Not Again.....

The good news or the bad...ok, the bad. We turned around at the Canadian Border, ok, really 26 miles short of the Canadian border on the east side of Glacier National Park...yes, again! The proverbial "straw" is that the upstairs AC in our house is pretty much dead, and we need to return to deal with it...repair or replace (I'm betting on replace, it's a good 18 years old). My daughter in law, with our two grandkids, tried to stay one night during their move last week and found the thermostat set at 78, the AC supposedly running, and the temperature 98•. No resets worked so am betting "repair" isn't really an option. Yes, there have been other issues...bent trailer axle and tire wear, Tahoe AC issues, maybe not enough power to do mountains with the old Tahoe 350,(ha, ha) and a few others we were willing to try to work through, but for any of you remembering prior posts where we were away during the hot, rainy season, we're not willing to experience another AC malfunction. Our last one resulted in a complete reflooring of our downstairs living area, kitchen and pantry. Really..much more expensive than just delaying this trip a year or so.  Delay is the right word too, we've just transferred the deposit to next available caravan.  So.. that's the bad.

The good... we've had a great trip so far. We aren't rushing home but will not be spending weeks in any area, so still have enjoyment ahead (outside of what will inevitably cost a fortune in a new AC in my opinion) and I will catch up my blog (for you who care) and keep it up, going home. It will be chronologically out of order a bit, but hey, who cares? The other really good part..wait for it Jeremy...Hazel will definitely NOT be making the next try to get us to Alaska!!

Duluth Harbor

View of lake from our site

I've been admonished to keep up with my blog, irrespective of texts so am doing laundry and playing catch-up. I've found it takes a fair bit of my data to post pictures and I'm not always as happy doing this on my phone...so my computer and Wi-Fi are helping today. As an update first though, we are at The Pines on Kabetogama Lake - just 27 miles south of International Falls, MN and right within, for all practical purposes, Voyageurs National Park.

Laundry

Nice and clean, but costly.

Laundry room is nice, but I can tell you - EXPENSIVE. I am paying $3.25/load to wash and to dry. I have been told to expect same in Canada and Alaska, so guess I shouldn't be too surprised.  That's why I now have lines in my bathroom and a portable line for the back of the camper, just haven't had to use yet, lol. Guess that's going to change. Anyway, back to our last day near Two Harbors.

Duluth is a really nice city, great size and has all the amenities anyone could want. If this area wasn't so darn cold in winter, and so very, very far from my wonderful grandchildren, I wouldn't mind considering relocating.Ha!!!!!

Right on Lake Superior, it is one of the "Twin Ports" - Superior and Duluth. It is also where the end of Grandma's Marathon takes place - right down town in Canal Park, the area we chose to visit. Although we did walk around that whole area (should I say hiked Jeremy A.?), we spent most of our time in the Lake Superior Maritime visitor's Center, operated by the Army Corp of Engineers. It is a great museum of maritime history on Lake Superior and is right next to the Aerial Bridge. They announce the ships that are coming into the bay and under the bridge so that everyone in the area can come see them enter. It is really an awesome sight, probably like watching the ships entering and leaving the Panama Canal. We were there when one came through and watched the bridge in action as well as the ship enter through what seems to be a small canal.  It is much larger than it looks, but it still takes quite a bit of skill I'm sure, especially since most of the traffic are ore ships..kinda like a giant tug hooked permanently to the back of a 500+' barge. Think about maneuvering that baby. Almost missed the event, since we had gone back to the car to add money to the meter and drop off some "stuff" but as you can see, at leaset caught it going under the span. The Duluth ship canal was dug in 1871 to develop an inner harbor on the Minnesota side. It essentially caused the original Minnesota Point peninsula to become an island. That meant that ferries, barges, rowboats, skiffs, etc. were used to take people across the canal when it was not frozen over. Then in 1905 the Aerial bridge was built. It originally had a gondola that hung from the span and moved people and goods across the canal on a schedule with the trolley line, essentially an extension of the public transportation system. The gondola was replaced by the moveable lift span in 1929 when automobile traffic increased. The Aerial bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

The information on the COE in the museum was very infomrative. That organization, unofficially, has been in existence since  1775 and the American Revolution. The first trained engineers were French, and one of them, Louis Duportall, was promoted to brigadier general and Chief Engineer, a position he held from 1777 until the end of the war.  He advocated a distinct engineering branch of the Army and in 1778, Congress authorized 3 companies of Miners and Sappers (builders of trenches and earthworks). In 1778, Congress passed a resolution forming the Corp of Engineers. Since that time they have been instrumental in both war and peace in the protection of this country in many ways... building, preserving, managing the waterways, etc. We love their campgrounds and always take every opportunity to stay in them as well as tour the dams, visit the museums, etc. They are completely integrated in the history of our country.

