Progress north would be very dependent on availability of campsites during this holiday weekend! The first day’s KOA in Bowling Green Bowling Green KOA only had a site for 1 night, so Theresa searched for something further north for the following day. None of the KOAs in the target area had any openings. She then called a campground just east of Dayton, OH and the lady replied “sure we can fit you in!” Theresa asked “do I need to make a reservation?” She replied “nope we have plenty of sites, just come on in”. The plan was to stay there for 2 nights and resume the trip north after the holiday when more sites would be available.
Upon arriving at the KOA is was too late to visit the corvette museum in Bowling Green Ky,, maybe in the morning. Theresa made multiple loops around the camp grounds as she walked Grandpa to get her 10k steps. This was a self imposed criteria before any wine could be poured. This was the first day to resume alcohol consumption after completing a 34 day no alcohol challenge with her sister Dorothy! Just before dinner the cork was popped and the celebratory glass was poured! Cheers.
In the morning the team elected to head straight to the next campground to beat others who may also arrive and take the non reserved sites for the holiday weekend. This ment no stopping at the corvette museum.
On the way to the Poor Farmers campground Poor Farmers RV, the Tireminder alerted Low pressure on one of the RV tires. That will have to be addressed at the campsite!
The campground was on a midwest farm setting, and surprisingly had lots of room! The camp fee of $28 per night was for water and 50 amp service, no sewer was available. The toad was unhooked and the Smitanic was backed into a very grassy site. The ground was a bit soft so the air leveling was used instead of the jacks. On Theresa’s first lap around the campground she not only toured the seasonal sections who’s grounds are self maintained as well as the temporary sites with trailers and fifth wheels scattered about on the lush green fields. Only an occasional “hey” & wave were shared with the few campers who braved the sweltering outdoor temps.
Theresa was confused that 6 or so sites that displayed the confederate flag proudly along with the American flag this labor Day weekend. This place was well north of the Mason-Dixon Line, oh well! Camp fires burned 24-7 as events of the weekend unfolded. First there was a steak & potato dinner, all you needed is pay $12 and bring a side to the converted sheep barn now set up for the feast. The steaks were tasty and there was plenty of homemade delights to satisfy the palate.
That evening in between rain surges the locals (young and old) demonstrated their testosterone levels with a tractor pull that went on until the 11pm quiet hour.
The Tractor pull had multiple classes / divisions. There were vintage tractors, there were cub cadet lawn tractors, there were single cylinder diesel tractors. Each tractor made a run at the distance without exceeding the posted max speed for that heat. The first max speed was 2 mph. The art is in getting the sled moving and maintaining momentum as the sled gained weight durning the distance. The tractor that went the furthest before tires slipped or engine could no longer support the resistance and shut down was awarded top prize for that heat.
The next day Kevin took out the portable air compressor to try to put air in the low inside duellie on the drivers side. The pressure of 106 was reached so it would be checked in the next morning prior to departure. In the afternoon, a dog obstacle course for dogs was set up. Theresa took Grandpa through each of the courses challenges. He did remarkably well due to the dog treats provided at each obstacle. The evening’s labor day event was a parade featuring local decorated golf carts and bicycles as well as pedestrians traveling throughout the park.
The AM tire pressure was the same 106 as the night before. What a relief! Must have been a slow leak from the tireminder cap.
A camper from across the way came over from her Air stream and introduced herself as Nancy. She said “I’m new at this lifestyle, I sold my house and bought this Airstream, this is my first trip... My work is mobile... I am looking for any hints and tips from folks I meet”.
Theresa explained how she and kevin would work remotely from the RV and suggested she may want to get a good hotspot (att sucks in the mid-west), Kevin walked over to her rig with his discerning eye and began to spew out he’s expertise. He noted that her new truck was more than adequate to pull the Airstream. He suggested she may want to get tireminders for the tires and a surge protector for shore power. She was like a sponge soaking up every word, thankful for the sage’s wisdom.
Kevin also assessed the best exit strategy and asked if Nancy could move her truck, she of course was more than willing to accommodate. A left exit was made rounding a narrow path leading to a flat stretch where the toad could be attached. The Smitanic was off for the final US destination.
Roads were beat up and rough with lots of construction all the way around Detroit. An announcement on the radio news station revealed that there was a stoppage of the repairs due to a ongoing labor dispute. Thankfully the northbound lanes were not as affected as the detour on the southbound side.
The new destination was selected with two main criteria 1. it had to be relatively close to the US Canadian border and 2. needed to be able to get a storage unit in order to store all of Theresa‘s contraband a.k.a. wine and alcohol and free the Jeep of Kevin’s remote control airplanes. (Canada only allows 2 bottles of alcohol to come with visitors.) The Emmett KOA in Michigan met the criteria. It was within 1 day’s drive, assuming no border issues and there was a mini storage within 15 miles that could be rented for 1 mo.
