Back in the USA!

Sunday, July 17th . . . a day to . . .  C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to HAROLD!!!  (Let's just say -  he's not in his 60's any more!)

Also - this was our first full day back in the good old U S of A.  No more of that "Parlez-vous français" for us - at least not on this trip!

So, how fitting is this?
A festive & flowery spot at Camp Walmart in Livonia, Michigan!
(Double-click on this picture for a better look!)

This special day found us at my cousin Mary and her husband Al's in Farmington, near Detroit.  We started the day there with mimosas and a toast to Harold and to our getting together - it's been a while!!  Al is their breakfast cook!  Delicious panini sandwiches, tomatoes au gratin, coffee cake and watermelon - mmmm - all that and lots of fun visiting, too! 

We sure enjoyed an afternoon relaxing in front of the TV with the Women's World Cup soccer playoffs. What a game!!  So tense!  And even though in the end the US lost to Japan, it was one close and riveting contest!

Then we were off for pizza at Buddy's, a Detroit tradition!  Great pizza and a lot of laughs!  So glad we were able to get together with these two!  If we'd come a week later, we would've missed Mary - she's off for a holiday at an Italian villa - a villa with a cook!  Anyway, thanks Mary and Al for a really nice day!!  And, Mary - Bon appetit ! !

Next day, we were singin' that old familiar refrain . . . 

       "On the road again . . ."

South and then west out of Detroit, we were treated to more fabulous farmland. Part of the drive along a pretty good two-lane in south central Michigan, a few little villages and a myriad of family farms - corn and soybeans, soybeans and corn - filled our view.

And then . . .

And more fields - corn and soybeans, soybeans and corn . . . .

Our next destination was Nappanee, Indiana, to Newmar, where our motorhome was made.  Being as we were "in the neighborhood" we decided to pop in there to pick up a few minor replacement parts and have a look around at their huge  manufacturing operation.

In Nappanee we were in Amish territory again!
Actually, 80% of the Newmar workforce is Amish.

I guess it was all over back here - the heat wave!  We were SO feelin' it!  HOT and unbelievably blankety-blank HUMID!!

We went on a great Newmar factory tour, but the best part of being at their plant was the hook-ups they offer customers!  With the temp in the 90's and "real-feel" well up into the triple digits, it sure was nice to be able to run the A/C without using the generator - and we ran it all the while we were there - day and night - for three long hot days!!

Then finally, we just had to get moving on, heat wave or not!  Deciding to start making our way toward Oshkosh, we had another peaceful drive, country roads, and more farms, fields and flowers in northwest Indiana.

. . . more cornfields.

Rolled through a few little bergs like this one along the way.

. . . and more soybeans!

And then - just no good way for us to get on the north side Chicago without going through at least some of it on the Interstate!  So we bit the bullet and joined the fray. Let me say - it was a nightmare! It's like a race track for semis! But we met that challenge (driving and navigating I might add!) with flying colors. We live to tell about it!

Made it last night to a charming little out of the way spot in Garden Prairie, Illinois.  We're here at Paradise Camping Resort . . . but, honestly, to call this place a resort is a bit of a stretch!  Anyway, we probably could've found a Walmart, but we wanted to be plugged in to use our A/C as the heat wave is still in full force!

Today we'll be back on the road and up into Wisconsin somewhere.  We're sure looking forward to Sunday when we'll meet up with grandson Aric at the annual Experimental Aircraft AssociationFly-in.

        . . . on to Oshkosh ! !