Minnesota to Elkhart, IN

With tornedo's to our back we made the trip to a little community just north of Chicago called Marengo with one night stay in Lodi, WI. Yes, Lodi like in California. Not only that we passed through Oakdale on the way. The heat and humidity started to rise as we were just past the Mississippi River. Wiscousin has a great rest area on the river there. We stayed at the Smokey Hollow Campground in Lodi only because we could take their shopping cart to the town and do our shopping at the Piggly Wiggly Market. We probably could have taken it to Chicago? Oh, by the way they are still growing corn and soy beans, it has now been about 800 miles of it!

Our first visit to downtown Chicago was fun and interesting from a newcomers view of its vibrant structures, streets, canal, restaurants and people. We enjoyed the evening downtown before returning to Marengo. Leaving Chicago was another experience with the toll highways. Between Chicago and Elkhart it only cost us $40 in tolls. Two of which were within 5-miles and cost over $20. To add insult to travelers, they made sure the toll roads equaled California's rough surfaces and added a little narrowing and a zig and zag here and there. Of course we learned from the locals in Elkhart, there was another route we could have taken. Ugh!

If it wasn't for the RV Industry, I do not think there would be an Elkhart with the 17 manufacturers of RV's and related industries. They apparently are making a recovery but you can still see evidence of closed businesses. It rained hard upon our arrival at the Elkhart Campgroung, 390 spaces on grassy pads. Our most enjoyable part of this visit was to the RV Hall of Fame Museum located on the east end of the community. A worth while visit and I must say a very well done for such a new point of interest in the community. Mae West even owned a RV that was specially made for her and on display. I did not realize it but people had ideas about RV's back at the turn of the 19th Century only they called them "Housecars". If you have a chance to visit the museum, do it, its fun and interesting.

Where to next? Cincinnati, here we come and we have a jungle surprise to tell you about there.