Our December to Remember - 12/1 to 12/26

Question: What do full-timers in a motorhome do about decorating for Christmas?

Answer: The couple gets out the few things they brought along and make a trip to Old Time Pottery and Walgreens to get something new that adds color but takes up very little room.

Just because we have no house, garage, yard, etc. doesn’t mean we’re that much different. We just have less to worry with and can’t buy as much. This, in itself, is a blessing. It’s all a part of living with less and being just as happy and alive.

When we got out the lights to string along the side of the Dutch Star we noticed that one was missing. Since we couldn’t find the spare bulbs, we went by Walgreens to get some. Well, wouldn’t you know, they didn’t have the spares we needed but they did have a string that looked similar to the string we had. Byron, being the “big spender,” suggested we go ahead and by a strand and use the supplied spares in the box for the lights at the motorhome. They appeared to be the right thing but, when we got home, they didn’t fit correctly in the base. So, we have now started a junk collection. Thank goodness it’s only a strand of Christmas lights. After all, we don’t have room for much.

The trip to Old Time Pottery was to buy a pair of small Christmas trees on sale. The box said they were to place at the entrance of a house. We have one decorated with knitted and crocheted ornaments from Grandama Mildred (Byron’s mother) and the other outside to complement the lights on the motorhome. We also have a Hallmark nativity set up by the inside tree. It is sitting on the dash.

We also have a few Christmas place settings, some candles and a couple of other small things. It doesn’t take much to decorate 400 square feet, especially when you have little room to store it for the rest of the year. Besides, we have the decorations of others in the RV park to enjoy.

The office building of Great Oak RV Resort

decorated for the holiday season.

On December 9 Byron began is first day as a Walt Disney World cast member (employee). This involved three days of orientation beginning with a general introduction to the Disney brand and the values it represents. Seasonal positions are quite limited so he elected to accept a position in the Food and Beverage group. He was assigned to the Casey’s Corner/Dessert Party group. Casey’s serves a variety of hot dog meals while the Fireworks Dessert Party is a ticketed event. The on-the-job training for these venues involved five shifts of training under the tutelage of five different trainers. Finally, the opportunity to work unassisted was presented. As Byron has found, there are a lot of people working at the “grumpy” level of the work force to create the “magic.” As he also told some his younger co-workers he’s back to working a few percentage points above minimum wage like he did when working at the hospital while in college.

Casey’s Corner on Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom at

Walt Disney World decorated for the Christmas season.

Byron has been told that Casey’s Corner is the second busiest quick service restaurant for the Walt Disney Companies. Considering the little amount of space and the high volume of traffic, it helps one understand that it takes a lot of team members doing their task well to create the magical Disney experience, that underneath the showy surface a lot of works is being done.

A benefit of occasionally working the Fireworks Dessert Party

is being able to get a glimpse of this unobstructed view

of the Wishes fireworks display and take more time

to interact with the guests.

Martha is still working as a medical transcriptionist for a Utah-based company. She has enjoyed working for this company and has found them to be very respectful organization. When not working during the evening hours, Marta can be found playing Hand and Foot with her new friends at the resort’s meeting room.

Our experience at First United Methodist in Kissimmee continues to be a positive one and one for which we are both thankful. Another couple from our RV park also attends worship so we sit together on occasion. Since Byron was working he wasn’t able to attend one of the Christmas Eve services. Martha was ill with cough and chest congestion so she wasn’t able to attend either.

For Christmas we shared lunch with several of the other residents. That is, the one’s that didn't go back north or to visit with other relatives. There were probably about 30 of us that were together for the meal. Other, less social people here over the holidays stayed away preferring to eat in their units. They also don’t get out to play cards or participate in the karaoke nights.

It was a “red out” for the luncheon on Christmas Day. Byron,

not pictured, chose to wear green.

Speaking of karaoke, Byron has picked up a voice student. While the person truly loves music she has had no training in reading music and was quite intrigued when he explained the ”Do, Re, Mi” song from The Sound of Music. Because of the way she handles her voice, Byron says he feels he’s teaching someone to play the trumpet with a trombone.

