5 May 2026 - Arrived at Double J Campground in Chatham (Springfield) IL

 

This morning we loitered a bit at Hannibal MO as we had a short travel day today and a $penalty$ for arriving early at the new campground.  Some places are hard over on that and some could care less as long as the site is not occupied.  So we tore down and departed at 1050 hrs in the pouring rain.  I always dump tanks and stow hoses the night before so that we only have to deal with the power cord, chocks and leveling blocks the morning of departure.  This morning's weather helped to reminded me why I do that.  

The math behind our departure time comes from the simple fact that we average 50 miles in an hour on our travel days. No matter how you shake it, if you take the total travel distance and divide it by 50, that will likely be very close to how long it takes to drive it.  I don't drive 50 mph but that is how it averages out.  I try to keep it about 60'ish, usually more like 62, so as to improve the fuel mileage a bit and minimize the wear and tear on the tires.  We stop periodically for potty breaks and stretching.  Pre-2026 we also were stopping because of our little Miss Liberty and the diuretics she took for her heart condition.  That is not a factor now...

We drove the entire way in the rain today.  Doreen tried to get a picture of the State border like we normally do, and her iPhone focused on the windshield.  

But we got a clear shot of the state welcome sign that looked more like this:

OK I am done complaining. Almost.  It won't help anyway.  And to make it clear, I am not complaining about the relative cost of fuel.  Yes it is up and yes it will come back down. Such is life.  My beef is with the $#^^%&* states that gouge their taxpayers and those transiting through their states with blistering fuel taxes. I paid $4.79 in Iowa just a week ago and now I am paying just south of $2/gallon more in Illinois.  Yes, I know it is self-inflicted.  I could have stayed home. I could have driven a Kia.  I could have chosen a different route to bypass IL, but it is a bit difficult to get from Iowa to Elkhart IN without  transitioning Illinois.  OK, I promise I am done whining (for) now😁 

We rolled into Double J Campground just in time for check-in at 1300 hrs, 2 hrs 10 minutes after departure and 116 miles later, and still in the rain.  The Double J is located in Chatham IL just south of Springfield and near the famous Route 66.  We checked in quickly with a friendly staff,  and were escorted to our site with a dude on a golf cart.  The sites are adequately long, very level, covered in nice pea gravel.  They have paved patios which makes it nice stepping out of the camper and picnic tables.  This time of the year especially, the grass is green and lush. We have solid line-of-sight with the 99W, 101W and 103W satellite transponders so our Directv dish and receiver are happy.  

Yeah, I am a hold-out.  I cannot justify the cost of Starlink and cellular is not always reliable for streaming.  Campground WiFi is definitely not reliable for streaming. We bring our satellite receivers from home when we hit the road, so we have all of our recorded shows and movies and local channels when we are in the spot-beam. We plug them into our network of dedicated satellite coaxial cables, single-wire multi-switch and our Winegard Travler auto-tune satellite dish on the roof.  This dish supports HD and recording for up to four receivers (I have three).   I always try to get a campground site that is satellite-friendly whenever possible, and most campgrounds are very accommodating.  I don't know that I would replace the dish if it died, but in the mean time it serves us well.

Why Springfield IL?  As mentioned, we need to make our way to Elkhart/Goshen IN for the 7th annual Alliance Rally.  We have not missed one yet. There is a lot of history here in Springfield and it worked out well for us as we planned our itinerary.  We are here for four nights, and these are some things on our radar:

• All things "Lincoln":
• Lincoln Home
• Lincoln Library
• Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
• Lincoln Monument and Burial
• Abe Lincoln Rail Splitter Stature
• Old State Capital
• Illinois State Military Museum
• Illinois State Museum
• National Corvair Museum
• Air Combat Museum 
• Ace Sign Company Museum
• All things Route 66 - this is the 100th anniversary of the historic route!
• Cozy Dog Drive-in
• Illinois brick road - Route 66
• Sugar Creek Covered Bridge
• Route 66 silo mural
• Route 66 Motorheads Bar & Grille Museum
• Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center (35 miles south)

That is it for tonight.  Thanks for tuning in.