Wednesday, June 12, 2019, WI

It feels good to be settled for a while, with not a lot of plans but just enough to be able to connect with friends and family. Yesterday afternoon, I got together with classmates at their monthly meetup at Culver’s. About eight gals showed up and we had some good conversation. I picked up a Papa Murphy’s pizza on my way back home and stopped for a chat with Pat and Tracey.

Today was rainy, all day and chilly - dropping down to about 58 degrees as the day went on and the storms came through. Our coffee pot went n the fritz this morning and Tom tried to figure out what the problem was, to no avail - the heating mechanism is shot. While he did that, I did the laundry and that took a while. One of the washers was slow to fill, so the final rinse cycle took about 40 minutes before spinning. And then, I walked away without hitting the start button on the dryer, realizing that mistake when I went to check the first dryer.  All in all, it was about a 3-hour project. We had no plans for the day, so it wasn’t a problem.

Monday, June 10, 2019, IA, WI

We stopped at the top of the hill as we were leaving this morning,  took this photo of the Scenic View Campground, just so we would have a memory of it. As you can see, it sits in a valley along the Yellow River with a canoe and kayak access point next to the bridge.

 The grounds and setting are beautiful, the park itself is just as expected, but it is not the kind of ‘camping’ that fits our lifestyle.  Most of the sites are seasonal and those that aren’t are rented by friends and family, much younger than us and they all like to party. There were lots of kids, all well behaved. The focus was kayaking on the river, Quads and ATV’s that stirred up dust and took off early Saturday morning to ride the nearby trails and returned that evening - I counted at least 25 coming down the hill to the campground - covered with dust and mud. The campfires burned and the beer flowed until well after quiet time. We kept the windows closed and the fan running so we could sleep. We also thought that Sunday afternoon and evening would be quiet after the majority of folks cleared out, but there was a loud group of die-hards partying behind us and they were up at 4:00 this morning, closing doors, talking quietly, starting their loud trucks and then left. 

Woo! Hoo! We are back in Wisconsin, the land of my roots and familiar territory.  We had a short, 110 mile drive west on US-18 that ended up being a 140 mile drive because of detours and self inflicted detours. Damn! The road conditions for the first 30 miles between Prairie du Chien and Fennimore was horrible (rough and patched), and from there it was construction the closer we got to Madison. If the construction is ever completed, the highways will be nice but until then, they suck.  I really do think that it was the worst stretch of road that we have traveled on this entire 5,600-mile trip. We still have the 300 miles to get to our final summer destination of Monticello, MN, so that will make our spring travels drive of 5,900 miles total. No wonder we both feel like it is time to stay rooted for a while.

We got settled into Site 18 at Viking Village in Stoughton and it feels good to be here. Because of the cost, we booked for a month but will pull out early. Pat stopped by after work and we got to chat for a while this evening. It’s always good to see my firstborn son - an all around good guy who I really miss when we are apart and then when we got together, it’s like we have never been apart. 

It was a cool, 70 degree beautiful summer day with enough breeze that it kept the insects at bay.

Sunday, June 9, 2019, IA

It was another day of exploring. First stop - Effigy Mounds National Monument, just north of Marquette, IA. The American Indians created hills in familiar shapes - animals rising out of the ground between 850 and 1400 years ago. They built mounds in the shapes of bison,  birds, turtles, lizards and bears. They may have been religious sites or clan symbols used in social ceremonies. Their meaning is unclear. Many of their personal items, useful tools, trade goods, and pottery have been found. Unfortunately, I did not wear good walking shoes so other than the 1/2 mile boardwalk trail, we didn’t walk much or get out to the mounds. The water from the Yellow River was grossly overflowing it’s banks and was sprawled out way farther than it ever should be. Hardwood trees should not be swimming.

Villa Louis, a historic mansion on St. Feriole Island in Prairie du Chien, was our next stop, although we had no intention of touring the mansion itself, we did want to take the self guided tour and see the Fur Trader’s Museum. Too bad, I t was closed for repairs, so we walked the paths around the mansion and peeked in a window here and there.  Many of the roads on the island are also closed due to flooding the only way out was to go the wrong way on a one-way-street.

