From Shipshewana to Iowa......well, near there !!!

WELL, AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS VISITING AND EATING EVERYTHING AMISH, WE SET OUT WEST TO IOWA. WE LOOKED AT THE MAP AND DECIDED THAT I80 WOULD BE TOO BUSY AROUND CHICAGO, SO WE OPTED FOR THE 30. NICE DRIVE THRU GOSHEN, SAW THE BRONZE FOUNTAIN OF ZEUS AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF TRACTORS.

THE HIGHWAY WAS A MISTAKE. WHO THE HECK PUT TRAFFIC LIGHTS ON A HIGHWAY. WE LOST A GOOD 2 1/2 HOURS, TRICKLIN' THROUGH ILLINOIS, THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY, CHICAGO HEIGHTS AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER PLACES. WE DECIDED WE HAD HAD ENOUGH AND WOULD LOOK FOR A CAMPGROUND.

THE ONE WE FOUND LOOKED GOOD ON THE BOOKS. IT WAS A SHORT DRIVE FROM THE HIGHWAY, NEAR THE 74. 40 FOOT PULL-THRUS, ETC. THERE WAS NO TRUTH IN ADVERTISING.

THE PLACE HAD NO PULL-THRUS, TONS OF TREES, NOT A LEVEL SPOT BIG ENOUGH FOR US AND WORST OF ALL, CHOLIFORM IN THE WATER. THEN WE GOT ATTACKED BY TURKEYS. FRIGGIN' BIRDS !

HIT THE ROAD, GUYS.

BACK TO THE 80. A FEW MINUTES LATER, WE SAW A NICE CAMPGROUND, RIGHT ON THE RIVER. WE TOOK THE EXIT, TURNED THIS WAY AND THEN THAT WAY AND ...........STOP!!!!!!

THE BRIDGE HAD A CLEARANCE OF 12'2". WE ARE 12'6" AND 13'1" RESPECTIVELY.

PEOPLE STOPPED AND HAD SUGGESTIONS. LOTSA HEAD SHAKIN' GOIN' ON. YUP, LOTS OF PEOPLE HIT THAT BRIDGE. YUP, THE BRIDGE WILL BE RAISED NEST YEAR.

WE WERE 500 YARDS TO THE CAMPGROUND, AND WE COULD NOT GET THERE.

WE LOOKED AND LOOKED,DISCUSSED, TALKED, SPIT ON THE GROUND AND LOOKED SOME MORE.

THEN, I MANAGED TO TURN THE MOHO AROUND, WITH HELP FROM THE NAVIGATORS. I WENT AHEAD AND SLOWED TRAFFIC, WHILE RUSSELL BACKED UP..... FOR OVER A MILE. SLOWLY, I MIGHT ADD.

PHEW, THINGS DONE. WE HAD A CROWD OF CAMPERS. THE CAMP DIRECTOR OVERRULED A CAMPER WHO WOULD SHOW US THE WAY. THE DIRECTOR WAS THEN OVERRULED BY THE CAMPGROUND OWNER. SO, WE DROVE TO THE CAMPGROUND.............. 12 MILES TO GO 500 YARDS.

THE CG IS GREAT. RIGHT ON THE RIVER, IT IS CALLED LUNDEENS LANDING.

( http://www.lundeens-landing.com/ )

WE WERE OFFERED A FREE STAY BY THE OWNERS. THANK YOU.

THE NEXT MORNING, IT WAS POURING AND WE DECIDED TO STAY. WE SLEPT 12 HOURS. I GUESS WE WERE TIRED. IT CLEARED UP IN THE AFTERNOON AND WE SCOOTED INTO TOWN, GAWKED AT THE MISSISSIPPI, GOT SOME NICE BIRD PIX.

THEN WE WENT TO FAREWAY. RECOMMENDED BY THE GOOD FOLKS ON RV.NET. THE BEST, BY FAR, RIBEYE STEAK WE HAVE EVER HAD, BAR NONE !!!!!

THIS MORNING, GOT SOME FISHING IN. A FEW BITES, BUT WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE OUR FISH AT LONG JOHN SILVER'S !

WILL VISIT THE JOHN DEERE MUSEUM LATER AND GET READY TO TREK TO THE NEBRASKA BORDER TOMORROW, THEN NORTH TO SOUTH DAKOTA.

WHAT ARE YOU DOIN????

SHIPSHEWANA, INDIANA

TODAY WAS A DAY OF REST, RELAXATION AND CLEANING OUT STUFF.

WASH DAY AND ANOTHER VISIT TO THE FLEA MARKET. GOT SOME FLEAS.

AND SOME BAKED GOODS, YUM YUM !!!!!

PICS ARE UP ---



SEE YOU TOMORROW, IN IOWA .........

3 DAY REPORT- Fall 2009 Trip - THE INNER 12

THE FALL TRIP HAS BEGUN. LEFT MOOERS FORKS, NY, AT SUNRISE. UNEVENTFUL TRIP ON RT 11, UNTIL THE 81 MERGE. REALISED THAT THE BATTERY ON THE TOAD WAS NOT DISCONNECTED AND IT WAS DEAD.

UNEVENTFUL TRIP DOWN THE 81, UNTIL WE GOT TO OUR DESTINATION CAMPSITE. LEISURE LIVIN CAMPING AND RESORT - NICHOLS, NY.

IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE DUMP. WORST CAMPGROUND IN OUR 3 YEARS OF CAMPING THROUGH 36 STATES AND 9 PROVINCES.

WENT ON TO BATH, NY. HICKORY HILLS FAMILY RESORT. SUPER NICE. GREAT WEATHER, GREAT SCENERY.

BEST SIGN - GANDOLFO CEMENT COMPANY - CONCRETE- IT'S NOT JUST FOR SHOES ANYMORE !!

ON DAY 2, WE MOVED ON TO SANDUSKY, OHIO. CAMP SANDUSKY WAS AS GOOD AS LAST YEAR. THE TOWN IS JUST GREAT. REMODELING IS ONGOING. LIKE STEPPING BACK IN TIME. BARBERSHOP STILL HAS WILDROOT AND THE THEATER IS AS IT WAS IN 1918. JUST FANTASTIC LANDSCAPING IN ALL OF THE PARKS. A DEFINITE JEWEL. MET A HAM RADIO OPERATOR AT THE LAKE ERIE SHORE.HE IS IN HIS 90'S AND HAS HAD THE SAME CALL LETTERS SINCE 1939. EXTREMELY INTERESTING.

DAY 3 BROUGHT US TO SHIPSHEWANA. SOUTH CAMPGROUND IS AS CLEAN AND TIDY AS EVER. FLEA MARKET IS JUST GREAT AND THE ESSENHAUS HAS THE BEST BROASTED CHICKEN AND CHOICE OF 31 PIES ANYWHERE. AMISH COOKING, MM MM GOOD. BAKERY ON SITE........SHOO-FLY PIE IS A MUST TASTE.

PICS WILL BE UP TOMORROW.