We Are Not In Illinois Anymore!

Bye Illinois

We packed up Goldie this morning and left Illinois.  Mama had to turn in our key card for the gate and came face to face with "pigman". He actually said "have a safe trip."  Wow!  Dad said he was probably just glad we were leaving because one less motor home in the campground. Mama was happy to leave.  She was always scared we would get in trouble for something. It was not a very relaxing stay. He never bothered us, but we knew if we did anything that he didn't like, we could be kicked out. 

Last weekend, Dad announced that he made reservations at another park and the train station is just outside of the park.  Dad's commute will be an hour less each day now.

Okay, so where are we?  It's a beautiful place!

If you said somewhere with an ocean, you are WRONG.

It is:

We are at Indiana Dunes State Park!  This place is so cool!  As you can see, there is a beach and the ranger said we can walk on it since swimming season is over!   Scout gets very excited when she touches sand, so she is going to go nuts.  She is going to have to wear her harness tomorrow because are going to play on the beach and dip our paws into the water!  We are also going to do a trail or two.  We wish we were staying longer than a week. 

Today is Scout's Gotcha Day!  She was adopted five years ago today.  Mama brought us home some rib eye steak to celebrate.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Going To The Beach!

One More Week

We will be headed home in a week.  We have mixed feelings about it.  We are excited about running in our yard, relaxing on the deck, playing with all the toys we left behind and getting more bully sticks.  Mama is happy that she will not have to walk us seven times a day and she can do laundry at home instead of going to the laundromat. She is also excited about having a car again and being able to go shopping when she wants.   Mama has a huge "to do" list, so I don't think she will be bored. We are all sad that Dad will not be with us.  He will be in Jamaica until November.  He will be home for a few weeks after that and then we don't know where he will go. It is likely that he will come back here for another month or two.  It really doesn't matter where he goes because he will be gone for 30 days at a time no matter the location.  However, if he goes someplace warm like Texas or Florida, do we stay home or go with him?  That will be interesting.  It depends on what the weather is like for us getting to the destination as to whether we will go.  So, even though we think we will be home until March, we could be back on the road sooner.

Last Sunday afternoon, we watched the Rams' game.  They played against the Chicago Bears.  It was not a good game for the Rams.  After the game, the folks ate at McBride's Pub and Grille.  They were quite disappointed in the restaurant.  There was a jukebox playing that was so loud that people had to yell at each other to be heard.  Mama said it was like being at a concert. Mama was thrilled when the jukebox turned off, but then the bartender turned the radio on almost as loud.  There was one waitress for the entire place, so the service was really slow.  They almost walked out, but finally the waitress took their order.

Hot Wings- 1 pound

Baby Back Ribs w/fries and slaw

Baby Back Ribs, Chicken Breast with Cheese and Bacon and Fries

The chicken wings were good.  A pound equals seven wings.  The baby back ribs were really good as was the chicken breast. The prices were reasonable.  However, they said they would not eat here again due to the extremely loud music.  Also, since no smoking is allowed inside, the patrons were lined up on both sides of the door outside.  The folks had to walk through smoke to leave. Smoke really bothers Mama, so that didn't make her any happier.



Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Semi-Excited About Going Home

Squirrels!

My favorite past time while walking is watching squirrels.  I would like to chase them, but I have two problems. I have Mama attached to me who is an anchor and then I have Scout who gets her leash wrapped around trees when I do get the chance to "chase" them.

Here I am this morning watching a squirrel.  Nice form, don't you think?

This is what Scout did while I watched the squirrel. 

Scout said she saw deer this morning, but I didn't see them.  I was too busy watching for squirrels.  Dad mentioned last night that our rabbit population at home is probably out of control.  They better watch out because I no longer have restrictions.  Mama is worried about me running, but she has to let me be a dog, right?

Sunday, the folks ate at Portillo's Hot Dogs.  The inside is decorated with gangster pictures. It is a place where you go to the counter and order your food.  The prices are not bad, but the serving sizes were a little disappointing.

They have a drive-thru that always seems to be quite busy.

Outside Portillo's Hot Dogs

Jumbo Chili Cheese Dog w/Onion Rings

 Mama felt the jumbo chili cheese dog was not jumbo at all.  It was very good, but definitely smaller than she expected it to be. The chili was really good.  The onion rings are a side order.  They were also really good.

Dad ordered a polish sausage.  He had it half eaten before Mama got to the table, so no photos.  He said it was good, but also felt serving size was too small.

