06/12 to 06/21 - To Branson Missouri

Trip to Branson, MO

June 12 to June 21

A - Croton Point RV Park

The starting point that began my "2025 Summer Adventure" was in Croton-on-Hudson, NY, with a week long rally with my fellow Hudson Islanders. If you missed the blog, it can be accessed HERE. Jack was going to re-visit Branson, MO after 11 years and Melanie, Dan and I decided to join him. We left at different times, took different routes but would be together in Branson, Missouri, the subject of my next blog post. This blog chronicles my trip to Missouri.

B - Bellefonte/State College KOA, PA

06/12 to 06/15

The 251 mile, five hour trip that included a fuel stop was otherwise uneventful. I've stayed at this campground a number of times as it is a convenient layover on trips to and from the West. My site 85 is familiar and if I go back in my blogs, I may have had this site before.

What was different and noticeable as I entered the Bellefonte area was the greeting I received from the Periodical Brood XIV cicadas.  They have arrived. The high pitched "screaming song" of the males seemed to follow me along the roadway as I drove; they sounded like the locusts (cicadas) I remember as a kid. Their presence marks the completion of their 17-year underground cycle and when the temperatures hit the 64° F mark, they made their 8" upward crawl to the surface and began chorusing. At the campsite, their continuing, low frequency buzzing made it sound like a soft drizzle or rain which quickly went unnoticed. 

A mostly level campsite with 30-amp service and water. Not much put outside as I'm only here for two days both of which were drizzly/rainy. Loved the rain on the roof and the time that allowed me to catch up and post to my blog the events of CPP.

Glad I wasn't around for the storm that caused this tree to crash down on the new F-150 pickup that was across the road from me. 

High water pressure back at CPP caused another check-valve failure for me. This time it was in the water compartment and the connection. Fortunately, after checking with Leah at the KOA office here, she recommended Kick Start RV Repair. I called and let them know I was here only to Sunday and that afternoon, Jameson came by and replaced the $20.00 check valve. Labor charge was very reasonable and now I was able to fill my fresh water tank. Good Karma at work. Thank you.

Here's a 360º view of Site 85:

C - Sunbury/Columbus North KOA, Ohio

06/15 to 06/17

My Father's Day six hour trip with a couple of stops saw a drizzly, dreary drive in morning. Patchy fog, sometimes limiting view to as little as two hundred feet in the morning gave way to mostly cloudy sunshine by the time I arrived in Sunbury, Ohio's KOA, 320 miles from Bellefonte, PA.

The Sunbury/Columbus KOA campground is impressive. I met managers Jeff and Crystal who reside on the site right next to mine. They had a packed Father's Day weekend with 19 rigs leaving the day I arrived. I was immediately put at ease (not that I have ever been ill-at-ease). I loved their tubs of ice cream including butter pecan with cashews. The following photos show the expansive area.

A very out-of-the-way location, this campground was nestled in the rolling hills of the Ohio farmlands. Scenery was picturesque and homes meticulously kept. A very pleasant ride.

Wide open spaces: green and clean with fresh air and sunshine.

Jeff leads the way.

And then we entered "The Backwoods." My favorite...trees and shade.

An immediate and contrasting change from the open feeling of the rest of the campground

Site 530. Concrete pad with full hookups.

The Class C of campground hosts, Jeff and Crystal next door.

A 360º view of my surroundings.

D - Mystic Water Campground, Indiana

06/17 to 06/19

Today's 5½-hour ride of 190 miles was interrupted with two stops: a Walmart Superstore to stock up and a fuel stop.  Though skies threatened, there was not much more than a drizzle here and there. Take-aways from today drive? This is one BIG beautiful country. Crops in the heartland have sprouted and neat rows of green leave picturesque images of what makes this country great; farmers, their land and their crops.

My entrance into the state of Indiana was unimpressive. The "More to Discover in Indiana" sign on the right gave me a "ho-hum" feeling. Leaving the smooth riding pavement of Ohio onto the "work in progress" road construction near the border was a wake-up call as well. 

My southbound route I-71 to westbound I-70 once again reminded me that there are 2.97 million 18-wheelers on the road. Their collective mileage driven is 184 billion miles a year. A very impressive figure and another area for appreciation for what they contribute to the American economy.

