This can be a good thing. We all need some time away and last weekend was one of those for me. I anticipated a few days at McIntosh Woods State Park in Clear Lake with my 'tribe'--the Midwest Glampers. Lots of activities were planned, such as a tour of the famed Surf Ballroom, music and food downtown, and a cruise on the Lady of the Lake. My friend Ginge went along and we took our time getting there, set up in a nice shady spot, enjoyed a pleasant supper (although we had to share with the flies) and afterwards met for a campfire with the other early arrivals.
Thursday morning, Ginge and I went for a long walk around the park. It was a warm but lovely day. We took some wildlife photos (including the fishermen) and managed not to get lost. But when we returned to the camper, things started to go south. We noticed the power was off. I turned everything off and checked the circuit breakers and the power at the post. One of our 'manpers' tried his power cord to see if that was the issue. No luck. The fridge had automatically switched to propane, but when I checked the control panel, it showed the propane almost empty.
I tried a local RV dealer in Mason City who was very unhelpful for the most part and said they don't do any service, but he did grudgingly give me the name of a propane dealer. The tank is built in to the coach, so after lunch we stowed everything loose, managed to bring the slide in on the house batteries, and drove to Mason City to get the propane filled.
The house batteries run the lights and the water pump. Thursday night we slept pretty well with the ceiling exhaust fan running in the bedroom but by Friday night, the house batteries were about dead.
Saturday morning a downpour started, but after several tries I got the generator fired up and ran it long enough to recharge the batteries, our phones, the hot spot, and my computer. Cooler weather made sleeping comfortable and we put the coffee pot on a table by the power post to plug it in. We reminded ourselves that the pioneers had it much rougher, but they didn't need to recharge everything. As one of the Glampers said, technology is wonderful until it doesn't work.
I tried a local RV dealer in Mason City who was very unhelpful for the most part and said they don't do any service, but he did grudgingly give me the name of a propane dealer. The tank is built in to the coach, so after lunch we stowed everything loose, managed to bring the slide in on the house batteries, and drove to Mason City to get the propane filled.
The house batteries run the lights and the water pump. Thursday night we slept pretty well with the ceiling exhaust fan running in the bedroom but by Friday night, the house batteries were about dead.
Saturday morning a downpour started, but after several tries I got the generator fired up and ran it long enough to recharge the batteries, our phones, the hot spot, and my computer. Cooler weather made sleeping comfortable and we put the coffee pot on a table by the power post to plug it in. We reminded ourselves that the pioneers had it much rougher, but they didn't need to recharge everything. As one of the Glampers said, technology is wonderful until it doesn't work.
Meanwhile, none of that stopped the socializing and sightseeing. Thursday night we joined a large crowd in downtown Clear Lake for "Thursday on Main." Food trucks, craft vendors, and live music entertained the people, all hungry for a little taste of 'pre-Covid' life.
Friday morning, we did the Surf tour. I grew up in the area and have toured a couple of times, but it's always amazing to see the memorabilia from so many big names in music through the decades.
Lunch was at PM Park on the south side of the lake, an old Old Fellows camp. Dining was very pleasant in the shade but by the time we finished, it was too late for the Lady of the Lake cruise, so we returned to McIntosh Woods. Rain tried to dampen that night's potluck, but Glampers don't give up.
We crammed in an 'easy-up' tent at Sandy's campsite and an umbrella was used to hold up an awning. The meal was delicious and the company excellent. Saturday the downpour provided reading and nap time. After it stopped, most gathered for a book discussion of Stars over Clear Lake, led by Ginge, a former librarian. Another potluck, this time at Carol's site, followed by a campfire and a cowbell initiation of a new member ended a fine day.
All in all, a great weekend. I will have to say I appreciated plugging my coffee pot in inside this morning and turning on a faucet to get water.
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