Doldrums in the Dells

Rain and chilly temps continued to the next destination just hours away in the Wisconsin Dells.   The plan was to camp 8 days do biking, hiking and meet up with Theresa’s sister, MJB.



The Fox Hill RV ‘Resort’ was selected because it was close to some trailheads for the 400 biking trail and close to the Devils Lake State Park where MJB had reserved a campsite.  Note the state campsites were not big rig friendly but would nicely accommodate her teardrop T@B trailer. The Fox Hill park also could accommodate the Smitanic for the planned 8 days, however the park would be closing for the season on the last day, requiring a hard exit at that point.   

The park had lots of in season actives including a frisbee golf course, playground, bathhouse, and a currently closed pool.
The assigned site was a large level pull thru site.  All utilities were connected as well as camp rug, chairs, grill and firewood were extracted in hopes all will be utilized over the week’s stay.
Multiple days of rain delayed an excursion to Reedsburg to ride the 400 trail to only find out it was closed due to flooding.  There was a section of the trail open but it was 1+ hours away. That would be for yet another day. The alternate plan for today led to a nice lunch at the corner bar. 

In between rain a walk on a Riverwalk trail also allowed a recon of some pickleball courts in Baraboo.  The courts were open but only utilized on weekends this time of year. The town was cute and a nice restaurant on the square was selected for lunch.

The next day a 1.5 hr drive to the biking capital of the US. To ride an open section of the 400 trail.  This was a rails to trails project that stretches..... this section was a steady 3% grade with several old train tunnels as points on interest and photo ops.  

The return trip back to Sparta was a reward for the climb. Three miles from the car, Kevin’s front tire went flat! He pumped it up and made it another mile before it was flat... then pumped it up again for another fast mile then walked the last mile pushing the bike into the parking lot.





The evening plan was the fun Palace dinner theater that was playing death trap.  This evening was the tea was joined by MJB in Wisconsin Dells for the dinner and show.  The next day, Saturday, would be to meet MJB for a hike in devils lake. The car was loaded with some lunch items, hiking stick, water.  Kevin turned the key and NOTHING! Are you kidding? Several floks from the campground came over to inspect the car and make suggestions on what might be wrong.  One person was a tow truck driver and suggested the starter motoer was bad. He cllimbed under the car and beat on the starter motor in an effort to get it unstuck.  No LUCK. MJB was notified and drove up to try a jump using her car. Meanwhile Theresa called AAA. The MJB jump failed as well as the AAA attempt from the tow truck.  The conclusion was the Jeep had a) Loose battery connections and b) a bad starter. The recommendation was to have it towed to Sullivan Two garage which was closed now but would be open Monday am.


Theresa called enterprise car rental to reserve a car, there was a 30 min window to get there before closing time!  MJB drove Theresa into Baraboo. ‘Not sure if you will get a car’ was the first comment as Theresa took her place in the customer queue.  2 other customers turned in cars as she waited. She was more than happy to get a car that was just turned in an not cleaned. There was a stop at grocery store on the way back to the site.


Over a quick lunch it was concluded that there was still time for a hike to balance rock in devils lake.  The trail was crowded on this Saturday with a steep climb that was rewarded with nice views and photo ops.   

Hugs to MJB as she headed back home to IA the next day.

Rain began again and took over all Sunday which was filled with indoor tasks of laundry cooking and clean up.  Kevin patched his tire with duct tape on a week sidewall spot, then put in a new tube
Theresa called a nearby casino to reserve a campsite for Monday as fox hill was closing and the Smitanic must exit!
All systems, mud soaked mats and unused firewood were stowed.  Bikes were mounted on a spare rack on the back of the RV. And Kevin’s remote airplanes found a new home on the bed for safe travel.
It took more time to find the hotel entrance to do the campground check in than it did to make the .5 mile drive to the new site at the Ho Chunk Casino.

As the set up was completed a call came in that car would be fixed by 4.  Yeah, now we can get back on the trail. The team jumped into the rental car, drove to the repair shop paid the $300 service charge, turned in the rental car, and made it back to the Casino RV park still in time for dinner.

