Saturday, August 19, 2017

Lessons Learned During Our First Four Days on the Road

This is my first opportunity to access wifi.  We're currently at the Wisconsin Dells--a beautiful, but overly commercialized area along the Wisconsin River.

It's been quite a few years since Doug and I did much camping, so traveling with our Sylvansport Go has been an experience.  We now have our set-up time down to about a 1/2 hour.  Take-down and pack-up is longer, especially if you're doing it in the rain!  These two photos were taken in Ohio and Illinois before the rain started.




Here are a few things we've learned as we've travelled through Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin:

  1. Every state runs its state park system differently.  
  2. Don’t count on showers or running water—or even drinkable water!  
  3. Don’t count on flush toilets.  
  4. Find out if the campground is close to a highway with all-night traffic noise and/or a railroad with freight trains coming through at all hours!
  5. There's nothing quite as dismal as camping in the rain and having to pack up when everything is wet and soggy.
  6. There's nothing quite as lovely as waking up to a clear, crisp morning and listening to the birdsong while cooking breakfast!
  7. Raccoons and skunks prowl campsites throughout the night no matter how well you hide your food, and thin screen does not offer much of a barrier.  Fortunately, we've seen and heard nothing larger, thus far.  (Bears could be in our future.)
  8. The hooting of owls is a great sound to put you to sleep.
One of the most interesting sights so far has been the "forest" of wind turbines in Indiana. Hundreds of them, scattered across farmlands!  They seemed strangely sinister—these 3-pronged, one-eyed white monsters, all facing the same direction.  The farms appeared to be growing corn, soybeans, and wind.




Signing off until the next time...

10 comments:

  1. May you have sunny days ahead! Enjoy!

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  2. What a memorable experience this trip will be for you. I am very jealous. I have many memories of camping in the rain. Notice I didn't use the adjective "fond." :)

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    1. Thanks, Bonnie! We haven't had any more rain these last few days. Will post again tomorrow...

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  3. I've been thinking about you and the weather! I'm glad you had a few good things on your list. A tip for the future: Use Google maps satellite or street view to see the surrounding areas of the campgrounds. We use it for hotels and B&B's even to see if they're too close to an Interstate.

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    1. Thanks, Cathy! Yes, that's a good suggestion, although we don't always have a choice.

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  4. I hope the bears stay away! It's so nice to hear how you're doing, Edie. I'm sorry the dells aren't as bucolic as hoped, and that rain happens. But I can't wait to hear about it all when you get back! Stay safe and loose. 💛

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    1. Thanks, Sheryl! I hope to post again tomorrow. We're in Rapid City, SD now.

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  5. Thanks, Edie, for bringing readers along on your journey. I'm having a good time already.

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