354 miles
17mpg (approx)
Barkcamp State Park in Belmont, OH: $21

After a long hard weekend of outdoor July 4 concerts, I was determined to get started on this trip on July 5 if it killed me.  Unlike my dad, I’m not really a list-maker, so I’ve been packing my trailer throughout the week as I think of things.
With Huggy Pillow as my copilot, I started with a beautiful jaunt through the Amish countryside and met up with the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Harrisburg. I usually don ‘the remember just how bad Pennsylvania roads are until I make the return journey, but the 45 mph speed limits, narrow lanes, and Art Deco bridges made it impossible to ignore that these roads were designed for the a ’40 Packard.

But… I was determined to get to Ohio on this first leg, and I camped in the first state park over the border: Barkcamp State Park in Belmont, OH.  Most of the July 4 revelers have already left, so the campground is half empty on the Sunday night of the holiday weekend.  It’s a beautiful park, with paved campsites with electric hook ups, and friendly staff. The only downside is that they have pit toilets, and the only running water I see is at the showers, and spigots spaced throughout the campground. I am however enjoying the guilty pleasure of running the AC.

Tomorrow I head to Jackson Center, Ohio to the Airstream factory for a tour (aka, “The Mothership”). Which is lucky, since the top hinge on my refrigerator broke upon its first opening at the campsite, and I’m not sure what’s going to hold it in place while I’m driving yet. I’m hoping the Airstream factory will sell me the door to this Dometic 4 cubic foot refrigerator. In the meantime I’m weighing the merits of every refrigerated item as I open the door and have to hold it in place.  If the bottom hinge goes too, I’ll need to turn off the fridge, empty i,t and buy a cooler. If they don’t have spare parts at the factory, perhaps I can have it ordered ahead to a future spot on my trip. This is going to get really old, really fast.

On to the mothership: