2nd post-family pics & best sunset

I guess there's a first for everything, and tonight I'm doing a second post in one day. Mostly it's pics of the granddaughters, but there is one great sunset picture.

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Robyn, Dennis, Avery, and Phoebe came out to my site at Indiana Dunes State Park today. I knew Avery would have a great time since my site is mostly sand. What kid doesn't like playing in the sand?

Here's Avery and her Dad...

and Avery trying to climb into the RV...

We can't forget about one month old Phoebe; smiling for her Grandma...

In the meantime, Avery had discovered Emma's perch on the dashboard. You can really watch what's happening in the campground from this perch.

A bird's eye view....no wonder this is Emma's favorite spot!

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The weather forecast for tomorrow calls for high winds and possible showers. I'll check it out first thing in the morning. I won't drive if the winds are bad. So, maybe I'll head for Moline, IL, and maybe I won't...

I just had to share my best Mississippi sunset with you from my last night at Grant River COE campground, in Wisconsin, last Sunday.

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Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

Choo choo trains...do you like them?

So, a thing that isn't very well published about this COE campground, is that it is located along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad line. On average, 75-80 trains pass along this route each day. Those train tracks are about 30 yards from my site, with a crossing at the campground entrance. Unless you are a real railroad buff (or deaf), I would not recommend this campground. OMG! 75-80 trains a day with whistles blowing and about 100 cars per train really rocks the rig. Trains per day means in a 24 hour period, so guess what that means at night....

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Four nights here will really try my soul...talk about sleep deprivation! On the bright side, I'm hoping that things will slow down for the weekend. We'll see if that is a naive hope.

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I did head out today just before noon to got to Potosi to visit the Potosi Brewing Company. This was a brewery that produced Potosi Beer starting in 1850. Eventually, it closed down since it couldn't compete with the big breweries in Milwaukee and other parts of the state. After touring the museum, I had lunch in their restaurant and tried catfish for the first time. It was good, but I thought it was a little mushy. I guess I like a little firmer fresh water fish.

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On my way back to the campground, I stopped at Potosi Point hoping to see some bird life. The only thing there was a great egret. It's a little too early in the fall migration season to see much, but there were a few white pelicans further down the river.

It was pretty hazy today, so views of the Mississippi river left a little to be desired in the picture taking department. However, right across the road from where I took this picture...

was a natural spring, with cup included for a thirsty traveler. I'm not sure I'd use that cup for a drink unless I was desperate!
Here's my site at the Grant River COE campground. I have a site at the end of the row, so I have a little more privacy than other sites. It would be a very acceptable site, if not for the trains.

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A fellow SKP couple stopped by to chat this evening as Emma and I were enjoying the evening. We had a nice visit, and I'll probably converse with them further this weekend. They have been on the road fulltime for 10 years, so I'm just a beginner in their eyes. Escapees are always friendly and fun to talk to.

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Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy

My fall migration down the Mississippi Flyway

Believe it or not, my four-footed alarm clock decided to sleep in for the first time in her life! I was the first one to awaken and it was 7:26! So much for my plans to be on the road by 7:30 to get to Universal RV early. I blasted out of bed and was able to take Emma out for her duties, finish packing up, and made it to Rochester by 9:00. Phew...that was a challenge.

After dropping the RV off, I headed to PetCo to get a "furminator" for Emma. It is a tool for removing shedding and loose hair. The price was way more than I expected, but luckily, one of the employees showed me a similar model that she uses for grooming at PetCo and it was half the price.

Then it was off to get the car washed at my favorite place in Rochester. The Focus was really a mess after the gravel roads of Rice Lake. That completed, I still had time to kill while waiting for the levelers to be fixed. I decided to visit Golden Hill Education Center. That's where I was principal of the Alternative School before I retired. It was great to see all of the folks and the improvements that I had struggled so hard to implement. Many of those improvements have been put in place. While there, I got a call that the motorhome was ready, so I returned to Universal. Once I got all hooked up, again, and filled the gas tank, it was only noon, so I decided to head for Wisconsin.

I had decided on a Corps of Engineers Park along the Mississippi River as my eventual destination for the weekend, and since it was only noon, I thought I might be able to make it there today. After taking I-90 to La Cross, I ended up driving down Wisconsin route 35. It is a scenic two lane highway and is part of the Great River Road. And what a scenic highway it was. Fantastic views of the Mississippi River as you head south. All was well until I hit a detour. That detour resulted in an additional forty miles and an additional hour so that I didn't arrive at the Grant River COE campground until 5:30. I really saw more of "America's Dairyland" than I had planned on. ;)

Actually, it's a good thing I drove the whole way here today, as all of the non-reservable campsites are now full for the weekend. All of the reservable sites are booked for the weekend as well. What a surprise to find this campground so full at this time of the year.

I'll be staying here four nights, and hope to get some pictures tomorrow of the Great Mississippi. After speaking to my neighbor, I think I'll go to a local brewery for lunch tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy