Quad Cities KOA

Well, the weekend before last we spent helping our daughter in Indiana move to a new home. Finally after what seemed like a million trips back and forth from the old house to the new we got her and the family settled in. The house is great and they are very happy. Which brings us to last weekend. Glenda and I needed some camping time so I took off early on Friday and we reserved a spot at the Quad Cities KOA(check out their link in "places we have been") near Milan, IL on 78th Ave. We took I-74W through Peoria and over to I-280W and got off at exit 11A which is also IL Rt 92. We only had to go about a mile to 78th Ave and then a half mile east to the KOA. We had reserved a back in site with full hook ups but since there was no other camper in the site behind us we were able to pull through that site to ours.

Once we got the camper set up and the campsite we had some dinner. Glenda had done some pulled pork  in the crock pot at home and brought some along. We had some cole slaw and watermelon on the side.

After we cleaned up dinner we had a campfire and enjoyed a quiet night. It was a nice cool night so the fleece sheets we brought felt great to sleep on. I love to sleep with the window open and feel warm and cozy under the covers.

The next morning(Saturday)after we had our oatmeal and I had my coffee we decided we would ride our bikes on the Iowas side of the Mississippi River. So we took Route 92 over the river and got off at the first exit to the downtown area of Davenport, IA. We parked in a parking lot near the lock and dam(raises and lowers water level so barges carrying goods can navigate the river) and rode south along the river a few miles. We came to a park called Credit Island. They have a boat launch area and some shelters for picnics throughout the park.

In the distance is the downtown area I spoke of and right next to where I am standing is the boat launch. We rode back to the downtown area and passed by the Rhythm City Casino. This is a riverboat casino on the Mississippi.

Next we rode closer to the lock and dam and saw some pelicans near where the water is let through. They were dipping their heads in the water to try to catch fish that are churned up by the rushing water.

We decided to ride a little further north and we passed by a nice little river side restaurant called the Boathouse. They have typical burgers and fries and some homecooked type of fare.

It was getting late and we were ready to get back to the campsite. We ended up having some leftover pulled pork, cole slaw and some potato salad. After that we had another small campfire with a few marshmellows for good measure. And then time for bed.

On Sunday it was a little cloudy to start so we hung out at the campsite for the morning and once the weather began to clear we headed out for a bike ride on the Illinois side of the river. We have been to the Quad Cities several times to ride on the Great River Trail before we got the camper and we like to drive a little north of the Rock Island/Moline area near the small town of Hampton on Route 84.

The bike path runs right next to Route 84 in some places but it does go through the town of Hampton. There is a quaint little shop there that has ice cream and sandwiches and you can go around the back and sit on their deck with a great view of the river. We had already had a light lunch before going out so we didn't stop there this time.

As we were riding back we rode through the Corp of Engineers Recreation area where they have water and electric hook ups with great sites along the river. The area is called Fisherman's Corner.

We plan to stay here the next time we come to this area. We like full hook ups but it would be worth it to for-go the sewer for the great river views and the bike trail right next to the park. The fees are about half what we would pay to stay at the KOA. Typically $16-18 and they would honor the America the Beautiful Pass for Seniors(which I will qualify for in August - I turn 62). This would make the fee half.

Well we continued our ride back to where we parked and rode through a nice park with a playground and another great view of the river.

I took some of these pictures as I rode along the bike path. I was very careful to watch where I was going .

It was easy since Glenda was in front of me and I could watch where she was going.

Some nice shaded areas and as we got closer to the downtown area where we parked the truck we passed by the John Deere distribution plant.

Well we got back to the Ben Butterworth Park in downtown Moline and headed back to the KOA to get cleaned up for dinner. We showered at the campgound showers and  relaxed for a while before driving to the River House Bar and Grill. We have eaten there before and go back everytime we are in the area. I had the Seafood Pasta dish and Glenda had the Tilapia. We were full but not too full to go to Whitey's Ice Cream. I neglected to tell you that when we are in the Quad Cities we always go to Whitey's. I also neglected to tell you that we went to Whitey's in Friday night after we set up the camp site and we were back after our ride on Saturday before we drove to the KOA.  That's why we ride our bikes. :-)

I love the White Chocolate Raspberry and Coconut Joy(like an Almond Joy)  and Glenda loves the Banana and Coconut Joy. I like it in a cup and she likes a sugar cone.