We ate lunch that afternoon at Grandma's, yes it's touristy but again, when in Rome....and both of us had Walleye, prepared differently.  The pan fried is much better than the normal deep fried in our opinion, much less coating.much more fish. On the way home, we drove the Duluth Skyline Drive in the direction of Two Harbors - not as scenic as it could be in my opinion, but it has been in existence a long time so am sure it changes. We started in the middle so may have missed most of the really scenic parts but with all of the trees in full flush, it was extremely hard to see anything below. I am guessing late fall, winter or very early spring  might actually be the best time for this drive, since they impacted most of our viewing.

COE tug boat and rock barges in Agate Bay

Back in Two Harbors, we watched the COE tow several barges full of big rocks into Agate Bay, nestling up next to one of the ore loading docks. Have no idea what they will be used for as we left the next morning, but maybe to add to bay breakfront?  Additionally, we saw one of the ore boats, the Mesabi Miner, come into that same bay, again a real art of maneuvering, especially since the bay is actually very small. Wind was blowing a good 20-25mph also - hard on pictures, and even harder on that captain. If you enlarge the picture to the left, you can see the ore boat, the ore docks and on the right of the right dock...the COE tug and barges, tucked out of the way.

OK, laundry's done..need to fold and get it back to the trailer. Then lunch and get ready to go on our NPS tour in Voyageur National Park to Kettle Falls .Au Revoir mes Amis.

The North Shore...

Site 102 across from Burlington Bay on Lake Superior 

Looking at bay from our site.

Staying at the public campground in Two Harbors, MN...on Burlington Bay. Two Harbors is one of the larger cities on the North Shore of Lake Superior. If you look on the actual blog in the box...Where are we now??? you will notice Two Harbors is highlighted indicating a link. I'm going to continue to link the location to information about our current area.

We picked a busy weekend to be in Two Rivers. The Grandma's Marathon was run yesterday morning so campgrounds, hotels and restaurants have been full. I've had this reservation for a long time so we had no problem, but the guy who pulled in ahead of us...and was in a hurry all the way, passing us south of Duluth, wasn't as lucky. Guess he got to stay, but was having to move sites.

The marathon, half marathon and 5K all start in Two Rivers. The participants run towards Duluth on Scenic MN 16 and along the lake in Duluth. Since they were running southwest towards Duluth yesterday, we drove northeast towards Canada. We didn't drive to the border, too far for a leisurely stop and go trip, instead enjoyed a couple of state parks, a stop in Silver Bay for a short hike to view the Taconite operation and then return to Two Harbors for a late lunch at Betty's Pies. 

I ordered the fried Walleye sandwich on fresh house made Ciabatta....when in Rome...and Bruce had the warm roast beef with melted swiss cheese, chipotle mayo,  pepperoncinis and jalapeños, again on Ciabatta.  We shared halves, so we each got to taste both, very good, but we both agreed they could have had less bread. Of course we had to then have the house specialty...pie. There were baked pies, crumb top pies, cream pies and even s'mores and bread pudding pies.

We shared a slice of Caramel Apple Crumb...since we'd already eaten all that bread and thought a 2 crust pie might be overdoing...instead we added 2 scoops of ice cream. Pie slices are 6/pie, so there was enough for us both....and yes, the crust was divine. It was flaky and light like an old fashioned lard crust, the filling was great and the crumb/caramel topping perfect. No calories because we left nothing to show. 

Food must be on my mind right now...our experiences are out of order. The drive "east" (the direction the locals would send us since the north shore is exactly that, the north side of Superior with road running generally NE) was beautiful. We left after breakfast, before everyone involved with the marathon even thought about other things, and actually got to enjoy some of the road views before everyone and their brother showed. 

First stop - Gooseberry Falls State Park. Hiked (yes I know you are all snorting when I use that word to describe walking on a path...but it's better than nothing) to the Upper Falls first and then back to Middle and Lower. Didn't actually go completely to the bottom to see middle and lower in one view...knew I'd have to hike back up, but still enjoyed. This park was built by CCC in 1935-1937.  Beautiful Visitors Center, multiple trails, campground (full of course.. remember it was Grandma's marathon weekend) and a really nice gift shop. Great nice place to stop and enjoy some views...and free.

