Day 101 (Aug 25) – Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

We signed up for two nights here because it was the weekend and it’s always a little hard to find a new spot on a Fri or Sat.  Also, we were ready for a driving break and some nature.  This is not the best nature we’ve had.  It is really hot and there are so many mosquitoes.  We really have not had bad weather or bugs until now.  The heat wouldn’t be too bad if we had electric.  The nights are hot.  I think I’ve complained for three days now.  It’s about to get better!

This morning Brad dropped us off at the beach and went to Michigan City to try to replace one of the brackets for our sway bars.  We have had so much trouble with them.  (not complaining.)  Now one of the welded bolts has broken off.  He apparently went to the right place b/c the lady saw him walk in and immediately brought him a replacement part.  They figured out it has a lifetime warranty so she just handed it to him and said she would take care of the rest.  The girls and I enjoyed our time at the beach.  The water is so blue and pretty.  I finally finished my 979 page Diana Gabaldon book (The Fiery Cross!) on the shore of Lake Michigan.  Brad picked us up around 2:00 and we spent the rest of the afternoon at camp trying to keep cool.  Now it is bedtime and the air is sticky still in the camper.  At least there are no mosquitoes in here.  Drat.  One just squealed in my ear.  Hopefully just the one.

Indiana Dunes NP Beach

Day 100 (Aug 24) – Indiana Dunes SP

We wanted to squeeze every ounce out of our State Park campground fees, so the girls and I headed to the swimming beach around 10:00 while Brad headed to the National Park next door to claim a campsite.  The State Park is all booked up for the weekends, but even if it wasn’t…  Brad also went to the grocery for us.

We hiked to the beach and there were signs everywhere – no wading or swimming unless lifeguards are present.  I looked on the back of the lifeguard chairs and they all said lifeguard hours 11-6.  I told the girls they would have to wait just a little bit longer.  11:00 came and went and no lifeguards showed up.  I am a rule follower, but if I hold up my end of the bargain and they don’t, the contract is void.  Right?  Besides, everyone else had been in the water since we arrived at 10:20.  I let the girls go in and they played for about 40 minutes until a ranger made an announcement on the intercom that swimming is illegal without lifeguards and there were no lifeguards scheduled for today - on a Friday in summer.  Really?  There were hundreds of people sitting on the beach looking at the water, disappointed.  And of course, lots that got back in the water after a bit, so they made the announcement twice more while we were there.  The girls found a little stream that fed into the lake and played in that with several other kids, buildings dams and new routes for the “river.”  Once again we were frustrated by Indiana Dunes State Park.  It is sad because it is a pretty campground and the beach is wonderful and sandy – we just couldn’t swim in it.

OK, so enough hating.  We moved over a ½ mile to the national park campground this afternoon.  Once we were set up, we went to the national park beach.  It was a little rockier and there was no sand bar, but it was still fun for the girls.  They even got me in the water up to my waist.  It was cold!  Brad came with us this time.  We were all starving when we left.  We got back to camp and took cool/cold showers and ate supper.  Then we enjoyed a nice fire and some homemade shaved ice.  It is buggy (mosquitoes, biting flies and other unidentified biting insects) and hot.  We are dry camping, so no A/C.  This is kind of a first for us.  We’ve only been hot a handful of days and always had A/C for sleeping.  We weren’t expecting weather like this in Indiana.  One more night and then we are moving on.

P.S. I added a Nellie's cafe pic to the Walnut Grove album and a Chicago pic to the Lake Michigan album.  (mostly for my mom)

Indiana Dunes SP Beach

Day 99 (Aug 23) – I don’t know what to call this day

I think this might be the second entry where I blog a true complaint.  Honestly – even the day our window broke – I never really felt like I was complaining.  Just reporting.  It didn’t ruin our day or anything.  I need to look back and see what my other negative entry was about.  I don’t even remember now.  (Just looked back – the horrible “resort” KOA.)

