Day 13 - USA Tour - Marengo, IL

Overnight: Marengo, IL (NW of Chicago)
Lehman's Lakeside RV Resort

Gas Price: $3.98 -- Wenona, IL
Avg. MPG: 8.4
Sightseeing Miles Driven in Springfield area: 74
Starting Mileage: 1009
Miles Driven: 239

We were up with the chirping bird again this morning. It was time to move on so it was empty holding tanks and pack everything away before heading out.

But, before I go on with today's adventure, let me share last night's adventure. We were relaxing by the TV when we were told to head for shelter. A couple of tornadoes were spotted in the area (not touching down, though). So, being out of our element, we grabbed our wallets, a book to read, a flashlight, and coats and we headed to the storm shelter in the RV park. We were the first to arrive, of course. But, shortly the others started wandering in.

One of the men walked up to us and said, "You're the folks from Atlanta, aren't you?"
We said, "Yes."
Then he said, "I was the ranger that took you around Lincoln's Home today."
Small world. He was staying for 6 weeks at the same RV park while he does his service at the Lincoln Home National Park.

I think there were about 20 people, 6 dogs, and 2 cats in the shelter. Many of us began to talk and it was nice to get to know some folks. Of course, Dave began to talk genealogy and it turned out that one of the women was French-Canadian as well and told us about a book that Dave should use to find out about his early ancestors.

In about an hour, we all headed back to our RVs as the storm had passed. No sooner had we gotten back when it turns out there was another more severe storm approaching. So, back we go to the shelter.

This time we had the hail. Mostly the hail stones were the size of pee-wee marbles. Then, we had a few golf-ball sized hail stones. That was not good. It turns out that a tornado did touch down about 5 miles south of us. I couldn't find out anything this morning about damage, so it must have just hit farmland--a good thing.

While we were all waiting for the storm to pass, a couple started talking about the Lincoln Museum and Home. I told the story about us and another couple being besieged by 56 middle-schoolers while watching the video at the Lincoln Home. The man I was talking with said, "We were the other couple that was in the theater with you." Again, all I can say is "small world." And, to make it even smaller, they live in Lawrenceville very close to Scientific-Atlanta.

We left the shelter in about 90 minutes when we were given the "all clear." But, it was still raining quite hard. We waded through water up to our ankles, but we were glad we ventured back to the RV when we did as it really started raining much harder and continued for the next few hours.

OK. Back to today. We left about 9:30 AM. The terrain today started out flat again, but about half-way to our destination, it began to change to gentle rolling hills. There were few towns and they were very small. We passed a lot of farms and silos. Huge silos.

I made sandwiches in the morning (yes, Dave was surprised). We stopped in Utica, IL, at the Starved Rock State Park for lunch. It's supposed to be where Indians were driven into the hills by the white man and there the Indians starved to death because of a lack of food and water. The rocks were supposed to be beautiful, but we were just too tired for a hike to the visitor's center or a boat ride. So, we just enjoyed the park by the Illinois River, ate our lunch, and then moved on.

We arrived about 3:15 PM at the campground. It's the longest drive we've done so far. But, the roads were good and mostly flat and straight. So, it wasn't as tiring as other drives. (Of course, what do I know; I just sit on the passenger's side and direct Dave and crochet.)

I'll take a picture of our campsite tomorrow and post it with this entry. When we arrived and while Dave was setting us up, I vacuumed the carpet and washed the floor. Dave almost had a coronary when he saw my activity. But, he recoverd. Now we are all clean for a few days. I made mac and cheese and polish sausage for dinner.

Not sure what we'll do tomorrow. We may take it easy and do our laundry and just see what's around the area. I don't think we want to venture into downtown Chicago with all those "tourists"! So, goodnight. And, stay tuned.

Day 12 - USA Tour - Springfield, IL

Overnight: Springfield, IL
Sightseeing Today:
- Illinois State Capitol Building

Gas Price: $4.01 -- Springfield, IL

Well, we awoke to the birds "yelling" at us again this morning. They start in before dawn and so at 5:30 AM, I'm about ready to load the rifle. Not sure what's more annoying: birds continually singing or a train whistle that lasts only a few seconds.

Anyway, we did manage to go back to sleep and finally got out of the RV at 8:45 AM to head off for downtown. We wanted to see both the old and the new capitol buildings before the rains and storms came in this afternoon.