We will definitely be back the next time we are in town.

Well we heard there was a chance of rain on Monday and sure enough before we started to get ready to go home it did rain briefly. We used the one side lower technique to keep the rain from pooling on the awning. Seemed to work pretty good.  

Fortunately the rain stopped so we could ready the camper for our trip back home. It's about a 3 hour drive to Normal. It was great to have the extra day off so we could have two full days at the KOA. It just seems too short to set up on Friday evening and then take down on Sunday morning but we take what we can get right now. Retirement is only 3 years away. Happy Camping eveyone.

Kayaking on the Blackwater River

The Blackwater River is considered one of the purest sand-bottom rivers in the world. The river's sand-bottom, dark tannin water, and contrasting large white sandbars have drawn worldwide attention, and provide the perfect setting for this 590-acre park. The river has been designated a Florida canoe trail, and the last two miles are located within the park.  Glenda and I wanted to do some kayaking while we were in Florida so we did some research and found out we could rent a couple of kayaks from an outfitter near the entrance to Blackwater River State Park. We headed north on Hwy 87 for about 20 miles then we took a right turn on Hwy 90E, 7 miles to the town of Harold, Left turn onto Deaton Bridge Road, then about 1 1/2 miles to the outfitter. We paid for the kayaks and then we had to drive another  mile up the road to the parking lot just outside the park where a gentleman, whose name was Paul, from the outfitter had kayaks and canoes loaded on a trailer behind an open bed truck. We climbed in the back of the truck with  2 other couples and Paul drove us to the put in point up the river.

Glenda was one of the first to get started so she had to pull up to a sandbar and wait for me to get going. The scenery was fantastic with all the natural habitat and white sandy beaches.

The wildlife was a little sparse with only a few turtles sunning themselves on logs along the river. I don't have a camera with a long range zoom so I had to be very quiet and slow moving to get close enough to get a decent photo. Here's what I was able to accomplish.

The river had a pretty decent current so we actually moved along quickly. I was able to get out of the main current a few times to get some pictures of the aquatic plants. I got this picture of what I found out later to be an American Lotus. It was still early in the season so the plants hadn't opened up yet.

The water is fairly clear and you could see the sandy bottom easily. From what I understand this is the only sand bottom river in the US.

We continued to paddle and pass by numerous sandbars and into the Blackwater River State Park.

It was such a relaxing paddle down the river and with the current it took us about half the time that we were told it would take to go the 4 miles on that part of the river. We weren't really looking to spend all day on the river but we got a taste of what the river has to offer. People can canoe, kayak or even tube down the river. If it had been a little later in the season(it's only March) we probably would have taken more time to picnic on a beach or swim in the river. But we came to the end of the canoe trail as we passed under the one and only bridge we came too. Signs told us it was time to take out on the other side of the bridge.

One of the other couples(Keith and Deb) that we were on the river with were staying in the state park in the campground so when we came to the take out point they were waiting for Paul to come and take them back to their campsite so we offered for them to jump into the back of our truck and we drove them about a mile to the entrance of the park and then on around to their site. They had a Class C camper and were planning on leaving back to Alabama the next day. It was nice to talk to them and we found out that Deb was a Social worker at an elementary school and they were out on Spring Break too. The funny thing is Glenda is a secretary at an elementary school. So they had some things in common. It was great meeting them and we wished them well as we headed back to our RV park on the beach. We will definitely consider coming back to the Blackwater State Park in the future.

Spring Break in Navarre Florida

We had a great week in Navarre(NAV-are) Florida. Our first trip out of Illinois. We learned a few things about longer distance travel. Semi's can really do a number on your driving as they pass you by. Everytime one would pass it would pull the truck toward the passing lane and I would have to compensate by steering to the right. When traveling and everyone else is going to the same area (in this case Florida) it is hard to find a rest stop or truck stop that isn't completely full when you are ready to rest for the night. I will either stop earlier or figure out about where I want to stop and get a campground reservation ahead of time. We ended up driving until 1 am and stopped at the Alabama Welcome Center.