Inside Portillo's

 The folks really liked the food, but needed more to fill them up.  They said they would like to eat there again, but would order more the next time.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Thinks Squirrels Are Awesome!

Signs, Signs, Everywhere There's Signs

Remember that song?  Mama sings it to us all the time.  There are signs all over our campground and they are not nice.  We are pretty sure we know who posted them.  Yep, the "pigman".  The "pigman" is the man who was rude to Dad when we checked in.  We call him the "pigman" because he put on a pig outfit and drove kids around on a wagon ride the first day we were here.  It is probably nicer than the name Mama called him.

Now, this sign worries me.  I can walk faster than 10 mph. 

Joey, The Greyhound Who Peed On The Speed Limit Sign -I Showed Them. BOL

A Monkey!

I have been so bored recently.  We are out of bully sticks and Mama can't find us anything that she feels is safe. It seems that almost all the bones in the store are processed in China and she won't buy those. We will have to wait until we get home to get our bully sticks delivered. Anyway, since I have been so bored aka getting on Mama's nerves, she brought us home a new toy.  It's a monkey.

Seriously, how can I bet getting on Mama's nerves?  I am trying to nap.

No, I am not going to look at the camera. I am taking a nap.  Go away!

Scout likes the monkey as much as I do.

Scout is a very happy camper.

The folks ate at Casa Maya on Saturday night.  It is a Mexican place that is in strip mall.  It is nicely decorated and bigger than it appears from the entry way. The wait staff was very nice and quick. The salsa was good, but Mama didn't care much for the tortilla chips. They were thick and she prefers thin ones. Mama ordered a Beef Chimichanga.  It had melted cheese on top along with sour cream and lettuce.  The beef was shredded which is what she prefers over just ground beef.  She said it was really good.

Beef Chimichanga with refried beans and rice.

This was Dad's dish. Not sure what it is.

Mama can't remember what Dad's dish was. She thinks it is pork, but can't find it on the menu.  He said it was pretty plain. He said he should have ordered something with more spice because he loves spicy foods.

This was a place that Mama would like to visit again and Dad said he would, too.  He would just order something different the next time.


Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Craving Bully Sticks

Another Visit To Starved Rock State Park

We awoke to a rainy, chilly and windy morning on Saturday.  We have been turning on the heat in the RV at night because it has been in the upper 30's and low 40's. During the day, we open all the blinds and if it is sunny out, the RV heats up nicely and then we have to run the AC.  LOL  Mama is wearing sweatshirts and in the morning and at night she adds her flannel jacket for our walks. The cold doesn't bother us. Scout loves cold weather.

The folks decided to go back to Starved Rock State Park. We stayed behind. Mama didn't know they were going there until that morning and didn't have enough time to research the trails to see which ones had steps.  The ones they chose on Saturday had steps, so it must be the ones on the far end of the park without steps.  The next time we are in this area, we will go and walk those trails.

The folks decided to eat at the lodge again since Mama wanted to try the pork tenderloin sandwich.  She said many years ago, McDonalds had them for a short time and she loved them.

Jumbo Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with fries

Mama said the sandwich was really good and it solved her craving.

The Chief Pontiac - Shaved prime rib and smoked Cheddar on herbed Focaccia bread with BBQ
Cilantro sauce.

Dad said The Chief Pontiac was good.  That's all he said.

The fireplace had a fire in it and Mama said the warmth of it felt nice.

The outside of the restaurant is now decorated for fall.

 After lunch the folks started hiking.  Mama said the walking wasn't bad, but there were a lot of steps.  She heard a lot of people complaining. Several people asked her for directions which she thought was funny because reading a map is not something she does well. 

View from Starved Rock. It is much higher up than this photo indicates.

 

Another view from Starved Rock.

Some of the steps going up to Starved Rock.  Yep, Scout wouldn't like this.

French Canyon

French Canyon - too bad there wasn't a waterfall.

Kids climbing on tree to get to next level.

Mama is not a climber, but this was a scout troop with lots of wild kids.  They were climbing on everything.

Looking down Wildcat Canyon.  Those are people at the bottom.

Looking across Wildcat Canyon

Yep, that is a long fall.  More people at the bottom.

More of Wildcat Canyon

 Mama said it was a fun day.  She said her back started hurting from all the steps, but it seems to be okay.  She has had a few twinges in it lately which worries her because it does act up from time to time, but maybe all the walking we are doing is helping it. 

