Last Minute Changes

After we left Saint Clair, MI, we headed west and south towards Shipshewana, IN. We have an appointment on July 13 at Amish Family RV to finish up the work on our rig. Since we had 6 nights to fill, I planned to stay in Michigan for 5 more nights to see a little of the middle of the state. When we joined Thousand Trails, included was a 2 year membership to RPI (Resort Parks International). We can stay at their parks for $10 a night. I found one not too far off of our route so booked it for 5 nights.

Well that didn’t work out so well for us. Our drive was mostly interstate except the last 40 minutes or so. It was a long 40 minutes along country roads covered with low hanging trees. I drove in front to guide Tim and block the road as needed for him to drive in the center or even the wrong side of the road to avoid hitting the trees. Low hanging tree branches can seriously damage the rubber roof on our fifth wheel. Then we pull into a campground filled with trees. If you have a smaller camper or even one that doesn’t sit too high, this campground could work for you. For us it would have been a challenge.

Tim took the car and drove around looking for an open site that would work. The electric pole was bagged at the site the campground recommended to us so we couldn’t use it. Nearby open sites were either not mowed or the water connection was so far away that we wouldn’t be able to reach it even if we connected a couple hoses together. Neither of us had a cell signal either. The final straw was the mosquitoes. The office said the mosquitoes were bad and they were spraying for them. In the few minutes Tim was looking for a site, he was bitten to shreds. Definitely not a good palace for us to stay. Luckily the campground understood and gave us our money back.

We got back on the road and luckily didn’t have to go back the way we came in. The road out had a few spots with low trees but most of the drive was good and we got back to the interstate without issue. We drove to the first rest stop and had a cell signal. Hooray! We called Shipshewana Campground South Park where we were booked for July 12 to see if we could come 5 days early.

I have been reading about how crowded campgrounds are so was worried that they would be full. Luckily for us ,they had openings and could take us early. We arrived two hours later and got setup before the rain arrived. We had to take one site for the first night and the moved into the site we could use for the rest of our stay. The campground has only been half full most of the time we have been here, even on the weekend. We could have stayed in one spot the entire time, but wanted one of their longest and most level sites so we could hook up the night before leaving since our appointment at Amish Family RV is at 6 AM. It cost us a lot more to stay here, but definitely worth it. I hope we have better luck at the next RPI campground that we try😃.

Before I talk about what we did in Amish country, I should tell you about our last few days in Saint Clair. I finally got a haircut at a salon; first time since February 2020. It felt so good to get it done professionally instead of trimming it myself. I left the color naturally grey and just got a cut. Since it has been so hot, I had it cut shorter so it isn’t laying on my neck any more and it feels so much cooler. I really like it and love the natural color and waves although it does frizz a bit in the humidity..

A final shot of our site at St. Clair and me with shorter hair.

Each of the towns around us had entertainment over the Fourth of July weekend. We decided to go into Saint Clair to see the Saxhorn band on Saturday evening. The band members were dressed in period clothing from the mid to late 1800’s and all played instruments from the same time period. The stage was set up in the park along the river and it was a cool evening so perfect for an outdoor concert. While we listened to the band, at least 4 large freighters came down the river. Watching the river traffic and listening to the band play patriotic songs made for a perfect evening. What a wonderful ending to our time along Lake Huron and the St Clair river.

Great view of the stage and the ships

Now that we are back in Amish country, we decided to see some things we didn’t fit in the last time. We toured Menno-Hof, a museum where you can see and hear the Amish-Mennonite story. Through multi-media presentations, visitors learn the history of the Anabaptist movement that began in the 16th century Europe. At that time, the church led state required infant baptism. The Anabaptists believed in following the Bible very closely and in voluntary adult baptism. They believed that faith begins with a decision to turn from sin to a new life in Christ. Over centuries, the Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish emerged from the Anabaptist movement. We learned about each group and their core beliefs. It was a very interesting museum and I am glad we visited it.

We have had a somewhat rainy week, but in between the rains, we drove around the countryside past the farms and cornfields, stopped in a few gift shops, visited a brewery, and ate some delicious and very filling meals at the Blue Gate and Five and Twenty Restaurants. Every meal was delicious and often followed by pie; no dieting here.

Our last excursion was to a show at the Blue Gate Theater. We decided to see the Tribute to the Stars, an impersonator show featuring Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Elvis. All three performers were very good, but Tim and I thought Johnny Cash was the best. His voice really sounded like Jonny Cash. Definitely a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Today, we will spend the day at the campground, putting everything away and getting hooked up to go early tomorrow morning. Tomorrow will be a long day, starting at 6 AM getting work on the RV, then back on the road to head towards Pennsylvania. We plan to stay in Ohio tomorrow night then onto Pennsylvania. We have to get back by 7/15 for an inspection appointment that we have for the fifth wheel and then check into Mountain Top Campground for our two month stay. We are looking forward to being back in the “Burgh” and seeing family and friends.

Trent enjoying our last day at Shipshewana Campground