Ohio to Home

Sept. 10,  Left the terra-port from Airstream around 10 am, headed north on route 75, got off toward Bowling Green, heading to visit some friends that we got to know from an Airstream Caravan.  The man has had lung cancer, lung taken out, and then it came back a few years later in his brain, has beaten that also.  We had seen them on our way to Alaska, we had met them at their house and then went out for dinner.  We had arrived at their house around noon, got set-up before his wife came home from the hospital, she volunteers twice a week there.  We then just sat around and got caught up with everything before we had to leave, he had a stroke the end of June and still going through therapy, we went along, sat in waiting room for about 45 min, and the went out to dinner at Bob Evans in Bowling Green.  Came back from dinner and sat and talked again until about 8 pm, they had to get up early in the morning and go to Toledo, he had another appointment at 9 am.

Sept. 11,  We had pulled out from their house at 8:30 am, drove to Bowling Green, got fuel and then drove on route 6, stopped again at P&S trailer service, just stopped to say hello, we had work done from them on our trailer earlier on our way to Alaska.  We had decided to stop in central Pa at Parker Dam state park, got there around 3 pm, filled our water tank, and then decided just to head home, we got home around 6:30 pm.  The trip was great, didn’t have much trouble, we really enjoyed ourselves, but don’t plan on going back.  Ken had driven almost 15,000 miles.  Glad to be home again.

Indiana to Ohio

Sept. 8,  Left the campground around 9 am, took route 120 to route 9 toward LaGrange and then route 20 into Ohio and then route 15 to route 127 south, had driven about 2 hours before coming to route 274.  We had arrived at Jackson Center, Ohio, this is where they build the Airstreams, parked in there terra-port for two nights, it is pretty full, mostly people that are getting work done on there trailers.  I had done laundry, which hasn’t been done for a few weeks, all clean and squeaky now, this will last us until we get home, hopefully by next weekend.  We had decided to go to Subway for dinner, came back and relaxed the rest of the night.

Sept. 9,  Filled the trailer with water this morning, and just sat around for a while before walking over the Airstream store, Ken had picked up a few items and I signed us up for a tour through the plant this afternoon.  The tour started at 2 pm which took about 1 1/2 hours and then over to where they make the Interstate motorhome and the Atlas the new motorhome that they are making now.  They really don’t make a number of one size at a time, they make different models, which ever order they have waiting to make, they are 2000 units behind that need to be built.  We then came back, I made dinner, pork loin on the grill, and then we drove to the new plant that they are building.  The new plant is 335,000 square feet and they expect to move in during the holidays, if everything goes well until then.  Went then to Family Dollar to pick up a few items before we leave tomorrow.

Shipshewana, Indiana

Sept 6,  Left the campground around 9 am, drove about 20 miles before stopping for fuel.  Stayed on interstate 80 and then 90 joined us and then it turned into the turnpike.  Got off at  exit 107 and headed toward Michigan, there is an Bontrager’s Surplus retail store that sells everything, so we decided to check it out, bought a few items, after being there for about 3 hours.  Pulled into Twin Mills Camping Resort in Howe, Indiana for 2 nights, we had stayed at a different campground on the way through before, but they aren’t listed as Passport America anymore, this one is, but only Sunday through Thursday, and of course it’s Friday, so no discount.  Got parked and just sat around the rest of the evening.

Sept. 7,  Got up a little late this morning, ate and out the door again.  We had driven into Howe to a CVS pharmacy to get some drugs filled, waited for 20 minutes and off we went again.  We had headed south of Howe to Lehman’s Variety Store, drove on some dirt roads, weren’t too bad or too rough.  When we got there, two horses with buggies and a van where parked outside, walked inside saw about 20 different chime clocks, Amish men’s hats and women’s bonnets, clothes for the Amish, pressure cookers, ice cream makers, all sorts of things that Amish people would use and of course shoes.  We then went into Shipshewana to E&S Sales, this is a bulk food store, they had everything from produce to frozen food, mild cheeses and all kinds of box foods, we had bought a few items.  We then walked across the parking lot to Ben’s Soft Pretzels, a long line had formed and we waited, just bought two pretzels and sweet mustard for dipping, good but not as good as Annie Ann’s.  We then went to Yoder’s Shipshewana Hardware, this place has everything that you would ever need, I really enjoyed walking through the store and seeing everything they had to sell, didn’t buy anything this time.  Then off to Middlebury, stopped at Dutch Country Market, they also had bulk items, bought a few more items, the guy also told us about the Quilt Gardens, which he had one outside, it’s gardens that are laid out like quilts, very pretty,  and then out the door and up the road stopped at Heritage Ridge Creamery, where they sell different kind of cheeses, butter, bologna, didn’t buy anything there.  We then went to B&L Woodcrafts, where they make gliders, Adirondack chairs, tables, rocking chairs, stools, everything made out of eco-friendly poly.  We then went back to Shipshewana, drove and went to a car wash and then up to Michigan, which is just a few miles north, to get some fuel, which is cheaper than in Indiana.  Returned back to camp, talked to our neighbor guy, made dinner and then just rested until dark before going inside for the evening.

