This morning we spent in the dealer lounge waiting for our MH to be fixed. By noon, it was done and we were on our way. At 4 PM, we arrived home.
It felt strange to be back after all this time and our house needs a good airing!!
As of today, we have been on the road 166 days. We traveled 13,660 miles in the motorhome and 6,050 miles in the Tracker and every bit of it was incredible. (Can you believe we took ~8500 pictures and video – WOW!!!)
Thank you all for coming along on this amazing journey with us.
Our journeys have not ended – we are just doing a hard reset. I will continue this blog on our next trip. Check back periodically or send me an email and I will let you know when we take off again…
Happy Journeys!!
“Life is a journey, not a destination!”
Diane and Andy
Miles Traveled: 166
Routes Traveled:
Pennsylvania: I-80; PA-54; PA-901; PA-209
10/14/2007
10/10/2007
October 10, 2007 – Almost Home and Looking for Phil
Well, we started out this morning to head home. As soon as we got on I-80, Andy said that the MH was pulling to the right. As I watched him, he was struggling to keep the steering wheel straight. We took the next exit and as we got to the end of the ramp – NO BRAKES!!! Thank God we were on a flat area. So Andy got it stopped and all the flashers on and the red triangles out while I called Good Sam Emergency Road Service.
About 2 hours later this HUGH tow truck comes and tows us to Murray Ford (Truck Service Station) in Dubois, PA and that is where we are now. They think it was a pump and we should have one tomorrow morning. The thing that scares us the most is that there was no warning, no warning lights, nothing – it just stopped!!! (Or broke).
All we could say is Thank God we were where we were. We had just come down from some large hills and I don’t even want to think of what would have happened.
So since we were all settled in here early afternoon, we decided to take in some of the sights and off we went to Punxsutawney to see Phil.
The town is really cute and they have statues of Phil all over.
Here is McPhil:
Here is Scotty Phil:
And here is Mr. Post Phil:
It was great!!!
Then we drove up the hill to see where the celebration takes place:
And of course, me at the podium...
And for the history of Groundhog Day:
But we did not see Phil…
And the fall colors continue to be beautiful!! 
So depending on how long it takes to get our repairs done tomorrow, we may be home.
Miles Traveled: 70
Routes Traveled:
Pennsylvania: PA-321; US-219; I-80
About 2 hours later this HUGH tow truck comes and tows us to Murray Ford (Truck Service Station) in Dubois, PA and that is where we are now. They think it was a pump and we should have one tomorrow morning. The thing that scares us the most is that there was no warning, no warning lights, nothing – it just stopped!!! (Or broke).
All we could say is Thank God we were where we were. We had just come down from some large hills and I don’t even want to think of what would have happened.
So since we were all settled in here early afternoon, we decided to take in some of the sights and off we went to Punxsutawney to see Phil.
The town is really cute and they have statues of Phil all over.
Here is McPhil:
Here is Scotty Phil:
And here is Mr. Post Phil:
It was great!!!Then we drove up the hill to see where the celebration takes place:
And of course, me at the podium...
And for the history of Groundhog Day:
But we did not see Phil…
And the fall colors continue to be beautiful!!
So depending on how long it takes to get our repairs done tomorrow, we may be home.
Miles Traveled: 70
Routes Traveled:
Pennsylvania: PA-321; US-219; I-80
October 9, 2007 – Fall in Western PA
Happy Birthday to Andy!!!
A picture of the park:
And our campsite:
The leaves are changing color and it is beautiful!! PA in the fall – no better place to be.
We traveled on more back roads to the Allegheny National Forest. Andy and I would like to do some camp hosting next year and this was one of the places we had on our list. The NF has a number of campgrounds but many have closed by 10/1. So we are staying at the Red Bridge Campground which still has two loops open.
Our campsite:
This campground is by the Allegheny River/Reservoir:
We heard and then saw bald eagles here:
We stopped by Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny:
A view from the other side of the dam:
It is just beautiful here!!!
The evening ended with a nice campfire!!
We have decided to head home tomorrow. Since we entered PA, the pull towards home has been strong and we made the decision to just go for it. We felt that we could do some short trips within PA before the winter sets in (hopefully).
So home, here we come.
