Wednesday, 30 August – day 2 at Bass River Resort, MO

OMG the night was so quiet and peaceful, no traffic, trains, dogs or even people, just us and the stars.

We take our time getting up, waiting for the sun to come up over the shady tree to our left.  We have decided today will be a R&M day, fixing and cleaning.  All goes to plan and many things are ticked off the list.

I have been over to talk to the horses, one is a bully, the chestnut with the white snowflakes on his rump!  And also went to talk to the hummingbirds!!

 


Dang, those hummingbirds are quick!

We were delivered some firewood so decide we will cook our steaks out on the fireplace/grill tonight and throw some jacket potatoes in the embers.  We don’t have much in the way of kindling though and our Walmart machete is just slightly better than useless but eventually a fire is almost roaring!  There are some people in the neighbouring cabins who are also trying to get a fire started, and a trailer at the end of our row and that is all, we pretty much have the whole place to ourselves.

Bass River Resort Site Map, it's a big place!

Tuesday, 29 August – Missouri, Bass River Resort, Steelville

This KOA at Granite City, IL is not ideally located if you are looking for a nice relaxing holiday, too much traffic noise, although it suits us for an overnighter.  The staff and the neighbours were nice!

We get on the road about quarter to ten, its sunny and a balmy 24C.  Fridge is working fine on propane - yay!! We head back over the same route as yesterday, HWY 277 circling to the west of St Louis then new territory as we head west on the I44 which is also Route 66 in some places.  Nice drive, it got a bit misty but it soon cleared.
 

Then we had to make a decision – the two GPS’s said to take a back road from Bourbon, south to Bass River but the IPad said to go further along I44, then take a south on MO 19 at Cuba to Steelville.  The elapsed time was going to be the same but the back country route was less miles so we opted for the ‘scenic’ route!  Bad mistake!!  We got to within a bulls roar (7 miles) of the camp then the road petered out to gravel.  There was absolutely no traffic, no people - in fact we stopped in the middle of the T intersection for about 5 minutes, while I took photos and we had a board meeting about what to do.  

This is decision time, road is no long paved!

This is where the GPS wants us to go, seriously!!  She knows we don't do gravel!
Gravel if we go left too!!
We hate turning back but common sense prevailed – skinny, overgrown, unknown, gravel road, no cell cover, no passing traffic and the half dozen warning signs we had passed saying ‘road impassable in high water’ with depth gauges marking up to 3 feet!  Of course, we are thinking Harvey and Houston’s 50 inches of water… all which could be heading this way!  So we do turn back and 45 minutes later when we got to the camp and the walkabout is all forgotten.  

It’s lovely and there’s hardly anyone here, we have the pick of sites so choose one resaonably close to the office so we can get WIFI, as there is no cell coverage.  This camp was voted of the top ten in Missouri.  We are in the Ozarks - a range of low mountains, plateaus and lots and lots of water.  The Ozarks cover a good chunk of southern Missouri and overflow into Arkansas and Oklahoma. We are definitely in river country and this camp is one of many offering canoeing, rafting, kayaking and tubing adventures down the rivers, plus horse riding.  There’s a pool and they even have freshly made pizza with delivery to your site should you wish!

View of the motorhome from the Courtois River, the local 'floating' river

View of the motorhome from the horse corral
  

Monday, 28 August – St Louis IL – still….

Nice sunny morning. We pack up and are ready to head off before 10am.  Hmm… the fridge is beeping - it doesn’t want to run on LP!!  So check out the propane tank and find the cut off switch/solenoid is not switching over so no gas is getting through to any appliance!  It’s not the end of the world as we know it, we just turn on the generator and run the fridge that way!  But we google - shed loads, make multiple phone calls, U-Tube and everything else we can think of!  The phone calls aren’t getting us anywhere (we aren’t even exactly sure what the Americans call such things) so we get on the road - it’s about 11.30 now and we need to either leave or stay another night here.   

Enroute we stop off at Lowes (kiwi version of Mitre 10) and buy a magnet, maybe that will reset the solenoid switch - but it doesn’t!  However we do get some more local knowledge suggestions on where to go next.  After another drop in and some more suggestions and a few more wild goose chases (Apache Village RV Center a few miles away in Missouri are booked out until October – seriously!!  Are you at all efficient??) we decide bugger it, we will just find a campground with electric and internet. We are in Missouri now, having crossed the Mississippi River which is the state line.

