Midwest M&G 2009

[Sunline Fan]

I better not be accused of not taking enough pics







The pull-thrus, complete with WES and cable TV:


Site 21:


Site 20:


Site 22 & 23 (or should I say 23 and 22):






The back-in sites, which I believe are just WES, not cable:






The logo from the old coach in the back...I've never heard of this model before. Believe it or not, I took this pic from about 30' away:






Beginning of the seasonals (which have to be washed at least yearly, BTW):


The bath house, which is still undergoing renovations, so I couldn't get any pics. I've been assured that clean bathrooms are their speciality though!:


Electric only sites:


Road down to electric only's:








More electric only's:




More electric only's and cabins:


River that runs next to the electric only's:


Cabin:










Horseshoe pits:


Volleyball court and playground:


Rec hall:


Inside of rec hall, plus rental boats and golf carts, which will obviously be gone by May:


Outdoor grill, which we are free to use along with the rec hall. There's also a pool table inside the rec hall that they have a cover for, which can hold food for serving:


View of PT's from front side:


Site 21 from front side:


Again...:


Pool, anxiously awaiting spring:






Entrance to waterfront, by using same entry stuff as to get into the park:






Once I backed out of the entrance to the waterfront, which is to the west of the park entrance, I went down the road another 1/4 mile, so I had to turn around. This is the view of the campground from the west:


This too, and the waterfront access is just up on the left:


Sign from the west, looking east:


Sign from the east, looking west:


Yep, the 10' overpass is a big deal around here...:


If one forgets anything, there's a small party store 1/4 mile to the east. I'm sure there's also stores in Hillsdale, and there's a big Wally World up in Jonesville, about 10 minutes away.

Jon

[JohnB]

WOW.....

We have never camped where we have a pad like that. Sort of like a landing strip

OK camping fever now worse then before.

It will be a great time.

John

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by JohnB

OK camping fever now worse then before.

You aren't alone. I haven't been to Sunny since October 25th, and yesterday didn't help one bit...

At least I can spy on it:



Jon

[wheatons on wheels]

Hi Sunliners!
Julie and I are new owners of a little 1992 Sunline and are interested in joining your get-together in Hillsdale. Are you folks still going and if so, could we join you?
Let me know what site we should book based on your hands on knowledge and we'll make a reservation accordingly.

Thanks,
Julie & Chris [/img]

[Sunline Fan]

Hi Chris & Julie,

Yes, please come!

I've been working on a map for a couple days now that I could post up here. The map is almost entirely done by hand because the paper map they have didn't scan well at all, plus my version is much more to scale.

Anyway, feel free to reserve any of the pull throughs (sites 19-26). You'll see on the map where the rest of us are.

Jon

[wheatons on wheels]

Hi Jon,
I just booked a spot at Gateway for the Sunline get-together. Julie and I, as well as our two children (Nikki and Wheatie, Wheaton Terriers) will be arriving on Thursday and are looking forward to meeting our fellow Sunliners. We just have a little T-1661, so we should be easy to spot among all you big rigs!
Let us know if we need to bring anything for a potluck or whatever....
Look forward to meeting you all!

Julie and Chris Peterson
(24 376-6703
chris.peterson@ameritech.net

[clueless campers]

Chris (wheatons on wheels) asked about a potluck dinner. Charlie and I were thinking along the same line. Maybe a hobo stew. When we camp with my brother and his in-laws, we cook it in his turkey fryer (it's never seen a turkey LOL--just used for the stew). We don't have a fryer. Does anyone have one that they would bring? We won't be able to bring firewood from home because of the emerald ash borer quarantine and $5 a bundle (how big?) could get rather expensive.

Any other activities planned? We're planning on bringing cue sticks to shoot some pool (if I remembr how!)

Jon, you said you are bringing your Sunline production records. I think they will be interesting to look at, along with any other part of your museum you are willing to share with us.

Wow, only about 3 weeks to go . Pulled the Sunline out of storage last Friday and towed it about 20 miles to Charlie's brother's house to clean the black streaks off. Wanted to go to Maumee Bay SP for the weekend but not comfortable de-winterizing yet. Temps still low at night. It was 33 last night and we had sleet and snow Monday night after being in the 70's over the weekend.

Looking forward to meeting everyone,
Dona and Charlie

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by clueless campers

Jon, you said you are bringing your Sunline production records. I think they will be interesting to look at, along with any other part of your museum you are willing to share with us.

The PR's are always with me assuming my computer is with me, which it usually is .

Are there any particular parts of the museum you'd like to see?

I have no comment about the food part, I'll leave that to my mom. Y'all don't want me cooking, as I proved the other night.

