2021 Midwest DIS Meet- May 14-16, 2020 Starved Rock State Park

[mickeyfan0805]

Part of my pre-trip routine is to take a look at GasBuddy.com to check fuel prices along my route and try to spot the exits I might stop at to fill up along the way.

Illinois is flirting with $3 gas now?! And up near Elgin where my family is, $3.19 is the current going rate? The streets must be paved with GOLD up there.

Yep - We're running about $2.89 in my area right now!

@bjschil - Don't forget the Sprecher! Love that stuff!

Wish I could join you all. Hope you have safe travels and a great time.

 

[Teamubr]

Illinois is flirting with $3 gas now?! And up near Elgin where my family is, $3.19 is the current going rate?

Illinois has one of the highest gas taxes in the country. Missouri one of the lowest (hasn't been raised since 1996). For those of us that commute to Mo, we try to fill up on that side of the river whenever possible. Illinois is also fond of creating special tax districts around truck stops and other retail centers. They will tack on 3-4% extra in local taxes at most truck stops and bigger gas stations along the highway. That's why diesel at our Sam's is under $3 while the Flying J at the highway is $3.35.

Fill up before coming to our lovely (but expensive) state.

As for weather, it is going to be 5-10 degrees below average this weekend. That seems to be our Spring pattern the past few years. It is well below average until June and then in 1 week, we go from chilly to 90s.

j

 

[DVCMonorailBlue]

I am so terribly sorry I just discovered this board.....! We're in Kansas City and I'd have definitely made the drive if I'd seen it sooner!

 

[Teamubr]

I am so terribly sorry I just discovered this board.....! We're in Kansas City and I'd have definitely made the drive if I'd seen it sooner!

Sorry we will miss you this weekend, but there is another opportunity even closer to you. Several of us are going to Marceline in July. Marceline is the "Boyhood Home" of Walt. It is about 90 minutes from KC.

HERE is the post on the Camping Community forum. \

We'd love to have you join us. We will be camping at Long Branch State Park.

j

 

[Teamubr]

Brought the coach home tonight. Gave it a bath. I may need to scrub the roof. It is fiberglass, but has a rough coating on it. Whatever the coating is, it likes to run down the sides of the coach where the gutters end. It leaves a bad white streak on the sides. Apparently it is a common complaint on the Fleetwood boards. Someone makes a gutter extension, but it only helps a little.

I hooked the trailer up to see if I can get out of the driveway without dragging the hitch (4 in drop) or the foot on the trailer jack. Without a car on the trailer, the hitch clears by an inch or so. The foot just barely clears the ground. I think I will be fine. The coach has airbags that keep the coach level and should adjust for the extra hitch weight. If it didn't clear, I would have to take the trailer down the street and hitch up and load the car in a parking lot.

I'll fill the water tank, check tire pressures and start putting in food and clothes tomorrow after work.

j

 

[tigger92662]

A potluck, perhaps. Let me know so we can bring something.

Cheese and beer is perfect, we have burgers and dogs and the what not. we will have plenty for all.

 

[Teamubr]

Donna made banana bread yesterday, but I think we ate half of it last night.

On to plan B.

j

 

[tigger92662]

Donna made banana bread yesterday, but I think we ate half of it last night.

Oops, LOL. Yes plan B

 

[bama_ed]

We have arrived at our overnight CoE campground on our way to the MidWest DISMeet. It took six hours (364 miles) to Canal Campground just east of Paducah, KY in the Land Between The Lakes area. We are in #67 which has a small slew behind us.







There were some folks out on the lake on a log making plans for a kegger tonight. I scared off half of them but the rest just waited for me to leave.



Looking out toward one of the lakes (Cumberland River):



LBTL is a region where the Cumberland River (which runs through Nashville) and the Tennessee River (which runs through north Alabama) come very close together in parallel. Hence the "Canal" name of the campground where they are inter-connected. They both run out and join the Ohio River above Paducah which is about 15 miles away.