Missouri state line in the middle of the Mississippi

Hope we get a nice welcome!!
It’s already 3.30 pm and the black clouds have yielded thunder and the rain has just started tinkling, so we head across the Mississippi back to Illinois (many more overnight options in this state rather than in the same 30 mile radius in Missouri) and book in at the KOA at Granite City, IL.  They are very helpful they have a tame mobile RV service guy – Dan’s Mobile RV Service.  We phone Dan and he will come tomorrow morning at 9.30am, bless him!

After the rain shower stops, Kim goes out and has another play and manages to fix said solenoid thingy!! So we phone Dan and cancel tomorrow, save $70 for call out and $70 per hour labour!!  It’s been one of those 'I need a wine days'!!

Sunday 27 – St Louis, IL – Casino Queen RV Park

Sun streamed in at 7.30am and it was warm this morning so we are up early.  Decide we will go south to St Louis and stay one night at the Casino and do some sightseeing during the afternoon.  Although apart from the Arch there doesn’t seem to be overly much for us to do there.

Had a good trip down on the I55, route 66 run alongside us for a while.  There were some Route 66 highlights on the way, obviously we couldn’t do the drive-in at Litchfield but we did see the Pink Elephant Antique Mall with the rather obvious pink elephant out front.  Antiques are obviously big business here, we often see whole malls dedicated to antiques.  Another stop we should have made (will put it on the list for next time) was the Country Classic Cars sales yard at Staunton. Got a blurry photo as we motored passed it.

First glimpse of the Arch driving toward St Louis
We got to the Casino Queen in East St Louis which is just a mile off the I55 and easy to find, except for the road works and checked in.  Rather expensive at $53/night - with the Good Sam discount, for a no frills park, no picnic table, no shady trees nor ambience but we do have 50 amp, water and sewer so the AC can run all day and night - it is 33.7C outside!  Of the 132 sites we are allocated 513, a big pull through site. 

I raid the brochures stand at the RV Park Mini Mart and pick the assistant’s brains on how to catch to metro etc. and we are off.  The casino shuttle takes us to the Metro station just on the other side of the casino.  We buy a couple of two hours passes and get on the right platform for the westbound train.  Immediately we cross over the Mississippi so I guess we are now technically in Missouri.  The third stop at 8th and Pine is the one closest to the Arch so we get off and walk a few blocks to see it.  Very impressive! It is huge at 630 feet high and easily the tallest monument in America.

Gateway Arch, St Louis, MO
Then we get on the Downtown Trolley and for $2 we can ride all day.  We do about half the trolley route and get off at the City Museum but it seems pretty much an amusement park for kids so have a quick look around and catch the trolley again.  It runs every 20 minutes or so.  We try to find the Route 66 Walk of Fame and Chuck Berry’s statue on Delmar Blvd but Kim has had enough walking already so we catch the trolley again and see the sights all the way to Union Station where we abandon the trolley in favour of the Metro to head back over the river to Illinois and the coach.  The first Metro stop is right at Busch Stadium and the Cardinals have just finished a game, the platform was a sea of red tee shirts!

Busch Stadium, home to the St Louis Cardinals, major league Baseball

Scottrade Centre, home of the St Louis Blues, professional  Ice Hockey team

We got back to the Casino in no time at all and wandered around inside sussing out options for dinner tonight.  Being a Sunday there is limited choice, the Market Street Buffet finished at 2pm and the Prime Steakhouse is closed tonight but the Roast Prime Rib of Beef and Salad at Sevens for a very reasonable $14.95 beckons Kim.  But that’s for later!

Time first to put our feet up, have a cold drink and research where to next.

Watching the news on the catastrophic flooding in Houston – unbelievable how much water they are having to deal with – 50 inches!   Our friend Andrew who looks after our coach while it is in storage hasn't been affected luckily but the UHaul where we store it appears to be under water!  Heart goes out to all those affected!  


