ERIE, PA.  Our first rest stop in Ohio was in a plaza off I-80, which the state of Ohio calls its turnpike.  Even though it is a Federal interstate highway, I-80 in Ohio is customized to their own standards, including plazas instead of the usual rest stops.  These plazas are very large and include a gas/diesel station, shops, eateries, large clean restrooms (including showers for truckers), an information counter staffed by state employees in uniform, and huge parking areas.  (Once we left I-80 for I-90 we returned to the usual interstate highway rest areas.)  After getting fuel, we parked in the huge parking area, noticing something interesting in the distance.  We moved closer to find that the farm adjacent to the plaza had two barns with a message written on them in large letters.  I used my phone to zoom in closer (see below).  A cheerful reminder in our travels.

We arrived safely at the Erie KOA at around 5:45 pm.  We had stopped for a lunch break at a rest stop off I-90 about an hour west of our destination and taken a nap before fixing lunch.  Our alarm went off after 30 minutes but we fell asleep again.  We ended up sleeping about 1 1/2 hours.  Must have really needed some sleep.  We had driven through Cleveland with a long stretch of complicated construction, low overpasses, tight turns, etc.  We did get a look at Lake Erie on the left as we passed it.

When we checked in at the KOA office, the lady at the counter was dressed as a witch.  Halloween items were everywhere inside and outside.  I asked if they start early and she said that they were celebrating Halloween tonight and next Saturday night, since they close the park mid-October due to changing weather conditions that time of year.  Just before they close they celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving for their many Canadian patrons.  As we drove to our site, we noticed many Ontario plates, but not nearly as many as there are in Florida during winter.

We also noticed many small children all over the park dressed in their costumes.  I asked some of the adults how they were prepared for this upon arrival.  One woman from Pittsburgh said she read about it on KOA's web site and decided to drive on up with her grandchildren.  She was a very friendly woman who saw our fish symbol on the back of the Jeep and asked if we were born-again Christians.  She, too, is one and cheerfully shared how she and her husband met.  This whole encounter was evidence of God's providence, though Halloween is hardly a Christian holiday.  There were other very friendly people who were as surprised as we were about the early celebration, but they had arrived here early enough to go shopping for costumes.  This was the friendliest gathering at an RV park that we have experienced in two years of extensive travel.  It was a nice cool evening and a joy to be out talking to neighbors, unlike so many of the very hot days to the west of here.

Note the Halloween Inflated Toys to the Left

Pavilion Where Contests and Games Took Place for the Kids

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Thus far in our travels since July 16, 2018, we have traveled 7,321.5 miles in our motorhome.