Among the many trips a camper dreams of, there is crossing the United States coast to coast: the Camper Club Italia organised it and we joined in. We had been talking about it for a long time with friends — some had been there with other organisations or on their own, but always on very limited routes: California, Nevada and Utah — nobody we knew had done the “coast to coast”. Looking at the programme, we noticed it was very extensive but crammed into little time; in short, we would have to rush, but it could be done. After two meetings in Bologna, the club’s headquarters, and one in Bergamo, where we got all the information and the final costs, we decided to go. The cost, everything included (which unfortunately would not turn out to be the case), was set at € 12,500.
Twenty days before departure there was supposed to be an adjustment, up or down, based on the dollar/euro exchange rate, and this never happened — about € 400 in our favour. It was decided to charge everyone the same price for the campers even though they were different sizes, because not everyone could have a small one, so they were drawn by lot. The maximum number of participants was to be 20 campers with two leaders, split into two groups; unfortunately one of the two leaders had to pull out for health reasons, we were asked whether we wanted to set off with just one leader and we all agreed, but the cost of the second person had already been counted and was not refunded to the participants. Many asked for a refund, but there was no reply.
So that I could add more photos and make it quicker to read, I decided to present this trip divided by state; for each group, besides the relevant photos, there will be the diary of the days linked to that state.
Day 115 May 2009
From Utica, state of Illinois, to Adel, state of Iowa, 465 km
Departure at 8:00. No one had warned us that in this state you have to change the time, you have to set it back one hour; therefore at 8:00 we were ready for departure, but it was actually 7:00, and like us many others; at 7:30 it is decided to leave. The weather is bad, it is pouring rain; after a few kilometers the left windshield wiper stops. I notify number 1 by radio, who at the first service area stops the line; I put myself under a canopy sheltered from the rain; Super Renato and Attilio immediately reach me and, with the equipment the group has bought, in half an hour they remove and reinstall the windshield wiper and get it working better than before. We set off again still in the rain, which keeps getting stronger. Shortly afterward, number 3 also reports by radio that his windshield wiper has stopped; the camper is the twin of mine.
We stop at a service area, the famous "Iowa 80 Truckstop," the largest supermarket for truck equipment. I had seen it on Sky in a documentary and it was my dream to visit it in person, and this came true. Inside: besides a restaurant, a dentist, places where drivers can clean up and rest, there is the sales warehouse for everything that can transform and beautify trucks, chrome parts, lights of all kinds and various accessories. Meanwhile, they proceed with repairing number 3's windshield wiper; it was only a loose nut. After lunch we set off again still in the rain; the monotony of the highway makes us a bit sleepy; number 1 decides to stop for a nap; after half an hour we set off again and at around 5:00 p.m. we reach the campsite.
After getting settled, I move and fill up with propane (5 gallons at 2.49 dollars, total 13.19 dollars); these days I often used the night heating and I was running low. At 7:00, a meeting for tomorrow's program; weather permitting, a visit to the Madison County bridges and the house museum where John Wayne was born will be proposed; everyone agrees. KOA Des Moines West Campsite – N 41 23 33 W 94 04 47
Des Moines West Campground - what do you do if the step is broken ??
Day 216 May 2009
From Adel, state of Iowa, to Sioux Falls, state of South Dakota, 430 km
Departure at 7:30 We continue toward Madison County, known for a series of covered bridges. Of these, however, only one remains; the others have been destroyed by acts of vandalism. It was the location of Clint Eastwood's film of the same name, "The Bridges of Madison County." We remember a beautiful line spoken by Robert (Clint Eastwood): "The old times were good times, the important thing is to have lived them," and another by Francesca (Meryl Streep): "In four days he gave me a whole life, a universe, he reassembled the fragments of my being into a whole…I never stopped thinking about him…even if I did not consciously remember him, I felt him close to me, he was always there." We stop with the whole group because photos are a must. Nearby we visit John Wayne's birthplace with a small museum, closed today.
Unfortunately, the photos taken today will be lost in the camera/PC transfer; some were kindly given to me by number 3. We resume the journey on a road amid endless fields with farms very far from one another, a pleasant sight; then we get back on the two-lane highway, a bit dilapidated. Anyone who thought they would find 6- or 8-lane roads with perfect surfaces was disappointed; our highways are better than these. The three diesel campers, with their small tanks, need constant refueling; we stop at a gas station to fill up; the others with gasoline will do so in the afternoon. It had also been decided to restock the refrigerator, in view of tomorrow's holiday. At the first supermarket, a nasty surprise: it is reserved for members only. We had to drive more kilometers to find another one suitable for us. Further on we found a huge one where there was everything and more.
Besides restocking the fridge, we found a suitcase that contained four others, like Chinese boxes; needless to say, it was made in China. Here almost everything is made in China. We complain about Chinese products that have invaded our markets, but here it is worse. This suitcase will help us cope with the excess weight we had on arrival; we will divide everything among four suitcases, since the airlines allow it. Before entering the campsite, a visit to the Sioux Falls; after those of Niagara, they are a bit laughable, but they are not bad; there is a power plant and a nice park. Thinking of the kilometers traveled to reach this site, perhaps it was not worth it. At the campsite they made us wait quite a while to get settled; after a tiring day everyone wanted to park and take a refreshing shower; in the end we managed. Sioux Falls Campsite – N 43 26 27 W96 42 30.
Madison County
Day 313 Jun 2009
Conclusion
So much effort and so much fatigue for this trip that gave us emotions difficult to describe. Every day was unique, unmissable, extraordinary, thanks also to the commitment and determination of all our adventure companions. What do we remember most? Hard to say. Every place, in its own way, was wonderful. This trip will be memorable.
Our thoughts go, in order, to the impetuous charm of Niagara Falls; to the badlands of the Badlands; to the faces of the Presidents carved into the mountain; to the magnificent Devil's Tower, to the thrilling Old Faithful and to the whole of Yellowstone Park (even though we did not see Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo), to Monument Valley and its delicate arches and spires; to the light filtered through Antelope Canyon; to the legendary Lake Powell with the Glen Canyon Dam; to the superb, the great, the beautiful, the breathtaking Grand Canyon; to the lights, the sounds of Las Vegas; to the very hot Badwater in Death Valley; to the very old and very huge General Sherman and the unexpected snowfall at Sequoia National Park; to the wonderful Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline seen from romantic Sausalito; and finally, to the great New York, its skyscrapers, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bri
dge, the Statue of Liberty (seen from afar). There would have been so many other things to tell that we did not include in this text. Others that we could have mentioned but that are found in all the tourist guides. Still others, like the most intimate sensations and emotions…that can never be described but that will remain prisoners forever within us. Now it is really all over. It is time to return home, see friends again, continue our usual life, waiting for another wonderful trip to enjoy together.
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