Brian and I woke up the next morning excited, we were only two states away from hugging some of the most important people in our lives.
We prepared the Big Tan Turtle for travel, put Sailor in his crate, and hopped back on Interstate 70. The two of us celebrated when we crossed the Illinois/Indiana state line and entered the Eastern Time zone. We were filled with joy and gratitude knowing we were so close to our loved ones. However, we needed to stay focused on the journey and in tune with our intuition in order to arrive safely.
Indiana is also known as the Hoosier State and their state motto is, "Crossroads of America". According to the Visit Indiana website, “From the deep caves in Southern Indiana to the rolling Indiana Dunes in Northern Indiana, Indiana is a diverse state full of natural and man-made marvels.” Indiana Dunes National Park sits in the northwest corner of the state.
Interstate 70 is a major east to west highway in the United States that runs from Maryland to Utah. It is one of four primary Interstates that intersect the city of Indianapolis. Brian and I have been on this road through Indiana before and knew it can get very congested and dangerous around the capital. We decided it was best to stop about 30 miles before the city and get through that traffic the next morning.
Our destination for the night was, Cloverdale RV Park in Cloverdale, Indiana. This was a nice campground with trees all around. The nightly rate was $35 and it was quiet. Most campgrounds provide a copy of their rules during check-in and we always review the rules, especially since we have a pet. This campground was the first place we had been to that didn’t allow alcohol on the premises. Talk about dry camping.
We left Cloverdale around 10 o’clock the following morning, hoping to hit Indianapolis in between rush hours. Within thirty minutes of leaving, we got stuck in traffic due to accidents. The Big Tan Turtle is an older motorhome with a manual fuel pump. There have been times on this trip that the fuel evaporates in the line before making it to the engine, causing the engine to die. We didn’t want the motorhome to stall on this road, so we were a little nervous.
As we traveled down Interstate 70 in the rain, it was one wreck after another. We were constantly watching the other vehicles so we weren’t a victim. A rest area finally came up and Brian was able to pull in to give the Big Tan Turtle a short break. Then, it was back in traffic. While we waited, we researched some campgrounds, and I called one to verify that they had a spot. We were done for the day, as soon as we could get out of the traffic.
After a very long and stressful day, we finally arrived at our destination for the night, Cornerstone Retreat Family Campground in New Castle. A one and a half hour trip, took us five and a half hours due to all of the accidents. We were exhausted, but grateful to be safe. We paid the $36 nightly fee, parked, and hooked up the electric. The campground was nice, but we couldn’t explore. There were puddles everywhere and it just kept raining. We made ourselves some dinner and rested the rest of the night.
The next morning, we continued our journey east on Interstate 70 to Ohio in the rain. Ohio is also known as the Buckeye State and their state motto is, "With God, All Things Are Possible". According to Ohio.org, “Ohio, The Heart of it All is more than the state’s brand theme, it’s a place in people’s minds, and in their hearts.” They have 75 state parks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located in the northeast corner of the state.
We decided we would make one stop in Ohio, Alton RV Park in Galloway. It was right before the capital city of Columbus and only about 150 miles to our first east coast family hug. Shortly after 2 o’clock that afternoon we arrived and paid the $50 nightly fee. The campground was clean including their laundry and shower facilities. The two of us spent the evening working, doing laundry, taking showers, and preparing the Big Tan Turtle for another travel day.
Brian and I hope to explore Indiana and Ohio the next time we’re in the area, while avoiding Indianapolis.