Our Arrival
We chose this campground due to its convenient proximity to the wedding venue we'd be attending the following Saturday (Purgatory Golf Course), which was literally just across the street. No price checking, no real research. Just booked. As we turned into the campground drive sloping down towards the river, I considered that maybe that wasn't the best idea...
It was dark, and our headlights bounced of the many large puddles of water that had accumulated. We slowly followed the drive. We rounded a turn, and stopped suddenly as we saw the road take a steep dive into the river. After a panicked several seconds, we realized that it was a boat launch, and we soon determined where the actual road continued on. Nonetheless, we were nervous! We were carrying 17,000 pounds of "house" behind us - not something you want to get stuck in mud or to have slide into a river.
The campground office was dark except one lone light post. We waited a short while, and we were met by another truck. A man got out and introduced himself as Rick, the campground owner and manager. I nervously asked if he was worried about flooding, and he shrugged. "Nah, we're monitoring the river. It'll be okay. I have a nice site picked out for you."
After checking in, he led us through the dark, nearly empty campground. The puddles were deep, and the truck bore through them, towing our huge 40-foot trailer behind us. If we hadn't been following where Rick led we would have been lost, and we also probably would have chickened out of some of those puddles!
We could not tell one site from the next. We wove between trees and boulders, until Rick finally stopped and got out of his truck to help us navigate into our site. Our "nice spot" turned out to be RIGHT next to the river, and the surging waters.
Once we got parked and pushed the slides out of the fifth wheel, and climbed into our dry home on wheels, we let out a collective sigh we didn't really know we were holding. We made it! We made it to our first official "Mortons on the Move" destination! And hopefully the river 10 feet away didn't flash flood in the night...
Riverbend Campground
The first few days were HOT, HUMID, and terribly BUGGY! We enjoyed our A/C in our fifth wheel, and only ventured a little into town. As the humidity dropped and the bugs eased, we came to very much enjoy our quiet campground that we had almost all to ourselves. Rick invited us over for food and drink, lent us canoes to explore the river, and even introduced us to his family. Rick's family was from India, and they made the best Indian food we'd ever tasted - and made it over the campfire! |
The White River |
Rick lent us a canoe and drove us about 7 miles upriver from the campground to spend a pleasant 3 hours paddling down the river. By then, the water had cleared up tremendously, and we saw that the river was indeed beautiful. It is too shallow in some places for motorboats, so the trip was quiet and peaceful. |
NoblesVille

The newer business district had all the box stores, name brands, restaurants, and strip malls you could want. We met some friends for dinner in a very up-and-coming area of town with brand new infrastructure.
Morse Reservoir
Since we couldn't bring ourselves to swim in the river, we got in the truck and drove over to the Morse Reservoir, which looked like the closest body of water to us. We read online about a free beach that was the only public access. We found the beach, and found out that it was not free. It was in a nice park called Morse Park but it didn't really suit our needs. But the spillway from the reservoir was pretty neat to see. | |
Indianapolis
We took our bikes into the city one day and were lucky to find a free parking spot just outside of the busy area near White River State Park. It was an easy ride into the city, which prides itself on its rich cultural heritage. We rode along the Cultural Trail, which is an urban bike and pedestrian path that was completed in 2013. It runs along a system of canals, neighborhoods, museums, monuments, and government buildings. Riding this trail, we were able to see much of the city in a short amount of time. Highly recommend it if you are ever in Indianapolis! |