The time zone change got me

 

I set the alarm for seven and got up when it went off.  Judy was a little slower to wake up.  We were up for an hour, drinking coffee in the windshield, wondering why no-one else in the park was up, when I finally looked at a clock in the front room and discovered my mistake.  When we crossed back into Central Time the day before, we reset all the clocks except the one we wake up by.  It’s not like I didn’t mean to reset that one; that’s my job.  As we were going to bed, I picked it up to reset it, discovered it was dead, found the right plug-in to recharge it, brought it back to life, set it for seven, and went to sleep.  I got a little distracted and missed one little step.

 

We’re at Elk Rock State Park on Lake Red Rock, southeast of Des Moines.

 

2017 summer trip map

 

The campground loop has 21 spaces.  We took one and that left the other 20 spaces open.  This is a very nice yard to have to ourselves.

 

 

 

 

Warm and comfortable outside.  A campfire later.

 

RE: Whoever thought concrete freeways would be a good idea

 

2017 summer trip map

 

Whoever thought concrete freeways would be a good idea

 

…should be consigned to drive an RV on them every day for the rest of their life.  (We drove on a lot of concrete today in Michigan.)

 

But we’ve left Michigan behind.  We passed through the top left corner of Indiana and are halfway through Illinois at another charming KOA campground.

 

 

 

 

We’ve been on the tanks for days and were ready for hookups to dump and fill.  Tomorrow, back to state parks.

 

They asked us if we wanted a secluded site

 

We said yes.

 

 

 

Sleepy Hollow State Park, north of Lansing, Michigan.

 

2017 summer trip map

 

Moving on

 

Our time in Ontario is winding down.  Time to move on.

 

Next up, Colorado.

 

2017 summer trip map

 

It's not perfect here

 

The windshield view isn’t as good as some.

 

But what a glorious place to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barb and Henry's house

 

2017 summer trip map

 

We think our coach looks really good in their driveway.

 

It’s springtime.  The grass is green.  Flowers are blooming.  Trees are budding out.  The lilacs are in full bloom.

 

The neighborhood looks great.

 

Bailey picked the bed that’s a little big.

 

Henry found the one that was just right.

 

It’s good to be here.

 

 

We've left the country

 

It has been rainy the last couple days.  This was our morning view at Beaver Meadows.

 

We went to Canada.

 

We didn’t leave the U.S. because it’s rainy; it’s rainy in Canada too.  We left because Memorial Day Weekend is coming up.  Memorial Day Weekend is the kick-off of camping season.  We’re on our way to Colorado, but there isn’t a camping reservation remaining to be had in the U.S.!  Lucky for us we have friends in high places; high being north.  We weren’t planning on going to Canada this trip, but this is the trip of shifting plans, and what a great excuse to go visit our friends Barb and Henry in Ontario, and camp in their driveway!

 

We’ve done this before; visit Barb and Henry.  Four years ago we crossed the border without a hitch.  This time, we didn’t end up in the express-pass-only lane at the Peace Bridge crossing into Canada because we weren’t paying attention.  It was because we were carefully following the arrows for RVs and Trucks, and suddenly found that the only lane open in front of us was for express passes only, and we don’t get to back-up when we’re towing.  The tow-car system is only designed for moving forward.  It doesn’t work in reverse.  If there is no room for a U-turn, we go straight ahead.  The agent at the booth was almost kind as he explained our mistake to us.  We should have followed the arrows for automobiles.  Oh well.  He processed us, then sent us over to the inspection station.  I guess that was our penance for our mistake; to get inspected.

 

2017 Summer Trip Map

 

Rain again today.  We decided to make an easy day of it and stopped for the night at the Niagara Falls KOA, on the Canada side.  It’s wet here too.

 

 

 

They found a fairly dry spot for us though.

 

Canada.  Tomorrow we forge deeper into this strange foreign land.  If you don’t hear from us for a while, it will be because I’m busy; I’ll be practicing thinking in kilometers.

 

Wednesday

 

We did it again.  Another pastoral setting.  Beaver Meadow Family Campground at Java Center.

 

2017 Summer Trip Map

 

 

 

Met up with Rock and Ginny at their house in East Otto.

 

 

Got a Very nice dinner out of the deal at the Roycroft Inn in East Aurora.

 

 

A super stop.

 

 

I was right yesterday

 

I definitely feel 8 hours smarter today!

 

Meanwhile, Judy had to find a way to occupy herself all day while I had my face and ears glued to a computer screen getting educated.  She was wonderfully productive.  She went to town first thing and got some blood drawn for a lab test in anticipation of seeing our family physician when we get to Colorado.  Then she drove to a town the other direction and got the oil changed in the minivan.  Then she drove back to town the first direction to do some shopping.  Altogether she stayed away until about 2.  Unfortunately, the class originated in Colorado on Mountain Time, so it went until 6:30 where we are, in Eastern Time.  She still had a lot of time to kill.

 

Tomorrow, off we go to Buffalo, or thereabouts, East Otto to be specific.  Going to stop by and say hi to my old friend Rock; friends since the Army days.

 

 

On our way again

 

2017 Summer Trip Map

 

The weather has been so sunny and warm this trip; mostly in the 90s; some 80s.  Today it got cool and rainy.  We stopped for the night at the Canandaigua/Rochester KOA, an area brother David should be well familiar with.  Finger Lakes Region.

 

Another nice camp.

 

 

 

No driving tomorrow.  I’m attending an all-day continuing education conference (digitally).  By tomorrow night I’ll be 8 hours smarter!

 

Sunday

It has been an exciting last couple weeks.  Today, a quiet catch-up day at home.

 

Becky already dropped Brian and Conner off at the airport in Albany; Conner had a commitment back in Colorado.  One more visit in Great Barrington for Judy and me, with Becky, Teigan, Tony, and Jen for dinner.  Tomorrow, Becky flies home to Colorado.  Tony and Teigan will drive home to Colorado together in Tony’s car.  We drive north.

 

Graduation day

 

We all collected on campus.  It’s a really nice campus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waiting for the ceremony to begin.  Simon's Rock graduation

 

Caught the processional coming in.  Processional

 

Tony is the fourth person behind the bagpiper.  Girlfriend Jen is twentieth.

 

Tony getting his diploma.

 

 

 

Great weather for the photos in the sunshine afterwards.

 

 

 

With girlfriend Jen.

 

Henry got into the act.

 

Finished up the day with a home cooked dinner at our house.  (Thank you Judy and Becky.)