The Long Hot Road North

It's been a long hot summer, perhaps the hottest on record for our part of west central North Carolina.   For the most part Dorcas and I have stayed close to home.  Except for a 2-week trip down east and a short 4-night trip to Mt. Airy, the coach has not moved since we returned from Florida in April.  

In the meantime, we have been doing home chores and other local activities. I have been playing pickleball regularly at one or the other of a number of new pickleball venues in Winston Salem.  All of a sudden: so many courts, so little time!  Meanwhile, Dorcas goes to yoga at the Robinhood YMCA almost every day.  

Ginger says "I'm ready to go!"

So now it's time for a trip.  Faithful readers will know that we head north and west about this time every year for our annual Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness adventure.  I packed up all our wilderness gear, while Dorcas prepared our meals for 14 days, with numerous trips to the grocery store and ran the dehydrator non-stop for a week.  

On Monday, August 21, we set off. Our plan is to work our way to Hinkley MN, where we have a reservation for 7 nights at the St. Croix River Resort. Then we will spend a few nights in Duluth MN, a few nights in Ely MN and then put in to the Boundary Waters for 13 nights.  Coming out of the wilderness we will spend a few more nights in Ely and then head due south to attend 3 back to back to back RV rallies in Missouri sponsored by the Newmar Kountry Klub, the owners club for our Newmar Dutch Star.  Finally,  we head due east, returning home the 3rd week of October.

We fit right in with the big boys

A man and his dog at the rest area

Our first driving day was a long one.  Normally, when we are on long trips and need to make some miles, we find a place to park for the night at some place like a highway rest area or Walmart.  However with 90° plus temperatures that idea was not very appealing.  Dorcas searched along our route and found a county fairground near Dayton OH that had RV spots, and she made a quick online reservation at the Greene County Expo Center in Xenia OH.  From our camp I could see and hear pickleball play a few hundred yards away.  However, the temperature was still over 90°, and I was weary after driving 388 miles, so I settled for a margarita.

So close!!!!

We didn't have an opportunity to explore Xenia, but driving through town it appeared to be very scenic and quaint.  Xenia is nicknamed "The Bicycle Capital of the Midwest".  A neighbor said the whole town is one big bike trail.  Dorcas and I both have Catrikes, recumbent 3-wheelers.   Catrike will be exhibiting at the 2023 Cycle-Con event at Greene County Expo Center in Xenia in September.  Cycle-Con is the nation's largest gathering of recumbent & specialty cycling brands.  Too bad we won't be coming back this way then.

Day 2 took us through Indiana and Illinois.  I have had a strong interest in buying a Rivian, an EV vehicle from a relatively new EV company.  The Rivian factory is only a few miles off our route in Normal IL. In September last year we stopped by the factory on our way home from Minnesota, but it was a Saturday when we passed through, and things there were mostly closed.  Although some production was occurring, we weren't  able to really see much.  I had been trying for a week to schedule a factory tour, but I wasn't getting any feedback.  We stopped in anyway, but couldn't find a place to park, so we split. 

About 1 1/2 years ago I submitted a deposit and a reservation for a Rivian R1T pickup.  I was actually offered one this spring but the timing was wrong: We were in Key West at the time, and the truck was shipped to Richmond VA, the nearest delivery option to Winston Salem, so I passed on that particular vehicle.  In the meantime, we have changed our thinking and are now considering the Rivian R1S, their SUV.  Unfortunately, neither Rivian model is towable 4-down behind the motor home, which would necessitate hauling it on a flat-bed trailer if we wanted to travel with it, which is a severe inconvenience.  Rivian initially concentrated on production of the R1T, which can now be acquired fairly quickly.  The R1S is currently in short supply, with a long wait time for delivery.  They have consequently ramped up production of the R1S such that now they are producing 70% R1S vs 30% R1T. I have subsequently changed my delivery address to our home in Florida so I can take delivery and get service in Orlando, only about 40 miles from our winter home.  There is also some information suggesting the drive train can be modified to allow for towing.  We will ponder the options over the fall and perhaps be prepared to take delivery in the winter in Florida.

Dorcas found us a nice camping spot at Comlara Park in Hudson IL, about 10 miles north of the Rivian factory in Normal.  We had 50A electric so we could run both roof airs at full blast.  It was a very nice park on a large lake for only $28/night.  In the meantime I'm talking to my Rivian guide, Aaron, about the possibility of a factory tour or any other reason to loop back to the factory the next morning.  A Rivian guide is basically my personal contact with Rivian as I negotiate the reservation and delivery process; I had been communicating with Aaron for over a year.   Aaron said he would love to meet us and talk.  He was still working on a factory tour for us, but the prospects were doubtful since there was a special event occurring, with lots of VIPs on site this day.

