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Pittsburg KOA Pittsburg, PA (Aug 21-22)
Aug 21–Moved to the KOA in Pittsburg and just settled in for the evening.
Aug 22–Went into Pittsburg to BRUTUS MONROE! I have followed Chris and used his products since he was a newbie in the craft industry. I have always really enjoyed his enthusiasm and love of the arts. I was lucky enough to be at the store when he was there. I got the nerve to ask if I could take a photo with him and he was so kind to oblige. I know he was busy, so I really appreciated him taking time out to spend a few minutes with me!
We also stopped by a local F.L.A.G.
Tomorrow we head to Dover, PA…
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Kenisee Lake TT Jefferson, OH (July 31-Aug 20)
We moved to Kenisee Lake Thousand Trails in Jefferson, Ohio. I am so thrilled with the site we got! It was previously owned by an annual and it is nice and large with nice gravel and a somewhat maintained yard area. I weeded the flower bed and the gravel area and it looks great!
Aug 1–We relaxed today and explored the campground. This one has great areas to walk and a nice lake. The sites are all very nicely maintained and it seems to be a quiet park. We have felt welcomed by everyone we have happened upon. Our neighbor came over and explained what I gathered to be true…our site was an annual, but the couple got too old to want to keep up with it, so they didn’t renew. The neighbor is an annual, but only comes on the weekends for the most part. She said it wasn’t necessary for me to weed the grounds, but I told her it was actually pretty nice to do a bit of yardwork. It’s much nicer when you dont’ have to, yk?
Aug 3–We went to Walnut Beach Park at Lake Erie and explored the beach, poking dead things with a stick, doing the usual stuff we do at beaches….not swimming.
Aug 4-8–We just hung out at the campground. Seriously, I love this campground. I could live here. It is so peaceful and nice. I really enjoy walking here and man you cannot beat the weather! I keep having to remind myself that it is AUGUST! I am loving life…
Aug 9–Went to Cleveland to the Cuahoga County Fair. It was a really cool fair. I loved looking at the flowers and all the crafty exhibits. The sand sculpture was awesome and it’s not even finished yet! I bought a couple of 3D printed dragons and a dice holder for Steven’s DD die. We visited a couple F.L.A.G.s in Cleveland also.
Aug 10–Stayed at the campground. I found a painted rock on my walk and planted one for someone to find!
Aug 11–Went to Conneaut Beach. This is the place that I came with Mama and James many years ago and was the first place I had ever seen any of the Great Lakes! I knew it as soon as I saw it. Those stairs to the beach and those boardwalks are unforgettable. I felt like I had been in this area before, so it was fun to make the connection.
Aug 12–We went to the Flea Market in Andover. It was pretty cool, but it rained pretty heavily and we had to leave. I saw this Irish Setter and it made me think of our Flynn O’Malley! Not a popular dog to see around…they are so beautiful.
Aug 13-15–We just chilled…it was rainy off and on and we just hung out at the campground.
Aug 16–We went to Erie, PA and Presque Isle. **Note that I sometimes have to depend on my assistant to take photos when I am driving…he isn’t very good at it.** We explored all around the isle and decided to ride the aqua bikes. Let me tell you, that is a workout! Ed was not as thrilled once we got going…LOL!
Aug 17–Went to the ER, seems I have another tiny kidney stone and another urinary tract infection….such fun. We discovered this basket at the office of the campground that has free tomatoes grown by the annuals!
Aug 18–We hung out at the campground and ate lunch at a local Mexican resturaunt that is quite tasty!
Aug 19–Went back to the Andover Flea Market and I found a Pikmin!
Aug 20–We spent the day packing up to leave. I am actually quite bummed to leave this campground. I am looking forward to returning next year! Off to our next adventure!