Upper Falls

Middle Falls

The other real stop we made was Silver Bay. We drove to the scenic overlook and hiked (makes me seem healthier doesn't it?) the circular trail to the three different overlooks. Silver Bay is the home of a Taconite operation...the production of iron ore pellets that are ultimately used in making steel. It has a very interesting history..the mining operations, the innovations, the transportation...all revolving around the ups and downs of the American steel market.

Today we stayed in Two Harbors, actually hiking (healthy walking again, lol) 4-5 miles from the campground to the downtown harbor. Hazel walked with us, the weather was cool, the warm air creating fog over the 40° Lake and the breezes blowing it in and out. Some ephemeral views for sure. Spent time at the old train depot visiting the two train engines on display as well as gazing at the iron ore loading facilities, 2 still used. They swam in and out of the fog and with hammering and engine noises coming from the inside areas,  we never did figure out what was happening. It was a good thing we walked early, once the sun came out the air warmed considerably and those nasty black flies followed. Everyone has warned us about mosquitoes but the black flies are worse in my opinion. Groceries were the highlight of the afternoon with a severe thunderstorm this evening. Hazel was beside herself. Anyway, tomorrow we head to Duluth to see what's interesting. Weather should be perfect.

Iron Ore loading docks

Au Revoir mes Amis.

DM&IR Yellowstone #229

Duluth and Iron Range Railroad No 3 Spot

Along the hiking path above Lake's edge.

Hiking Path

  

Lake Superior Trivia

The Amana Colonies

The Amana Colonies are 7 villages in Iowa that have been existence over 150 years, 80 as a communal society, an almost completely self sufficient society, a "Utopia?". The people who left Germany in 1850 and established these villages were Pietists, a movement that combined 17th-century Lutheran principles with a reformed emphasis on individual piety and living a Christian life. They were persecuted by both the German government and the then Lutheran Church. This group was originally known as the Community of True Inspiration. They originally settled outside Buffalo, NY but as they grew, and as they found their people more and more tempted by Buffalo, they sold everything and moved to the Iowa , outside what is now Iowa City.

There were 6 original villages: Amana, East Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, South Amana and West Amana. They added the village of Homestead because it was a rail depot and they wanted access to that distribution process and the new railroad. For 80 yeas they were a communal society, no one really owned anything, all food was cooked and for year, eaten, in communal kitchens (50-60 communal kitchens existed in the villages), everyone worked for the community, there were no wages, etc and they lived a vigorous Christian life, going to church 11 times a week. Men and women sat separately, entered the church separately and pretty much sat within the church based on their evaluated piety standing. There was an overall elected governing structure and elders for each village.

In 1932, in the wake of the depression, and for a variety of other reasons, the people of the Amana villages overwhelmingly agreed to dissolve the communal society. They set up 2 organizations;  a for profit joint stock company, incorporated as the Amana Society, Inc. and the Amana Church Society. The new Amana Society gave everyone that was a member of the community stock, and they could use some of the stock to purchase their houses, etc. to get started. The Amana Society, Inc was the corporate heir to all of the land and economic assets while The Amana Church Society was responsible for the people's spiritual needs. This whole process began in 1931 and was completed in 1932 and is known as The Great Change. I'm pretty sure it was a very traumatic time for all, but especially the elderly, who never really took care of themselves, cooked, owned homes, etc.  Can you imagine your whole way of life just being yanked out from under you?

We took the 3 hour tour offered by the Amana  Society. We met people who had grown up in Amana after The Great Change, but whose parents and grandparents had been part of the communal society and then the new organization. One in particular, Bill Metz, Tinsmith, was still living in the house his grandparents had

  occupied during the communal time and purchased after The Great Change. In communal Amana, a married couple was provided 2 rooms, austere furniture, 2 twin beds and if they had children, and another room was available in the house where they lived, they were given it..if not they may have had to move. Bill's grandmother was a communal kitchen boss. As such, they lived in a house with an attached communal kitchen and dining area so did not have to worry there was no kitchen. Remember, most houses provided before The Great Change  had no kitchens.  

His grandmother lived upstairs in one room, his Aunt and Uncle lived in 2 rooms upstairs. He now lives upstairs in those areas (yes with a modern kitchen,) and shows the downstairs the way it was when his parents  lived there. It is fascinating.