Now this is interesting, on Wednesday night the largest ever US Lottery Jackpot of $758.7 million (NZ$1 billion) lottery was won by a single ticket and we saw the TV interview with the 53 year old Massachusetts women winner.   She could have taken the jackpot as a $758.7 million prize paid in 30 installments over 29 years, but instead Mavis chose to take a lump sum payment of $480 million, which works out to $336 million after initial taxes are withheld by the lottery!!  In many USA states (except for 6) it is law that the winner must do some PR stuff??  On the same news channel they report that at least one previous winner was murdered because it was well known who he was and where to find him.  That's just crazy!!  

Saturday, 26 August – Sangchris Lake SP, IL

Last night we stayed at the campground in the 4H Fairgrounds and Park, in Pontiac.  The premises are shared by a Gun Club - hope they are not having a meet today.  Another lovely sunset viewed between the trees.  A freak’n dog barked/howled - incessantly all night, we could hear it even through the closed double glazed windows with both internal doors closed!

Woke to a beautiful sunny and hot day.  It was 25C by the time we were ready to leave at 9.30am.  The campground was on some kind of a jogging/marathon route but they were all done and dusted by 9am.  The Gun Club swung into gear around 8.30am.


We stopped in at Funks Grove Rest Area to see the Route 66 Memorabilia but apart from some interesting facts and info we read outside there was nothing displayed inside as expected.  Next stop was McLean, got photos of the Dixie Plaza, the original site of Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame.

Dixie Plaza - diesel is commands a premium here!
We dove on Route 66 and pulled off at Atlanta but we couldn’t find the Bunyon Giant??  Did see more murals on the downtown buildings though.  This is a very old town!
  
Original Route 66 runs alongside I55
We drive on Route 66, road quality is lacking as you would imagine!
Route 66 mural in old town Atlanta IL
We’ve had our Route 66 fixes for the day so after a stop for some supplies at Walmart head further south through Springfield to Lake Sangchris SP and booked into Hickory Point CG, hoping for a waterfront site.  However it is Saturday and they only have two available sites so we take number 2 which has 50 amp power and settle ourselves in for the rest of the day.  Not much shade at the moment at 1pm but should come later in the afternoon when we will need it.  Shame no waterfront sites free but we will go for a walk soon and check the lake out anyway.


Friday, 25 August – Pontiac IL

We sleep in deservedly after our early get-up yesterday and when it warms up take ourselves off to hike the Central Trail Loop by the lake.  We get it right today, don’t go walkabout this time and it’s a nice walk.  There are 9 miles of trails within the 700 acres of the Preserve.  Kim waits for me on a park bench while I powerwalk the loop around the lake, he is watching the work being done on replacing the 50 year old natural gas line which dissects the Burnidge Forest Preserve.  The line was originally buried underground but is now being rebuilt above round to preserve the land.

Then around 11am we hit the road driving south to meet up with I55, through the attractive little town of Geneva.  We need diesel pretty soon and the first stop is a Speedway.  The pump would only give us $35 worth so I go inside to get them to release the pump so we can get more, but the nice little Indian man could not find a way to release the pump without an actual quantity of diesel being dispensed.  So after a few futile minutes holding up the queue we are outta there and looking for a better option which eventuates 3 miles down the road and it was $0.15/gallon cheaper!  But now I am starting to feel sorry for the little Indian man who lost a $100 sale.

We detour off the I55 at Dwight so we can drive some of Route 66 - take some photos on the way through. 

Ambler-Becker Texaco - Route 66 Dwight IL

More old petrol bowsers - Dwight IL
Then mosie on to Pontiac where we find the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame.  It was brilliant, could have spent hours there, very well done.  Exhibits really celebrated the glory days, portraying life in the 1940’s, lots of war stuff too and the Bob Waldmire experience (Road Yacht and VW Minivan in which he toured Route 66).  Then we wandered around the town looking at the murals and the miniature Art Cars, so cute! Took heaps of photos, wore out one battery and half of the spare.

Iconic Route 66 Mural, Pontiac IL

Mini-Me

Chevy Road Yacht, how you did it back in the day!

Mural Route 66 route from Chicago to LA

Coke Mural, Pontiac IL


Thursday, 24 August – Elgin, IL

OMG - we are up so early this morning, we will be at Georges (Champion Frame and Alignment) by 8am.  We leave the coach in his tender capable care and head off with the nice Enterprise man who has kindly come to collect us to take us to the office to pick up our rental car for today.  We got a Nee-Sahn, dark blue again!  So we have a look around Elgin.  First we find the Grand Victoria Casino which is an actual paddle boat, floating on the Fox River.  They used to have to actually leave shore to gamble here, great to supply a captive audience for a few hours at a time.

