Russ and Kappys' Adventure 2017

Yep, couldn't have asked for a better day than today.  78 degrees is my perfect temperature. This campground is really incredible.  220 spaces and we are all just one big happy family.  There is little if any barrier between us and there are two tent sites alongside so we are kind of part of their party too!!  I just noticed that while we brought along our dog, our neighbors brought along their pet turtle.  I also noticed a young man walking his baby in a stroller -- kid was sound asleep, daddy was plugged into his headset -- probably listening to Alice in Chains or something like that. This morning I got a run in.  It was late because we just changed time zones.  I didn't get out til 8:30am.  I twas a good run and that makes life  great! Off to the town of South Haven to find the lighthouse and the Maritime Museum.  As you can see, we found both of them.  For lunch we had hot dogs -- me the gourmet (blue cheese, celery, aioli...

Yes, it is true, it took us 2.5 hours to go 50 miles.  Roger Pynappel could have done it in less.  We left the Naval Training Base in North Chicago at 9:30 am and didn't get to Van Buren State Park (Michigan) until 4 pm.  Out of fear, we took at really wide and circuitous route around the "windy city" but it still took us, on a Sunday, 2.5 hours to go 50 miles.  Think about that you all and never, never complain again.  Just sayin. Other than being cooped up all day with Russ and Ceilidh, the whole thing went pretty well.  The campsites are nice -- electric only, and $25 a day.  Apparently this place is pretty popular because there are campers of all types here -- tents, RV's, trailers.  All pay the same.  The beach at Lake Michigan (the other side from last night) is not far. Tonight we went into South Haven, MI (5 miles from the campground)  for dinner and we were blown away at this little town that has so many tourists!  Ever...

Yes, that is for sure.  I was up early this morning for a run before the air got hot (it never did).  Running along the shores of Lake Michigan, down to the Marina at the Great Lakes Naval Training Facility and back.  Along the way I encountered many young men and women who were walking to their early morning formations.  They were dressed in the fatigues worn by the Navy.  Naturally, they insert grey and blue in lieu of green and brown.  They were quite polite when I greeted them with a good morning, responding back in kind.  This place is a training facility and each weekend is a "graduation" weekend.  You can see the recruits with their proud  families and girlfriends/boyfriends.  I have now seen two of these facilities (the other one was the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California) and both of them make me proud of our military system.  It also makes me proud of this country (despite the Washington debacle) for provi...

What can I say.  I am having a hard time coming up with anything spectacular about today except: 1)  the Sun is shining!!! no rain. 2)  we ate lunch by pulling off in an uncompleted subdivision. 3)  we are camped at Lake Michigan, at Great Lakes Naval Base in North Chicago, for only $19 per night - check it out!! 4) we bought 3 day tickets to Disneyland at the Exchange for 6 of us for $165 per person - thanks to Russ' military career.  Pretty lucky, huh?   Life is good.  We will be here for another day -- my plan is to do laundry, get a shower and run -- and not in that order.   Let you know.

Finally, we got some sun.   The rest of the day be damned.   Not much happened.   We put on another 150 miles towards our next destination – the Great Lakes Naval Air Station.   A couple of events happened today that are noteworthy though.   We stopped in a small town (2 restaurants) for lunch and when I was finished I went in search of a bank so that I might get some money and some change for the laundry.   Walked in the front door of the bank that advertised “Atm” and asked the manager where it was.   She said it was around the back near the driveup teller.   I said I wanted to get a roll of quarters.   She said that the drive up teller could help me with that.   I walked around back, took $$ out of the atm (charge 2.50) and took 3 steps to the right where I was asked by the drive up teller:   “Can I help you?”   I said, yes, that I would like a roll of quarters.   She said “are you a customer?”   I said no (...

Slept in this morning -- it is amazing how difficult it is to tell the time of day when the sky is overcast.  After breakfast we headed out for Spring Green, WI, the home of Frank Loyd Wright's famous home "Taliesin."  When we arrived at the "visitor center," we realized that in order to actually see the house, you had to purchase a tour.  Well, I had come all this way and I was pretty certain that I would not get back to Spring Green again in my lifetime, so we forked up the $48 each (senior price)  for tickets to the house tour.  In the end, I was glad I did. The tour was lead by a women named Judy who really did seem to know her stuff.  She explained that Mr. Wright's idea was to incorporate the outside into the house.   I had read about this place in "The Women" and wanted to see the interior.  I was somewhat surprised at the size of the home.  I expected it to be much more expansive but it was really a delight to see.  Judy said t...

We left the cornfield at Sleepy Hollow Campground in Fountain City this morning in the rain (what else is new).   Traveled further along Hwy 35 the Scenic Byway that fronts on the Mississippi.   The clouds and downpour couldn’t diminish the beauty of the river.   I had to close my eyes and try to imagine this place with no asphalt, no buildings, no train tracks, only the river.   Here is where fur traders, Indians, merchants and explorers have traveled before us.   I can just imagine how incredulous they were at this place.   Speaking of that, we have seen so many swampy bogs that obviously held a plethora of furs (beaver and otter) from whence industrious traders procured their wares.   Agree or not in today’s terms, that was what the Midwest held and an industry was built on it that helped populate this country. My insistence on seeing Frank Loyd Wright’s Taliesin (because one of the books I read recently was called The Women – about his wive...