Heading home

Our last day of travel covered about 375 miles, but it took us an hour and a half to cover the first 42 miles!  Route 80 (county road? state road?) was a narrow, winding road that took us from Breaks Interstate Park to Route 460, heading for Wytheville.  It went through tiny mountain towns that had, at most, a gas station with a convenience store, and the switchbacks were something I was glad not to be driving!  If you thought Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty "fixed" Appalachia, try driving through this part of Virginia.  It's hard to believe that some people still live this way in  extreme poverty.  It looked as if some of the towns had a bit of an uptick at some time in the past 20 years or so, but now there are many shuttered small businesses and run-down buildings.  Depressing.

I-81 through the western part of the state is always thick with semis and today was no different from other trips.  It is starting to look like autumn in that part of the state with red sumacs and yellowing leaves on trees.

Once home, around 4:30, it was apparent that there had not been much rain in our absence .The sprinklers kept the shrubs going, along with lots of weeds in those beds.  All the bird baths are totally dry, and the planter on the front porch needs a total replanting.  Oh well.  Lots to do in the coming days, getting back to routine after a three-week vacation.  Laundry....unpacking....grocery shopping.  We have the long Labor Day weekend ahead to take care of it all.  Still worthwhile spending time on the road in our little RV!

A Day of Exploring Breaks Interstate Park

We awoke to a foggy morning up here on the mountain, a good excuse for a lazy few hours of drinking tea and reading my novel while Dan slept late.

After a big breakfast, we headed out hiking.  By noon it was already getting quite  hot, so we kept it fairly short.  We started out on Grassy Overlook Trail which indeed took us to a viewpoint where we could see the road into the park.  Given this location, the hiking trails were rocky, with lots of ups and downs.

 Continuing on the Laurel Branch Trail which took us to Laurel Lake, we traveled along a narrow trail with dense rhododendrons and mountain laurels on either side .  (It must be beautiful in the last spring.)  

We covered only about 2 1/2 miles, but that was enough on a warm day (one of the warmest of the trip).  Back to our site for a relaxing afternoon, enjoying the scenery out back of the camper and the shade.

The sites have been filling up as the afternoon goes on.  Not only is this weekend Labor Day but also here at Breaks it's the weekend of their big Gospel Music Festival. Three full days of gospel.  The campground is supposed to be totally booked along with the overflow area. I think it's a good thing that we are heading out tomorrow.  

In Appalachia

The drive was only about 225 miles, but what a difference in terrain!

The day began in an area of horse farms and tobacco fields, just southeast of Louisville.

Backroads connected us back onto I-64 which we took through Frankfort and Lexington.  East of Lexington, we took the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway southeast. 

This started as a well-paved divided highway, though it soon became clear that we would not be going through any populated areas.  Eventually it was down to a two-lane road.  Any exits off it were for crossroads with just a gas station, possibly with a convenience store attached.  Finally the parkway ended and we were on US 460 and US 80, windy mountain roads.

Most of the homes we passed were trailers, and the area was clearly depressed. The only town of any size was Pikeville, where we stopped briefly to restock propane canisters and beer.  After miles of curves that seemed to be almost 180 degrees (so why weren’t we going back to where we started?), we got into Breaks Interstate Park which straddles the Kentucky/Virginia line.

This is an older park.  It includes a hotel and restaurant, a pool/water park area, and the campground.  The site we reserved was not suitable at all, on a slope with almost no space for our 25-foot rig.  We pulled into the next site over, and the office staff was helpful and willing to make a changed.  (On a Monday night, the park is only about 5-10% full, though they are expecting a crowd on the upcoming Labor Day weekend.)

Ranger and I explored the campground loops a bit; then dinner and a campfire.  This is a VERY remote area, so I am surprised to see that for the first time in two days, the cell phone signal is strong enough to allow decent Internet access.  I should be able to post some of the photos of the past few days.  

Campsite at Clinton Lake State Park in Illinois

Lots of late summer wildflowers in Illinois

Campsite at Taylorsville Lake State Park near Louisville KY

Return to summer...and to Kentucky

This day’s drive was the one that is always the least pleasant on our trips to the Midwest: through Illinois, Indiana, and into Kentucky.  We debated as to which route to take, south to pick up I-64 which is the prettier but longer drive, or east on I-74 through Indianapolis.  We decided on the shorter way and encountered road construction and many trucks along I-74 and down I-65 to Louisville.  Not much to look at but corn fields the whole way.