Grand Victoria Casino, Elgin IL
Then we let decadence have a hand and stop for brunch at Dunkin Donuts where we sample some of the munchkins - Donut Holes, so we got to taste three flavours - jelly, glazed and original.  But we shared so it wasn't too bad and they were only the holes!  Coffee was OK too.

The huge Spring Hill Shopping Mall is next, where I while a happy hour or three shopping and Kim contemplates going to the movies.  The one he wants to see is not on until 1.30pm so he finds a comfortable chair, buys and paper and a magazine and tries to keep his eyes open.  Eventually I take pity on him, bribe him with a yummy Cinnabon which means I am in credit so we are off to find the closest Ross Dress for Less store.  These are great shops, they sell branded clothes as well as junk so you have to pick your way through it all, so there goes another 'happy for me' hour.

George phones and says the coach is all ready to go so we head back there to settle the account, then take the rental car back and head back to our home away from home for the last three nights, Paul Wolff Campground, just 5 miles away.  We pick a site which get the evening and morning sun this time and settle in for the night.  Get some nice sunset photos from here.

From Site 60 at Paul Wolff Camground, IL
The coach handles so much better with the new bushings… but there is a story!  First  Monaco sent the wrong bushings (credit to follow), they didn’t match the one taken off.  The ones George found in his ‘box of bits’ matched the one taken off,  but…  that’s the wrong one anyway, they need to be double the width, like the other side.  So to cut the story short, the least worn correct size bushing is left in place, but reinserted, and two narrower ones are fitted on the bad side to make the right width.  Follow??


After all the rubbish we have eaten today, the plan is for a healthy dinner.   We found more of the Flat Iron steak which is really delish and we have that with salad.  Some left over for tomorrow – yum!

Wednesday, 23 August - Paul Wolff CG, Elgin IL

Woke to another beautiful blue sky although it wasn’t very warm first thing.  We need to think about heading south soon - those birds know something.

After breakfast we decided we needed some exercise so go for a nice little walk along one of the many tracks threading through the Burnidge Forest Preserve.  However, we took a wrong turning fairly early on and ended up walking the South Trail Loop, the longest purple track - all 2.24 miles of it!  Nice easy walk though, flat with a shelly pea metal sort of surface.  The only wildlife we saw was a frog, jumping across the path in front of us, but we saw plenty of signs of deer and raccoons too.


Talked to George late afternoon, Monaco sent the wrong bushes!  No surprises there!  However George then had a root around in his attic and found two of the exact ones we need so we are good for tomorrow morning at 8am.  We have booked a rental car for the day as there is nothing around George’s place to entertain us for an hour or two, or a few hours, if it doesn’t go smoothly.  We need to get some groceries too otherwise we will be back to drinking black tea!


Tuesday, 22 August, Paul Wolff CG, Elgin IL

We stooged around all morning, waiting to hear back from George.  Will the coach be in today, or not?  No word by 2 pm so we booked our site for another night.  

Eventually talked with George, he hasn’t heard back from Monaco as to when they got the parts away and after spending three hours yesterday trying to make contact with them is loathe to try again right now – understandable.

At least it is a nice sunny warm day, perfect for sitting out in our recliners reading etc.  We seem to do that a lot really, but a very enjoyable relaxing pastime!  The campground is getting busier, more comings than goings but still our loops is only about 25% full.


Monday, 21 August to Elgin, IL

Skipped breakfast at the hotel this morning, we both felt like our usual cereal and fresh fruit.  Next chore was to return the rental car and as usual Enterprise kindly dropped us back at the motorhome, great service.  We checked out of the Casino RV Park with a quick stop at the hotel to return our bathroom cards and avail ourselves of a takeaway coffee each.

Our plan today is to head north towards Elgin to have George at Champion Frame and Alignment check out the bushes on the trailing arms, one of which has ‘walked’ out.  We have an appointment there at 1pm so have an hour to kill enroute.  Happily I see a Kohls in a huge mall so that’s where I whiled away some time getting my retail therapy fix.  We are still technically in Chicago!!  Our impression of Chicago was overall good, lots of green space/parks, beaches, river, old architecture and ultra modern tall buildings and a focus on food and music too.  It helped to have awesome weather for our stay!  We didn't see Bad Bad Leroy Brown while we were in south Chicago, but may have seen his brother!

