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.

Southeast Indiana, Western North Carolina and “Home” - 8/5 to 8/16

This is like a serial program one would have listened to a half-century ago – “in the previous post we were at Indian Lakes in Batesville where we had been for a few days. Join us, now, as we continue on toward Asheville, North Carolina to attend the 40th Anniversary Rally of the Tri-State Traveliers.”

At Renfro Valley KOA where we met up with good friends, Bob and Terry, on our way to Asheville. Their Country Coach Intrigue is parked in the spot behind our Newmar Dutch Star.

We left Batesville in the middle of the morning on Tuesday, August 5. Our destination for the day was the KOA at Renfro Valley near Mt. Vernon, KY on I-75. We rendezvoused with our friends, Bob and Terry from Xenia, OH. We enjoyed BLTs for supper and some conversation before going to bed. On Wednesday morning we led the way to our next destination, Bear Creek RV Park and Campground in Asheville, NC. We were going to celebrate 40th anniversary celebration of our local FMCA club, Tri-State Traveliers. Every five years the club has planned a rally away from the 150-mile radius of Cincinnati, the area from which the membership is drawn.

As it turned out, getting to the campground wasn’t an easy task. Though an overview of a map showed that it was near the intersection of I-26 and I-40, we had no real idea where we were going since we tend to trust a GPS for directions. Immediately after exiting I-40 at the modified clover leaf intersection, we were to take an immediate left after passing over the highway. In our minds it didn’t make sense since it looked like an on ramp. (You know how a GPS can make a mistake). So, we continued to the next opportunity to make a left. Wrong! that led us down some narrow streets and low-hanging trees. After a couple of blocks and stares from the amazed residents along the path we realized we had misunderstood and that the GPS really did know the right path to take. As far as Byron was concerned, the only thing to do was follow his nose while listening to Miss Tom Tom make suggestions. Finally, we came out on a main road and made a successful second pass to the street to the campground. Of course, Bob and Terry weren’t worried, they were following us instead of blazing a trail.

Bear Creek is carved from a hillside in which two levels have been

created for parking RVs. All spaces were of the back-in variety.

This is the view of the lower level in the late evening.

This photo shows the main office building a pool at Bear Creek.

Since it was cool, none of us attempted getting in the pool.

On Thursday we took off to see the downtown area of Asheville. It was a new experience for us as well as the Stockholms. We visited a Woolworth’s that is now an art mall though it still has a functioning soda fountain. From there we walked toward the Basilica of St. Lawrence. As we walked, we past a performing arts center where we saw the bronze statues of a man playing a fiddle accompanied by a bother playing a banjo. In the grouping a couple was dancing as a child watched and clapped. (We now look at bronze statues differently since we visited a bronze foundry in 2012). 

A street scene depicting dancing to lively mountain music.

Once at the Basilica, we stepped in just before a noon mass. The building was constructed in 1905 according to the plan developed by an architect from Spain, which explains the Western Mediterranean influence. The basilica’s dome has a span of 58 by 82 feet and is thought to be the largest freestanding, elliptical dome in North America. There are other domes, of course, but not shaped like an oval; most are round at the base.

The Basilica of St. Lawrence in downtown Asheville.

The Basilica is known for it’s elaborate stained glass windows, many coming from Munich, Germany. This is of Christ healing the afflicted. In all, there are 12 windows.

We walked in another direction and came upon the Grove Arcade, another old building that was purpose-built to house several small shops; sort of like a mall. The building was planned to be be 14 stories tall but resources limited the project to three stories. We stopped at Appalachian Strings where a young woman demonstrated their uniquely made dulcimers. They are unique in that they can be held and played like a ukelele though the retain the drone strings and two melody strings tuned at the unison.

Terry and Martha pay particular attention to a fascinating demonstration of a

uniquely designed made dulcimer. Bob was looking at their

display of instruments while Byron took the photo.

The main activity for our rally was a visit to Biltmore Estate, the former home to one of the famous Vanderbilt families. Though a few in our group of nearly four dozen had visited the estate and house, hardly anyone had visited in recent years. Neither of us had been there ever in spite of having driven through the Asheville area many times. Though we were blown away at the cost of admission onto the grounds, we were also blown away by what we witnessed even though the day was overcast with scattered showers. Neither of us had an idea of what we were to see.

