Day 1: Columbus, Ohio to Waterloo, Iowa

Well...summer break is finally upon us. The student essays and projects are all graded. The final faculty meeting has come and gone. The last parent email for the year has been sent. There were times this school year where I wasn't sure if summer would ever arrive, but sure enough it did. Now it is time to recharge, get lost, and find ourselves once again! 

After packing up "Carmen"--our 1985 Scamp Travel Trailer--Kevin and I loaded the dogs into the back seat of the truck early Wednesday morning and our journey officially began. We lost Vegas to cancer this winter, so this time we've got Reno and our new 4 1/2 month old Silver Lab puppy, Scout, in tow. 

The first few days of this year's trip are all about driving. Driving as much as possible so that we can get out west as quickly as we can. Today's ultimate destination is Waterloo, Iowa. There is a reason for this. Waterloo is home to the Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

So, after a full day's worth of driving, we pulled into the parking lot next to an unassuming looking building, and I sat on a blanket under the shade of a tree with the dogs while Kevin spent some time exploring the museum. After about 30 minutes or so, he emerged able to check that goal off of his bucket list. It appears that the museum doesn't exactly get a ton of visitors, though. Kevin said the woman had to turn the lights on for him! 

Just outside of downtown Waterloo is a cute state park called George Wyth State Park. We found a secluded waterfront campsite and set up camp for our first night of the trip. 

After a short hike, we settled in for a quiet night by the campfire. Scout took no time getting comfy at camp. 

 

This spot was nice for a few reasons. 1) there are shower facilities, 2) shade and 3) it was pretty secluded except for the occasional passerby on the river. My particular favorite was the pontoon boat decked out with pink flamingos and neon Adirondack chairs. 

After a few hours by the fire, we decided to head to bed because we had another long day of driving ahead of us. Overnight a rain storm rolled into the area. Rainy nights in the Scamp are my favorite! I love the sound of rain on the roof.