Duly arrive at Champion Frame and George takes a look and suggests the bushes are worn.  He is going to check out the parts availability, they will have to come from Monaco and he will phone us with a quote and time frame to have the repairs carried out.  Good enough!

It was while we are Champion that the total solar eclipse occurred!!  Marsha shared her piece of welding goggle glass with us so we could look at the sun and they had TV on as well so we could see what the rest of the country was seeing.  Unfortunately there was some cloud cover here at Elgin and we are just a bit too far north to see the 100% eclipse, it only got to about 95% because of the angle.  But looking through the glass you could still see the perfect sphere in front of the sun.

This is what we saw pretty much!
So we head off to Paul Wolff Campground, just a few miles away and book in for at least one night, until we know what the plan will be with George.  We stayed here in 2015 when we had the big problem with the trailing arms so it’s nice to be here again without that stress.  It’s 26C, the sun is trying to poke through the clouds and we almost have the whole loop to ourselves, the campground is not very busy at all.

Sunday, 20 August – Chicago

Must have been tired, we are not up at the crack of dawn today but don’t waste too much time.  Another clear sunny morning though. Breakfast over in the hotel is better today, bacon instead of sausage and gravy, which looked like white mush you wouldn’t recognise – glad there was a sign to help us out!

We are on the road around 10am and head back into Chicago city – first stop is the Obama’s house which was a bit hard to find but we did the block again and found it second time around.  There was a ‘black and white’ police car parked outside – a bit of a clue!

Then we stopped at a beach on the south side of Chicago.  Two separate paved paths one for bikes and one for joggers shadow the lake front.  You pay for parking here though.

Then we are off on a search for a car park close to the beginning of Route 66.  The Mother Road starts right here in Chicago!  After a couple of block rotations we unknowingly park right outside it – yay us!

Sadly not much of the original Route 66 is left : (
We parked here under the L train lines, next to the Route 66 sign
And this is what you come back to, dastardly birds!!
We have a couple of hours here on the meter so wander west and see what is there.  Come across the Willis Building, previously known as the Sears building and the second highest in Chicago.  I am glad this is it, as I have been taking photos of it for two days from various points of the compass.

Back in the car and decide we want to have a meander along the River Walk so find a car park over the bridge and walk back and alongside the Chicago River.  It is humming, the river is busy with tour boats, private runabouts, party boats, hire electric boats, jet skis and kayaks etc. and on the shore are many lively cafĂ©’s, bars, more bars and restaurants, oh and lots of people.


Chicago River Walk
All the time our necks are craned skywards as the supersonic boom of the fighter planes echo overhead and we have to search between the high rises to catch a glimpse.  The noise echoes so much it is hard to know which direction to look and often you just see the jet stream following the amazing stunt they just did and you missed.  There is a big line up of participants.


The Blue Angels are my favourite
We head north to more open spaces to see if we can see more the air shows but traffic is a bitch, every possible space you might pull off to get a view is cordoned off, sometimes by snow plows and guarded by police vehicles.  They move you on pretty smartly if you stop.

The show is over by 3pm so we should leave the big city of Chicago and so decide to take a ‘no motorway’ route to get back to Joilet.  We see much more of real Chicago, where the real people live which is a mix of old graffiti-ed brick apartment buildings and new free standing expensive looking three story homes.
 
We must have tuckered ourselves out yesterday we are ready for home by 5pm. Tonight’s dinner is the reheated left over deep dish pizza “box” from last night, ¾ of it was left and it reheated perfectly in the convection oven.  All gone tonight though, no holding back.


Saturday, 19 August – Chicago IL

The day starts with our complimentary brunch over at the hotel.  We had to wait for fresh hot foods to be brought out but it was good!  Enterprise Rental Cars will be collecting us around 9.30 to take us to the depot to pick up our car.  We have a metallic, electric blue Hyundai Sonata and it’s a nice care.  I think we are getting two free days car rental, due to the number of loyalty points we have amassed – happy!

