Indiana and home

Phew - almost home. Should be home by 2pm tomorrow. We drove from above Madison Wisconsin to just east of Elkhart - Middlebury, Indiana today. Long, long drive - took us about 6 1/2 hours. We opted to drive around the outer most interstate of Chicago, and added at least an hour on our drive. As it was - there was so much traffic the route we traveled, I can't imagine what we would have faced had we gone directly into Chicago (Interstate 90) and through. With this big rig, we are glad we took the extra time.

We are staying in a KOA (Kampground of America) and with all the points we earned from our big trip to Maine and Canada last September, we got this site for $18. Cheapest of all the sites we did on this route. We will have put 2400 miles on the truck, about 2000 on the RV, went through 5 states, saw 4 national parks, saw 4 of the 5 Great Lakes on this trip, got some new friends (Sam and Bambi) and found our summer retreat - Sunset Bay Campground - in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Did not break anything on the RV this time - the 2 things were already broken before we left - but still have to get it back to the dealer this week.

In one year of traveling with this RV, we have been to 17 states, 12 national parks, hiked so many trails, had our feet in the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Superior, seen all 5 Great Lakes, been to Canada with the rig, had some hairy experiences with things breaking, spent anywhere from $15 (Kentucky) to $58 (Bar Harbor) a night at a site, seen 9 waterfalls, met some STRANGE people and also some very warm compassionate people. Learned just what our limitations are and what the cats' breaking point of traveling is. It has been a blast - and we look forward to many more years of doing this. Our dream.

We will be in Vermilion for the month of July, probably won't head out for some time - I think I'll probably have to have surgery again on my foot - we'll see. In any case - long term - we will be leaving right after Thanksgiving in November and head to Texas for the winter, then be back home again sometime in April. I CAN'T WAIT! Will talk to you again when we head out 'on the road again'.