Our stop for the night was at Taylorsville Lake State Park, southeast of Louisville.  Like much of Kentucky, it is open and green, with rolling hills all around.  Not spectacular scenery, but nice.  The park is quite new, so the bathhouse was modern and clean; time for a good shower and shampoo!

We have returned to summer weather.  In late afternoon the thunderstorms came through, dropping rain and disturbing poor Ranger.  They moved through quickly enough to allow Dan to grill chicken for a later-than-usual dinner.  I feel a bit off on the times anyway, having changed time zones as we traveled today. (It was barely light at 7 am on Monday when I got up to walk Ranger!)

Occasionally when we travel, we get chatting with other campers.  On this trip, that hadn’t happened, probably because we spent so much of the time visiting relatives.  We did meet a gentleman shortly after pulling in here; he and his wife are “full-timers” in a big Class A.  They had been traveling in Door County several weeks ago and said that the temperatures they experienced were in the low 70’s!  I guess our timing was not good.  They had also been spending time in northern Minnesota and the UP of Michigan.  Back here in Kentucky, they were spending time with family; they were from here originally and had sold their house in this area.

The next stretch takes us southeast through Kentucky, heading for Breaks Interstate Park on the Kentucky/Virginia border. 

Back in Illinois

It rained hard most of the night in Waterford, so Ranger's and my walk in the morning was a soggy one.  Nothing like traveling with the smell of wet dog in the RV!  We had breakfast with Dugan and Lu and then headed south, out of Wisconsin and into Illinois near Rockford.  We got a break from the rain briefly while stopping for lunch along I-39, so Ranger was able to get a break.  

It was not an exciting drive.  It was Illinois.  Flat, lots of corn.  What can I say?

I had planned a short day of driving, not sure how early we would get out of Waterford, so we stopped for the night near Normal, Illinois, at Clinton Lake State Recreation Area.  The campground was almost full on a Saturday, lots of family, lots of boats and fishing gear.  

Given that it was only 3:00, we headed out to explore.  When we got near the boat launch, about 20 minutes' walk from our campsite, the sky opened up and it POURED.  Back at the campsite, Ranger got a good rub-down with a towel and we changed clothes.  Not a nice night for sitting out or grilling dinner....we settled in for a quiet evening of reading.  

Turning back toward home

We traveled back the length of the Door peninsula, past Green Bay, and down I-43.  Smooth sailing until we got to the Milwaukee area where, between road construction and mid-afternoon Friday traffic, we slowed down to a crawl.  We arrived in Waterford, at Dan's cousin's house about 4:00.

Dugan is a fantastic cook, and it being a Friday evening in Wisconsin, he fried fish.  Excellent!  Lots of good conversation, good food, and a bit of beer made for a very pleasant evening.  Rain started up in the evening and continued all night, but it's not nearly as cold as up in Door County.  

Exploring the area around Ellison Bay, WI

After breakfast we decided to ride our bikes into the closest town, Ellison Bay, to explore some of the shops and so forth.  The distance was 3.1 miles, an easy ride.  Well, once in town, we decided to find the county park which was said to have a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. 

After some wrong turns and following the two-mile road to the park…..our little ride ended up being over 13 miles!  Back at the campsite, Dan took a nap while I read. Then Ranger and I followed a trail to the nearby beach (which had prominently-displayed “no pets” signs everywhere). 

This campground is exceptionally nice.  The grounds are kept immaculate, with beds of perennials along the entry road.  Our site is large and private.  Showers are clean and spacious.  There’s a laundry (which Dan made use of late in the day), a game room, a comfortable lounge with Wi-Fi, and friendly staff.  While Dan was doing laundry, a group of four campers played music on fiddle, guitar, and mandolin at the entrance to the office!

We had one last quiet evening around the campfire for this visit to Door County.  Tomorrow we head south along Lake Michigan to Waterford.  

Still in Door County....but what's the bright light in the sky??

The clouds have finally broken, and we're enjoying sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures.

First, to catch up on some photos of the past few days:

Rock formations along the hiking trail at High Cliff State Park

Karen and Ranger on the hiking trail, with Lake Winnebago in the background.

