Day 15 Sept 7 Farmington, NY to Oneida, NY to Roscoe, NY

229 miles  66* rain promised in forecast

We were driving on pretty country roads on our way back to I-90 and toll booths.  We passed a semi from Madawaska, Maine (friendly town of 4000 in northern Maine). We found the "World's Smallest Church" on an island in Oneida, NY., the last place on our scavenger list. Then we pushed on to Russell Creek Campground near Roscoe, NY for the night. Our plan was to visit Woodstock the next day.  This campground was also way out in the woods, so far that I was sure we made  a wrong turn. It was a park where people generally rent their site for the season and there were a few extra sites for the transients like us.  They gave us a perfect woodsy site that was level enough that we didn't have to unhook.  Best of all, it was right beside a stream that we could listen to. It did rain with some lightening in the evening.  We did laundry since we had a chance.

World's  Smallest Church will seat 2 people.
There is a row boat to access the little island.

The sun was quite bright  so I couldn't see my phone screen, therefore, the picture got chopped.

Across the street was another pond.  This log was nearly covered with turtles who were scurrying away as I trying to
get their picture.

Way out  in the woods, we found Russell Brook, a quiet, fishing environment.

On our morning walk, we found this balancing wire attached to the trees.

No sweat when there are hand holds!

Campground rec center.  We didn't understand
the meaning of the lamb head?

Campsite beside the stream we listened to.

Day 14 Wed Sept 6 Thompson, OH to Farmington, NY

265 miles     sunshine, 63*

We planned to find the eternal flame in Orchard Park, NY, but it was going to involve small city street driving and an uncertainty about where we would  park so we jumped ahead to the Jello-Gallery in LeRoy, NY.  Before we got  there, we took our break time at another plaza. This one, too, involved planning how to park so we could get gas and go inside for coffee. This plaza had a walkway to the eating area on the West Bound side.  Wonderful music was playing as we walked in. It turned out to be a grand player piano.

Water feature at the KOA we stayed at in Thompson, OH.

What's wrong with this picture? How can anyone get up the steps?!  It seems the wheelchair ramp was added later.  The ramp met code but the moving the rail to accommodate the steps was beyond the scope of work?

The grand player piano in the eating area.

In  prepping for this trip, we've been
talking about the Jello Museum visit.
In reality, we were 10 minutes late to
get 😠 in so we missed it. Too much time
spent figuring out the parking at the
last stop!

The town of LeRoy had many Victorian homes.  We had to turn our rig around so we had a chance to see more of the town and it's stately old abodes.

Accross  the park from the Jello Museum, was the Methodist Church.

The Jello Museum was on the

Barn Quilt Trail which we saw off and on through our trip.

HELLO "There's Always Room for Jell-O." This is the campaign slogan of a simple gelatin dessert that today is known as "America's Most Famous Dessert." The success story is one, the result of advertising and merchandising methods, new and different, never before employed. Salesmen, well-trained, well groomed, well versed in the art of selling went out in "spanking rigs, drawn by beautiful horses" into the roads, byroads, fairs, country gatherings, church socials, and parties to advertise their product. First came team-drawn wagons, to be followed by smart auto-cars. Pictures, posters, and billboards over the American landscape, as well as page ads in magazines, carried the Jell-O Girl and the six delicious flavors into the American home.

Another example of the older homes  probably built in the late 1800s. 

One of the designated Texting Stops.

Day 13 Tues Sept 5 Middlebury, Indiana to Thompson,OH

KOA site in Thompson, Ohio

277 miles   Sunny but windy, first day to put on long pants. Began having to figure out the state tolling systems and which lane we were supposed to be in.

Our list suggested we stop at Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts but we opted for Sauder Village in Archbold, OH which was a living history destination.  The site had a small pioneer village, an Indian community, petting farm, various artisans, hands on activities, a buggy ride and train a ride.  After our visit and coffee break, we pushed on to our campsite, down a remote dirt road to a KOA in Thompson.

This building held a large quilt shop and local artifacts.

A variety of tubs for bathing.

Modes of early transportation

Another transportation mode.

Pioneer school house where the teacher explained the meaning of "toe the line".The family who settled this area had 15 children by 2 mothers. The surviving grandma had
101 grandchildren!

Do you know what this tool is?  You would find it in a pioneer bedroom.The mattress was held to the frame by ropes which needed to be tightened ever three or four days, This "key" pulled the ropes tight. "Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite." (Hopefully,  your bed ropes were tight and the bed bugs from the hay were gone away.)

Day 12 Rest Day to Explore the Amish community

Today was a rest from driving day.  In the morning, we went to the "Recreational Vehicle, Manufactured Home" museum near Elkhart, Indiana,   Generally speaking, most RVs are made in this area and are shipped or driven to dealerships.

The museum was impressive with it's collection of RVs starting in the early 1900s. We enjoyed the variety of rigs. There was a long, long trailer like the one in the Lucy movie, "The Long Long Trailer".  In  the afternoon, we found the Elkhart Visitors Bureau so we could pick up a CD with an oral tour of the community. As we drove around the county listening to the Amish story, we noticed large painted hearts and large elk, also theme painted. Then it dawned on us, elk-heart, like the year Seattle painted pigs and Belfast painted bears. It was a drizzly late afternoon and we missed a turn somewhere on the tour so we headed back to the campground before it got too dark to see much. Along the way we drove through towns with names like Nappanee, Wakarusa and Shipshewana.  We also could see "quilted gardens" from the road.

We passed several Amish buggies whose drivers waved. We learned about the road rules, how to tell married men and women from singles and how the children are educated.  The homes are well kept.  When they are built, they are added on to to accommodate growing families. As the children marry, which is usually on a Wed, they live in the bride's family for a year before they have their own quarters.  They marry on Wed because that's the least disruptive day in the daily routines of farming and religious practice and usually in Nov as that was the least busy month as well.

The local farms are well kept.

Barn quilt decorations in town and in the country.

Sample architecture

Porta Potty in the retro
motorhome

People can sleep everywhere.

Sonny checks out the stove.

Retro 70s carpet and upolstry

Basic travel trailer for sleeping in the early century.

Restored 60s Shasta

Musical theme

My brother in law is restoring one like this.

Early tent trailer

This model of motor home had a wood stove.

After the first family camping trip using an old, leaky  Army tent on a weekend that it rained, my dad built a tent trailer similar to this one to avoid sleeping on the ground.

This motor home had a kerosene
heater. I wouldn't' sleep a wink
with that next to the exit.

I slept on cots like these on the family camping trips.

Sonny is standing by the folding screen door, an unusual door,

70s flower power shower potty
combo

70s wash up sink

The is an ultra modern motor home.

This is really a live aboard like Lucy did on her movie set, "The Long, Long Trailer". That's a lot of  polishing to do!

This rig had its kitchen off to the side, under an awning.

"The Long, Long, Trailer" had these
little vent windows above the regular windows.

Pretty scary stove.

New paint on a GMC remodel.

The remodel cost $500,000

The bathroom took up the whole
rear of the motor home.

This one had a space ship feel to it.

The museum had an exhibit on full timers living in trailers or mobile homes.  This guy is from Maine talking about
his experiences.

This was someone's dream.  Each Apartment was a full sized mobile  home.  On Delridge Street in Seattle, there
is an apartment building that is actually 3 mobile homes
stacked on each other.  

Looking over the 2nd floor balcony to the exhibits.