5/31 - Shuffle off to Buffalo!

Our "neighbor" checking his route!

Anchor Bar - Buffalo, New York. Claim to fame is inventors of the Buffalo Wings!

We pulled out about 9:50 a.m. this morning headed for the US. We'd packed up everything so Customs and Border Protection could easily search the RV. It's in the 60's, sunny and muggy!

At 10:10 a.m. we reached the border! We had to go through the BUS section at the border, but fortunately we were the only large vehicle there. The border guard asked us our citizenship, asked for ID (we gave him our passports), and he asked what was in the RV. I answered camping equipment. He then asked if we had any food on board. We said we did and were sure we would have to get rid of potatoes (again!). He said thanks and we were free to enter! That was easy!

We got set up and headed into Buffalo to see a transmission guy about the truck. We put the truck on the computer and found an error code. It means that the torque convertor is going bad. For $295 he could drop the transmission and take a look and see what the damage is. David opted not to do that and the guys said there was no charge for what he done. We thanked him and headed to the Anchor Bar.

Anchor Bar is home to the Buffalo Wings! They were invented here. The place was packed. I'm not particularly fond of Buffalo Wings, but thoroughly enjoyed them. I'm a wimp so I didn't order the hot ones. David ordered his with spicy BBQ sauce. I tried one of his and it was a little spicy, but not too bad!

After lunch, David talked to our mechanic in Trussville about the transmission. If David takes his time and doesn't abuse the transmission, it should make it home. We are running a risk it will "go" before we get back, but it's one he's willing to take. When we get to Stone Mountain, he'll drive it back to Trussville and get it fixed and then come back to Stone Mountain. Shouldn't be too difficult to fix. Keep us in your prayers!

We've seen lots of squirrels here, but they are black. Some of the really fat ones look like black cats! LOL

Funny sign of the day: Amigone Funeral Home in Buffalo. It struck me as Am/I/GONE? Funeral Home.

Back to the campground to do laundry. No loonies except us! LOL

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/30 - Niagara Falls - Day Two - Part Two

Canadian Falls with red lights. Note the full moon over the falls!

American Falls with Bridal Veil Fall in red light. That's a ballon over the falls.

No, it's not Close Encounters. It's the lighting used to light the American Falls.

Canadian Falls as seen from the Skylon.

Bridal Veil Falls to the left and if you look closely on the wooden ramp, you'll see the shadow of the Skylon.

Where we had dinner in the revolving restaurant (Skylon Building). Yes, we actually rode the elevator shown (52 floors and one floor a second!)

After a quick lunch at Wendy's we headed back to the campground for a little rest. We walked everywhere today. We decided on a nap before heading to dinner at 6:30 p.m.

We had reservations at the Skylon Revolving Dining Room at 6:30 p.m. Our instructions were to arrive 15 minutes early, so we did. We promptly took the elevator up. It was quick enough that I didn't scream! LOL

Our waiters were Tom and Tasha and they couldn't have been better. They made dinner suggestions for us and we took most of them. We split a scallop and shrimp appetizer. I had a filet and tiger shrimp...David tried the pork chops. The meal was excellent. It takes one hour to make a revolution around the restaurant and about the time we got back to where we started, it was time for dessert! We split a creme brulee (my favorite!). We almost had to call home for money to pay for dinner. I'll just say that it's a once in a lifetime dinner! LOL

The restaurant was something else! The area next to the window does not revolve, so you can't put anything on the sill unless you want to get it an hour later! Around the restaurant are facts about the falls and the area. There's also a piano player at the bar. He doesn't move, but you move around him.

We decided to head out and walk to the falls for the 9:00 p.m. lighting. It was about an hour wait and we got to talking to the ladies next to us. They were from Tupelo, MS. A little after 9:00 p.m., the lights came on! Fantastic! The white lights came on first and then the colors changed every few minutes. A full moon added to the majesty of the evening. It was quite cool by the falls, so we decided to walk back to the truck and head to the campground. It was a great way to end the evening out!

Back to the RV and get it ready to head to the US tomorrow!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/30 - Niagara Falls - Day Two - Part One

After the boat ride!

The Falls with Maid of the Mist

Under the Falls

Ferris Wheel we rode! Air conditioned!

View from inside Ferris Wheel.

If you've wanted to leave a comment, but it was blocked, try again! I changed the settings so comments are easy to leave! Thanks for letting me know Stephanie!

Stephanie also sent two links about the line from the 3 Stooges:

http://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/slowly.html

http://www.mentalfloss.com/trivia/facts/2007/05/21/slowly-i-turned-step-by-step-inch-by-inch/

This morning we headed out for the Falls. WOW! WOW! WOW! Dr. Hawkins, you recently made a comment that John heard a voice like many waters and that Niagara would be pretty loud. You were SO right! You can hear the Falls long before you see them.

Here's where the day gets interesting:

Took photos of all the Falls from the Canadian side. You can actually feel the mist from one viewpoint.

Took the elevator to the tunnels beneath the falls and stood behind the falls. In a yellow slicker!

Gets better!

RODE THE MAID OF THE MIST BELOW THE FALLS! I didn't get sick on the boat either! LOL It was a little like standing in a hurricane with a jet taking off. LOUD and WET! Glad I got my hair cut before I left. It's truly wash and wear hair!