Nice place. Well spaced, shaded (not good for tv satellite recep). Many sites have a gentle slope (not bad) since the loop road is above our campsite down to the water.

Had about a 10-minute delay just south of Nashville for an accident in left lane but otherwise easy drive. We are staying in this same campsite on the way home from the DISMeet.

Gonna cruise the Net on the hotspot setting of my phone.



Will try to get there tomorrow ASAP without speeding.

Bama Ed

PS - oh and didn't bring any puzzles since this is a short stay.

 

[tigger92662]

Wow that's a huge site

 

[team bradfield]

nice, are there any full hookup sites? we stay at the paducah/calvert city koa on the way to FW, this looks much nicer

 

[bjschil]

It is with a very heavy heart, that we cannot make the meet. Our farming neighbors daughter, our daughter’s best childhood friend, a constant when we had a pool at our first house, passed away from liposarcoma. Erica Droessler was 41 and leaves behind a husband and two young children, her parents and a sister. Our little town has ben hit with sadness, and we will be at then wake, and funeral to attend on Saturday. I am so sorry. Please have a drink or 7 for us.

 

[Teamubr]

Barb,

That's terrible. So sorry to hear about your friends daughter. We will miss you, but family comes first.

j

 

[Teamubr]

Looks like we will get on the road sooner than planned tomorrow. I only have an 0630 meeting and then I'm done and I can do it from home. Donna is going to work in the coach on the way up. We should be on the road by 0830 or 9. Everything is packed except putting the car on the trailer.

Wish us luck., Except for pulling it a few miles around town, this will be the first time towing the trailer with anything on it.

j

 

[bama_ed]

nice, are there any full hookup sites? we stay at the paducah/calvert city koa on the way to FW, this looks much nicer

Most appear to NOT have them, @team bradfield.

The Recreation.gov website (Canal Campground, Barkley Lake, KY) has a filter option to specify "sewer hookup" and about 15 sites show having one (over 100 sites). I would call the number for the campground and confirm (I did call with a question and a host named "Ed" answered. We had a great talk).

$30 for a waterfront site and $26 for non-water (which technically I am but have a nice enough view). It's not far off the interstate either.

Ed

 

[bama_ed]

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

@team bradfield,

I drove around Canal Campground this morning on the way out and need to provide an update. Sites along the water are VERY close together. Most are uncomfortably close. Guess I just lucked out on a good spacious spot in that Beach Loop where #67 is. As I mentioned earlier, we are staying at that site on the way home and DW is happy about that.

Bama Ed

PS - the turtles were still on that log as the sun came up this morning. I think they partied all night there.

 

[bama_ed]

It was an easy 6.5 hr ride up to Starving Rock SP. I drove up I57 most of the way in Illinois and it is very rural.

All the others were there and I was the last to arrive about 130pm. I'm on one side of the road against some trees and the others are facing me on the interior side of the loop. Sites are nicely spaced and gravel with grass and 30A power only (no sewer, no water). Trees are just now starting to leaf out.

Our setup:







That's @tigger92662 across from me on the right, @Teamubr in the middle, and DIS friend Tim to the left of @Teamubr with the silver truck and front of his Airstream poking out. Got up to low 70s today. Chance of rain tomorrow at some point. I'll let the others put in their two cents.

Bama Ed

PS - more campers are rolling in around us for the weekend.

 

[GamGam]

Apropos of not much: my parents honeymooned at Starved Rock in '46 (Dad was just out of the Army). The lodge had one of the first TV's in the area, so after the dinner no one wanted to leave and go home... No longer still live close, or I'd show up.

 

[bama_ed]

Dinner convo at @tigger92662's site.

I took the Zingers back to our camper.



My DIS globe was lit nicely.

Now we have moved over to @Teamubr's site for a campfire.



Jim's Mickey globe lamp in the foreground and mine is the green dot in the background.



Nice cool evening. Lots of campers showed up tonight.

Bama Ed