When we went outside, we were in for quite a surprise when we saw our car. Both the driver's door and the door behind it were wide open. The glove compartment contents and console contents were strewn in the front seat. The contents in the rear of the car were all topsy-turvey, and Dave's precious genealogy case was outside the car. A few things were under the car. Yes, our car was broken into during the night. We tried not to touch anything because we weren't sure if anything of value was taken; it was like being in CSI--don't contaminate the crime scene.

We called the police and we called the campground office and left a message for them because they hadn't opened yet. We waited about 40 minutes for the police to arrive. By that time, we had pretty much scoped out that nothing was really missing. We even had a bit of change in the ashtray that was still there. We thought they might be looking for money or drugs. It's a good thing I had taken my stash of $100 dollars out of the glove compartment a few days after we started our trip and put it elsewhere.

The perpetrators could have done a lot of damage and destroyed things. They could have taken Dave's tools, my handicapped scooter, the air compressor, and other items were of value. But, nonthing (as far as we can tell) is missing. The police said that when cars are rifled through like that and nothing is taken, they are usually looking for guns.

I was a bit disappointed in the management of the campground because there was no real concern from what I could tell. I say this because they didn't send someone to our site to check on us after listening to the voice mail message I left for them. And, when I mentioned it to one of the official workers who was walking around in the campground, he just shrugged his shoulders.

After the police left, I went to the office to pay for another night and relayed the event to the manager. The only thing I heard her say was that this had never happened before. I thought she might offer to compensate us for the inconvenience--remember, we had to pay $5 for arriving early--but no offer was made. I suggested (twice) that she watch their surveillance video, as the police suggested they do, but that seemed to fall on deaf ears. I think that it was not turned on as they state that it is, because she had a blank stare on her face.

There happened to be another women in the office who was checking out and she overheard me telling the manager what had happened. The woman said she was woken up by her daughter last night at around 3:30 AM and heard a car driving around. She thought it might be security. When she looked out, she saw people going through our car. But, she thought it was us. She wondered what we were doing out there at 3:30 AM. I mentioned again to the manager that she should check the the security camera, but again, the suggestion was ignored.

Nevertheless, we are grateful that nothing was taken or vandalized and that when the police ran a check on our car tags, we had no outstanding warrants! HA HA.

Needless to say, this put us behind schedule for our sojourn this morning. We did manage to get to the state capitol building, which is extraordinarily beautiful. The attached pictures do not do it justice.



We were able to sit in on a debate in the House of Representatives. They were voting on a bill that would allow absentee voters who were hospitalized to receive a ballot up to 14 days in advance instead of the 5 days currently allowed. Dave and I were surprised at how much talking by the representatives was going on, and certainly not about this bill. It seemed very disrespectful to us. Yet, a man who was seated in the gallery, as we were, had a baseball cap on his head which the page made him remove. I guess respect is a matter of who's who.





By the time we walked a good distance to get inside the capitol and walked around for about an hour inside, we'd had enough walking and the storm was coming and the wind was picking up, our footsies were tired, and our tummies were hungry.



Therefore, we just drove by the original capitol (where Lincoln had lain in state), took pics, and then left downtown.







Before we leave Springfield, I thought some of you might like to see a few pictures of the residential neighborhoods. The houses are so different from those in Atlanta. So, here's a sample of a few.





We ate at Cracker Barrel and came back to camp. Dave took a nap. I will do some RV cleaning tonight. We plan to head toward Chicago tomorrow. There are no campgrounds close to Chicago. There are only two that have WiFi that seem to be acceptble; one is very far southwest and the other is very far northwest.

So, stay tuned and we'll see where we end up tomorrow.

In the meantime, as we learned at Lincoln's bedside, sleep tight (tighten those ropes under the bed) and don't let those bed-bugs bite (that are hiding in the straw mattress)!

Day 11 - USA Tour - Springfield, IL

Overnight: Springfield, IL
Sightseeing Day:
- President Lincoln's home
- Lincoln's Tomb

Today we had planned to go to New Salem, IL. This is a recreated village that represents where Lincoln grew up. One of the buildings is original, and the others were moved there from local areas. When I checked the website, it appeared to be just rows of log cabins. I thought they might have some living history, but it didn't appear that way. We opted not to go because when you've seen one log cabin of the time period, you've seen them all.


Instead, we headed to Lincoln's home in downtown Springfield. That was nostalgic. I really enjoyed knowing that we were holding the same handrail that he held. Many of the furnishings were original to the home.

