Summer '22 Cross Country - Day 22

Travel day from Amana, Iowa to Shipshewana, Indiana

Back to Day 21

Sunday, 26 June 2022

With that sadness you have when leaving a place you have really enjoyed, we departed Amana today after a week filled with fellowship and hard work. Frieda and I will most definitely look forward to future RV rallies at the Amana RV Park & Event Center.

Skipper in the truck, ready to go, and thinking to himself, “Is this really the end?”

Scott and Frieda outside the truck, ready to go, thinking to themselves, “Did we really freaking plan a trip of almost 400 miles today?”

Meanwhile, somewhere in Iowa and surrounded by corn in every direction, Frieda says, “I sure am glad Skipper’s in your lap for a change.”

I know! I know! Probably not the safest place for him or me, but you can’t tell a Parson Russell Terrier how to do anything. He’s gonna do what he’s gonna do.

The corn looks like driven snow that buries all the buildings.

Shortly after we crossed the Mississippi River we stopped at the Illinois Welcome Center to make some coffee. Of course, with our wonderful Ollie and its onboard lithium batteries and 3,000 watt inverter, we can do that in our own little home without the use of a generator.

It turned out that on the way into the Visitor Center, there was a scenic overlook pull-off that we chose to take advantage of instead. What a view of the Mississippi River with Iowa in the background!

It was an absolutely gorgeous day today with blue skies and temps in the high 70s.

Coffee brewing…

“Who cares about the Mississippi… I think I see a squirrel!

After potty breaks all around and with coffee in hand, we hit the road again, this time with Frieda driving as I had been falling asleep. I was so grateful for her volunteering to do so as I was physically worn out after nine Kleen Tank jobs over the last few days.

Me: Happy to have coffee in my hands, Skipper in my lap, and to not be driving! Frieda: Unhappy I’m taking more pictures!

Frieda demonstrating excellent instrument scan!

Maddie chilling in the back seat.

After we had made good progress heading further east, we stopped at another rest area to make lunch. We have a good routine down. I take the dogs for their walk while Frieda opens up the Ollie and starts prepping her kitchen the way she wants it. The marriage remains happier if I don’t do the latter. In fact, it’s best if I don’t mess with the kitchen or the pantry at all!

Food in our bellies, we made the final press toward Shipshewana, Indiana. Along the way, we passed this interesting rock quarry just south of Chicago along Interstate 80:

Around 2:15 pm or so, we crossed back into Indiana for the second time on this cross country adventure.

In case you missed it earlier, our original intention was to do a couple of two-week camping trips before heading out in August for a big, counter-clockwise trip around the United States. But when some friends needed a house to rent immediately, we went ahead and started the trip in June. The impact was that in between two westward trips to Iowa we would also make an eastward trip to Gettysburg. That’s why we’re traveling eastward before we finally head west as far as Washington, Oregon and California.

Skipper was my buddy most of the day.

Shipshewana South Park Campground - home for the next three nights.

I’m going to ask Frieda to drive more often because she got us up to 12.9 mpg on a nearly 400 mile trip! That really helps considering the nearly 30 gallons burned cost us over $150. LGB!

For the next three nights, we are here to do some sightseeing and to just rest. Then it’s on to Ohio for a night and then Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for a week.

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Go to Day 23