October 15, 2025 (Wed.) – Travel to Straughn, IN.

Today was a travel day, with our destination set for Straughn, Indiana—one of the few places we could still find a campsite. Fall is a busy season around here, and spots fill up fast.

The morning unfolded like most travel days: Lynn was up at 6:30 AM, Kirk followed at 8:30. But unlike usual, the skies opened up with a surprise rain shower—definitely not in the forecast. We joked that it was inevitable since Kirk had just washed the truck the day before. The rain didn’t last long, thankfully.

Packing went smoothly until the final task: loading the bike. Kirk always saves that for last so he can pull the rig forward and make room for the ramp. At 10:30 AM, just as we were ready to roll, the tailgate gave us trouble—again. Despite all the effort Kirk put into fixing, cleaning, and resealing it, the tailgate broke again while loading the bike. Luckily, he managed a quick workaround without a full teardown and got it closed. The downside? The bike’s now stuck in the garage until we can get the tailgate properly repaired.

Ironically, we were leaving the RV manufacturing hub of the U.S.—our Grand Design manufacturer is just 30 minutes away. They might’ve been able to help, but we figured parts would take time, especially with our full-body paint. Plus, our campground was closing today for the season so we couldn’t extend our stay. So, we pressed on to Straughn, deciding to deal with the tailgate later. No riding for a while.

By 10:50 AM, we were finally on the road. The tailgate fix only took about 20 minutes, though one screw got stripped in the process, adding to the frustration. The drive was 158 miles, roughly three hours, with an ETA around 2 PM. It was the usual scenic route: long roads lined with trees showing off their fall colors. But this time, we hit the worst traffic yet. Road conditions were rough, and construction slowed us down. Still, it wasn’t California-level chaos. We passed a trash truck accident that had traffic backed up for miles—but thankfully, we were on the opposite side.

We stopped at a rest area in Gaston, IN around 1:15 PM and rolled into All My Friends & Family Campground by 3 PM.

The campground had a mix of permanent/seasonal residents and travelers like us. Everyone was friendly, and the Halloween decorations were impressive. Our original spot was a bit snug, but the staff offered us a larger one with 30-amp service. We gladly accepted—cool weather meant no need for AC, and the extra space was worth it.

After a late lunch in the RV, we headed out to explore Rushville around 5 PM. Armed with our Indiana covered bridge map, we hoped to find the one in town. Kirk asked Siri for directions, and off we went. But in classic GPS fashion, we ended up at someone’s private residence with no bridge in sight. We circled around for a bit, then gave up and drove around the town to explore further and find some dinner.

Lynn was craving Chinese food, so we found a place called China Town in a strip mall. Unfortunately, the experience was underwhelming. The food was mediocre, and the service was confusing at best. The heater was blasting, making it uncomfortably warm—if Lynn’s hot, it’s definitely too warm! We sat at a table, but the young girl at the register ignored us completely. Turns out, we were supposed to grab a menu from the back counter, place our order with her, pay, and then seat ourselves. She never explained any of that, just continued to ignore us and play on her phone. Kirk’s meal was passable, but Lynn’s Kung Pao Chicken was a disappointment. Panda Express would’ve been a better choice. Safe to say, we won’t be returning…the hunt for good Chinese food continues.

By 7:30 PM, we headed back to the campground and saw a beautiful sunset on the ride home. The day ended with Kirk on stink bug patrol in the RV—just another chapter in our fall travels.

Weather (Straughn, IN) – High 69*, Low 52*. Wind 2-8 mph. No rain or humidity.

Traffic – Slight construction traffic. Short delays. Terrible roads here, very rough.

Food – Nothing to report other than terrible Chinese food.

Notable – Broken tailgate, again!