We’ll close this weblog by saying Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and include two photos. The first is of Byron’s fellow cast members at the Magic Kingdom. You may recognize a few of them even though dressed in their holiday best. The second was taken at the Candlelight Processional performed from Thanksgiving through December 30 at Epcot with 200 in the choir and a full orchestra. We’ll be attending the December 26 presentation featuring Blair Underwood as narrator of the birth of Jesus from Luke 2.

Our New Community for Winter - 11/7 to 11/30

The general rule of travel for us is to not drive more than 275 miles in a day unless absolutely necessary. When you have the time, “absolutely necessary” doesn’t come around frequently.

Our trip from Gulf Breeze (where Ashley and Michael live) to Kissimmee (our new base for the winter) by way of Jacksonville was about 525 miles. We chose to break the trip across two days because 525 miles is more than our new rule allows. Besides, 525 miles by car makes for a long day, anyway.

We left Gulf Breeze near 10:30, stopped for a lunch and refueling break and then arrived at our overnight destination, which was a campground near Lake City. Since we got in late, we decided to eat an an Italian restaurant. We wouldn’t recommend it unless you like your sauce from a Sysco can.

The morning light – looking across some open sites to our

motorhome in line with others who also spent the night.

The Spanish moss hanging from the live oak trees

says “welcome to the South.”

We decided to drive by way of Jacksonville in order to avoid the toll road and the frequent stops that would be required. Besides, it was only about 25 miles further and would allow us to go by a Camping World to look for a few things.

We arrived at Great Oak RV Resort about 4:30, just before the sun was setting. We were shown to our site by the owner who had arrived from his summer home in Germany two days earlier. At our site, two other residents assisted us with getting parked. They made us feel welcome.

A couple of days later, while walking around the park, we met a lady from Quebec. She and her husband had been coming to the resort for five years. When we mentioned where we were parked she said: “Why don’t you move in next to us? You’ll have more room and good neighbors.” We asked at the office and were allowed to make the change. We’re glad we did because our original spot felt a bit tight. Besides, if we get out to go to some rallies in Florida we don’t want to have to maneuver in and out of a tight space.

As it turns out, there are several couples here from Canada with most of them being from Quebec. Most of them are comfortable with English but when they get together they break into French. (Note to selves; learn some French).

The RV resort has over 200 spaces. Several are permanently filled by what are called “park model homes” (generally 9 x 40). Most of them have enclosed attachments built on as well as underpinning. There are also a good number of fifth-wheel travel trailers. Of those, about half are permanently parked with storage buildings and patio covers attached. We, in our motorhome, are in the minority. We do have a concrete pad and patio with enough room to park the Honda in our drive. We’re close to the trash and recycling dumpsters and a laundry/bath house. Since we have a Splendide combo washer/dryer and use our own shower and toilet, being near the park’s facility is of no consequence to us except that there is a clothesline at the building. (Yes, people do still hang clothes out to dry.)

Martha, Redford and Julie pose after a walk around the RV park.

Two times around the loop equals about one mile.

Until the end of March our address will be: 4628 Daisy Drive #112, Kissimmee, FL 34746-6376. Google Maps doesn’t show the location correctly but it is close. Since we’re in a gated community with one way in and one way out, finding us isn’t a problem. We’re known as the people from Kentucky in the big motorhome by the dumpsters though it sounds nicer to say at the intersection of Daisy Drive and Mimosa Court.

Our location in the resort is easy to find. Continue past

the main entrance on Mimosa Court and turn right

at Daisy Drive. Our motorhome is at the intersection.

On our second night here we attended a potluck dinner at the recreation hall. From our estimate, about 35% of of the residents are engaged in the activities. On Monday night Martha played Hand and Foot along with about 17 other people. On Thursday Byron joined a group of 20 card players for Double Deck Bid Euchre. Saturday night was karaoke night. There were seventeen that participated in singing with several others present for listening. Byron joined in and did versions of Nat King Cole’s “Mona Lisa” and the Sinatra standard, ”New York, New York.” (Some of the participants take karaoke very seriously since they go to other locations around Kissimmee to sing. We’re told that by December the social room will be filled with singers and spectators.)

By the end of our first week Martha was told of a water aerobics group that meets each morning at 10 AM in the heated pool. She attended on the Monday before the leftovers of the arctic blast made it’s way to Central Florida. It seems the ladies only get in the pool if the overnight low is above 60° F.