View across Green Bay from near our campsite in Peninsula State Park.

Waves breaking in Green Bay on a gusty, chilly August day.

Along the Sunset Bike Trail at Peninsula State Park.

Lighthouse at Peninsula State Park.


Today we took a bike ride (about 6 1/2 miles)  in the morning.  Then we packed up, unplugged, and drove around the back roads of Door County, through the towns of Ephraim, Sister Bay, and Gills Rock, which is at the very tip of  the peninsula.  Then we circled back to Wagon Trail Campground in Ellison Bay, where we will be for the next few nights.  This is a private campground, quite a bit more upscale than the state parks at which we have been staying.  Very nice site backing up to a wilderness area.....

In planning for this vacation, I thought, “Gee, it would be nice to get out of the August heat in Virginia---like maybe some 70-75 degree days.”  Well, be careful what you hope for!  It has been around 60 degrees since we arrived in Door County, almost chilly!  Strangely enough, it doesn’t get much cooler at night; the range over a 24-hour period tends to be about 57 to 62.  It’s comfortable enough in jeans and lightweight fleece, but this was unexpected.

Dan commented, “Now it feels like we’re camping”.  And indeed it does.  We had a leisurely morning, heading out on the hiking trails around 11.  Ranger seems to have lots of energy in this cooler weather, and we walked about four miles before coming back for lunch.  Dan relaxed and read in the afternoon while I took my bike out on the Sunset Bike Trail for about an hour and a half.  Then….time to warm up around a campfire.  Dan grilled chicken and we sat out as the sun went down. 

We haven't seen many birds at this time of year.  Best sighting so far was a white pelican bobbing around in the waves on Tennison Bay. 

Again, no photos due to weak connection.  I hope to add them in the next few days.

Forecast for Wednesday:  SUN, finally!

Arrival in Door County

Note: The Internet connection here is very weak, so I'll not be adding photos for the next few days.

Knowing that we had a rather short drive ahead we went hiking in the morning at High Cliff, which Ranger seemed to enjoy. By noon we were on the road again.

We traveled about 100 miles to the northwest and are now in Door County, Wisconsin, near Fish Creek.  For those of you from the east, Door is located on that little peninsula sticking up from Green Bay in the northeast corner of the state, with Lake Michigan on one side and Green Bay on the other.  We’re at Peninsula State Park, which we visited in June 2012; it is reported to the most popular park in the state.  It has a rugged coastline with lots of rocks; the woods are full of birches and various conifers and ferns.  All in all, it reminds me of Maine, and it's really a wonderful place.

The weather is October-ish: still overcast, very windy, and cool.  Yesterday’s high was about 60 and it’s in the 50’s at night.  So we loaded up on firewood for campfires.  Having had a late lunch, we just cooked hotdogs on the fire last night and enjoyed the evening outside.

High Cliff State Park

In making reservations, I had planned to break up the drive north a bit; thus our next destination of High Cliff State Park, on the shores of Lake Winnebago.

It was an almost chilly morning as we left, more fall-like than summer.  We took the back roads rather than the main highway, going through some of the prettiest landscapes in Wisconsin as we wound through hills along curvy roads with dairy farms alongside.  Once past Reedsburg, the land flattened out more.  We crossed the Wisconsin River near Portage, and the stretch from there to Waupun was dotted with wind farms like this:

Note: I did not take the above photo, as I couldn't snap a good one while driving past.  Today did NOT have any blue sky!  It was a day of dark grey clouds, though little rain, with gusty winds that kept those blades of the turbines spinning.  

At Fond du Lac, we picked up Rte 151, then 55 and rode along the east side of Lake Winnebago. This is a very big lake, about 10 miles by 30 miles, with the small cities of Appleton, Fond du Lac, and Oshkosh along its shore.  

I think I lucked out in picking this state park, almost at random, as it is a very nice one.  The campground sits at the top of the limestone cliffs for which the park is named, with views of the lake below.  Near the entrance, which is at the lower level, there's a marina and a swimming beach, and there are lots of well-marked hiking trails.  The sites are in a heavily wooded area, so we have some privacy and shelter from the wind which continued to blow all afternoon and evening.

Despite the cool windy weather, Ranger was ready to get out and move a little, so he and I explored the area while Dan napped.  There's a trail that runs along the cliff with a number of overlooks of the lake and rocks.  

