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travelingtheusa · 6 years

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INDIANA

3 Jun 2018 (Sun) – We did the laundry this morning. Being Sunday, few attractions are open today. We spent most of the day just hanging around the campground, tending to household chores. We drove to the Texas Corral for lunch (looked a lot like the Texas Roadhouse complete with peanut shells on the floor).

2 Jun 2018 (Sat) – We drove to Gary this morning to see the home of Michael Jackson. OMG. It was like going into the slums. The town was full of boarded up and falling down buildings. It seemed like there was a blight on the town. U.S. Steel Works used to be in the town but it is now a mere shadow of what it once was. I guess when the country started importing steel, our industry went belly up. The street where the Jackson family once lived was small and narrow with tiny houses lining both sides of the street. Their home was on the corner of Jackson Street and Jackson Family Blvd. I don’t think there were four rooms in the little house. It looks like there might have been a monument in the corner of the yard but it’s gone now. The house was not open to the public.

We then drove to Porter to see the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. They wanted to charge a $3 fee so we turned around. Then we drove into the Indiana Dunes State Park and paid $12 to park. Paul was quite annoyed about it. It looked just like the beach at our cabin on Long Island. There was really nothing spectacular about the area. It was probably very nice for the residents but for folks like us, it really wasn’t anything special.

I called the Goshen RV Center to see if the fender skirt had come in from Vanleigh for the RV. They said they didn’t have it. The tech support guy at Vanleigh told us it was supposed to have arrived by 8 p.m. yesterday. The clerk probably just didn’t want to look for it.

We drove into town and had lunch at the Shoreline Brewery. It looked like a former factory turned bar/restaurant. There were a lot of abandoned factory and warehouse buildings in the town so it was nice to see one repurposed.

1 Jun 2018 (Fri) – We putzed around this morning until after 11 a.m. then we went to lunch at the Ponderosa before stopping in at the Goshen RV Center. We are waiting for a fender skirt to be shipped up from Alabama by Vilano. They did not have the part so I called the service tech in Alabama. He told us it had been shipped and was scheduled to arrive sometime by the end of the day. Oh, well. We’ll have to come back for it.

Our new campground is only 70 miles north in Michigan City. The Michigan City Campground is a very nice facility. The campsites are roomy. The interior roads and campsites are hard packed gravel. There is a concrete patio with picnic table and fire ring. The campground also has a heated pool.

When we left Goshen, the temperature was 95 degrees. When we arrived in Michigan City, it was downright cold. The thermometer was reading 65 degrees. A cool front has moved down from Lake Michigan. The pond on the campground had steam rising off the surface. I hope it’s warmer tomorrow!

31 May 2018 (Thu) – We spent the morning calling around to campgrounds until we found a place to go tomorrow and then the next place near the Midway Airport in Chicago, where I’ll be flying home from. There are no campgrounds less than an hour away from the airport and most of those in Illinois get bad reviews. The Illinois county campgrounds run $60 a night. That’s much too high! We wound up making a reservation for a casino campground for a week while I’m in New York. I hope it’s going to be OK.

Once we finally got the campgrounds locked in, we drove to Elkhart to see Linton’s Enchanted Gardens. It is rated number one on Trip Advisor. It turned out to be a nursery laid out in a nice way with lots of pathways and decorations to dress it up – mini houses, statues, and decorations. There was also a small petting zoo and an enchanted train (which was nothing more than a tractor pulling wagons decorated to look like train cars). There was also a gift shop and a small café. It you’re into flowers and plants and the little extras, then it would be a nice stop. As for us, we really didn’t find the experience very interesting.

After we came out we looked over attractions in the area but didn’t find anything that appealed to us. Ultimately, we decided to go to a movie. We drove to the movie theater in Elkhart but they were showing “Solo” in 3D. We did not want to watch a 3D movie so we drove to the theater in Goshen where we caught the 1:30 p.m. showing of “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” It was OK but seemed to concentrate more on the characters than the story.

We stopped at the supermarket on the way back to the campground to pick up a few groceries. We also got fuel. Ready to move tomorrow. We’ve been here long enough.