Site #8 at Comlara Park in Hudson IL

Aerial view at Comlara Park

So, the next morning we looped back to Normal to meet Aaron and see what there was to see.

The Whitleys with Aaron, my Rivian guide

Notice the Rivian trademark formed in the flower bed

Free charging at Rivian!

Even the mowers at Rivian are electric!  On every grassy patch these electric robotic mowers were hard at work.  Click HERE to see one in action.

From the lobby area at the front of the factory, vehicles could be seen coming off the assembly lines and queuing up for final quality checks.  We got a good look at Rivian's EDV (Electric Delivery Vehicle) being produced for Amazon.  Amazon has contracted for over 100,000 EDV's and so far more than 5000 units have been delivered and are on the road.  

Rivian EDV

The RDV has a range of ~150 miles, very suitable for use as a local delivery van.  Currently Amazon has an exclusive contract for this vehicle, but Rivian is hoping to open it for sale to other fleet customers.  Could RV builds be around the corner???!!!

After a few hours at Rivian we doubled back to the campground, packed up the coach and by noon were northbound again.  Through Northern Illinois and into Wisconsin the temperature soared to over 100°.  Even running the dash air and both roof airs, it was still hot in the coach.

On Day 3 Dorcas found us another nice city park just 1/2 mile off our route in New Lisbon WI.  It was on a wide meandering river, had 50A electric and was only $25 for the night.  Sweet!  The park was nearly deserted, the hosts were cordial and the temperature was dropping.  We drove only 260 miles today, and then had a fine happy hour!

Site #24 at Riverside Park CG in New Lisbon WI

Aerial view at Riverside View Campground

On Day 4 the heat spell seemed to break and the temperatures became quite pleasant.

We arrived at St. Croix River Resort in Hinkley MN around noon and settled in to a nice pull-through site with 50A electric, water and sewer.  We are here for 7 nights for FREE!!!  We had scored 3 coupons for 3 separate weeks of free camping when we visited a sister resort in June, also for free.  Life is good!

Site 58 at St. Croix River Resort

We have no over-the-air TV reception here.  Our Dish Network satellite probably would not work due to heavy tree cover, but I never raised it to find out.  However, we do have our new T-Mobile 5G Gateway router, which is displaying 3 bars signal strength, thanks in part to our on-board cellular booster amplifier. With our plethora of streaming apps we have all the programing TV we care to watch.

Ginger is happy to be stationary for a while

We had planned to paddle some local rivers while here with time on our hands.  The St. Croix, Namekagon, Kettle and Yellow Rivers are all nearby and all represented great opportunities.  In the end we did not paddle at all.  We would have had to do a moderately long bike shuttle to do anything, and I wasn't sure I had the energy.  Also, it was nice to simply hangout and do nothing and enjoy the cool weather, which is what we did for 7 days.  We did break bad and drove to town to see "Barbie" at the Timbers Theater in Siren WI.

A trophy buck in Danbury WI

Our route to date showing camps

We have traveled 1188 miles since leaving home.  Tomorrow we will move north only 70 miles to Duluth MN where we will spend 3 nights.   On the way we will buy some groceries and top off the diesel.  Speaking of diesel: We had thought this would be a cheap trip fuel-wise.  In July we paid $3.04 per gallon using our discount fuel card.  Currently, in Duluth, diesel is $4.09 and seems to be going up about $0.20 every week.  Oh well, but I guess we have been partially offsetting the high price of fuel with cheap/free camping, at least so far.

As we were packing to leave Hinckley we found this fungal mass enveloping our fresh water hose:

Nature says it's time to move on

Leaving Ely

Ely likely has more open canoes per capita than any other town in the world. Canoe Heaven!

Downtown Ely

Kawishiwi Ranger Station Superior National Forest

Zup's has moved!   When we first drove into Ely we saw that Zup's was boarded up. CRAP!!!  We have been buying groceries for the wilderness at Zup's for 25 years.  We were relieved when we learned that Zup's had opened a new, larger store 12 blocks east of their old location

Zup’s is a family-owned food store originally established in Ely in 1916 by John Zupancich. “Grandpa John” operated the business with his seven sons, and it quickly became popular for its wide variety of products including their store made Old-World sausages. 

