Headin' home from our 2 week trailer trip

Clarinda, IA  75º no rain.

        After having fun with Bill & Darlene on the weekend, we headed south on Monday morning.  Filled up our fresh water tank at the Fair Grounds as we left as wasn't sure what the next couple days would bring. 

Driving south we called my cousin Betty (French) and Ed LaBlanc in Marshall, MI and they drove out to a restaurant near the Interstate and we ate lunch together and visited.  We hit the Indiana line about 2:15 pm.


Stopping at a rest stop in Indiana I noted barrels of Salt -- something we don't see in the winter when we are in Texas.

We got to Marion and Ardel Finken's place in Grabill, IN about 4:30 pm.  Parked our trailer and Ford in a vacant lot adjacent to their house and they insisted we sleep in the house rather than hook up 20 amp electricity.  With their house air conditioned it did make it really comfortable.  We went out to the Grabill Inn Restaurant for supper.  Grabill is in the Amish area not far from Shipshewana, IN and is a very laid-back town.  Lots of bikes on the street, lots of horse and buggies on the street.  On Tuesday morning we took our trikes and did about 6 miles down to a park on the Cedarville Resevoir and back and also to a wetland preserve area not to far from the Finken house.  Ardel pointed out that Bill & Darlene didn't have anything over on them with their lake in the back yard as they have a water catch basin behind their house and it even has a couple ducks on it. 

 Telling Ardel & Marion we would see them this fall in Texas, we drove about 10 mile south to another Kenwood RV resident Dave & Jan Engle's place.  Visited an hour or so with them at the place they have lived in for some 50 years and then headed south and west to near Marion, IN.

I had jokingly said that part of the reason for this trip was to see where our friends from Kenwood hang their hats.  Phyllis told me not many wear hats any more; but, when we were in Harold & Imogene Williams house we could see where they hang their caps.  We enjoyed a visit with them and they drove us to Marion where we had lunch in a fine family restaurant and visited some more.  Harold drove us into the area behind their house and showed us their small pond and picnic area.  Of course, it was hot and dry through that area, as we found much of the Midwest to be.

Lee & Helen Miles

We headed west and called Helen Miles to see if they would meet us near the Interstate in Peoria. They live in Elmwood, IL and also are winter residents of Kenwood RV. We pulled into a Perkins parking lot about 7:30 pm and found that it was Helen's birthday and she was celebrating, having been at several other restaurant visiting with friends.  Lee & Helen enjoyed a pie and malted milk while we ate supper and visited.  We pulled back on the interstate in the dark and headed west. 

Phyllis, daughter-in-law Patty, and granddaughter Emily

We stopped in Galesburg, IL courtesy of a Wall-Mart parking lot about 10:00 pm and were back on the road by 7:30 Wednesday morning.  We entered Iowa at Davenport, IA and called our daughter-in-law Patty in Marengo to see if she could meet us at Williamsburg near the Interstate.  She did and we also visited a bit with our youngest granddaughter Emmy who was working at one of the retail stores.


We ate some huge cinnamon rolls and visited a bit with Patty and once again pulled back on the road.  Stopped in Atlantic, IA to visit with friend to see how her mother, in a nursing home, was doing.

Was back home about 5 pm, stopping at local airport where the city has a dump station, and backed  the trailer into the drive.

Was a fun trip, was able to see lots of Texas friends and spend some time with our daughter.

Will pull our trailer to State Center, IA in August for a week's Kenwood Rally where we hope to see many more of our Texas Family.

More later, Lynn