Horse Camp

 

We decided to go camping Labor Day weekend.  Normally, this is something we avoid like the plague, since the campgrounds are always so full.  But my step mom wanted to go see the newly placed headstone on my Dad's grave, and we both had days off, so we agreed to  head to Southern Illinois.  Friday afternoon, after much time on the phone, I found a campground that was very central to the activities we had planned, and had sites available.  It didn't have much information on the internet, so I figured that was why it had sites open.  The person stated she was new as the manager, and had not yet updated the internet data. 

Saturday morning we hitched the trailer, picked up Barb, and hit the road. Family teased us about stuffing her in the overhead bunk of the Metris, but we assured them we were taking the trailer, so she would have a king size bed all to herself!

It's was a 5.5 hour drive from home, so we stopped for a break in Marion, IL to pick up a few items at WalMart.   While I was shopping, Dan drove around the parking lot and met me by the garden shop. He was parked off to the side, and I noticed he was checking the tow connections. After so many years traveling with the VW and having little things happen, I recognized his expression.  I asked if there was a problem.... and there was.  The electrical connections had completely pulled out of the plug. 

He is unsure how this happened but thinks somehow it got caught as he went around a tight corner.  The metris hitch configuration sits a lot lower than our VW did. Nice thing is that the Metris TOLD HIM about it.  He got an error about signal lights not working or something like that.  And we were at a Southern IL Super WalMart with a beefy hunting/camping/RV/fishing department, so he was able to go in and buy a new plug and rewire it in the parking lot. So nice to have a handy hubby! I fixed lunch in the Metris while he worked, and we had a picnic in the WalMart parking lot.  Not the picnic I had planned, but life never goes how you think it will, does it?  

Later than we expected, we arrived at the campground.  It was close to the cemetery, which meant it was out in the middle of nowhere.  As we pulled in, it became very obvious that we were not their targeted customer.  It was an equestrian campground!  There was a show arena, and sites all had hitching posts and places for hay.  Most had full on corrals, if not little mini barns!  Everyone had bus sized horse trailers and massive pick up trucks. We were completly surprised. Even one little line in the campgound listing mentioning that this was a horse camp would have been nice.  It was like we had arrived at a party on the lake without a boat!  Ooops, we forgot our horse! LOL.  We picked a site anyway, set up the trailer, and made the most of the evening.  It was actually pretty good entertainment for the night.  Instead of the golf cart parade we have encountered at some other campgrounds; as the evening progressed, familes went by in buggies and wagons hitched to draft horses, ponies, or mules.  Then, as the sun set, teens and twenty somethings rode their show horses up to the pole barn for a evening of dancing and karaoke. 

(That's supposed to say "Horses and Buggies" not horrors and buggies...)

We had a fire and listened to the music, then turned in to the sound of neighs and whinnies throughout the campground.  It wasn't what we had imagined the evening would be like, but interesting, none the less. 

 

Sunday morning we went to the cemetery to see Dad's stone, and I spread some top soil and planted grass. Then we drove around the countryside so Barb could see some of the land that used to belong to her Grandfather and Great Grandfather.  After that, we headed to the Vienna (Pronounced VIE-ANNA) diner for lunch.  Yummy catfish!  There we met a guy from St. Louis area driving a MB Travois and shared a bit of dialog about the Metris.  It sorta made us feel like we used to feel when we met another VW Van owner, only not quite.... 

 

Sunday afternoon we headed for home.  Another comfortable 5.5 hours in our new vehicle and we arrived.  That still gave us Monday to spend doing stuff around the house, but it was nice weather, so we decided to give our new baby it's first bath!  (Since we have had it, at least.)  Everyone says not to use an automatic car wash becasue of the awning and pop-top, so we found an old-fashioned sprayer type car wash, and loaded it with quarters.  Dan was able to reach on top so nothing went unwashed. The backroad dust and smell of horses was gone, just like that - but the trip will be a funny memory we will keep forever.