The National Park Service is presently restoring a 4-block swatch of homes. We went into one of the other homes and they have done a great job of telling the stories of all the residents of the home. It was fascinating to learn who they were, what they did for a living, and their family stories.





But, as for the decorating, "What was Mary Lincoln thinking?" As you can see, the patterns are everywhere and in myriads of colors. But it was telling to see what styles were in vogue back then.

We enjoyed a good video about the neighborhood and Lincoln's life while living there. But, as we and two other adults were waiting for the show to begin, we were besieged upon by 56 middle-schoolers. They just packed in around us. We felt like we were being scrutinized by the four teachers. And, when one of the teachers pulled out a kid for pretend-snoring and let him have it, we four adults were then on our best behavior. When the video was over, the teachers "excused" us. Boy, did we feel like the "bad" kids on the block.

As you probably know, only one of Lincoln's four sons lived to adulthood. One of his son's died while he was a resident in Springfield. One died prior to them moving there. The third son died after they went to Washington. Their eldest son went on to become involved in politics and died at 87 (I think). He had 3 children, but no grandchildren (from the best I could discern). The Lincolns lived in this home for 17 years.




After we finished up with the neighborhood, we drove to the Lincoln Tomb. They are renovating it, so there was a bit of construction. Dave and I decided to take the scenic route around the cemetery. The headstones were very elaborate and different and, of course, some were extremely old. We ended up at Lincoln's FIRST tomb. I didn't know they have moved his body to a different location.





After our scenic tour of the cemetery, we went out for lunch and then went shopping at Wal-Mart to stock up on a few groceries and supplies. Dave came home and finished installing the vent over the stove that goes on the outside of the trailer. Of course, true to form, one task leads to another. He dropped one of the screws down the heater vent in the floor of the RV. So, now he'll have to unscrew the vent and retrieve the screw before we move the RV. Maybe staying in hotels would have been a better plan---NAAAH.

Last night, I started reading my "Dummies" book. It is very informative and I look forward to reading more tonight. Well, it's time for me to dance vicariously through "So You Think You Can Dance" and then hip-hop my way to the bed.

Day 10 - USA Tour - Springfield, IL

Overnight: Springfield, IL
Sightseeing Day:
- Frank Lloyd Wright's Dana-Thomas House
- Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

Today Dave was up before I was, which is quite unusual. He made our coffee, which was yummy on this cold morning. Our electric mattress was cozy.

We ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel this morning. Then, we were off to find the Dana-Thomas House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. He's such a fascinating designer. He was so ahead of his time. When you see the neighborhoods where he built homes, you realize just how unique he really was. Most of his houses are surrounded by Victorian homes. Then, you see one of his, and you can imagine just how odd and ugly these homes were to the neighbors. Of course, he didn't stop with home design, his windows are extraordinary with iridescent colors and they are not laid out in lead, but in zinc. These homes are over a hundred years old and look as if they were designed and built today.



In these pictures, you can see the faux copper panels on the sides of the house and eaves. You get a glimpse of the glass panels (on the left side of the picture) in the close-up of the house.





These pictures show the hanging "Butterfly" lamp and the Sumac design (glass panel)is only used in this Dana-Thomas House. The little lamp and sconces are used throughout the house.

Our next stop was at the Lincoln Museum and Presidential Library.

This picture shows the Lincoln family and a friend in the background.



I was quite surprised at what an elaborate facility this was. I understand it's only 3 years old. The multi-media presentations were superb. There were presentations of Lincoln's rise to the presidency as well presentations about the Civil War. The presentations not only included video, but special effects as well. When the presentation was a war battle, there were smoke rings, and the seats vibrated and shook when cannons were set off. The kids in the audience really got a kick out of that!

The screens were holographic and the presenters seemed to be live persons on the stage. Quite extraordinary. An interesting presentation was the Civil War in 4 minutes. The video content scrolled the number of casualties (over a million) while you saw a US map of the battles being named and "exploding" when they took place during this timeline. Also, you could see the ebb and flow on the map of the conquests and advances.

One of the displays was a room of gowns that Mrs. Lincoln wore. They were not just hanging on hooks or in display cases, the gowns were displayed on wax figures, which seemed quite realistic.

Many of the displays had wax figures of Lincoln, family members, and other political figures.

Another presentation was set up as if you were sitting in a present-day news studio. The newscaster presented the positions of each of the four politicians that ran for president when Mr. Lincoln did. Quite a different slant on learning their history.