The camp staff was less than helpful upon check-in as we waited for the promised escort who just told us to go ahead to the site. The turns were tight and lined with large trees and rocks. Kevin managed to squeeze into the ‘lakefront’ site barely missing the sewer line. All systems were connected for the 2 night stay. The water hookup took the complete length of the RV hose and the cable connection was a totally separate location. All the hoses and lines were a rats nest by the time all were connected.
It was still fairly early so there would be plenty of time to load up the Jeep with the contraband and get it safely stored. The project was completed in under 1 hour with 2 reserve bottles allocated for the next 2 nights. The site had a nice propane grill, so steaks were on the menu for the evening. The next day, Theresa made multiple loops around the shaded campground that included a small lake with a nice beach with large water toys and path around it. It took 3-4 laps to get to her 10k step daily goal! Cleaning and prep for the entry into Canada were made as Kevin rested up for the next days drive! After all, a granddaughter awaited the grandparents’ arrival.
An early departure of 9am, was made in anticipation of any border delays. The decision to stop in London, ON or continue on to the Toronto campsite would be made after the crossing.
At last at Port Huron, MI! The $12 bridge toll was paid for the 5 axles (3 on RV and 2 on the Toad). Next was border patrol. Kevin handed the officer both passengers passports. The officer asked “how long will you be here,... where are you going?...do you have any weapons?...how much alcohol are you transporting?” Kevin truthfully replied to all questions (thankfull that contraband was safely stored in the US). The officer handed back the passports and gave the official “You May proceed.” Miles changed to kilometers and highway numbers changed as well as the predominate flag was now the red maple leaf. The RV did not have a dual odometer for kmph so Theresa did a quick conversation app to review those calculations. The Canadian roads seemed in far better condition than in the US, however expansion construction was everywhere, in preparation for the booming future! Defiantly an economy on the rise!
Theresa called the final Toronto destination of Cedar Beach RV Cedar Beach RV Resort campground to see if coming in a day early was an option. Yes indeed the Smitanic could arrive early. yeah! Theresa was bursting with anticipation of getting her arms wrapped around that grand baby, ASAP! It was onward to Toronto, no need to stop in London as the border crossing was easy and swift.
A main road on the way to the campground had a 3 block section was under construction it was torn down to the dirt and was a muddy mess as the weight of the Smitanic packed it down. The entrance to the campground was gated and congested with cars and delivery vehicles trying to make a quick entry/exit. Theresa checked in and was given the assigned site. The roads in the campground were barely wide enough for 1 car yet a class A motorhome. Kevin gingerly managed each turn rocking back and forth to dodge trees and posts, finally settling into the site as guided by Theresa. Another couple in a travel trailer was just exiting an adjacent site and commented “this site is better, you should see if you can switch “. Theresa called the office to inquire about the move to a more desirable spot but alas it was not available. The site was a mix of gravel and dirt so the boards were brought out to go under the jacks for a more stable surface. The jacks were brought down and stored items needed for the 2 week stay were removed from the lower bays. Grill, chairs, rugs, water hook up, sewer hookup and wagon were distributed about the site. Theresa then looked at the power post that included the site #. It was 25, “crap, we are on the wrong site! We have site 23.” She broke the news to Kevin, then made yet another call to the office to see if site 25 (adjacent to site 23) was an option for the stay. Nope, strike 2. The jacks were brought back up and the boards removed. Luckily the sites across the drive were empty so they could be used to maneuver The Smitanic into its assigned spot which was just a tad longer than site 25. The front mirror of the RV was just barely inside the paved drive to the front and the rear hitch just cleared the drive in the back of the RV. So much for the claim of being “big rig friendly”.
Once the jacks were deployed again, the electric, water and sewer were hooked up. Slides came out, camp rug was placed over a mixed gravel and dirt to minimize tracking into the RV (mainly by Grandpa, he can’t help it!). The chairs and grill all found a spot. Time for a beverage!
Next it was time to explore what the facility had to offer. A nice pool that also had a jacuzzi! However it was closed on Labor Day! 2 tennis courts which Theresa spies via google maps had lines marked for pickleball, yeah! Several volleyball areas as well as a large horse shoe pits. There was a walkway thru a massive grassy area that was used for tent camping during the peak season with lots of planned activities for youth and adults. Of course after Labor Day all that was done! The walkway continued thru a tunnel under the road to the beach access and a lakefront restaurant! The lake was quite sizable and had houses with docks lining its shores. The beach and the restaurant were empty guessing due to it was after Labor Day. Bad timing!
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