We also visited the official Communal Kitchen Museum,  the Ruedy Kusche.. Ruedy's grandmother was also a kitchen boss and they bought the complex after The Great Change. It has been kept as it was, even with many of the original dishes, etc. In communal Amana's, eating wasn't a social event, there was little or no talking, men ate separately from women and children. Families started eating together at home in early 1900s, but the food was still prepared in communal kitchens and the housewives came and got it and took it home. Think they even started using little gas burners at home to rewarm. Life was very different!

I definitely recommend the tour if you're ever in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area. 

I have glossed over much of the history, but here's an added part. Yes, Amana refrigerators are related to that "Amana".  George Foerstner worked for his dad in the Amana general store. After The Great Change, he became a traveling salesman for the woolen mill. He recognized the need for beverage coolers after the repeal of Prohibition so in 1934 using $3500 of his own savings, he started the Electrical Equipment Company, selling and installing coolers. The company was sold to the Amana Society in 1936 and renamed the Electrical Department of the Amana Society, though Foerstner remained as manager. In 1949 the Amana Society, Inc. sold that department to Forester and a group of investors he had put together.  The new privately held firm, Amana Refrigeration, Inc., began life on January 1, 1950, with Howard Hall as president and Foerstner as vice president and general manager. Under its new management, Amana Refrigeration expanded into home air conditioners and continued innovations in commercial and home refrigeration.  It has since been acquired by multiple others, expanded further, including the first microwaves, and now is owned by Whirlpool (they acquired Maytag, who acquired, etc, etc.). The plant still exists right outside the Amana Colonies and still makes refrigerators. Unfortunately, no tours.

The Amana Colonies are on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Park Service, in collaboration with Amana and Iowa has put together a wonderful itinerary and excellent information. So if you're interested...The Amana Colonies

Crystal Lake Campground, Stum, WI

I now know why everyone goes north for the summer. We arrived at the city campground around 1:45 to 79 degrees, sunny and 20 mph breezes. Tonight is supposed to be 58 and we actually have the windows and screen door open with no AC...enjoying Bloody Mary's and contemplating brats, Cole slaw and broccoli salad for dinner. Good thing everything is already either cooked or made since there is alcohol in the equation.

.We left around 8am this morning, with grey skies and mist. The drive was really nice, even with the AC going back on the fritz (not the fan switch tho) and the fact that the service engine soon light came on as we struggled up a big mountain,.....undulating fields of new corn and wheat, mountains (ok maybe hills) with plenty of greenery, old and new farm houses, Norman Rockwell barns and outbuildings...and a scenic ride along the upper Mississippi River. 

We left Iowa City, skirted east of Cedar Rapids and west of Dubuque avoiding the true interstates(US roads, even if some day may be interstates, were fair game)crossing the mighty Mississippi at Prarie de Chein, WI. and driving north along the river to La Crosse and then north to Strum. Can't believe we still found scenic overlooks and wayside parks on the route. (Good thing too... remember I said that check engine light came on) We came into Strum from the SW on WI 93, ultimately cutting across a very small county road that had Bruce wondering if we'd made the right decision. When the road changed to S 5th, we realized we'd arrived.

Strum is a one road downtown and 1.25sq mi.c ity The campground is city owned and has plenty of permanent and repeat seasonal occupants. We were lucky we wanted W and TH, because I'm pretty sure every site will be gone come Friday. We have a fairly level gravel site, in what used to be a field but where now trees and other vegetation have taken root.  We have water, electric, sewer and cable for $27 cash/night. Took all my spare bills.   I hate having to pay more to use credit card, but can definitely understand a small place requiring you to foot the credit cost if you want to use the card.  There is a 9 hole, par 36 golf course across the field with a small grill and full bar. They have one other real restaurant that does breakfast (yay) and lunch, open 6-2, and 2 full bars that also serve food. All this for 1100 people, including children. Am guessing they get lots of use in winter... it's cold, dark early, snowy, cold.....need something for internal warmth. Anyway..this update is to keep me on track.  Yes, we did do The Amana Colonies on Monday, and no, I haven't forgotten, just need to think about that part a bit. Since we have good WiFi here, I'll do that blog tomorrow.

Time for one more Bloody before dinner...Au Revoir mes Amis.

Iowa City and Tailwater West Campground

It's been hot here, high 90s with feel like temps over 100. Talking to some of the locals, 2 weeks ago they needed their fireplaces...now you better hope you have AC.

