June 2: I think I mentioned that when I said I wanted to get a haircut she was perhaps a bit over enthusiastic about the idea…absent minded professor look I believe she said. Well I felt 10# lighter and I think we even got better gas mileage with my new look. It has become exciting and more real that we are heading home to Maine. Jo corrects me when I say home in Maine as we live in Florida more than Maine but I will always think of at east one of our homes being in New England (and I do love Florida and our friends and neighbors there too). But we are getting closer to our place in Maine. And I am ready.
The next stop was an overnight in DeForest, Wisconsin. This was a stop to rest and eat and sleep. These one nighters set up and take down are a bit easier as I don’t usually even unhook my trailer. We typically have water, electricity and sewer hookups so we are able to be comfortable in our trailer but much less to do and undo. These one night stops are typically planned to be right of the road we are traveling and usually a KOA or Good Sam predictable stop. This one was most of that. I say most. Of that because it had all the hookups and was right off the interstate but wasnt a KOA. It had good ratings on the camping websites so looked great.
Well on arrival we had to go over a speed bump about ten feet high to get into a massive parking lot with plenty of room to skid to a stop even without the mountain ridge. That one bump at 5 mph rearranged quite a bit in the trailer. Nothing broken we checked in and like many good campgrounds we were led to our site by an employee in a golf cart swinging wide around corners to ensure we knew to do the same (as if I wasnt already a wide turn expert after one curb and 6000 mile lol. But hey its nice when Im tired to be reminded (unless its Jo of course lol…I know how to drive!!!) Did I say it has been a lot of driving and Im a bit tired.
On arrival at our site I had all the hookups but quickly noticed every other site or so appeared to be a full timer. Grass unmown or dead, bikes and decks and sheds, dogs chained out and…….clearly not moving on. I understand that seasonal workers, locus teens docs and nurses, snowbirds there for the summer all use campgrounds but as we headed east across the Midwest it became apparent that campgrounds were becoming more stationary parks not RV going somewhere parks despite the advertising as such. I think there must be some licensing reason they are trying to get around by having a few mobile visitors for appearance and advertising sake. It is also likely a reflection of the real economy with people working multiple jobs to make ends meet but still not making enough to afford a house. That said it is very uncomfortable plopping into someone’s full time residence surrounded by people who know each other and arent ready to share travel stories. I kind of felt guilty that we had the ability to own a travel trailer we didn’t call home and the money to travel just to see the sights and visit friends. Probably God’s way of making me appreciate all we have but it is much more fun to pull into sites with others passing through like us. I hope this comes across as reflecting my discomfort barging in to others homes rather than joining others who are passing through and not that I have a problem with people living someplace for an extended time. Just not what I was expecting and not something we saw on our way West so much as the northern states coming home. We are truly fortunate and blessed and I realize that every day.
The site was nice and felt safe and served it’s purpose getting us some rest before heading on but no real time to see stuff other than the usual water tower with the city’s name. I want one in our town as it is kind of classic and shows pride in being from somewhere I think. Now on to a highly rate/reviewed campground on a lake where I was able to snag a waterfront site for two days R&R.
Bill and Jo’s Road Trip 