Exploring New Territory

Bob and I have been traveling 6-8 months a year for the last 12 years. In that time we have visited many states, most of them in the west and southwest. This year it is time to see something new, so we planned a trip with our friends, Connie and Larry. This trip will take us from Florida, north to Wisconsin and then into the UP (upper peninsula) of Michigan. After exploring Michigan we will begin to wander back to Florida.

On August 7, Bob and I left home to begin our journey to Wisconsin. Our plan was to meet Larry and Connie (who were traveling from the west coast) at Potowatomi State Park in the Door County region of Wisconsin on August 14. Well, most of you know we don't like to travel more than 250 miles a day. Looking at a map and doing the math, that was not going to happen this trip. We decided to bite the bullet and do a lot of driving each day to get us near our destination, then we would take our time and rest for a few days.

Our first night on the road we made to an Army Corps of Engineer park near LaGrange, Georgia. The park, Whitetail Ridge, was just a half mile short of Holiday Park where we stayed on our trip home from Gaffney, SC earlier in the year. We just stayed for one night so we were lucky to find a pull through site which meant we didn't have to unhook the car. We were able to get an early start the following morning. Because we were in travel mode, we forgot to take a picture of our campsite or get the GPS coordinates!

Our second day on the road, we traveled through the rest of Georgia, Tennessee, and then stopped in Kentucky. Our trip through Tennessee reminded us of why we don't like to travel on interstate highways. The traffic was terrible near Chattanooga and it was HORRIBLE in Nashville! We stopped for the night at an Army Corps of Engineer Campground at Land Between the Lakes. Their computers were down and they didn't know which sites were available so they put us in the group campground with 5 other campers. We had a view of the lake and a 50 amp hookup, but there was no grass at our site. To make sure the car battery was charged, we drove around the area and from that drive, we know we need to return to spend more time at Land Between the Lakes.

Day three had us driving another long distance, with our sites set on Pontiac, Illinois. We called ahead and made plans to stay at a Harvest Host. The tourism office in Pontiac offers overnight camping for one or two vehicles. We were able to get a spot in their parking lot. In fact, they put out a one to reserve our 'site' for us.

 Yes, our site was in the middle of town, in front of the tourism office.

 Across the street were several museums--our favorite was the Route 66 Museum.

 This mural was on the back wall of the building.

 Of course, Bob and I considered trading Sol for this recreational vehicle which traveled Route 66 several times. The decks on the back and on the top would have been great places to watch sunsets.

 The inside was a tad cluttered, so we decided to stick with Sol.

After touring the town with our special VIP pin, we returned to Sol to plan the next leg of our trip. It would soon be time for a couple of days of staying in one place.