We stretched out our time at High Country Cottages and Motel until the noon checkout time enjoying the amenities as we knew we still had a long drive ahead of us on our way to the Badlands in South Dakota. We put our destination into the GPS and hit the road. As usual, we tried to avoid the major highways to make the drive a little more interesting. Add in an engaging audiobook and the time went by pretty quickly. Our old standby, freecampsites.net, helped us find a nice free home for the night at Ring Mill Campground in Ohio. We got there too late to do much more than set up the truck for the night but it was quiet and comfortable.
In the daylight, we were able to get a better look at Ring Mill campground where we had spent the night. It was really nice actually, The sites had tree cover for privacy, along with picnic tables, grills, and fire rings. The river was just a short walk away and the outhouse was well maintained. The bulletin board had a notice stating that the fee might be changed to $10 a night next month but for now, it is free. If we were not anxious to get further west, it would have been a great place to settle in for a few days.
We both had some work obligations so we got on the road planning to find a coffee shop along the way. We ended up at Tree House Cafe in Zanesville, Ohio. The friendly barista helped us find a seat near an outlet for our computers and served us our coffee in thick earthenware mugs. I was amused to see that one of the couches was the exact same one I owned years again when I lived in Indiana. I sent a photo of it to my daughters and they remembered it too. Work completed for the day, it was time to get back in the car.
We crossed the border into Indiana and began to think about a place to spend the night. We had decided to find a motel instead of camp for the night as we were tired from the long days of driving and needed to do laundry. Always looking for the best deal, we compared rates and ended up at Super 8. We had a great experience there. It was very clean and comfortable, and when I asked if they had guest laundry facilities, Susie at the front desk said no but that she would do it for us! We got it back a couple hours later beautifully folded. As much as I love camping, it is nice to enjoy a bit of luxury.
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