Sunday, July 15 – After spending last night blacktop camping at Walmart, we were glad to settle into Leisure Lake “Resort” in Joliet, Illinois. Not sure why this is called a “resort,” but it is nice with many amenities for families. Swimming pool, swimming lake, fishing lake, putt-putt golf, playgrounds, paddle boats, volleyball, and all the other things kids like doing. None of this has much interest to us though.
The sites have a concrete pad (although too small for our 40' motor home, 50 amp electric, water, and sewer.
Site 63
Looking left.
Looking right.
Fishing lake.
The pedestal arrangement is very weird. We had to park to the far right of our site to reach the water faucet. People have electric cords and hoses strung around like spaghetti. Two RVs share a pedestal for electric (1-30amp/1-50amp) and four share a water faucet. But, surprisingly, the electric voltage is good and water pressure is good.....guess it works! This is a Passport America campground giving us half off the normal nightly rate....our cost is $25/night.
The electrical box is in the back, the sewer is in the middle and the water is on the other side.
Four share the water.
Please note…If you decide to stay at this campground, copy the instructions off the website. The GPS will NOT take you to this place without going the long way around. The website directions are great.
We are here to visit friends Jane and Joe, friends from Mission, TX. They live in the area and are going to be our tour guides around Chicago.
Our first order of business was to meet with Jane & Joe at their house in Naperville, IL, (suburb of Chicago). We spent some time catching up on each others' travels and then took the Riverwalk to downtown Naperville. Considered the "crown jewel" of Naperville, the Riverwalk is a place of beauty that runs along the West Branch of the DuPage River. It features 1.75 miles of brick paths, fountains, bridges, meeting and event places, outdoor sculpture and artwork, recreational facilities, and celebratory memorials.
Moser Tower and Millennium Carillon. The bells ring on the hour and are lovely to hear.
Of six hundred carillons world wide, the Millennium Carillon is one of only four spanning a full six octaves. It is properly known as a Grand Carillon. The largest bell weighs almost 6 tons.
What a lovely town! Naperville was voted the second-best place to live in the United States by Money magazine in 2006. The people were out enjoying the Riverwalk, parks, and shopping in the many downtown shops and visiting the local restaurants. This town has a lot going for it and is alive and vibrant. It's wonderful to see people strolling downtown and enjoying the friendly atmosphere.
There were murals everywhere depicting the town's history.
Paul and Joe find a woman who will listen to them.
After returning to the house from our walk downtown, Jane and Joe prepared a delicious salad for lunch. Thanks guys, that was very thoughtful. We cooled down a bit in the AC – it's in the mid-90's outside – and headed back out for more fun.
We then went up to Cantigny Park to enjoy a symphony in the park. The North Shore Band was performing, and they were great! They played many familiar tunes. We enjoyed clapping along and tapping our toes to the music.
At intermission, we took a stroll through the lovely gardens.
Jane and Joe
Just us.
With evening fast approaching, we decided we better get back to the motorhome and rest up for our tour to downtown Chicago tomorrow. Paul has never been to Chicago, so he is looking forward to the adventure – especially since he doesn't have to drive in the famous traffic in and around Chicago.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day.
Paul and Joe might have found a woman to listen to them, but I notice a wry grin on her face so I don't think she's paying a lot of attention to the two of them.
ReplyDeleteI guess resort is a term dictated by price not by utility arrangement.
What a strange set up for that campground. Resort is definitely stretching it. But as long as it's close to where you want to be that's a good thing. Have fun exploring Chicago.
ReplyDeleteThe setup at the campground may be a little weird but as long as it works that's what counts most. Having a guide around Chicago is a GREAT thing.
ReplyDeleteThat campground is priced right, but the hookups sound a little strange. But hey, you aren't far from your friends' house and that's what counts. I was a mother's helper in the northern Chicago suburbs during the summers of my college years and a friend and I explored Chicago every chance we got. I like that city!
ReplyDeletethat is quite the 'menagerie' of hoses and cords!!..enjoy your stay in Chicago!!..looks like you have some great tour guides!
ReplyDeleteLove the riverwalk and the fountain. Something about water is just so soothing.
ReplyDeleteWow! You've really made tracks out of South Dakota! We visited friends in Naperville and enjoyed many of the places you did. Real nice 'burg. Haven't been to Chicago for many years, but it is a dynamic and interesting place. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteWe've been there; done that. Both the stay in the RV "resort" and visiting downtown Chicago. Fortunately we'd been to Chicago before so Dave was not too intimidated to go there in our Winnebago View to start our trip down Historic Route 66. We even parked it at meters on the street so we could go out for breakfast. Pull-through on-street parking less than 1/2 block from our destination; hope your luck is as good as our was.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to Paul's impressions of Chicago. I was born and raised in the suburbs. We used to take the train downtown every holiday season to shop there. There would always be cute sailors on leave from the naval air station riding the trains home for the holidays. we had our family reunion a few years ago in downtown Chicago, and the city had really changed! It was much more beautiful and clean. We were really surprised at the beauty of it. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteBig citys scare me. I know we miss some things, but just don't like all the traffic. Maybe I need a tour guide around them.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to find a woman to sit and listen to you..
ReplyDeleteThat Riverwalk is beautiful - what a great place for a leisurely stroll.
ReplyDeleteThat pedestal is the strangest conglomeration I've ever seen but at least it works.
You are in my childhood stomping grounds. Naperville is really a lovely city, isn't it? Really enjoy your blog!
ReplyDeleteYou're heading the wrong way....it's HOT over there....oooooo! Come back!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your series in SD. Where are you guys headed for winter?
Nina
Enjoy yourself in my home town...the Windy City! Could you stop by Frank's Pizza on the Northwest side, order me a pizza and send it to me? :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a sucker for pics of city skylines. . .love, love, love yours of Chicago. . .really great!
ReplyDeleteJanice
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