177 miles via US 231, I-74, US 150 and a very scary mile on a narrow, rutted farm lane. Cumulative tow miles: 1867, Truck miles: 180. Cumulative truck miles: 2563.
I don’t know why the RV GPS took me down that God-awful cowpath. After I got to my destination I looked back at the Google path and it was much more reasonable, approaching the RV park from the south rather than the north. A quarter of a mile down that path I encountered a sign warning that no vehicle over 500 pounds (!) should travel the road if wet (presumably because it would get stuck in the mud). It was dry, but I wasn’t going to chance it. I was in the process of backing up a quarter of a mile when a farmer stopped me and assured me that the road was passable. I thanked him, took a deep breath and took the RV on what appeared to be a perilous journey. The road was, indeed, passable, but only because it was dry and no vehicle came the other way. Without question, the scariest mile of my 45,000 tow miles.
My overnight stay in Cloverdale was at the Cloverdale RV Park. Usually an overnight stay doesn’t merit much comment as it is just a place to rest. This one, however, was notable for several reasons:
- It included a chapel. And not just any chapel but a Bride of Christ Chapel. I expected it to have a staff of Catholic nuns. The entrance sign had a huge “J.C.”. The owner clearly loves Jesus. Was it right to think of a devout man as being a bit creepy?
- The flagpole at the office had two flags: an American flag and an Israeli flag. I was tempted to ask why a Christian campground would be flying the flag of the only Jewish state in the world, but I didn’t.
- The mother of the owner was a very chatty 80-year-old who pretty much gave me a full rundown of the husband and all 12 of her children. She also told me about the cancer ravaging her body (while having a smoke) and how she was refusing to get the COVID vaccine because she didn’t trust the government. Middle America personified.
The campground itself was decent. No pool, but it did have a laundromat and a rec hall. And the chapel. It also had a fairly scenic pond
A strange place, but ok for an overnight.