Miles Traveled: 125
Routes Traveled:
Pennsylvania: US-322; US-6; PA-321
A picture of the park:
And our campsite:
The leaves are changing color and it is beautiful!! PA in the fall – no better place to be.We traveled on more back roads to the Allegheny National Forest. Andy and I would like to do some camp hosting next year and this was one of the places we had on our list. The NF has a number of campgrounds but many have closed by 10/1. So we are staying at the Red Bridge Campground which still has two loops open.
Our campsite:
This campground is by the Allegheny River/Reservoir:
We heard and then saw bald eagles here:
We stopped by Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny:
A view from the other side of the dam:
It is just beautiful here!!!
The evening ended with a nice campfire!!
We have decided to head home tomorrow. Since we entered PA, the pull towards home has been strong and we made the decision to just go for it. We felt that we could do some short trips within PA before the winter sets in (hopefully).
So home, here we come.
Miles Traveled: 125
Routes Traveled:
Pennsylvania: US-322; US-6; PA-321
October 8, 2007 – Back in PA
Today was a long travel day for us BUT we are in PA!!!
We traveled thru Indiana and went to Camping World in Ohio for a few items. We were going to stay at Camping World but they did not have electric and it was very HOT!! The local campground was not recommended by the employees and the one that was recommended was due west and we did not want to backtrack. So we headed further east and ended up in rush hour traffic in the Cleveland/Akron outskirts. (And we really do not like the big cities!!) But we made it out and were going to camp at a small town in Ohio and found out that by going 25 miles more we could camp at Pymatuning State Park (Jamestown Camp) in PA.
So that is where we are camped tonight. It is a beautiful state park (like most of PA’s state parks). We did not pull in until twilight so there are no pictures tonight.
It is so good to be back. Part of us wants to head straight home and another part wants this journey to continue.
Miles Traveled: 348 - WOW
Routes Traveled:
Indiana: IA-19; US-20; US-33; US-6
Ohio: US-6; US-20; OH-57; OH-82; US-42; OH-303; I-271; US-322
Pennsylvania: US-322
We traveled thru Indiana and went to Camping World in Ohio for a few items. We were going to stay at Camping World but they did not have electric and it was very HOT!! The local campground was not recommended by the employees and the one that was recommended was due west and we did not want to backtrack. So we headed further east and ended up in rush hour traffic in the Cleveland/Akron outskirts. (And we really do not like the big cities!!) But we made it out and were going to camp at a small town in Ohio and found out that by going 25 miles more we could camp at Pymatuning State Park (Jamestown Camp) in PA.
So that is where we are camped tonight. It is a beautiful state park (like most of PA’s state parks). We did not pull in until twilight so there are no pictures tonight.
It is so good to be back. Part of us wants to head straight home and another part wants this journey to continue.
Miles Traveled: 348 - WOW
Routes Traveled:
Indiana: IA-19; US-20; US-33; US-6
Ohio: US-6; US-20; OH-57; OH-82; US-42; OH-303; I-271; US-322
Pennsylvania: US-322
10/07/2007
October 7, 2007 – The Grotto at Notre Dame
Today we made a visit to the grotto at Notre Dame. Andy and I made a special prayer request for a friend of ours who is facing some difficult times and could use a miracle. (So please keep her in your prayers!).
From there, we visited the bookstore and gift shop – Lots of things we could have bought. And of course everyone was upbeat since ND won last night!!
And the rest of the day we did regular household stuff (laundry, groceries, watched football, etc.) and made our plans for the rest of our trip. Tomorrow we leave Indiana and head towards PA.
From there, we visited the bookstore and gift shop – Lots of things we could have bought. And of course everyone was upbeat since ND won last night!!And the rest of the day we did regular household stuff (laundry, groceries, watched football, etc.) and made our plans for the rest of our trip. Tomorrow we leave Indiana and head towards PA.
October 6, 2007 – RV Museum, Studebaker Museum, and Notre Dame
Today was sightseeing day!!
Our first stop was the RV/MH Museum (Library/Hall of Fame). They have a number of rooms on different types of RV’s. The first room was the newest line. The second room was the older models and some of them were incredible!
Some pictures:
The wood in this one was absolutely beautiful:
And I had to take a picture of this van – brought back memories of my dad and mom’s van and all the travels across the country that they did.
There was also a room on the suppliers to the industry, a hall of fame, and a library with many of the RV books and literature.
This was truly worth a visit...
