Chepatchet RI to Oakley Kansas July 6-July 18

Robin Hill Resort and Campground

Lenhartsville, PA

290.63 miles/4 hrs. 50 min.

$187.00 for a prepaid 2 night stay

B9 Pull through FHU

Sadly, we left Holiday Acres today. We started out onto Rt. 395 S which turned into 95 S. Both highways were very nice to travel upon. 287 was not as pleasurable and a prelude of what’s to com when we enter Pennsylvania. The GPS advised of an upcoming 45 minute delay so we were redirected to the Garden State Parkway and enjoyed a pleasant drive. Our last leg of our trip for the day was on 78 westbound and horrible road and traffic conditions. Lots of road construction continues;, crazy, aggressive drivers and hundreds of tractor trailers as this is a very popular route for them.

Robin Hill absolutely is not our first choice but the reservation was made and paid for well in advance. The site assigned for this stay was S4…absolutely no way would we have been able to back into this site that had such a severe slope we would have certainly bottomed out. Back at the office we settled for B9…right aside the bathrooms, dumpsters and a huge water tank. Ugh! This Campground is one of among many that do not offer refunds…$93.00 down the drain due to tire issues on the RV, which ultimately was not an issue at all. We are very grateful and thankful for that. Suffice it to say never again will we return.

We once again patronized Dietrich’s and picked up some of our favorites.

Just 15 minutes away is a hub of much shopping, including a huge Cabela’s, and chain restaurants galore. We chose to return to C. J. Hummel’s, only to find it closed. So we decided upon Deitsch Eck.  It was good, but not as good as our favorite. The potato and sausage soup was scrumptious but the mixed grill and chicken parmigiana were just so-so.

July 7-8, 2022

Fox Den Acres Campground

New Stanton, PA

236.82 miles/3 hrs 56 min

$80 cash

102 Pull through/FHU

Sheetz #239

New Stanton, PA

Diesel 56.430 gal; $586.9 per gal; $331.19

DEF 7.509 gal; $3.699 per gal; $27.78

Our four-hour drive today was near blissful. I-78 west was not so bad! Then we traveled just a short distance on 82 south and 11 south that dumped us onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike for 152 miles westbound. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous once we got into the thick of the mountain side. The roads were so very well maintained; it was such a pleasure. We also drove past a vast number of wheat, corn and soybean fields. The tunnels that have been cut through the mountains are fascinating. Today we went through Blue Mountain, Kittatinny and Allegheny tunnels. Fun fact…I-76 runs from Bellmawr, NJ to Akron, OH and is 434.9 miles. There are seven tunnels that were bore through the mountain sides to make it safer for truckers on down-hill travel.

We stopped for fuel just outside the Campground. Fueled up with diesel and filled the DEF tank, also.

Fox Den Acres Campground is lovely and lovingly cared for by Steve and his wife who reside on the property. I would guesstimate there are nearly 300 sites and the office also offers a small store with essentials. There’s about a dozen sites designated for tents, play grounds, two recreation pavilions, ponds, lagoons and a lake with three dock where canoes can be launched. For water-lovers there is a wading pool and an in-ground swimming pool. Of course, there is a bath house. Most of the sites offer a full hook up. For those without a sewer…there’s a dump station. Last but not least they offer an LP station. For $40 per night this place is a bargain, especially when children are in tow. A big thumbs up for Fox Den. We would gladly stay here again.

Of particular interest to us in this area is Fallingwater. This home was one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs and built as a summer home for the Kaufmann family who were owners of Pittsburgh’s largest department store.  Originally a summer camp it was purchased by Mr. Kaufmann and turned into a summer home for the family. It was all built by local craftsmen to fit in with nature, the forest and the waterfall. It is truly amazing.Years after the Kaufmann’s passing it was generously donated to the Preservation Society, by their son, for its care and well-being…it was a very specific donation that it would be maintained in the original form. It was a very interesting tour.