Nebraska to Illinois

Sept. 4,  Pulled out of WalMart at 9 am, drove 10 miles and got off Interstate 80 and got fuel.  Had driven 203 miles and got off at Cracker Barrel at Exit 440 and met some friends that we had made in 2006.  Had a great catch-up time talking about everything in our lives, we haven’t seen them since 2015, we do keep in touch through facebook and e-mail, we had a great lunch and a great time.  We then traveled some more and found another WalMart to stop for the night in Des Moines, Iowa at 6 pm.  The temperature is 80 degrees at 7 pm.

Sept 5,  We left WalMart at 9 am, still traveling Interstate 80, crossed into Illinois, drove about halfway through and stopped at Illini State Park for the night. Before stopping at the state park, we had stopped about 8 miles before our exit and went in to see J.C. Whitney retail store, when we got there they had closed the store, you can only order on line now.  We have stayed here before a couple of times, someone told us about it, really nice state park.  We had parked along the water, saw a few boat going by, hoping for a barge but one never did, that we saw.  Met two other couples from Illinois, stood and talked for a while.  Ken had got the bugs off the trailer and truck while I had made steak and corn on the cob on the grill.  

Wyoming to Nebraska

Sept. 2,  When we got up this morning the temp was in the low 40’s, after being in the 90’s all day yesterday.  Got up and was going to stay another day but no one was in the office to pay, I had walked up twice and still no one.  Had walked over to the laundromat at the campground, was going to do some laundry but I didn’t have enough change and to get change you must go to the office.  We then decided to leave, filled the trailer with water and pulled out about 11:15.  Drove until about 4:30, stopped at WalMart in Laramie, Wyoming for the night, there was other trailers there also, walked into WalMart ate at Subway and then did some shopping for some other items than food.  It is 91 degrees now at 7 pm and the humidity was 5%.

Sept. 3,  Temperature this morning was 56 degrees and humidity was at 20%.  Pulled out of WalMart at 8 am, fueled up and then got on our way east on Interstate 80, saw some great rock formations along the road and the land was grassland and dry looking.  The farther east we got the greener the fields and along side the road was.  Ken had driven 7 1/2 hours and we also had a time change, we lost an hour.  Pulled into another WalMart for the night in the town of Lexington, Nebraska, went inside and ate at Subway, bought a few items and back out to the trailer.  This WalMart is known as a truck stop, they actually have a spot for a lot of truckers and still run out of space, we have a few parked around us.  The temperature didn’t get as hot as yesterday, only into the low 80’s and right now at 8:30 it is 78 degrees.

Evanston, Wyoming

Sept. 1,  Left camp and headed east on Interstate 84, finished Idaho and then into Utah, drove until we could get on Interstate 80 east, had one little detour because of road construction, they where working on a bridge, headed west a little on 80 and then back onto east 80.  Stopped in the town of Evanston, Wyoming for the night at Phillips RV park, the park has been owned by the family for 80+ years, 4th generation now, they had a fuel station, torn it down and put in cabins for a while and then made it an RV park with 56 full hook-up spaces.  Went to WalMart got some groceries, came back and ate dinner, and then decided to go to the rodeo down the street from where we are staying.  We got there about 6:30, it had started at 6 pm, and lasted until 8:20 pm.

August 31,  Woke up to the temperature of 49 degrees this morning, got ready and pulled out of the campground at 8 am.  The scenery was great again with hills and flat areas with farming everywhere.  We had seen onions, potatoes and hemp growing, the farmers where also baling hay and straw.  We had entered into Idaho around noon, getting onto Interstate 84, continued until we got to Twin Falls, stopped at a KOA for the night, pricey but nice.  After setting up another trailer, fifth wheel was coming to park next to us and hit another fifth wheel, with a Big Bang, the trailer that hit the other didn’t have much damage but the other one was pretty banged up in the front.  Made dinner, ate and sat and relaxed the rest of the evening.  The temp for the day was 93 degrees and now at 10 pm is 75 degrees.

Dryville, Oregon

August 30,  We had left Redmond at 9 am, drove a few hours before driving through the town of Mitchell, really small town, but they were getting ready for the Labor Day, putting things up in the park, tents, bandstand and decorations.  We had driven through John Day Fossil Bed area, really neat hills and curved roadway.  We had stopped to take some pictures of a rock formation along side of the road and then one of a mountain range to our east.  Stopped again in the town of Dryville, another small town, had a mercantile and a cafe, we decided to eat lunch in the cafe, had fish and chips and oysters and chips and cole slaw, food was very good.  We had drove a while longer and Ken got tired so we decided to stop for the night at a National Forest Campground, Dixie, only $8 per night, but with our senior pass it was only $4 for the night, there was only one other person staying here when we arrived, and I think it only has about 12 sites.