The new Zup's includes a liquor warehouse. Can it get any better???

We like to eat at Stony Ridge Cafe, located on Shagawa Lake in Ely.  Their specialty is gourmet and stuffed burgers.  

On their menu they feature some challenge items, including the "Sasquatch Challenge". It occurred to me that it might be a good idea to order the Sasquatch Challenge, but not even try to eat it at one tine.  A 4-pound burger with one pound of cheese for 40 bucks is not a bad deal, especially considering their menu item burgers are only about 1/2 pound and cost over $20.  Plus we'd have leftover burgers for week!  And you get a free number sticker!  What a deal!

We departed Ely about 8:30 on Friday under rainy skies and cool temps.  We regretted having to leave Ely, but it was time. We had 3 nights to get to Pisgah Forest NC, where we were to attend a motor home rally with the Southeast Country Coachers. We successfully circumvented the major construction project on I-35 in Duluth and crossed into Wisconsin.  Rain continued most of the day.  

We spent Friday night at the Ho-Chunk Casino in Baraboo Wisconsin near the Wisconsin Dells.  Casinos often let motor homes park overnight for no charge.  Usually they are very quiet and peaceful, with a level of high security. We stayed at this casino once before in 2018.

Our Camp at the Ho-Chunk Casino in Baraboo WI

At the Illinois Welcome Center I-39 southbound

I have the hots for an EV pickup. I have deposits on two models including the Rivian R1T.   The Rivian manufacturing plant is located in Normal Illinois, only a few miles off our route.  I called to ask about plant tours, but it was Saturday, and the phone message said they were closed.  I wanted to stop anyway just to see what there was to see.  It turns out, the assembly line was running and production was in progress, but I never made it past the security guard at the front desk.  We did get some nice exterior photos. 

Amazon has invested heavily in Rivian.  In addition to the R1T, their pickup and the R1S, their SUV, Rivian has an assembly line for Amazon EV delivery vans.  

There was a row of  charging ports near the front entrance to the plant.  There were about 6 privately owned R1Ts lined up charging. 

We had no specific destination spotted for Saturday night.  Dorcas went online and discovered Charlarose Lake & Campground in Hillsboro IN.  It was close to our route and was a very reasonable cost.

When we checked in the folks here were extremely friendly and genuinely welcoming.  This park was a very pleasant surprise, and I hope we can stop in again some time.

A stormy evening at site 56 at Charlarose Lake & CG

I don't know what this was supposed to be, but these two vehicles had artifacts and items and other paraphernalia all over them. I can only assume that they were traveling together.  Trying to see all the things on the cars was very distracting and probably dangerous.

We spent Sunday, our third night from Ely at the Walmart Supercenter in Williamsburg KY, located in Whitley County, of all places.  About 1/2 hour prior to reaching camp we encountered one of the most intense thunderstorms I can ever remember while driving. I'm talking 25 MPH on the interstate, hoping we were on the road and that nobody plowed into us.  

Camp Wally World Williamsburg KY

As mentioned previously, I'll be getting an EV pickup, as soon as my number comes up.  Friends and neighbors have chided me about that decision, specifically noting the lack of available charging stations. There is no doubt that charging an EV, particularly on a long trip can be a challenge, but things are improving.  At this remote rural Walmart there happened to be a bank of 8 charging stations in their parking lot, ranging from 50 to 350 kW charging capacity.

This rig was parked next to us.  The driver has a good sense of humor

For breakfast on Monday we walked about 100 yards to the Huddle House next door to the Walmart.  We had yummy omelets, then pulled out and headed south and east once more.  Our destination today was Pisgah Forest NC for a 5-night motor home rally with the Southeast Country Coachers.

Zooming to Wisconsin

We departed Riverside Golf and RV Park in Morganton on Sunday morning.  On most past trips to Minnesota we have driven pretty hard, with long days, usually staying at Walmarts, rest areas or other quick and easy stops.  This time we planned to spend two nights at campgrounds along the way before arriving in Sparta, Wisconsin for a rally.  We are doing this for several reasons; first, it's fairly hot, and it's not fun spending the night in a parking lot if it's hot, without running the generator and the air conditioning all night.  Second, we had the luxury to take our time, more so than on some previous trips. And third, we have a new puppy.  We wanted to stop often during the day and then early for the night in order to give Ginger some time to get out and exercise.  