Late afternoon we headed to Green Dance Winery. It’s a beautiful space! A few alpaca and a goat live on the property, along with a few Guinea hens. The property offers a bakery, café and the wine tasting room. It’s a great venue for events with beautiful flower gardens, tents and lots of tables and chairs with umbrellas. This evening we were very happy to not only enjoy some delicious wine, but were serenaded by exceptionally good music by Miranda, a solo guitarist. It was a very relaxing and pleasant evening.

July 9-11, 2022

Tomorrow’s Stars RV Resort

South Charleston, OH

248.11 miles/4 hrs 8 minutes

$50/evening

#42 Pull through FHU

Fuel TA #24 London, OH

10.88 gallons; $4.22/gallon; $45.71

Back onto I-70 west we found smooth sailing until we hit West Virginia and horrible roads and construction for many miles. Finally we passed through the lumps and bumps and then a short run on I-470 west. Our last leg of 110miles was on I-70 and smooth sailing till we hit the Campground.

We checked in, found our site…and let the fun begin! Jacks go down and the slides go out…or not 😠. The passenger-side slide is a mess! The bottom half of the slide went out, but not the top! This on top of the fact that the sleep number bed is not behaving. My side of the bed won’t hold air and Barry’s working diligently to get that repaired. Last night I slept in a valley!! Several calls to RV mobile repairmen and it was concluded that we would have to take the RV to a service station. We have an appointment Monday at 9 am with the hopes of a quick repair. I’ve already called our next reservation with a heads up that we will be detained.

Barry was able to repair the bed, we ran some errands, hit Texas Road House for dinner and back to relax on the pain-in-the-ass motor home!

 Sunday we went to the Morristown County Fair. It was quite entertaining. We saw the usual variety of animals one would expect at a fair. We missed the sheep shearing, and other events were scheduled so much later in the day that we took a pass. From there we did a dry run to Camper’s Inn to get the lay of the land for tomorrow’s trip and hopefully a repair. Very confusing layout and the original owner’s name still on the building was a bit of a mystery. I’m glad we did this.

July 11, 2022

We made our way back to Camper’s Inn and the RV was looked at pretty quickly. Barry convinced a very reluctant technician to please attempt what he really didn’t want to do. They suggested bringing it to a Winnebago dealership…where the earliest appointment is August 30 ☹️. Barry’s persistence paid off with Jeff agreeing to give it a go with absolutely no guarantee that it would be repaired and taking no responsibility for further damage that may possibly occur. Great 😌!

Nothing would probably happen today. We were told it would be worked on tomorrow and it would take most of the day for this attempted repair. Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn for the evening.

On a lighter note, we had a late lunch at Shen’s Szechuan and Sushi which was some of the best Szechuan food we have had in a long time. The mixed

veggies and chicken in a light sauce was very fresh and absolutely delicious.

July 12, 2022

Casey KOA

Casey, IL

$62.96 1 night

Approximately 225 miles/4 hrs

Site 5/ pull through FHU

Back at Camper’s Inn several gentleman worked extremely hard at getting the slide in and did it successfully. By 12:30 we were back onto I-70 west. Thankfully, the roads are pretty decent! Barry knows what parts to order, but will confer with Winnebago to be certain of the exact ones needed.

Ohio’s highways are so well-maintained, but all that changed as I-70 turned into lumps and bumps when we hit Indiana. The stress mounted with the hundreds of tractor trailers and heavy, heavy traffic. Then, let’s throw in a detour because “downtown” was closed 😱! It was a torturous ride. Once we passed over the IL lines things got much better. Not so much traffic and the roads were very smooth.

Casey KOA is a hidden gem, off the beaten path. The property is simply beautiful and serene. Our site looks out at Lake Itty Bitty; quite the nice view. It’s not a very large park, but does have 78 sites with different amenities. The pool is located behind the office. I believe the owner, Papu, lives on the property and takes pride in ownership. When I spoke with him a few days ago regarding our RV troubles he very kindly told me not to worry about him and that he would have a site available when we arrived. He also called this morning to check on the situation and was wondering if we were going to be able to travel. And even though we had a two-day reservation he only charged us for the one evening. Such a blessing to not have to redo reservations! Such a nice, understanding gentleman 🥰.