Getting to the estate meant going about five miles southward to the next exit. Once exiting I-40, we had a two-mile trip northward to what is called Antler Hill Village, a comparitively new area on the estate property. At Antler Hill is the winery (built in the former dairy barns) that first opened in 1971, a museum (Biltmore Legacy) showcasing the history of the Vanderbilt family, a restaurant, gift shop, and ice cream/sandwich shop. At the winery we experienced the complimentary wine tasting and tasted some of the various spreads based on recipes developed at Biltmore and now sold by the Biltmore Company.

On display at Antler Hill Village is this statuary set showing Cornelia, the daughter of George and Edith Vanderbilt, playing with Cedric, the family’s St. Bernard. They stand between

the Creamery and Cedric’s Tavern.

From the winery we traveled another mile or so to another area on the 8,000-acre estate where we had a buffet lunch. This was served at the Deerpark Restaurant which, at one time, was the large horse and carriage barn. We had a nicer lunch than we were planning, which was a pleasant surprise. (By the way, don’t wear everyday work clothes because you’ll look and feel out of place.)

The front side of Deerpark Restaurant on the Biltmore Estate.

Following lunch, we headed to the Biltmore Inn for a nap. Just kidding. However, a nap would have been good. Instead, we headed to the sprawling Barn at the farming area of Biltmore near Antler Hill. The farm provides a glimpse at Biltmore’s agricultural past. The Barn is actually a series of smaller buildings that are connected around a courtyard. The centerpiece is a traditional barn for feeding livestock and storing hay. Traditional farming demonstrations take place in the Barn, including authentic blacksmithing by local craftsman Doc Cudd, who was enlisted to work at the Estate and provide demonstrations. On the day of our visit the Smokehouse was closed as was the Creamery. However, other buildings were open in which were displayed some items from the past. It is easy to see how this area was the social center of the laborers who lived on the farm. Interestingly, supervisors were provided two-story homes while others lived in smaller houses for which the rent was $4 per month.

Finally, though late in the afternoon, we went to the crown jewell of the estate, Biltmore House. To use the word “house” is a bit of an understatement. Biltmore House, the main attraction on the estate, is a Châteauesque-styled mansion built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895 and is the largest, privately-owned house in the United States. It covers a total of 178,926 square feet of floor space of which 135,280 square feet was living area for family members, guests, and servants. In all, there are about 250 rooms. It is still owned by descendants of the family though none have resided there since 1956. Because we were part of a group, we were provided a tour of the house which covered three floors. Photos, provided below, were selected from sources on the Internet and were not taken by us.

The front side of the house as it faces the vista point, which is at the top of a hill with horse and walking paths as well as a large greenhouse where plants are still raised today. During construction of the mansion, the lawn (shown in this photo) was the main supply yard with rail lines on both sides. The rail lines were used for bringing in stone and lumber and also provided the community of workers with transportation to and from their quarters. The Grand Staircase is to the left of center and the glass-covered Winter Room is to the right.

The Grand Staircase features a three-story-tall chandelier designed by Vanderbilt. To facilitate cleaning of the windows, there is also a circular but narrow balcony around on the outside of the staircase.

This is the Banquet Hall which was used for formally entertaining guests at Biltmore House. At one end is a large hearth with three, separate fireplaces. At the other end is a balcony on which an E.M. Skinner pipe organ is installed. The organ was designed for the mansion but was first housed in the village church which is now Cathedral of All Souls. The organ was placed in the mansion and rebuilt in 1971 when All Souls received it's own organ built by Casavant Frères organ company of Canada. The Skinner, using a mechanical device, plays hymn arrangements regularly several times a day.

The third floor living room, like the rest of the house, is furnished with tapestries, paintings, books, and interesting furniture acquired on one of Vanderbilt’s shopping trips made in Europe or Asia.

OK, this is a typical room where one of the servants lived. There is a section for single women and another section of bedrooms single men. Married people worked on the farm and lived in one of the houses. The Head of House lived in a three-room suite near the quarters of the other servants. That suit is similar to a small apartment.

Shortly after George Washington Vanderbilt II died in 1914 of complications from an emergency appendectomy, his widow, Edith Vanderbilt, completed the sale of 85,000 of the original 125,000 acres  to the federal government. This was to carry out Biltmore’s wish that the land remain unaltered. That property became the nucleus of the Pisgah National Forest. In an attempt to provide income to provide for maintenance during the Depression, Vanderbilt’s only child, Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt, and her husband, John Amherst Cecil, opened Biltmore House to the public in March 1930. Family members continued to live there until 1956, when it was permanently opened to the public as a house museum. During the years following, other land was sold for a variety of reasons including right-of-way for a portion of I-40.

