August 10, 2010
Lewis and Clark State Park, Onawa, Iowa
Everywhere we go, we're warned to not feed the wildlife. Believe me, we get it. Unfortunately, the local wildlife here in western Iowa didn't get the memo. So, what have we been feeding? Deer? Maybe the odd raccoon or rabbit? Nay, nay, nay! We've been feeding the mosquitoes, black flies and some of the worst no-see-ums we've ever, well, "encountered". It's been hot, humid, and buggy, but we still enjoyed our stay here. Tomorrow, we move on...
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Back in the "soup"
August 9, 2010
Lewis and Clark State Park, Onawa, IA
Not edible, mind you, just heat and humidity. We had some pretty intense thunderstorms last night, and park workers were out this morning picking up downed branches and debris. Today dawned cloudy and the stickiness hit me as soon as I walked out the door with the pups for their morning walk.
I cut up and seasoned a rack of Baby Backs this morning and got them in the crock pot with a good bottle of Cooperstown Beer, so the coach smells pretty nice this afternoon. With the weather outlook (unfortunately) being consistent for the next few days, we'll likely chill out and not try to do too much while we're here.
I did get out for a walk today, exploring the park itself. This park is located on Blue Lake, which is a cut-off oxbow bend from the Missouri River. So named because the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent time here exactly 206 years ago (August 9-10, 1804), they even have a replica keelboat on the grounds. They are also building a new Visitor's Center that should be quite a nice place to showcase all their Lewis and Clark memorabilia; looks like that might be open for next summer's season. They have a big festival here every June.
Lewis and Clark State Park, Onawa, IA
Not edible, mind you, just heat and humidity. We had some pretty intense thunderstorms last night, and park workers were out this morning picking up downed branches and debris. Today dawned cloudy and the stickiness hit me as soon as I walked out the door with the pups for their morning walk.
I cut up and seasoned a rack of Baby Backs this morning and got them in the crock pot with a good bottle of Cooperstown Beer, so the coach smells pretty nice this afternoon. With the weather outlook (unfortunately) being consistent for the next few days, we'll likely chill out and not try to do too much while we're here.
I did get out for a walk today, exploring the park itself. This park is located on Blue Lake, which is a cut-off oxbow bend from the Missouri River. So named because the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent time here exactly 206 years ago (August 9-10, 1804), they even have a replica keelboat on the grounds. They are also building a new Visitor's Center that should be quite a nice place to showcase all their Lewis and Clark memorabilia; looks like that might be open for next summer's season. They have a big festival here every June.
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| This 55' keelboat replica will be the centerpiece of the park's collection of Lewis and Clark "stuff". |
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| The Visitor's Center building is under construction, with the exterior almost done and the interior work planned for the winter. |
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Across Iowa in one day
August 8, 2010
Onawa, Iowa
Yesterday, we stayed true to our plan: finish up laundry and do some travel planning. We did make a quick trip to the local Wally World (always entertaining), but it was hot and humid enough to keep us inside for the most part. There's not a lot to do or see here (the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion isn't until Labor Day and the meat packing plant, Wal-Mart Distribution Center and prison don't offer tours).
Today was a travel day. I'd originally intended to set up a series of boondocking spots between here and the Badlands National Park, just east of Rapid City in South Dakota. Then I did some checking on the weather. With highs forecast for the 90s all along our route, I didn't feel like running the generator 24/7 for 4 days just to keep comfortable. So, a little research led us to Lewis and Clark State Park in Onawa, Iowa, for a couple of days. I was able to reserve Tuesday/Wednesday online, and we decided to take a chance and see if we could get in tonight as well. Low risk: the place is almost empty. 108 sites, most with 20/30/50 amp electric service and a couple of dozen with full hookups. We're in one of the latter, a 90' paved pull-thru with one of the few satellite-friendly locations, all for $19/night. Hard to beat that!
Dinner tonight was a simple sauté of hot dogs and potatoes. One pan, easy cleanup, and a nice match for one of the "value" Shiraz that we picked up back in New Hampshire.
