Back on the (RV) road again after almost two months of hibernation. Much has occurred during that time, the biggest RV event was getting a 2015 MiniCooper that we could tow behind the RV.
We connected the Mini to the Winnie earlier in the week and towed the Mini around the block without incident (i.e. no sideswiping of mailboxes or curbs).
So, Friday morning we hooked up the Mini and started driving south. I don’t notice any difference while driving the RV with the Mini behind us. That had me worried when we took a freeway off-ramp and I didn’t see the Mini in the side mirrors. During normal turns I could see the car behind us, but not so on the curve of this off-ramp. I start thinking about what could have gone wrong: the Mini is connected to the RV with a double hitch tow bar with two back-up chains. I couldn’t imagine anything going wrong, but there was always the possibility of user error. At the first chance we exited the freeway at a rest area. As we took the turns in the road to the rest area, I was relieved to see the Mini in the side mirrors. We just cruised back onto the freeway and continued on our way to East Fork. We also figured out how to watch the Mini in the rear view camera.
East Fork is almost due east of Cincinnati, so we had the pleasure of driving through both Columbus and the outskirts of Cincinnati. Columbus wasn’t bad, but the Cincinnati outer loop (I-275) had a lot of traffic that added at least 30 minutes to the trip.
Getting set up at the campsite wasn’t hard: disconnecting the Mini, backing the RV into the site pad, hooking up the utilities. The only new wrinkle with this set up was: it was raining! So I was very wet after the setup. But inside the RV was dry and so were the clothes I changed into.
This was planned to be a low energy weekend. Vicki reads, Steven walks Lexie.
Lexie got to walk four miles on Saturday and Sunday mornings. On Saturday we walked along the camping area, which has over 400 hundred camping sites over a mile of road. Then dog and I walked to the camping area beach and boat ramp. Both areas had recently been underwater, I could see a mudline on the trees about six feet off the ground. Sunday morning, dog and I walked along a multipurpose trail that took us to a road inside a wilderness area where hunters (and ?) were parked and getting ready for their day. Both days had good walks, but Lexie was not as tired as I thought she would be.
We saw some dogwoods and honeysuckle in bloom. And a variety of wildflowers (more than dandelions) blooming as well. We were using phone apps to help identify the different flowers.
It has been very cool in the mornings, so we have had the heaters going at night: RV propane heater, electric space heater and our heated mattress pads. While it was only in the 40’s outside we managed to keep the inside above 60. The weather started out wet on Friday, turning into thunderstorms overnight. Saturday was overcast until late afternoon, and Sunday has been very sunny.
Dinner Friday night was Cincinnati chili, which we had cooked the night before we left. Microwave ovens are great! We played a few games of backgammon, and then finished the evening with an episode of “The Chosen” and a Klondike bar.
Dinner Saturday night was Salmon patties cooked on the grill. Along with over roasted potatoes and a bottle of wine. A game of Wyrmspan (my first win against Vicki, by a point), another episode of “The Chosen” and another Klondike bar.
Sunday evening we grilled hamburgers and topped them with Sonny’s barbecue sauces. Sonny’s is a small barbecue franchise we found in the Carolinas, and we had some old sauce packets left over. The burgers were very tasty.
After the Galecki zoom call, Vicki and I took the Mini for a late evening adventure. Because we could. There are a couple of grocery stores, one in Batavia outside of Cincinnati and one in Fairfield near Dayton, called ‘Jungle Jim’s” that the locals are crazy about. We headed to one just to see what made Jungle Jim’s special. And it was worth the trip. It is a huge store, bigger than a super Walmart. And the first area you walk into is the international section. There are aisles dedicated to Asian, Hispanic, Polish, Swedish, German, Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and many other regions of the world. I even picked up some strawberry/cream Polish crepes (frozen) and Vicki picked up some Goetta (local sausage-like mixture we can only get in the Cincy area.) There is a hot sauce only section of the store as big as most stores with a Navy fire truck at its opening. Seafood surrounding the boat along with several other iced cases, every kind of fish imaginable. If you get the chance to visit one, it’s worth the experience.
Monday morning was pack up and leave day. We left at a little after 11, about an hour later than planned. One reason for the delay was the hour long walk dog and I took after I got up. This walk was a little more rugged than earlier walks in at East Fork, we actually were on a dirt (mud) trail. We’re also learning how long everything takes to disconnect and get ready for traveling.
Monday was a tourist spot in Chilicothe to see the Hopewell Indian Mounds (and to get the National Park stamp). We traveled along Ohio route 32, the Appalachian Highway. It was definitely more scenic than I-71. And while it was a four-lane divided highway, there wasn’t much traffic on it. Especially lacking in semi-trucks, which made it more scenic, more peaceful and easier to drive.
We went to the Hopewell City Group site (one of five in the National Park, but the only one with with the stamp.) The earthworks were amazing. They were recreated to look like descriptions and drawings made in 1840. But there is so little really known about the earthworks, at least not definitive. Astronomical indicators and perfect geometrical distancing of the mounds and earthworks surrounding them showed intent and intelligence in the builders of these historic sites dating back to 200 BC to 500 AD (CE). We highly recommend visiting the national parks and checking out the films and museums at the visitor’s centers. It’s an amazing world we live in and discovering ancient peoples and cultures opens your mind. They can only speculate some of the purposes: archeological digs have determined some purposes as gathering places for tribal peoples, maybe for ceremonies and events, and burial grounds. The national parks are wonderful for also preserving green spaces, hiking trails and spots for folks to relax, refresh and nosh.
Final stop: Grandpa’s Cheese Barn for cheeses, dill pickles and ice cream. And some more gasoline (the kind that keeps the RV moving not the kind put into health drinks.)
And as much as we love seeing the U.S.A., there is always no place like HOME. Join us next time!