We've explored the area a bit but are saving the Amana colonies and possibly the Amish for M&T so probably more on their stores later.  Our story, on the other hand, continues. The stove vent cover flap on Newbee (yes, the trailer has a name) broke while we were at Cuivre River, so yesterday we found an RV place south of town that actually had one to fit. It had been duct taped closed,  and Bruce wasn't too keen about constantly being the one to open and shut it if I was cooking, so we decided to look for a replacement. Bruce did have a  fix in mind if one had been unavailable, he was going to make a hinge for the old one, but since we were lucky, now we just have a new roll of aluminum tape. Additionally, we've had an on again/off again unidentifiable leak under bathroom sink. I found a new single lever faucet I preferred to what is in there, so maybe replacing the existing unit will take care of that leak. We can always hope. Anyway, it's always something on a trip like this when you're bouncing a trailer down the road for long distances.

Our site, #1, is nice. We have water and electricity but not much shade. Campground is small, but laid out nicely. I think it's the only one in the Dam Complex that has sites with both electricity and water, and a few with sewer. We can walk to the dam outlet releasing the downstream water for the Iowa River as well as the Devonian Fossil Gorge. We walked through it this morning.

375 million years ago, this area was a tropical marine environment. It was south of the equator and covered by warm, shallow seas similar to the Caribbean Sea today. This was the Devonian period, part of the Paleozoic Era and more than 200 million years before dinosaurs.  Later the continents broke apart and multiple geological events shaped the Iowa of today, including the Iowa River. When the Coralville Dam was completed in 1958,  upstream from Iowa City, it was primarily for flood reduction on the Iowa River, and has been successful in that respect but for the exceptional years of 1993 and 2008. In 1993, Coralville Lake exceeded its capacity and water poured over the emergency spillway for 28 days straight, washing away a campground, a road and removing 17 feet of soil and rock...exposing the Devonian bedrock that became the Devonian Fossil Gorge. In 2008 floodwaters again swept through the gorge, widening it significantly. If you look carefully, you will find numerous fossils embedded in the rock surface, ranging from coral heads to crinoids and brachiopods. This gorge is a transient thing though. The limestone surface exposed by the floods had been protected from the elements by a layer of sediment, and now that it is exposed to the elements, the rock weathers. Freezing and cooling flake the rock surface, acid rain blunts the sharper features, and vegetation has found footholds in cracks in the rock.These natural processes are unavoidable; they apply to any exposed limestone surface. And of course, having thousands of visitors walking on it, touching the fossils, etc continues the degradation. In the fifteen years after the flood of 1993, weathering, plant growth and foot traffic apparently obliterated many of the fossils exposed in that first flood. The flood of 2008 renewed the gorge, but again, it is only temporary. Today, as my pictures show, nature is regaining her foothold.

Enough of today. We're off to the Amana Colonies tomorrow. I made reservations for their tour, but to have that occur, 2 more people will need to sign up. I am hopeful, but either way, we'll be visiting.

Cuivre River

As I indicated in prior post, we spent 2 nights at Cuivre (pronounced quiver) River Campground outside Troy, Mo. Following our wonderful Goole map directions, we apparently took the shortest route in to the campground...and ended up lost at one of the many day use areas. Thank goodness a local policeman was driving through..and saved us. He said he was on his way to the beach area, where no alcohol was allowed and it was easy pickings, so we should just follow him and the campground was just above. And above was correct..we wound several miles into the Lincoln Hills (small mountains to Floridians) on a skinny, supposedly 2 lane road. Yes, we passed a beach area, ultimately 114 steps down from the campgrounds. We checked in, got situated in the site and decided we wouldn't be running to town for anything we didn't have.

The park began in the 1930s as a federal recreation demonstration area when workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Project Administration constructed roads, bridges, group camps, and a picnic shelter. Two historic districts within the park, the Cuiver River State Park Administrative Area and Camp Sherwood Forest, were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The state took possession of the park in 1946. There are trails everywhere, from 1/2 mi  to 5+ miles and nothing is flat.

The check in station had a little store that sold a few supplies, ice, ice cream and firewood. We didn't avail ourselves of the firewood but did buy ice and of course, ice cream. Snickers ice cream bars are worth every penny! Additionally, we did laundry, used their showers and pretty much stayed in the campground.

Friday we got up early and came down that skinny, winding park road before all the weekend traffic met us coming the other way. 