Today the estate still covers 8,000 acres and is split in half by the French Broad River. It is owned by the Biltmore Company, which is controlled by Vanderbilt's grandson, William A.V. Cecil, Sr., who inherited the estate upon the death of his mother, Cornelia (daughter and only child of G.W. and Edith). William, Sr.’s son, Bill, Jr., serves as company president. In 1964, it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The dairy farm was split off into Biltmore Farms, run by William Cecil’s brother, George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil. William Cecil converted the former dairy barn into the Biltmore Winery in 1971 after hiring a sixth-generation winemaster from France.

Our visit to the Asheville area ended on Sunday morning. And, as is our good habit, we attended worship at a local church. As it turned out, we attended the Biltmore United Methodist Church which was not far from the campground. The church, based on our impression, has a healthy understanding of it’s mission in the local community as well as the world. They heard the results of a survey made in the community as well as a plea to pray for and give toward relief efforts in West Africa where Christians are under attack by Muslem extremists.

Biltmore United Methodist Church, where we

worshipped while visiting Asheville.

On Sunday afternoon, August 10, we left Asheville and traveled to Mt. Vernon, KY to stay at Renfro Valley RV Park for two nights. The park is large and divided into sections: 30-amp electric with water and sewer (this is the older portion) and 50-amp electric with water and sewer (also called the Creekside). We arrived after all the shops were closed so we didn’t visit any attractions other than to walk around the grounds.

On Tuesday we headed for Louisville for a month-long stay at Add-More Campground in Clarksville, IN. It is conveniently located near the commercial area on Veteran’s Parkway just off I-65. Our site is on the northern edge of the campground with three, small lakes across from the front of our motorhome on the adjoining property.

The view out the front of our motorhome at Add-More Campground.

On Thursday we drove to the Hurstbourne campus of Down Syndrome of Louisville to help Candice celebrate her 26th birthday. She, her friends in the adult day program, and the staff all enjoyed the cookie cake.

Candice with her birthday cookie cake.

Tune in again next time for the continuing saga of the travels of Martha and Byron Songer, fulltimers in their motorhome where they are always home though sometimes gone.

From UP Michigan to Batesville, Indiana - 7/12 to 8/5

In the last posting to this blog we had traveled to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the town of Escanaba to attend the 29th International Rally of the Newmar Kountry Klub. NKK is for owners of Newmar RV products. Though the company is now building only motorhomes, they did build fifth-wheelers and travel trailers at one point in time.

The opening of the rally was Sunday evening so on Sunday morning we headed to worship at the First United Methodist Church. The service was rather traditional in nature complete with singing to the accompaniment of a Kimball pipe organ that began life nearly 100 years ago but was added to in the 1960s. There were approximately 120 in attendance with several you parents present as well as several teens. Later we learned that the pastor of this church was the husband of the pastor of another UMC congregation in Escanaba.

One of the first activities for the rally was a “hymn sing” which was attended by more than 150 registrants. Byron led the singing doing his typical job of throwing in historical information about the hymns selected voluntarily from the attendees. Immediately following the hymn sing was a church service. Byron led the singing in that as well.

The photos (above) show the rally attendees at attention as the Flag of the United States of American was brought to the podium. Motorhomes were parked in various locations around the fairgrounds of the Upper Peninsula State Fair.

We both enjoyed the rally. It was our first as Newmar owners and probably won’t be our last. There were people in nearly 400 vehicles (motorhomes and pull-behind RVs) registered. We attended a variety of seminars, checked out the vendor displays, attended social functions (a regional meeting and two meetings for full-timers), and met three couples who happened to be from the Louisville area. In addition to Byron’s musical leadership, Martha worked a few shifts in the fulltimer’s booth handing out free popcorn and lemonade. We both assisted in helping host a catered dinner on the last night of the rally. Some other photos of us, taken by a mystery photographer at the rally, are below.

Checking the message board to see if we had won the lottery.

Bummer – you have to buy tickets.

In case you don't recognize us, we’re on the front row slightly

to the right of center. This was at a session on fulltiming.

From Escanaba we went to Two Rivers, Wisconsin to spend a night. While there we went to a museum which included an ice cream shop. The photo (below) was taken while there.

On Sunday morning we worshipped at Saint John Evangelical Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod). During the service the visiting priest, a former pastor of the parish, intoned the chants and sang out quite well on the hymns and responses. Of course, this church stuck pretty close to the Lutheran liturgy which is quite different from the contemporary form; stand for 30 minutes and move mouth while listening to the praise team and raising hands then sit and listen to the minister while watching slides before going out for coffee in the foyer on the way home.

