Terri and Peter's RV Adventures

Once again it was the birdsong that defied my logic and drew me out of a warm, comfy bed and into a less chilly early morning than the previous one. It was cool nonetheless but the birds (and coffee) warmed my heart. There were seven birds that I don’t hear in California: Warbling Vireo, Song Sparrow, Orchard Oriole, Eastern Kingbird, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow Warbler and Gray Catbird. Such a sweet way to start the day.

On a not so sweet way to start the day, we wanted to try out our new “equipment” and do a sewer dump. (Yes, this is something only RVers can look forward to.) And lo and behold, we were missing yet another part: the part that connects a hose to the new part on the RV. Turns out the original part was an unnoticed victim of the accident, likely crushed and thrown away during the first repair. While this was disappointing as we wanted to get on the road, we were so fortunate that Leaches RV Repair was five minutes away and on our way out of town. We dropped by at 8:30 am and they identified the issue right away. We had to replace one of our hoses to fit the new piece and alas, our hoses will not be color coordinated. But, if you like chartreuse and orange, then we’ll invite you over the next time we pull out our hoses. (I’m not sure I’ll get many takers out there.). Who knows, maybe we’ll start a trend at dump stations.

The point was that Danielle and the parts guy (pictured here) and Mark, the service manager at Leaches came through for us yet again and we were on our way on I80 East by 9 or so, heading to Des Moines, through gently rolling, freshly tilled farmland and enjoying a mild late Spring midwestern day. Passing through Des Moines, we continued eastward through Iowa City and turned off onto farm roads just before Davenport, the most eastward city in Iowa.

Taking these smaller roads created an immersive farm experience as we were surrounded by these fertile fields that will soon show green shoots of corn stalks. Twenty miles later through a few small towns, we entered our Iowa State campground: Clark’s Ferry, right on the Mississippi River. We’d stayed here two years ago when returning home from our cross country trip in Fiona 1.0, our 19′ Airstream van.

Coming here was like visiting an old friend. We just love the simplicity and no-frills aspect of this park and the fact that it is literally on the Mississippi River. Our campsite, #12, is feet away from the river. And watching it steadily roll on its way is just so comforting. I can’t really explain my attachment. I just love this river.

So does Lily, big surprise. She couldn’t wait to jump in and chase balls upstream, downstream, any kind of stream. She’s such a strong swimmer I have little to no anxiety about her swimming out into the river.

So here we are, settling in for the night, the sun is setting, the half moon is already out, getting ready to shine on me and my river. The dogs, great travelers yet again over today’s six hour journey, are splayed out on either side of me as I sit in my outdoor chair, staring at my river. Fortunately, Peter shares my connection to the river and this campground but I’m not sure he’d label it love. Men. Once again, gratitude fills my heart and soul as I prepare for a peaceful evening and another long driving day tomorrow through our home state of Illinois, into Indiana and I think one more time zone. Thank you for following along.