Today we checked into Fort Desoto County Park Campground in Pinellas County for three nights. We are in Site #174 which is the first site time we’ve stayed in the “No Pets” portion of the campground (Phoebe the cat is not a pet, she is family). The site is on one of the inner campground boat channels, so we are technically on the water. It’s very warm for April today, but there is a front passing through this evening which should give us very nice temperatures and low humidity for the remainder of our stay. We will be watching Florida vs Houston in the final game of March Madness this evening.
Ft Desoto – Site #174Ft Desoto – Site #174Ft Desoto – Site #174
On Tuesday we tried out Red, White and Booze in St Pete Beach (Passe a Grille) for lunch. It replaced the old Sea Critters next to The Wharf restaurant. The food was a little pricey, but very good. I had one of the best Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches ever. Beth’s Cuban was also very good with very good Cuban bread from Ybor City, but the meat was a bit smokier than she likes. We both loved the incredible fries which were shaped like onion peels. Overall, it was a great experience.
Red, White & Booze – Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
On Wednesday, Mom & Dad joined us for lunch at Billy’s Stone Crab. We all ordered grouper nuggets and were not disappointed. Afterwards, we sat outside the camper and watched some dolphins hunt for fish in the bay behind our campsite.
Lunch at Billy’s with Mom & DadHanging Out at the Campground
In the Fall of 2021 we sold our Motorhome and bought a new Travel Trailer. To us, the Travel Trailer life was just fine, but a bit of a hassle on long trips. Basically, we missed the Motorhome lifestyle. Late last year Grand Design came out with their first Motorhome. A Class C on a Sprinter 4500 Chassis. They had just started the assembly line while we were in Indiana last year so we took the factory tour. We liked what we saw and placed an order for one just before Christmas.
All of Grand Design’s Motorhomes are in the Lineage Series, so Beth has named the new Motorhome Lucy (Lucy the Lineage). It arrived at General RV in Dover, FL on Wednesday (3/5/2025) and we picked it up on Saturday (3/8/2025). We only found a couple of issues during our inspection (which they quickly addressed), but fortunately for us one of their technicians noticed an issue with the slide topper and they ended up replacing it with a different model.
We had it home less for than 24 hours, but so far we are very pleased.
Upon Arrival at General RVDeparting General RVArrival HomeLiving Area & BedKitchen from BedTheater Seats from Bed
Today we left Camp David RV Resort in Columbus, GA precisely at 9:30AM EDT. We stopped at Piggly Wiggly on the way out of town to pickup some more bottled water (our cats drink only the best). We took US-280 to GA-520 all the way to US-82 and followed US-82 to I-75 in Tifton, GA. All excellent divided highways (sometimes limited access).
We arrived at White Springs RV Park in White Springs, FL (5 miles North of I-10) just before 2PM EDT. This a very small campground with seven full hookup sites just about one mile East of I-75. The owner, Deb, gives you a huge smile when you hand her cash for your payment. The sites are very shady and it’s unlikely that we could access the Dish satellites unless we placed our antenna as far back in our site as possible. Fortunately, the campground has good WiFi that appears to be throttled right around 4 or 5 Mbps per connection. That was enough to allow us to stream the Rays game using the Bally app on our Roku. We are also picking up one station on our over-the-air antenna and fortunately it’s ABC which will allow us to watch tonight’s college football game (LSU @ USC). Each site has it’s own lined trash can and she provides a nice tray to run your sewer hose on down to the sewer connection. We will be thoroughly flushing our black tank in the morning and then heading home.
This just in, apparently we wasted our time stopping for water at Piggly Wiggly. One of our neighbors has Kroger delivering to their site.
Today we left Camper’s RV Park in Columbia, TN at 9:15AM EDT and continued South on I-65. We picked up US-280 in Birmingham, AL and followed it Southeast for the rest of the day. We stopped for fuel at a RaceTrac gas station in Chelsea, AL. A Publix grocery store was located in the same parking lot, so we celebrated by pre-ordering two “Pub Subs” that Beth picked up when we were finished fueling. We both ate half a sub in the parking lot.
