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.

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.