The next day we got to Emerald Beach RV Park around 3pm. They had our reservation and gave us a map of the park and we found our site at the far end of the park.

The sites are level with full hook ups, WiFi and cable TV. There was only one camper between us and the beach area.

As soon as we got set up we went down on the beach to enjoy the view. I was so happy that we were able to reserve this site at this RV park. Even though it is a little expensive compared to other types of parks or campgrounds it was well worth it for our trip.

Once the sun began to set we decided to get some dinner at a little restaurant across the street from the park. This is the view we had that first evening.

Glenda and I love the beach so our first full day in Florida we started there in front of the RV park.

Since we had our bikes with us we talked to the staff in the office about where would be a good place to do some riding. They told us that by going over the causeway to Navarre Beach and the Gulf Island National Seashore we would find a great bike path. So we loaded up the bikes and headed over the causeway and sure enough we found a great place to ride. This is something we did every day were in Florida.

This protected area has pristine natural habitat for birds and other wildlife where no structures can be built to obscure this great beauty.

Once you are in the Gulf Island National Seashore the bike path becomes a bike lane along side the road from Navarre Beach to Pensacola Beach. The glow you can see in the distance is either the sand blowing in the air or the suns reflection from the pure white sand. I haven't figured that out yet. Very unique though.

One of the last evenings we were in Florida we took a walk along the beach and enjoyed the cool breeze and pounding surf.

The waves crashing onto the shore is quite loud and looks very powerful.



We had so much fun and look forward to returning to this area in the future. We also spent some time on the Blackwater River doing some kayaking which I will post in the next couple of days with some photos. This is Part 1.

Comlara Park - Getting ready for Florida

Well it's less than a week before we leave for our Spring Break vacation in Navarre, FL. We haven't been able to get the new trailer out due to the weather here in Illinois but this weekend it was in the upper 70's to low 80's and we needed to make sure we remembered how to set up and use the different features of the trailer. So I hitched up the trailer while Glenda was still at work(I get off early on Friday afternoons) and off I went to Lake Evergreen(Comlara County Park) north of Hudson, IL. I had called a few days ago to see what the arrangements were for camping since it was still early here in Illinois and they said that only a small part of the campground would be open and the water was still turned off. So I stopped by the house on the way out of town and filled the fresh water tank after de-winterizing the water system. My first time to do that. I started filling and went inside to turn on the pump and the faucets but nothing happened. I couldn't figure out why the water wouldn't flow. I could hear the pump running so I looked under the sink area at the punp and I forgot to turn the valve that lets the water into the system. As soon as I did that...well you know what happened. I opened the hot and cold, flushed the toilet, ran the shower(both inside and out) and  everything began to flow. But I digress. When I got to the campground I was told that they had just opened up more of the campground and I could go look to see what site I wanted. So off I went. Well my luck was good. I came across a great site right on the lake.

Site #80

It had a great view of the lake and no one else next door. So I unhitched and set up , then drove back to the office to let them know what site I chose and pay. Two nights $36.00...not too bad.

The view from the camp site of the lake

I went and picked up Glenda in town and on the way out of town we stopped to pick up Subway since it was getting late and we didn't feel like cooking. Had a nice dinner in the camper and sat out in our bag chairs as the sun set. We decided to go for a walk around the campground and see who else was there. We saw two tent campers on the back loop and only three other travel trailers. Two of them were fifth wheels. We hooked up the TV and were able to find about 14 local channels on the antenna. I tried to get a fire going but I wasn't doing something right and I couldn't get a good fire for marshmellows so we packed it in for the night. Well our last trailer had a bed that folded out the back of the trailer(some canvas) but this BIGGER trailer has the bed inside. It felt great and much quieter.