The uneventful drive up US 61 ( not an interstate...yet) and 218 got us to Iowa City about 12:30. We found the Tailwater West campground, part of the Coralville Lake Dam Complex..of course not without at least one wrong turn...and words..and settled in.  We had to get some groceries so spent time chatting at the visitors center to get lay of the land. As a result, found out way to a new store..Hy-Vee.

Hy-Vee is Publix, Fresh Market and Whole Foods rolled into one..with a Starbucks and Bar & Grill. It's the perfect place per Bruce..I can grocery shop while he sits at the bar in the Market Grill and has a beer. We even went back for dinner...handmade and cooked to order burgers were buy one get one 1/2 price. They were definitely some of best I've ever had.

Well, getting dark here and shower time. More later...Au Revoir mes amis.

Look up in the sky. It's a bird. It's a plane......

It's SUPERMAN! We just spent the last 3 nights camping in Ft. Massac State Park, located in Metropolis, Il...the official home of Superman. There's a big statue of Superman in front of the Courthouse downtown (yes, I did cut off the top of his head) and all things "super" related everywhere(Supergirl is looking pretty good don't you think, even with a double chin and gray hair!) In fact, Metropolis is just getting ready to hold it's 38th Annual Superman Festival and their 9th Annual Superman Film Festival, starting tomorrow, June 9th. Beautification was occurring everywhere you looked. The carnival had already set up the rides and games and many of the vendors had already joined us in the campground, so we got to enjoy watching them arrive.  Looked like the Festival was all set to be quite the extravaganza.  One vendor said he thought the local supermen were the best part... men with quarter to full bellies sporting "sprayed on like" Superman suits... and that the parade was wonderful, with villains and superheroes of both sexes strutting their stuff. I think we may seriously plan to attend next year.

Superman aside, Ft. Massac is a beautiful park. It became Illinois's first state park in 1908. Built by the French in 1757 and originally called "Fort de L’Ascension,"  the name was changed to Fort Massac, after a French Naval Minister, in 1759 . After the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, it was abandoned by the French and then burned to the ground by the Chickasaw. Only a charred ruin remained when the British arrived to take possession and they never rebuilt. In 1778, during The American Revolutionary War Col. George Rodgers Clark led his regiment into Illinois at the abandoned site, surprising the British. In 1794, the fort was rebuilt by order of General Washington and for 20 years protected U.S. military and commercial interests in the Ohio Valley.  It was damaged in the 1812 New Madrid earthquake, rebuilt to play a minor role in the war of 1812, abandoned again in 1814 and finally succumbed to defeat as the local citizens dismantled the fort for its timber.  The original site is still visible, although a detailed reconstruction of the 1802 fort was built in 2002 and can be seen today. Each fall, reenactors gather for the Fort Massac Encampment, which interprets life in the 18th century. So the park has a full history. What is really impressive though, is the number of local residents, in a town of only 6500, continually using the park for picnics/get-togethers, recreation, exercise, dog walking, etc.  Guess we've just never stayed in a park so close to the community to observe the every day goings on. and it is really nice. They definitely love this park.

The campground is older and smaller, but very peaceful. Water is centrally available to fill your camper but not to hook up permanently, 30amp service is on all sites, with a few even supporting 50amp service. Sites are grassy, shaded and well dispersed around two circles, so privacy is assured. There are walking and biking paths, the inevitable boat ramp... directly into the Ohio River...day use facilities, a visitor's center, and trees every where. Just across the street were Sonic, a bbq place, a chinese/pizza buffet(extremely good BTW) and a Mexican restaurant with a full bar. We couldn't really ask for more and I really, really enjoyed our time there.

So what else happened you ask...well we spent most of Tuesday morning looking for a place that would repair the Tahoe AC, and most of yesterday morning getting it repaired, thank goodness. And conveniently, the repair place was just 6 blocks up the street from the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, so I spent a relatively stress free morning there. Lunch in a local bakery ended our time in Paducah, with nothing more than a postcard purchased. I'm proud of myself...no fabric!

Left eary this morning for Cuivre River State Park, just outside Troy, Mo (NW of St. Louis). We're here for 2 nights and based on the road up here to the campground, (think our house on the mountain in Italy Maggi) we won't be going anywhere tomorrow except outside to enjoy nature. Not looking forward to the trip back down Friday morning, but we'll manage.

Au Revoir mes Amis!!!!