On to Fort Crawford - the second location of the fort, as it was relocated because of flooding at the original site on St. Feriole Island. Zachary Taylor and JeffersonnDavis were stationed there during the Black Hawk War.  It was used as a recruiting site for the Civil War. Little of the original fort remains, so we opted to just walk around the exterior and learn a few things.

We were both hungry by then, so we set off to the Winneshiek Marina and the bar and grill overlooking the Marina and a channel to the Mississippi River.  We sat on the deck and had a beer and a bite to eat. Nice environment, good food, and Spotted Cow beer - yum!

Saturday, June 8, 2019, IA, WI

I really wanted to take a drive to ‘The Land’ near Richland Center today, so that is what we did. Shortly after crossing the mighty Missippi and getting into Wisconsin, I told Tom how good I feel when I get back here, maybe it’s a sense of ‘home’, maybe it’s just the beautiful green covered hills and valleys and the fast flowing (now flooded) rivers.  When we got to the land and were driving to the trailer and camping area, Tom asked if it was ok for us to be there and I assured him that we were welcome, as the Reinhart family has shared this beautiful place with friends since 1970. Mike and I camped here over 4th of July for more than 25 years.

We talked with Jane for a bit and then wandered along the stream and through the woods and the pathways and campsites that Peter has created through the years. Frisco was loving it - he was in and out of the stream, romping along the paths and disappearing, then reappearing, bounding through the tall grass, just happy as he could be. My poor dog has spent his life on a leash or tethered in one RV park after another and this freedom sure was an enjoyable thing for him. It made me feel happy to see him so happy.

When we got back, Peter had finished the chores that he was working on and we all sat in the screen house and had a great conversation over a beer and some snacks.  There was some reminiscing and we had a sensitive moment remember his brother, Tom, who was our good friend and the person responsible for bringing us to this place.

It was a long drive, but not uncommon for Tom and I, and the day gave me a really good feeling. On Monday, I will truly feel at home when we get to Stoughton, where I lived for much of my life.

Friday, June 7, 2019, IA

Today’s destination was only 120 miles away, so we took our time getting ready this morning and we were gassed up and on our way by 10:45.  Except for about 10 miles north on I-35, we drove most of the way on IA-9, then south on  IA-76 to Old Sixteen Road that led us to the Scenic View Campground. It’s a nice place but FULL of seasonal trailers, regulars, lots of kids, and more BUGS than we are used to.  It’s back to using bug spray for us.

The drive was easy, roads were decent, and weather was perfect. In Decorah, we stopped and took a stretch break. The rest of the drive took us through the driftless area, a part of the region that escaped glaciation during the last ice age and is characterized by steep, forested ridges, deeply-carved river valleys, and spring-fed waterfalls and cold-water trout streams. 

Thursday, June 6, 2019, IA

I was thinking this afternoon, that I haven’t written for the last few days and I had better do it soon or I will forget what is fresh (well, sort of) in my mind right now.

This part of the journey was a 240-mile jaunt from Lennox, SD to Clear Lake, IA on US-18. We passed through some lovely small towns and mostly farmland, much of it has not even been plowed or planted at what seems to be fairly late in the season.  The closer we got to Clear Lake, the more corn we saw growing in the fields, but still it seems like it is way too small and stunted.  We settled into the Oakwood RV Park on the south side of Clear Lake. I have been here several times in the past and always thought that it is such a nice, tidy place.  The tidiness lacks a bit these days, especially noticeable in the weedy flower beds, but still a very nice park at $35/day. Tom noted that this is the only RV park that he has ever been in that used an honor system for laundry - the cost is $2/wash and $2/dry and you deposit your money in a lock box. That impresses me.

The view from our campsite. It now contains the WiFi Router.

This small church onsite offers non-denominational services on Sunday mornings.

Yesterday, we chose to take a tour of the Winnebago RV manufacturing plant in Forest City, about twenty miles from Clear Lake. It was well worth it, a 2-hour tour and we saw all stages of Class A and Class C Motorhomes being built. I had visited the plant before, but enjoyed the tour and the museum just as much this time.  On the way back to the RV park, we took a detour to the crash site that occurred on ‘The Day The Music Died’, February 3, 1959 when Buddy Holly,  Ritchie Valens, JP Richardson and their pilot lost their lives in a plane crash after their concert at the Winter Dance Party at the Surf Ballroom. It is just a small memorial marker that you get to after about a half-mile walk along a cornfield.  We then drove through Clear Lake, through the downtown, past the Surf Ballroom, and back home.

