Our days fall roughly into two categories: Driving or Not Driving.

While other factors (working, weather, weekends) can have an influence, time spent behind the wheel tends to define the day.

As the self-appointed trip strategist, planner and navigator, I set the schedule most days. We favor a leisurely pace. Five hours is considered a long driving day. Much more common (and appreciated) are modest goals of two hundred miles or less. Regardless, we like to arrive at our destination before dark—for both tactical and practical reasons (see blog post dated January 26).

On this, the first day of our “Eastern Loop,” we’ve planned for a long drive day. I have sussed out three possible campsites for the night, each representative of our typical options:

Joe Huber’s Family Farm and Restaurant (via Harvest Hosts)
Our annual Harvest Host membership makes it possible to overnight at farms, vineyards and attractions all over North America at no charge. We love the quirky nature of these stays—and the opportunity to chat with the business owners.
Deam Lake State Recreation Area
When measured in terms of scenic quality, federal and state parks rarely disappoint. They’re almost always less expensive than private campgrounds and generally include miles of trails. We stopped at Deam Lake SRA on our way north when near-freezing temps limited our explorations. We thought we might give it another try.
Clark State Forest (via freecampsites.net)
Services are limited at most forest campsites, but the price reflects this. Lacking reservations or guarantees of any kind, you roll the dice with these, but the gamble general pays off in privacy and natural beauty.

How to choose? I rely on a proprietary algorithm that takes into consideration budgetary, hygienic and communications needs with weight given to exceptional recreational or culinary opportunities. In this case we decided to start from the top, geographically speaking.

At the northernmost position, Clark State Forest was our first stop. We paid $14.43 and had the entire campground to ourselves. Done.

Stay: Clark State Forest offers 2 campgrounds located just a mile off I65. The first is very near the highway and slightly less expensive, but we persevered and ended up at the equestrian campground, tucked further back in the park and perched atop a ravine. This was our second stay at an equestrian campground (sans horses). Sure, you have to watch your step, but I think the sites might be roomier and they come complete with a hitching post.

Eat: We enjoyed a very memorable road breakfast at Jelly Pancake House in Merrillville Indiana. The place was packed at 10:00 a.m. on a weekday. ‘Nuf said.