There are a few reasons for being in Kissimmee. 1) It shouldn’t get below freezing more than a couple of nights. 2) It is close to Walt Disney World where Byron was hired for a seasonal job. 3) We had to be somewhere.

We have made the observation many others have: The variety of languages and accents heard is rather broad. Not only do we have French-speaking neighbors from Quebec but the owners of the resort (25 years) are from Germany. Of course, when we go to the Walmart about a mile away we encounter Spanish. Another observation is that the two churches we have visited are multi-ethnic, which is a good sign.

We had found First United Methodist Church of Kissimmee to be

a congregation that offers a variety of ministries and activities

where we can feel involved.

At the beginning of our third week at Great Oak we were feeling quite comfortable. Though there were many new names to learn and other cultural things to adjust to, we’re adapting to the warmer climate without issue.

For Thanksgiving, about 50 of the residents gathered for a meal prepared by a committee. Of course it included turkey and ham and all that goes with it. For the second night of karaoke Byron did “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and “Hello Dolly.” Other singers, however, repeated their favorite songs and, so we’re told, will continue to do so. Byron has picked up a voice student. It seems that four nights a week there is some kind of card game going on at the social hall as well as a poker game where a the ante is a nickel. Thus far, no one has been shot and no fight has broken out (apparently Florida is more civil than the Old West). Ambulance runs? Thus far there have been two for some of the more elderly residents.

For the first Sunday of Advent we made our third visit to the Methodist church. This included going to an adult Bible study class. We quickly took up with some of the members since three of them are graduates of Western Kentucky University. Two of them attended Eastern High School (we lived two blocks away when in Middletown) and another is from Danville, Kentucky. Another couple is from the Cincinnati area. We were all quite comfortable talking about the football season and our favorite teams. They’ve also invited us to their Christmas gathering.

Now that Christmas is approaching, several residents (inmates) in the park are decorating for the season. A gentleman from Canada, whose wife is from Germany, was used to decorating his house and yard for Christmas. He reported that he had hundreds of strands as well as animated figures standing up to seven feet tall. Since wintering in Florida at Great Oak is now their habit he saw no reason to stop decorating for the season. He has several collapsable trees with lights, a large star, and an image of The Grinch he displays on the front of their lot. Since we don’t have the storage space we can’t match what he does.

Our Canadian neighbors who live in a permanently parked fifth-wheel

trailer fully decorate their space for Christmas. The spotlight

is focused on The Grinch.

Layover in Gulf Breeze - 10/5 to 11/7

When in Gulf Breeze we park the motorhome in Ashley and Michael’s driveway. Their home has more than adequate shade cover with mature pine trees on their property as well as the corner lot that is owned by the local municipality. Being here for the nearly five weeks has allowed us to help with day-to-day tasks of caring for a new baby, a two-year-old, a four-year-old, and an 11-year-old. Grannie did get to have plenty of time with the grandchildren. Grandpa Byron did, too.

On our first Sunday in Gulf Breeze we attended Life Church with with Ashley, Michael and family. The church meets in the Gulf Breeze community center which houses meeting rooms and two gymnasiums.

On Sunday afternoon the church had a picnic on the the beach

which included the baptism of a new believer.

While in Gulf Breeze we had some work done on the motorhome at the Freightliner service facility on the north side of Pensacola. We were treated well though the service work took a few days. We stayed in the motorhome each night.

Since Jody’s father died during this time, Byron made a quick trip back to Kentucky to attend the visitation and sing at the funeral mass. It’s about a ten-hour trip but was worth it. Supporting family at times like that is essential to us.

We made an outing to the Naval Air Station Pensacola to see the lighthouse. Martha, Byron and Jada made the climb up the 177 steps after going through the museum in the old light-keeper’s house.

The historic Pensacola Lighthouse. It is still putting in active use with

the light being easily seen to the edge of the horizon.

This view is of the main runways (n the distance) of Naval Air Station

Pensacola. Note that the water tower, which seems high from the ground,

is actually below the viewing walk atop the lighthouse.