Jon

[JohnB]

Hi all

We are very much up for a pot luck dinner. Glad to share with everyone. Even have the recipe picked out waiting to cook up in the Dutch oven. It’s a main dish/side dish. Balsamic chicken with Zucchini.

Time is flying by. 3 weeks to go, wow. Can’t wait.

So we are up to 6 campers. This is going to be great!

John and Cindy

[JDKuz]

Hi Everyone!

While we are on the subject of food, how does everyone feel about sharing meals throughout the weekend? At Buttonwood, we have a group breakfast on Saturday and Sunday for those who want to join in. Baggie omelets have been popular on one morning. Pancakes or French Toast are other easy breakfast items for a second morning.

We are willing to plan the baggie omelet breakfast. If you haven’t seen this before, check the pictures from the 2007 & 2008 Buttonwood M & G.

We would also like to offer to roast a turkey for dinner. The method we use is one learned in Boy Scouts (John, you may have seen this). A convection oven is created using aluminum foil around a frame and charcoal filled tubes. The turkey is suspended by a tripod in the center of the oven. The 3 – 4 hours it takes to cook the turkey is a great opportunity to share stories, baste the turkey, play a game, baste the turkey, take a nap, baste the turkey, prepare side dishes, baste the turkey.

Wow, 3 weeks! Lets hope our Michigan weather is as good then as it is this weekend.

Jill

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by JDKuz

Hi Everyone!

While we are on the subject of food, how does everyone feel about sharing meals throughout the weekend? At Buttonwood, we have a group breakfast on Saturday and Sunday for those who want to join in. Baggie omelets have been popular on one morning. Pancakes or French Toast are other easy breakfast items for a second morning.

We are willing to plan the baggie omelet breakfast. If you haven’t seen this before, check the pictures from the 2007 & 2008 Buttonwood M & G.

We would also like to offer to roast a turkey for dinner. The method we use is one learned in Boy Scouts (John, you may have seen this). A convection oven is created using aluminum foil around a frame and charcoal filled tubes. The turkey is suspended by a tripod in the center of the oven. The 3 – 4 hours it takes to cook the turkey is a great opportunity to share stories, baste the turkey, play a game, baste the turkey, take a nap, baste the turkey, prepare side dishes, baste the turkey.

Wow, 3 weeks! Lets hope our Michigan weather is as good then as it is this weekend.

Jill

Hi Jill

We are up for eating together. Options could be one night we do a pot luck. The other night we all cook supper on our own and time it to then dine at one time as a group. Or do a group cook like you where saying with a Turkey and then each of us bring some side dish. I'm up for Turkey cooking or Dutch oven anything or most any kind of camp cooking. I have 2 ovens that are allways in the Camper.

There is something very special and bonding about breaking bread together. And the breakfasts too. So lets keep the ideas going so we can come up with a plan.

The Turkey cookers, Yup I made an 8 station one. We used it on our Cub Scout recruiting weekend near thanksgiving. The Boy Scouts would put on a camporee for the Cubbies to get them to join in the spring and show them what our Troop was all about. We fed 150 people out of those 8 birds one year. It was the only way we could afford to figure out how to cook that many birds…. Just keep adding poles. The bird comes out really good. It's amazing. You can actaully cook and see what you are doing.

Here are some pic’s of it in action. All though this year it was scaled down to only a 6 station unit. Fewer Cubs that year.









The Assistant cooks.


It took us a while to make those chicken wire baskets…

And I built a trash can steamer. Did the carrots and corn in there. A heat exchanger tube in the fire ring running boiling water in the bottom of the can. And there was a home made reflector oven off the same campfire.

Boy does that brings back memories….

We also use to use Weber grills but then we got to big and did not have enough loaner Webers in the troop and had to build the mega cooker…. All that cooking stuff is still with the Troop. But I do have 1 large Weber myself that can be used if the group wants to do a Turkey or a large roast.

Let me know and I’ll throw it in the back of the truck.

John

[JDKuz]

Good Morning everyone,

John, it's so interesting to see how others do their outdoor cooking. Our turkey cooking set-up is on the ground, not suspended like yours. Same concept, different approach. Dave also created for the troop, a trash can cooker for "garbage can ham".



Most all of the Midwest M & G participants will be at the campground for Friday & Saturday night. We will have lots of opportunities to try different things, if we choose to do so. Once we decide what meal(s)/menu(s) we want, we can have a sign up for dishes at each meal (omelets, pancakes, chicken/zucchini, hobo stew, turkey, etc.)

I'm getting hungry already.

Jill

[JohnB]

Hi Folks

OK we have 11 days, 10 for some, until we head north to the M & G.