No one was available for Barry to speak with regarding the parts as everything was closed. He will make another attempt tomorrow morning 😉.

July 13-14, 2022

Cottonwoods RVPark

Columbia, MO

Site 60 Pull through FHU

$45/evening; $25 deposit; $65 upon arrival

256.12 miles/4 hrs 16 minutes

Diesel fuel QuickTrip, Bellefontaine, MO

60.038 gallons; $4.99/gallon; $300.13

A few more, unsuccessful, calls between Winnebago and the parts store proved frustrating at best. Apparently, Winnebago continues to give Barry incorrect part numbers 🫤.

We got on the road by 10:00 and again traveled I-70 west most of the day. A quick diversion to I-270 west for 27 miles then back onto I-70. Other than some nasty traffic and tractor trailer congestion on 270 it was a pretty good ride. There was a very nasty roll over on 270 eastbound. The police had three lanes of traffic totally diverting to one exit. What a mess! The cars and trucks were backed up for miles and miles. Of course, our 4 hour trip turned into five, but that’s the norm with traffic and stopping for gas. Again, our viewing pleasure was corn fields and soy. No shortage of either of those this fall!

We arrived at Cottonwoods at 3:00, checked in with the very pleasant staff and headed to our site. After a quick settle-in Barry got back on the phone to hunt down the proper part numbers and place an order. It’s damn hot here at 97*, but no humidity…a mere 20%.

Barry managed to order an entire system for the slide situation from Lippert to be delivered to Winding River RV Resort in Colorado and found a repairman to do the job! Le RV (Roger) does lots of jobs at this RV Park so he will be on the lookout for our parts being delivered. Yay! We have to live with the closed slide until July 21, but at least it’s getting fixed.

It’s freaking hot! 96* today, but still not humid. We did a market run at Gerbe’s where the prices were really good, and they were running a great sale. $145.00 later we are good to go for a few days! AMF Town and Country Lanes opened at 2:00 so we headed over for some exercise indoors. From there we went to Serenity Valley Vineyards. We were the only ones there!! The property is so very enchanting with all its hills and valleys, but most importantly they had indoor seating. We chose a delicious Malbec, grabbed a table and had a very nice conversation with Lee, the owner. This property is part of Harvest Host (no takers today) and they also are a venue for large events. It was a very productive day 😉. Tomorrow’s destination…Kansas.

July 15-16, 2022

Smoky Hill RV Park

Junction City, KS

E8 Pull through FHU

$78

229.06 miles/3 hrs 49 min

Fuel at Handy’s 1, Junction City, KS

12.707 gallons; $4.39/gallon; $55.90

As usual, our four-hour drive turned into five. Most of our travels was on I-70, but there also was a hop-on, hop-off on 670 and 470. We really appreciated the smooth roads. The usual roadside views…cornfields, soybean fields and farms. Farm, after farm, after farm.

Smoky Hill RV Park is absolutely no frills! Gravel roads and sites with a patch of grass between sites. It’s very nicely maintained and clean. This Park is pretty full; something we have not been seeing. Is also very conveniently located right off the highway. Complaint of the day…it’s frigging hot. 104* at 3:00!! Just as in Missouri there’s no humidity.

We needed to escape the heat so we headed to Manhattan and the LiquidArt Winery. Perched up on a mountain, the views are spectacular. They have actual vineyards used to produce their wine. The venue is very nice with indoor and outdoor seating. We definitely chose to be inside! The wine was so-so, but the frozen hard cider was delicious. We chose the mango sweet chili. It was great 👍. The food options were not what we were looking for…cheese and crackers or pizza. It’s way to hot to put the stove on so we grabbed a quick dinner at Longhorn and back to the RV. At 8:00 pm it’s still 97*. This is crazy, crazy.