Andover Flea Market, Aqua Bikes, Campground, Cleveland, Conneaut Beach, Cuyahoga County Fair, Durango Gold, Erie, Fifth Wheel, Flea Market, free little art gallery, Full Time Travel, Jefferson, Kenisee Lake Thousand Trails, Lake Erie, Ohio, Painted Rocks, Pennsylvania, Presque Isle, RV life, Thousand Trails, Walnut Beach Park -
Sunset Springs Outdoor Resort in Bucyrus, OH (July 30)
I think this may have been the most stressful day we have had since we embarked on this adventure. We got to the campground, which is a great place, btw and got to our site. Initially we had a miscommunication and I pulled into the site from the wrong direction. We decided it was no problem, as we were going to be only here for one night. We could just run the electric and water under the RV, as we have enough length to do so, in case we ever run into an issue of the amenities being on the opposite side from usual. No problem, right?!?!?
WRONG! We went to unhook June from Johnny and suddenly June dropped drastically and almost hit Johnny, which would have caused a significant amount of damage. We reset and tried to rehook June onto the hitch and a reason then unknown to us, the hitch would not engage the lock. We tried multiple times unsuccessfully to rehook. We realized that the site was very sloped, with the lowest end being at the back of the rig…and headed straight for the lake you see in the photo. I was terrified that if I kept trying to back into the hitch, it would spur the RV to start rolling towards the lake…which as you can see from the photo has only a small bench to block the path…June would have bulldozed that bench and ended up taking a swim! We only had wedge chocks at the time, so we secured June as much as possible and ran off to get some x-chocks and larger wedge chocks to make our attempts at hitching less frightening. We did finally successfully hitch June and get the hitch to engage the lock. I drove her around the ‘correct’ way and she unhooked and leveled without further issue. We learned a very valuable lesson to NEVER try to unhook with June’s booty headed down a slope…always have Johnny on the downward slope, so that he can stop June from doing anything rash! **Sigh** I wish I could say I enjoyed the stay at this campground…but I was a mess by the time we got everything situated and both Ed and I pretty much collapsed into bed. What a day! Thankfully, it all worked out without any damage to anything other than our egos. Lessons learned today for sure!
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St. Clair TT St. Clair, MI (July 10-29)
We moved to St. Clair Thousand Trails on July 10. We got a terrible site that was a very narrow buddy site, which means the door of our RV faces the neighbor’s door. So you ‘share’ a front lawn of sorts. Well, I barely pulled in and the neighbor came out and said “You are gonna have to move up some, you are blocking my dish!” No, “Hello…Hi there…Can you please…” just nasty barky orders. I was already in a foul mood due to the site being so small and a buddy site, so I just looked right at him and said “I will park the RV however I have to in order for it to fit and for me to park the truck properly.” He huffed and went back in his RV. I mean, moving a tiny satellite dish is WAY easier than moving my huge RV! *sigh* Not a good start. **If you look at the photo below…this is the site, after I moved. The Pinnacle is the friendly neighbor and the black motorhome is in the site I was assigned. Way to close for my happiness….and the Pinnacle has a nasty yappy dog, which didn’t add any points in favor of staying**
FORTUNATELY, the next morning, I woke up at 5 am to stalk for sites opening up. I found one that was 2 sites over from ours, it was still a buddy site, but had a BIG lawn area and longer in addition! I called the front desk as soon as they opened and got the ok to move. I am much happier now! We don’t have to find another campground. Below is our new site and you can see how spacious the front door area is. SO MUCH BETTER!
My buddy, Bones, was celebrating for me!
It rained quite a bit during our stay in St. Clair. So we didn’t get out much at first. However, I did find a local farmers market and WOW are the Michigan blueberries huge! They are like an entirely different fruit. I may become addicted, they taste amazing.
July 17–Ed and I had breakfast at Big Boy and spent the day exploring St. Clair. It is a quaint town and right across the river is Canada.
July 18–Went to the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit. It is a really cool place, however I had a terrible migraine that would not let up. It was really disappointing, as I tried to push through, but we ended up having to leave because I was just too sick.