Ginger seems to ride pretty well.  She has not gotten car sick and does not whine while traveling. Best of all she does not criticize the driver.

We spent Sunday night in Cincinnati after driving 430 miles, a relatively short day for us when on a long trip.  We are members of the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA).  FMCA is headquartered in Cincinnati and has an RV campground at their headquarters for the use of members. A member may reserve a site with 50 amp service, water and sewer, and best of all .... it's free!  Members can stay two nights each month at no cost or can stay longer for a modest fee. COOL!  This was the first time we have stayed here.  It was a bit off our route, but we are glad we came.

Site #3 at the FMCA Round Bottom campground

Is it a liability thing???

After departing the FMCA CG.  We had a bit of an adventure.  Another camper had warned us of construction and a very rough road surface on US 50, our logical route out of town. Not being ones to ignore sage wisdom, we plotted a different route out of town towards I-71 and I-75.  That route took us to a railroad underpass with a clearance of 12' 0''.  Our height is 12' 10". Do the math.  After an heroic u-turn, we plotted a new route down some small back streets and finally found the interstate.  It's always an adventure. 

Our drive through the remainder of Ohio, Indiana and southern Illinois were thankfully uneventful.

Ginger takes it all in stride

We spent Monday night at Pleasant Creek Camp Ground near Oglesby IL after an easy 357 mile day.  Pleasant Creek was only a few miles off I-39 and was a Passport America park, meaning half price camping for the Whitleys.  We had a level gravel pull-through with 50 amp service and water.  The park was fairly wooded, but we could shoot through a hole in the trees for good Dish satellite reception.  I hate it when I can't watch my news shows!

Site #6 at Pleasant Creek Camp Ground

Ginger likes to chill after a hard day on the road

Notice all the rest stop photos?  It's a puppy thing.

On Tuesday we parked at Whiskey River Family RV Park in Sparta WI, where we attended a rally hosted by the Newmar Kountry Klub (NKK) Wisconsin Northern Aires.  We belong to three NKK chapters, but are not members of the Wisconsin Northern Aires.  This rally was on our way to Minnesota, and the timing was right so we barged in.  The Wisconsinites were very hospitable to these southern folks and we had a great time.  The Wisconsinites also refer to themselves proudly as "Cheeseheads".

There were about a 15 coaches at the rally

There were activities planned for the rally.  On Wednesday we drove to La Crosse and enjoyed a cruise on the Mississippi River aboard the Lacrosse Queen, a stern paddle wheeler.   

We had live entertainment 

We had to wait about 15 minutes for this Amtrak train to cross the draw bridge before we could pass upriver. 

Then we passed through the rotary swing drawbridge. 

Not my best photo of a bald eagle, but not bad for an iPhone

A barge on the river

We cruised about 4 miles upriver to Lock and Dam #7.  The dams on the Mississippi River create adequate water depth for navigation.

Back through the swing bridge

Fun on the water

After our cruise we visited the Dahl Auto Museum in La Crosse.

On Thursday we toured some sights in Sparta.  

The old Monroe County Courthouse

Sparta is on the Elroy-Sparta State Trail  a 32.5-mile Wisconsin State rail trail between Elroy and Sparta, Wisconsin. The Elroy-Sparta State Trail, opened in 1967, is considered to be the first rail trail in the United States.

Sparta claims to be the Bicycling Capital of America.  Unfortunately we did not have time to bike during this visit.  Maybe next time!

We also visited the Deke Slayton Memorial Space and Bicycle Museum.  Deke Slayton was a Sparta native and one of the original NASA Mercury Seven astronauts.

There is a canoe and a tent on the stream in this model train display 

I once had a friend who owned a Barnes hot air balloon, and I served as his crew chief for several years.  He liked having me around, because I could hold the balloon down pretty well during windy hot launches. 

Barnes hot air balloon 

Deke Slayton had no particular association with bicycles, so it is unclear to me why he shares this museum with the bikes.  In any case, there were a very large number of very old and very unusual bikes. It was certainly worth the price of admission. 

Finally, we had dinner at the Oasis Supper Club in Sparta.  Baby back ribs were this evenings special, and I ordered a whole rack.  I actually filled up on the salad bar and fresh bread before the ribs were served, so I only ate four ribs.  Dorcas and I had ribs leftovers for the next two nights.  Hog heaven!

On Friday, after a doughnut and coffee breakfast, we bade farewell to our new friends and headed north to Duluth MN.