From the distance, we could see a ship moving on the horizon with

a large plume of water spray. By the time we climbed down and

walked to the beach, we saw this catamaran Navy vessel turn

and come into Pensacola Bay. The Joint High Speed Vessel is

built by Austal in the Mobile facility. It was on a sea test.

Often we’re asked how our English cockers, Redford and Julie, get along in the motorhome. They are good travelers. Julie usually sleeps on the couch and Redford usually sleeps on the floor between the captain’s chairs. When parked, they just act like they would in any place else. Sometimes they get next to each other and sometimes they’re on opposite ends, one in the living area and one in the bedroom.

Redford and Julie are half-siblings. Still, they don’t mind being

next to each other, especially on cool mornings.

Chapel and Ben enjoy looking at the iPad with Grammy. Martha is

wearing the head decoration she made for the Oktoberfest.

Time on the beach is always nice, even when it’s bright and windy.

Dressed and ready for Halloween.

While in the area we also attended Gulf Breeze Presbyterian Church as well as First Baptist Church in Pensacola. We especially appreciated the service at Pensacola complete with a great message by the pastor, vocal solo by a choir member, choir anthem, handbell offertory, and the singing of hymns to organ and orchestra accompaniment.

The steeple and main edifice of First Baptist Church in Pensacola is easily

spotted on the skyline of the city since it sits on a bit of a hill near downtown.

Our last day with family in Gulf Breeze was on Thursday, November 6. Of course, we enjoyed our stay which included some time at the nice farmer’s market held each Saturday on Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola.

Oktoberfest and Grandparent Days - 9/24 to 10/4

Continuing our trip to the northwestern part of Wisconsin from Wisconsin Dells we often had experienced views like this out the windows of our Newmar Dutch Star motorhome. The contrast of distant hills with hardwoods and evergreen trees against some plains is quite interesting in this portion of Wisconsin. Fortunately, the weather agree and was equally beautiful, too.

In the foreground is the right-of-way along the interstate highway. Between it and

the line of colorful trees showing fall colors on the horizon is a field of corn

ripened and ready to be harvested either by picking or making silage.

We arrived in Chippewa Falls and the Northern Wisconsin Fairgrounds one day before the start of the convention. This allowed us to have a day to see the city and visit one of the local manufacturing facilities. This particular facility was the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls. While not beer drinkers ourselves, it’s always interesting to see the different processes and science used in making beverages of any variety whether wine, bourbon, or beer. Unfortunately, however, we visited the brewery on Friday. Leinenkugel’s begins brewing and works around the clock from Monday morning through Thursday night. Friday is the day for cleaning. Still we were taken on a fascinating tour which included an explanation of the history of the company as well as a presentation of the various styles produced over the years.

The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is a major brewery for Wisconsin

with it’s hometown being Chippewa Falls.

The main purpose for our being in Chippewa Falls was to attend the fall gathering for owners or former owners of classic GMC motorhomes. If you’re not aware, GMC wholly built and produced the recreational vehicle from 1973 through 1978. The drivetrain was based on the front wheel drive of the Oldsmobile Toronado. Units in two lengths were produced, 23-feet and 26-feet in length. We owned a 1978 model from 2007 through 2011.

Welcome to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and the fall

convention of classic GMC owners. This graphic, the ninth designed

by Byron for GMCMI, was used on t-shirts and

other promotional materials.

As active members of the organization, we have participated in the convention by leading a crew of volunteers in preparing a pancake, bacon, and sausage breakfast using a recipe Martha has used since we married. For GMCMI members it is billed as a breakfast featuring “Martha’s Famous Pancakes.” We’ve headed up the activity for eight conventions. Byron has also served as the music director for the worship services and has conducted seminars covering a variety of topics.

Midway through the convention there was a free afternoon to explore the area. We headed out on a drive around a large square with Chippewa Falls being at the lower left corner of the square. The drive took us to Bloomer, Cornell, and Cadott.

Caddot, Wisconsin has the distinct honor of being midway between

the longitude of the Equator and the North Pole.

Caddot is also on the legendary Yellowstone Trail as shown in

this roadside sign.

One night of the convention is designated as the “fun“ night when we enjoy a thematic dinner and entertainment. Since the observance of Oktoberfest begins in September in Germany and German communities, GMCMI honored the tradition by having an Oktoberfest celebration. For our celebration everyone was provided a stein filled with root beer and ice cream.

