J03W1

We got a flying start this morning at 7 AM and headed south. Iron Mountain's temperature gauges were hovering around 5º and by the time we got to Pembine their gauges couldn't make up their minds whether it was -1º or -5º. The morning was pretty uneventful and we met my sister Marge and Wally on Hwy 20 near Racine and ate lunch with them. They presented us with a Kringle and we were on our way again.

When we arrived, the parking lot was a one way in, one way out, and it looked as though we would have to unhook the car to get out again. But by the time we finished lunch the parking situation had almost resolved itself. It would be a straight back-out of about a hundred feet. We would see now how well the Malibu backs up. All went well. In Chicago we tried to run the windshield washers and they were froze solid. We tried unsuccessfully to get them cleared to no avail. We drove on with a dirty windshield until we HAD to stop. We washed it manually and then moved on again until we stopped for the night in Paris, IL at the Wal-Mart campground.

As soon as we arrived I went out and removed the washer reservoir and brought it inside. We ate supper and by that time it was mushy. I cleaned it out and went back out to lay on the 25º ground again. Not a fun job at all. By the time I was done, the washers were working again. We're going to need them in the next couple of days when the weather really turns crappy. We're supposed to be driving through snow and freezing rain.

At 12:40 AM we heard a knock at the door. Refusing to look out to see who it was, we hollered through the door. Sharon heard the guy say "pave", I heard the word "paint," but we knew we had to move. So as we started to move, we drove past the guy in the ski mask and he said just move to where there are no lines cause they were painting the parking lot. We heard the sprayers most of the night and we awoke to a newly lined parking lot. What next?

We were on our way by 9AM toward Vincennes, IN and the George Rogers Clark National Memorial. The memorial was built for a Lt. Colonel who was instrumental during the Revolutionary War tossing the British out of Fort Sackville, the Westernmost area of operations during the war.

After that we headed for the Lincoln Boyhood Home National Memorial, stopping for lunch along the way. The trip was only about 60 miles but it started to snow and the roads were starting to get slippery, so it took us awhile to get there. The Visitor's Center and Memorial building is a magnificent U-shaped structure which proves again what you can do in the wilderness with money. Lincoln lived here from the age of about 7 to 21. After his mother and sister died he moved on to Illinois.

After the memorial we moved on also but not very far. The roads were now getting very treacherous. We had followed a pick-up truck earlier that managed to get up to the speed of 15 MPH. They needed to be home in bed, and not on the road.

We got as far as Owensboro, KY before we found the Wal-Mart campground. It was about 4 o'clock and getting dark so we decided to call it a day. We went shopping for a few things in Wal-Mart and then settled in to watch TV for the night. The Amazing Race, one of our favorites, was on tonight.

We got a slow tentative start this morning because of all the snow and ice last night. I decided to chance the little 2 lane road south instead of doubling back on the 4 lane going west. It took about 8 miles before it started showing promise. After that it got clearer and better all day. We had to follow the 2 lane for 30 miles before we got onto a bigger road. Sometimes it pays to have driven in that mess before. Sharon was not happy with me for forging ahead.

We arrived at Fort Donelson National Battlefield and were escorted to the auditorium immediately for the sub-standard movie. It wasn't the worst we've ever seen but it really wasn't good. We took the drive through the park and saw the earthen fort and a couple of river emplacements. It only took about a half hour.

After leaving the park we headed toward Savanah, TN for our next stop. We stopped at a Rest Area and I broke off all the ice on the front of the motorhome. We couldn't find the Wal-mart at Savanah so we stopped in a closed K-Mart parking lot. It was next to a very busy road and although the traffic stopped at night, it resumed again early in the morning. Drat!

We got an early start this morning and headed for Shiloh National Battlefield. This was another Civil War battlefield. It was only about 20 miles from where we stayed the night. We were there by 8:30. It is also the site of a National Cemetery. With the movie and the tour we must have spent at least a couple of hours there. By the time we got on our way again, we were hungry. So we stopped at Corinth, MS for lunch at McD's.

After we got back on the highway a truck picked up a rock and through it into our windshield. It made a perfectly round softball sized fracture in the bottom of Sharon's window. NICE!

It looked as though the sun was going to shine all day today. Our "home" was still coated with ice and the chunks were falling off all day today. Every time we stopped we broke off a few more pieces. By the time we got to Wal-Mart in Meridian, MS most of the ice was gone. I hope our satellite dish is now defrosted.

We stopped for gas in downtown Meridian where it was $!.359. On the way around the pumps I cut too short and clipped a pipe stanchion and scraped up 2 compartments. So except for the sun Shining all day, this was a pretty crappy start to the winter solstice. In Meridian, we were only about 130 miles from Robertsdale, AL our destination. We'll be there for a week if I can find a doctor to check me out. If not we'll move on to New Orleans early.

We finally found the Wal-Mart after asking for directions at the disastrous gas station. There was a gas station at Wal-Mart selling gas for $1.239. The Lord was definitely testing me today..............and I flunked.

We went for a quick shop tonight to the dollar store and to Wal-Mart. We bought some non-essentials and then came home and watched some tube from the antenna.

