AIR Midwest : 2005 Moraine View Midwest Rally

[till]

Well not yet, but by the end of the month. Driveway count will be 1 pop-up, 1 26 foot AS, 1 28 foot AS and my Chevy Caprice. I will have room for one more car too.

I have a tight schedule for the 28 rebuild to get it road worthy by June, so I can Aluminum (airconditioned) tent at MVSP if the work trip date is changed.

[Tikihut]

I just put mine and cottag's reservation in the mail I will let you know what sites we have

[Silvertwinkie]

We’ve taken a long hard look at the calendar recently now that the date is much closer, there is just no way we’ll be able to make the 3rd week of June……We'll miss you all this year, but will hopefully see you all at the 2006 rally.

[WayWard Wind]

That date change hurts as we had planned to be there & then go on to the International at Springfield, with a stop over at Lake of the Ozarks SP for 3 nights. We have signed on to help register the incoming & will be at Springfield starting 6-15. Really looked forward to meeting all & having a good time. Maybe 2006 ??
Best,

[sander17]

Jack,
Put me, my wife Stephanie, and our 3-year-old son Sam down for the rally. We sent in the reservation form today. We are looking forward to meeting everyone.
Driving question: In order to travel from the Lansing, MIchigan area, is it better to go by way of Indianapolis, or cut across near Chicago and drop down? What do you think?

[BigAl]

Jack,
I have been watching this thread since you first posted it and have determined that the dates are good, the site looks really good and even though it is a long way from home my wife and I will be sending in a reservation form as you read this.
Al

[hotLAVA]

Hey Eric - yes, it's me: the former Tracy Lawrence. You can call me HOT LAVA all of the time now. In fact, I'm considering a legal name change.

Now.....what is this about you guys not coming to the Rally? Since when is planning a silly little lifetime union -a day she has probably been imagining in her mind since she was about 4 - to the woman who will someday bear your spawn only after hours of excruciating labor.....how could this possibly be more important than a meeting with a group of complete strangers who share the most important interest: Shiny metallic phallic looking campers? Heck, turn those wedding plans over to me and I'll have it all set up for you before the this weekend's over and you guys can make it to the Rally - no worries. I can send away for my license to marry you...I think I saw an ad in the classified section of the Rolling Stone (just send $19.95 blah blah blah free ginsu knives blah blah). How many people are you expecting? I need to figure out food prep time: let's see, 120 people....3 minutes on high for each burrito.....oh, never mind that. People will hardly notice the hours pass while listening to the melodic sounds of my neighbor's 9 year old on clarinet and munching on pork rinds. Then a special Boones Farm toast.....I think twinkies arranged in just the right way would make a beautiful wedding cake. Are you following this? Don't mind me. I'm just brainstorming. I'll get back to you with the rest of the plans. Send in that Rally form!

[overlander64]

Greetings Dave!

Originally Posted by sander17

Jack,
Put me, my wife Stephanie, and our 3-year-old son Sam down for the rally. We sent in the reservation form today. We are looking forward to meeting everyone.
Driving question: In order to travel from the Lansing, MIchigan area, is it better to go by way of Indianapolis, or cut across near Chicago and drop down? What do you think?

When I made the trip from Southern Illinois to and from Lansing last Summer, I followed the route below:

From Lansing I-69 South to Exit 102 in Indiana (Southwest of Fort Wayne)
Follow US 24 West from that point to I-57 South (near Gilman, IL)
Follow I-57 South to I-74 West (Exit 237 - - near Champaign, IL)
Follow I-74 West to LeRoy, IL (Exit 149)
From the interchange, proceed toward LeRoy - - at the "T" intersection in town, you will bear left and continue around the bend with a right turn immediately after passing a gas station/convenience store (Casey's General Store?) - - the balance of the route is well-signed.

The route that as posted above avoids heavy traffic and metropolitan areas, but covers some very smooth highways. US 24 is my usual route of choice when traveling to Ohio as well as when traveling to Michigan - - especially when towing one of my coaches.

Enjoy your excursion!

Kevin

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by sander17

Jack,
Put me, my wife Stephanie, and our 3-year-old son Sam down for the rally. We sent in the reservation form today. We are looking forward to meeting everyone.
Driving question: In order to travel from the Lansing, MIchigan area, is it better to go by way of Indianapolis, or cut across near Chicago and drop down? What do you think?

On my travels to Michigan I'm always going by way of Chicago. I've always dreaded I-80 since its either tied up with construction or full of traffic. Last year on the trip up to Mackinaw City it was supprisingly good. Have you looked at the mileage on both routes?

Jack

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by BigAl

Jack,
I have been watching this thread since you first posted it and have determined that the dates are good, the site looks really good and even though it is a long way from home my wife and I will be sending in a reservation form as you read this.
Al

Wow Al, I'm impressed. The record for travel up to this point has been about 455 miles. Make sure you get an extra day or two to make this worth your while. In the mean time thanks for coming!

And a note to every one, report in your site number, once you get your confirmation. I'll post a running tab with the updates as I receive them.