Martha and friends from Ohio enjoy the root beer floats at Oktoberfest.

The souvenir mug for our root beer floats.

Our hostess was dressed appropriately to introduce the

beer-drinking contest. When contestants signed up they had

no idea that they’d be drinking from baby bottles.

Another event was the sauerkraut eating contest. Byron had no die

that he was to be fed, from behind, by another contestant. He and

his partner, Lucy Weidner, were the winners.

Another treat for this fall’s convention was a night at the historic Mabel Tainter Memorial Theater in Menomonie, Wisconsin (not to be confused with Menomonie Falls). We enjoyed a private dinner and show featuring an excellent jazz group that is well-known in the area. Interestingly, the oldest member of the group is a saxophone/clarinet player who turned 87 on the following day. By the way, Byron’s kraut partner is on the board of the theater and formerly served as is Director.

The Mabel Tainter Memorial Theater was constructed in 1889 as a tribute to Mabel Tainter, a young woman who loved music and the arts. Mabel passed away in 1886 at the age of nineteen. The Memorial was commissioned by her parents, Captain and Mrs. Andrew Tainter. Captain Tainter was a lumber baron and silent partner with Knapp, Stout, & Co. The facility, renamed the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts, now serves as a performing arts and cultural center.

The Victorian-era side and modern rear addition of the Mabel Tainter. The facility is

listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Mabel Tainter building includes a lavish 251-seat “crown jewel”

Victorian theater. It is a premier example of a restored,

vintage American theater. It also houses the original Steere & Turner

tracker pipe organ. The organ has a total of 1597 pipes and 28 stops.

Although the wind supply was originally water powered, it was

later converted to be driven by electricity. The organ was

first refurbished in 1957 and, since then, has been fully restored.

After the convention we headed toward Gulf Breeze, Florida by way of Belvidere, Illinois. Oddly, neither of has ever been to Belvidere but we found ourselves going through the campground there three times this year. We have no plan to return in the near future.

Our second stop on our trip to Florida was in Fairfield, Illinois. This allowed Byron to attend a planning meeting for the 50th anniversary reunion of his high school class.

Just before entering Alabama we found that the Caterpillar engine was blowing oil all over our Honda Accord. From there we drove to a Freightliner facility in Birmingham only to learn that they wouldn’t be able to attend to the situation until the next week. (Freightliner repair facilities always seem to be busy). So, we journeyed on adding a quart of oil or so every 150 miles. Our third night was spent on the road at the Flying J south of Montgomery, Alabama. We don’t mind the accommodations at a Flying J because they allow overnight parking in the RV area. Besides, it was late and we were tired.

Thankfully, our fourth day of travel was not to be very far; just another quart of oil. However, after exiting I-65 in Flomaton, Byron noticed that the voltage gauge was showing a negative charging situation. We had no cooling problem, had air brakes and power steering so he just monitored things until we arrived at Gulf Breeze and the home of our daughter, son-in-law and family. It was then that we saw the reason for the voltage situation, the serpentine belt had separated so the alternator wasn’t being turned. Fortunately, our engine is the 3126e and has a separate belt to drive the water pump.

Here’s what was awaiting us in Gulf Breeze — baby Luciana Caputa

who was born a few days before our arrival.

Our purpose for being in Gulf Breeze was to help in caring for the Ashley, Michael and the children during Luc’s first several weeks of life. The grandparenting days were in full swing minutes after our arrival. More on that in our next blog entry.

From Belvidere to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin - 9/18 to 9/24

From Belvidere we traveled to Mequon, WI for a two-night visit at the home of friends who formerly owned a GMC motorhome. Oddly, this was our second time there this year. Though Marlys was away for a reunion we got to visit with Jim at their river-front cabin.

While in Mequon, we drove to the Wisconsin campus of Concordia University.

The campus sits high above a bluff overlooking the western shores of Lake Michigan.

The Garmin’s live along the Milwaukee River. This photo of a blue heron

was taken one sunny afternoon. The bird is in the very center

where he seems to be disguised among the garden sculptures.

Not far from Mequon is the Village of Menomonee Falls. It is

north and west of downtown Milwaukee. This is the view of the

city park bordering the river.

