shirt and I got apiece of fabric.  Diane found the beer glasses she wanted, so it was a successful excursion.

On the way heading back we heard sirens and by the time we went a short way there was a long traffic back up.  We ventured onto a side road and managed to drive around Amish area and see men at work with their horse drawn plows and beautiful home gardens.  We managed to circle back to the main road just before the Amish grocery store!

Bill and I stocked up on cheeses, trail bologna, summer sausage, jerky and some bulk snacks!  We also got us each a blackberry fried pie!  Yum!  Diane did some shopping as well and got a nice flank steak that I know she and Ty will enjoy!  She dropped us off at the RV and we said our good-byes.  I sure hope they will come down this fall when we get home.  We have a good time together.

After fridging the goods, we left for Warther’s Museum and gift shops.  We’ve been to the museum before and mostly were interested in the knives in the gift shop.  Kerry wanted a particular knife so I got that one first and then I picked 2 for the RV and another for a gift.  The cool thing is they hone the blades for left or right-handed users.  Of course, I got them all for lefties!  Then it was time to get home and relax a while.

Dinner was delicious cold cuts and a variety of cheese with some crackers.  Of course we had the fry pies for dessert.  Yum!

We had a short storm and the wind was so bad we put the slides in so the toppers wouldn’t tear up.  It didn’t last long and the sun came back out so all was good!

Super Day!

May 15 – Today Bill and I did some local “sight seeing”.  He checked Road Attractions and found a local guy who carved 2 of his trees into pliers.  One tree is just one pair of pliers but the other tree is 3 pair.  Bill pulled up to the curve and I was talking to my cousin Becky so gave Bill the phone and got out to get some photos.  Then I saw a man and his daughter come forward from doing yard work.  Uh oh, was my first thought.  I asked him if I could take photos of his trees.  He was very gracious and said take all you want.  Then he said I could climb up the triple tree and Bill took photos of me in the tree and our host.  Turns out he is the grandson or great-grandson of Mooney Warther, the famous carving gentleman who our dad used to visit and sit and watch him whittle and make knives and other things.  He carved the train cars of the Lincoln Death Train among other intricate carvings.  There’s a museum in Dover with his knives and the larger carvings.  Well, the guy whose house we stopped at is Dan Warther and he carved his trees with a chain saw and did one by the family museum and factor with 4 pair of pliers.  He was super nice and answered lots of our questions.  Before we left he told me t wait a minute and he went inside and brought out a tiny carving that opens into 3 pair of pliers and he signed it for me.  He said he ONLY gives them to people brave enough to get out of the car and come take pictures!

From there we went to the 4^th St Cemetery where supposedly the head of William Quantrill, a Confederate Raider.  He was from Dover and his mother requested him to be buried there but the story goes that his parts are buried in 3 locations.

So those were the highlights of our day!

Arrived in Ohio!

May 14 – Awesome Day!  The drive wasn’t bad, just a LONG wait at the Pilot Truck stop to fill up.  The smallest Pilot we’ve ever seen.  Arrived at the fairgrounds in Dover about 1:00.  Had time to get settled in before being picked up by my cousin Diane and her husband Ty to go over to her brother, Buddy’s house.  His wife Anne and her daughter and daughter-in-law all made food and cooked some delicious steaks on the grill.  The food was ALL delicious! 

We all enjoyed every bite and lots of laughter and reuniting after several years!  I hadn’t seen their daughter since she was a teenager.  I also loved their 4 Asian cats but especially loved their HUGE dog, Jackie.  I’m not a dog person but that dog is huge and so calm and loving.  I hugged that dog and it loved me back.  She weighs about 130 pounds and is so loving and calm.  She is only 8. 

My cousin Buddy is getting a plan together for selling their recycling business and they have an RV and want to start using it much more.  They love St. Augustine so maybe we will meet up some time in the near future!

The fairground was hosting a Boy Scout gathering so at first we were concerned about our “spot” but no one was in it but we had to carefully back in to about 3 feet from a parked car.  There was also a recycling event going on, so it was a busy day at the fairground and we were VERY fortunate to get the spot we normally get.  No reservations here.  There are probably about 10 spaces but this one has full hook up!

Tomorrow is more of a day of rest so we will do laundry and cleaning!

Time to move on!!

May 13 – We had a full day today!  I did some laundry while Bill worked one of the RV rims that were a mess from whatever they used on them when we had it washed.  He spent a couple of hours but it looks really good.  It’s a one at a time job!

