COLES CREEIK, U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS CAMPGROUND, CARLYLE, IL

18 to 19 June, 2004. . We found the showers and chose site 64 right next to them. We arrived here just as a potent thunderstorm rolled in. The hardest rainfall ocurred as I was standing outside the Entrance Station to pay (after choosing our site). I got completely soaked. It's a real drag having soaking wet shoes. This place is very active. There is a wide variety of motorhomes, 5th wheels, campers, pop-ups, trailers and tents here. Lots of kids, bicycles, scooters and roller blades. Two guys were riding around on minibikes with Harley Davidson gas tanks and cut-off Harley handlebars. Sailboats, pontoon boats and jet skis. There's a beach on the other end of the campground, playground equipment, even a small basketball court. It was interesting to watch the 16 year old kid across from us arrive at his family's trailer with a severe limp and then walk away with no limp at all. It's funny to observe how people try to illicit pity in others. Many owls can be hard here at night. Internet access is extremely bad hee, although we were able to get a poor signal at least some of the time. Our Verizon flip-phone works here for the first time in several weeks. Rocky painted (white) the propane tank and the guard beneath the valves. It looks a hundred times better. The main bathroom has push-button sinks, same as the place before. They are not very user-friendly.