Today was not a good day.  We drove for too long (6 ½ hours) and through a big city (Chicago).  You can think you are driving around Chicago and you are actually still driving through it.  We were in stop and go traffic, paid about 12 tolls and were getting short on gas.  It was very stressful.  At least we were headed to Indiana Dunes State Park.  Of course, when it rains … maybe that’s just because when you are already in a bad mood, it’s kind of hard to snap out of it.  Anyway, it took a long to time to get our campsite because it was the girl’s first day and then it was $10 more than we had been told (we really wouldn’t have stayed had we known) and there is no water, only electric (we were told there were full hookups).  Even typing all that feels silly, because none of it is a big deal.

We are over it now, just really tired.  We have made a mental note to not drive over 4 hours.  We already had that rule, but broke it.  I guess our mental note should be “DON’T BREAK THE RULES!”

The end of the story:  The guy in charge of the campground (who told us the wrong price) brought us over some firewood “on the house.”  After we ate a quick supper, we took a little hike across some huge sand dunes to the beach (we are on Lake Michigan) and watched the sunset while the girls waded in the water.  The sand felt great.  The weather was perfect.  We hiked back in the dark and took really hot showers.  I think I let that bad mood float away on the water.

Lake Michigan

Day 98 (Aug 22) – Travel Day

We spent the night at the Albert Lea/Austin KOA in the middle of a cornfield in MN.  Oh I forgot to take a picture!  It was literally surrounded by corn on three sides and I-90 on the other.

Brad noticed last night that the driver’s side tire on the camper was wearing smooth in one spot and there was quite a bit of black dust on the wheel rim, so we stopped in Austin at Austin Tire.  Mark checked the lug bolts, the inflation level and several other things and couldn’t find a problem.  He had several suggestions though for us to try.  And he didn’t charge us anything!  Gotta love small towns and honest mechanics.

We don’t really have a plan today.  Crossed over into Wisconsin.  Bought some Amish bread.  Ate lunch at a rest area.  Think we are stopping at a KOA.  Just trying to get to Maine.

Day 97 (Aug 21) – On the Banks of Plum Creek

This morning we got up and went back to the LIWMS because I forgot to take two very important photos yesterday: one of me here in this place and one of the surveyor’s house.  We corrected that and then were on our way.  Carmen was sad to leave the city park (playground area) and the Discovery Center.  I was sad to leave the city park ($9!) and the entire town of De Smet.  At least we were heading to another Little House site: Walnut Grove, MN.

It was pretty much on our way east going down country roads (highway 14).  We stopped for lunch at Nellie’s café.  Oh yes we did.  I realize it’s not a true Little House site, but I loved the TV show too!  This café was nothing like the restaurant on the show.  It was a tiny.  We sat at the bar and I had a grilled cheese and sweet potatoes fries.  The town of Walnut Grove is half tied to the books and half to the TV series.  Laura never actually mentioned the town name in her book, only Plum Creek.  The pilot episode of the TV series mentioned Walnut Grove 7 times.  The museum had a room devoted to the books and a room devoted to the show.  I enjoyed them both.  The girls have seen a lot of the TV episodes so they were familiar with that as well.  Along with the museum was a collection of several other odd little displays and buildings:

A Chapel - built by a high school shop class in 1983 ??  Thanks for that.

“Grandma’s House” – an 1890’s home furnished with early 1900’s items.  It also had a quilt exhibit, a doll display and a room devoted to Laura’s writings (her books and letters).

Dugout – really more of a sod house, with the sod falling off, BUT it was made to reflect the size of the Ingalls’ dugout by Plum Creek.

Little Red Schoolhouse – representative of the one-room prairie schools.  Built by the Walnut Grove HS FHA in 1986.

Outhouse – it’s a 2-seater folks!

Early Settler’s Home – brought in from land near Plum Creek.  Two-room pioneer house furnished with period items.

Heritage Lane – Pioneer exhibits (from travelers to early towns).  Several things were hands on so we got to play.  Once again, the girls did not want to leave this area!

We did not go to the homestead site.  Neither of their homes (the dugout or the house) remain and we had to move on.  So goodbye Walnut Grove.  Goodbye Laura.  We’ll keep reading!

Walnut Grove