And right off I-69 is the Mystic Waters Campground. My site #10 is behind the tree line of the highway no  more than 100' away. You can imagine the road noise including the "engine brakes." Will it get better overnight? We shall see. The name “Mystic Waters” for the campground in Pendleton, Indiana, originates from its distinctive layout—it's nestled around three separate bodies of water: Begonia, Sunflower and Magnolia Lakes. These lakes (or ponds) are described on the campground’s website as “three mystic bodies of water,” and that poetic branding inspired the name “Mystic Waters”

White arrow indicates my site 10. 

The entrance drive to my site gave a relaxing impression.

Cabins on the left. Those on the right were right on Lake Begonia

The 8 sites in this row must be new since the campground map doesn't show them. They just have 30 amp service, picnic table and fire ring. No sewer, no water. Showers and rest rooms very close by.

Showers a short distance away.

A panoramic view from my picnic table.

Nothing set up outside due to pending torrential downpours.

A 360º view of Site 10; I-69 is on the other side of those trees. By 9:00 p.m. it became noticeably "quieter." With AC on, my windows and vents shut out the noise. On and off showers continue to be part of my day on the way to Branson, MO.

I received my first warning of "severe weather" with a 3 out of 5 risk of tornado at noon. (Bathrooms right across the road)

By 5:00 p.m. all the action was to take place. I was attentive to all my weather apps for latest updates.

The red "Tornado Warning" box was gone by the time that line of storms reached me (I am the blue dot). At 5:00, as predicted, it was a high wind driven moderate rain event from the south that gave Winnie and me a "rock and roll" experience briefly captured in the video clip below. No damage and no need for Toto and I to seek shelter in the nearby bathhouse.

From menacing and foreboding...

...to delightful and relaxing.

E - St. Louis NE/Granite City KOA, Illinois

06/19 to 06/21

The 274-mile trip from Indiana to Illinois along I-70 had one stop for fuel but, again, a wonderful view and appreciation for this beautiful country. Like Indiana, the major crop seen for both is corn. They both rank among the top 5 corn producing states in the U.S., with Indiana being the top popcorn producer; Illinois is often ranked #1 in soybean production. The evidence for these claims was evident on both sides of the Interstate.

Welcome to Illinois, home to the oldest skyscraper in the world, the Goat Tower, Pumpkin capitol of the world and a state that had 3 state capitals. 

With a great reliance on my GPS and few KOA signs, I navigated correctly to the entrance of the bright yellow KOA Journey sign with a sigh of relief.

Closely spaced drive through site, CO7 is a full hookup site and fortunately under a tree that supplied ample shade during the "Extreme high heat" advisory that was stretching from the Central to the Eastern States this weekend. "Feel Like" temps were to reach the mid-100's.

Thursday, I rendezvoused with Dan and Melanie at this campground. Jack was due Friday. 

The highlight of my two-day stay was being with neighbors, Dan and Mel. Jack who would arrive on Friday would complete the morning coffee get-together Saturday before we left for Branson, MO. 

Dan, Mel and I decided to take advantage of Imo's Pizza delivery to our site. Recommended by the gals in office, we were, after all in St. Louis, so why not try the "St. Louis Style Pizza." No mozzarella, rather their "legendary" Provel cheese: a blend of Swiss, Provolone and Cheddar that is combined into one gooey, creamy, deliciously cheesy experience. Provel® was originally invented in St. Louis, back in 1947. Its origins are debated; however, it's theorized it was a convergence of Old World Italian traditions and New World technology. 

While Chicago is famous for deep-dish, it’s also home to tavern-style pizza — thin, crispy crust cut into squares — beloved by locals, (not so much by these three pizza spoiled New York tourists.) The box labeled "St. Louis Style Pizza" reminded me of pizza Dan, Melanie and I had in Duluth, MI last summer. Imo's Pizza has grown to a chain of 100 stores across Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. After a day of driving, setting up and a time zone change, it hit the spot.

After early....repeat EARLY morning coffee, we each left for the 266 mile, five our trip (including another fuel stop) to Missouri. I am looking forward to our week stay in Branson and hope you'll enjoy the blog that will try to capture the events. Until next week, take care, stay safe and (for this week especially), stay cool.

“The road ahead is unwritten, and every mile is a promise of discovery—new faces, new places, and the quiet magic of the unfamiliar.”

