A starter dies in northern Ohio

After pulling into a very nice RV park in Thompson, Ohio, I tried to start the pickup truck we tow behind the motorhome.  Didn't even turn over.  Click.  Click.  We were stranded.

Nancy had noticed a car repair shop passed just a mile or so back.  I called them, and the mechanic came out the next morning, diagnosed the problem, and AAA towed the vehicle to their shop.  Replaced the starter that same day, charged $177, and we had a working vehicle.  Pretty damned slick, very non-California-like, and much appreciated.

The campground turned out to be one of our favorites.  Very friendly and likable staff and fellow campers.   In addition to the RV sites, they offered teepees and cabins for families to stay in, and lots of activities for kids.

This was another wine-producing area, and we saw a lot of vines along the roads.  We visited the Debonne Winery and we each had a flight of their wines.  Once again the reds were weak (though much better than the Finger Lakes reds we tried), and the whites were okay.  Their best-reviewed wine is a Vidal Blanc Ice Wine.  Ice wines are produced by allowing the grapes on the vine in northern climes to freeze as winter approaches, resulting in a concentrated sweet wine when the grapes are later crushed.  And Debonne's version was outstanding.  (I have a sweet tooth and unlike many lovers of wine am a fan of sweet wines like French Sauternes, so I appreciated Debonne's ice wine, as did Nancy, and we took a bottle home.)

Our campground was within driving distance of Cleveland.  We thought it would be fun to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  The museum is right on the Lake Erie waterfront and next to FirstEnergy Stadium, where the Cleveland Browns try to play NFL football.

The Hall of Fame was a disappointment.  Big crowds, plenty of exhibits, massive displays of rocker wear and guitars - but the music was choppy and it all seemed to run together.  One listening station might play music by Chuck Berry or the Mamas and the Papas - but it was hard to enjoy because just a few feet away was an equally loud recording by Metallica or The Doors.  It almost seemed like the curators wanted to give each visitor a tiny little bit of every act honored by the hall rather than concentrating on a smaller number of bands or singers in a form to be truly appreciated, and rotating the featured artists.

Of course there were a few bright spots.  For example, there was a decent Elvis exhibit.

We both thought the Frank-Gehry-designed Rock and Roll Museum in Seattle was much better, and the Grammy Museum in Cleveland, Mississippi was on another level entirely.