Our Winter Adventure Begins
Today we left Kal-Haven Outpost and started our winter adventure.
Kaskaskia Dragon RV Park
King and I are creatures of habit, and our habit is to travel south and west to Vandalia, Illinois and stay at Kaskaskia Dragon RV Park our first night on the road. After that, we kind of look at the map at night and decide where to head the next day, but our first night (and last night on our way back to South Haven) is always the Kaskaskia Dragon RV Park.
It’s an RV park in a loose sense of the word. I think there are 12 sites lined up on a gravel driveway across the street from the Kaskaskia Supply & Rental, which also serves as the “campground” office. There are a few long-term residents, although I think there is a 30-day limit. We generally stay just one night, with the exception of the year King broke his ribs when he fell from a makeshift ladder onto the trailer hitch (yes, I’m sure it hurt—a lot). We spent two nights here that year as he was moving slow, and the first day on the road was rough… although it’s never rough enough to turn the wheel over to me—despite the fact I pulled a horse trailer for 10 years, the travel trailer is his bailiwick
On the Road Less Traveled
But I digress.
We left South Haven and picked up I94 in Benton Harbor, took 65 south near Gary, Indiana and then headed west on US 24—a two-lane highway that runs through farming country in Indiana and Illinois. Yes, it’s slower—especially when driving through the little towns of Goodland, Kentland, Seldon, and Watseka. But when traveling through the countryside, you get to see more of the Midwest than you do driving the Interstate. We picked up 57 in Gilman, Illinois and took that to I70. Tomorrow we will head to St. Louis and then hang a left and travel south for a bit. That will be our modus operandi—west for a bit, hang a left, south for a bit, hang a right, west for a bit—until eventually we reach the campground in California.
Tokens and Fire-Breathing Delight
The Kaskaskia Dragon is always a fun first stop. It is a fire-breathing dragon built by the hardware store owner in 1995 (apparently it was a slow winter). It was originally built as a Halloween parade float, but eventually found its home next to the RV park (or the RV park found its home next to the dragon). Campers are given two tokens to feed the dragon, and she (I’m sure it’s she) belches fire from her mouth—10 seconds per token. Apparently, the liquor store across the street also gives out tokens, but generally the two tokens we are given at check-in are enough for King, Petra, and me.
Exploring the Hardware Store
The hardware store, by the way, is a fun place to shop. If you can’t find something to buy while there, then you don’t have much of an imagination. I love to wander the aisles. It reminds me of Lampen Hardware store in my hometown of Hamilton—minus the squeaky wood floors and the screen door that would bang shut. Ahhh, the things we remember from our youth.
Wrapping Up the Day
Anyway, although it’s still early—8:30 p.m. Michigan time, a day of riding in the truck and listening to CNN has worn me out. I’ll sign off for the evening.
Stay kind, seems the world is full of hate right now.