Our next destination was to Mequon, Wisconsin to visit with Jim and Marlys Garman. We had met the Garmans several years ago while owning our classic GMC motorhome and have stayed in contact over the years. Jim and Marlys spend half of the time at their home in Smith’s Grove, Kentucky (north of Bowling Green) and the other half in Mequon, which is north of Milwaukee. Their circular front drive was large enough to accommodate us. Since it was tree-covered, we had more than adequate shade which matched the tremendous hospitality of the Garmans. Since their home is on the Milwaukee River, we took advantage of the opportunity to go on a pontoon ride one beautiful afternoon.

Enjoying lunch at the Crepe and Cream at Cedar Creek Settlement

in Cedarburg, Wisconsin

On the Milwaukee River with Jim and Marlys Garman

While in Mequon we met the mother of our son-in-law, Marynell, who was at a family gathering. She and her husband now live in Jefferson City, Missouri.

After leaving Mequon we headed to Elkhart, Indiana where we were to have some work done on the motorhome. While at the Newmar rally we decided to have new day and night shades put in the cockpit. This involved making a modification to the TV cabinet. Though it took more time and money than we had planned, we do appreciate the enhancement provided by the MCD shades. The motorized windshield shade replaces the visors which were unhandy to operate. The modification made to the TV cabinet looks original since it now houses a new Vizio HD TV instead of the original picture tube style.

On Wednesday we traveled down the road a few miles to Bremen and the Pla-More campground. While there we journeyed around the area looking for a grocery that caters to the Amish community as well as us “English” folks. There we purchased some delicious cheese spread and other items. We also attended the Elkhart County Fair in Goshen with friends we had met at the Newmar rally. On Sunday the four of us attended a Church of the Brethren before having an excellent, family-style meal at Amish Acres Restaurant in Nappanee.

Byron with Newmar friends, Roseanne and Sue, in front of

Union Central Church of the Brethren near Nappanee

The restaurant at Amish Acres in Nappanee is housed

in a barn at the historic farmstead.

Some day we’ll get back for a play in the round barn.

Before leaving Nappanee we took a second tour of the Newmar factory. As it so happens, we encountered a couple we had met at the NKK rally who are from Louisville. Once again, we have proof that it is a small world.

From Elkhart County we drove to Indianapolis for service at Stoops Freightliner. Unlike our last experience in Evansville, the service personnel at Stoops were prepared. In fact, they handled the repair so quickly we barely had time to take advantage of the free laundry facility they had in the driver’s lounge. From the Stoops we traveled a few miles to Camping World in Greenwood to get a Splendide washer/dryer installed. Since the motorhome was plumbed for a combination or separate units, the job was relatively simple for them. After having been without the handiness of that wonderful appliance, it is good to have one again. It beats scheduling a time to take all your clothes to a coin laundry and hanging around until they are done. Besides, the water and electricity expense are covered in campground fee.

After leaving the Indianapolis area we drove to Batesville to spend several days. Batesville is northwest of Cincinnati on I-74 and home of a casket company and other Hillenbrand operations. Our campground was Indian Lakes RV Resort, which is one of the nicer affiliates of Thousand Trails with over 400 sites spread across several acres.

The Indian Lakes RV Resort is unique in that a portion of the property

contains a KOA campground complete with separate branding.

We happened to be in the area for an annual community celebration in Batesville. A part of the entertainment for the event was an antique car show which we enjoyed. We especially enjoyed the display of cars from the middle of the 20th century.

At the auto show in Batesville, cars in stock condition were displayed

in one area while modified units were displayed elsewhere.

This photo shows to originals birthed in 1956,

Martha and the Cadillac.

This photo shows Byron next to a Ford, both have been

modified since their introduction in 1947.

On Sunday we attended the United Church of Christ in Batesville though we set out to attend another church. When we got to the building we saw a sign on the door stating that the service had been moved to the public park and that it had started by the time we arrived. So, we looked for a church with a service starting later. As it turned out this church had a fine organist playing a three-manual organ. And, a visiting musician from a nearby Mennonite church joined with the organist in two piano/organ duets as a part of the service music.

We must say that we do get to meet some very nice people at the churches and campgrounds we visit. For that we are most grateful and trust that God is continuing to bless us in our full-timing journey. And, of course, we see a lot of beauty in each area of the country.

By the way, this is being posted about ten days late. The plan is to post to the blog at least twice a month. That plan may change but, in about a week, we’ll get caught up.