Regards,

Jack

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by overlander64

continue around the bend with a right turn immediately after passing a gas station/convenience store (Casey's General Store?) - - the balance of the route is well-signed.
Kevin

Yep Kevin that's the key instruction. A right turn at the first street after the Casey's. I forgot last year and led a merry path down the road with Panub and her hubby behind us. She and her hubby were surprised at how well I executed a U turn with a 31' trailer pulled by a big van on the two lane road.

Jack

[flamingo-kid1]

Our reservations went out in yesterday's mail.

[till]

Tracy, er Hot Lava ma'am, er Mistress of Aluminum....

I see an add here in my local paper for
"Weddings performed any time, any place"
(630) 264-XXXX

Let me know if I should make a call. That way it will free up your time to plan the wedding festivities for Eric and his betrothed......

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by till

Tracy, er Hot Lava ma'am, er Mistress of Aluminum....

I see an add here in my local paper for
"Weddings performed any time, any place"
(630) 264-XXXX

Let me know if I should make a call. That way it will free up your time to plan the wedding festivities for Eric and his betrothed......

Nice thought, but prob won't be able to sell that idea.

[sander17]

Kevin and Jack,
Thanks for the info on the travel route. I was concerned if the Chicago route turns into a parking lot on friday mornings. I'll check mapquest for the 3 options. Are there a lot of stoplights in small towns on the 24 West route?

[overlander64]

Greetings Dave!

Originally Posted by sander17

Kevin and Jack,
Thanks for the info on the travel route. I was concerned if the Chicago route turns into a parking lot on friday mornings. I'll check mapquest for the 3 options. Are there a lot of stoplights in small towns on the 24 West route?

Much of US 24 through Indiana has been improved and bypasses almost all of the small towns so there are few concerns in travel - - fuel is also generally readily available just off of the bypasses. In Illinois, the road is improved two lane with several of the larger towns bypassed, but there will be a few stop signs and traffic lights to deal with. In reality, I have found that my overall travel time is the same or less on this route than taking I-69 South all of the way to Indianapolis and then heading West on I-74 - - the side benefit is no traffic stresses on US 24 - - the scenery is pleasant and the traffic is always very light.

Kevin

[hotLAVA]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

Nice thought, but prob won't be able to sell that idea.

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that........

I offer to perform the wedding ceremony for every person who tells me they're engaged. Haven't had one taker. I can't quite figure it out. Is it me? I'm feeling so rejected......I'm going to go drown my sorrows in Chocolate Soy milk.......

The rally won't be right without you guys. But I promise to bring my Eric and Brandi voodoo dolls - decked out in their new wedding togas - to the rally. We'll have that Boones Farm toast in your honor.

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by HOT LAVA

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that........

I offer to perform the wedding ceremony for every person who tells me they're engaged. Haven't had one taker. I can't quite figure it out. Is it me? I'm feeling so rejected......I'm going to go drown my sorrows in Chocolate Soy milk.......

The rally won't be right without you guys. But I promise to bring my Eric and Brandi voodoo dolls - decked out in their new wedding togas - to the rally. We'll have that Boones Farm toast in your honor.

I'm feelin' the love.

Maybe if possible, we can meet up later in the summer. Last year a few of us went to Savannah, IL to the Mississippi Palaceds it was a very nice State Park and the views, I'll have to put up on a website at some point for those interested.

[flamingo-kid1]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

I'm feelin' the love.

Maybe if possible, we can meet up later in the summer. Last year a few of us went to Savannah, IL to the Mississippi Palaceds it was a very nice State Park and the views, I'll have to put up on a website at some point for those interested.

We've been to the Mississippi Palisades, too.. at the Thomson Causeway ...it was our maiden voyage with Luna.

It was a TERRIBLE trip because we were invited to go with our friends who belong to an SOB club, and the only thing they had in common was sexual orientation.
Please don't make me explain.
*****

It POURED rain the entire weekend, Luna leaked like a sieve at both living room windows because the PO had power washed her before we picked her up and the winndow seals got knocked loose, as well as we followed our "friend" (now sort of an ex-friend) down to the Preserve and he drove like a bat out of hell, really aggressive, over railroad tracks and anything else in his way.

When we got there, several of the other SOB people lined up to watch us back in.. and that went SMOOTH.. better than THEIR units. The kitchen ceiling light had fallen loose, but a screwdriver took care of that.

A few of them asked for tours, but mostly we got ignored, which I seriously took as a sign of the good old green-eyed MONSTER. Of course, we weren't all "bent the same way" but that shoudln't have mattered since we WERE invited guests.

At least we got to go somewhere, more than 20 miles from home, but after THAT, we weren't fully sold on the idea of camping. And we had a "new" old camper :-)

Of course things, as well as our travels, have brightened GREATLY since then and I highly recomment Thomson Causeway, it's beautiful.

Is that the place you're talking about, Eric?

[Silvertwinkie]

Last year, we stayed at Mississippi Palisades State Park. You can see the basics of the park here. It's about 30-40 minutes from Galena.

http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt...1/PALISADE.HTM