I purchased a book called "The Civil War for Dummies." So, I hope to read this and get a better handle on this complicated war. As we travel around, it's so hard to remember which cities were crucial to the Civil War and which ones were crucial in the Revolutionary War. So, I hope this will help me figure it out.

This is a really nice campground. The manager has a yellow Labrador retriever that sits in the golf cart all day. He just rides around and loves it. He's so cute. Makes me miss my "babies."

Dave is repairing a vent that goes on the outside of the RV. It covers the stove vent. We lost it on our travels. So, he's purchased a new one that has to be adjusted somewhat to fit. He'll finish it up tomorrow. There is an RV repair facility here at the campground, so they are very helpful. Hopefully, when the vent is repaired, we won't have the breeze inside the RV. I covered the vent last night with Glad Wrap Press'n Seal--hey, you do what you can with bubble gum and plastic wrap!

Day 9 - USA Tour - Springfield, IL

Overnight: Springfield, IL
Double J Campground & RV Park
Gas Price: (none purchased today)
Avg. MPG: 8.4
Sightseeing Miles in St. Louis area: 166
Starting Mileage: 840
Miles Driven: 95

Today we were up early with the 6 AM train. We decided to just get going. We emptied the holding tanks and were off.

The terrain was very flat and allowed us a bit better gas mileage, even if it is minuscule!

We arrived at the Springfield campground around 9:30 AM. Because check-in time is 11 AM, we had to pay an additional $5. By the time you get set up to use the utilities, it's approximately 30 minutes. So, do you think we could possibly use $5 worth of electricity in 60 minutes? But, what are you to do? Rules are rules and you certainly don't want to sit in the car for another hour.

The temperature really dropped today. By the time we were set up, it was 55 degrees and very windy. So, it was a great day to cuddle in the covers, which Dave did and he took a VERY long nap.

I worked on our plan for sightseeing in Springfield and on up the road to Chicago and other cities. I had most of these plans done, but there are some holes in the route and some changes that had to be made now that we are not going to Calgary.

I'll say goodnight as I slink into my bed with the electric mattress heater and try it out!

Day 8 - USA Tour - Granite City, IL

Overnight: Granite City, IL
Fix Computer Day

Today we had planned to go to Defiance, MO, to Daniel Boone's home. However, we were sidetracked by Dave's laptop woes. I decided to call Windstream to get it fixed. They said all was fine. I was on the phone with them for an hour. Then, they told me to call HP and see if they could fix Outlook. Well, after 2.5 hours with them, Dave's laptop is sending and receiving email once again. However, the "help" person, essentially removed Outlook, which forces Dave to use Windows Mail.

All of our Contacts must be reloaded as well as Outlook. Of course, I don't have those disks with me. So, it's back to me fixing the laptop the way it should be. But, I haven't the desire or emotional strength to deal with that for a few more days or longer.

Because Danny Boone's home is over an hour away, we'll just pass for this portion of the trip. There is so much to see in MO that we haven't seen, we might just come back on the other end of the trip.

Dave is happy he's back up and running, so that's all that matters.

As a result of the storms last night, we almost got out the oars. As you can see from the pictures, we are pretty wet. Dave had to get out in his flip-flops and pull the picnic table close to the steps so I could exit without getting my feet planted in the 5-inches of water that's below our steps. He's my hero!

Dave has the RV all hooked up and ready for us to pull out tomorrow morning. We are headed to Springfield, IL, to the home of Mr. Lincoln for a few days of sightseeing. Guess I'd better pack up the computers and printer for the night. So, sleep well and I'll check back with you tomorrow night.

Day 7 - USA Tour - Granite City, IL

Overnight: Granite City, IL
Sightseeing Day:
- Cahokia Indian Mounds
- Lewis & Clark's Camp Dubois

For those of you who have already read Day 4, you may want to scroll down and view again because I have added a picture of our RV at the St. Louis KOA.

Today we woke early again to get going before the rains come. We again had breakfast at that nutritional restaurant (Mickey D's).

We drove to the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site to view the largest mounds north of Mexico. The displays were very-well presented. They have a comfy theater that presented a good overview of the Cahokia Indian village and lifestyle.







Then, you get to walk through a re-created village. I had always thought that these ancient cultures lived inside the mounds. Wrong. They build them up and then put the chief's home on top of the large mounds. Some mounds are for burial purposes. The dirt used to create the mound is dug from pits. These pits fill with water and become sources of drinking water and fishing.

