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!