I did my floors and cleaned my kitchen (which doesn’t take long).

After lunch we went sightseeing.  Right in Malta we stopped to see the one room school house from the 1800’s and the dungeon from much earlier that was found later.  It had been the basement of the jail that sat there but unknown until they torn down the old jail.

Then we started hunting the giant dragon fly in Malta and took us a while to see it although we drove past it 3-4 times.  I guess if we knew what it was going to look like we would have seen it right away!

From there we drove out about 8 miles to a park dedicated to Big Muskie.  Big Muskie was actually super gigantic earth shovel that mined coal.  It cost $25 million dollars and was assembled where it would be used due to the size.  It took 340 railcars and 260 truck loads of parts.  Look it up, it’s a fantastic accomplishment.  So the bucket is what they managed to keep and have it as the center piece it the park.  If you see the photo of me in the bucket, I’m pretty much in proportion to it as the bucket would be to the hauler. 

We crossed the river to McConnelsville to visit the Historic Lock and Dam #7.  It doesn’t reopen usage until May 15 so we didn’t get to watch a boat pass through it.  Bill chatted with one of the workers there and I strolled around the lock and took some photos.  I did take a nasty one of a dead animal down in the water.  We could decide if it was a possum or what? 

I did some baking when we got home as when we get to our new destination tomorrow, we are meeting up with family for a cookout and I never attend a food event without taking something!  I also made a small loaf of banana nut bread with an unappealing banana.  It will make a nice addition to a breakfast or 2.  Waste not – want not!

We have a really short drive tomorrow to my dad’s home town area where I have lots of cousins but only 1 uncle left.  Can’t wrap my head around that.  We’ve always visited and had nots of aunts and uncle until now.  Well, I do have even more cousins!  Time to sign off and pack Dell up for our drive tomorrow!

Arrived safely in Ohio!!

May 12 – It was a lovely day with much less traffic once we were on the toll road of I-77.  Not much traffic at all but not many rest areas, especially when I need to make a potty stop! 

The weather was beautiful and traffic moved along with numerous of those aggravating closed lane areas.  Didn’t see any accidents today so that was a good thing for sure.

We arrived in Malta, OH about 1 and parked in our pull thru spot and met the owner of the park.  Nice lady who was out on a riding mower doing her thing!

After lunch we went into “town” to the hardware store for a couple of things, then to the Kroger store, which we learned is the smallest Kroger store in the US.  Narrow aisles and you definitely need to follow the correct traffic pattern in there.  We picked up some veggies and cottage cheese and then went looking for the post office, which we found on the second try!

By this time it was after 4 and our friends called that we set up lunch with at 4.  Well, I had agreed to today at 4 but my brain stored that it was tomorrow.  We took 5 minutes to get there and we visited and ate for about 3 hours.  It was great to see Mark and Sherri, who we worked with at Valley View CG in Valley View, ID one summer.  They lived in Arizona primarily but he is from Ohio and they decided to move back here where his sisters live.  Super nice people and it was awesome to see them again.  We’ve invited them to winter in Florida so we can get together some time.

We stopped at the only store in Malta on the way back to the campground, Family Dollar, for some white rags Bill wants for the RV.  We had a bit of dessert since we had dinner early and called it a day!

Nice afternoon in West Virginia

May 11 - It was a good day today!  The weather was great and traffic wasn’t as bad as we’ve seen already.  There was some road work but that seems to be the normal for every summer.

We left Asheville at 9:10 and arrived at Camp Creek State Park in West Virginia at 2:30. The park is very quiet with only about 15 sites and on a gurgling creek.   The grounds are very well maintained and we had managed to get one of the 2 pull-thru sites and didn’t have to unhook the truck.

I did have a close call at one point today.  I was in the right lane behind a Florida person towing a travel trailer.  I think it might have bene a virgin trip as they drove like snails.  Traffic was heavy and once I got a break to the left lane to pass it was at an entry where a semi was merging on from the right.  Well, the Florida person didn’t lay off or speed up and I didn’t want to be behind them when they crashed so I had to serve into the outside lane and luckily, they either got over or stopped as there was no crash behind us!  We did see a bad one after the fact further up the road.  Two semis and there were parts all over the road that I had to slow for and navigate around.  So, I guess it was a more exciting day that I thought.

