11-08 Hanna Park, Atlantic Beach, Florida

We left Columbia heading south to Florida both to have some redecorating done to our motorhome and to spend the winter. We stay for a week in Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park in Atlantic Beach, Florida near Jacksonville.

It was a nice quite park with very heavy vegetation. It was a challenge maneuvering our 40' motorhome through the narrow roads in the campground.

From 11-2008 Jacksonvile and Hanna Park

Once set-up, we enjoyed walking through the park.

From 11-2008 Jacksonvile and Hanna Park

It looked like an ideal location to film a jungle movie. You felt like Tarzan could come swinging through the trees any minute.

From 11-2008 Jacksonvile and Hanna Park

The beach was lovely. However it was a long way from the campsite and the weather was a bit cool for laying out on the sand. So we only made one visit to walk in the sand along the water's edge.

From 11-2008 Jacksonvile and Hanna Park

We enjoyed our visit except for one annoying problem that developed. I normally spray an insect spray around our wheels, leveling jacks and hoses - anything that touches the ground. For some reason I did not do so when we first arrived. After a few days we started seeing large black ants inside the RV. I went out and sprayed, but it was too late. We had been invaded by carpenter ants. I ended up sparaying boric acid in various corners and cracks and putting out sticky paper traps. Nothing worked. We kept seeing the ants. We knew they had established a colony somewhere. It was eventually found by the folks doing the redecorating when they took down the cornice over the driver's seat. They managed to carry the majority of the ants in the colony outside and kill most of th rest. It took a few days before we stopped seeing the remaining survivors. You can bet I am more diligent about spraying the insecticide now when we move to a new location.

10-08 Rantoul, Illinois

From 10-08 - Rantoul and Farm

After leaving Lake Delton, we traveled south to Rantoul, Illinois to a city park at the former Chanute Air Force Base. We had enjoyed a previous stay at this park. Unfortunately we were not as pleased on our second stay.

Two things bothered us. The first was the worst experience we had all year with biting insects. We were plagued with tiny biting gnats. Someone called them teeth with wings. They were about the size of a grain of pepper, but gave a really nasty bite. The second problem was an unpleasant encounter with one of the camp hosts.

On the other hand , we had a wonderful visit with our new friends Carol and Jim Chaney. We met them in June at the Newmar Rally. They travel most of the year but return home near Rantoul in the fall to help their son-in-law harvest his corn and soy bean crops. We called Jim and Carol when we arrived to see if we could meet them for dinner. They thrilled us when instead they drove their RV over to the campground and stayed several days to visit with us.

The highlight of our time in Rantoul was a visit to the Chaney's daughter and son-in-law's (Suzi and David) farm.

From 10-08 Rantoul and Farm

I loved visiting two of my Uncle's and my Grandfather's farms as a child. Farming has really advanced since those days. Now the huge tractor's can pull multiple implements to prepare the fields for planting. What took two or three passes through the fields can now be done in one pass.

From 10-08 Rantoul and Farm

Another big change is the computerization and use of GPS technology. Several of David's tractors and the combine are set up for self steering. By use of GPS technology, the tractors can be set to street automatically in a straight line and sound a signal when approaching the end of the row so the driver can take over to make the turn. The combine is also set up to interface to a laptop PC to keep track of harvest yields and other data as they work through the fields. It was quite amazing to see. Monique especially enjoyed being able to sit in the cab and work some of the levers - under David's supervision.

From 10-08 Rantoul and Farm

We also enjoyed meeting the Chaney's other Daughter Diana and her children Nicole and Noah whom she is home-schooling. That is something we really have an appreciation for since Monique home-schooled our son Ward for several years.

From 10-08 Rantoul and Farm

While in Rantoul, Monique visited two eye specialist due to some issues she was experiencing with her vision. They ended up recommending some additional tests including a visit to a cardiologist. That caused us to change our travel plans and to go to SC to see our home town doctors. Thankfully no serious problems were found. The eye issues are something Monique will just have to live with and have monitored periodically.

House on the Rock

As we traveled and mentioned we would be going to Lake Delton, Wisconsin, we were often told we needed to visit “House on the Rock” while in the area. Yet those making the recommendation had difficulty describing the place. Now I share the same problem.

It is a rambling tour through multiple connected buildings that display the extensive collections of a somewhat eccentric man – Alex Jordan. It started with a house he built in the 1940’s around a 60’ chimney rock. The rooms of the multi-story house circle the rock so that at least one wall is formed by the rock. The ceilings are very low and the house is rather dark, so you get the feeling of being in a house built within a cave. I assume this is the desired effect. Mr. Jordan had a vision or an atmosphere he was trying to convey in the house and all the subsequent displays he constructed through the years. He did not start out to create a tourist attraction, but so many people stopped by for a tour of the house he finally decided to turn it into one. It opened to the public in 1960. He used the proceeds to expand his collections and add more rooms and buildings.

So what did he collect? Just about everything it seems. A few of the things I can recall: antique toys, guns and all types of weapons, merry-go-round horses,
doll houses,

From 9-08 House on the Rock

miniature circus tents and circus toy sets,

From 9-08 House on the Rock

model airplanes and ships,

From 9-08 House on the Rock

huge automatic player organs and fully automated bands,

From 9-08 House on the Rock

and antique automobiles. Most of these collections are extensive – often hundreds of items.

Being a fan of the antiques road show on PBS, we cannot imagine how much all of this is worth. We will see some rare item on the TV show estimated at say $10,000. We will turn to one another and say “Good grief – there must have been 30 or 40 of those at “House on the Rock”.

Yet we have a complaint about the way all these items were displayed. While almost all the items are museum quality, the workers are quick to point out that Mr. Arnold did not want this to be a museum. He wanted his collections displayed as an “attraction” following the vision or atmosphere he was trying to create. For example one area is titled “Streets of Yesterday”.

From 9-08 House on the Rock

This displays items seen in shop windows in the late 1800’s. It is designed to appear in an evening setting with simulated gas lighting. Thus is all quite dim and some things are difficult to see and fully appreciate. This problem with dim lighting happens in other places throughout the tour such as this antique steam tractor somewhat hidden away in a dim corner.

From 9-08 House on the Rock

Plus there are places that are dusty or where there does not appear to be adequate climate control to prevent deterioration of things like antique doll clothing. We can see lots of money being spent on new buildings and future displays. It is sad that more is not being done to protect existing collections.

Still it is a fascinating place to visit. Do go if you are ever in southern Wisconsin.

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