Our next stop was the Studebaker Museum. This is the area where the Studebaker Car was built. Studebaker originally built covered wagons, wheelbarrows, and horse drawn carriages. They were the only company to make the transition to cars.
The museum contained the story of the Studebaker family and many exhibits.
What wonderful vehicles! Some early models:
Wouldn’t you just LOVE to own one of these – OH MY!!
We had such a wonderful time. It brought back a lot of memories for Andy. He and his family were thru here in 1951 and his father traded in a 1948 Studebaker for a 1951 Studebaker that they used to travel the US. What wonderful stories!!
As we left the museum, we heard a lady yelling at her children “Get out, just get out!” We weren’t sure what was happening but then saw smoke coming from her house. Another couple that left the same time as us called 911 and the fire trucks were there shortly. It looked like no one was hurt and the fire was put out quickly but I am sure they had damage. (Fire is always so scary!)
And of course no trip to South Bend is complete without a stop to the Notre Dame campus:
What a wonderful day!
Our first stop was the RV/MH Museum (Library/Hall of Fame). They have a number of rooms on different types of RV’s. The first room was the newest line. The second room was the older models and some of them were incredible!
Some pictures:
The wood in this one was absolutely beautiful:
And I had to take a picture of this van – brought back memories of my dad and mom’s van and all the travels across the country that they did.
There was also a room on the suppliers to the industry, a hall of fame, and a library with many of the RV books and literature. This was truly worth a visit...
Our next stop was the Studebaker Museum. This is the area where the Studebaker Car was built. Studebaker originally built covered wagons, wheelbarrows, and horse drawn carriages. They were the only company to make the transition to cars.
The museum contained the story of the Studebaker family and many exhibits.
What wonderful vehicles! Some early models:
Wouldn’t you just LOVE to own one of these – OH MY!!
We had such a wonderful time. It brought back a lot of memories for Andy. He and his family were thru here in 1951 and his father traded in a 1948 Studebaker for a 1951 Studebaker that they used to travel the US. What wonderful stories!!As we left the museum, we heard a lady yelling at her children “Get out, just get out!” We weren’t sure what was happening but then saw smoke coming from her house. Another couple that left the same time as us called 911 and the fire trucks were there shortly. It looked like no one was hurt and the fire was put out quickly but I am sure they had damage. (Fire is always so scary!)
And of course no trip to South Bend is complete without a stop to the Notre Dame campus:
What a wonderful day!10/05/2007
October 5, 2007 – RV Stores
Today was RV surplus supply day. We were amazed at what is available out there – every part imaginable for any type of RV and then some. We did not buy too much but we did get cards from two of the places so if we need anything further, we know where to go…
Tomorrow is sightseeing day and I promise more pictures.
So stay tuned.
Tomorrow is sightseeing day and I promise more pictures.
So stay tuned.
October 4, 2007 – Travel to Elkhart, Indiana
We continued our travels on the back roads of Illinois and Indiana and are camped at the Elkhart Campground in Elkhart, Indiana – another nice campground.
We will be here for a few days for two reasons – the RV and sightseeing. This area is considered to be the RV capital and they have a number of surplus stores for RV supplies as well as RV manufacturers and dealers. There are a couple items that we are looking for and tomorrow will be checking out all the places. We have seen a number of the dealers on the way in and may even check out some of the motorhomes -
We also want to see the RV museum, the Studebaker Museum, and Notre Dame…
So stay tuned.
Miles Traveled: 227
Routes Traveled:
Illinois: US-45; US-24
Indiana: US-24; US-31; IA-19
We will be here for a few days for two reasons – the RV and sightseeing. This area is considered to be the RV capital and they have a number of surplus stores for RV supplies as well as RV manufacturers and dealers. There are a couple items that we are looking for and tomorrow will be checking out all the places. We have seen a number of the dealers on the way in and may even check out some of the motorhomes -
We also want to see the RV museum, the Studebaker Museum, and Notre Dame…
So stay tuned.
Miles Traveled: 227
Routes Traveled:
Illinois: US-45; US-24
Indiana: US-24; US-31; IA-19
October 3, 2007 - Travel thru Illinois
Today we crossed over and left the Mississippi area. It was a little sad – sometime I would like to travel from the start of the Mississippi down to the Gulf.
