I just want to mention a couple of RV parks here for those of you who may be doing the Midwest. In Mount Pleasant, IA, is the Crossroads park, which is a brand new place with super level sites and local wine on sale in the office.





Then in Columbia, MO, is the Cottonwoods park. This also was a really nice facility right off the highway with paved roads, level paved sites, and nice, non-obstructing foliage. Nice place.






Because we had never been there we decided to slow down in Branson, MO, and maybe do a show. The hurricane rains were pretty heavy so we decided on staying two days to weather it out. We stayed at the America's Best RV Park in Branson. Well what a dump. It was rated 5W by Woodall's and a 9.5 by Good Sam. We really rely on the camp reports and normally they are spot-on but this was a disappointing exception. This place was so bad as to be one of the worst of our 3+ years and over 200 campsites and both the rating agencies will get some mail. The site was so un-level as a pull-through that we had to unhook before hitting the steep terrain. Once unhooked we still couldn't get level, our sewer spilled onto the next site patio it was so close, and the people on the other side had to sit with their lawn chairs in front of the car because the patio was unusable and filthy. We also were extremely disappointed in what was available at Branson and while we had a couple of very nice dinners, the shows weren't definitely not worth spending any money to attend. The park and Branson are old and tired and not worth going out of your way for.

Then on to the Checotah, OK KOA, and an example of a 5W resort that was level, open, large lots, and a really attentive staff. Gorgeous setting about a 150 yards from Lake Eufaula with fishing and boating. We have found that the KOA administration is really upgrading their parks or selling off the ones that don't want to remain state-of-the-art in RV experience; this one being one of the newer ones.

The next few entries will be quite disjointed as we have been so busy in getting back to Texas, opening the house in Bryan and then heading back for a week in the Dallas area.

Here is a shot of the street in front of Bill and Rick Martin's house in Meaford on the day we left which was the 1st of September ... Fall comes really fast. Unfortunately we left about a month earlier than in previous years and so missed the truly beautiful color display.





Although, a couple of days before our departure from Meaford, I was allowed to christen the new barbee with some burgers.

We are really back in Texas and arrived in the state on the 11th of September. Right now we are sitting in Arlington, Texas, at the Tree Tops park while Jo-Anne attends Leigh's baby (read GRANDPARENTS in December) shower in Dallas this afternoon.




We got back to our house in Bryan on the 13th, opened it up after about 5 months of vacancy, did Dr's appointments, RV scheduled maintenance, car stuff, hit fav restaurants, and did final arrangements for Bruce's parents to move to an assisted living facility ... whew ... and then hit the road to get up here by last night. Here's a shot of us at Buckee's on IH 45 yesterday ... no better roadside stop ... wonderful potato salad and chicken salad wraps!

Just after we arrived in DeForest, WI KOA on Monday, this machine arrived. It was flashback time as I thought we were still in Germany and watching the countless tour buses there. This thing is German complete with Deutchland license plates and is an amazing adaptation to the touring environment.

I looked at their website (Rotel Tours) and apparently the bus is shipped to the country of choice in advance and then the 20 "campers" are flown to the initial bus start point. Then for several days or weeks they live in this thing and tour the chosen country ... from Kenya to Russia and obviously here. There's 24 normal bus seats up front and then the amazing back.






As they unfold the tent part it becomes the sleeping and eating quarters of the machine. The tenants use the KOA washing and toilet facilities although those things are on board as well.






All the bus requires is a power hook up and water and they park in what is really a tent site. I'm not sure what KOA charges for this "tent" but probably get a per person add on fee.

A truly amazing bit of German ingenuity and a new twist for the RV business that I'm sure we'll see more of.

We left Meaford on the first of September, headed over to Shanty Bay near Barrie for a set of new windshield wipers ( $100 CDN) and then up to Dwight for the night. Dwight is near Huntsville and is the entry point for the Algonquin park on the western edge. The RV park was an old KOA in the deep pine forest. Nice level site without sewer, but the heated pool was about 25 feet from the door.

It rained off and on all night and we broke camp in the mud and light rain and about 65 degrees. I didn't know it at the time but upon leaving this site we (I) ripped the exterior dryer vent off on a tree limb!

Then we headed northwest toward Spragge, Ontario. We picked Spragge because it was a KOA until this summer, but because the owners didn't want to comply with the KOA rules, opted out of the system. We filled up the Flying Scotsman with 50 gallons at .96 CDN a liter. That's $3.65 a gallon. We are getting about 9 miles to the gallon, so with the 100 gallon tank we can go a safe 800 miles before thinking fill-up ... really great.

The Spragge park, after a 244 mile day, was another ex-KOA. Nice level site that was dirt. It had a dump station that was really awkward and after dumping we had to exit the park and re-enter as we didn't want to unhook the car. The ever present chip truck ... and not bad burgers and chips.

Nice camper if you are a VW fan.

The next morning we awoke to a light rain and about 60 degrees all the way to the Sault Sainte Marie border crossing into the US. Not too many folks in line and the crossing went without a hitch. The night of the 3rd was in Newberry, Michigan, and back in the USA.

We awoke this morning, the 4th, with a 46 degree pelting rain. It had rained all night, steady and at times pretty hard. The Newberry KOA was in the pine forest with dirt roads and sites and no sewers. As we left the park we hit one of the posts marking the roadway and bashed some of the Fiberglas on the left side just in front of the tires ... not paying attention. After a quick repair job of drilling new holes and re-securing the piece, we were off ... again in the cold rain. Today's high was about 60.

We are now resting comfortably in Crivitz, Wisconsin, at the Peshtigo River Campground ... look that one up. We are in a pull-through site directly opposite the store and office building. It's a nice level site and we actually have satellite TV through the trees. This apparently is a major tubing and water event area like the Guadalupe in Texas.

Tomorrow we are off to the Madison, Wisconsin area.