On Saturday we wanted to go to Munson Angus Farm for their “famous” beef, but they were closed (strange to be closed on the weekend), so we found a farmers’ market back in Manhattan and with the temps dropping down considerably we gave it a go. Today there was a high of 86* and a bit humid. The market was a joke. Very expensive! $2 for a sweet potato…$5 for a head of green cabbage…and much more of the same. This short-lived adventure lead us to the Sunset Zoo…another bit of a bust but we got some good steps in! Most of the animals were missing in action . They were probably napping in their dens trying to stay cool. Our big find of the day was Mama Fang’s International Market! It is a fabulous Asian market that has everything and anything Asian. We had a great time browsing the isles and picking up a few item. The prices are fabulous! After stopping by the RV to drop off groceries we headed out to find Milford Lake Marina, for the hell of it! Mario Andretti was stopped for driving 53 in a 40 mph speed zone and was given a $145 ticket! Disappointing for Barry as it was his first in about 25 years. The marina was also disappointing as it was pretty much a boat ramp, from what we could see. All in all we had a very productive day.

July 17-19, 2022

High Plains Camping

Oakley, KS

$82.80

Pull through FHU #218

Diesel fuel

24/7 Travel Store #3, Wakeeney, KS

56.815 gallons; $5.06 per gallon; $287.49

Five hours of nothingness on I-70. Barry spotted a man on a horse on the side of the highway waving to traffic passing by. Not much farther away there was a man on an overpass with the American flag waving to everyone. We honked and waved in return.

As we approached Ellsworth County…here come the turbines! There are about 3,500 in total in Kansas. They are about 430 feet high and the blade length from tip to tip measures 326 feet.  They provided 42.2% of all electricity produced in the state

In 2020. They generate 7,028 megawatts, the fourth highest in the country and supply power to 1.6 million homes. They were very cool, but so many were not moving . Otherwise, this stretch of 1-70 provides nothing more than, fields of corn, soybeans and sorghum and grazing cattle desperately looking for shade.

High Plains Camping is in desperate need of a facelift and some campers! New owners purchased this campground a short month ago from the previous owner who was known to be unpleasant and not nice to her patrons. She let the café and the store get run down…so here we are. I suppose she drove all of her would-be regulars away. We are one of the three RVs here at 5:30. Perhaps more will arrive.

Everything and everywhere is so spread apart. Twenty minutes to Walmart and they didn’t have the power cord Barry needs for the router and without the router we can’t monitor the temperature of RV to be sure Panda is okay while we are gone. It’s very hot today. 101* with 14% humidity at 5:30 pm.

Monday was very hot again. 102* at 6:30 pm. So, we needed indoor activities today. We visited the Fick Fossil Museum in downtown Oakley…just a little bit of a town. It was pretty interesting with artifacts from years gone by. Mrs. Fick was an artist and created beautiful pictures from their finds…pretty amazing works of art.

Also downtown was ZD’s Meatz, a meat processing and family owned company. They sell various cuts of beef, pork, veal, some seafood options and lots of cheese and cold cut choices. Barry picked up a steak and smoked cheddar cheese.

Our next stop was back in Colby to visit the Prairie Museum of Art & History . This museum was unbelievable! Anything you can think of from china, glassware, dolls, trains, military items, and on and on was on display. Also on the 24-acre site is the 1930s Eller Farmstead. The only thing changed about it is the museum added air conditioning. Also on the property is Vacin-Tubbs Barn, Nicol School and the sod house. Lone Star Church also occupies the land, was built in 1913 and is used for Easter Service and weddings. Lastly, Cooper Barn is the largest barn in Kansas measuring 66 feet wide, 114 feet long and 48 feet high where over 100 years of agricultural history is displayed. It was a very interesting tour.

Sadly, back at the campground there is only one other RV present when we returned from our travels. Hopefully things will pick up for them. Hopefully the new owners also give this place some TLC.