Moved Down to Columbus, Ohio

We extended our stay while in the Cleveland Area, family business prompted us to stay longer.  The campground we were in was so very quiet and peaceful, out in the country.  No drinking, no partying, just folks living in their RV for the summer.  We are glad we had a quiet place to come to at the end of the day to decompress.  Unfortunately we did not get to see many people, we had a priority of immediate family illness  to attend to and to be her rah-rah cheerleaders to get better.  And she did, thank goodness.

This morning we traveled down Interstate 71 from the Akron/Lodi area to west of Columbus to a small community called Galloway.  Short hop - 120 miles, very smooth roads (thank you Ohio!).  The ride was uneventful but for poor Buddy.  We did give him his medicine but I think with us not traveling for 3 weeks, he lost his cool.  Lots of howling, foaming at the mouth, vomiting, until I was able to coax him into his closet and then he quieted down.  Poor guy.  Then when we set up, Pache got sick.  2 sickies, not good.  They will sleep good tonight.

We begin the wedding preparations starting tomorrow with helping the bride's parents pack up the stuff for the reception which is in their basement.  Friday we will meet at the venue and unload 2 car loads of things.  The good thing is that we will get to see where this place is before the wedding day and can plan how long it will take for us to get there.  It's at a converted barn and we were told that dress code was high-end hootenanny!  Okay.

Saturday, Sunday (wedding and reception) and Monday are all wedding activities, so it will be nice to see folks.  I will not be posting during this time - will be too busy with things.  We plan to be here for 2 weeks, then head down to Cumberland Gap area of Kentucky.

O H I O

We decided to get to Ohio earlier than today, there are many people to see, places to see, things to do and time is of the essence, only being in our 'old' stamping grounds for 20 days before moving to Columbus, Ohio for a family wedding/reunion.  Tuesday when I went to take the car out, could not get it started and that changed the whole complex of the day (day before travel).  We got it jump started and then drove to a nearby Chrysler dealer who was so slammed with work, could only look at the battery and if necessary, put in a new one.  Dead battery.  The car was working weird for a month or so, sometimes we could not get it started at the first push of the key, and then when hooking it up to the RV for towing and going through the setup to get it ready, it would make a really weird noises.

I69 a lonely road - only 10 miles from a large city, Amazing.

As soon as we got on Indiana roads - horrible chuckholes!!! 

That's nice

Bottom line, we got a new battery installed but there is more of a problem - the car is only 18 months old and the battery should not have died.  So, we went out and got a battery jump starter to have on hand in case this happens before we get to Tucson for the winter.  Needless to say, not a good feeling about the car.  Unsure of what is going on, we have talked to RV dealers who do wiring for harnesses to cars and they say it is something to do with the car, not the RV.  We will see.

Ahhhhh

Did you know that the word OHIO is a Seneca (Native American) word for 'good river' or 'great river'?  Also, the Japanese have an informal greeting to say hello - Ohayou - which is pronounced just like the State's name, but this is an informal greeting, such that in English by saying 'morning' to a friend instead of 'good morning'.  Regardless native Ohioans know THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY's song that says - O  H  I   O and you have to learn the arm movements to show each letter.  Welcome back.

Nice roads 

Great to see CLEVELAND on signs again

The Maumee River which flows into Lake Erie, this is by Toledo

The Chrysler plant that I used to sell steel to 'in the good ole days'

Wednesday morning we hooked up the car to the RV and traveled the 224 miles to the campground we are sitting at in Medina, Ohio.  We were at this campground 9 years ago and it is a lovely quiet, very out-in-the-country place. A little bit further to get to some things but we are near to major stores and services if need.  And we are at major roads to get to Cleveland or back to our old home in Vermilion.

These Ford Chassis are assembled in Avon, Ohio - not far from where we had lived

Muddy Sandusky River

The ride was very uneventful, dropping down Interstate 69 for 45 miles until we got on the Indiana Turnpike heading east on I80/I90.  Passed quickly into Ohio and was thankful that Ohio paid more attention to its roads, was so much smoother, not the horrible bouncing we experienced from Lansing, Michigan down and then into Ohio on I80/I90.

Vermilion!!!!! 

Passed through some lovely little towns, one of them Oberlin which is known as the first college in the United States to accept any woman or man regardless of race, color, or religion.  The college today is known for its outstanding music department and its literary department.  Cute town.

And our exit - now to head south about 30 miles

Then on down into Wellington, the architectural appeal of it's buildings is amazing.  The campground is called Pier Lon, in Medina, the home of candle maker A I Root.  Has been in business since 1847.  We are near the Amish community so we have to be careful when driving the country roads if we see horse and buggy.

Turkeys

We have moved to a small town just east of Battle Creek, and about 45 miles from the Indiana Turnpike which we will take east into Ohio when we move on the 9th.  But a couple of thoughts before we leave Indian River, Michigan.

First, we drove to Lake Huron which was about a 35 minute drive east to a state park called PH Hoeft.  He gave land to the state to preserve some of the sand dunes that line the coast.  There was a hiking trail we thought we would take, and spent a couple of hours in the area.  All the time we were there and I was looking out towards Lake Huron I kept thinking of my childhood summers spent at a rented cabin right on the Lake, my parents rented a cabin for a couple of weeks located about 80 miles south of the beach I stood on.  Great memories!

Folks just sitting watching the world go by

Reminds me of my childhood in Tawas City, Michigan when Dad rented a cabin

Another day we decided to see if we could find the 1400 plus elk herd that is roaming the area south of the campground.  Protected within the Pigeon River Country State Park, they are monitored and there is a lottery of over 25,000 people who apply to hunt the elk every September and only 300 permits are given out.  The map we were given to show where to view the elk was not very good - our first indication that we may not see them.  Very beautiful, raw area and no - we did not see any.  There were other cars also out looking but not sure if they saw any either.

A group of wild turkeys crowded out the road

Very pretty

Yesterday we packed up and left the campground, we could only imagine what the weekends are like there.  Very family orientated, and very smoky due to all the camp fires.  Smelly.

Lonely road dropping down I 75 

In Lansing, drove by the HUGE General Motors plant - reminded me of
days processing steel orders for Ford and GM

The ride to Marshall, the town we are in, was pretty boring.  All Interstate (I 75 then to I 69) but once we got on I69 in Lansing - oh my goodness.  The road was awful.  Sometimes we felt we were riding a horse - bumpity, bumpity, bump.  We worried about Buddy but he came through good, no accidents. We got terrible headaches from the road, but glad it ended fine.

The campground, called Camp Turkeyville, is another family, bumper to bumper, place.  Lots of fires last night and we will have to put the a/c on just to keep the smell out.  It's packed.  Camp Turkeyville has a musical programs every day, a matinee and then evening show, and many people come to have dinner (turkey) and then see the show.  We are not interested in that, so we will just watch the people doing weekend things here.  Lots and lots of children, have to be careful when you drive in and out.