The next morning as the team began the preparation and inspections  for travel Kevin made his daily inspection, he found what he suspected as tread separation on the front passenger RV tire!  A call to warranty company was made and it was disappointing to learn the coverage is only if you have a spare... really? Several calls to tire places revealed that Hartje tire carries RV tires and was on the next day’s route to Clear Lake.  Ok the plan was to stop there and have them advise on how to proceed. Tires are such a critical component to the RV travel. Blowouts could be devastating.

An early start allowed time for the planned tire stop. Tire guy checked the suspect tires including measuring the cracks with a special caliper.  He reassured Kevin that they were ok to drive on.

Relieved all was good with the RV, the Jeep was attached and the Smitanic was back on trail bound for more family gatherings in clear lake, IA.

A mini-Leeney reunion

The  Sycamore RV. park entrance was hidden by railroad tracks behind grain elevators, with a small sign ‘camping’ one street prior to the actual park entrance.  This sigh lured the Smitanic into the grain elevators .... luckily there was plenty of room to loop around the back lot and on into the correct entrance.

The rig was assigned a large back-in site with plenty of room for the planned gatherings.  There was even a tennis court which of course Theresa volunteered to help mark for pickleball.  The manager was not that excited about that offer. The cool and rainy weather was not conducive to any thought of play anyhow.



The park also had walking trails that looped around the 2 park lakes that also had a nice beach area.  It took 3 loops to rack up the daily step goal.



Two nights were planned to meet up with the local Leeneys.

 The first set was Kevin’s distant cousin, Mickey her daughter in law Stephanie and grandson Carl As well as a once removed cousin Emma with her son Michael and sister, Gracie.  Hamburgers and hot dogs were put on the grill as everyone caught up on life updates from more than 5 years since the Smitanic was sunk in the yard . Kiehl was dialed up on FaceTime to partake in the festivities as well.



The next night  the owners of the infamous Leeney Farm, Tammy,  Ed and their youngest son, Jacob were treated to a NC pulled pork meal as all caught up on grand babies, travels and other family members.  Kevin even connected his sister, Torreen, and mom, Glorianna, on a FaceTime call to say hi & see these distant faces!

It was a treat to see everyone and catch up.  Promises were made for less time to pass before the next visit!

Border Crossing

The Port Huron crossing into the USA was on narrow bridge, Kevin recognizing the risk of nearly bumping mirrors with semis on one side of the RV and the bridge railing on the other side, chose to slow down and maneuver the Smitanic as if it was  going through a slalom course. He artfully dodged mirrors on the left and bridge poles and electrical boxes on the right. Theresa closed her eyes until the Smitanic was safely over and into an immigration lane.

After the successful slalom run, with both mirrors still intact,  the border patrol officer in a Monty python mode said “answer me these questions 3 ”. How long were you in Canada?  Why were you there? What is your license? ... have a nice day.” Kevin was glad he did not ask for his favorite color!  “Blue no Red” aaagh.

The day’s destination of the Port Huron KOA was < 20 miles into the USA.  It was an impressive KOA, lots of activities for kid , railroad, skatepark, pools.  It just so happened that this day was the first of 6 Halloween weekends and sites were all decorated.  Well laid out blacktop roads circled around several nice cabin compounds as well as concrete pads on shaded sites for big rigs. Amenities also included a Fitness center & Tennis courts (no pickleball).  The smooth entry made plenty of time for a trip to storage shed to retrieve the stored contraband < 20 miles away with the malfunctioning Jeep. Service was scheduled for Monday at a repair place near Flint, MI.

    

A leisurely start in the AM allowed for one more stroll thru the park.  Due to the early Monday morning car appointment the team elected to move closer to Flint and spent the weekend at Holiday Shores RV Resort and then take the car in 4 miles away on Monday.

Holiday Shores RV Resort was a park with mainly seasonal sites, 3 lakes, an adjacent golf course, beach and yes tennis courts... no pickleball yet.

Upon check in the Smitanic received the assigned site.  This of course was on the far edge of the park, requiring Tight turns to weaving around the sites lining the lakes to get to the transient area.  The site was a very large back in site with a large concrete pad! This would work, but there had to be an easier way out to exit the park.



Construction blocked the road that connected the 2 exits from the park so the team walked the park to look for a smoother exit out from the park.  They discovered that the bridge construction would not prevent them from making a more simple exit for both car repair and Smitanic exit to the next underdetermined destination.

