To the farm we go!

 After leaving the southern end of Lake Michigan, we sauntered up into the Chicago area to make a much needed quick visit with our friends Sarah Lam and Erwin Yee.  We’ve been friends since our boys were in kindergarten (they are 22 year old men now).  We met at a fun seafood restaurant near their house and on our route.  It’s amazing how no matter how long it’s been since we last saw each other, we always just pick up where we left off.  Good friends are just like that.  Our time was short, but there was not a moment we didn’t fill with each other’s news and goings on. 

After a quick dinner and a long goodbye, we jumped back on the road to head about an hour north to a quiet Illinois park Chain O’ Lakes State Park.  There, we had a lovely waterfront site, from which we could not see the lake.  That was our first late nighttime arrival which was a bit of a challenge: low trees, not level site, and pitch dark.  We learned the next morning, that the neighbors next door had been watching us when we come in and were impressed that we not only made a pretty good set up but had done so with such calm and patient communication. 

I had Vic drive the rear wheels up these ramps to help make the site more level 

The low trees around our site are pretty, but a bit of a challenge to maneuver around in the dark

The park was nestled on a pretty little lake that made for some great pictures. 

From here, we continued north into the bonnie state  of Wisconsin.  We stopped for a birthday lunch in Lake Geneva.  Vic and I spent a winter weekend here about 30 years ago.  Then, the lake was completely frozen and I could not figure why there were trucks and little shanties sprinkled around out on the lake.  Were those people crazy??!!!

 The town is very quaint and it was fun reminiscing of our time here so long ago.  We settled on a lakefront pizza place: Oakfire Pizza for my special treat.  After lunch we went for a lovely stroll around the town. 

Yummy cheese curds!!!

Imagine that lake all frozen,  covered in show with trucks driving on it with their headlights on and ice shanties 

Birthday pizza 

Next was a visit to Hinchley Dairy Farm in Cambridge, Wisconsin; our reason for coming through the state. Here we were treated to a 3+ hour long tour of a modern large dairy farm run by a family that’s been doing this for 3 generations.  Tina Hinchley led the tour and was non-stop teaching, displaying, and explaining the entire life cycle of a cow on a dairy farm. We were delightfully surprised with how fascinating this industry is and how much is involved in producing a gallon of milk.  The message we came away with: EAT TWO SCOOPS OF ICE CREAM!  Support the Dairy Farmers!

Booties to protect the cows from our germs 

Each cow has a name as well as a number

Got to feed lambs

Of course there were chickens

Tina driving the tractor and talking 

Agi meets the cows

Isn’t she pretty?

The dogs have continued to be awesome travelers and find ways to blow out their zoomies when they can. 

And Vic is steadily grinding out his book: currently working on Chapter 2. He sets up his office wherever we are. 

Indiana Dunes National Park

 I’m writing this while parked in front of Dirty Duds Laundromat in Wheeling, IL waiting for our laundry to be cleaned.  You’d think I should have predicted the amount of sand we all would drag into our home-on-wheels, but I didn’t.  I found I can’t sleep in bedding filled with grit. 

Our time spent at Indiana Dunes National Park was heavenly.  Peaceful dunes sitting on the southernmost border of Lake Michigan.  Chicago can be seen in the distance from the beach. 

Day 2 of our visit was spent mostly inside as the heavens opened up and soaked the park.  I won the scrabble game this time: 350-194! 

After the sun came out and dried up all the rain, we took Trail #10 as our hike for the day.  The description read “Moderate, 5 miles”, but actually it was a grueling (yet rewarding) 6.5 miles of meandering through the woods,

climbing over the dunes, and slugging through the soft sand of the beach for the last 3 miles. We had the beach to ourselves, which was pretty fantastic, so that made it all worth it. We all were exhausted once we finally made it home.  

Day 3 was a more restful day of short strolls and a nice mellow bike ride along the bike path and train tracks. 

Our final dinner there consisted of our goodies from the Paducah Farmers Market: Fire Grilled NY Strip, Fresh Arugula and Tomato salad, and Instapot Mashed Red Skin Potatoes

We actually camped at the 

because they simply had a better location and amenities than the National Park campground.  It’s weird that there is a State Park totally surrounded by a National Park….go figure!

Sights Between the Stops

 With a packed itinerary, it’s easy to get focused on each destination.  But, sometimes it really is about the journey.  Here are a few of the things we have seen/done that weren’t scheduled. 

Our first stop was an off the beaten path small restaurant that was featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” in Hendersonville, TN: Cafe Rakka.   They featured middle eastern foods that reminds me of foods I enjoyed as a kid when I was in Saudi Arabia 

Lamb Schwarma

Grilled Tandoori Chicken and Cheese Sandwich 

Cafe Rakka in Hendersonville, TN

Tabouleh

Nice outdoor table we could take the dogs

Next, was a stop in Paducah, KY where we stopped into their Saturday Farmers Market.  Besides picking up some delicious in-season fresh veggies, local grass fed beef, Amish delicacies, we learned a bit about the city and it’s history.  A flood of the Ohio/Tennessee rivers in 1937 caused devastating damage to the city’s downtown.

On the bank of the Ohio/Tennessee River

A cool spot to take a rest and people watch 

60 feet mark for the 1937 flood

Paducah Saturday Farmers Market

A mural painted of the 1937 flood on the wall

We are members of a group called Harvest Host which manages a directory of businesses that offer free parking for the night in exchange of us patronizing their business.  So, as we were passing through the nice town of Effingham, IL, we requested to stay at the Tuscan Hills Winery.  There we tried their flight of wines and tasty appetizers.  We parked in the back of their parking lot where we boondocked (no electric or water hook up) for the night.

I liked the Dry Rosa best

Our home for the night, pretty quiet

Our view of a huge farm field in the morning

Our patio table with lighted grape vines behind

 

Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Golden Pond, KY

We just spent 4 fun days at Energy Lake Campground within Land Between the Lakes.  Our site was water front from which we had access to the water and a great view.  We had the campground mostly to ourselves as the Memorial Day visitors had all left by time we got there on Tuesday.  We had 50-90 degrees weather with a little rain on day 2 (the 1st day we went biking). 

We hiked the wooded hills with the dogs at least 5 miles every day.  Those same hills made for challenging bike rides, but we managed. A canoe paddle around the lake was nice but the scenery was no better than what we could see from our reclining chairs.  Didn’t bring our fishing poles so couldn’t add that to our itinerary. 

Vic graciously carried our firewood up the 1/2 mile hill from the ranger’s station so we could enjoy a couple campfire dinners.  

He is grinding out Chapter 2 of his book.  Something about reason, rationale, and logic…he better explains it.  I like the graphics, puts everything into a visual I can better understand. 

That’s Vic floating away…

That’s a turtle, Bodi.  Leave it!

Cooking pasta for Chicken Pesto Pasta

I lost this one 

Afternoon work session 

Our current home 

What’s cooking, Mom?

My pack mule💕