A Night with Yogi

     After a night at the service center, a new alternator and rewiring everything that burned (and $800) we were back on the road. I said I would give a shout out to the Auto Truck Center. They are open all night and weekends, and because their bread and butter is semis, they have everything in stock and enough personnel to get the job done. They are in Cedar Rapids, IA, (www.autotruckcenter.net). The Goose is running great. The nice Indian man at the BP station pointed out that the 89 proof was cheaper than the 87, and I think the Goose likes it better. Then he gave me $1 off on my Blimpie’s sandwich at his shop next door for lunch!

     I am so impressed by the rest stops. We stopped in one in Iowa that had about 12 tables under shelters scattered about a perfectly groomed lawn, and a walking trail for dogs. We encountered big lime-green hard-shelled fruits on the ground by the hundreds, called hedge apples. I think Gracie thought they were over-sized tennis balls until she discovered they tasted nasty. We stopped in another rest stop in Illinois (Spoon River) to eat lunch (the Blimpie’s sub), and again enjoyed a wonderful walking trail on crunchy fall leaves across a covered bridge, up steps to a hill top viewing station. The colors of the leaves and the wildflowers are magnificent. I have captured these scenes in my memory for peaceful places to return in thought when the going gets tough.
     I was tempted to park for the night, but I’ve been three days without a hot shower. So we spent the night at the Yogi Bear Jellystone Camp in Goodfield, IL. It is by far the most expensive park I’ve stayed in ($38), so I charged everything I own: Kindle, LapTop, WiFi, Cell Phone, Plasma TV, even the DustBuster. I showered twice and colored my hair. Checkout isn’t until 2:00, so we’re kind of lounging about, ready to take another walk and eat lunch before we hit the road. It’s 72 degrees and the fall colors are amazing. The park is decorated for a Halloween celebration they are having this weekend, and since most of the RVs are monthly residents ($500 plus utilities) they are all decked out for the celebration as well. I’m getting my money’s worth!