Rode the Ferris Wheel over the Falls. I know....you can believe it! Me either. I didn't scream....much!

We stopped for lunch before heading back. Tonight we have dinner in the Skylon Tower and you have to ride the "bug" to get up there. The restaurant also revolves. If you look closely at the tower picture, you'll see a little yellow thing on the side. That's the bug!

Quick nap before leaving again!

More later!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/29 - Niagara Falls!!! Slowly I turned...step by step....inch by inch....

Lake Huron! (4th Lake!)

OK, if you're as old as me, you'll realize that the title is a reference to a Three Stooges routine. It's stuck in my head (like the Gordon Lightfoot song!) and I can't think of the rest of it!

We pulled out at 9:00 a.m. and it's sunny and cool and we didn't see/hear the bear! So far we've traveled 3,094.7 miles. We're on km here so I'm not sure how many km's that is!

We now know what the bug suits are for....mosquitoes! They are everywhere! Open the door and they fly right in! Guess they were looking for a meal.

We stopped in Parry Sound to buy fuel. Most of the stations here are full service. We bought 62 litres at $1.069 per litre. A nice young lady pumped the gas and had been to Alabama and the south. She understood why we were cold and everyone else was running around in shorts and sandals.

David picked up a little trinket at Parry Sound. See the picture above.

Found out our deer whistles work! They're mounted on the front of the truck and only the deer can hear them. If the truck is moving at least 30 mph, it whistles and is supposed to keep the deer from running into the road. We saw two large deer on the side of the road and one stopped and looked. The other was running toward us, stopped and put up her nose then turned and ran back into the woods. The only other animal we saw was a turtle!

We're having trouble with the transmission and it's getting worse. It's shifting funny in 3rd and won't go into overdrive. We've checked with our mechanic at home and he recommended we find someone in Buffalo on Thursday (back in the States). It's possible it's an electrical problem with the transmission.

Thanks Anita for helping us make our calls! Much appreciated!

We cooked out and enjoyed dinner on the picnic table. Grilled chicken soaked in Moore's Marinade! YUM!

Watched the season finale of HOUSE and headed to bed! Off to the falls tomorrow and dinner at the Skylon Restaurant. Thanks for telling us about it, Paul!

One more lake to visit - Erie!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/28 - Loon's Landing!

Usual start to the morning - cool, windy, but not raining! The trip to our campground is not an all day drive, but we headed out as son as possible. That was after the shower incident!

For some reason the latch on the shower door has decided to be "cranky." You can't get out of the shower. Someone has to push the "tab" on the release from the outside in order to get someone out of the shower. That water is so cold up here that it takes awhile for the water heater to even get it warm. Making coffee is an experience according to David. It takes forever to get the water hot to make coffee.

Anyway, David told me to set the timer for 10 minutes after he got out so the water would reheat (all six gallons) and I'd get a warm shower. I set the timer and got in. Little did I know that he'd taken Chrissy out and was talking to one of the neighbors! I finished my shower and asked him to let me out. NO ANSWER! Fortunately the shower has a seat inside. So I sat down and waited. After about 20 minutes David walked back in. Then he realized he'd left me in the shower! Wasn't too funny at the time, but it is now! Just wait....PAYBACK!

Lot of road construction going on here. Sometimes we drive a good distance without having to stop for awhile and then we drive, pull up and stop, drive, pull up and stop......you know the drill.

Nothing exciting on the road and that's the problem. I thought we'd have a nice drive along the lake and stop to visit little quaint towns. Only problem is there aren't many roads that go along the lake! We're actually in the mountains and forests and seeing signs to watch for Moose! Seems to be a problem here, but we haven't seen any of them. Some of the mountains actually run into the lakes. I guess I was thinking the shoreline would be similar to that of the coastline of Maine. We were surprised!

We got to Loon's Landing after a wrong turn in Alban, ON. We drove and drove and drove into the next town! We did a U-Turn at an intersection in one town and headed back. We'd passed Lemieux's Fresh Meat and Food so we stopped there for a few groceries and directions. They actually had BUG SUITS on sale.

We were the only people in the store speaking English - the rest were speaking French. Most of the signs and food were in French. While checking out, David asked for directions to Loon's Landing Campground. Suddenly there were six people all speaking French trying to give us directions. It was hysterical. Finally one guy who goes camping a lot spoke English and gave us great directions. It was worth the stop.

The campground was about 10 minutes away and on the French River. Gorgeous place. Since it's still cool here, most places haven't really opened for the summer season or are just getting underway. That was the case here. The mother and daughter who own the place, apologized for all the dandelions. It looked as if she hadn't cut the grass, but you could tell it had been cut if you looked closely. Dandelions were everywhere!

We got set up and started dinner. The daughter and mother came back up to see if we needed anything and they brought a surprise. They have a 1 year old male mini-dachshund named Milo. He and Chrissy barked and growled at each other for a bit and then decided to play. They were both on leashes so it was a bit hectic keeping them separated. We decided to take them off leash for a bit and that's when the fun started.