As I write this on Monday morning, the sun has broken through but the wind continues. Ranger and I had a early morning walk along the park road.

On the sign near the bathrooms where they post the weather reports: 

 Today:  Partly sunny, high of 65. Tomorrow: Wait and see.  It's Wisconsin---it may snow!

Sunny Saturday in Richland Center

Doria, Mike and Mary's granddaughter, seems to be quite interested in Ranger, although she is still very nervous around him.  She warmed up to him a little more today when Dan showed her how he would fetch his toy.  Here's a picture of her; she looks very serious in it.  I tried to get a shot of her dancing but she was much too quick for that.

It was a sunny, windy day, and we took Ranger for a long walk around the town park, crossing the Pine River several times.

Dan's class reunion began at 5:30, so off we went in our dress-up clothes, rather strange after our days of camping.   It was fine, though not as fun as the informal gathering on the previous evening: an hour of drinks and mingling, then dinner, followed by a slide show of events of their four years at Richland Center High.  We were back at the RV by about 9:30.  

Richland Center, Day 1

We started the day visiting with Mike and Mary over breakfast. Then Mike, Doria, and I went out to walk Ranger.  Ranger was patient with Doria's many stops to pick up clumps of grass or pebbles, and he seemed to enjoy sniffing all the things in this new environment.  We walked to the park where Ranger rested in the shade while Doria played on the swings, slide, and seesaw.  It was a lot of walking for a 2-year old, but she did well.

After lunch, Dan and I ran errands while Ranger took a good nap.  Dan had picked out a stone for his parents' graves in the morning, so we also stopped by to see where in the cemetery it would be placed.  We then had a quiet afternoon of reading and rest before heading out for the casual gathering at a local watering hole that kicked off his class reunion.    

It was fun watching members of the class of '65 trying to identify one another.  Dan was not very skilled at it, though some people seemed to recognize him right off.  I found a number of nice people to chat with (mostly spouses who were not part of the graduating class), so it ended up being a pleasant evening.  

On to Wisconsin

After more apple-picking, a good walk with the dog, and some breakfast, we headed out on the next phase of our trip.

We crossed the Mississippi again, this time heading east, at Dubuque, and drove through the rolling green hills of southwest Wisconsin, where we lived 40 years ago.

Our destination was Richland Center, where Dan grew up.  We picked up a rental car to get around town during our stay, and then went to the home of Mike and Mary Collins. (Mike is Dan's cousin.)  They are kind enough to let us park in their driveway for the next three days, providing access to a bathroom and a place to plug in.

For dinner we went to Dan's Aunt Ruth's house (Mike's mom).  Mary prepared a great dinner with fresh sweet corn, chicken, and a salad, made by daughter-in-law Wen.  Wen and  2 1/2 half year old Doria are staying with "grandma and grandpa" for the summer while husband/son Chris continues his work in China.  Doria is adorable, a typical toddler, with a winning smile and a strong sense of self---she lets  you know what she likes and wants without hesitation!  She sings along with videos, counting and saying the alphabet, soaking up English as fast as it comes at her.  She keeps things hopping around this household.

The weather today was perfect, sunny and low 80's!  

One more day in Marion

The temperature has dropped dramatically since the weekend: mid-50's  in the morning, still overcast with occasional light showers.

Pam had to go back to work today, so it was a quiet day, good for doing laundry and baking an apple pie. Still plenty of apples!  We took the dogs for a long walk and then I took a nap. That was probably a good thing, as  in late afternoon both of Pam's daughters and their families came over, so the little house held eight adults, four children, and three dogs.  Ranger was a little disconcerted by the near-chaos but held his own, though he didn't seem to know what to make of Millie, Jess's five-pound dog.  ("Is that really a dog?  It smells like a dog, it has fur like a dog....but is it REALLY a dog?")

Sunshine is supposed to reappear tomorrow for our drive to Wisconsin.  

Apples!

The overcast weather continued, so it was an inside day for both people and dogs.

Tim's McIntosh apple tree is LOADED with fruit, and the ground below is also covered with apples, despite his picking up bucketsful of them.

So we spent the afternoon making apple butter.  Pam did most of the work, but I did my share of stirring for the three hours it took for the apples to cook down.

And the finished product!