The sun was out today when we finally got going. As long as gas was $1.239 a gallon we decided to fill up our tank while we were here. We hooked up the car while we were waiting for the tank to fill. It didn't take long, but it did take 30-some gallons.

We stopped once for a rest break for the pilot and then we were back on the road again. I filled up a couple of low tires on the car while I was stretching these old bones and muscles. We arrived at Styx River Resort about noon and ate lunch and then set up the motorhome. Flushing everything out was 1st on the agenda. After that we hooked up the electric and put a new water filter in and filled up the water tank. It took about an hour to get everything taken care of.

I went inside and found out we were under trees so the dish wouldn't pick up signal. LOVELY!! Sharon vacuumed out the hacienda and fo the most part we were done with our chores. Sharon took a shower and I sat down to break the computer. It's always something!!

We sat down to a lovely Anniversary Dinner tonight of Tenderloin Steak, Spaghetti, Salad and Garlic Bread. We also had a little Red Rose' to wash it down. The dinner was absolutely delicious. We sat and watched TV tonight on the regular channels cause the dish was under trees. Sharon caved in about 9 o'clock and I hung in there til about 10:45. It had been a long day but I had had a nap a little earlier and decided to stay up for awhile. Beside the regular programs were running a little late tonight because of the football games.

After cleaning up the dishes we got in the car and went on a scouting trip of the area. I had to find a place to take the computer to get it fixed. We were gone for a couple of hours and all we found with the exception of several stores was a spray nozzle from Home Depot. Having nothing else to do today except loaf was very helpful. We actually found a car wash and decided to hose down the car while we were out.

When we got back I set up the dish so that we could see if the Packer game would be on TV tonight. And as has happened for the past 5 years we had no signal on the satellite. So while I was moaning and groaning Sharon went over to call DirecTV. The signal was restored in exactly 5 minutes and she was back. Damn I hate it when that happens. Oh well at least we have TV.

We had Andy's Steak and a burger for supper tonight. I had the Andy's Steak and fries and I put a jalapeño pepper on mine and it was just great. I had a piece of Sharon's Cherry and Cranberry pie for dessert. Yumm.

We watched the packer game tonight and Green Bay waited until the final minutes before they finally pulled it out. I hate it when that happens too, but I guess it's better than the alternative.