Chrissy was chasing Milo all over the place. Even though he's also a mini, he's larger than Chrissy. He's longer and has longer, heftier legs. He was no match for Chrissy, though. She chased him and played with him for a good 20 minutes. Then they both got tired and took a nap in the grass under the RV. I laughed so hard at the two of them. My camera was in the truck and didn't get any pictures of them!

The owner reminded us not to leave our trash out on the table as they have a bear in the camp. BEAR? I'm not setting foot outside again! LOL

Early evening with one tv channel. Little reading and off to bed.

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/27 - Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and US

American Courage just entering the lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

We slept in and left Wawa late for us! 11:00 a.m. It's was in the 40's with a wind chill probably in the 30's. It's sunny after raining during the night.

We had about 150 miles to drive to it didn't take long to get to Sault Ste. Marie. It's a nice KOA and they have wi-fi that reaches the camper, so I'm catching up the blog!

We're having trouble with the transmission in the truck. It's shifting rough and won't shift into overdrive, so we're headed to a nearby Wal-Mart for transmission fluid as it's a little low. We decided to head across the border to the US side and check out the locks at the seaport. Wal-Mart will be there when we come back.

We crossed back into the US at 3:23 p.m. and paid our $2.00 toll on the Michigan side of the bridge. A few questions at the border and off we go!

We saw signs directing us to the locks so that's where we went. David had on a Georgia Tech Alumni longsleeve t-shirt. The guard at the park looked at his shirt and said he had a daughter living in the Atlanta area, but couldn't recall where she lived. We noticed a HUGE ship coming through the lock, so we went to the viewing area. The ship was the American Courage. It was 638 feet long and 68 feet wide. We watched as they pulled into the lock and tied off while the doors on the locks were opened and closed. In less than an hour, the ship sailed off into Lake Huron (our 3rd Great Lake on this trip!). It was interesting to watch and best of all, it was free! It was raining a little, but we were underneath an elevated covered walkway.

As we went to walk across the street for postcards (no, I haven't mailed any yet), the guard we saw coming in asked us to wait. He called his wife to find out where their daughter lived. Turns out she's in Tucker, GA, not far from our daughter in Lilburn, GA.

Into the store and my new obsession was prominently displayed - The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Ever since we visited the lighthouse at Split Rock, Gordon Lightfoot's song was stuck in my head. The gift shop at the lighthouse had a book about the wreck, so we got it. Interesting read! It was written by one of the captains who was on the lake that night. We'd been to several of the ports where the "Fitz" had sailed to and from. Now that I've got the song stuck in your head, go to I-Tunes and download it. I did.....and it's still stuck in my head.

The gift shop had cards, books, shirts, etc. with the "Fitz" on it. Fortunately, I only bought the postcard of it. I did buy a sweatshirt that said Sault Ste. Marie. I'm cold! LOL

We bought gas on the US side at $3.519 per gallon and bought 20.127 gallons. We also decided to stop at Wal-Mart on the US side. We purchased a calling card so we could call the mechanic we use to ask about the truck. We figured 300 minutes would be sufficient. We don't have cell phone service on the US side either, so we headed back to do laundry and make phone calls.

We paid our $2.00 toll on the Michigan side heading into Canada and after a few questions at the border, we're back in Canada. Stopped for dinner and then back here in the rain - again!

I was catching the blog up when David popped his head in the door and asked if I'd come help fold the laundry. So I headed out in the rain to help. I gave David the phone number for the mechanic and he tried to call. The 300 minutes was not enough. The call never connected and the card issuer took out 240 minutes to connect the call! Unreal!

We put the laundry up, watched some TV, read, and headed off for bed. Long drive tomorrow to French River, ON.

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/26 - Wawa! No, it's not a do-wap song!

Wawa, ON goose. Notice the Canadian flag - it's windy today!

Explanation of rock man!

Rock man!

Off to Wawa, Ontario. Cool, wet, windy -- the weather continues!

We don't have far to drive today, so we left a little later than usual. Stopped for gas outside Wawa - $110.04! Canadian dollars, but it was $1.19 a litre and we bought 91.75 litres.

We learned before we left Terrace Bay that the Bjorgum's were staying in the same campground tonight as we are. They pulled in a couple of hours after we arrived here.

David and I decided to head out to town to find the 3 geese. It seems that Wawa means "wild geese" in a native tongue. The townspeople have built three LARGE geese and placed them around town. The picture you see is the main one overlooking the lake/river/highway area. One was at a general store and another at a local motel.

We stopped at the general store and discovered what the rock man was. All along the lake are huge rock outcroppings. On top of these rocks are more rocks piled up - some with arches and some just stacked. Inside the general store, they had small versions for sale and had the explanation of what we'd been seeing. They had a larger one built outside the store. Thanks, Bill, for telling us to be on the lookout for them.

Off to the grocery store. I have on my coat because I'm cold. Everyone in the store is wearing shorts and crocs/sandals. I look out of place, but I'm warm! LOL It's always fun to look at the groceries in stores outside our home area, but some of these were in French. We wanted a gallon on milk, but they don't sell gallons! We settled for a 2 litre carton of milk. We did find fresh corn and bought Canadian potatoes.