We arrived at Camp David RV Resort in Columbus, GA just after 3:30PM EDT. This campground is just outside the North end of Fort Benning. This is a nice quiet campground a couple of miles South of US-280. All sites have full hookups with 50Amp electrical connections. We are in one of the many long and very level pull through sites that don’t require disconnecting the tow vehicle from the camper. There is no shade in these sites so we’re glad our two air conditioners can handle the 95 degree heat. The campground WiFi signal was strong, but once connected we couldn’t get any access to the internet. Our AT&T hotspot is achieving 6/18 Mbps download/upload speeds. There is a clear view of the southern sky right out our door allowing our Dish satellite antenna to pickup all three satellites (61.5, 110, and 119) from our picnic table. We were also able to pickup 49 channels with our over the air antenna.
Camp David RV Resort – Site #31Camp David RV Resort – Site #31Camp David RV Resort – Site #31
We hit temperatures as high as 102 degrees out on the interstate, but we arrived at the campground to a brisk 99 degrees (it’s a “dry heat”). Our two air conditioners quickly dropped the indoor temperature to 79, but it took a couple more hours to get it down to 73 degrees (no complaints in this heat).
This is a nice quiet campground about one mile East of I-65. When Beth went in to register, she was greeted at the door by a black cat that was nearly identical in appearance and personality to our beloved Mercury. She didn’t cry (much). All sites have full hookups with 50Amp electrical connections. We are located in a small circle of four long and very level pull through transient sites that don’t require disconnecting the tow vehicle from the camper. Each site also includes multiple sewer connections so you don’t ever need more than one sewer hose to reach your dump valves. The campground WiFi is excellent. We have a strong signal with 57/81 Mbps download/upload speeds. Our AT&T hotspot is achieving 91/4 Mbps download/upload speeds. There is a clear view of the southern sky behind the camper allowing our Dish satellite antenna to pickup all three satellites (61.5, 110, and 119). We were also able to pickup all the major networks out of Nashville on our over the air antenna.
Camper’s RV Park – Site #28Camper’s RV Park – Site #28Camper’s RV Park – Site #28
On Thursday we went to Embers Tavern & Grille for lunch. It’s another local establishment that Beth discovered on TripAdvisor. It was delicious. They had a drink on the cocktail menu called a “Grape Ape”. Being a childhood fan of the Grape Ape cartoon I had to try it. It was great. It would probably be hard to replicate, but I’d stop in again and have another one. We had wings as an appetizer and they were nice and crispy and their medium sauce was just a hair under both of our heat limits (our sinuses are clear). A large number of reviews commented very positively on their Philly Cheesesteaks so we both had to try one. Beth’s included mushrooms and peppers and she feels it may be the best she’s ever had. Mine was just onions and I’d definitely rank it in my top 5 ever.
Grape Ape CocktailGrape Ape – IngredientsWingsPhilly CheesesteakPhilly Cheesesteak – Onions Only
Today we left Cade Lake County Park and Campground in Sturgis, MI promptly at 8:45AM EDT and took Beth to Goshen, IN to get her final allergy shot of the road trip. We had a bit of a delay getting started when our power tongue jack decided to stop working. We ended up breaking out a ratchet and socket to override the system manually. While I ratcheted like a mad man I had Beth pull the fuse on the line leading to the jack from the battery. It looked good so I had her reinstall it and suddenly the jack started working again. It was still working when we arrived at our next campground this afternoon, so fingers crossed (Note to Self: Don’t ever forget a cordless drill again).
We arrived at Riverview Campground in Madison, IN at 3:45PM EDT. It was 91 degrees and we setup quickly to get out of the heat. We don’t have any plans to go anywhere tomorrow, so we left the truck connected to the camper. We stayed at this campground back on 7/14/2024 on our trip North. Any details can be found in that blog entry. The only thing that has changed is that the park WiFi has drastically improved and we are able to use it to watch YouTubeTV on our Roku.