July 19–Went to the St. Clair County Fair. It was small and quaint, but I love to see the kids projects and the animals.
July 21–Went back to the Henry Ford Museum and was really able to thoroughly enjoy it. I can see why locals would get a membership here, as the outdoor portion is great for walking and enjoying the period charaters. The buildings are so cool and the gardens are beautiful. It was a really enjoyable day, making up for my last attempt! **Tons of photos ahead**
When we left the Ford Museum, we saw this sculpture in a neighborhood while looking for a F.L.A.G! It’s stunning and huge!
We visited a few F.L.A.G.s on our way to Belle Isle.
Belle Isle is a cool place. It is America’s Oldest Original Aquarium, opening August 18, 1904. The building is very unique and the aquarium is beautifully maintained. We also ventured out to the Livingstone lighthouse, which was built in 1930. Apparently this is the start of a trail that is going to be over 2,000 miles long called the Iron Belle Trail which starts on Belle Island and will end at the far western tip of Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula. The sculpture denotes the beginning of the trail.
July 22-Ed bought me balloons and a cake for my birthday. We went out for breakfast and then walked around St. Clair a bit.
July 24–We went to Canada and drove to Pinery Provincial Park. I also visited my first Canadian F.L.A.G.! The beach was nice and we went to Walmart so Ed could revisit his childhood favorite…the Kinder Egg. We opened and ate them before crossing back into the US, as apparently American children are not to be trusted to not swallow the huge capsule inside the chocolate. *hanging head in shame*
July 25–Stayed at the campground all day. Ed fed the goldfish in the pond some bread…Scooby was quite unhappy that the fish were getting treats and not him!
July 26–We went to the Eastern Michigan State Fair. It was actually pretty cool. I had a fried apple dish that was so dang good that I swear it put 5 lbs on me! I was quite unhappy to see that they had seals as an act…this was a big no-no in my book. There was also a guy with a performing monkey….such a shame that animal acts are still a ‘thing’. When are we going to stop supporting such crap!
July 27–We went to St Clair so my handsome hubby could get a haircut. While he was being sheared, I walked around the riverwalk. This weekend is going to be quite an event…there will be racing boats competing…it’s apparently a big deal in these parts. They were getting all the booths set up and then I saw this fancy car and boat. I have no interest in being in that madness!
July 28–We spent the day in Frankenmuth. The massive Christmas store made me have pangs of sorrow for not having my house anymore for the holidays. I do so love Christmas and all the decor! We had fun exploring the town and taking a few goofy photos!
July 29–Just chilled for the day. I kept meaning to take a photo of this sign at the campground when I was on my walks. The Sasquatch is apparently their mascot of sorts…they had t-shirts and all kinds of items with sayings like this. I just thought it was funny. Tomorrow we head out to our next stop…well, a one-nighter on the way to our next longer stop…
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Spaulding Lake Niles, Michigan (June 25-July 9)
We were originally booked to stay the next two weeks at Bear Cave Thousand Trails, unfortunately, the roads and the available sites in the campground are way too tight and small. We decided after visiting Bear Cave that we would just stay at Spaulding Lake Campground. I forgot to get a photo of our site, but it was spacious and nice. The campground is quiet and has lots of walking area.
We spent most of the first week just chilling out and ran a few errands. We wanted some downtime and this campground was perfect for it. We wanted to also lay low for the holiday. I did some watercoloring and reading.
We did go to Lake Michigan on July 3rd, not thinking about the holiday crowd…it was way too crowded, so we didn’t stay long. Just walked down the pier to snap a photo of the lighthouse. Then we left. LOL!
On July 4th, while walking the campground, I spotted this robin’s nest on one of the power units at a site. I pointed it out to the camp host, so that they could make sure nobody disturbs it! There are 4 eggs!
July5–We drove to Shipshewana to actually take the time to see the town. It is really cute and has some interesting places. Mama has been having issues with her ears, so I bought her these ear candles…maybe they will help!