Back to the campground and we arranged to have dinner with our new camping friends. I fixed fried corn and David grilled pork chops. Nancy provided something to drink, 3 bean salad, melon, and dessert. It was great eating outside - til the bugs arrived. We gave it up after awhile. Thanks Nancy and Arlyn for a great evening. Hope to see you down the road!

Late evening and off to bed!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/25 - Oh Canada! Eh?

It's in the 40's, but the wind chill is down in the 30's. At least the sun is out. We don't know for sure if Minnesota's state flower is the dandelion, but they are everywhere! LOL Brilliant yellow against new green grass. It's early spring here as they trees are just beginning to bloom and some to bud out. Allergies!

Stopped for gas just before the border - $3.299 per gallon and 13.469 gallons. Litre price was $.979. Sounds good until you remember there are 3.8 litres to a gallon!

Crossed into Canada at 12:25 a.m. (Eastern time). Handed over our passports (including Chrissy's paperwork) and then the questions. No problem with any of them - except one. "Do you have any potatoes?" We said yes and the border patrolman asked us to drop them in the dumpster on our way into Canada. Seems you can't take them in! David looked into the dumpster and noted there were a lot more potatoes there!

I'd made a mistake in our routing and forgot to include an extra night going along Lake Superior. Since we couldn't go to Isle Royale, this worked out in finding a place to stay halfway between where we started at Grand Portage and Wawa, Ontario. We found a campground at Terrace Bay, ON. There's another Airstream below us, so David's checking it out. Nancy and Arlyn Bjorgum from Minnesota are one the road in an Airstream very much like ours.

During the trip to the campground, we were (and still are) on Highway 17 following Lake Superior. Part of the route is also called the Terry Fox Courage Highway. Terry was a young man who lost his leg to cancer and decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. During the run, his cancer returned and he was forced to stop the run neaby to the place this memorial is located. For more on Terry's story, go to http://www.terryfoxrun.org/english/home/default.asp?s=1.

There is a train track located near the campground. Heard the train go back when we were setting up, but didn't hear it after that! I was tired and slept well. Sill cold! Wearing my coat most of the time. Quick dinner, TV on 2 channels, and off to bed!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/24 - Grand Portage, MN

David and Jenny by the woodstove at Split Rock Lighthouse

Split Rock Lighthouse

Two Harbors Lighthouse

Lake Superior!

We left the campground at 7:52 a.m. Long day's drive for David. It's raining (again!). Steph reminded me that I had named this trip Water World so it's my fault! Temp is in the '50's. I don't know if I'll ever be warm again!

Gas - $3.269 a gallon and 15.72 gallons. Across the street was the Little Dog Car and Pet Wash. You can wash your car or your dog!

Back on the road and it's really raining! See another sign for a lighthouse, so we head down that road. There is a charge to visit this one and since it's raining, all I want to do is take a picture, but can't do that without paying. Glad we stopped because it turned out great!

We ended up getting a private tour that included sounding the foghorns. They were really loud! Originally designed to carry 5-7 miles out, they only sound 1/10th of their original volume. I asked if they hired deaf people to sound the horn, but they didn't know. They did say it had to be sounded every 20 seconds for hours at a time when it was in use.

The docent inside the lighthouse pulled out the engineering manuals from the early 1900's for David to look at. We climbed to the top (33 steps) and looked around. I noticed there were shades on the glass. When we got back down, I learned the shades were needed in case the lens had to be cleaned during the day. The lens works like a magnifying glass and the lightkeeper pulled the shades to keep the light from focusing on him.

More rain and still more rain! We got to the campground and quickly set up. Didn't disconnect the truck so we could pull out early for our trip to Isle Royale National Park. Only problem is, the weather has been so bad, the ferry won't be running until the weekend. We can't go then, so we decide to head on to Canada on the next day.

Quiet evening and soon ready for bed. One TV channel....

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

At Two Harbors we saw a sign for a lighthouse, so we headed that direction. The lighthouse is now a bed and breakfast!

5/23 - TWISTER! No, not the game....

It's been a hectic day! Somehow we've planned too much to get everything in on one day! It's windy, kind of rainy off and on, and temps in the 50's. Could be worse!



We got our chores out of the way and headed back to the Mall of America. It's about 20 minutes or so from the campground. I know there can't be any deer left for the hunters because they've all been hit by cars and trucks on I-94. They are everywhere! Big ones.....



The airport is next to the MOA and I noticed that a plane had just taken off and another was right behind it and taking off a little quicker than usual. Another was lined up behind it. Thought it was a little odd, but figured it was about to start pouring rain so they moved the time between flights up a bit.



We parked right in front of the door of MOA and got out. IMMEDIATELY I hear a tornado siren! I freaked! David tried telling me it was a parking lot cleaning machine, but I told him I knew what a tornado siren sounded like! Inside we go!



I look around and I apparently am the ONLY one in the place who's freaked! We walk a little further in and the lights begin to flicker. Not much...3 or 4 times, but enough to make me forgot the stores I wanted to visit!

