Having dropped off Rosemarie at Chicago O’Hare for her flight to Norfolk, I continued south through Indiana into Kentucky.  My route planning suggested two stopping points, both at military bases.  One was just south of Indianapolis, the other just across the Indiana-Kentucky border.  After fighting my way through traffic in Chicago, I made good speed through Indiana, and decided to push on.  Unfortunately my late start, road work, and heavy traffic areas resulted in me pulling into the Army Recreation Area at Camp Carlson after sunset, and I had to set up after dark.

I don’t have much to say about this park since I was there for only 13 hours, most of that in the dark.  I debated between a no frills, power only back in site versus a full hook up pull through, but after working with the camp host, I had to settle on neither of those: a full hook up back in.  I needed to dump anyway, so the couple of extra dollars was worth not having to deal with the dump and water fill station.

While Rosemarie was in Norfolk, I worked my way through the rest of the Chicago style pizza we bought in Great Lakes, IL.  Assisted, of course, by our new actually working microwave.

Meanwhile Rose found a true New York style joint in Norfolk with the traditional NYC oversized individual thin crust slices.  Which would you prefer?

It had been a hard day, but I reaped the benefit with my far shorter drive to Arnold AFB in Tullahoma, TN the next.  This was the second in a string of four AFB Family Camps we hit during our 2016 sprint from Iowa to Florida, and was one of our favorites.  A truly peaceful wooded campground six miles deep into the AFB owned forested land, this lakeside spot is one of the best values we experienced last year.  I had planned an aggressive push to Atlanta in order pick up Rosemarie after he brief visit to Norfolk, but arranged it such that I could get at least two days here, even if it meant one night stays everywhere else along the route.  At $15 a night, this is one of the best RV campground deals we have experienced, and if in the area I would gladly return.

A pause in Tennessee allowed me to do something better than left overs: A small piece of sirloin steak covered in farmers market roasted garlic, shallots, and wild mushrooms with heirloom tomatoes in olive oil on the side.  Unidentified liquid in the upper right.

Rosemarie had three solid days in Norfolk to visit Titi Linda and the family (Jayson, Titi Mari, cousins Nathaniel, June June, and Christopher, and their wives and eight children.)  As a result of Linda’s ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) she has been handing out items she can no longer use.  This resulted in a three women fashion show with Linda insisting that the ladies “Say yes to the dress” as Rose and daughter-in-laws Amy and Kaytarra went through the closet.

Throwback picture with several of the sisters, nieces and nephews, including Clari, Mari, Junior, Yvette, and Rosemarie 

Rose, Meri, Linda & Jayson enjoyed a day trip to the new waterfront, finishing off the day with an as close as authentic New York style slice as you can get from Benny’s, and a nice sunset across the bay.