Summer Travel Map

Friday, July 30, 2010

Roughing it

July 30, 2010
Pere Marquette State Park, Grafton, IL

Today, we moved to our "home" for the next week, Pere Marquette State Park. We are right along the Illinois River, and within several miles of the confluence of the Illinois, Missouri, and Mississippi Rivers. This is part of the "Great River Road" that travels from the Gulf of Mexico to the headwaters of the Mississippi at Lake Itasca in Minnesota. I have this notion about driving the whole road on one of our summer trips, but that won't be this year, as we're heading west in a week.

The park is nice and sites are spacious. 30 of the 80 sites are open for reservation in advance and the remainder are "first come, first served". All have electric service and there is a sprinkling of 50 amp sites so we're all powered up. The park is in an old grove of elm trees, so we have no satellite shot for internet, and cell service is pretty spotty, so we're definitely suffering from telecommunications withdrawal, but we'll definitely survive.

This afternoon, after we set up inside, I put out the chairs, grill/stove, outside rugs and dog pen. We hope to be able to spend some time outside while we're here (heat, humidity, and insects willing). Geri did the prep work, and I pulled together a nice pot of Veal Ragu (using our Lamb Ragu recipe, but with ground veal we got at the West Side Market in Cleveland). That'll be for tomorrow's dinner; always better the next day.

Michael and Susan came over this afternoon after work and will stay with us for two nights. Tomorrow will be a busy day, as Mike's playing "tour guide", so we'll all turn in early...

1 comment:

Linda and Andy Clarkson said...

Following the "Great River Road" is a cool trip - you will like it I am sure. We made the trip with Adventure Caravans in 2005 right after Katrina hit, so we did not get to see it below Vicksburg MS - unfortunately probably not worth seeing now either. Take care - Safe travels.....