Onawa, Iowa
Yesterday, we stayed true to our plan: finish up laundry and do some travel planning. We did make a quick trip to the local Wally World (always entertaining), but it was hot and humid enough to keep us inside for the most part. There's not a lot to do or see here (the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion isn't until Labor Day and the meat packing plant, Wal-Mart Distribution Center and prison don't offer tours).
Dinner tonight was a simple sauté of hot dogs and potatoes. One pan, easy cleanup, and a nice match for one of the "value" Shiraz that we picked up back in New Hampshire.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Travel Day: Illinois to Missouri to Iowa
August 6, 2010
Mount Pleasant, Iowa
We finished up our travel preparations last night and were up early on another sunny but hot and humid morning. After a quick stop at the dump station (OK, a little longer than usual but we were here for almost a week), we were on the road again. We followed the route we used the other day in reverse, heading north on IL-100 then IL-96, crossing the Illinois River in Hardin, and soon coming to I-72. We did a little zig-zag, taking I-72 west for a few miles and then I-172 north to Quincy where we crossed the Mississippi. Picking up US-61, we continued north until Wayland, MO, where we switched to MO-27 and had a chance to fuel up. MO-27 joined up with US-218 and we were soon at our destination, Crossroads RV Park in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. I suspect that the name is derived from its location at the junction of US-218 north/south and US-34 east/west.
All along US-61 and US-218 through Missouri and Iowa, we noticed specialized road signs designating the "Avenue of the Saints". Sporting a fleur-de-lis emblem, usually associated with New Orleans, we were curious enough to dig deeper. Turns out a Big Easy link couldn't be further from the truth: it's a designated "high priority corridor" linking St. Paul in Minnesota with St. Louis in Missouri. We never even realized there was such a thing as the "Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991", although we did know that "intermodal" transportation involves routes combining truck and rail methods (those long trains with semi-trailers on them). In any event, it was a nice smooth road with minimal construction.
The Crossroads RV Park is small (34 sites) and new (4 years old) and just what we needed: 50 amps, full hookups, satellite-friendly skies, and a laundry room right in the office building. Geri got the majority of the laundry done this afternoon and we'll have a chance to finish up and do some travel planning tomorrow.
Mount Pleasant, Iowa
We finished up our travel preparations last night and were up early on another sunny but hot and humid morning. After a quick stop at the dump station (OK, a little longer than usual but we were here for almost a week), we were on the road again. We followed the route we used the other day in reverse, heading north on IL-100 then IL-96, crossing the Illinois River in Hardin, and soon coming to I-72. We did a little zig-zag, taking I-72 west for a few miles and then I-172 north to Quincy where we crossed the Mississippi. Picking up US-61, we continued north until Wayland, MO, where we switched to MO-27 and had a chance to fuel up. MO-27 joined up with US-218 and we were soon at our destination, Crossroads RV Park in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. I suspect that the name is derived from its location at the junction of US-218 north/south and US-34 east/west.
All along US-61 and US-218 through Missouri and Iowa, we noticed specialized road signs designating the "Avenue of the Saints". Sporting a fleur-de-lis emblem, usually associated with New Orleans, we were curious enough to dig deeper. Turns out a Big Easy link couldn't be further from the truth: it's a designated "high priority corridor" linking St. Paul in Minnesota with St. Louis in Missouri. We never even realized there was such a thing as the "Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991", although we did know that "intermodal" transportation involves routes combining truck and rail methods (those long trains with semi-trailers on them). In any event, it was a nice smooth road with minimal construction.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wrapping up the Illinois stop
August 5, 2010
Pere Marquette State Park, Grafton, IL
Yesterday was a day of chores and reflection. Geri made dog food, and I filled up the fresh water tank, running three hoses across several sites (empty sites during the week, although the reservations are almost full already for next weekend) to get to a water spigot. Before putting everything away, I changed the sediment filter on the water softener.
After all that work, we cleaned up and spent most of the rest of the day relaxing. We did start getting some "tank odor" inside, so I tracked that down to the trap by the washer/dryer and did a little sealing there (we're not using it since we're partially "dry camping", but a dry trap will cause issues). We have concluded that we can survive without water and sewer hookups for a week if we have to, but we really suffer when we don't have an Internet connection. When I booked this park, I did check it out on Google Earth and it looked fairly open. That means that the images were old, or from fall/winter/spring, or both. Since we also have the ability to turn on 'Net access via our phones when needed, I didn't worry too much about access. If I'd known that we'd have no satellite access and no phone service to speak of, I'd have shortened our stay considerably.