Piney Grove Campground

Arrived at Piney Grove Friday around 2pm after leaving Deerlick around 9. Drove the back roads, most on US 43 in all it's combinations, except for a 25 mile stretch on I-22 trying to beat the rain. That really was for naught, because there were still campers in our reserved site when we arrived so it was 3:30 before we set up...but still ahead of the rain by about an hour or so....wle had time to enjoy an adult beverage by the lake. Then it was get Hazel's thundershirt on, eat dinner inside and spend the evening reading.

The campground/recreation area, situated between Tishomingo and New Site, MS, pretty much takes up most of one of the peninsulas in Bay Springs Lake...with the campground at the southern end and our campsite (117) actually on the SE tip. We're facing the Natchez Trace Recreation Area across the lake.  This man-made lake is one of the COE projects on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Rivers. Most of these campgrounds were originally built to provide COE housing for the people building the dams.

The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway extends 234 miles from the Tennessee River to the junction of the Tombigbee River in Alabama. The man-made waterway connects commercial water transportation with the Gulf of Mexico. 

The system includes ten lock and dams, Bay Springs Lake, Gainesville Lake, Aliceville Lake, Columbus Lake and Aberdeen Lake. Overall, the Tenn-Tom waters cover 180,000 acres of public land.

Spent Saturday with on and off rain. Good day to eat all the leftovers in frig, drink wine and finish that dang blasted jig saw puzzle...and we did!

Now we're on the other side of Paducah...at Ft. Massac State Park. More on that next time.

Deerlick Creek

As previously noted, we're spending the next 3 nights at Deerlick Creek, another COE park located on Black Warrior River. We are just north of the Holt Dam and Lock, on the Holt Lake in Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama and Bear Bryant  Maybe if we're lucky we'll catch some river traffic using the lock....always a thrill for us. Must be our age...very young or getting old, lol.

This is a beautifully designed campground, with most sites on a hillside, with 1-2 decks for eating, grilling, etc. RV pads are all paved, level front to back with a slight grade side to side to accommodate water. You can tell they've all been reworked from originals, with even the walking and paved bike trails updated. Now if only they'd think about spa type bathhouses..ok, wishful thinking. Even I'd balk at parks spending tax dollars that way...unless they were charging accordingly. Wonder what a park service run spa might be like? I'd be game to pay for a day or even a week .

Have excellent FI Network on my phone right now (Google's foray into cellular) so obviously Sprint and T-Mobile have good service along the water. Haven't checked Bruce's Verizon, but am sure it's strong too. Sometimes it's a toss up. Am considering dropping in to a Verizon store for a sim card and adding my phone back to our account. Although I like the idea of FI's pay for the data you use, I have found Verizon's presence/signal strength stronger when I compare both phones in different locations. Probably will continue to give FI a chance,  especially since service is robust right now and I can always grab Bruce's phone in a pinch, lol. Pretty sure neither will please me much once we get deep into Canada and Alaska.

Will try to publish some pictures soon. Need to figure out why I can't seem to upload to Blogger.

Second verse, same as the first!

Well, our Eufaula visit is coming to a close. We've enjoyed our time, including trying to put together a 550 piece jigsaw puzzle featuring an owl surrounded by pussy willows...except for a brief respite with the owl, everything is grey, white and shades in between, lol. Memorial Day weekend was memorable...the group across from us cooked a whole pig..what should have taken 4 hours took a good 10, and the smell of lighter fluid lingered in the wind. Boating, drinking and eating were the main, although we're pretty sure one group across from us (not the pug group) was asked to leave last night. They weren't rambunctious or anything, but we did spy a firearm being transferred to one of the vehicles early this morning, so we just made up our own story about the circumstances.

We've cooked every day..a miracle, but not always a real meal. Breakfast is usually substantial, but after that, it's a crap shoot😃. Yesterday we did enjoy my version of a Reuben for a late lunch (we've been overly involved with that puzzle, it will NOT kick our butts) and I completely forgot  dinner..so Bruce had to make do with a leftover sausage dog and I finished the cake I cooked Saturday. Worked for me, lol.

I know you definitely want to know how I managed a cake...oh, and biscuits to go with sausage gravy, and make do garlic bread from leftover slider rolls, and the leftover biscuits again...well we broke down (which means I wanted it) and bought a small toaster oven with "convection turbo fan." It's sitting outside the camper, on one of the wooden TV trays I was smart enough to wedge behind the couch, used daily! This morning I got to have real toast, 😱. Anyway, it will be a plus on this trip, I'm sure. Hoping for a grits casserole for Wednesday breakfast, we'll see how industrious I feel.

