Apple Creek Campground, De Pere, WI

The time has come for us to leave Hidden Valley RV Resort, on of the nicest campgrounds we have been in, and head for Apple Creek Campground, De Pere, WI. We got on the road about 8:20, a bit earlier than normal but I don’t sleep late on travel days and so we usually end up leaving early.

We had a great time at Hidden Valley. We got to know a few couples who live there in the summer and go south in the winter. One of them, Smitty, he worked for a grocery chain, Woodman’s, a local chain in WI from the time he was eighteen until he retired at fifty-five. He said when he retired 21 years ago he thought he had enough money. I don’t know if he needs the money or he just likes to keep busy but he works full time for the resort. He and his wife winter in Foley, AL, we spent a night there last March while visiting Dave and Shari Frantz, it is a nice area. Anyway, Smitty took on a tour of the workings of the campground. He showed me the shop where, I don’t remember his name, custom makes parts for the equipment so old you can’t buy parts anymore for them. It was a great place to stay, we were only 22 miles from Robert and Sarah’s house, we were there quite a bit. We stayed with the kids eight days and enjoyed every minute of it, but I do know for certain now why you should have your kids when you are young. We were exhausted at the end of each day. Sarah more than me because she was doing something with the kids all day, I couldn’t keep up with them so I did other things.

Today Mason started first grade, Alexa did also in Nevada, Madyson went back to pre school, Emily begins kindergarten, Isabel will try to keep up with her and Eli won’t care one way or other. Bryon is in his first year at Des Moines Area College. Where has the time gone? It doesn’t seem that long ago Bryon was just learning to walk. Well I pray all of you have a great year of learning.

We took Hwy 151 out of Madison, then 26 to Oshkosh and 41 to County Road U. Now the GPS had us going the same way until we got to the campground. I turned off of 41 onto County Rd U and missed the campground entrance, it was very well marked, the sign was hidden by trees and the turn into it was tight, we went down the road for another two miles to where the GPS said the campground was and it was a corn field. So we turned around, no small feat but I found a place with a BIG German shepherd on a log chain barking it’s fool head off. I had Sarah get out of the truck and watch for traffic so I could back onto the road. She informed me after she got back into the truck that she was bitten by a German Shepard once. Anyway we made it back to the campground entrance and being on the other side of the road made it easier to enter.

We checked in and it is not cheap but not the most expensive we have paid. I did find out after checking in we have no sewer, we do have electric and water, but they come around on Monday and Thursday to pump out you tanks. I’m ok with that. So we looked at the campground showers and they are clean but you have to pay to take a shower, 25 cents for 3 minutes. This is the first campground where they had pay showers. The brochure says it is to conserve water.

The site is ok, we have satellite service so I won’t complain. The site is not very big, but we are seeing that a lot and the no sewer option is big for WI campgrounds, most of them don’t have sewer. I suppose it is because the majority of their clientele are weekenders and they dump there tanks before leaving each time.

When coming off 41 on the off ramp I didn’t think the brakes were working properly. I had truck brakes but when I applied them I didn’t feel the trailer brakes take hold, I tried the manual handle on the brake controller and discovered I had no trailer brakes. I look at the reservoir and it was empty. I can’t crawl under the camper but I could see one wheel was wet and I could feel and see brake fluid on the brake line, so a connection broke, came loose or the line broke. We don’t know and can’t really tell from our vantage point. So I went to the office to see if they knew of a mobile service, they gave me a card and I called the number. Tim answered and I explained my problem to him and he said he didn’t know anything about disc brakes so he told me to call the RV dealer in De Pere. I did and they said they could look at it tomorrow and then they would most likely have to order parts and we would have to make a couple trips to get the unit fixed. So I thought maybe we could wait, since we aren’t pulling the camper anywhere, and get it fixed on the way to Iowa. So I called a dealer in Appleton, just 17 miles away, and set a time to stop and have them look at it. So we have a plan. If they can’t fix it I will have them plugged the line and we will travel with only three brakes until I can find someone to fix it.

We plan on driving back to Oshkosh and go through the EAA museum, experimental aircraft museum. Another day we want to go to Manitowoc, WI to see the submarine museum and then to see the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, it is in Champion, WI. So we will be busy. I don’t know if we will get to Door County or not, time will tell.

So until later, remember Dreams Do Come True.