The actual falls of Menomonee Falls have been altered by the

dam which has been refurbished in recent years. It provides a

central focus to the park which is open to the public.

On Sunday morning we attended the worship service of a Methodist church which is meeting in a relatively new sanctuary. The service was a “blended” service featuring a small choir, a small vocal ensemble, a pianist, and a percussionist. The service music included some familiar hymns as well as some newer songs that are now referred to as “praise songs.”

Later in the afternoon we traveled on to the Wisconsin Dells area after watching a good bit of a Green Bay Packers game. (When in Rome, do as the Romans.)

Our campground of choice in the Dells was a Resort Parks International campground called Arrowhead Resort. It sits off the main road by a good bit though it is just south of the Wisconsin Dells Speedway.

If you’re not aware, Wisconsin Dells is a city in south-central Wisconsin, with a population of 2,500 or so. It does remind us of a water-themed Gatlinburg except that it covers a greater land mass with more hotels that one would care to count. Therefore, it is a Midwestern tourist destination (which translates to lots of places willing to take your money). The city takes its name from the dells of the Wisconsin River, a scenic, glacially formed gorge that features contrasting sandstone formations along the banks of the Wisconsin River. Together with nearby Lake Delton, the city forms an area known as “the Dells.” The Dells area has an estimated five million annual visitors. That explains the reasons for the many hotels.

The Dells area has many indoor and outdoor watermarks and proclaims itself as the Waterpark Capital of the World. There are other attractions including a Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum. (No tourist trap is complete without a Ripley’s). One of the eating establishments features a G gauge train that delivers your order to the end of your table. Two, separate rail lines are set up in one of the dining rooms for this purpose.

Martha picks up her sandwich order from one of the rail cars. By looking closely

one of the diesel locomotives can be seen to the left of her tray.

Since we were in Wisconsin we did get to purchase some Wisconsin cheese from a cheese shop. Since it was September the number of visitors in the vicinity were relatively few so service at any facility was prompt.

The prettiest, natural thing we saw while staying at Arrowhead Resort

was this maple tree in the midst of other conifers. A farm wagon

was stored just in front.

The next stop on our trip was Chippewa Falls in the northwester portion of Wisconsin. We were on our way to the fall convention of GMC Motorhomes International, a motorhome club of owners or former owners of the classic GMC recreational vehicle built between 1973 and 1978. One of the things Byron does for the organization is to supply their theme graphic for the convention. The next blog will pick up where this one leaves off; at the GMCMI Oktoberfest.

To Northern Illinois via Paducah - 9/11 to 9/18

After leaving the Louisville area and our one-month layover, we headed out for the first half of a lengthy trip to Gulf Breeze, Florida where we planned to meet our new grandson. This would take us through Fairfield (IL) and Lone Oak (KY) before turning north for Chippewa Falls (WI) through Springfield (IL), Mequon (WI), and Wisconsin Dells (WI). The reason for getting that far north at the beginning of fall was to attend a semi-annual convention of GMC motorhome owners.

First was the two-night stop in Fairfield. This allowed us to attend the funeral of Jerry Gray, the husband of one of Byron’s close cousins. While there we got to visit with June Gray and her children before continuing on for a visit with his brother in Lone Oak, just south of Paducah, KY. Danny and his wife, Lynda, have had greyhounds in the past but decided to go for something smaller. The result was the whippet you see in the photo below.

Dan Songer with Petey, a rescued whippet.

We attended services at Grace Episcopal in Paducah with Dan and Lynda then had lunch at a pizza buffet in Lone Oak. Danny is Byron’s oldest brother.

Just in case you can’t tell, Byron is on the left.

On Monday morning, September 15, we headed northward for a leisurely trip to Wisconsin. This took us through farmland all the way from the southern tip of Illinois to the border with Wisconsin. Since fall begins in September, we were able to see the colors change and farmers harvesting corn and beans. The farther north we went, the more apparent it was that the beautiful colors of fall were appearing.

