Home again, Home again, Jiggety-jog.

At 8 a.m. on Monday, when K&J Chevrolet opened, I called the service department and asked if my part had come in (squeaky wheel gets the grease).  They found out that it had arrived at the Nissan dealer in Centralia.   The parts driver told me later that he was on the road to Centralia by 8:10.

At 2:25 p.m. the service department called and told me that my truck was ready.  By 3 p.m. the parts driver picked me up at the campground in my Nissan, and I drove him back and took care of my bill.  It was just over $1000, and almost $800 of that was for the part.  There was no charge for the two trips back and forth to the campground, which was a good 25 minutes each way from Carlisle.  

I was originally hoping that the service department could repair the shifter, but I think that was probably unrealistic.  After 139,000 miles, it was plumb worn out.  Vibration had caused screws to back out, and brackets to bend badly.  It was an expensive part, but I feel better knowing that I probably won't have to worry about the shifter assembly ever again.  

I would recommend K&J Chevrolet to anyone needing service in the Carlyle, Illinois area.  The part delay was out of their control.  Once it arrived, they took care of me, knowing that I was in a difficult position. 

I was so sick of Lake Carlisle and the campground after 8 days of not being mobile.   But last night, the temperature was dropping, and the lake looked beautiful (now that I had my truck back).

I cooked the last of my hamburger (an 8 ounce patty) with Swiss cheese and a stale bun that tasted fine toasted and enjoyed knowing that I could leave any time I wanted.

This morning, I was up at 5 a.m. before first light.  After a quick breakfast, I made a thermos of coffee and hitched up.  We dumped (Callie watches carefully) and were on the road by 6:30 a.m.  It was a 7 hour drive home, and I could have broken it up into two days, but I was anxious to finish the trip off.  Allie is home for a short visit on her way to Montreal with college friends, and she will be leaving tomorrow morning.  

Tonight, it's rib-eyes, portabella mushrooms, and a glass of good red wine. 

Step One

 I’ve been stuck in this campground for eight nights now, and we’re feeling a little claustrophobic. The good beer is all gone, and most of the cheap beer is too.

Callie: “Not Miller High-Life?”

I called the auto service desk this morning when it opened, and they were eventually able to confirm that my part arrived at the Nissan dealer twenty miles away. Their driver has to go get the part, and then the service department has to work it into the schedule for replacement of the broken shift assembly. With good luck, I won’t need to pursue contingency plans for an alternative way to move the trailer by Thursday when my campsite is reserved for someone else. I’ll update this post when I learn more.

Stuck in IL

I had the best of plans to blog about our lovely stay at Thomson’s Causeway while I was staying at my next stop in south-central Illinois. But I fell into a bit of a funk, and here’s the post that explains why.

My next reservation was not very well thought-out. I basically went there to take advantage of my senior pass discount. A few minutes after unhooking my Scamp, I went to pull the truck forward, and then couldn’t get it to shift from drive to park.  I worked until well after dark to diagnose and fix the problem. Nissan has had trouble with vibration causing problems with the Frontier shift assembly. Taking everything apart and tightening a screw can sometimes fix the problem.

Unfortunately, my screw was missing, and the insides were badly bent. I am a long ways from auto service. The Nissan dealer couldn’t have the Nissan mechanic even look at it for over a week. If I had the truck towed there, no loaner car or shuttle service back to the campground was available. I would have had to hitchhike little-used secondary roads with temps close to 100 and Callie to deal with.

I had the truck towed to a Chevy dealer in the opposite direction who promised me that I wouldn’t get stranded there, although no loaner cars were available there either. Rentals were not available in either town.

At the end of Monday, it was decided that the shifter assembly could not be repaired, and a new assembly was needed. No one had the part locally, including the Nissan dealer. It was ordered from Nissan on Monday night, shipped on Tuesday. Estimated delivery is 3 to 5 business days. It’s not here as of Friday mid-day, and it looks like I will be here into next week.

To make matters more unpleasant, there is very little to do here. A heat dome has settled over us the entire week with the heat index as high as 120. The biting horseflies are as big as hummingbirds.  There are lots of other insects:  mosquitoes and several smaller varieties of flies and gnats.

On the plus side, my neighbor Bill has been very helpful, taking me to Walmart for groceries and supplies, and providing companionship in an otherwise depressing, claustrophobic circumstance. He has moved on to his next destination, but I have enough food to get me well into next week. The AC in the Scamp has been a life-saver, although we had a several hours long power outage this morning. It’s cranking cold air again, and I pray that continues.

Internet is limited to one bar LTE so I will keep photos to a minimum.

Carlyle Lake

I have this spot reserved until next Thursday morning. Someone else has it reserved that afternoon. I can only hope I’ll be gone by then.

Thomson Causeway

I moved downstream on the Mississippi River to a different COE. 