Does anyone do Geocaching? Geocaching is a is a treasure hunting game where you use a GPS to hide and seek containers with other participants in the activity.  Mama is thinking about trying it soon.    

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Thinks Geocaching Sounds Fun

We Are Confused....Where Are We?

We mentioned yesterday that Mama forgot she was in Chicago and thought the Browns were the home team here.  That's Cleveland, Mama.  It gets worse. When we first came here, we had the Chicago stations through our TV antenna. Mama discovered that we could pick up St. Louis channels through our satellite.  She never thought she was home, but she had to be sure and not pay attention to their weather. This week, we lost the St. Louis stations because we now have affiliate stations through Dish. You cannot have locals and affiliates.  That's the rules. We don't understand it, but that is the way it is.  The affiliates are ABC, NBC, and CBS out of  New York and Los Angeles. Boy, it is getting really confusing as to where we are.  We are hearing New York and Los Angeles news and their weather and seeing commercials for their events. 

Mama reminded us that we will be going home soon.

Mama:  "Guess what Scout?"

Mama: "We are going home in a few weeks."

Mama: "I know, we hate that our HUGE adventure is ending, but it's not ending forever.  We will be back on the road next March."

In case you are wondering, Scout was not really upset.  She was just yawning and Mama caught it with the camera.  LOL

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Doesn't Care What City He Is In As Long As There Are Trees And Grass

Missed International Talk Like A Pirate Day

We didn't know yesterday was International Talk Like A Pirate Day until we had posted our blog yesterday. I was a pirate for Halloween last year. I had the cast on my leg and with my black boot cover, I looked quite the part.

We were camping last Halloween.  It was so much fun!

Mama loves this photo of me.

 The campground is busy this week with RV clubs from Missouri.  Yep, we are surrounded by Missourians.  We talked with a few ladies the other night and they knew our little town.  They are from Warrenton.

Sunday, the folks got haircuts.  Mama's last haircut was in Ohio and Dad's was in Texas. Dad hasn't needed a haircut because of the crazy hair lady who didn't know how to use scissors.  This haircut went much better.  After their haircuts they ate at City of Champions.  There were limited reviews of the place, but one said they served authentic Mexican food as well as burgers.  It is a sports bar, so there were several TVs on. Mama was disappointed that the Rams were not on, but she later learned they came on at 3 p.m.  Mama got confused and thought we were still in Cleveland when she saw the Browns playing.  Dad reminded her we were in Bear country.  Mama is silly. This weekend, the Rams and the Bears are playing against each other.  We will keep a low profile in the campground.  LOL

 Anyway, back to the meal.  Mama decided to order a steak burrito because it is made with skirt steak.  She was disappointed in the flavor of the burrito. It was pretty plain.  She added salsa to it and that helped, but it is not something she would order again.  She felt it needed melted cheese on top or maybe melted cheese in the burrito.  It had lettuce and tomatoes and unmelted cheese in it.

Steak Burrito

Dad ordered a BBQ burger.  It came with onion rings on top.  He had a choice of half pound or a full pound.  He chose a half pound.  He said it was really good.

BBQ burger

The burgers do not come with fries.  They decided to order an appetizer.  They ordered fries with BBQ pork on top.

BBQ Pork Fries

The fries are the waffle type so that made them easier to eat.  They both liked them.

All in all, it was a good meal.  Mama was disappointed in her meal, but Dad said she would have loved the burgers there.



The folks came home after lunch and they decided to just rest. We watched the Rams game and the Rams won. That hasn't happened very many times recently, but we have a new coach and he is good. During half-time, the folks decided to order a pizza. Scout and I got to go with them on the pizza run.

They decided to order from Maciano's Pizza & Pastaria because it was nearby.  They ordered a Chicago Style Works pizza online, but then the restaurant called back and said it didn't come in Chicago Style.  Mama changed it to thin which was probably a mistake since it had so many toppings on it. 

16" The Works - Maciano's original, generous portions of sausage, pepperoni, ground beef, bacon, mushrooms, onion, greeen olive, green pepper, and black olives.

The pizza was good, but not anything special.  We felt it was expensive.  With tax and after using a 10% off coupon, this pizza was $28.95.  It was quite large though and after our dinner on Sunday, it provided Mama with two meals.  We would not order from them again because there are so many other pizza places to try and we were not impressed by it.

 Joey, 

The Greyhound Who Was Caught Playing With His Sister This Morning