After leaving the Paducah area, we traveled north on interstate highways to Lincoln, Illinois. Lincoln is northeast of Springfield which is almost in the middle of the state. While traveling north from the Ohio River on I-24 we were reminded of the many gentle, rolling hills and large forested areas in Southern Illinois. We connected to I-57 which took us to Mt. Vernon where we picked up I-64 and headed west for a few miles. Finally, we pointed the coach back north going through Lebanon, Illinois which is home of McKendree University.

Just south of Staunton we rejoined the Eisenhower Interstate System with I-55 which parallels much of historic Route 66. Along the east side of the interstate near Staunton is a collection of steel pole buildings, some enclosed and some with no walls. The buildings which stretch for 1/4 mile provide protection for the many cars for sale at Country Classic Cars. Some vehicles are in good shape while others need some TLC or other level of restoration work. We had no idea the place existed or we would have planned to stop for a bit. The business was started by a farmer that had worked as a mechanic. The business now has has hundreds of cars available for as well as a gift shop.

Anyone for a car from the 30’s, 40’s 50’s, or slightly newer or older?

If so, you could probably find something at Country Classic Cars

right off I-55 in Staunton, Illinois

We arrived at our campground near Lincoln in the middle of the afternoon during a rain shower. The RV park is probably the smallest at which we’ve stayed with only 20 spaces available. It sits in the middle of farm land with corn and soybean fields all around. Still, the mature shade trees and level parking area provided an adequate place to stay for two nights. We even had 50-amp service as a part of our full hookup situation.

Lincoln is centrally located in Illinois along the famed Route 66. Over one million people live within an hour’s drive of Lincoln. Bloomington-Normal, Peoria, Springfield, Decatur, and Champaign-Urbana are within 60 miles. It is midway between Chicago and St. Louis.

Lincoln is also the only city in the world named for and christened by Abraham Lincoln before he became President. Lincoln was serving as a lawyer on the circuit that included the county in which the town sits. When the town was incorporated, his name was selected because of his popularity among the residents. Lincoln is home to a number of historic sites and events associated with the presidential namesake including the new Lincoln College Heritage Museum and the Postville Courthouse. In addition, Lincoln is home to three colleges: Lincoln Christian University, Lincoln College, and Heartland Community College.

On Tuesday morning we got in our Honda Accord to see what the town of Lincoln had to offer. It didn’t take long to find Lincoln College on our drive into town. We found the Lincoln Historical Museum, located on the college campus, with no problem. What we didn’t know was, until arriving there, the museum had been open less than a year. As tourism goes, it is still relatively unknown though it shouldn’t remain so. We’ve been to the presidential library and museum in Springfield and found this one to offer a different perspective on the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. It is worth visiting.

Martha poses for a photo opportunity with a statue of Abraham Lincoln

in the front of the building housing the Lincoln Historical Museum.

Lincoln sits in Logan County. Water for the area was originally

supplied by three, nearby creeks which meant that there was also

an abundance of wildlife.

What made Lincoln so desirable to early residents was the future railroad. When the state’s government wanted to connect Springfield to Bloomington by rail they had to address a small problem. Springfield and Bloomington were nearly 60 miles apart and the steam trains of the day required a stopping point every 30 miles to take on water. There was also a policy that a passenger depot be every 30 miles. This water point and passenger depot turned out to be Lincoln. 

At that time, however, no town existed. A company called Town Site Company set out to acquire the land, develop a street and plot plan, and arrange for the sale of lots. The officials of the company realized that were need of some legal assistance. As a result, Lincoln was called on to provide that level of expertise. A week and half later after purchasing the land, the proposed town of Lincoln became the new county seat after a bill was passed to move the county seat from Mt. Pulaski to the City of Lincoln. 

The next step in the process was to design the City of Lincoln. The County Surveyor, Conway Pence, designed the City of Lincoln around the railroad. All the streets ran parallel and perpendicular to the railroad. In addition, he designed four blocks that were for the county. In these four blocks were to be two parks, one court house and one jail. Now that the city was planned, it was time to bring in the people. On August 27, 1853, lots for the town went up for sale. On that day over ninety lots were sold with prices ranging from forty to one hundred and fifty dollars. The Town Site Company’s proceeds were over six thousand dollars. On this same day after the sale, Abraham Lincoln christened the town by using watermelon juice from a nearby wagon load of melons. There is a statue of a watermelon near the railroad depot, to commemorate where Abraham Lincoln christened the town.