I passed on the Oxygen Bar. I did go to Williams-Sonoma, but almost couldn't go in. They had a sign out front that said "Serving serious Cooks Since 19??". I knew I didn't belong there! LOL Almost bought some Croc jewels, but didn't! Did buy some makeup and hurriedly got out of there when I realized I was at the top level of the Mall. We decided to head back to buy groceries, but took our time heading out. There were a few stores I'd never seen, but overall, would not go back, I think. Most of the stores there we have a home or we've seen on the road. It was nice, but....

We found the grocery store on the way back. It was kind of a cross between Wal-Mart and Publix. Found what we needed and headed back to the campground. Cooked dinner and turned on the TV for the news. Turns out we were on the fringe of the tornado at the Mall. No damage at the campground, but lots of damage where we were. They were showing pictures of softball and golf ball sized hail. So glad we were safe and not involved in that part of it!

Off to bed to get ready for Grand Portage, MN and Isle Royale National Park!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

Leftovers and questions.....

Why don't people pay more attention to what they do in an RV? David noticed a guy sitting in the window of the LARGE motorhome parked next to us in one campground. Thought maybe he was just looking out the kitchen window and enjoying the view. Then they guy gets up and adjusts his clothing....he was in the bathroom!



In Zeeland and Holland, MI, we noticed large, paved half circles alongside the main roads several times. Are they for pushing the snow off the road in the winter?



I'm finding that some people have difficulty in understanding my accent as much as I can't understand theirs!



Why are Wal-Mart stores all laid out different? Why are they different colors?



Why do people at horse farms in Kentucky mow their grass in front of their houses into patterns? We saw plaid grass, ribbon grass, golf course grass!



If you have a big attraction in your town that draws lots of tourists, why don't you put up BIG signs to direct people there?

David took a spill while hooking up the trailer. He was tightening a bolt on the sway bar when the wrench slipped. He landed on his backside and scrapped his hand. Says his wrist hurts a bit, but otherwise he's ok.

Chrissy is a real Jekyll and Hyde! Some people she loves and others she snaps and barks at! It's not just you, Suzanne! LOL

Found out it takes loonies and Canadian quarters to do laundry in Canada. No comments on the loonies, please! LOL

Saw a truck for either a cooking service or grocer: Lettuce Make Thyme.

What do they sweeten the tea with in New York state? It's super sweet and doesn't taste like sugar.....could it be corn syrup?

They really do say "You Betcha" in Minnesota and they really say "eh?" in Canada.

It's easy to tell another Southerner here in the north of the country. Only takes a few words and then we're exchanging family trees!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/22 - Mall of America!

Entrance to Mall of America!

Amusement parks inside the MOA.

Pulled out about 9:30 a.m. It's sunny and in the 60's. Best part - the wind is calm----for now!

Michele, you'll be pleased to know that we passed the sign for Green Bay. Should have taken a picture of it for you!

Missed one turn in the road and ended up going through some beautiful Wisconsin farm land. LOTS of cows!

Reached Minnesota at 11:17 a.m. Good thing, too, that we're not far from the campground. The wind is now blowing consistently at 20+ miles an hour and gusting over 30. Hard to pull the trailer in that kind of wind.

Catching up on email, blog, and stuff before heading out the to the MOA.

The MOA is about 20 minutes from our campground and not hard to reach. We found a parking spot that would accommodate the truck and hitch and headed inside the Mall. We made sure we knew where we came in because this place is huge!

We spent a couple of hours just looking around and finding out how big it is. I think there are 4 or 5 floors to this thing! All kinds of stores, restaurants, things to do. David and I agreed that we wouldn't ride any of the amusement park rides after seeing what some of them do and do to people!

I bought my first pair of Crocs and love them. Patrick, Trey, and Anita....postcards will be in the mail shortly. First ones we've bought since we've been traveling. We decided we'd come back and spend more time tomorrow so we left to work our way back to the campground. Stephanie had given me gift cards for Chili's for Mother's Day. It's WAY to windy to cookout, so we decided to stop at Chili's. It's right down the street from the campground. The wind picked up while we were eating and it started pouring down rain! Glad we were inside.

Got lost going back to the campground (my fault!), but did enjoy seeing the countryside. Got back in time to watch the last half of American Idol. GO JORDIN!

David and Chrissy went to bed after AI, but I decided to watch L/O SUV and CI. Came a STORM while I was watching. The wind is blowing enough to rock the RV, it's raining and now it's hailing! The lightning was wicked! All I could think was that I was in a metal RV with an antenna sticking up in the air. It finally passed and I was glad!

Got some new Tinker Bell pj's so I'm off to bed!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/21 Gilbert O'Sullivan's song - Eau Claire!

Left Burr Ridge at 7:30 a.m. as it's a LONG day. It's in the 40's and sunny. Grabbed some toast and left.

About 9:30 a.m., we stopped at a toll oasis to grab something at McDonald's. We got caught in a truck jam in the parking lot! Trucks were double-parked and everywhere. Finally got out and back on the road.

Paid another toll on I-88. This time it was $5.35! I wanted to register a protest this time, but I didn't!

The next toll was $2.85 on I-90. Not quite so bad.

Rolled into Wisconsin at 10:35 a.m.

Gas again just outside Eau Claire. 25.890 gallons at $3.399 per gallon. Over 350 miles today!

We got to a nice campground in Chippewa Falls. We stayed right off Tony Stewart Street! We also met a very nice couple from Covington, TN. Steve and Elizabeth invited us to sit out with them and we had a great time.

