Michigan August 2015

 

August 13^th - Started rumbling down the interstate on what is planned as a three week 1800 mile loop through Michigan, the Upper Peninsula and back.

 

We got a late started yesterday after putting in a formal offer on the Condo – which was accepted today. October 1^st possession. We also had to drop the Caddie at my nephew’s body shop so we can have a window that works for Linda when we get back. We stopped short of Joliet yesterday (Utica) at a nice campground and got a walk in last night and this morning before we left. Pretty good thru Chicago and Gary but hectic nonetheless, the last 30 miles to here was almost worse. We arrived at the campground near Canton about 3:30 EDT, set up camp and went to Linda’s classmate Sharon house for supper. We spent Saturday with her touring the town, hit a Farmer’s market and gabbed a lot. Tomorrow we head to the area around Holland for a few days.

 

August 16^th – we got another walk around the lake in this morning, Lexi got to take a few ball retrieves and got dirty enough after that to need a bath. We traveled to our campground near Grand Haven and after setting up camp we drove in to tour the town. Great views along the water and neat looking shops and houses. We found a good ice cream shop, just not $9.00 a cone good – in my opinion…

 

They had a Christian music concert on the waterfront which was good but it meant walking six blocks for a parking spot.

 

August 17^th – we got our walk in this morning, had a little breakfast, and then spent the day touring Saugatuck, Douglas, and Holland. You would have to spend a month here to hit all the wineries, breweries, and fresh fruit stands! With all the construction in downtown Holland I’m not sure we can get to the main attraction – the Old Dutch Windmill brought over in the 1800’s. We may try again tomorrow when we try to finish more other areas, and visit our Green Valley neighbors who are relocating here to their old stomping grounds.

Smallest info booth ever!

August 18^th – The rain shortened our morning walk a little so we had breakfast, cleaned up and went to the Blueberry Farm. Not raining but too wet to do the “pick your own”.  We watched the video to see how they are grown, harvested and processed and got some blueberry flavored things. Then we stopped at the factory where they make Delft  earthen ware and wooden shoes just like the old country. After lunch we went back downtown Holland and worked our way around a lot of construction and one way streets to find the old Dutch Windmill. Then we looked up our neighbors from Green Valley who summer here. They are in a new Senior Living complex. We had a nice visit with Gordon & Barb and went to a local pub for supper with them. Goog’s has BIGGGG food.

 

August 19^th – After a noisy and rainy night we were able to get a walk in before breaking camp and traveling north along the lake to Traverse City. We got a spot at the Fairgrounds campground which is fairly empty since the Fair was last week. Then we toured the Lighthouse peninsula – a narrow 22 mile long drive through wine country and orchards. The old Lighthouse wasn’t being used anymore but since it was right on the water we got to walk some beach and let Lexi play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back we spotted a new and unusual looking Church, so we pulled in. While we were admiring the head of the building committee came out and asked if we would like a tour. Neat old guy and great history of the new/old parts of the Church and all they are doing with the stained glass.

 

 

We went through the Old downtown on the way back and found one area where a half dozen food trucks were circled like the old wagon trains and a calypso band was playing. There was also something there that we read about – a peddle powered open Vehicle?? – riders sit all around and peddle their way around to the local microbreweries. Might have to try that tomorrow…

 

**The number of wineries and breweries in Michigan could keep you busy for years!!**

***It is hard to believe how many trees are down here from a storm a couple weeks ago. Both yesterday and today we saw large areas where trees had been destroyed or uprooted.***

 

Sleeping Bear Dunes Panorama

August 20^th – we got sprinkled on several times during our morning walk but not enough to turn back. We were treated to several rainbows along the way and one had a half a dozen different colors. After breakfast we started a big loop over to the coast to see the Point Betsie Lighthouse and then up to see the Sleeping Bear Dunes. The Visitors Center had a lot of info on the history and folklore of the Park. The lumps in the sand dunes were suppose to look like a sleeping Bear which from Native folklore was a mother bear waiting for her cubs who were lost when they swam across Lake Michigan. They have eroded enough now that even that would be a stretch. We did a couple hikes in the dunes while trying to stay dry. There were intermittent light showers all day.

August 21^st – It was a shortened walk and a long but very scenic driving day from Traverse City to Big Bay in the Upper Peninsula. There we joined our fiends the Walkers – Greg & Phyllis from Green Valley. They have a great log home on the Big Bay of Lake Superior. We had an enjoyable evening sitting on the deck and watching and listening to the lake and then feasted on Whitefish from the lake. We put the motorhome in the lot with their bunkhouse.

 August 22^nd – We walked on the beach this morning with Lexi and their dog Ranger, then had some coffee and conversation before a great breakfast with blueberry rice pancakes. Then they took us on tour of Marquette – the Farmer’s Market, the St. Peters Cathedral, the local and historic waterfront and parks. After some lunch and a short rest we all headed to see Thomas Rock Scenic Overlook. And was it scenic – a great view of Big Bay, Lake Independence, and Lake Superior all the way to the Keweenaw Peninsula.  They topped of the day with a local traditional meal Pasties. Meat and vegetables enclosed in a crust. something the oldtimers took with them fishing or to the mines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 23^rd – After a nice morning we went to Mass with the Walkers in Big Bay, went to see another local lighthouse before squeezing the motorhome back out of the narrow road in to their place. More food to go – wow Phyllis can put out great food and yummy pies. Then we worked our way to Houghton where we will tour the Keweenaw Peninsula and Copper Harbor.

August 24^th – After a rainy, rainy night we started our tour of the Peninsula. There are so many buildings that date back to the mining boom of the late 1800’s. Unfortunately so many were closed we just got to see the exteriors. We toured Calumet, Eagle River, Eagle Harbor, Copper Harbor, and Gay. Yes they have a town named Gay and a highlighted sign in front of the local “Gay Bar”.

We found an Eastern Catholic Monastery along the lakeshore and the bakery they run to support themselves. Too many types of bread, cookies, muffins and almost any kind of jam or jelly that you could imagine.

 

The Campground host at Houghton was very informative. He gave us lots of ideas on what to see and do on the Peninsula. He also was a writer – one book published and one in the works. Linda got an autographed copy.

Love the "Anticipation"!!

August 25^th – We got a nice walk along the waterfront and a close-up look at the drawbridge over the shipping canal. It is similar to the one in Duluth where the whole center section is raised instead of the usual swing type. Then we traveled on to Kewaunee, WI to visit my sister Kathy and hubby Ross. She had a large collection of Monarch chrysalis in containers and we got to see some of them freshly transformed into beautiful Monarch butterflies. We were also treated to homemade bread and a wonderful soup. We walked down to the Post Office and out to the lighthouse on the end of the pier.

 

 

 August 26^th – After our walk around the streets near the campground – high on the hill overlooking the lake (Michigan) – we went back to Kathy’s for some of their world famous crepes. We got to visit some more and watch the butterflies. About noon we decided to get on the road so we wouldn’t have to make the drive home all in one day. We ended up in a family run campground near Dodgeville, WI, on a hill that was pasture land until Bob retired in 1989 and decided it was a good spot for a campground. He was right – quiet and very peaceful there. We even got some of the bugs and road grime off both vehicles.

 

August 27^th – We walked up and down all the hills and dales at “Tom’s” campground – Bob named it after his uncle who originally owned the family farm. We even toured the little 1880 cabin that is still used before heading home.