The pictures show a far view of Monk's Mound--the largest mound for the chief's home to sit on top of. There is a close-up view of the stairs that some crazy maniacs determine they should climb. Also note the second set of stairs for the upper level in the back hill of the mound. YIKES! The final mound picture is of a burial mound.

We then drove over to the Lewis & Clark State Historic Site in Collinsville, IL. It was their first place of encampment before departing up the Missouri River. It is called River Dubois, which means "Wood River."






As you can see, we saw a replica of the boat that they used. On one side, the replica shows the boat itself. On the other side, it shows how they packed their gear and supplies for the trip.

The attraction had a video presentation to explain what they did while waiting for the Louisiana Purchase to go through so that they would have permission to venture westward through the territory owned by the French (Napoleon).

I have included a picture of the replica of the fort because it's fascinating how close these buildings are to each other. The actual recreated fort that is located at this site was closed due to the rain and muck outside.

When we returned to the campground, we had about an inch of water under the entry steps to the RV.

I made lunch for us; then, Dave took a nap; and after 2 hours, I woke him to go out and get our hair cut. We look better, but I feel a bit scalped. We have a couple of weeks before the Navy reunion. So, hope my 'do will be more managable by that time. Dave, of course, looks as handsome as ever!!

We returned just in time to avoid the horrific thunderstorms. So, we snuggled in for the night and rode out the storms. We were on a tornado watch. We were trying to figure out how fast we could run to the car and drive to the office in case we heard the sirens. Fortunately, we didn't have to do that.

I fixed some leftovers from Applebee's restaurant and as we dozed off for the night, I prayed our RV didn't turn into an ark!

Day 6 - USA Tour - Granite City, IL

Overnight: Granite City, IL
Sightseeing Day:
- Grant's Farm
- Butterfly House

Today we were up extra early so that we could get a couple of sightseeing items into our agenda. We left the campground at 8:30 AM and headed to a great restaurant of high nutrition; you should try it. It's called McDonald's.

After filling our bellies, we headed to Grant's Farm (click the link to check it out). It is southeast of St. Louis. The farm was the property of the Busch family. In 1950, they opened it to the public. It is named in honor of Ulysses S. Grant because his family farmed some of that acreage in the 1800s. The Ulysses S. Grant National Historical Site is right across the street, but our hips couldn't take too much more walking, so we opted to pass for this trip. Too much to do and too little time and physical ability to do it all.

Grant's Farm is mostly geared to young children. Of course, that meant Dave and I had fun. The first thing you do is hop on a tram that takes you around the property to view some larger animals, such as elk, bison, and deer.

After the tram ride, you walk around the small zoo-like exhibits. The only close call we had was at the baby goat petting area. Those little rascals tried to strip me naked! They chewed and pulled at the bottom of my shirt, the back of my knees and pants, and my jacket-tails. I had a milk-soaked shirt hem from their baby lips. When you didn't pay attention to them, they enjoyed butting you as if to say, "Here I am--give me some of that go-go juice." Dave and I had great fun with them chasing us around for a drink from the baby bottle.

The farm has a cute (but typical) bird show and an informative elephant show. We enjoyed watching the sleepy kangaroos and curious eagles as well. Dave did his best to get one to come to him. But, all they'd do is turn their head as if to say, "I hear ya--leave me alone!" The eagles are kept in an open pen and can't fly because of previous injuries. But, that gave us a great close-up encounter with them.



Around noon, we headed back to the car to eat our sandwiches. For the first time since we left home, I remembered to make our lunch! Just as we were leaving the farm, it began to rain. So, we arrived at the car just in time. We were sure glad we arrived at the farm early as the line to get in was now about 100-ft. long.

After eating, it stopped raining and we headed to the Clydesdale stables. We saw a couple of horses in stalls and then we walked down a path to pet the mares and their foals.







Our next stop had us heading east of St. Louis to the Butterfly House (click the link to check it out). We watched a short video about the life cycle of the butterfly, which was quite informative. It's crazy to know that you learned all these things as a child, then you forget the details. As an adult, you are really fascinated at re-learning to the point of wondering, "Did I really learn this previously?"

After the film, we enjoyed going into the conservatory that was filled with numerous species of butterflies of all colors and sizes. They were everywhere. The conservatory was quite humid with lush tropical plants and flowers. I have posted some of the better pictures for your enjoyment.

