Time warp

Sometimes I feel like we are in a time warp in the RV. The GPS says will get there at 3:30 and sometimes it’s 5 o’clock when we actually arrive. I’ve attributed that to bathroom break, lunch break, Harley break, but the day we left Lincoln Nebraska we were truly in a time warp.

The night before we left, Paul set his alarm on his phone, so we could wake up at 7:30 and get a good start to the day. We were driving less than 300 miles but we didn’t want it to take all day. We both woke up a couple times throughout the night but looked at the time and went back to sleep until the alarm went off at 7:30. We got up, got dressed, I took Harley out in the morning, and when I came back in, and I looked at the clock on the microwave it said 10:02! Wait, what!?! It’s 10 o’clock!? Evidence that there was actually a time warp! In the back of the RV Paul’s phone said 8 o’clock, but in the front of the RV it was actually 10 o’clock! Somehow his phone went back two hours! We hustled up, still in disbelief, and got everything put away and started on our journey to Iowa. We booked it through Eastern Nebraska and western Iowa! We took a quick break about an hour away from our destination and we made it to the alpaca farm by 4:30. Two other Harvest Hosts members arrived about the same time, great timing!

Iowa is much like eastern Nebraska, very green and filled with baby corn plants! In Iowa, when turbines decorate some of the hilltops and they were turning slowly and peacefully in the gentle wind. I’m sure when Paul sees them on the hills he’s thinking “oh no is it windy area”.

The alpaca farm was very cool, run by Pat and Norm and their daughter, Lisa. Chickens running about, several different varieties of peacock in different cages and a couple dozen really cute alpacas and two llamas. Apparently the llamas will keep away any harmful critters that may attack the alpacas. The chickens eat all the bugs and parasites that the alpacas are susceptible to, It’s quite a nice little ecosystem they have going there. There’s even a donkey and a horse, and a potbelly pig to round out the critter mixture.

The hosts invited us in for wine slushy’s, and then we got to hear some of the stories about how they got to where they are today. We hung with a nice group from Minnesota, North Carolina, and us from Pennsylvania.

In the morning we headed to our last respite stop, the eastern shores of Lake Michigan. I was hoping the weather would be cooler because Nebraska, and Iowa or hot and humid. We arrived at covert beach and campground, which is right on the shores of Lake Michigan. it was perfect! Three nights of rest and relaxation so that we have the energy for three driving days to home. Our campsite was nestled in a small area of the campground in the woods. Call during the night and breezy and 60s during the day. My kind of weather!

The first evening, we walk to the lake and took a deep breath of fresh air coming off the water. It was pretty breezy, and there were a lot of waves coming into the shore. I was excited after two months of being in warm weather with very few exceptions, I got to wear my sweatshirt again . we had plenty of time to relax, sleep in, I gave Paul a haircut (it was a little unruly after 10 weeks), and we found a really nice dog beach for Harley to play in the water.

A couple days before we headed to Michigan, I had hit a sizable, pothole dead on! I was really surprised that my tire didn’t blow up at that moment. I checked the pressure a few times and it seemed to be holding air and then Paul noticed a bubble on the outside wall of the tire. When we got to Michigan, he noticed a second bubble forming, so I guess it’s time to get a new tire so that I can make it home. Friday morning Paul did some research, thanks to the lovely woman next to us who had cell service. He Found a place that would put on the tire the same day, and it was a very reasonable price! Win win! Paul headed out to get a new tire put on while I spruced up the RV for the last couple days of our trip.

On Friday night, June 9, a motorcycle rider/camper moved in next to us and Harley was immediately endeared buy them. The couple was from Michigan about two hours away, and was trying out a new trailer tent that they towed behind a motorcycle. We really enjoyed their company and we hung out with him for the evening. We walked down to the lake to catch the sunset for the first time, and it did not disappoint!

Back to the campsite, a wonderful fire with our new friends, a perfect way to end our respite.