Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Scenic Byways of Iowa and Nebraska

With every cross-country crossing, I'm always eager to find new routes to explore.  In early July on my way towards Colorado, I decided to bypass the familiar I-80 route from Chicago and explore U.S. Highway 20 across northern Iowa, and the Scenic Byways of northern Nebraska.

It was a beautiful summer day in Chicago, so I took time out before getting on the road to give the Winnie its first wash.  She cleaned up so good, I made this my new blog header photo!



Thursday, September 22, 2016

Busy Days in Chi-Town

After picking up my newly painted Winnie from Mike's Custom Painting at the beginning of June, I headed back to Chicago for my annual oasis on the prairie at Paul Wolff Campground at Burnidge Forest Preserve in Elgin.  The big summer skies did not disappoint!


Monday, September 19, 2016

Crane Vacation to Wisconsin

When I needed to vacate my favorite Chicago campground in mid-June for a week (in between my two 14-day stays), I decided to head north to the Dells region of central Wisconsin.  My goal was to try and see an endangered Whooping Crane in the wild, and that's an area where they nest in the summer.

I rolled into Juneau county's Castle Rock Park (not to be confused with Adams county's park by the same name on the other side of Castle Rock Lake!) and had my pick of a few dozen campsites on a Thursday evening-- for the bargain price of just $17/night!


Friday, September 16, 2016

Back Home-less in Indiana (& Illinois)

With Winnie at the paint shop for the entire month of May, where would I spend the month?  Well, I knew for 2 of those weeks I'd be visiting with family in Chicago (and checking in with my oncologist for my first annual follow-up visit).  The first half of May was still a blank slate, though.

I considered taking a vacation or cruise somewhere, but nothing really excited me enough to spend the big bucks.  I found a few interesting AirBnB condos to rent-- one was even one of those "tiny houses" snuggled into the trees of the Smoky Mountains.  But, just as I went to book it, I decided to check out extended stay hotels in northern Indiana first.


Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Winnie Prepares for her Extreme Makeover

After a delightful few weeks in southern Illinois and southeast Missouri, it was time to prepare for Winnie's big makeover at Mike's Custom Painting near Elkhart, Indiana.  I had a few Winnebago parts and other upgraded accessories to pick up at my stepsister's house in Chicago before heading to MCP, so I spent the last week of April there.

I had planned to get Winnie's windshield replaced while in Chicago, but after calling a few Safelite Auto Glass locations, no one had a workbay tall enough to fit the Winnie!  Thankfully, one call to their main call center got me in touch with a nice customer service rep who found a location in Springfield, IL (along my route to Chicago).  Winnie fit inside their garage with room to spare!



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