We have a dozen jars of apple butter to share with family members along the way, with plenty to take home and enjoy this fall and winter.  A satisfying day's work!

For dinner we had a great pizza from Zooey's of Marion, IA---highly recommended if you are passing through the area.  

Moving on to Marion IA

Although we had planned to stay at the marina until mid-week, we decided based on the weather forecast to head to Tim and Pam's home in Marion.  We've stayed "camping" in their driveway in the past, and Ranger loves the opportunity to run free with Lola in their fenced backyard.

The day was humid, the air heavy, but no rain actually appeared, although it looked on the radar as if the storm went south of Marion, right where the campground is located.  

Tim and Pam picked two big buckets full of tomatoes from their garden, and we peeled and chopped them, along with lots of peppers and onions, to make salsa---18 pint jars of it.  Their apple tree is also FULL of fruit now, so tomorrow's plan is to make apple butter!  

Ranger is delighted to be in a house and to be able to be underfoot wherever people are.

Hot Sunday on the water

The weather continued to be extremely hot in Iowa, but we were able to get out on the water of Coralville Lake and enjoy a cool breeze.  Tim took us cruising around the lake on their houseboat.

Here's the view as we left the dock:

Lola was nervous on the water and she did not seem to like her lifejacket one bit!

Ranger stayed behind in the air-conditioned RV.

We rode along the shore for quite awhile.  This is a man-made lake, along with its partner Macbride Lake.  The shoreline was full of interesting sandstone formations.

We spent much of the afternoon rafted up in a cove with Pam's daughter and her husband (and friends of theirs) and the kids had a great time swimming and sliding down a mud-covered slide into the water.

When we returned to the marina, Pam made a big dinner of pork chops, potatoes & onions, and corn-on-the-cob.

Boat-A-Palooza

Yesterday at Pointe Marina and Campground, things were hoppin'!

For Boat-a-Palooza, people are given pieces of cardboard and one roll of duct tape with which to build a boat.  Boats are then raced around a marker and back to the starting line---hopefully without sinking.

Here are Megan Dorgan (our niece) and her family working on their boat, Anchors Away.

Reiley and Lily composed the crew, and they did great!  We all thought they would have placed in the race  (which was done in a series of heats, by time), but no trophy for them.  

We thought we would escape the August heat by leaving Virginia, but it was steamy in Iowa yesterday.  Much of the rest of the day was spent relaxing in the shade and taking in fluids.  It was fun to chat with Reiley; hard to believe that she is in high school already!

The kids cooled off by jumping into the lake from the back of Tim's boat.

Our First Destination

Yup, that's the Mighty Mississippi, which we crossed yesterday at Peoria.  By midafternoon we had reached our first destination of the trip: Scales Pointe Marina and Campground in North Liberty, Iowa.  Dan's brother Tim keeps a boat here, and we plan to stay for awhile, to allow some boatwork, fishing, relaxing, and visiting with family members.

This is the weekend of the Boat-a-Palooza cardboard boat races, apparently a big event, and the place is packed.

It seems that most of our (very) nearby neighbors have dogs, so Ranger is well-entertained.  Fortunately he seems to get along with Cooper next door, and of course he had fun with Lola, once Tim and Pam arrived.  We left the two dogs in the RV while we had dinner at the bar just a few steps away from our site, and they must have behaved as there was no destruction to be seen.

Things are a bit quieter in the early morning as I write this, though I suspect that the partying will pick up as we get closer to afternoon.  For now, this is the view:

Into Corn Country

On Day 2, we drove across half of  Kentucky to Louisville, and on into Indiana.

On into Illinois on I-64, then we took US-45 through farm country, a little slower drive through some small towns, but not bad.  Just past Effingham IL, we got onto back roads....miles of back roads...to reach Wolf Creek State Park, on Lake Shelbysville.  

It was a long day of driving, but with the change to Central time, we were set up shortly before 5.  The park has 300 sites, but few were taken when we arrived, so we got a prime spot with a paved drive and "patio" near the restrooms.  A warm shower and clean clothes perked me up considerably! Weather remains sunny, a bit warmer, but pleasant.  Ranger seems to be getting back into the routine.

Several people pulled into sites near ours after dark (which came early, with the time zone change), both with fishing boats.  I guess fishing is the attraction at this large park that seems to be close to almost nothing but corn.