06/01 to 06/12 - Croton Point Park

Getting back into the swing of things once again presented its trials and tribulations. Once the obstacles and hurdles are tended to, the pleasures of what lies ahead make it all worthwhile. Getting Winnie out of storage, returning boxes of "stuff", foods and beverages loaded back into the RV is a two-day job. Once completed, I made the twelve-mile trip to Croton Point Park (CPP) on Sunday, 6/1st to officially begin my "2025 Summer Adventure." The Hudson Islanders begin arriving Thursday for our Summer Rally, 6/5th to 6/12th and will be the subject matter for this blog post.

Prior to the arrival of 13 RVs housing 21 people, the campground was comparatively empty with any nearby RVs seen in the video below gone by the 6/5th. It was this time alone with very few RVs around that I languished in what has become sort of a way of life for me. Birds in abundance complete with their songs, breeze is the pines and a perfect day to relax and soak it all in while freeing the mind of worries, concerns and responsibilities. The coziness of my site 35 is captured below.

On Thursday, they arrived:

Ray/Kathy

Ray/Sue

Roberta

Tony/Doreen

Johnny

Larry

Jack

Walt/Fran

Dan/Melanie

John/Martine

Gene/Susan

Herve/Roberta

And along with their arrival came more memories and good times beginning with coffee in the morning either at my site or Jack's site. Steam rises, spirits lift, and stories flow. That’s the magic of morning coffee with the boys. Photos tell the story:

Pot Luck Supper

On another evening, we celebrated the BIG 80 for Tony and the other May birthdays of Larry and Charlie.  Other Islander May birthdays include Bill, Anthony, Peter, Dan, John D. Sue, Todd, Carole and Martine.

And thanks to Steve, we were able to sing it three times.

Once for Larry,

Once for Tony,

and after adding three more candles, once for Charlie

More often than not, the EZ-ups were a blessing with intermittent periods of rain and drizzle.

From Clermont, Florida, Holley, NY and Wappingers Falls, NY the three brothers squeezed in time to see each other.

L. to R Ray, Fred, Walter

We returned one evening to dine at Pronto Restaurant and Pizzeria

Just about the time we were ready to leave, a downpour decided it wasn't time. After remaining captive, we ventured out and were rewarded for our patience.

In addition to morning coffee get-togethers, the next best event is winding down the day relaxing around the ol' campfire each night. I summoned up an AI poem that shares my thoughts:

Beneath the stars, the fire glows, a warm and welcome light,
We circle close with snacks in hand, and toast into the night.
The day’s long miles are washed away with laughter, wine, and cheer,
And every tale—half true or not—is met with hearty ear.
No walls around us, just the trees, the sky, the glowing coals,
But here we sit like lifelong friends, a gathering of souls.
The crackle speaks, the embers sing, the night feels soft and wide,
With camp chairs for a living room and kindred by our side.
We came in rigs, we came alone—but here, we all belong,
Together in the fire’s glow, where life burns bright and strong.

At some point, twenty-one folks enjoyed the camaraderie...

...even if the weather threatened yet another round of rain.

Nearby campers: father, son and grandson joined us.

Even unwelcomed guests showed up.

In all our Rally years, never leaving food/garbage out, we've never had a recurring visiting critter come by and steal from our table.

Here, it climbed right up and tried to take a package of cups from the table. Another night it made off with a dish of cupcakes...dish and all. As it was chased under a coach, we retrieved the dish only to have it sneak back and get the cupcakes.

And, to conclude. a mention about how when collective minds, knowledge and talent get together, all things are possible. And this includes RV repairs. Others in the group can share their stories but I continue to be grateful for any and all work done on my RV. As a former homeowner, I've added a 15' x 30' screened-in porch to my home, converted a garage into a family room with fireplace, re-shingled a roof and repaired whatever needed repairing be it electrical or plumbing. Now that that ship has sailed, I can give a big thank you to Tony and Gene for their talent and know-how to repair my entry door that didn't quite close right, add the latch to keep it that way and trouble-shoot and replace a check-valve that prevented me from enjoying hot water. It's all easy when you have the right tools and experience. 

Now I am off to Branson, Missouri; 1,243 miles via Bellefonte, PA, Sunbury, OH, Pendleton, IN and Granite City, IL. Next blog post will tell all. Till then, stay healthy, happy and safe.

"Home is where you park it, but joy is found in the in-between."