The waterway going out to Lake Michigan
Monday, June 18, 2007
Chicago & the move to Michigan
June 18 … Mon – Drove about 45 mile to the new park (about 10 miles north of Kalamazoo, MI. It’s another ACI park but a much better one! We get satellite and the park has wifi in the clubhouse. The phone signal is hit or miss but all in all not a bad park. We will stay here until Sat.
June 17 … Sun – Happy Father’s Day! We drove about 20 miles to a beach on Lake Michigan in the town of St. Joseph. The beach was very nice – deep fine sand, beautiful water, many boats and lots of people! We walked the jetty along the waterway. There were two lighthouses on the jetty and a couple of draw bridges along the waterway. Had a very nice afternoon. The temp was around 90 and high humidity (felt like we were in Houston)!
June 16 … Sat – Move day!! We said our goodbyes to Bob and Cheryl and got on the road at 8:30a.m. Our first stop was at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant on I-80 in Joliet so we could leave the motorhome, disconnect and drive about 20 miles to the Costco store. We had to do this to pick up Dixie’s eyeglasses she ordered last week. When we got back to the Cracker Barrel it was lunch time so we ate at one of our favorite restaurants. After lunch it was on to a Flying J travel plaza near Benton Harbor for fuel and propane. It was a small and very crowded Flying J and they were out of propane. So … we got back on the road heading East on I-94. There was another Flying J travel plaza near Benton Harbor so we proceeded there in hopes of getting propane. When we arrived, they had propane and filled the tank quickly and efficiently. After about 20 minutes we were on our way to our next rv park adventure here in Michigan. We arrived at the ACI Travel Inn right at office closing time so after a bit of anxiety, a lady came out and told us where to go to find a site. We are to “check-in” tomorrow morning with the office. The park is a disappointment however; the interior roads are dirt and it’s a very wooded area therefore the satellite signal is not to be had, nor the internet. Luckily, we have several programs recorded and the local channels come in pretty well. We were going to stay here ten days but we decided to leave on Monday.
June 15 … Fri – Mike washed the motorhome. We got together this evening with Bob and Cheryl for the last time for this year. We both leave the park tomorrow; they stay in the Chicago area for the summer and we head to Michigan.
June 14 … Thu – We drove the 70 miles into Chicago after a stop at Midway airport to purchase our MT passes. Bob and Cheryl (Bob grew up in Chicago) went along with us. We walked through Millennium Park, completed in 2004, as well as a lot of the city. We had lunch at a popular pizza place called Bella Bacino’s. It was excellent Chicago style deep-dish pizza. Downtown Chicago has to be one of the most beautiful cities in America with its awesome buildings along the bank of the mighty Lake Michigan. It was an unforgettable experience.
June 13 … Wed – Walked around the park and some trails.
June 12 … Tue – Went to the Laundromat in town this morning and to the swimming pool in the afternoon. Fixed dinner with Bob and Cheryl & planned our trip to Chicago.
June 11 … Mon – Drove to Ottawa, a nearby town and hit some practice balls at a golf course. Then went to Walmart.
June 17 … Sun – Happy Father’s Day! We drove about 20 miles to a beach on Lake Michigan in the town of St. Joseph. The beach was very nice – deep fine sand, beautiful water, many boats and lots of people! We walked the jetty along the waterway. There were two lighthouses on the jetty and a couple of draw bridges along the waterway. Had a very nice afternoon. The temp was around 90 and high humidity (felt like we were in Houston)!
June 16 … Sat – Move day!! We said our goodbyes to Bob and Cheryl and got on the road at 8:30a.m. Our first stop was at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant on I-80 in Joliet so we could leave the motorhome, disconnect and drive about 20 miles to the Costco store. We had to do this to pick up Dixie’s eyeglasses she ordered last week. When we got back to the Cracker Barrel it was lunch time so we ate at one of our favorite restaurants. After lunch it was on to a Flying J travel plaza near Benton Harbor for fuel and propane. It was a small and very crowded Flying J and they were out of propane. So … we got back on the road heading East on I-94. There was another Flying J travel plaza near Benton Harbor so we proceeded there in hopes of getting propane. When we arrived, they had propane and filled the tank quickly and efficiently. After about 20 minutes we were on our way to our next rv park adventure here in Michigan. We arrived at the ACI Travel Inn right at office closing time so after a bit of anxiety, a lady came out and told us where to go to find a site. We are to “check-in” tomorrow morning with the office. The park is a disappointment however; the interior roads are dirt and it’s a very wooded area therefore the satellite signal is not to be had, nor the internet. Luckily, we have several programs recorded and the local channels come in pretty well. We were going to stay here ten days but we decided to leave on Monday.