On Monday (8/13/2024) we headed 21 miles Northeast to Cade Lake County Park and Campground in Sturgis, MI. We checked in around 1PM EDT. This campground has full hookups and we are parked in a back-in site beside a small canal giving us a clear view of the southwestern sky for easy access to all three Dish Network satellites. We were unable to pickup any channels via antenna. Our Verizon signal is LTE and not very strong at times. We are getting 133/15 Mbps download/upload speeds with our AT&T 5G+ hot spot.
The campground is fairly nice and our site is on a corner and very large. The camp host told us it’s the best site in the campground. For the first four days we had a couple of groups in tents that were of questionable character. The family next to us returned to their tents in the evening long after we had setup and the “Karen” leading the pack (with died blue hair) immediately registered a complaint with the campground about odors allegedly emanating from our sewer connection. When the camp host investigated I told him we had only attached the hose and hadn’t opened any valves eliminating any chance of an odor. We both agreed that there was no odor, but he asked me to dump a gray tank just so it looked like we did something to address the issue. Then he sprayed around our hoses with something from a tank (looked like water) to add to the illusion. Throughout the event he complained under his breath to us about the inordinate number of complaints the blue haired “Karen” had registered and how they all couldn’t wait for her and her tribe to leave Friday. The folks in tents across from us seemed to be living out of them while working full time jobs. We kept everything locked up at all times. Once both of those groups departed, the campground felt “normal”.
Cade Lake CP – Site #18Cade Lake CP – Site #18Beth’s New Buddy
On Saturday (8/3/2024) we headed 8 miles West to Shipshewana Campground South Park in Shipshewana, IN. We checked in just after 1PM EDT. This campground has full hookups and we are parked in a back-in site along the Southern edge of the property giving us a clear view of the southwestern sky for easy access to all three Dish Network satellites. They provide free Wi-Fi that is limited to 3Mbps (too low for streaming). We elected to upgrade to their paid service which bumps the speed up to 5Mbps (for $15/week) allowing streaming. The service was fairly spotty. We would lose our Wi-Fi connection regularly and sometimes the speed would drop to nothing. We hardly had any connectivity Monday and we don’t recommend subscribing to their service in the future. The pasture behind our site is home to small group of beautiful horses.
Shipshewana South Park – Site #126Shipshewana South Park – Site #126Shipshewana South Park – Site #126Exercise TimeNeighborsNap Time for Phoebe
On Monday (7/21/2024) Mom, Dad, and I dropped Beth off at Chicago Midway International Airport and she flew back to Tampa to pickup the grandkids. She and the grandkids spent the night at the Tampa Airport Marriott and flew back to Chicago on Tuesday. My sister Deb and I picked them up at Chicago Midway International Airport and brought them back to Mom & Dad’s (after a stop at the Michigan City, IN White Castle).
We all had a great time with the grandkids. They had fun riding on their great grandfather’s tractors. Penny and Evie learned to operate his Simplicity lawn tractor and Penny even mowed lawn. We spent an afternoon at my childhood friend Paul’s farm where he showed them all of his farm equipment (tractors, combine, semi-truck, etc). Afterwards they got to enjoy a swim in their family pool.
On Thursday (8/1/2024) I drove Beth and the grandkids back to Chicago Midway International Airport and she flew them back to Tampa. Aaron & Alysa picked the kids up at the airport and Beth flew right back out to Chicago. After dropping Beth off at the airport I headed West to a safe suburb (Hodgkins, IL). I had a very good breakfast at the Country Cup Restaurant on old Route 66 (which was attached to a bowling alley). After breakfast I moved to the AMC theaters where I watched the three hour movie Horizon. After the movie I had dinner at a nearby Texas Roadhouse which was also back on the Mother Road (Route 66). I then waited for Beth’s return in the airport’s cell phone parking lot. She returned on time and we arrived back at Mom & Dad’s around 11:00PM.