We drove around the grounds and enjoyed seeing the baby goslings and ducklings all eargerly learning from (or ignoring) their "parents."




Gas story--early this morning, we decided to fill up as the gas was "down" to $3.95 per gallon. So, Dave topped us off figuring we would certainly be at $4.00 within the next few days. On our way to Grant's Farm we pass numerous stations posting prices of $3.75! I just don't understand how there can be a $0.22 per gallon difference in only a 15-mile spread. Is this gouging or what?

When we arrived back at the RV, I cooked up some hamburger for a couple of days' worth of meals. I made spaghetti for tonight. After I post the pics for tonight, I'll work on the afgahan that I need to complete prior to the USS Princeton reunion's raffle. I have about 7 nights worth of work left to do on it. So, I'd better get crackin'.

We have decided to stay here for two more nights as there are several more things we'd like to see. We may even have to return to Missouri on our way back, as there is so much history here and we haven't even scratched the surface!

Day 5 - USA Tour - Granite City, IL

Overnight: Granite City, IL
Sightseeing Day:
- Gateway Arch

This morning we headed for St. Louis, MO, to go to the Gateway Arch. We had decided to grab a bite to eat on our way. However, on the 15 mile trip to St. Louis, we passed nary a fast-food joint.

We had to drive around a couple of times to find a place to park that wasn't a 5-mile jaunt to the Arch (yes, I'm exaggerating). Anyway, we parked in a church parking lot and hung our handicapped sign--hoping we wouldn't get towed away. I think Dave could hardly enjoy the adventure for fear of being towed or ticketed. In one of the pictures of the arch being built, you can see the church where we parked.



When we got to the entrance, we had to go through security. It never crossed my mind that this would be an issue. Dave, of course, had his pocket knife. But, it was small enough not to cause havoc.

We then tried to find a snack bar because, by now, both of us are experiencing massive sugar drop. Nope. No snack bar. Well, they had a replica of a country store with some food stuffs. So, we bought 2 bags (very tiny, I might add) of cashews for $5. We felt that the protein would last longer than a snack of candy. It was a good thing we did because we were in the attraction from 11 AM to 4 PM.

After we waited in line for about 15 minutes to purchase tickets, we found out that to purchase the Golden Age Passport (for discounts for senior citizens in Federal parks), we had to go to the gift shop. So, back out of that line and into another. Because the passport would save us $6, we decided it was worth the two-line adventure.

We first viewed a great movie about the building of the Gateway Arch. What an undertaking! It was quite spectacular. I just never realized what an ordeal it was. I have included a couple of pictures of the building, above.


Next we rode the tram to the top of the Arch. Note the picture below that show the teeny-tiny, 5-passenger tram "capsule" we rode in to the top. The white rectangle on the front is the door. There are 4 window panes in the door. As you ride, it's like being in an elevator in which you are seated knee-to-knee with the other four passengers. You also have to bend over because your head touches the roof. It's really a squeeze. As you ascend to the top, you can peer out of very small windows in the door and see the staircase that is also inside the arch. In this photo above, you can see the staircase alongside the capsule. All I could think of was, "Please, God, don't get me stuck in this thing." If I had to walk down 90 billion stairs, I'd be sunk.




When you reach the top, you have to climb up more stairs (already had walked down 2 flights of stairs to descend to the tram). I have included a picture of Dave peering out of the window at the top of the arch. It's really quite small, but enough to see just how high up you really are! Also, when you are at the top walking around in the Arch, you can get a good sense of just how much it curves at the top because the floor and ceiling are arched.











After we descended back to the base of the Arch, we viewed a great movie about the adventures of Lewis and Clark. It was sort of a small IMAX-type presentation. Because we will be visiting several Lewis and Clark sites on our way west (we've already been to Fort Clatsop in Astoria, OR--which is GREAT), we thought it would be worth the $4 each. We both had to laugh as when it was over, we felt it was much better than any modern-day $8 movie.

We stopped at Applebee's for dinner and now we are settling in for the evening. Tomorrow we plan to go to Grant Park, Ulysses Grant's home, and the Jefferson Barracks. We will see what other trouble we can get into tomorrow, but for now, nighty-night.

Day 4 - USA Tour - Granite City, IL

Overnight: Granite City, IL
Granite City KOA
Gas Price: $3.89--Benton, IL
Avg. MPG: 8.3
Starting Mileage: 520
Miles Driven: 154

This morning while in Marion, IL, we decided to do a few chores because we only had about 100 miles to travel today. So we did wash and cleaned the holding tanks. I also made breakfast.