Saturday

We decided to go to our home after eating some breakfast and do some housecleaning(Glenda's idea, not mine) and do our grocery shopping for the week. We got those things accomplished and around 2 pm we headed back the the campground. We took our bikes with us and had a nice bike ride after dinner. Just some snacks.  We rode for about 30 minutes or so in the campground and around on the county road outside the camp area. We built another fire and this time I used some Fire Starter gel. That did the trick. We had a great fire and I got to eat some marshmellows. There was a threat of some storms but they passed to the south of us so no harm.

Sunday

Got up and had some breakfast and built another fire with the last of the wood I bought at the camp office on Friday. I went out to drink my coffee by the fire.

After we cleaned up the breakfast dishes(oatmeal, OJ and coffee) we decided to take a little hike on some of the trails around the park.

Great scenery and some shade in spots

Once we got back it was getting time to think about lunch before getting ready to hitch up and go back to town. So I grilled some hamburgers and we had chips and soft drinks. Something about eating food with nature all around that makes it taste better. We sat out by the lake and saw some turtles sunning themselves. 

Five turtles sharing a log. Just after taking this picture they all slipped into the water. Guess they were a little camera shy. Well about 2:30pm we get everything together and off we went to the dump station before heading home. It was a great trial run for the trip beginning next weekend. Florida, ready or not, here we come.

Waiting for Spring

Well the weather has been fairly mild here in Central Illinois so I am really getting the itch to get the camper out. I just keep thinking that it won't be long until we are traveling down to the Panhandle of Florida for Spring Break. As you know we made reservations at  Emerald Beach RV Park in Navarre, FL. We were able to reserve site #64.    Here is the site map and a close up.

The beach is exclusive to park residents so we should have no problem finding space there.

 

Doesn't that look great?

                                                          

Well enough day dreaming.  At least tomorrow is Friday and I only work a half a day. If the weather is decent I may just stop over at the storage facility and say hi to the 22FB. I know she is lonely and I am looking forward to seeing her. I need to be getting some organization done since we really didn't have a chance to do that before storing her. I lurk in a couple of forums(Good Sam and Jayco Owners)to get some ideas on modifications. If anyone has any ideas they would like to suggest that would be great.

Tennis Balls

What in the heck does that mean? Well, I had bought an RV cover for the new trailer and we had it on for the last month since putting in our storage space. I was over at the trailer the other day and noticed that the rain gutter extensions had poked a hole in the cover in a couple of places. So I went on-line to the Good Sam Club forum and I noticed that some other folks had the same thing happen to them so they cut an X in a tennis ball and put them over each gutter extension. That way the sharp edges won't poke more holes or bigger holes in the cover.

While there we looked for any signs of mice(there weren't any) and picked up some the the literature the dealer gave us so I could do a little reading from the owners manual. I figured I needed to keep familiar with the operation of the different appliances and get ahead start on what do do to de-winterize when we get ready for our trip to Florida in March. So there is a good tip for those of you who may have covers and had some problems like I did. Weather has been incredibly mild so far this season. Wish we didn't have the camper covered and winterized. Oh well, it makes for some good dreams of things to come in the spring.

Happy New Year

A new year has begun. We spent time with the grandkids and daughter in Indiana for New Years Eve. #2 daughter got married. Very happy. Just a small ceremony in their livingroom. Just so happens the #1 daughter got married 2 weeks before in Chicago. They also had a small ceremony in the Chicago Marriage Court. Glad we could be there for both of the weddings. Long story as too why so informal for both.

Well it snowed some today. Makes me feel sad but it is winter here in Illinois. Not much I can do about it. Really looking forward to our trip to Florida in March. Counting the days in my head. Hard to concentrate at work since we made the reservations. I am so anxious to be able to get the new trailer out and use it.

Here it is as we are leaving the dealership about a month ago. It is about 7 foot longer than the old trailer so the Jayco Jay Flight 22FB fits us better.  Looking forward to sleeping inside the trailer instead of out the back end. Here is a photo of the old trailer from last summer at Bo Wood campground at Lake Shelbyville.

As I said in my last post, it was a good starter for us but since we really enjoy camping and we found out we could use more storage and larger holding tanks the new one was much needed. Now just bring on the warm weather.

I hope everyone had a great start to their year. Tomorrow I go back to work and dream of being on the road..