So we head into Chicago along HWY 55 which morphs into Route 66 at some stage.  Just less than an hour later we have taken our place as two of Chicago’s 50 million visitors this year.  The population here is upwards of 2.75 million – it’s a big place!  We rock up to the Visitors Centre we previously identified and find a convenient park just along the road - we are right outside Millenium Park!   Parking was reasonably priced $6.50/hour and just required a swipe of the credit card.  First stop is to use the bathrooms at the Jay Pritzker Pavillion - tonight they are holding a free concern - Beethovens Symphony No. 9.  They have all the chairs laid out for the guests and the “Great Lawn” is ready for the overflow. 

First real glimpse of Chicago


Chicago has another moniker - Windy city - but it’s not today.  Couldn’t be better, picture perfect even, it’s sunny and hot.

Right across from there is the Cloud Gate Plaza where we take the photo opportunities with ‘the bean’.  The Millennium Park is lovely with fountains, gardens, sculptural art and walkways.  We took the BP bridge a boardwalk bridge which takes the punters across the roadway to Maggie Daley Park – Maggie was a past mayor and this fun park built on top of carparks is named in her honour. 

Cloud Gate - 'The Bean'
Just across the road is the Chicago Cultural Centre which displays the largest stained glass dome in the world.  It was completed in 1897 as Chicago’s first central public library and a memorial to the Civil War Union Army.  The building was inspired by the structures of ancient Greece and Rome and the Italian Renaissance.  They did use sumptuous materials. 

Largest Tiffany-Stained Glass Dome in the world
We wander up Michigan Avenue cross the Chicago river checking out the 1.25 mile Chicago Riverwalk on the way and on up to the Magnificent Mile, a dozen or so blocks of designer boutique, upscale shopping centres, stopping along the way for an icecream at Ghirardelli Chocolate, a business which has been serving Americans for over 165 years.

On the flip side, beggars and homeless are on every street corner.  Although they are relatively polite - just shaking their plastic drink cups but the rattling does get on your nerves somewhat.  And then there are some which approach saying “I don’t want to sleep on the street tonight” but back off when you don’t buy into it.  Alternatively the bucket thumping drummers earn their dollars!

.
Trump Tower - architects apparently mock it's toothpick look
But to be fair here is a better representation and it's on prime real estate!
Back to rescue our car from the possibility of a parking ticket and to rest our weary feet by driving down to the Lake Michigan lakefront and then north. Today and tomorrow the 59th annual Chicago Air and Water Show is being held.  We have never seen so many boats in one place, they line an invisible line about 150 metres offshore.  Spectators several layers deep throng the beaches and parks.  Look at them on this bridge:

The masses on the overbridge to North Beach for the Air and Water  Show
We carry on north, the traffic is pretty much stopped and we can’t escape so we go with the flow, turn when we finally can and then make our way back south.  We line ourselves up to check out the Wrigley Park but there is an event on and all the roads are blocked off, with police doing point duty at each intersection.


This is as close as we could get to Wrigley Field
We try to get into Giordano’s for their famous stuffed deep dish pizza.  The city branch had queues lining the sidewalk and there is a 45 minute wait so we ask Garmin to find another one, perhaps further out in the suburbs and find one close to home, in Joliet.  And WOW, it was awesome, it looked exactly like the picture.  We could not do it justice though, after our Bruschetta we could only manage one piece each and had to take the rest home in a box.  Def need more practice!!


Giordano's World Famous Stuffed Deep Dish Pizza - yum!!

Friday, 18 August – Hollywood Casino, Joliet IL

The night was quiet and peaceful.  The issue with staying at a park with seasonals (people who live there pretty much permanently or at least for the season) is that they get up early to go to work.  So from around 6am and even a bit before, their headlights seek out our windows and their truck engines grumble as they drive past.

Today we are off towards Chicago – yay!

We cross the state line into Illinois and at the same time we change time zones, today we have an extra hour to enjoy : )  The road signs to Michigan City confuse us, Michigan City is not in Michigan – it is in Indiana so there you go!