Louisville to Escanaba – Taking Our Time - 6/30 to 7/12

After leaving the Metro Louisville KOA and the Louisville area, we traveled through Southern Indiana on I-64 to Haubstadt, which is north of Evansville on US 41. We had reservations for three in the campground of the Vanderburgh 4-H Center. Our primary reason for being in this area was to get some work done on the coach at Freightliner of Evansville. When we purchased the Newmar Dutch Star, the arrangement made with the previous owner was that he would pay for the repair to the gauge for the rear air system.

We arrived in the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday, July 1. Our space was in the “new” area which was all gravel with full hookups and room to pull through. The older portion of the campground, which the seasonal people filled, had shade trees. Not having shade was OK with Martha since we had high winds and a thunderstorm the first night. After that it cooled off enough that being without shade was a non-issue.

Wednesday, July 2, we arrived at the Freightliner service center a few minutes after 8 a.m. Getting anywhere at that time was a monumental feat because the exhaustion of the last two weeks had set in. There is no better way to say it than that we were weary!

Since Byron had confirmed the issue with service personnel at Freightliner Custom Chassis in Gaffney, SC, we were pretty sure of the problem. In making the appointment, Byron had asked that the part be ordered so there would be no delay with the repair. The first clue that things were not going to be as we thought was when the customer service person acted as though no appointment had been made. The next clue was when we were told they would need a wiring diagram to help in diagnosing the situation. We knew we should have questioned things earlier when, at 3:30, the service writer said the problem was the gauge, not the control module (VDC), and that we needed to return mid-morning on Thursday when they’ve have the part.

We headed back to the 4-H Center for the night. Fortunately we had planned for something going wrong; the reason for the three-night reservation.

At the campground we ran into some friends from our church, St. Matthews Baptist Church, Kevin and Janet Thompson. Janet works as a traveling nurse and is presently working in Evansville at St. Mary’s Hospital. Kevin had sung the male chorale that Byron had conducted.

Thursday morning we spent resting and doing some bookkeeping and other catch-up things. We returned to Freightliner of Evansville a little before noon. While waiting, we went across the road to Stoll’s Amish Buffet. If you have a desire to stop there from seeing the signs on the highway don’t, just keep on driving. This is definitely not a true Amish restaurant as far as the food is concerned. Some of the things in the retail store are Amish. But, the food? A definite “no.” It all tasted like it was fresh out of the Sysco cans that fell of the truck earlier in the week.

When we got back to the dealership we were told that the gauge had been replaced and that it, too, was malfunctioning. The technician had called Gaffney and been told the problem was the VDC module. At that point our anger grew and our opinion of their diagnostic procedure dropped. When Byron talked to the service manager, the person he originally talked with was also present and apologized for not looking at her notes after the phone conversation in early June. Of course, that was doing little good now. Despite her profuse apology, we left without resolving the original issue; the replacement of the VDC. Because the motorhome operates without the module working correctly, we continued on with our plans after unplugging the warning buzzer.

Compassionate Friends Memorial to Our Children at the Vanderburgh 4-H Center

At the 4-H Center is a monument with the inscription: Our children – loved, missed and remembered. It is situated in a park-like setting. It was established by the Evansville Chapter of Compassionate Friends. Near the monument one will find a latched, waterproof box which contains writings from families in the area who have lost a child. Periodically a candle-light service is held in memory of the children. Families may also leave flowers or a stuffed animal as a token of remembrance.

Byron contacted another Freightliner service facility in Indianapolis. They ordered the part while he was on the telephone with their service manager. It will be there awaiting our arrival when we return from the Upper Peninsula. We have also been assured that they’ll bypass the diagnosis phase since the issue isn’t uncommon and resolvable with the correct part.

We left Darmstadt, Indiana around 10-ish on July 4, Independence Day, and leisurely made our way north on Highway 41 to Clinton, Indiana. It seemed a bit odd, knowing we had somewhere to go without having a definite time we had to get there. We made a stop at Menard’s in Princeton for a couple of necessary items and also stopped to wash the motorhome. Byron ran the brush and sprayer while Martha kept the timer supplied with quarters. It took $6.00 which beats $40 at a truck wash where they wash it for you!

Wheat being harvested near Terre Haute, Indiana

The drive north in Indiana was beautiful with fields of corn and soybeans lining the roads. Wheat was being harvested, so the lush green was patched with fields of brown wheat stubble.