Theresa had offered to the manager at check in to assist in marking lines on the tennis courts!  There seemed to be some interest in the offer so she circled back 3 times and finally got an ok from the manager to tape lines.  A trip to the local Ace scored 2 rolls of 2 inch orange gorilla tape to do the job.

As Kevin & Theresa approached the large tennis court they saw several guys settling up a mini net at one end of the court.  They said they were playing pickleball! Kevin & Theresa ensured them that they could play on a more to legit court in a matter of 30 min!  They were delighted at the possibility of playing on a properly laid out court and the proposition of consultanting the “pros” on rules of the game.  Two young brothers were waiting with tennis rackets to play on the court, but were content with volleying in a practice space while the pickleball taping continued.  Once the court layout was completed Theresa invited them to learn pickleball on the new court. The brothers were naturals and quickly caught on to the strategy of the game!  Their dad and friends also rotated in to try out the new court. Kevin & Theresa we’re glad to get in a game or two and spread the pickleball love!

As planned for Monday morning the Jeep reported to repair place on at 8 am!  The repair would take most of the AM so the bikes were deployed to get breakfast then back the 4 miles to the RV camp on a busy state hwy.  Later in afternoon the two cyclists made the return bike trip to pay $1900 repair bill for the Jeep. In talking to the mechanic Kevin got intel that the holiday shores park is up for sale as a steel mill is moving in next door.  Wonder how all the seasonal folks will like that?

With a now fully functioning toad, the Smitanic was off the next day to a 1 night stopover at St Joseph KOA in Benton Harbor, MI.   A weekday stay in late September left lots of open pull thru site available. The assigned site was a very tight turn with trees on a both sides.  Kevin did not think the Smitanic would be able to pull in with the toad attached. Surveying other open sites, he suggested a site 2 spots to the right and sent Theresa to the office to ask if it was open.  It was. The toad was unhooked to allow for full maneuverability into the second site. Kevin pulled forward looking for a reasonably level spot on the pad. No luck. He backed out and pulled into a 3rd empty site.  Alas just like Goldilocks...this one was just right. Relieved, Theresa went back to the office to report the success and validate the site was available. Good to go.

The next days trek would circumnavigate Chicago on the south side and land the Smitanic in Sycamore,Illinois just north of Waterman where the Smitanic got its name many years ago while visiting the Leeney Farm.  (See what happened when the old Smitanic was sunk in the yard. Watch video of the song played to describe the event.)  How the Smitanic got it’s name The new Smitanic is longer and much heavier that the prior one. There was no point in attempting to drive down the drive nor parking in the Leeney farms front yard. Instead reservation for 4 nights were made at the familiar Sycamore RV park in hope to visit with as many of the Leeney clan as possible!n

The Toronto Family Times

The Toad, having been earlier unburdened of the bikes, remote control airplanes  and hanger, now had room for 3 passengers and baby paraphernalia needed for a comfortable glamping stay for Collins and her parents in the Smitanic!  Theresa drove the empty Jeep into the bowels of Toronto to retrieve the precious cargo. Kevin and grandpa remained behind impatiently waiting. Madison and Collins met grandma in the condo parking garage that was barely suited for the height, length and breadth of the toad.  There were no open spots. A construction worker took pity on the ladies and opened up a spot previously blocked for his assigned task.  

While grandma reunited with Collins for a feeding, Kiehl and Madz hauled and packed all the needed baby needs into the back of the Jeep and attached the car seat!  The car ride coincided with nap time so there was barely a peep from the youngest passenger!

Kevin was given notice upon entry to the campground so he could film the grandpas initial exchange with his people after his 2 mo doggy vacation.  He was very happy to see his missing family!

Let the fun begin.

Collins and all toys quickly took over the living room floor area chasing grandpa to any unoccupied corner or floor space. The heated floors provided a good training ground as the nearly 6 mo old was perfecting the army tummy crawl.  The playmate (crib) was transferred from the living area at night to the master bath during the day to encourage a restful nap time. Each morning the sofa bed would be deflated and transformed back to a seating area. The power pod play stand moved to any open space and was an alternate stimulation from the floor athletics and toy overload.  Grandpa’s sleeping area was relegated to under the dining table, which also provided a safe haven from all the commotion. Somehow it all worked and there was space for 4 adults, 1 infant and a large dog with all the comforts.