Tried a new recipe for carrots, cooked some fish, and rice. Watched a little TV, but turned in quickly.

Shopping on the schedule tomorrow!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/20 - My Polish Experience

Headed out at 9:19 a.m. - Sunny, windy, and in the 50's. Had the furnace on last night. I neglected to bring sweatshirts. Plenty of shorts, but no sweats! Wore my coat for awhile last night!

Lake effect fog is rolling in! We got to Indiana at 11:01 EDT and got to Illinois at 10:03 CDT! it's really foggy here!

We pulled up to the toll booth on the interstate. It was $1.70. Chrissy barked at the toll attendant who took it all in stride. He told her, "Your protest has been noted."

David sometimes works in Burr Ridge, Illinois outside Chicago and loves to go to a Polish restaurant/grocery there. We're staying in Joliet and Burr Ridge is about 20 minutes away, so we headed out for lunch.

English is not the first language in the restaurant. It's a buffet and really quite elegant. I chose items I recognized and some I didn't. I know this surprises some of you. The dill covered meatballs were good. Not sure what they were stuffed with, but I ate it! The raspberry tea was the best!

We finished eating and went into the store. Most of the signs are in Polish and most of the products are Polish. It was interesting to see what was in the meat counter....I can only guess what some of it was! We stopped at the bakery on the way out and got baklava. They pronounced it ba-cla-va instead of bac-la-va as we do. Either way it was delicious.

Headed back but stopped at one of my favorite places to shop - Camping World! Finally found a dish drainer that fits our sink.

One more stop for fuel - this was the most expensive yet - $3.499 at a Shell station outside Chicago!

Early evening, nothing exciting!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/19 - Holland, Michigan

Lake Michigan at Saugatuck, MI

Giant wooden shoe - Zeeland, MI

Pulled out of Detroit at 10:18 a.m. It was in the 50's and cloudy. Bought 18.598 gallons of gas at $3.299 per gallon.

Finally got to Zeeland, MI (near Holland)! It's a great campground with a small lake in the center of it. Sign in the office read: Visitors bring joy to this office - some when they enter and some when they leave.

One of our neighbors is a asphalt truck racer and pit crew member of another team. He's truck is #33 and he runs in the Midwest League.

Decided to head for Holland. Last week they had their tulip festival. The town was very clean and had a lot of shops, but they were the same shops we have at home. Most of the tulips are gone, but the ones we did see were gorgeous! There was a wedding going on in a small church. Someone was playing with the flower girl just inside the door before the wedding ended. She was so cute!

We had a not so good map of the area that wasn't to scale. We got to the flower gardens and Dutch shoe making shop - just as they closed for the weekend. We decided to head back and get dinner, but saw a Ponderosa Steak House and decided we'd try it. BIG MISTAKE! The waitress even said the place should have closed years ago!

Fuel again - $3.319 and 18.535 gallons. They also sold worms - "18 Canadian nightcrawlers or 30 worms $3.79. Decided not to fish today!

We had our first view of Lake Michigan! We drove to Saugatuck, MI and drove through the town. Lots of artists live there and it was absolutely beautiful! One house was a mill house with a working water wheel. Another had all colors of tulips planted there. One had black tulips in front of the house!

Quiet evening...walked the dog, watched some tv, off to bed!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

Got a picture of a HUGE wooden shoe, but don't have the camera with me right now. Will upload it later.

5/18 - The LONG and LONGER Road! Off to Detroit!

40 degrees when we got up! COLD! It was sunny, though! We pulled out about 10:00 a.m. The directions the young man gave us were perfect.

Just before we got on the Interstate, we stopped for a red light. A red Jeep with the top down was on our left. A blonde young man was driving. He had a spiky kind of hair cut. Sitting next to him was a golden retreiver leaning against him. The dog's fur was spiked the same way! In the back was a black and white dog just hanging out in the back seat. I wish I'd had the camera out.

We finally reached the campground about 5:00 p.m. We're close to downtown Detroit and parked along a beautiful lake. It was worth the drive.

We stopped several time and I KNOW that everytime we stopped, someone kept adding miles to the trip. I didn't think we'd ever get here. We intended to to into Detroit to see one of the Great Lakes and the Henry Ford Museum. Now we've decided to leave for Holland, Michigan in the morning to see the floors. It should be a 3-4 hour drive. Should!

We did stop for fuel - $3.349 per gallon and 23.095 gallons.

First time we've had internet capability since we left, so spending some time catching up on email and family!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/17 - My need for speed! A day at Indy!

Indy cars in the museum.

The car going over the tunnel wrecked later and the driver was seriously injured.

Two Formula One cars at practice.

It's 10:00 a.m. as we head out, sunny, and in the '50's. Furnace feels great! LOL

We met our neighbors as we left. Paul, Candy, and dog Daisy from Vermont. They were heading home after being on the road. It was a pleasure to meet you! Wish we could have traded stories earlier!

Stopped for gas at $3.239 per gallon. 23.15 gallons.