This morning, I called Sylvia, one of my Mesa cleaning customers who lives here and I stopped by her house for a short visit. She has a beautiful home on the lake and she was impressed that I had some knowledge of the perennials that she had in her gardens. We had a nice visit, although short. She is having some health issues and I sure hope that all works out well for her.

On Tuesday as we were driving here, about 20 miles west of our destination, we went through the small town of Britt and I noticed a sign for the National Hobo Museum, so that was today’s destination.  I remembered My Uncle Vic telling stories of his travel experiences back in the mid-50s when he rode the rails and hoboed his way to Alaska and back. And also back there in my personal archives is a story of Patrick’s meeting a traveler in the hobo jungle, a wooded area east of Tenney Park between the river and Fordem Avenue in Madison, probably around 1975. There were paths through the woods where he and the neighborhood kids rode their bikes. Can you imagine an encounter something like that these days? He came home and told us about the nice man that he met while riding his bike through the woods and we went there to meet the guy, but he was gone when we got there. The camp was tidy, with the grass worn down to packed mud, there was evidence of a campfire. Today, you would say it looked like a homeless camp.

The museum was interesting and we learned that the small town of Britt has been home to the National Hobo Convention, an annual gathering of Hoboes since 1900.  It sounds like it’s an elaborate event that crowns a King and Queen. We became focused on a documentary movie that was playing about the hobo life during the depression, many of those guys were saved from their desperate lifestyle by the forming of the CCC that created jobs and many of our national parks. It is a story that I will remember when I see a monument in recognition of the CCC in my travels.  

I found this online, but it was on display at the museum:

This ethical code was created by Tourist Union #63 during its 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis Missouri. This code was voted upon as a concrete set of laws to govern the Nation-wide Hobo Body; it reads this way:

• Decide your own life, don't let another person run or rule you.
• When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.
• Don't take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hobos.
• Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but ensure employment should you return to that town again.
• When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts.
• Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals' treatment of other hobos.
• When jungling in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as badly, if not worse than you.
• Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.
• If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.
• Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible.
• When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member.
• Do not cause problems in a train yard, another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard.
• Do not allow other hobos to molest children, expose all molesters to authorities, they are the worst garbage to infest any society.
• Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home.
• Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.
• If present at a hobo court and you have testimony, give it. Whether for or against the accused, your voice counts!

In Clear Lake, we walked through the Surf Ballroom and that brought back memories of the 4 years that Mike and I went to the Winter Dance Party during the mid-80’s. What great times those were: cold, February travels, dressing in 50’s fashions, partying with friends, hearing great music, doing the bunny-hop across the stage, rocking and rolling and dancing the night away.

We had dinner and a beer at the Surf District Rock & Roll Grill where the food was good and the beer was cold and our server was quite friendly and proud of his town.

Monday, June 3, 2019, SD

After eight days without doing laundry, it was a ‘must do’ priority today.  We had an entire load of towels since our recent muddy campsites dirtied those that we use in the cars and also Frisco got a bath last week, so that added more to the pile.  At the laundry, we chatted with a young couple who recently started full-timing with their twin 9-year-old sons. They plan to hit the road this fall and go south for the winter - they were full of questions about places to go and things to see and so full of enthusiasm for the lifestyle. I wished them luck and happy trails.

Two years ago when Tom traveled through this area, he stopped at the small town of Tea and had some great BBQ, so we headed to Squeeler’s Smoke Shack this afternoon. We were greeted by a friendly gal who was excited to hear our story and happy for the repeat business.  Tom ordered a Sampler platter with brisket, pulled pork and ribs and I ordered the baby back ribs with a side of smoked pineapple and a cornbread muffin.  All was tasty and the local Fernson Brewing Company’s Lion’s Paw Lager was a great compliment to the meal.

This is the land of farms, fields, and small towns - true Midwest flavor that we will see more of as we inch our way east to Stoughton, with two in-between stops at Clear Lake, IA and Prairie du Chien, WI.  There is still lots of evidence of heavy rains and flooding as many of the ditches are full and there appears to be lakes where they shouldn’t be.