Travelling today, Plan A,B,C or D?

Thanks for joining us on our journey of North America
 in our Holiday Rambler, since August 2006

Where are we tonight ?

Wakatusa Indiana

        Overnight in this Walmart (Effingham Illinois) was very quiet and we both got a really good nights sleep. Morning sunrise was behind the water tower not far from us was kind cool.

        Morning coffees computing and a walkabout the Walmart. Then  showers, secure our rig and on the road shortly after 8 am.

295 miles today

        Now before we left we had a few plans for today's destination. Essentially Elkhart Indianna to visit the RV Museum.

Plan  A : overnight at a Flying J.

Plan B : Overnight at a Walmart 

Plan C: Overnight at a Campground (gotta pay to park here for a night, last choice) but then

Plan D: Then we checked Larry's Blog and they are at the Holiday Rambler Factory (in Wakarusa Indiana) hooked up and going for a factory tour on Monday, very close to Elkhart.

        Now after a few emails back and forth we decided lets go and invite ourselves to camp with them. Maybe get some service on our Holiday Rambler Coach and visit with some friends while we are there. So that's where we end up.

        While on the road lets see if we can get by Chicago without any traffic. No problem Sunday noon and a piece of cake. We tried to avoid a toll road but not really handy, then we paid the toll whooppee $1.70 not worth worrying about and that was our coach and the car together.

yep we by passed Chicago into Indianna

beautiful country drive.

        Now here in he Elkahart/Goshen Indianna the tourist attraction is Amish country. Well back home home we live in Amish country (Mennonites), and its not such a big deal for us, Suzie has many relatives in this area (she is Mennonite) and when we go back to her brother's farm it could very well be "Amish Acres" as well. Why not, a few hundred acres of dairy farm in southern Ontario?

Amish Acres

we passed the factory storage area with a few trailers on the lot

Parked beside Larry and Mar all hooked up

         Being fulltime rver's it amazing how we keep meeting up with people we know. They are  from Grimsby Ontario and fulltimers as well, except Larry keeps going back to work part time selling Rv's at Sicard's Rv in Ontario. Hey he is good! Sold us our coach 6 years ago and, we even became friends afterwards, yep they are good people. This past January we even met up in Quartzsite Arizona for a happy hour.

        But we found them again, got all the welcome hugs even a few wet kisses from Angel and Buster (fur kids) they were happy to see us until a couple Deer ran across the field in front of us then they wanted to run!    

see the two deer? top left

        After we got set up went inside to chat and catch up, just a little chilly outside.

Buster says HI!

Angel there to give Suzie her dog fix! She wants her back rub....

         Now the real treat here was we invited ourselves to drop by and visit, Marylin is cooking us supper to boot. Did not expect that, but sure was nice, a huge pile of spaghetti with very tasty homemade sauce and even a fresh loaf of bread right out of her bread maker.

A happy bunch we are

Very tasty supper

        Well guys it sure was nice to hook up once again, but you did not have to bribe us with a great meal. If and when we are ready to purchase another coach "Larry" is the man!

         Thanks for dropping by hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did.

          Marylin what's for supper tomorrow?

Check to see where we have been this past winter

View Winter 2011,12 in a larger map

A few more miles north

Thanks for joining us on our journey of North America 
 in our Holiday Rambler, since August 2006

Where are we tonight ?

Effingham, Illinois, Walmart.

        I had a wonderful night at the Flying J in West Memphis Arkansas. I got a good nights sleep, mainly because I am deaf, (ok, hearing impaired to be politically correct). I just take our my hearing aids and all is great ! Suzie did hear some traffic noise and she did not have a good nights sleep like I did, (I do have some advantages).

        Up early as usual , coffees, computing, the morning news and a walkabout the Flying J then hit the road about 7:40m. Heading north on I-55 and I-57  thru Missouri to Effingham Illinois . 317 miles today. 

317 Miles today

Missouri Welcome Center

Nice welcome center 

nice roads , remind me of northern Ontario

blossoms in the trees " Springtime"

rest area

        In Effingham we fueled up again at the Flyng J, mainly because their prices are good, they have RV islands and we have a Frequent fueler rv card gives us another 2 cents a gallon discount.

        We got here in good time, before 2 o'clock, so after fueling we went across the road to park in a Walmart for tonight. Well got the OK from management to stay the night and wandered about the store for a bit and checked out all the other places around. So many stores and restaurants  that we can walk to. 

         Now we can relax a bit, a  small happy hour with the two of us and walk over for supper. Of course they are all chain restaurants, but thats ok. The closest one was not busy at all. But across the road it was very busy, (happy hour helps) so lets go there.

        Happened to be TGI Fridays and yes they were busy at 4. 30 but we got a seat right away. Munched on a an appetizer, Suzie had chicken with mashed taters and of course my favourite suicide wings, fries, celery with blue cheese dip. A cold brew  to wash it all down then after a lot of fun, we can walk back home to relax for the evening. While we were here a wedding party also arrived to enjoy the fun times as well.

flatbread appetizers

Suzie's too much chicken, yep we have leftovers

got my wings! (no leftovers)

        Then back home to read, compute a bit and relax for the rest of the evening. Yep it was just another great day. Oh we brought desert home to enjoy a bit later in front of the tv.

You can use the controls on the left side of this map to navigate

View Winter 2011,12 in a larger map