We learn so many new things the longer we RV-it. Last night, I couldn't get my laptop to receive email or log onto the Internet. Dave's laptop was receiving fine and mine was kaput even though I had a strong WiFi signal. So, I had to use Dave's laptop when he retired for the evening. I just hoped the inability to connect wasn't the laptop-gone-asunder and hoped that when we moved on to the next campground, it would function properly. (Stay tuned for the end of this story.)

Just as we were ready to leave, it began to rain. We found out this morning that we were now in the Central timezone, so we were ready to roll earlier than we thought!

We had an uneventful drive to East St. Louis, IL. The terrain was gently rolling hills, but the closer that we got to St. Louis, it became really flat. It lightly rained most of the day. It was quite a site as we rounded a freeway turn and could see the St. Louis Arch in the downtown skyline. It sure is HUGE.

We had a difficult time finding the campground at the Queen City Casino. So, we ended up taking an unexpected scenic tour along the Mississippi River on the Missouri side instead of the Illinois side. We found our way back across Ol'Miss, but it wasn't easy with a trailer in tow. Dave's a wonder at whipping that RV around the back streets and alleys. We finally got to the campground after touring the ghetto on the Illinois side.

When we arrived, we were informed that the campground didn't have WiFi (as advertised); they had "pay" Internet through a dial-up modem at each site. Because this type of access is not something I'm familiar with while traveling and because I didn't have a phone card, I wasn't too keen on staying. They had also advertised that they had a shuttle to some of the close sightseeing areas; but when I inquired, I was told they only take you to the rapid transit station or their casino. I paid anyway because we were tired and thought we'd just overcome these obstacles and not be difficult. When we got to the site, we found that the spaces were only about 40-ft in length. We are 52-ft long with car and RV. We would have to unhook right away and there was barely enough space to park the car to the side of the RV. We realized this place just had too many "downsides" to make our visit comfy. So, we pulled off the road and got out the Trailer Life Campground Directory and found a KOA about 20 miles up the river. We got our money back, and drove another 20+ miles up the state.

We are very glad that we did move. This campground is quiet (except for the occasional train and switching that goes on, but we are assured this is only twice a day and not at night). The sites have tall and abundant trees and grass (not blacktop and short, undergrown trees as at the casino). We have free WiFi, but no cable TV. We receive several channels via antenna, so that's just fine. I'd much rather have WiFi than cable.

Back to my "connection" story--when we checked in, I mentioned the problems with our WiFi last night and was informed that when you have two laptops in close proximity and one is logged on, the other might not be able to log on because the WiFi doesn't see two PCs that close as two independent systems. So, at this KOA, they gave us two different log-on codes. Dave has gone to bed without logging on, so I'm not sure if his will work yet, but I'm up and running. Got the bills paid, the emails read, and the blog completed.

We decided we were too tired to fix dinner (well, I guess I should say "I" was too tired). So, without much arm-twisting, I convinced Dave that we should venture to a nearby Mexican restaurant for dinner after we finished setting up. It was mighty tasty. Dave then crawled directly into bed upon our return.

We are looking forward to staying put for 3-4 nights. However, now that we are in a different location, I need to re-plan our tour route. I also need to determine which sights to see tomorrow as we are supposed to have light rain. So, I'll sign off now as the maps are a callin' me.

Day 3 - USA Tour - Marion, IL

Overnight: Marion, IL
Marion Campground and RV Park
Gas Price: $3.69--Paducah, KY
Avg. MPG: 8.3
Starting Mileage: 343
Miles Driven: 177

We left the campground early this morning (8:40 AM) to take the RV in to Wal-Mart to get 4 new tires. However, they would not put on new tires unless we removed all the wheels ourselves. Not an option. So, they recommended a tractor place nearby that might do the job. Not an option either. So, I got out The Exit Book and found an RV Center in town (I can't believe Wal-Mart didn't know about it; it was less than 2 miles away). Anyway, they wouldn't do the job either, but they recommended a Goodyear dealer that does their RVs and other big rigs. So, back by Wal-Mart to the Goodyear place. The tire size on our trailer only came in a model up to 8-ply (ours had 6-ply), so Goodyear suggested a bit larger tire so we could get 10-ply, which would keep the tires from being so mushy on the sides and would better support our weight. So, after a quick half-hour installation of 5 new tires and a bill for $620, we were back on the road at 10 AM.