Because of the way were headed, we crossed into Indiana at 10:45 a.m., Ohio at 10:48 a.m., and back into Indiana at 11:04 a.m. We're on Eastern Daylight Time so we're a bit confused! LOL

Plans changed on the campground. We had planned to stay at a campground outside Indianapolis that was about 20 miles from the Speedway. David changed his mind and headed straight for the Speedway.....sort of. We had 2 maps that showed the Speedway in 2 different places! We stayed on the Interstate thinking we'd see a sign. We did......as we passed it by! One small sign was all there was. We turned around and headed to the track. We parked the RV directly across the street from the track in a lot owned by the track. I'm not sure we were supposed to park there, but it's easier to ask for forgiveness.....The lady who sold us our ticket to the track said it was ok. Her dad had sold Airstream RV's 50 years ago, so she approved!

Practice for the upcoming Indy 500 was going on so we couldn't take a track tour, but I wasn't disappointed. Fast, noisy cars were going by and I could go almost anywhere to take pictures! We also visited the museum. They have some really beautiful cars there...especially Tony Stewart's Home Depot car! LOL

We spent most of the afternoon at the track and decided to find another campground. We checked with the volunteers at the museum desk and they recommended the Fairgrounds. It wasn't far away and was easy to get in and out. We had the chance to feed one of the security workers and take him some coffee. He told us an easier way out and easier way to the interstate!

Time for a little TV and off to bed. It's supposed to frost north of us and down in the '40's here in Indy. I've brought cold and rain, now what?

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/16 - Patti and Skyline Chili!

LR: Pattie, Jenny

Wednesday morning after breakfast with Suzanne and Berta. It's raining and in the '60's. David drove 204 miles yesterday.

On to Ft. Mitchell/Walton, KY!

Not a long drive today, so we took our time. Got to the campground and had a nice creekside location. Just praying we don't have more rain than the creek can hold! Yesterday it was in the '90's and rained and now the temperature has dropped to COLD! High today in the '60's! Heat pump works!

Another member of the All My Children (AMC) Group, Pattie, arrived about 6:00 ish and picked us up to go to dinner. We'd met Pattie in New York a couple of years ago, too. She brought a geat surprise! Frozen Skyline Chili. If you haven't had it before, it's great! It's cinnamon flavored chili and great with cheese! Thanks Pattie!

We went to an Italian restaurant in Florence and the food was great. All too soon it was time to to head back to the campground. Pattie came in to visit before leaving and charmed the Right Revered Chrissy Ellison otherwise known as our mini-dachshund who's main duty is doorbell and security. She had barked, growled, and snapped at Suzanne and Berta, but fell in love with Pattie! She and Chrissy play rope throw for the longest while we watched American Idol results show. We came to a dead stop when Melinda was eliminated. Both of us screamed NO! We couldn't believe Blake was going to the finals! Bummer!

After being so disappointed, Pattie headed home. Pray for Pattie as she's facing surgery for breast cancer soon.

Off to bed and get reading for Indianapolis!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

5/15 - And we're off! A day late!

L to R: Jenny, Suzanne, Berta

It's Tuesday morning - 7:45 CDT and we're finally headed out. It's sunny and in the 60's and we're excited to go. David filled the truck up last night at Sam's Club for $2.83 per gallon. I didn't ask how many gallons.

Starting mileage for the trip is 59,388 miles.

After a few stops along the way, we got to Tennessee about 11:00 a.m.

David is pointing out the dead "possums on the halfshell" (armadillas) along the road. Last count was somewhere around 20.

Steph called to check on us and tell us a Patrick story. Patrick is two and has a wonderful sense of humor (just like his Mimi!). He saw a green and yellow caterpillar on the sidewalk. We now refer to them as "caterpickles." That's what it looked like to him.

The ride has been a bit "squirmy" and I've come close to screaming a couple of times. We were in the middle lane of the interstate and an 18 wheeler passed us on either side at the same time. The RV went to "wiggling" and I bit my lip. We stopped and put more air in the truck tires. A little better, but still squirmy. We hadn't adjusted the hitch since we loaded the RV, so we stopped again and adjusted the hardware. Seems to help, but I still have a few moments where I could become a Screaming Mimi!

David looked at me one time and asked if I remembered watching "The Long, Long Trailer." I remembered it, but didn't realize he was paying attention when we watched it. He reminded me I might have to play Lucy and throw rocks out the door! I laughed so hard!

Stopped in Nashville for fuel - $2.859 at Sam's Club. 16.879 gallons. Getting a little better than 12 miles per gallon pulling a fully loaded trailer!

Crossed into Kentucky about 3:30 p.m. The campground in Bowling Green is at Beech Bend Campground. It's part of an amusement park that hasn't opened for the season yet so it's quiet here. Or it was until the STORM came through.

David was tired and went to bed early so I decided to see what was on TV. I noticed it was lightning in the distance so I watched it for about an hour til it got really close, then I went to bed. It rained hard all night. Glad it rained as it's dry here like it is at home.

Many of you know I'm in an email group with a number of people across the country. We were all All My Children fans to begin with and started emailing. Since then we've moved on to other topics and people come and go from the group, but many of us have been members since the early '90's. One of the ladies, Suzanne, lives nearby so we decided to meet up for breakfast at Bob Evans. She also brought her friend Berta who we'd met in New York a couple of years ago. It was good to see both of them again.