June 15 … Fri – Mike washed the motorhome. We got together this evening with Bob and Cheryl for the last time for this year. We both leave the park tomorrow; they stay in the Chicago area for the summer and we head to Michigan.
June 14 … Thu – We drove the 70 miles into Chicago after a stop at Midway airport to purchase our MT passes. Bob and Cheryl (Bob grew up in Chicago) went along with us. We walked through Millennium Park, completed in 2004, as well as a lot of the city. We had lunch at a popular pizza place called Bella Bacino’s. It was excellent Chicago style deep-dish pizza. Downtown Chicago has to be one of the most beautiful cities in America with its awesome buildings along the bank of the mighty Lake Michigan. It was an unforgettable experience.
June 13 … Wed – Walked around the park and some trails.
June 12 … Tue – Went to the Laundromat in town this morning and to the swimming pool in the afternoon. Fixed dinner with Bob and Cheryl & planned our trip to Chicago.
June 11 … Mon – Drove to Ottawa, a nearby town and hit some practice balls at a golf course. Then went to Walmart.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Mareilles, IL
June 10 … Sun – Just hung around the motorhome. The Cicada's (locust type bugs) are really thick here as we are surrounded by trees. They only come out every 17 years and this is the year for the northern IL area. They are so loud during the day that it's hard to sit outside. Dixie put earplugs in today while sitting outside. It's really hard to describe them. They jump on you and attach to your clothes. They are about the size of a grasshopper and bounce around like them too. The sound they make is very high pitched.
June 9 … Sat – Today is a warm and sunny day so we invited our rv friends Bob and Cheryl to join us in our visit of the Starved Rock State Park about 15 miles away. We walked some of the trails where one of them took us to a small waterfall. We estimated we walked about 5 miles throughout the park. Back home at the rv park, we cooked steaks and ate outside. Later that evening, we joined them at Tom and Kathys’ where their college aged grandkids and friends built a huge bonfire.
June 8 … Fri – Our rv friends, Bob and Cheryl, invited us to go with them to visit their long-time friends Tom and Kathy who own a park model here in the park. After a visit, we all went to the Snug Harbor restaurant on the banks of the Illinois River.
June 7 … Thurs – Today we drove about 60 miles into Chicago (actually suburban Naperville) so that we could shop at a Costco store. Dixie ordered new glasses and after some thought, Mike did as well. The optical prices at Costco are excellent, especially after shopping at some other well-known stores. We also made a stop at a local Trader Joe’s store where we did some grocery shopping and purchased more of their famous “two buck chuck” wine. Dixie also had her wedding ring inspected at a Whitehall Jewelry store in a very nice shopping mall. This RV park is nothing special as the interior roads are unpaved and chocked full of pot holes.
June 6… Wed – We left from White Oak RV park and drove first to Gardner RV in Lafayette where they replaced a part in our refrigerator. We then drove about 180 miles to the Glenwood RV park in Marseilles, IL where we met up with our friends Bob and Cheryl Hathaway. We spent the evening with them catching up on our travels since it had been a year since we had last seen them while in California. Tomorrow we plan to drive into the Chicago area. Wish us luck!
June 5 … Tue – The highlight of the day was playing a round of golf at a local par 3 course. We had a good time. Each of us almost pared a hole. Had a first today – we each lost a golf ball in a corn field….
June 4… Mon – We spent most of the day around the park; Dixie did aerobics and Mike went to the gym. We also drove into Lafayette and returned the bike Mike had purchased on Saturday. It had a problem with loose handle bars, a reflector and the kick stand. Walmart customer service told us to pick out another bike, which we did.
June 9 … Sat – Today is a warm and sunny day so we invited our rv friends Bob and Cheryl to join us in our visit of the Starved Rock State Park about 15 miles away. We walked some of the trails where one of them took us to a small waterfall. We estimated we walked about 5 miles throughout the park. Back home at the rv park, we cooked steaks and ate outside. Later that evening, we joined them at Tom and Kathys’ where their college aged grandkids and friends built a huge bonfire.
June 8 … Fri – Our rv friends, Bob and Cheryl, invited us to go with them to visit their long-time friends Tom and Kathy who own a park model here in the park. After a visit, we all went to the Snug Harbor restaurant on the banks of the Illinois River.