We did have a nice surprise in the afternoon, as Michael and Susan drove over after work and brought two humongous NY Strip Steaks for dinner. Geri whipped up Fried Potatoes and Haricots Verts, and we ate well, as usual.
We started getting some clouds late in the evening and I heard some thunder during the night, but today is sunny (so far). The Weather Channel (yes, we have TV from the dome on the front of the coach - thank goodness!) shows strong storms to our east and south, so it looks like we dodged a weather bullet. It seems a little cooler (make that less hot), but I'm not thinking that will last. We'll do some of our departure preparation today and be ready to head out in the morning.
We decided to make a quick trip to Edwardsville to the grocery, so I was able to snag a Wi-Fi connection for posting and email, but unfortunately, I decided not to bring Geri's mouse. We've now realized that we (I) disabled her trackpad because she doesn't like it, but there's no way to activate it without having her external mouse connected. Arrgh! At least we should have satellite and/or Park Wi-Fi tomorrow!
Pere Marquette State Park, Grafton, IL
Yesterday was a day of chores and reflection. Geri made dog food, and I filled up the fresh water tank, running three hoses across several sites (empty sites during the week, although the reservations are almost full already for next weekend) to get to a water spigot. Before putting everything away, I changed the sediment filter on the water softener.
After all that work, we cleaned up and spent most of the rest of the day relaxing. We did start getting some "tank odor" inside, so I tracked that down to the trap by the washer/dryer and did a little sealing there (we're not using it since we're partially "dry camping", but a dry trap will cause issues). We have concluded that we can survive without water and sewer hookups for a week if we have to, but we really suffer when we don't have an Internet connection. When I booked this park, I did check it out on Google Earth and it looked fairly open. That means that the images were old, or from fall/winter/spring, or both. Since we also have the ability to turn on 'Net access via our phones when needed, I didn't worry too much about access. If I'd known that we'd have no satellite access and no phone service to speak of, I'd have shortened our stay considerably.
We did have a nice surprise in the afternoon, as Michael and Susan drove over after work and brought two humongous NY Strip Steaks for dinner. Geri whipped up Fried Potatoes and Haricots Verts, and we ate well, as usual.
We started getting some clouds late in the evening and I heard some thunder during the night, but today is sunny (so far). The Weather Channel (yes, we have TV from the dome on the front of the coach - thank goodness!) shows strong storms to our east and south, so it looks like we dodged a weather bullet. It seems a little cooler (make that less hot), but I'm not thinking that will last. We'll do some of our departure preparation today and be ready to head out in the morning.
We decided to make a quick trip to Edwardsville to the grocery, so I was able to snag a Wi-Fi connection for posting and email, but unfortunately, I decided not to bring Geri's mouse. We've now realized that we (I) disabled her trackpad because she doesn't like it, but there's no way to activate it without having her external mouse connected. Arrgh! At least we should have satellite and/or Park Wi-Fi tomorrow!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Beating the heat?
August 3, 2010
Missouri/Illinois - Great River Road
It's hot. Darn hot. And, as "they" say, "it's not the heat; it's the humidity". Gotta stay with the air conditioning, but we can still take a ride. A quick check of the maps led us to a loop along the "Great River Road, up via Missouri and back in Illinois.
We headed out mid-morning, bring the pups along since they like to get out, too. A quick stop near Alton to take a picture of the "Piasa" rock carving (originally reported in 1673 by explorers Marquette and Joliet and "lost" for years, it "magically" reappeared in 1836), and over the Brussels and Winfield Ferries, and we were in Missouri. After a quick fuel stop (30 cents per gallon cheaper in Missouri), we were headed north on MO-79. Now, you might expect that the "Great River Road" would actually be near the river, eh? Well, not so much, other than in a couple of small towns. Basically, we were back in the corn and soybeans we'd seen ever since Ohio. We decided to start back once we hit Hannibal; it's a nice little town with lots of Mark Twain-oriented stuff, but at 99°F it was too hot to get out of the car!