Oregon travels

August 29,  Talked to the host again this morning before pulling out, he showed us a pine tree that had another tree next to it that the two combined at one of the branches high in the air, never saw that before.  Also saw a stellar jay, black squirrel and chipmunk.  Drove to the town of Florence and took highway 126 east, through Eugene and toward the town of Sisters, the scenery was beautiful, going up and down the mountains, Ken made a statement that this reminds him of driving through Yellowstone, staying on route 126 we had stopped in the town of Redmond for the night at Expo Center RV Park.  The campground is really nice with concrete pads for your rig and your vehicle, it’s in the open, no trees, could get hot.  It’s been raining off and on, just nonsense kind of rain.

Oregon Coast

August 28,  Drove along the coast, took some pictures, it got foggy so we decided to stop for the night at Oregon Sand Dunes area at a National Forest campground.  It’s a small campground with only 31 sites, mostly small enough for tents and small trailers or motor homes.  The host was not on duty, but when he came back, he came over and talked for awhile, nice guy from Texas, has been coming here for 4 years and hosting, he really likes the area.  The area isn’t hot and it seems like a rain forest with all the moss growing on the huge trees, we got the only one of two big sites in the campground.  Two sites down from us there is a walk up a sand dune, which is very high.  We had decided that we drove south enough and will start east tomorrow, since we are a little south of Florence, we would drive back to town and then head east.  Was a great campground, would go back again if ever out this way again.

BC to Washington State, USA

August 23,  Pulled out of camp and headed south on Canadian Highway 1, stopped at Hell’s Gate and took some pictures.  We had decided that we have gone down on the tram once before and refused to pay the $28 per person to ride down, and then they expect you to spend money for food or gifts while down at the water.  We had left and headed for the border, took us 3 hours to finally get through, don’t know what the hold up was, but finally made it, had stopped in the town of Sumas, south of the border for fuel.  Had driven to Bellington, stopped at WalMart, went inside ate dinner at McDonalds, shopped for some groceries, they didn’t have   Refrigerators for dairy products, so we didn’t get milk or cheese or produce items.  We had asked about someplace to stay and was told to go to the Casino, got there and plenty of trailers parked for the night.

August 24,  Left the casino and got onto Highway 5 toward Seattle, lots of traffic, finally got through it and arrived at Lacy, Washington at a Airstream Park for a few days.  Drove about 125 miles today.  Decided to wash the trailer, pulled trailer to back of park where you can wash cars and trailers, it really needed a wash, we washed it twice before but never with a brush and hand wash to get all the dirt off from Alaska.  Get trailer set back up on our spot, made some dinner and relaxed the rest of the evening.

August 25,  Went and did laundry this morning, went to Costco, had some lunch at Costco, got back to trailer, but stuff away and left again to find a WalMart.  It was about 5 miles away, had to buy some meats for our next venture to the coast of Washington state, and then went and got fuel for our travel tomorrow.  We plan to travel along the coast of Washington and then Oregon before heading east.

August 26,  Pulled out, went and dumped the trailer, and then headed west on Route 5 and then got on route 8, route 12 and then Route 105 to Route 101.  We had stopped in Long  Beach for the night at Driftwood RV Park, drove north to see what was there, nothing but houses, turned around and went back to camp.  Sat and watched TV, since we had cable, we haven’t had TV for a long time.

August 27,  Pulled out of camp this morning about 9:30, after talking to our neighbor about his bikes.  We had traveled south on Route 101, across into Oregon at Astoria, nice long bridge we had to travel over.  Stayed on Route 101 until we got to the town of Tillamook, we had pulled into a place to buy jerky, Tillamook County Smoker, different flavors, and then continued to the place where they make the Tillamook cheese and ice cream.  We tour a self guided tour and saw how they make and package the cheese, after the tour we got into the line for a cheese taste, really good cheese.  We then continued downstairs to the retail store and to the ice cream stand.  Their ice cream is really rich and good, made with whole milk, the place was packed with people everywhere and the cafeteria was very loud with noise, people talking, chairs going in and out.  Got back out to the trailer, left drove a while and stopped for the night in Lincoln City, Oregon at Logan Road RV Park, with a casino across the street.  Ate dinner, sat outside and relaxed.  The temperature today was 99 degrees and dropping 20 degrees in the valley or along the shoreline.  It is now 8 pm and it is 75 degrees and breezy outside from the ocean

Gold Pan Provincial Park, BC

August 22,  Woke up this morning to 61degree temperature, quite a few trains going during the night, but still slept ok.  Went for a drive to the town behind us, Spence’s Bridge, it seems like an Indian reservation, nothing there, drove a little ways out of town on route 8 and saw some hoodoo’s pretty neat. While in town we did see a passenger train go through, wish we where at camp to see it, looked pretty full of people.  Did see a water fall across the road from the town, pretty high, went back to camp, made lunch and just sat around for the day, and watched the trains going by. Temperature at 9:50 pm is 76 degrees, had a great day just relaxing, ready for another driving day tomorrow, should be in Washington state in the afternoon.