The day’s activities were driven around Collins feeding, nap and playtime schedule.  She loved strolling thru the park and quickly fell to sleep allowing several games of pickleball to be played each day. 

Meal prep became an educational opportunity as Kiehl & Madison were strictly following a Keto diet and having terrific success.  Theresa had hopped on that bandwagon a few weeks earlier and was anxious to learn more tips and techniques. Carb counting and optimal macros were drivers for menu planning.  Kiehl even used a food scale to manage portion distortion! Both he and Madison were well on there way to reaching their weight goals! Theresa also had success with her modified Keto attempt and was inspired to continue.

After Collins’ dinner it was a bit more playtime and then storybook time from a selection of Dr Suess or golden book stories to read.  It only took a few pages before she began to rub her tired eyes and it was off to bed.

With grandma & grandpas on babysitting duty, Kiehl & Madison took a much needed night out for dinner.  A short drive in the Jeep on this mildly hot evening with the A/C on caused the engine to overheat and steam when they arrived at the restaurant.  Kiehl called his dad to consult how to proceed. Kevin suggested that the date night must go on. He told the couple to enjoy the evening, and when ready to return drive back with the air conditioning off and an eye on the temp gauge and stop if the temp goes over 210.Luckily after the dinner, the Jeep restarted and they were able to limp home w/o the AC.  

That next morning Kevin called the team at  Crickets in Cary NC to discuss the overheating issue.  Crickets is the only auto repair shop that Kevin trusts when home. They had worked on the car and the overheating issue before the team left on the Destinations Unknown adventures.  Upon discussions it was suggested that the solenoid that works the electric fan may be intermittently failing. Kevin thanked them and would use the information to deal with potential repair places in Canada.

The next call was placed to a local service place was called to see if they could diagnosis this recurring allusive issue.  An appointment was made for that same afternoon at Ernie’s auto repair. Ernie’s was only a two mile drive and offered to let Kevin come on in.  

Nick, the tech, spent and hour troubleshooting the issue. Kevin was able to watch him run through the procedures.  At one point the tech was able to stop the fan blades with his hand and then he let go and the fan jumped into life.  “YUP, you have an intermittent issue with the solenoid”. They then began the search for parts. After a great deal of time searching and researching the final outcome was provided.  “I can get a solenoid delivered for the 4.0 liter V8, yours is a 4.7 liter V8 and they no longer sell just the solenoid for those”. “You have to get the entire fan assembly, solenoid, and wire harness.  It will take more than two weeks for the parts to arrive, and the cost is over $1,200 just for the parts. If it was me I would drag this car back across the border and have it worked on there. You can drive the car just don’t sit in traffic and do not run the air conditioner”.  Nick replied.

Kevin took the suggestion and returned back to camp with the problem unsolved.

Calls were made to Jeep service places just across the border.  Kevin discussed the issue and timing for repairs and had them preorder part and scheduled the service for the Monday after the planned exit from Canada.

Not wanting to risk another failure on several planned trips back into Toronto, Theresa called and rented a fully functioning car from a nearby rental place for the rest of the stay in Canada.  One trip into the city would return the kids and Collins back to there home and the next day the grandparents would come in one last time with Grandpa and all his belongings as his vacation was over and he was back to his duties and family in Toronto.  He is the best dog ever!

After lunch with Kiehl, Madz, Collins and their friend ‘JP from Canada’. It was time for final hugs and extract the rental car and manage a clean exit from the tight squeeze of the Toronto downtown.

The campground which was fairly full for the weekend starting on Thursday was now cleared out of all but 3-4 units occupied.  
The Smitanic sadly seemed quite empty too, as the cleaning and packing began in preparation for departure.  

The plan to leave on a weekday was smart as it left more room to maneuver the beast.  It took the use of 3 empty campsites to jockey out of the narrow site and exit the opposing way on the one way path out.

The failing toad was attached. The Smitanic retraced the route thru the now newly paved construction area on the way to the 404, then the 401 to Port Huron entry point to the USA.



The time in Canada went by so fast!  It was so special to be able to share so much time with Kiehl, Madison, Collins and Grandpa.  Madison would return to work the next day while Kiehl has daddy duties until at least November.  Got to love Canadian(and Nordstroms) maternity and paternity leave policies that allow such important time for parents and child development!