We are really roughing it..toaster oven with "Convection Turbo fan", electric frying pan, drip coffee pot with thermal carafe ( so we can take it outside early and spy on we everyone else), gas grill, electric griddle still hidden away, microwave, 2 door refrigerator/freezer, real gas stove and oven, and a cheap toaster that won't be coming out again! Now all I really need is a cook. On top of it all, we keep ice in our RTIC Yeti wannabe, along with beer, wine and various cooler groceries,...it stays in back of the Tahoe and is always available for a quick run to Wally.

Speaking of Wally World.. we've made a trip every day to pick up something, including today's purchase of several more puzzles.. with much more color of course. It is just up the road, and always interesting. Today Bruce had a shocking experience, he touched one of the metal bands around a support pole,(it had obviously been snagged and was sticking out out) to bend flat and about picked himself off the floor. Obviously an ungrounded electrical problem needing an immediate fix..so hopefully his report of the issue had someone on it quickly. He's OK, but I definitely think a child or a frail, elderly person could have easily been harmed. Otherwise, all was fine.

Most people left the campground today, but some still arriving and many go, with us, tomorrow. We need to have everything we need for awhile, since we're heading to Deerlick Creek, another COE campground, outside Tuscaloosa, tomorrow. We've committed to trying to not leave the campground since we're only there 3 nights and still need to do laundry...but who knows.   Anyway..quick update, and pictures as soon as I can get better service.

Au Revoir mes amis!

Bacon & Eggs Anyone?

Why does food cooked and eaten outside taste differently than routine meals? It isn't that the food is not the same so it must be the location. We are still on fast time so we're up early and outside to see sunrise (at least Bruce is up, lol; I relish having the bed to myself for a few moments) drink our morning pot of coffee..and, of course, spy on the other sites as they emerge from air conditioned hibernation.

Friday before Memorial Day will be a madhouse at the local Wally World, and I don't want to leave campground over the weekend, so we've made menus, checked supplies (vegetables, you have to be kidding) and ice must be secured. We cooked what was left of our bacon, added some fried eggs and enjoyed them on the picnic table. We're really roughing it with an electric frying pan, inside microwave and oven...and we're going to look at a portable convection oven this morning.  I am so spoiled, so of course, Bruce is so spoiled.

Yesterdays' blog posting got lost in cyberspace, along with pictures and activities so what posted was an original draft saved late Tuesday evening. It ended abruptly, so I'll just update tomorrow with anything additional deemed "monumental." This place is completely full, more 5th wheels and bumper pull trailers than motorhomes, so we feel right at home. Fishing is the sport enjoyed by most, and boats/ personal water craft (jet skis) pulling tubes and floats the family water activity of choice. We are spectators to both 😃.

We are reviewing our itinerary and may do an Oklahoma diversion for personal reasons, but still plan to hit Minnesota and Voyageurs National Park in a few weeks. More on that as our plans coalesce. 

Off to Wally...and Hart's Chicken, again.

White Oak Creek.. Eufaula, Al

First stop will be here at White Oak Creek Corp of Engineers campground just outside Eufaula, Al. We'll stay through Memorial Day since finding almost any place we'd like over the holiday weekend at this late date would probably be an effort in futility. We're on the hill overlooking the river in one of their 2 first come sections. There were 5 spots left, all hilltop, when we arrived. I am betting only 1 or 2 remain now, so guess it was good we made ourselves just leave this morning and get on the road 

Since this is a COE park, all sites are nice, but some are favorites and very hard to secure.  Hilltop sites are initially less desired, not being on the water, but they are heavily treed and get more breeze so am hoping that means less bugs. The knats are definitely out in force, even if mosquitoes aren't apparent and there are, of course, ants. We're trying our ThermaCell mosquito repellent systems, so hopefully they'll help with knats and we've done what we can to deter ant invasions.

Set up was faster than I thought it'd be in the trailer since we have to remove the sway hitch system, but I was pleasantly surprised that there was absolutely nothing that needed doing inside, since we'd done so much storage enhancement earlier. That meant I could help Bruce with the rug, chairs, little table and make adult beverages while he tended to the preventative measures and hooked up amenities. We are, of course, still on fast time (EDT), even though we've moved into central, so adult beverages we're probably earlier than usual.