The Haj

The Haj

For the first time in the Meanderthal journal entry history, everyone has to guess where we were when I posted the last pictures. Just a fun touch! Happy 4th of July to all!
Our first stop on the way west (yes we are finally heading west!) was near Lock Haven PA where I used to go as a kid. Continuing west we stopped at the Packard museum where we enjoyed some very fancy restored Packard. I hope everyone who is interested will read about the Packard first’s!
We had big plans to go to Dearborn Village in Detroit but somewhere along the way a very distracting event happened, actually a combination of events. On our way west, Bill told us about a bluegrass festival in Ohio which intrigued us but seemed to be to far south. The Roe family whom we had visited with in Florida, were traveling in Ohio and when I told them about it, it came together that we could all meet there. Since we were their video crew and they were doing a show for free we got in free too! The festival is called Mountain Heir and I enjoyed it as much as any festival I have been too. Lot of good pickers! All good things must come to an end and so off we were to visit the home of Airstream, Jackson Center Ohio where our Airstream was built. It was funny to pull into a campground (cleverly called Terraport) where there were only Airstreams. We were still the oldest rig in the park however. Most of the people there were there to get their Airstreams repaired and came over to inspect and trade war stories about life on the road with an American legend (their advertising not mine!) . We went on a factory tour but because it was the week of the 4th all the employees were gone so it was quiet. Their operation is not as exciting or efficient as the Corvette factory in BG but it was interesting none the less. We had a technician come out and look at ours because we think it is sagging to one side but he said it looked in good shape. I guess we have a higher standard of what “good shape” is. Most Airstream owners sometime in the life of their trailer or motor home come here hence it is called “the haj”.
It is a long way from Jackson Center to Chicago but once you are in Chicago it makes the other miles look like they flew by. I just didn’t realize that Chicago is the 3rd largest city in US. I am glad that we had a very good reason to come here or I would have avoided it. Yes we are now the Meanderthals + 1. My mother and daughter are with us now and we feel like an American family on an American holiday. The campground we are at is right on Lake Michagan and is very nice and thank goodness the weather is cool (no AC). We will watch the fireworks from the lakeshore that the three communities (Chicago, Waukegan and Zion) nearby are firing off. Happy 4th everyone!