They must need a lot of stuff in Chicago, trucks make up the most traffic heading in!
We arrive uneventfully around 11.30 and check in the Hollywood Casino RV Park for three nights.  We have 50 amp and water, good TV, good cell and intermittent free WIFI.  The laundry is out of action but we can use the one in the hotel if we wish.   As well as the complimentary breakfast we are offered a discount card for some free gambling - as long as you invest $10 up front they give you $10 ore to gamble, and discounts for the three eating options at the Casino.  There are about a dozen sites being used when we arrive at the RV Park but by 6pm the place is chocca.  A whole gaggle of French campers in a range of camping equipment have inundated the CG.

Rather full RV Park at Hollywood Casino, Joliet IL

Had to go check out the casino!!

Thursday, 17 August – Mini Mountain Campground, New Carlisle, Indiana

No internet last night and no TV so we watched a movie which turned it into a late night.  Up early – again - and just as well because the team were working on our coach by 7am.

By 9.30am we are all repaired and ready for the road, except for settling the account.  WTF - $1,266 to replace a radiator hose!!!  Rather extreme and more than what we were expecting!  After some polite ‘discussion’ (that was me, otherwise it may not have been so polite) about what was fair and what was realistic, which got us nowhere, we paid up and left albeit with a somewhat bitter taste.  Revenge will come with many caustic reviews and comments on every RV forum we can find. 

We drove an hour or so west and stopped at Mini Mountain CG, New Carlisle, Indiana for the night.  We have a full hook up and the pool doesn’t have anyone at it but we don’t’ even make use of it this afternoon, it is hot and sunny but a storm is forecast.  The storm didn’t eventuate and it continued to be a nice afternoon.

Made reservations for an RV park and a rental car in Chicago tomorrow.  We are staying at Hollywood Casino, Joliet – the cheapest option I could find on the outskirts of Chicago.  We stayed here in 2015 and liked it.

We got some neighbours in around 6 pm, a family of four and a dog in a travel trailer but they went out again in the truck soon after. 


Kim spent an hour or so exacting some revenge by posting comments regarding his dissatisfaction with MasterTech RV  in Elkhart on Yelp and Facebook, emails etc.  More to follow I am sure! 

That little curved brass bit joining the radiator hose must be gold!!

Wednesday, 16 August – Elkhart, Indiana

On the road early this morning, we are on another mission - so by 8.15am we are on the way, driving south down HWY 131 skirting Kalamazoo and shortly after we  cross the state line into Indiana – the crossroads of America!

Indiana - Crossroads of America
Arrive at Master Tech RV at Elkhart IN, just after 10am and check in.  It all starts well enough and the old hose is off before noon and a new hose is ordered and being collected while the techo has lunch.  Meantime we are just stooging about inside the workshop, me inside the coach reading and Kim outside helping. About 3pm, after a couple of hours of no action, there is a rather loud ‘discussion’ with the boss about priorities, the new hose is back but the technician isn’t aware of it and now there is a rush to get it fitted and us out the door before closing time.  Around 5pm they admit they can’t get the hose onto the reservoir tank and need another elbow hose to increase the diameter from 1.25” to 1.5” to make it fit.  That will have to be in the morning!  So we are somewhat reluctantly invited to stay overnight inside the huge workshop which is about 30 bays big. 

Our home for the night
Broc, the lovely Sales Manager drops us off at Antonio's, his favourite Italian Restaurant for dinner and he promises to pick us up afterwards, we should just phone him when we are ready.  It was a fabulous authentic Italian dinner, Broc recommended the pasta in vodka sauce – now that has my name written all over it!  Only one hesitation,  I missed out on doing ‘dry July’ because basically I forgot, so started to do dry August instead, actually I started a few days before the end of July.  But as I was having vodka in my main course thought I would have a wine as well – it has been one of those days when you just need a glass of wine!  I will carry on with my dry August tomorrow : )  Kim has not sworn off alcohol for any month and enjoyed a huge 24oz chilled glass of IPA and intended to have one of the Montepulciano (we tasted a couple of wines before choosing) with dinner but it all got too much for him, what with the bruschetta, salad, fresh bread and authentic Lasagne - belly now tight as a drum!!  Both of us!!  Broc was just having a drink in the bar while we finished then he dropped us back at the coach for the night.

Yep, I'll have a 24 oz IPA


Thursday, 19 October – Houston TX to Wellington NZ

Yay, today we go home!  Well not until 9pm tonight actually, so first a visit to the Outlet Mall I think : )  Need to fill in the day someh...