We text and spoke to friends we make while volunteering in Idaho who have now moved back to Ohio from Arizona.  We will be meeting them for dinner in a couple of nights so that will be nice.

Bill washed the front of the RV and we sat out at the picnic table and had a beverage and read our books for a while.  Then we walked over to the creek and took a few photos and then stopped in the office and had a nice visit with the lady working.  She’s from here but lived in Florida for 30 years so we enjoyed our visit.

We will be in Ohio tomorrow and will do some sightseeing there. 

Fun trip to see wildlife

May 10 – Happy Anniversary Kam and Dan!  We had to change our plans for the day!  We were going to the Pinball Museum but it’s not open today and I thought we could drive along close to Biltmore so Bill could see it as tickets are sold out and we wouldn’t pay $84 each to go, so we went to the WNC Nature Center which we thoroughly enjoyed.  It must have been free or discount for kids as there were a lot of families and mothers with kids.  They were all very well behaved and it was fun to watch and hear them react to seeing so many wild animals.  I think they liked seeing the otters the most!  We spend a couple of hours getting in a good walk and enjoyed spotting the animals in their habitats. 

From there we tried to find a restaurant that Bill wanted to have lunch at but once we found it there was NO parking for blocks.  We finally found another place that is a BBQ restaurant with a “spin” on it.  You order and they give you a number placard for your table.  The salad I ordered was huge so I brought half home but managed to suffer through eating my BBQ pork.  The place was packed and had a line when we arrived but had winded down by the time we finished.

We made our first Walmart stop on the way back to the campground.  Still tweaking some things in the RV and picked up some veggies.  The freezer still has a long way to go to buy anything else.

I cooked my collards that Bill picked from my garden when he went home the other day for my hydroponic plants and he had some leftovers and I had some butternut squash we shared some  Asian chicken I had from Aldi.  It’s one of our favorites with the sauce included so it was a good dinner!

From the RV we keep seeing a rabbit in our yard and a pair of woodchucks.  They come right out of the bushes very close to our RV and the one beside us!

Heading on up the pike tomorrow! 

Long day but nice scenery

May 9 – Time to pack up and move again.  Today we landed in Asheville, NC.  The scenery thru the mountains was beautiful and it was pretty cold when we left.  Traffic was heavy with semi trucks.  We managed to arrive in one piece at Wilson River Front RV park.  Nice small campground on a river with all back ins and concrete level pads.  Can’t beat it!

We each had some paperwork etc to catch up on and somehow how I lost my ice cube trays!  Crap!  I have looked in all the cabinets and drawers and can’t imagine what happened to them!  Needless to say I have to get new ones tomorrow since Whirlpool won’t fix the icemaker valve until we are stationery for 2 weeks!  Crap for sure!

We visited with neighbors across from us from California.  She and Bill had a lot in common as she was in education as well.  We took an evening stroll to the end of the park where the tents are and it was getting dark and 2 girls were setting up their tent.  It’s beautiful along the river.

While I was making dinner I lost a chip from a tooth that I had repaired a couple of years ago and then I burnt my pointer finger!  Not good!  At least we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner of salad and pasta with chicken alfredo!

Bill did the dishes and we watched some TV after our walk and had some dessert!  Hoping to get my tooth fixed tomorrow and do some sight seeing!

Made it to Georgia!!

May 8 – We got a later start than planned today!  When the gang came over to day good bye, Mike and Tommy decided to fix the chair issue.  It didn’t take a super long time but it was certainly appreciated by Bill and I.  They also guided me out of a tough spot with an RV as long as ours.  Between the tree and the river edge it took multiple “watchers” to keep me from hitting the tree or diving into the lake.  We got that spot last year and I DO NOT want it again! 

We stopped at the exit to hook the truck up and had to make an adjustment there but finally got on the road.  Today was the longest drive we have scheduled so far!  It was a tiring day but we safely made it to Madison, GA.  Not the greatest park but decent price for a pull thru site.  Nothing exciting today just traffic and more traffic!  We finished off some leftovers and took a nice walk around the park and visited with one of the full time residents. 

We bought a set of folding pet stairs and have been trying to coax Molly to use them to get on the bed with treats.  The first 2 nights she really was fighting it and mad for sure.  Tonight I them on the side of the bed where she could walk straight up instead of along the foot of the bed.  I didn’t even get to put treats on the steps and “boom” she was on the bed.  I hope it’s a sign she accepts using them as she can jump down OK but can’t jump back up.  Time will tell!