Did we ever decide on a meal plan? Or decide we need to decide?

It would be nice to do Saturday night pot luck if everyone is up for this.

We are willing to share what ever we make. We always make extra to put in the freezer to take home anyway....

Just asking. Not pushing.

Can't wait, this is going to be a great time.

WOW only 11 days left.

John

[JDKuz]

Hi All,

We brought Jon's trailer home this past weekend....let the camping season begin (for us)!

From indications on previous posts, a pot luck is definitely in order.

As John suggested, let's plan the pot luck for Saturday night.

We will have the pot for cooking omelets, cooking spray, baggies and markers. Just bring your eggs and omelet "fixings". Plan for Sunday morning to be an Omelet Breakfast event.

A shared cooking fire on Friday (for burgers, chicken, etc.) would be great, especially for those just pulling in that day. (This can turn into a potluck also) Please indicate if you'd like this option.

Please post what you are planning to bring to the potluck. We'll have a list of food so we know what else would complement the menu.

jdkuz/sunlinefan - roasted turkey


Looking forward to a great weekend.

Jill

[clueless campers]

My brother will let me use his turkey fryer to make a hobo stew. When I suggested the stew, I thought that maybe everyone could supply one ingredient--corn, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onion, smoked sausage--and make a whole meal for everyone out of it.

Or...

We could supply all stew ingredients and make a smaller pot and JohnB and Jill could make chicken and turkey for a pot luck meal.

Or...

If we just want the stew on one night and potluck another night, I will make a fruit salad for the potluck.

Jon, do you know how many people are attending with Ron and Rod? Will there be 11, 13, more? of us?

[clueless campers]

Sorry Jill, I started my last post before yours showed up but I got sidetracked and it took awhile to post it.

Saturday is fine with us for the potluck. We will make a smaller pot of hobo stew.

Sunday, omelets sounds good.

I'll still make a fruit salad for Friday night and everyone can cook their own meat on the shared fire.

Only 10 more days, can't wait!

Dona and Charlie

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by clueless campers

Jon, do you know how many people are attending with Ron and Rod? Will there be 11, 13, more? of us?

I don't have a confirmed number. I just sent out a Facebook message to Michelle/Tim to see if they know. I think Rod's site will have four or five, maybe I'm wrong though. I have no idea about Ron.

Jon

[JDKuz]

Hi Dona,

I know about that "getting sidetracked" while posting. It took me over an hour to finally get it posted. I have a tendency to walk away from the computer to take care of other things.

I was just throwing out ideas. This is still a flexible work in progress.

I suggested a Friday night community cooking fire, not knowing what other options we had. Your suggestion of Hobo Stew on one night and the Turkey on another is great. John & Cindy can supply their Chicken/Zucchini either night. If we do Hobo Stew on Friday, I'll bake some bread to go with it. If you will bring fruit salad Saturday night that would be great.

How does the following plan look for starters?

FRIDAY DINNER -
Hobo Stew
Fresh Bread
Chicken/Zucchini ??????

SATURDAY DINNER -
Roast Turkey
Fruit Salad
Chicken/Zucchini ??????

SUNDAY BREAKFAST -
Omelets

Offer up suggestions and we'll modify the post! John, post your day preference for making the chicken/zucchini and I'll take out the other.

Jill

[JohnB]

Hi Jill and Dona

I'll check with the better half and report back later tonight

The Balsamic Chicken with Zucchini would go better with the stew night then a Turkey night. It is more of a stew type consistency.

Pending time, since we are arriving on Friday, I can cook it on the stove quick or burn time, yak etc and do it with charcoal. Have done both.

Be back later

John

PS. Jill your plan is shaping up good.

[JohnB]

Jill and Dona

We can do the Balsamic Chicken with zucchini on Friday Night. On the stew, do we need to bring ingredients for it? Didn’t know if that was decided yet.

On Saturday I can bake 2 Dutch ovens worth of stuffing from scratch to go along with the Turkey. Or what ever else one might suggest. Turkey dinner camp style I’m good at.

Sunday baggie omelets are OK by us. Following the replies, did I understand it right we bring all the ingredients and Chef Dave does the cooking? A share loaf of some kind of bread may just show up. Cindy has not decided which one she is making yet. She has a lot of them.

By the looks of the map, we may not be there until early to mid afternoon on Friday. We have not yet totally decided when we are leaving or where too. Sunday or Monday. May stay at Gateway one more night or travel down into northern Ohio and spend a night at a State Park we have not yet been to. We will be back home mid day on Monday.

OK now 10 days left. Counting em down.

Thanks

John