30 May 2018 (Wed) – We drove to South Bend to the University of Notre Dame. They only give two tours a day at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. We arrived at 10 to 11 so we missed the tour. The Basilica closed at 11 a.m. for midday mass so we missed seeing the Basilica. It is a walking campus so we couldn’t drive to any of the buildings to see. We walked for about an hour, looking at different buildings. We saw the murals painted in the halls of the Golden Dome building. We rode the elevator up to the tenth floor of the library because the woman at the visitor’s center told us you could get a good view of the entire area. That wasn’t exactly true. You could walk to each corner of the building and look out of a window. It gave you a peek at a piece of the property. We then walked down the mall to the stadium. It was closed to the public so we just stood in front of it and took a selfie. The entire campus was very attractive and peaceful. All the buildings were built with the same light colored brick so everything looked alike. It was a very beautiful campus.

We left the campus and drove to the Hall of Super Hero Museum. It was a collection of mostly super hero action figures and comic books in a small two story garage. It looked more like someone had so many dolls and comics that they decided they should open a museum. There were also a couple of movie props and lots of pictures of actors with the director of the “museum.” He said they are trying to get donations to open a bigger building because the collections don’t fit anymore. The guy had to nerve to charge $6 per person. It was a rip off!

After the museum, we drove to the RV/MH Hall of Fame. It was a collection of old RVs and motor homes that showed the evolution of camping vehicles over the years. Things sure have changed. There was also a manufactured home on display in back of the museum. It was quite attractive.

We then drove into Elkhart to get a bite to eat. Consulting Trip Advisor, we drove to the Heinnies. It was a steak house but they weren’t serving steaks until 5 p.m. so we had burgers. They were OK.

29 May 2018 (Tue) – We drove to Shipshewana today. The flea market was open and in full swing. There were hundreds of booths to look at. After a while, it seemed like everything was the same. It was so hot – in the 90s. We walked up and down the aisles for about two hours then stopped for lunch. Then we walked another hour. We picked up some items both for us and gifts for others. We heard many people complaining about the heat yesterday. Apparently the flea market was open for the holiday despite signs that said it was only open Tuesday and Wednesday. (We would have gone had we known.) The thermometer topped one hundred yesterday. Today it was in the high 90s.

We stopped at the Menno-Hof Museum down the road. It was a fascinating museum that told the story of the religious groups in the area. Way, way back in history (around 300 BC) a group of people split off from the church because they believed people should be baptized as adults whereby the belief of the day was that baptism should take place within the first year of a child’s life. The group that broke off was called Anabaptists. They further split over the years and basically became three groups, with other splinter groups within them. They are the Amish, Mennonites, and Hutterites. A lot of the splits had to do with how the groups interact with the world around them. Some want extreme purity, some want restricted functions, and some work within the modern world, dressing and acting like the people around them. It was a very interesting stop.

After the museum, we stopped at the Das Dutchman Essenhaus for dinner. I was looking for the fried chicken like we had at a Pennsylvania Dutch Amish restaurant but they had broasted chicken. It looks like a fried chicken without breading. It was good but not exactly what I was looking for.

28 May 2018 (Mon) – We drove into town to watch the parade. It was small compared to what we did back home. I think it was over in ten minutes. The VFW coordinated the event and rode in a couple of cars in front. There were two fire engines. The biggest group was their church. It was still nice to see people turn out and remember the men and women who gave their lives in defense of this country.

We returned to the campground and just hung around inside the RV all day. It was pretty hot.

27 May 2018 (Sun) – With everything in the area closed, we decided to do the laundry. We packed up the clothes and drove into town to the laundromat. After we put the clothes in the washer, we drove to Goshen Brewery Company for lunch. The reviews on Trip Advisor raved about their brisket sandwich. Unfortunately, they had a brunch menu with no brisket on it. There weren’t many options and half of them had duck in them. I chose a meal with several items served in a bowl – biscuit, gravy, potatoes, cheese, duck eggs, and duck bacon. Paul got a bagel with fruit flavored cream cheese and duck breast.

After lunch, we returned to the laundromat and transferred the clothes to the dryers. Then we sat for half an hour. We went back to the campground and spent rest of the day hanging out. We tried going outside but it was too hot. Although the thermometer says the temperature is in the mid-80s, the blazing sun feels like it’s searing the skin.

