The Good Park

Our tiny feast was a complete success this past Thursday. Everything turned out delicious--our baked turkey, crock pot macaroni and cheese, green beans, rolls, and of course my very first pound cake with cranberry citrus syrup.
That morning we woke to the sounds of a gusty wind blowing against our slide-out toppers*...so we knew we were in for a frigid day. This led to the purchase of several large sheets of reflective R-Max foam board insulation which we attached to the bottom of our camper.


So, where do we live? What does it look like? In what part of Illinois are we? Well, a photo essay of the campground should answer most of those questions. Our "campground" is a makeshift lot of over 200 sites that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources built in order to rake in more money during the construction of the Prairie State Energy Campus (where the old man is currently working). It does have it's perks--lots of paved walking and bicycle trails...in the middle of nowhere with absolutely zero traffic. Needless to say, I enjoy leaving Dolly off the leash to let her wander around on her own. The downfall is the fact that the sites are built on an abandoned mine with no wind breaks and in the middle of a high plain. No trees, no hills, no nothing. In addition to coyotes prowling mid-day, the constant blast of shotguns, pistols and rifles can be heard as we share our park with the World Shooting & Recreation Complex.


*slide out toppers: awnings covering the slide out portion of an RV or motorhome.