We crossed the Mississippi on I-72 and were soon heading south on IL-96. I was glad to be able to check out this route, since our plan calls for us to head out this way on Friday. Once again, we didn't see much of the rivers until we joined up with IL-100 and crossed the Illinois River in Hardin. We were soon back at Pere Marquette State Park.
Before heading to the coach, we decided to take the "scenic drive" here in the park, which heads up on the bluffs with several overlooks facing west and south. Like a lot of public facilities, the park system is suffering from a lack of funding, which yields a lack of maintenance, so the road and overlooks are a bit run down and over-grown.
Missouri/Illinois - Great River Road
It's hot. Darn hot. And, as "they" say, "it's not the heat; it's the humidity". Gotta stay with the air conditioning, but we can still take a ride. A quick check of the maps led us to a loop along the "Great River Road, up via Missouri and back in Illinois.
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| Crossing the Illinois River at Brussels Ferry |
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| View south along the Mississippi from just below Hannibal, MO |
We crossed the Mississippi on I-72 and were soon heading south on IL-96. I was glad to be able to check out this route, since our plan calls for us to head out this way on Friday. Once again, we didn't see much of the rivers until we joined up with IL-100 and crossed the Illinois River in Hardin. We were soon back at Pere Marquette State Park.
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| View west of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers from Pere Marquette State Park |
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| I climbed to "Flagpole Lookout" and was confused by the name... |
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| ...until I realized that the flagpole had been removed... |
Monday, August 2, 2010
In search of dog grooming and free Wi-Fi
August 2, 2010
Edwardsville, IL
Yesterday, we took a ride to Edwardsville, about an hour away from "home". We'd driven through here on the way back from St. Louis on Saturday, and knew that there would be an opportunity to check out a dog groomer and grab some 'net time. We made an appointment for today to have the pups groomed at the local PetsMart (expensive but at least generally consistent around the country) as they haven't had a trim since we were in Alabama. We spied a Starbucks and I was able to download a few days worth of email.
Today, we were up early (well, early for us anyway) and on the road to drop off the pups for 10:00. They'll be at least three hours at the "beauty parlor", so we took the opportunity to have breakfast at Denny's and are now "camped out" at Borders. Geri's shopping and I'm blogging, so we're both happy. At least I'm up to date for now, and won't have to do much online (I can compose blog updates offline and have pictures ready to upload) for the rest of the week.
Plans for the rest of the week aren't locked in yet. I'm thinking I'd like to go back to the Confluence Tower on a sunny day, and we'll probably make a day trip up the Great River Road toward Hannibal, MO. It's supposed to be hot for the next couple of days (92° today, 99° tomorrow, 97° Wednesday, 92° Thursday - ouch!) with typical humidity, so we'll be looking to spend some time indoors no matter what.
Well, that's it for now...
Edwardsville, IL
Yesterday, we took a ride to Edwardsville, about an hour away from "home". We'd driven through here on the way back from St. Louis on Saturday, and knew that there would be an opportunity to check out a dog groomer and grab some 'net time. We made an appointment for today to have the pups groomed at the local PetsMart (expensive but at least generally consistent around the country) as they haven't had a trim since we were in Alabama. We spied a Starbucks and I was able to download a few days worth of email.
Today, we were up early (well, early for us anyway) and on the road to drop off the pups for 10:00. They'll be at least three hours at the "beauty parlor", so we took the opportunity to have breakfast at Denny's and are now "camped out" at Borders. Geri's shopping and I'm blogging, so we're both happy. At least I'm up to date for now, and won't have to do much online (I can compose blog updates offline and have pictures ready to upload) for the rest of the week.
Plans for the rest of the week aren't locked in yet. I'm thinking I'd like to go back to the Confluence Tower on a sunny day, and we'll probably make a day trip up the Great River Road toward Hannibal, MO. It's supposed to be hot for the next couple of days (92° today, 99° tomorrow, 97° Wednesday, 92° Thursday - ouch!) with typical humidity, so we'll be looking to spend some time indoors no matter what.
Well, that's it for now...
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