	The Journal of 2003 By Bill Rocheleau HERE WE GO AGAIN.................EARLY Tuesday, December 3, 2002 We got a flying start this morning at 7 AM and headed south. Iron Mountain's temperature gauges were hovering around 5º and by the time we got to Pembine their gauges couldn't make up their minds whether it was -1º or -5º. The morning was pretty uneventful and we met my sister Marge and Wally on Hwy 20 near Racine and ate lunch with them. They presented us with a Kringle and we were on our way again. When we arrived, the parking lot was a one way in, one way out, and it looked as though we would have to unhook the car to get out again. But by the time we finished lunch the parking situation had almost resolved itself. It would be a straight back-out of about a hundred feet. We would see now how well the Malibu backs up. All went well. In Chicago we tried to run the windshield washers and they were froze solid. We tried unsuccessfully to get them cleared to no avail. We drove on with a dirty windshield until we HAD to stop. We washed it manually and then moved on again until we stopped for the night in Paris, IL at the Wal-Mart campground. As soon as we arrived I went out and removed the washer reservoir and brought it inside. We ate supper and by that time it was mushy. I cleaned it out and went back out to lay on the 25º ground again. Not a fun job at all. By the time I was done, the washers were working again. We're going to need them in the next couple of days when the weather really turns crappy. We're supposed to be driving through snow and freezing rain. At 12:40 AM we heard a knock at the door. Refusing to look out to see who it was, we hollered through the door. Sharon heard the guy say "pave", I heard the word "paint," but we knew we had to move. So as we started to move, we drove past the guy in the ski mask and he said just move to where there are no lines cause they were painting the parking lot. We heard the sprayers most of the night and we awoke to a newly lined parking lot. What next? Wednesday, December 4, 2002 We were on our way by 9AM toward Vincennes, IN and the George Rogers Clark National Memorial. The memorial was built for a Lt. Colonel who was instrumental during the Revolutionary War tossing the British out of Fort Sackville, the Westernmost area of operations during the war. After that we headed for the Lincoln Boyhood Home National Memorial, stopping for lunch along the way. The trip was only about 60 miles but it started to snow and the roads were starting to get slippery, so it took us awhile to get there. The Visitor's Center and Memorial building is a magnificent U-shaped structure which proves again what you can do in the wilderness with money. Lincoln lived here from the age of about 7 to 21. After his mother and sister died he moved on to Illinois. After the memorial we moved on also but not very far. The roads were now getting very treacherous. We had followed a pick-up truck earlier that managed to get up to the speed of 15 MPH. They needed to be home in bed, and not on the road. We got as far as Owensboro, KY before we found the Wal-Mart campground. It was about 4 o'clock and getting dark so we decided to call it a day. We went shopping for a few things in Wal-Mart and then settled in to watch TV for the night. The Amazing Race, one of our favorites, was on tonight. It continued to rain and freeze most of the night, and by morning there was a nice coat of snow covering all the ice. Thursday, December 5, 2002 We got a slow tentative start this morning because of all the snow and ice last night. I decided to chance the little 2 lane road south instead of doubling back on the 4 lane going west. It took about 8 miles before it started showing promise. After that it got clearer and better all day. We had to follow the 2 lane for 30 miles before we got onto a bigger road. Sometimes it pays to have driven in that mess before. Sharon was not happy with me for forging ahead. We arrived at Fort Donelson National Battlefield and were escorted to the auditorium immediately for the sub-standard movie. It wasn't the worst we've ever seen but it really wasn't good. We took the drive through the park and saw the earthen fort and a couple of river emplacements. It only took about a half hour. After leaving the park we headed toward Savanah, TN for our next stop. We stopped at a Rest Area and I broke off all the ice on the front of the motorhome. We couldn't find the Wal-mart at Savanah so we stopped in a closed K-Mart parking lot. It was next to a very busy road and although the traffic stopped at night, it resumed again early in the morning. Drat! Friday, December 6, 2002 We got an early start this morning and headed for Shiloh National Battlefield. This was another Civil War battlefield. It was only about 20 miles from where we stayed the night. We were there by 8:30. It is also the site of a National Cemetery. With the movie and the tour we must have spent at least a couple of hours there. By the time we got on our way again, we were hungry. So we stopped at Corinth, MS for lunch at McD's. After we got back on the highway a truck picked up a rock and through it into our windshield. It made a perfectly round softball sized fracture in the bottom of Sharon's window. NICE! It looked as though the sun was going to shine all day today. Our "home" was still coated with ice and the chunks were falling off all day today. Every time we stopped we broke off a few more pieces. By the time we got to Wal-Mart in Meridian, MS most of the ice was gone. I hope our satellite dish is now defrosted. We stopped for gas in downtown Meridian where it was $!.359. On the way around the pumps I cut too short and clipped a pipe stanchion and scraped up 2 compartments. So except for the sun Shining all day, this was a pretty crappy start to the winter solstice. In Meridian, we were only about 130 miles from Robertsdale, AL our destination. We'll be there for a week if I can find a doctor to check me out. If not we'll move on to New Orleans early. We finally found the Wal-Mart after asking for directions at the disastrous gas station. There was a gas station at Wal-Mart selling gas for $1.239. The Lord was definitely testing me today..............and I flunked. We went for a quick shop tonight to the dollar store and to Wal-Mart. We bought some non-essentials and then came home and watched some tube from the antenna. Saturday, December 7, 2002 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US The sun was out today when we finally got going. As long as gas was $1.239 a gallon we decided to fill up our tank while we were here. We hooked up the car while we were waiting for the tank to fill. It didn't take long, but it did take 30-some gallons. We stopped once for a rest break for the pilot and then we were back on the road again. I filled up a couple of low tires on the car while I was stretching these old bones and muscles. We arrived at Styx River Resort about noon and ate lunch and then set up the motorhome. Flushing everything out was 1st on the agenda. After that we hooked up the electric and put a new water filter in and filled up the water tank. It took about an hour to get everything taken care of. I went inside and found out we were under trees so the dish wouldn't pick up signal. LOVELY!! Sharon vacuumed out the hacienda and fo the most part we were done with our chores. Sharon took a shower and I sat down to break the computer. It's always something!! We sat down to a lovely Anniversary Dinner tonight of Tenderloin Steak, Spaghetti, Salad and Garlic Bread. We also had a little Red Rose' to wash it down. The dinner was absolutely delicious. We sat and watched TV tonight on the regular channels cause the dish was under trees. Sharon caved in about 9 o'clock and I hung in there til about 10:45. It had been a long day but I had had a nap a little earlier and decided to stay up for awhile. Beside the regular programs were running a little late tonight because of the football games. Sunday, December 8, 2002 We got up this morning and made ourselves a big breakfast of Eggs, Bacon, Hash Browns and Toast. It was fabulous. After cleaning up the dishes we got in the car and went on a scouting trip of the area. I had to find a place to take the computer to get it fixed. We were gone for a couple of hours and all we found with the exception of several stores was a spray nozzle from Home Depot. Having nothing else to do today except loaf was very helpful. We actually found a car wash and decided to hose down the car while we were out. When we got back I set up the dish so that we could see if the Packer game would be on TV tonight. And as has happened for the past 5 years we had no signal on the satellite. So while I was moaning and groaning Sharon went over to call DirecTV. The signal was restored in exactly 5 minutes and she was back. Damn I hate it when that happens. Oh well at least we have TV. We had Andy's Steak and a burger for supper tonight. I had the Andy's Steak and fries and I put a jalapeño pepper on mine and it was just great. I had a piece of Sharon's Cherry and Cranberry pie for dessert. Yumm. We watched the packer game tonight and Green Bay waited until the final minutes before they finally pulled it out. I hate it when that happens too, but I guess it's better than the alternative.