26 May 2018 (Sat) – We drove to Shipshewana today. We were there in 2011 and didn’t get a chance to thoroughly explore it. Shipshewana is America’s third largest Amish and Mennonite communities. They have the largest flea market we’ve ever seen with hundreds of vendors in many rows. In fact, the Great Amish Country Auction is listed as a must-see in the “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” Sadly, the flea market is only open on Tuesday and Thursday. There was a large tent with hundreds of people attending an auction. The majority of the attendees were Amish, dressed in plain but very colorful clothing, the women wearing cute little white hats and the men broad brimmed straw or black hats.

We wandered through Voder’s Meat & Cheese Company, which was a large shop right next to the auction/flea market area. There were lots of different kinds of cheeses and meats we could sample, and we bought some beef jerky and cheese curds. Most other places in the area were also closed.

The vet’s office called while we were at the flea market to say the culture came back on Bonnie’s foot. There are two kinds of bacteria in her foot. He told us to discontinue her current antibiotic and to pick up a different one at the office. So we drove back to Goshen and got the new medication. Her foot is doing so much better. It is no longer swollen and oozing and it does not hurt her to have it touched. Things are looking up.

We drove into Goshen for lunch and ate at Tony’s Famous Grill. The food was OK but nothing great. Afterward, we walked up and down the main street, looking at the old buildings and wandering through a couple of shops. We stopped in at the historical society and explored Goshen’s history. We learned that the town built a canal that was used by several manufacturing plants. There are many trains running through the town almost constantly. Goshen is on the route between Toledo and Chicago. They blow their horns every time, even at 2 and 3 in the morning.

When we were done wandering the main street, we drove over to the canal to take a look. We stopped at the dam and admired the serenity of the lake it created. It was a very pleasant area.

25 May 2018 (Wed) – We were up at 6 a.m. this morning. Tucked everything away, hooked up the RV, and drove to Lippert. They had us drop off the trailer and we drove off to find breakfast. One of the workers recommended Angel’s House of Pancakes. It turned out to have very good food.

After breakfast, we drove to a nearby lake and walked a little bit around the area. Bonnie’s doing so much better but we are still trying to take it easy with her. We put one of my socks on her foot and it seems to come off within the hour. She managed to pull out the wick this afternoon. Ugh.

We then decided to find a Pet Smart and buy some booties for Bonnie. The nearest Pet Smart was in Elkhart, so we drove 28 miles north. While we were in the store, Lippert called to say the RV was ready for pickup. We hopped in the truck and drove back to Goshen. They found grease from the seals on the brakes so they replaced the brakes, seals, and hubs on all four tires. I’m glad we got in. There is only three weeks left on our one-year warranty.

We hooked up the trailer and drove back to the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds. Most of the rally folks have gone and we had a pick of many open sites. Once situated, Paul went over and paid for the week. It cost a little more because we now have full hook-ups. We are closer to the office and the Wifi is SO much better here.

At 4 p.m. we drove into town to get dinner. Hopper’s Pike Street Grill had good ratings so we ate there. They had frog legs on the menu and the waitress told us they are known for their fried fish. Seems weird that a state so far north would have good fish and frogs. Seems like that’s more of a southern dish. At any rate, I had ribs and Paul had pork chops. The food was excellent!

After dinner, we drove to the Old Bag Factory. It turned out to be a four-story factory built in the 1800s that has been turned into a shopping area. There were many shops in the building. Unfortunately, they closed at 4 p.m. We wandered about the building, admiring the old floors, brick walls, and hanging barn doors. They kept a lot of the flavor of the architecture. In its hey day, the factory produced soap and bags for produce. There were 28 factories around the U.S.; the biggest operations in Goshen, IN and Orlando, FL.

24 May 2018 (Tue) – Paul was up and out at 7:30 a.m. to bring the truck to Ford. Thankfully, they kept the appointment, checked out the truck, and found a faulty sensor. It was replaced and Paul was back at the campground by 11:30 a.m. It cost us almost $300.

We stopped by the campground office to tell them we would not be moving to the new site until tomorrow. They charged us $27.50 for tonight and left it for us to settle up tomorrow.