Entrance to Thousand Trails Horseshoe Lakes

We arrived at Horseshoe Lakes, a Thousand Trails Campground in Clinton, around 3:30. We were placed in the overflow section until a regular site was vacated.

We have learned along the way that just because something worked one day, it may not necessarily work the next time we need it. Today upon arriving, the hydraulic leveling jacks decided not to go down; another thing to have checked at some point in the future.

We drove from Clinton to Ridge Farm in Illinois to have dinner with Larry and Peggy Stahl for the evening. We returned around 9:15 and called it an early night.

Our view out the front of the motorhome

Saturday morning, much to our delight, we were allowed to move to a vacated spot with some shade. The site faced one of the lakes at Horseshoe Lakes.

Traffic moves at a snail’s pace the campground. The speed limit is 5 mph probably because the primary mode of transportation is golf cart or bike. The campground is spread out over several acres and has 11 lakes; ideal for those who like to fish. Cell phone coverage is not good for AT&T users and data coverage is a little slow on our AT&T Hotspot but it is manageable. It is a bit dusty. All-in-all it is a nice place to stay.

On Saturday Byron did some rearranging of the storage bins under the coach and hung some shoe racks inside. Martha caught up on her writing as well as our expenses spread sheet.

That evening we drove to Clinton with Larry and Peggy and had a nice dinner with their daughter and family (Anita and Bob Miller and Trey) at Benjamin’s. Anita and Bob live in Clinton so it was convenient for them. Sunday morning we attended First Christian Church of Clinton with Anita and Bob. We sang several familiar hymns with all of their stanzas straight out of the hymnal. The pastor spoke about the church should be a place of peace though Satan attempts to create havoc in the church. There was a “carry-in” lunch after the service so we stayed to eat and visit.

Sunday was a pretty relaxing afternoon. Most people left the campground, so it was quiet. Martha was conscious of gearing her mind down to move at a slower pace. Byron is already there.

Monday morning we left Horseshoe Lakes around 9:30 and drove to Belvidere, Illinois. We traveled through more corn and soybean fields. We happened upon one small herd of cattle, the first we had seen amid all the farms. Our destination was Pine Country Resort, another Thousand Trails resort.

Once there we realized that it wasn't something we'd call a “resort.” It seems that the Thousand Trails system caters to seasonal residents leaving only a few sites for short-term travelers. The KOA system is the opposite. The Thousand Oaks campgrounds are also not handy to highways. The locations area also somewhat older and accommodating a larger motorhome is a challenge. Pine Country will not be on our list of places to return on a frequent basis. The weather was nice, however, so we were able to open the windows and turn on the roof fans, enjoying the breezes and fresh air.

The cemetery chapel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

Tuesday, we drove into Belvidere, known as the city of murals. We saw a few murals and drove to the Belvidere Cemetery to check out the chapel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. His designs were simple. The campground was quiet as most residents had returned home for the week. The mosquitoes were ferocious, making us thankful for our bug spray.

Wednesday was another travel day. Our destination was Plymouth Rock RV Resort in Plymouth, Wisconsin. Plymouth Rock is an Encore resort and lives up to the term, resort. We found Plymouth Rock to be very nice and well cared for. There are still a lot of permanent, seasonal dwellings but they are in good shape.

On Thursday we drove into Sheboygan, Wisconsin and had a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. We had lunch at the Mucky Duck, which turned out to be a mucky experience. Service was bad, food not much better, and grease on the tables, but we had a nice view. The weather was beautiful.

Looking onto Lake Michigan from the harbor in Sheboygan

Peering out the window at Mucky Duck on the riverfront in Sheboygan.

The Blue Wave Resort and Conference Center is in the distance

on what is called South Pier.

On Friday we drove to Stephenson, Michigan where we spent the night at the Coyote Campground, a small private campground. There was only one other coach in the park. The place was well maintained and simple. We only needed an overnighter as we needed to head to Escanaba early on Saturday so it met our needs well.

US 41 heading north to Escanaba, Michigan and the Upper Peninsula Fairground.

The drive to Escanaba reminded me a lot of the Alaskan terrain, very simplistic, lots of white burch trees. The countryside was clean and beautiful. The road was smooth and traffic very light.

We arrived in Escanaba around 10:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Since the Newmark Kountry Klub rally did not officially start until Monday, so we had a couple of days to explore. Later in the day we took a ride seven miles north to Gladstone, Michigan and then back to Escanaba where we drove out to Ludington Park.

The harbor light for the harbor at Gladstone.

The restored lighthouse at Sand Point near Escanaba.