We usually spend the week of the 4th camping. Somewhere close so the Husband can get to work. The past few years we have gone to Michigan to stay at the beach. For whatever reason, we decided to go somewhere different this time.
Monticello, IN was it. The amusement park, Indiana Beach, is there so we got a site at one of their campgrounds, Ideal Beach Campground. I didn't love it and I really can't recommend it. The pictures online of the campground are deceiving, it looks really nice but when you get there it's just okay. The maintenance staff at the campground are very nice and the lifeguards at the pool were really nice but there is one manager in particular that is flat out rude and unfriendly. I understood from some of the employees of the campground that the company that owns all of this have really let the campgrounds go downhill. The sites are very narrow, you're really close to the sites next to you. There was a shuttle from the campground to the amusement park that was really nice for everyone to come and go without us having to drive them and there were nice bathrooms. It's expensive also. The most expensive campground we've ever stayed at.
The amusement park is in serious disrepair. The bathrooms are disgusting and some of the rides look like they are on their last leg. I mean they really look unsafe. There is a waterpark at the amusement park, I just told everyone to stay away from it. What a shame too, the town appears to be built around that amusement park. It could be great and for an amusement park, it's not crazy expensive but it does need maintenance, repair and upgrading right now.
The weather was not great for most of the week. I guess it worked out that we weren't in Michigan because it would have been cold and miserable. We did get out on the lake some. Lake Shafer is the lake, it's actually a damned up river. There is a lot of debris in the water, you really have to watch what you're doing. We rented a boat at Lake Shafer Boat Rentals and went out with the wave runners. Again, the weather was not great so I was actually a little bored and wanted to get off the boat after a few hours.
We rented kayaks from Hodges Canoe Trips. It rained. The whole way. Not just a little rain either. I thought it was going to start hailing at one point. I was freezing, I have never been so glad to get out of a kayak in all my life! The teenager says his kayaking career is over, he is officially retired and will gladly go fishing from now on instead of kayaking. It's funny now, of course, but at the time it was absolutely miserable.
Oh well! Even though we aren't returning to this area, we did have some fun. There are some memories, some good, some not so much. The teenager can complain about the kayaking trip and we all know that teenagers need something to complain about!
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