We stopped for lunch and a gas-up in Paducah, KY. The area tundra is rolling with lots of trees, but the trees were only about 12-ft tall. The buttercup wildflowers were in full bloom in many of the fields making them look like big, yellow, fluffy blankets.



We crossed the Ohio River and in no time were in Metropolis, IL--the home of Superman.









As you can see, they had very attractive models donning their "super" attire. We walked around the quaint museum. Who knew there was so much stuff produced about superman. And, I was surprised at how many different men have portrayed this superhero.









I must say, Metropolis thinks "super" when it comes to promoting their grocery stores as well. Check out "Big John" and his groceries.

We arrived at the campground around 3 PM. Very nice campground. The shower rooms are really nice. Almost as nice as the ones we had in Amarillo. Each shower/bathroom is separate with its own sink, dressing area, shower, and toilet. I cooked supper while Dave showered. We had awesome pork chops. They must have been 2 inches thick and just melted in your mouth. I took my shower after supper and we relaxed a bit outside on the picnic bench. The weather is just perfect. No humidity and it's about 75 degrees.

We took some hard bumps today and had a few things get knocked around. The bottom fell out of one of the cupboards in the bathroom because I had some bottles of antifreeze on the shelf. The bottom also fell out of the back storage area where Dave stores the hoses and septic lines. You know so many of these cupboards are just put together with stapes and chewing gum. So, right now Dave is putting it back together and making it better than new.

Tomorrow we head for East St. Louis, IL. We'll be there for at least 4 nights. The campground is at the Queen City Casino and is right on the river across from the St. Louis Arch. We'll it's almost time for American Idol, so will sign off for now and see who wins the Duel of the Davids!

Day 2 - USA Tour - Clarksville, TN

Overnight: Clarksville, TN
Clarksville RV Park and Campground
Gas Price: $3.59--Symrna, TN
Avg. MPG: 8.3
Starting Mileage: 151
Miles Driven: 192

We left Chattanooga at 10 AM. It was an uneventful journey until.....we were 16 miles from the offramp to our night's stop in Clarksville, TN. I heard some scraping road noises. When I looked in the side mirror, I saw shreds of tire leave our RV. So, here we go--it's another Migneault adventure. (Or should I be saying "misadventure"?)

After I got out to check the damage and was stunned to see we had NO tire left except a small shred of sidewall (see photo above), we decided to pull forward about 100 ft so that we could park under an overpass. It was 2:30 PM. Dave began getting organized to change the tire--which really made me nervous because we watch too many of those cop shows where roadside crashes are a mainstay. Of course this is all too real when semi's are whizzing by and the trailer is rocking violently from the wind displacement. After Dave removed the hub guard, he realized he did not have a socket the correct size to remove the lug nuts. So, we went into Option 2 Mode.



I began making calls to our road emergency insurance company when I realized (I think) that it is a reimbursement policy, not an actual "we'll send someone to change your tire" policy. But, in two calls to them we couldn't get them to stay on the line long enough to get answers. So, next I called the Good Sam Club. We don't have an emergency roadside policy (a situation I plan to correct tomorrow), but they were very helpful in finding someone to come and help us out. They made all the calls and checked back with us to be sure we were taken care of.

The Rescue-Mobile (a nice guy from a tire company) came to change the tire about an hour from the time he was called by Good Sam. Only one problem, his socket wrench didn't have enough clearance get around the lug nut (the lug nuts are counter-sunk into the wheel rims). So, he had to use his sledge hammer to pound his socket into the rim--thank goodness the rims are aluminum so that they would give. Finally, he was able to get the lug nuts to turn and whallah, we were in business. He advised that the tires we have on the trailer are not really rated to carry the weight of our unit, fully loaded. The side walls are too thin for this much weight. So, another situation I will take up with the manufacturer because we are still under warranty.

Now instead of moving forward for our third day of road travel, we will have to purchase tires in the morning before we can venture onward. We will not be able to go as far as we had planned, so I'll have to revise the selected campsite, or we will just have to stay here another day before we go onward. This misadventure cost us $152. No telling what the new tires will cost us. But, alas.

At 5:30, we were back on the road and after a Wal-Mart experience, we arrived at the campground at 6:30 PM. The campground is very clean and neat. But, the TV isn't cable, so we only have a couple of channels. The WiFi is working well.

I still made a Mexican casserole or stew or something not quite decipherable. It was good, nevertheless.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's adventure.