The storm was bad where Suzanne lives. So bad that one of her neighbors had a horse struck by lightning in the open field. The other horses she owned were running loose.

After a great breakfast it was time to head out for our next destination! Ft. Mitchel, KY!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

More government help!

When last you were here, David was on his way back from Tennessee. He made it back in record time and we headed to the courthouse. Guess who we got as our clerk? You guessed it....the same woman that Doug got when he called the courthouse. She was pleasant enough, but it takes some time to process a title, tag, and inspection. We finally get to the inspection part and head out to the parking lot with her.

"Are you sure this thing doesn't have a motor?", she asked. "No, it's a travel trailer." "You SURE there's no motor? How many miles does it have?" "Yes, we're sure it doesn't have a motor and there's no mileage." WE PASSED INSPECTION!

David and I went to Johnny Ray's BBQ for dinner with the trailer so we didn't have to clean more dishes at home. A little more packing to do and we'll be ready to go. Thanks to our neighbors, Paul, Tina, and Bill for their help. Thanks to Bill and Lola for suggestions at Niagara Falls (they just returned from there!).

We are planning to pull out about 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning headed for Bowling Green, KY. Cyber-friend Suzanne is meeting us there for breakfast on Wednesday. Looking forward to seeing her and her friend Berta again!

See you down the road!

Jenny :)

We're off....oh, wait a minute....we're not!

David left early this morning to get the title and tag for the Airstream. Headed out to the courthouse and it wasn't long before he returned....with no tag! Turns out he was missing one piece of paper and they wouldn't accept a faxed copy from the dealer.

We called the dealer in Tennessee and Doug (great salesman!) called the courthouse here. He spoke with a woman who was lacking in customer service skills. David's on his way back to Tennessee to pickup the paperwork. Someone from the dealership is going to meet him so he won't have to drive the entire 4 hours up and 4 hours back. We'll try leaving again in the morning! More time to pack more "stuff!"

See ya down the road (I hope!);

Jenny :)

It followed me home...can I keep it?

Saturday was a LONG day! The Airstream has been found! It was pulled into the lot at Middle Tennessee Airstream on Friday. YEA!

We left the house about 6:00 a.m. to get to Tennesee at 10:00 a.m. Stopped for breakfast and fuel and no problems!

Doug Hall met us at the dealership and went over the RV with us. He was a great salesman and we appreciated his patience with us! This decision to buy one was years in the making! It is beautiful! It's 31' and gorgeous!

We had planned to leave about noon and head home to load it, but we had a few minor glitches. The decal on the side was missing a letter so I have a one-of-a-kind AMERICAN IDOL version! It reads AI STREAM! I'm so special! (It'll get fixed when we get back!).

Kevin, the guy who showed us how to work everything on the trailer was great! He normally doesn't work on Saturday, but we appreciate his hard work and coming in to get our RV ready.

We headed home about 2:30 p.m. On the way home is a mountain to go down. It's a 6% grade for several miles. There are runaway truck lanes and places for trucks to stop and check their brakes - steep hill! We're about half way down the hill when David tells me there's a silver vehicle right on his bumper. I keep looking in the wide mirrors and I can't see it. He says it's right behind us and I still can't see it. Suddenly I realize his talking about the Airstream. I said I must not have had enough blonde highlights put in my hair on Saturday.

We arrived back home about 7:30 p.m., parked the RV in our neighbors yard, and called it a night. Tomorrow we have to pack all the stuff in it that came out of the other one! Not looking forward to that!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)

Oh Where? O Where Has Our Airstream Gone?

This year's trip is starting off a bit on the strange side! I haven't made a single reservation...I haven't figured the route completely.....I don't have an RV yet!

We ordered a 2008 Airstream and it left the factory in Ohio yesterday or the day before (not sure which) and hasn't shown up at the dealer in Tennessee yet! We're supposed to leave on Monday, May 14. We still have to get a tag, but first we have to get the RV!

The one we took last year is up for sale - $13,500 or best offer! Call David at 205-335-7322 if you want to see it or get a copy of the flier. MOTIVATED SELLERS! LOL

I may have the rest of the trip figured out this weekend and finalized, but here's the plan:

Tour ALL the Great Lakes and Canada and see Niagara Falls from both sides of the border. We've gotten some great ideas on what to see and do, but welcome more! Feel free to leave a comment.

We're starting out in KY and visiting friends there. On to Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, MALL OF AMERICA (!), Isle Royale National Park, and then on the Canada. We'll follow the lake for about a week and spend a couple of days at Niagara Falls on the Canadian side and then the US side. From there it's Buffalo and the Anchor Bar (home of Buffalo Wings!). Then on to the history tour - Gettysburg, Appomatox, Shenadoah Valley, and Mt. Airy, NC (home of Andy Griffith!). David has a 2 day job in NC, so we'll spend a few days in the mountains before heading to Lake Norman and home of NASCAR in Mooresville, NC. From there it on to Stone Mountain, GA and grandsons and then to Callaway Gardens for a few days before heading home.

Looking forward to this, but have a lot to do to get ready to leave on Monday!

See ya down the road!

Jenny :)