We stopped in Middlebury to pick up a letterbox at the Krider “World’s Fair Garden” and it was a cool spot! Nice trail attached to it, also. It was a good day!
July 6–We drove to Chicago. We didn’t plan well and we have decided we must go back sometime when we have more time. I wanted to visit the art museum, but it closed early for a concert in the park…so we missed it! It was still a fun day.
We also visited a few F.L.A.G.’s and an Art-o-Mat along the way
Update on the robin’s nest…one egg is gone, but mama is doing her best! I hope she does well. We are leaving tomorrow after a couple days chilling out.
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Horseshoe Lakes TT, Clinton, IN (June 12-24)
June 12–We moved to Horseshoe Lakes Thousand Trails in Clinton, Indiana. We got a great site with lots of trees! So happy to be back to our RV life!
June 13–We walked a little trail next to our site and set up all the exterior ‘stuff’. I enjoyed sitting outside and reading while Scooby enjoyed just hanging out with me! Ed is feeling better, but resting.
June 14–The birds have figured out we are here. Scooby is keeping watch. We went to a local county fair….it was pretty pitiful (lol). We had a nice campfire and the stars were out tonight.
June 15–Went to Terre Haute and did some shopping. Did some watercolor.
June 16 & 17–We just hung out at the campground.
June 18–We went to Dana, IN and ate lunch at a cute little cafe, Off the Tracks, and it was pretty good! We also grabbed a letterbox at Ernie Pyle Rest Park, Chrisman and Paris. It was a fun day!
June 19–did some watercoloring and hung out at the campground all day.
June 20–We did the Covered Bridge tour of Parke County. It was fun!
June 21–Spent the day at the campground and walked 3.5 miles!
June 22–Went to Casey, Illinois to see all the “Big” things! We had a really good time here!
We also went to Olney to find the elusive white squirrels! It took us a while, but we did in fact find them!
We swung by Moonshine, Illinois on the way back…unfortunately, they were not open!
June 23–Went to Turkey Run State Park. Hiked the trails…Ed was not happy with how difficult the trails were! We cut the hike short, but still enjoyed the park!
June 24–Went to visit my friend Nurse Becky from my days at Family Medical Center in Garland! Talk about a loooong time ago! It was so wonderful to see her and catch up. She’s just as sweet as ever. She lives in Decatur, Illinois in the same house she grew up in. So neat!
We are leaving Horseshoe Lakes tomorrow and we really enjoyed the campground!
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WE HAVE JUNE BACK!!! (June 9-11)
We have reunited Johnny and June!!! I cannot express how happy I am to have her back and in tip-top shape!
We drove to the KOA in Bluffton and got to work! Poor Ed is still not feeling well. We did, however, start unloading the storage unit and unpacking things. How does it seem that we have so much stuff when we have so drastically downsized!!
We managed to get everything out of the storage on June 9 & 10. I unpacked everything and set up the camper back to livable again. On June 11, we rested and recovered. Ed is still not feeling well. All this moving and stress hasn’t help him, for sure!
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Shipshewana, IN (June 8)
We stopped in Greencastle, Indiana to visit a Art-O-Mat there.
We stopped in LaFayette, Indiana to visit the F.L.A.G. there once again!
We arrived in Shipshewana, ate at the Blue Gate Cafe and stayed overnight at the Blue Gate Hotel. Ed is still not feeling great.
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Terre Haute, IN (June 7)
We left Joplin and headed to Terre Haute, Indiana. Along the way, we stopped at this adorable rest area! Each picnic area was a little replica of a building in an old town. It was super cute. Nice for taking a break from driving. It’s in Conway, Missouri
Along the way, we stopped at lots of F.L.A.G.’s! Ed was very tolerant! LOL
Ed is beginning to not feel well. I hope he can beat it!
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Joplin, MO (June 6)
We stopped in McKinney to check out the Art-o-Mat there and then headed out of Texas. Stayed overnight in Joplin, Missouri.
