May 2, 2017: We hadn’t planned to stay at Kansas City East / Oak Grove KOA for two nights. But after leaving the WalMart in Quincy, IL, we started noticing a strange gassy smell coming from our pickup truck. We were close to Kansas City, MO when Sash finally couldn’t handle the smell any...
May 1, 2017: Our first experience staying overnight in a WalMart parking lot was in Quincy, IL. When we left Hollywood Casino RV Park in Joliet, we figured on just staying overnight at a WalMart somewhere. It turned out that Quincy, IL offered the right amount of miles for a day’s travel. (Read our...
April 27, 2017: Our first time staying at an RV Park was at Hollywood Casino in Joliet, IL. It rained all four nights we were there. (Read our reviews of other Illinois campgrounds and destinations) We were pulling our brand new toy hauler from Nappanee, IN to San Diego, CA, and wanted to stop...
April 26, 2017: After filling up our propane tanks at the Love’s Travel Stop in Gary, IN, we towed the toy hauler to the Cabela’s in nearby Hammond. This Cabela’s has a parking area designated for trucks and RVs. There’s perhaps 15 to 20 extra long spaces for parking. We were the only RV...
April 26, 2017: After leaving the ATC trailer factory in Nappanee, IN, the first place we took our new toy hauler was Love’s Travel Stop in Gary, IN. We needed to fill the two propane tanks. We didn’t realize Gary, IN was the murder capital of the United States. We only came here because...
Note (May 1, 2019): See our Two Year Review at this link. April 26, 2017: ATC toy haulers have been advertised as being both tougher and lighter than competing brands due to their all-aluminum construction. That’s what got us so interested in them. When looking at other brands of toy haulers, we became very...
“All along the southbound odyssey The train pulls out at Kankakee Rolls along past houses, farms and fields” Steve Goodman wrote those words while aboard along a passenger train that was actually named “City of New Orleans”. It ran from Chicago to New Orleans. I couldn’t help hearing the song (Arlo Guthrie’s version) as...
April 25, 2017: Kankakee, IL is not a city many have heard of, except if you live in Illinois. But it’s famous for a couple of things. One of them being the hometown of Dairy Queen. It’s not where Dairy Queen corporate headquarters are, but where it first took off. (Read our reviews of...
When one sees how big this cross is, one has to wonder how religious the folks in Effingham, IL really are. The “Cross at the Crossroads” was completed in July 2001 by the Cross Foundation, a non-profit group based in Effingham. The Cross serves as a venue for local events. (Read our reviews of...
April 24, 2017: Mia’s paws were really tired, but she finally caught up with us, crossing the Mississippi River and all. (Well, that’s what she wanted everyone to believe) Crossing the Mississippi River was a milestone for her, and for many travelers too. There definitely is a noticeable change in paradigm on either side...