June 7 … Thurs – Today we drove about 60 miles into Chicago (actually suburban Naperville) so that we could shop at a Costco store. Dixie ordered new glasses and after some thought, Mike did as well. The optical prices at Costco are excellent, especially after shopping at some other well-known stores. We also made a stop at a local Trader Joe’s store where we did some grocery shopping and purchased more of their famous “two buck chuck” wine. Dixie also had her wedding ring inspected at a Whitehall Jewelry store in a very nice shopping mall. This RV park is nothing special as the interior roads are unpaved and chocked full of pot holes.
June 6… Wed – We left from White Oak RV park and drove first to Gardner RV in Lafayette where they replaced a part in our refrigerator. We then drove about 180 miles to the Glenwood RV park in Marseilles, IL where we met up with our friends Bob and Cheryl Hathaway. We spent the evening with them catching up on our travels since it had been a year since we had last seen them while in California. Tomorrow we plan to drive into the Chicago area. Wish us luck!
June 5 … Tue – The highlight of the day was playing a round of golf at a local par 3 course. We had a good time. Each of us almost pared a hole. Had a first today – we each lost a golf ball in a corn field….
June 4… Mon – We spent most of the day around the park; Dixie did aerobics and Mike went to the gym. We also drove into Lafayette and returned the bike Mike had purchased on Saturday. It had a problem with loose handle bars, a reflector and the kick stand. Walmart customer service told us to pick out another bike, which we did.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
More from Indiana
Jun 3 … Sun – Happy Birthday to Micheala (daughter) and Danny (brother)! It rained off and on most of the day. It was a laundry & Grocery day. Went to the driving range and hit some balls. Just another day at park! Talked to Brandon today as he leaves tomorrow for another tour in Iraq! Keep him in your prayers.
Jun 2 … Sat – Drove to Lafayette to exchange Mike’s bike (a few problems with the assembly). Picked up Dixie’s contacts and made a couple of other stops! Went to a campfire get together in the evening.
Jun 1 … Fri – Mike went jogging while Dixie went to the exercise class & the water aerobics. That’s all folks.
May 31 … Thurs – We took a drive into Lafayette today to look for a replacement bike for Mike. We found one at Walmart and without too much trouble was able to get it in the Tracker. Mike also bought a bike carrier that will fit over the spare tire and carry our bikes. We have now replaced both of them with much lighter aluminum frame bikes.
May 30 … Wed – Not much doing today so we took a long walk and then simply did stuff around the campsite.
May 29 … Tue – This morning we drove a short distance to a golf driving range located at a 9 hole par three course. We worked on our game … and boy does our game need work! Later, we went to the park pool for a dip and some sun. We got both.
May 28 … Mon – Memorial Day!! Today we offer a big THANK YOU to all men and women in uniform both past and present. We attended a small memorial ceremony here at the park where about 40 people circled the Old Glory flag pole. Several of us took the opportunity to give thanks to family and friends who are currently serving in the military or who served in the past. We paused for a moment of silence and prayer.
This afternoon, we drove a short distance to the Indiana Beach area. This is an adventure park on the lake with several rides, arcades and restaurants. Although there were quite a few people in the park, it wasn’t overly crowded for a holiday that traditionally starts summer. That evening, we joined about 10 people for a lively campfire “chat”.
Jun 2 … Sat – Drove to Lafayette to exchange Mike’s bike (a few problems with the assembly). Picked up Dixie’s contacts and made a couple of other stops! Went to a campfire get together in the evening.
Jun 1 … Fri – Mike went jogging while Dixie went to the exercise class & the water aerobics. That’s all folks.
May 31 … Thurs – We took a drive into Lafayette today to look for a replacement bike for Mike. We found one at Walmart and without too much trouble was able to get it in the Tracker. Mike also bought a bike carrier that will fit over the spare tire and carry our bikes. We have now replaced both of them with much lighter aluminum frame bikes.
May 30 … Wed – Not much doing today so we took a long walk and then simply did stuff around the campsite.
May 29 … Tue – This morning we drove a short distance to a golf driving range located at a 9 hole par three course. We worked on our game … and boy does our game need work! Later, we went to the park pool for a dip and some sun. We got both.
May 28 … Mon – Memorial Day!! Today we offer a big THANK YOU to all men and women in uniform both past and present. We attended a small memorial ceremony here at the park where about 40 people circled the Old Glory flag pole. Several of us took the opportunity to give thanks to family and friends who are currently serving in the military or who served in the past. We paused for a moment of silence and prayer.
This afternoon, we drove a short distance to the Indiana Beach area. This is an adventure park on the lake with several rides, arcades and restaurants. Although there were quite a few people in the park, it wasn’t overly crowded for a holiday that traditionally starts summer. That evening, we joined about 10 people for a lively campfire “chat”.
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