The river here is very, very wide but so shallow that water plants threaten to overtake it in places. I’ve only stayed here in the early spring when the plant growth was just starting for the season. 

Open channel during spring

Every morning and evening, I am serenaded by sand-hill cranes. Lots of other quieter birds too. The egrets are much more patient fishermen than the humans.

Yesterday, I checked out a new brewery (and only brewery) in Clinton, Iowa, across the river. It was built inside a huge former church and is called Great Revivalist Brewing. 

I had a milk stout on a nitrogen line that was excellent. I’ll return when Julia arrives. I had to check it out first, of course.

Sunset on the Iowa side

Blackhawk COE (Desoto, Wisconsin)

This is a wrap-up of my time at Blackhawk and a note to myself for future consideration.  

I've been to Blackhawk about a handful of times now.  After each time, I like it better and better.  For amenities, there are flush toilets, free, clean showers with good water pressure, and a dump station.  Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring.  Many of the campsites, including the one I stayed in, have a water view.  With the senior discount, campsites with electricity are $13/night.

Despite the fact that water is everywhere, the mosquitoes aren't bad except at dusk.  Even then, the blood suckers aren't any worse than they are at home.  Firewood is available in large bundles at the rv park up the road at a reasonable price but it was junk and  burned poorly.  Note:  don't buy it again.  You would think I would have learned by now. 

There are many roads, paths, and trails for Callie walks.  Leashes are required, and campers are generally respectful of the rules.  There are no grocery stores nearby, but there are a few bars with food in Desoto and Ferryville.  City services are about 30 minutes away in either Prairie Du Chien or La Crosse.  There's a Cabella's (camping supply store) in PDC.  

TV and radio stations come in clearly from La Crosse.  Sunsets and sunrises are both amazing.  Often, fog covers the water in the morning but burns off quickly.  There are a ton of tent sites available for boondocking, but the difference in price and privacy isn't worth it in my estimation.  These sites are also on the lowest ground, which is usually water-covered in the spring.  

During the weekend, there was a large group of African-American dads and sons camping in the group area.

I thought this was one of the coolest things ever.  Diversity is an uncommon thing in Wisconsin's camping world.  And it was clear that many of the dads didn't have much camping experience but were out there for the bonding with their sons and "little brothers."  Of course, it stormed hard Thursday and Friday night, so many of the campers and their belongings got totally soaked.  From all appearances, they still had a blast. 

Yesterday, I drove through the rain along Hwy 35 (the Great River Road) and then on a lot of county highways and tertiary roads along the river in Illinois.  Whoever said that Illinois was flat hasn't driven along the Mississippi River.  

It rained last night, and it's raining again today.  A good day for reading newspapers and books.  The rest of the week looks sunny and dry.  Julia will be joining me in a few days.

 

Storm and the Morning After

Yesterday was hot and humid.  The air was still--the calm before the storm approaching.  I went out to a nearby bar in the mid-afternoon to beat the crowd with a traditional Wisconsin fish fry, along with a PBR.  Total cost:  $12.

I don't watch much tv in the Scamp.  It's nice to have once in awhile.  Last night, as I watched the Packers first exhibition game, there were frequent weather alerts.  A tornado in southeastern Minnesota, along with tennis ball sized hail, lightning, etc.  Thankfully, very little of the storm hit here thirty minutes south of La Crosse.  After dark, the wind, lightning and black clouds moved across quickly.  No harm, no foul.

This morning, there was a heavy fog, which gave way to clear skies and calm weather.

We have one more day here at Blackhawk COE and then will follow the river south.  

Another Scamping Trip

I was only home for a few days/—long enough to restock and hit the road again—sólo this time. My original plan was to head west to Wyoming and South Dakota, but the heat, crowds, and long days of driving gave me second thoughts.

Instead, I’m  still planning a longer trip but closer to home and with longer stays. Tonight I’m camped about 30 minutes south of La Crosse, Wi, a stone’s throw away from the Mississippi River. 

Some stormy weather is on its way, but it’s a great summer day for now.

Waterfalls

 Yesterday, we hiked with our friends, Dave and Ruth, to Hidden Creek Falls near Cornucopia, Wisconsin.

Dave and Ruth have obligations today getting ready for their son’s wedding on Saturday. Julia and I headed south to Copper Falls State Park.

This was a short “absolutely no dogs”trail.  Callie was left behind in the pet picnic area. Temps were cool enough to leave her inside the truck, but she was mad. We made it up to her at “Dogs Allowed” Red Granite Falls.”

This was a delightful spot.

Prentice Park

 

On the western edge of Ashland, there is a very small city-owned campground that is almost always full. My morning walks with Callie take me through this park’s lovely trails.

Just off the trail are ponds fed by artesian springs.

It is so quiet and peaceful. Living in the present can be a challenge—but not here.