I spent the weekend visiting with my nephew Christopher and his two kids Nick, and Breanna in the Stow, Ohio area. It was good to spend the time with them.

Monday and Tuesday I visited with Stephanie, and Kent, and their kids Spencer and Cayden in Michigan. It was a very fun visit. Spencer and Cayden are always very entertaining.

Before leaving from Lambertville, Michigan it is customary to stop at the Tim Horton’s on Sterns Rd. at Secor Rd.. The staff rarely ever gets the order right. They did not disappoint. I ordered a bacon egg and cheese biscuit sandwich and an X-Large coffee with two creams. The coffee was correct however it was filled to the brim resulting in a splash onto my lap when I peeled back the lid opening. I cleaned up the mess with the napkins and then finished up with some paper towels. I unwrapped the breakfast sandwich and discovered that I had a sausage egg and cheese biscuit sandwich. A heavy sigh and a brief disappointment. Then I ate it. I did not feel like going back in and I have come to expect the wrong orders at this location.

The best price for diesel without going out of my way was south on Secor before Alexis at a Circle K. I filled up for $2.24/ gallon. I then headed off on Alexis to U.S. 23 south then traveled U.S. 24 west all the way to Fort Wayne, IN.

I had some banking to do in Fort Wayne. Afterward I found a place to have my RV wheel alignment checked. The local Mercedes shop recommended McMahon’s Best One. I had stopped at the shop at Glenbrook Mall where I have done business for decades. They referred me to their truck shop on West Coliseum Blvd. near Goshen Rd.. I asked them to call in advance and was told they could get me right in. Unfortunately when they saw the RV they realized it would have to be done on the large vehicle alignment bay because of the width of the RV back end. They were backed up on the large vehicle alignments and asked to schedule back for Thursday at 10:00AM. It worked for me.

In the meantime CVS Pharmacy had phoned to let me know that my auto-refill was ready for pickup in Auburn. I have been fortunate that every time I come this way the pills are ready for pickup. I need to find a different refill method for when I am gone on longer trips. This works for now.
On my way out of Fort Wayne I contacted my former coworker, Denny Porter. He was on his way to Parkview Regional Hospital to work. I was approaching the exit for PRMC anyways, so we met at the Hospital. This required finding a pull through parking spot to fit the RV. I parked about as far away from the entrance as one can get. Not a problem. I could use the exercise.

Denny escorted me to the MRI where I used to do service. The techs were all surprised to see me as was another Philips employee there. I talked with everyone while Denny went elsewhere to take care of some work related matters. When Denny returned he announced that the sales person Jennifer wanted to go to lunch with everyone at a local Italian restaurant, Casa Grille.

Casa Grille is part of a chain of local family owned Italian restaurants. It is located on Dupont Rd.. Great food, reasonably priced. They have daily specials on a regular rotation. I had spaghetti and meatball, served with one huge meatball on a bed of spaghetti with red sauce and a side salad. It was more than I could eat. You also get fresh made bread with butter, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. When in Fort Wayne check out any of the Casa d’Angelo restaurants. They are all equally good with different specialties.

It was great to catch up with Denny, Jennifer, Ken, and the others and to meet the newer employees. We parted ways and I headed off to Auburn, stopping at CVS, Kroger grocery, and then Walmart. From there I went to the campground.

I was disappointed with the general condition of Fireside Campgrounds. The registration lodge looks very nice but the rest of the camp is in disrepair. A gazebo is falling apart and has weeds growing through the floor. The shelter house has seen better days and I assume that was a long time ago. There is a closed pool in disrepair in a rusty fenced in area. A wooden dilapidated playground is wrapped in yellow caution tape with tall weeds growing through the middle. The common sewer dump site is haphazardly wrapped in yellow caution tape and marked closed. The cement has collapsed into a sinkhole around the dump site. Fortunately there is a sewer connection at every RV site.

The best thing about the Fireside Campground is the location. It is located next to the I-69 exit for CR 11A. The camp entrance parallels the interstate south bound lanes. Just turn north off 11A.

The attendant who checked me in was an older man. I was registered under Brock instead of Brockway. This caused some confusion but he figured that only five letters could be displayed on the program responsible for bookings.

He cautioned me, “I’m going to tell you a story about site 16.” He had my attention. “My grandkids were cleaning out buckets at that site today. They got to playing in the water so it might be wet there. I wouldn’t worry though. It will all be under your RV.”

I puzzled over why he had to tell me anything. The recent rains had some sites under water. I could not see any problems with my site at all. I decided to only connect the electric. The well water has a strong iron odor. I am not sure if I will be using it. It can’t be good on the RV pipes. I can get by with using the camp shower and bathroom facilities. They look clean with the exception of the rust stains.

I contacted my friend Brian Davenport. He came out to get me and we returned to his house. Brian grilled some steaks and I brought baked beans and cheese to supplement the meal. Michelle (his wife) had a meeting. His daughter Courtney was working. We discussed the world problems but did not implement any solutions.

Brian drove me back around 9:00PM. I was met by a retired couple with a similar sized RV also built on a Sprinter frame. They have been on the road for a month and have never done anything like this before (just like me). We talked awhile and then walked around the campground. I showed them the showers, laundry, etc.. They were planning to visit the Auburn Cord Deusenburg Museum. I offered my input since I had lived here for twenty two years. They were unaware of all of the museums in the area. They only had tomorrow morning before they would be setting off to Chicago. I recommended the ACD and NATMUS museums since they are located next to each other. They may be planning another trip to see the WWII Museum and others in the Auburn area.

I ended the evening watching some TV and planned to head out in the morning to get my RV wheel alignment checked.