We drove to the RV Factory to take a tour of their manufacturing process. This company produces Luxe Gold and Luxe Elite. They only produce one or two fifth wheels a week, opposed to the other guys who churn out about 20-25 a week. They allow customers to buy direct from them, eliminating the middle man and allowing you to customize your RV the way you want it. They use top quality items to build their RVs. We were very impressed and will keep our eye on them when we are ready to buy another fifth wheel.

There is a big store in the area called Menards. It is, I believe, Amish owned and run. We stopped in to see what it was like. It turned out to be some combination of Home Depot, Ace Hardware, a department store, and a supermarket. The store was huge! There didn’t seem to be thing they DIDN’T carry. Wow. We picked up a couple of items and returned to the campground.

23 May 2018 (Mon) – We took Bonnie to the vet this morning. He did not find anything obvious. The doctor put a wick (a kind of cotton drain) in the foot to help pull the fluid out. He also took a culture and sent it to the lab to see if we could see what kind of bacteria is infecting her foot. There is a pretty bandage wrapped around it. Bonnie’s been out of it all day. Dr. Jeff said they were using a light sedation, not anesthesia but she sure is having a hard time recovering.

We had breakfast at Angel’s House of Pancakes. Paul ordered fried mush and I had corned beef hash. It turns out the fried mush is a cornmeal batter that is cooked like a pancake. There was a senior citizen special going on today – five mush cakes and free coffee for just $6.99. Paul ate two cakes and left the rest. He said he preferred biscuits and gravy. Another customer came in when we were done and sat across from us. She asked if the food on Paul’s plate was the fried mush. We said yes and she asked to take a taste. Delighted, she said she was going to order it. When she saw us leaving the food on the plate, she asked if she could have it. I gave her the plate. Weird.

After breakfast, we drove to an RV supply place to try and find a fender skirt for the RV. When we had the blowout last month, a piece of the fender was broken off. We did not find it. While driving around, we saw a sign for a Moose Family Center. We drove over to look at it. It turned out they had a large campground in back behind the lodge. We drove through it but it appeared to be permanent residents; no transient sites.

When we got back to the campground, I started making some phone calls. I made an appointment with Lippert to bring our RV in for inspection of the brake seals on Friday. I confirmed our appointment with Ford tomorrow morning. I called The RV Factory and made an appointment for a tour of the factory on Friday morning. I also called DRV Luxury Suites RV for a factory tour but they close down at the end of the month. They won’t start tours again until June 1. I called Vanleigh Vilano to get a slide seal replaced and see if they could send us the fender skirt, too. The items will be sent to the RV dealer here in Goshen.

22 May 2018 (Tue) – We wanted to pick up a couple of items at the information center so we waited until 9 a.m. when we thought they’d be open. When we got there, the office had opened at 8 a.m. We asked for 22 copies of a DVD about the Army Corps of Engineers’ campgrounds around the U.S. and 22 carabiners. We got a carabiner in the gift bag that was really nice. It has a knife, a nail file with flat tip as a screwdriver, and a pair of scissors.

We had to break down in a drizzly rain and left Iowa City, IA, at close to 10 a.m. It rained on and off during the drive. We arrived in Goshen, IN, at 12:30 p.m. There is a rally going on so they put us in an area with just electric and water hookup. When the rally ends on Thursday, we will be moved to a site with full hookups. The Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds is very large with 350 campsites. There are many buildings on the grounds where the 4-H club puts their animals for display and judging. There is also a track where they train horses to trot. We have been watching trainers run their horses around the track. One owner had his horse connected to a pickup truck and was leading it around the track at a trot. I guess that’s how they teach it what speed to run at.

When we arrived, I found a veterinarian and we took Bonnie to get her foot checked out. It has been getting worse. The area in between the one toe now has two cysts on either side on the inside of the toe. It is also oozing and bleeding a little, too. The vet said he wanted to take a look at the paw with Bonnie under sedation. It was very tender and Bonnie kept pulling her paw away. We made an appointment to bring her back tomorrow morning.

After dinner, we took a walk around the fairgrounds. There are hundreds of Entegra motor coaches parked around the campground. There is a rally going on. There are vendor displays and a class on how to drive a motor coach. Each coach had a sign outside with the name of the owner(s) on it. I guess when they register for the rally, Entegra makes up a sign for them. There are also a number of golf carts driving around, giving anyone rides from one point to the other as the fairgrounds are very large.

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