Tampa Airport MarriottChick-fil-A Breakfast at Tampa InternationalWhite Castle in Michigan City, INEvie & ChuckiePennyPenny and Great Grandpa Bob Hang’n in the MorningOver Medium Eggs on Sausage, Cheese, and ToastWord Search with Uncle RogerPlaying with Grandpa’s Tinker ToysPlaying with Dad’s Lincoln LogsEvie Learning to Hang LaundryKitty TimeKirby out for a Walk with Penny1940 John Deere A Rides1940 John Deere A RidesPenny Mowing LawnPlaying Aaron’s Mickey YahtzeeTime for a ComaTruck’nTruck’nThe Crew in Paul’s CombineEvie Riding Paul’s John DeereChuckie Riding Paul’s John DeerePenny Riding Paul’s John DeereChuckie Playing on Paul’s Utility TractorComa TimeOver Medium Eggs on Sausage, Cheese, and ToastJohn Deere Gator Rides with Uncle RogerJohn Deere Gator Rides with Uncle RogerJohn Deere Gator Rides with Uncle RogerRock Painting with Aunt DebCornhole CompetitionCornhole CompetitionComa TimeCornhole CompetitionCornhole CompetitionS’more TimeS’more TimeCuddle TimeSwing’n with Great Grandma Sarah
Trip from Madison, IN to LaGrange – 7/16/2024
On Tuesday we headed North to Mom & Dad’s house in LaGrange, IN. We left the Riverview Campground in Madison, IN at 9:00AM EDT (after visiting the dump station to empty our tanks) and arrived in LaGrange at 1:30PM EDT. We stopped at the Love’s Travel Stop in Knightstown, IN for fuel. Shortly after we finished setting up the camper my sister and brother-in-law Deb & Roger arrived. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the back porch catching up and enjoyed some Eckrich Smoked Sausage for dinner.
On Wednesday Beth was successful in getting a local allergist in Goshen, IN to administer the next shots in her allergy regimen. This was a major relief allowing us to remain in the area for an extended period of time without ending her progress with the allergy regimen. In other positive news, I could have chucked a rock from the allergist’s parking lot into the Menard’s parking lot. Considering that we will be having weekly trips to the allergist for the remainder of our stay, this proximity to Menard’s should allow us to sufficiently deplete our retirement savings.
Eckrich Smoked Sausage Dinner at the Backyard KOAKitty Happy Hour at the Backyard KOAKitty Happy Hour at the Backyard KOA
On Sunday we departed from Marion County Park Campground at 09:00AM EDT after visiting the dump station to empty our tanks. We had planned to stop at the Buc-ee’s in Smiths Grove, KY for fuel, but traffic for it was lined up clear down the off ramp and onto the interstate. We moved on up the interstate to a Shell station in Park City, KY. Due to road closures on I-264, which we would have taken around Louisville to get to I-71, Google Maps routed us through Louisville and across the Ohio River to SR-56.
We arrived at Riverview Campground in Madison, IN around 3:20PM EDT. It’s located just around the bend from Hanover College where Woody Harrelson and Mike Pence attended and I never realized was located along the Ohio River. This is a nice city campground right on the Ohio River. We have a great view of the river from our recliners. We are in Site #2 which the hosts tell us is the best spot in campground (we would have to agree). The other sites are fairly close together. One very long Travel Trailer had a hard time backing into their site due to a Marathon Motorcoach across the aisle sticking out into aisle. We have 50Amps and water hookups. The dump station is located along the street.
We were able to pickup Dish Network satellites 110 and 119 from the rear of our camper (satellite 61 was blocked by a tree). This allowed us to access all of the channels we were interested in (including Louisville locals). We were also able to pickup NBC, CBS, FOX, and CW stations via antenna. We are getting 37/46 Mbps download/upload speeds with our AT&T 5G+ hot spot.
Riverview Campground – Site #2Riverview Campground – Site #2Riverview Campground – Site #2Riverview Campground – Recliner View