While traveling along the highway through the central part of

Illinois one frequently sees barns of all ages. At this point in the year,

we were also seeing the corn harvest begin. One feature of the

older barns is the raised section in the roof. This was a

characteristic we haven’t seen in other areas. Apparently it

is to provide ventilation to help in drying the hay.

Because we had joined a campground association offering discounts at affiliate locations, our next stop for two nights was Belvidere, where we had stayed earlier in the summer. Our adventure for this stay was to Edward’s Orchard where we enjoyed hot apple cider and any jellies, spreads, cookies, cakes, or pies made with apples plus a whole lot of other yummy stuff.

Byron paused for a moment to take in the September

outdoor air at Edward’s Orchard after eating his fill of

hot apple doughnuts

You can view Byron’s review of the attraction on Trip Advisor. As he points out in the review, be sure to taste your way through the selections available for sale since they supply ample dipping pretzels and snaking crackers for sampling the awesome variety of jams, salsas, spreads, cheeses, and other tasty items.

Layover in Metropolitan Louisville - 8/16 to 9/11

We returned to the Louisville area in mid-August. Since we own no property on which to park, we must now use other means while being in our home area. In a way, we feel like visitors in our hometown.

When we headed out on June 30 we were thinking of staying just across the Ohio River in Clarksville at then Metro Louisville KOA. Since we stayed there one night, we decided to look for another place. That particular KOA is alright for a few nights but for a longer period, we wanted something different from parking on an asphalt surface with neighbors eight feet away. This required a bit of research. What we came up with was the Add-More Campground five miles into Indiana from the river though it is still in Clarksville. We, like many other campers in Louisville, had not heard of this campground.

As it turned out, Add-More Campground was really quite handy for us. It was very near the intersection of I-265 and I-65 in Indiana. It was within a mile of the Walmart and Sam’s Club on Veteran’s Parkway where there were dozens of other commercial locations. The only issue for us was getting through the traffic and construction going on regarding the new bridge over the Ohio. As a result, we were within a dozen miles of Jeremy and Candice.

One of the reasons for being back in the area was to go to regular appointments with doctors. There were a couple of unexpected visits such as the trip to the emergency room when Byron cut into a portion of his thumb while working with a table saw. Another trip to an emergency room was to take care of an issue with Candice. Byron ended up in the office of Kleinert Kutz, the well-known hand surgeons in Louisville, and it was determined that Candice had a urinary tract infection that was difficult to pinpoint.

George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge carries US 31 traffic from

Jeffersonville, Indiana to Louisville, Kentucky

While in town we crossed the Ohio River many times accessing doctors, family, friends, and church. Depending on the time of day and traffic, we sometimes endured the construction and traffic on the Kennedy Bridge that handles I-65 traffic (and connects to I-64 and I-71) and other times we took the alternative path of US 31 and the Clark bridge, especially when heading to downtown Louisville first.

Sanctuary of St. Matthews Baptist Church, our home church

Of course, we were able to attend our home church for Bible study and worship the four Sundays we were around and have dinner with friends and Jeremy and Jody. We got to walk across the Big Four Bridge that connects Kentucky with Indiana since the Jeffersonville ramp was completed. One afternoon we took off to check out the campground at Charlestown State Park upriver from the Louisville metropolitan area. We also took a one-hour trip one Saturday to catch the walking tour of St. Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, Indiana. St. Meinrad also houses a monastery where approximately 90 priests serve in the Order of St. Benedict. Martha, in particular, wanted to visit because she was a reseller of products from Abbey Press when she owned a Christian bookstore in Athens, Georgia. Of course, we stopped by the Gift Shop to peruse the many publications available and other things available through Abbey Press.

The Archabbey Church at St. Meinrad as view from the rear.

It sits atop the peak of a hill in the small community. The

extension to the left houses some of the rooms for

the seminary and dormitory for students.

While touring the Abbey Church, Byron stopped to take a look

at the new console and refurbished pipework of the organ

that was originally installed more than 100 years ago.

On Thursday, September 11, we unplugged and disconnected from our campground connections and headed westward. The first destination was the area where Byron grew up – Fairfield, Illinois.