ROAD TRIP REPORT # 3

Today, July 8, we’re in the northeast corner of Ohio, camped at Pymatuning Lake KOA, enjoying severe thunderstorms and heavy rain.  Glad not to be on the road.  Many miles and back roads since the last posted report. We departed Santa Fe, NM on June 20 with a multi-day stop, first at Lake Thunderbird State Park near Norman and then OKC for a surprise 50^th birthday party for a daughter and good times with other family members. From there we meandered through the farmlands of Missouri & Illinois with a stop on the Mississippi River at Cape Giradeau, MO.  Then, more farms, fields of corn and soybeans and the forgotten small towns in Illinois and Indiana, full of empty stores and signs along the highway of companies looking to hire people again. Seemed like an interesting economic picture with failed small businesses on one hand and companies trying to get to full employment on the other. Brown County Indiana State Park was a worthwhile stop on this segment.

Stopped to see my younger brother in my hometown of Greenville, Ohio, where I spent the first 18 years.  He has lived there in the same house for 47 years, not geared to adventure and change as I am. We were both born there and went to school, K-12 before going off to college.   From there we made a somewhat sad trip north to take our beloved 9 month-old Labradoodle puppy home to his mother at the Wild Coyote Organic Farm in southwestern Michigan. Paul and Shelley, the breeders, will find a new home for him that will give him space, which we do not have, and that he needs, and new owners with a lifestyle that will enable him to live a fully engaged life. Better for him and for us too. Tough decision but the right one.

After several days back in central Ohio, couple of days at Lazy River Campground near Granville, we pointed the RV northeast. Tomorrow we will set off toward Thousand Islands, New York, along the St. Lawrence River.  Our route will take us along Lake Erie through the northwest part of PA before getting into New York.  We are still unable to cross the border into Canada which we had hoped might open this month but that is not looking realistic.  While disappointing, we can adjust plans and are most grateful to be able to continue our trip on toward Vermont and Maine.  Since June 20, in 17 days, we have traveled over 2500 miles and many more to go before the end of August. We often spend several days in the same place so that the daily average of 147 miles is misleading.  Our average daily mileage when on the road varies from 300 to 400 depending on stops and objectives.  That could be 4-7 hours of driving on different kinds of roads.

One laughable problem to share from yesterday morning is when the power went off on all our 110 outlets and the AC and Microwave.  We started trouble shooting, checking the CFI plugs, looking at the EMS surge protector on the power outside, which showed full power and also checking the breakers on the Inverter.  All seemed fine and then, checking the external source again, a suggestion from my co-pilot gleaned from the LTV forum, I noticed that the plug into the bottom of the surge protector on the camp outlet was loose.  Plugged it in and all was fine.  Remember the early days of tech when the first thing the help desk said was to check all connections?  That all came back yesterday.  Being responsible for all our systems – electrical, HVAC, water and sewer, water heater, refrigeration and cooking, TV and tech and being mobile can be challenging at times.  It’s all part of the adventure.