We had a wonderful weekend in Chicago visiting family. RoVer served as sleeping quarters for Mark and Connor – in the parking lot of my Aunt’s apartment complex (with permission from management, of course!). They were ‘boondocking’, which is basically staying in the RV while it’s not connected to any utilities – no electric, water, or sewer. But, given how the RV is designed, it’s really easy to do. There’s a generator that can be used for power if needed, there’s a 42-gallon freshwater tank under one of the beds, and of course, there are sewer holding tanks. The generator is a bit noisy, so we have to be careful where/when we use that, so boondocking is really best when the temperatures are moderate and A/C or heat are not critical. Perfect in Chicago, mid-May!

On Monday, we headed back to Toledo to retrieve Connor’s car. We had one uh-oh moment just before we arrived in Toledo where a warning message came up on the RV and cruise control stopped working. Connor googled the warning message and it was related to traction control. Mark pulled off, checked the tires which were all fine, and when he started RoVer up again, the warning was gone and cruise control was working. Not sure what that was about, but definitely something to keep an eye on. I do have to comment that the Toledo airport (where we parked Connor’s car) is just about the smallest airport I’ve ever seen (Jackson Hole WY is still the smallest). It was about a 32-second walk from long-term parking to the terminal, which is only one level (versus the usual separate levels for arrivals and departures). I guess most people in that area just drive to Detroit if they want to fly anywhere! Then it was back to East Harbor State Park, a good stopping point about halfway between Chicago and Rochester. Our campsite was directly across from the one we were at last week, so it was super quick & easy to find! We stopped for gas just before we arrived at the campground, and the tank was a bit emptier than usual, so RoVer got her first fill-up of more than $100. Ouch.

It was nice to have our tallest family member with us to help with cleaning the bugs off the windshield. For some unknown reason, Connor has always liked cleaning windshields, and he was quick to grab the squeegee and start working away at the very buggy windshield!

I’ve mentioned before the wide variety of campers, trailers, motorhomes, etc. that you see at campgrounds. There were three that really stood out this visit…two that are classic old motorcoaches (buses) converted into motorhomes. We assume they were traveling together, and were just such fun to look at! And then we found this teardrop trailer that is SO SMALL – I swear I have suitcases larger than this trailer!

Connor and I played some cornhole, and he has previously only ever played at college. He quickly learned that how they play it in a college town is not quite official. He said last time he played, he was on a porch and about eight feet away from the hole. Regulation play is 27 feet from the front of the board…so it took him a few turns to adjust to the new ‘rules’ and distance! While I took an early (and massive) lead, he ultimately came back to win. Rematch coming soon!

Tuesday morning I went for the most enjoyable walk. It was early (7am) and while a few people were up and about, the campground was basically silent. Not even the dog walkers were out yet. All I could hear was birds, and with so many trees everywhere, it was just beautiful. Definitely one of my favorite things about camping…enjoying the peace and quiet of nature early in the morning. I found a gorgeous lilac bush, almost in full bloom, incredibly fragrant, and ironically located just near one of the campground dump stations.

By 9:30am we were all packed up and ready to get both vehicles back to Rochester. Should take us about 6-6.5 hours with a lunch break and some driver changes (I’m the relief driver…covering for Mark and Connor at various intervals!). Another fun and successful trip. RoVer is scheduled to go back to the dealer on Thursday, assuming the parts for the dash/touchscreen truly did arrive as scheduled. We’ll confirm tomorrow and it will be fantastic to have that fixed. Otherwise, we will need to stock up on painters tape to keep adjusting and tightening the touchscreen…good thing Costco has these multipacks if we need a few cases of them!