Our travels today took us on the back roads through Illinois. It is definitely Harvest Time on the farms (And it is really interesting to watch!!!)
We passed thru many small towns and villages and they are very quaint!
We just LOVE these back roads!
We are camped at the Prairie Pines Campground – a city campground in the village of Rantoul, IL. – Another nice one.
No pictures today, just enjoying the scenery.
Miles Traveled: 272.9
Routes Traveled:
Iowa: IA-22; US-61; US-34
Illinois: US-34; US-67; US-136; US-45
Our travels today took us on the back roads through Illinois. It is definitely Harvest Time on the farms (And it is really interesting to watch!!!)
We passed thru many small towns and villages and they are very quaint!
We just LOVE these back roads!
We are camped at the Prairie Pines Campground – a city campground in the village of Rantoul, IL. – Another nice one.
No pictures today, just enjoying the scenery.
Miles Traveled: 272.9
Routes Traveled:
Iowa: IA-22; US-61; US-34
Illinois: US-34; US-67; US-136; US-45
October 2, 2007 – The Mississippi River
We had a semi-lazy day today. We started late and spent some time talking with our fellow campers. Then off to the laundry and then back to cleaning up - in and out of the motorhome.
This afternoon we spent watching the river and taking walks along the river and the campground.
We found these fellows:
Not sure what kind of bird (if you know, please email me). They were interesting to watch.
Another look at the River:
A storm rolled in again tonight so there was no campfire. We just had rain and wind but nothing severe.
We have decided to move on tomorrow. We are heading towards South Bend and Elkhart, Indiana. I have truly loved spending time by the Mississippi and will miss it.
This afternoon we spent watching the river and taking walks along the river and the campground.
We found these fellows:
Not sure what kind of bird (if you know, please email me). They were interesting to watch.Another look at the River:
A storm rolled in again tonight so there was no campfire. We just had rain and wind but nothing severe.We have decided to move on tomorrow. We are heading towards South Bend and Elkhart, Indiana. I have truly loved spending time by the Mississippi and will miss it.
October 1, 2007 - Field of Dreams and the Mississippi
We woke this morning to clouds but no rain or wind. We did find out that some areas did have a tornado and other areas had very high winds – Some damage but no injuries.
Today our travels took us towards southeastern Iowa.
We went thru the town of Dyersville and took a side trip. Does this look familiar?
Yes, this is the original site of the movie Field of Dreams. It was incredible!!
The site is free to walk around and anyone can come here and play baseball if they would like. It was such a peaceful place. If you never saw the movie, take a chance and rent it. You will thoroughly enjoy it. It is not just about baseball but about dreaming and believing and following your dreams…
We arrived at Shady Creek Campground (a COE campground) along the Mississippi and just enjoyed ourselves watching the river and the barges going up and down.
Here is a picture of Andy at our site:
A barge going up the river:
Another picture of the campground:
Tonight as we sat by the campfire, we could see the lights on the barges and hear them as they went up and down the river, we could hear the trains going up and down on the other side of the campground, and looking up we could see thousands of stars. River, barges, trains, campfire, stars – Ahh, life doesn’t get any better than this!!
Miles Traveled: 162
Routes Traveled:
Iowa: X-56; US-52; IA-136; IA-64; US-61; I-80; I-280; IA-22
Today our travels took us towards southeastern Iowa.
We went thru the town of Dyersville and took a side trip. Does this look familiar?
Yes, this is the original site of the movie Field of Dreams. It was incredible!!The site is free to walk around and anyone can come here and play baseball if they would like. It was such a peaceful place. If you never saw the movie, take a chance and rent it. You will thoroughly enjoy it. It is not just about baseball but about dreaming and believing and following your dreams…
We arrived at Shady Creek Campground (a COE campground) along the Mississippi and just enjoyed ourselves watching the river and the barges going up and down.Here is a picture of Andy at our site:
A barge going up the river:
Another picture of the campground:
Tonight as we sat by the campfire, we could see the lights on the barges and hear them as they went up and down the river, we could hear the trains going up and down on the other side of the campground, and looking up we could see thousands of stars. River, barges, trains, campfire, stars – Ahh, life doesn’t get any better than this!!Miles Traveled: 162
Routes Traveled:
Iowa: X-56; US-52; IA-136; IA-64; US-61; I-80; I-280; IA-22
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