The Road Less Traveled

Breakfast at "The Antlers' before heading out this morning. If you are in the "SOO" you have to go! It is a little stone building across from the Hydro Plant. It is nothing special to look at until you get inside. There are numerous "stuffed" animals and it is very rustic as you can see. This is a taxidermy heaven!

Before we pulled out this morning we were stopped by 4 people asking about the coach. One woman said her husband had already been on line and took the phone number off the back to call them...so we did a tour (good thing we make the bed every morning.)

Off we go to spend the next 6 days in Tahquamenon Falls area in Paradise! We left the "Soo" on 6 mile road to Lakeshore Drive (Curley Lewis Hwy) to Rte 123 N. This route goes along the top of the UP and along the shorline of Lake Superior. Very few cars and the scenery is breathtaking.

Our first stop was Point Iroquois Light Station in the Hiawatha National Forest.The purpose of Point Iroquois was to guide freighters safely between the open waters of Whitefish Bay and the St. Mary's River. It served passing sailors by marking the narrow channel between the shallow sand bars and shoals off Point Iroquois and the rocky reefs of Gros Cap on the Canadian side of the bay. Keeping the light was demanding work. The lightkeeper had to be on duty throughout the night during the shipping season. Prior to electricity, a huge kerosene lamp provided the beacon's light source. keepers refilled the lamp with oil about every 4 hours and the wicks needed to be trimmed constantly.

Even with the aid of the light and fog horn, ships occaisonally foundered in the passage. Sixteen crewmen lost their lives in the freezing lake when the Steamer Myron went down in 1919 during one of the infamous November storms. Finding the bodies as they washed ashore, lightkeeper Elmer Byrnes (1920) took them to an undertaker in the neaby town. The undertaker would pay $10 a piece for "floaters". Because of heavy ship traffic , in 1902 the Lighthouse Service added to the building originaly built with the tower in 1870. The light station then had room for a head keeper, two assistants, and their families. In the 1950's , there were 3 families and eight children living at the lighthouse.

Driving along Ken spoted a place to pull off the road in a parking lot along a deserted beach. Nice thought but - ADVENTURE ALERT - he thought we had enough room to turn - we didn't as there was a big ditch we couldn't see under the grass. (We can't backup with the car attached) We pulled up as far as we could but the car was still crooked and we couldn't get the connecter bars loose from the towbar. We used a hammer and banged them out...don't want to do that again! Now we make very sure we have enough room to turn around (whew)!

Back on the road we stopped again at a pull through and walked down to a beach. Even though it was cloudy it was beautiful. No sign of anything human as far as you can see. Felt like Crusoe. We finally pulled into the Rivermouth Campground in Tahquamenon Falls State Park. We have a spot right on the river and there are very few people in the park right now.

Time to drive into Paradise to shop (another adventure). Paradise is the Wild Blueberry Capital of Michigan. We saw lots of bushes but too early for berries. Drive down main street and you will see small market (vintage 1950's), 2 restaurants, ice cream parlor, bake shop, and the deputy sheriffs house. This place is also rich with nautical folklore and it is truly a unique experience. It is the closest community to Tahquamenon Falls. We shopped at the little market and picked up enough food for a few days. We thought we would try the Youkon Inn for dinner (there were lots of trucks parked there). Well it' s the local Bar & Burger place so we had drinks ($5) and moved on. Found the Fish House and had broiled Lake Trout (fantastic).

Back at camp we went for a hike along the Tahquamenon River. All of a sudden there are two weird looking and very large birds in front of us. They were just ambling down the path and not paying us any attention. They looked prehistoric. (Of course the camera was in the car!) We found out from the park ranger that they were Sandhill Cranes. These Cranes are tall, stately birds with a heavy body, long neck and long legs. Standing four to five feet high and possessing a wing span of six to seven feet, Sandhill Cranes are Michigan's largest bird. Long, skinny legs and neck give a false impression of size; the males weigh an average of about 12 pounds and the females around 9-1/2 pounds. Except for this size difference, both sexes look alike. They were fun to watch and eventually they flew to the other side of the river. (Look them up on line they are really neat looking birds.)

This will be a great place to spend the 4th of July!

Soo Locks

It was cold and windy last night. We could hear the freighters and tankers rumble by us and sometimes hear their fog horns as they came up or down the St Mary River. We called the Locks Visitor Center and found out some ships were expected about 1:30pm which was perfect.

We drove down the street to the US Hydroelectric Power Plant just north of the locks. The plant generates more than 150 million kilowatt hours of electrical power each year to operate the locks. Any remaining power gets distributed to to homes and businesses in Sault Ste Marie and surrounding communities.We stood along the wall and fished for a couple hours. We could see plenty of Atlantic Salmon just below us, but they wouldn't bite. We tried everything! There were boats hooked to the wall of the power plant with huge hooks with guys fly fishing. As soon as someone hooks a fish they let the hook loose from the wall and let the fish take them for a ride. One guy caught a fish about 15 lbs.

It was time to head for the locks. We went up into the viewing stand right next to the MacArthur Lock and Poe Lock. The Poe Lock is the largest of the 4 locks and was built in 1968 to accommodate 1000 foot vessels. There were 3 ships scheduled (2 going up to Lake Superior and 1 down to Lake Huron). The Visitor Center does a nice job announcing the ships as they come through and gives information on the size, its national origin, tonnage, cargo and destination. The Cedarglen was the first ship and it was huge. Just a little under 1000 lbs and they raised it 21 feet to go into Lake Superior.By the time it was raised the bottom of the ship was even with the top of the lock! Most cargo contained in these ships is either iron ore, coal, grain, or stone. More than 11,000 vessels, carrying up to 90 million tons of cargo pass through these locks every year.

Note the picture with the little tour boat (which you can barely see) in the lock. By the time it is raised you can see the whole boat! We spent 3 hours here and it was really interesting.

Back at camp we had dinner. It is really windy on the river and cold (56 degrees). It's fun to see the ships as they go by and hear the horns at night.
The sound can be very haunting when you think of all the wrecks out there!

It was a nice day.

Sault Ste Marie

Before leaving Mackinaw City we found a place to give the coach a bath! It really needed it. It was windy as we crossed over the bridge. Taking County Rd 63 all the way to the "Soo" (nickname for Sault Ste Marie). Part way we pulled over and had a "chinese fire drill" - Yep Sandi drove for the 1st time! Ken took over as we came into Sault Ste Marie.

We aren't making any reservations, so we found the Aune-Osborne Campground which is right on the St Mary River just south of the "Soo Locks". After setting up we went into town to the locks. There were no freighters scheduled to come through this afternoon, but a barge came through with a load and it was very intersting. The lady at the visitor center gave me a phone number to call in the morning to find out the schedule for the ships coming through. We hope to see a bigger one tomorrow.

Walking back to the car we stopped at the Shipwreck Museum. We watched a video and learned a lot about the start of the weather stations and the importance of the light keepers. There were artist renderings of the famous Great Lake shipwrecks along the wall. The number of shipwrecks in this area is amazing!

On the way back to camp we stopped at the Ship Valley Camp Museum. This is a retired cargo freighter and you can walk through it from top to bottom. The museum had great exhibits on Great Lake Shipping, fishing, artifacts and information on shipwrecks. I couldn't believe how huge this ship was!

The salmon are starting to come into the St Mary River now so we got our licenses at "Woodys" store and we'll go fishing tomorrow morning.

Back at camp it is really cold and windy. We have been in our fleece jackets all day!

Last Day in Mackinac City

We discovered a rail trail across the street from the campground entrance so we took a ride this morning. Unfortunately this is not a loop so we rode about 2 1/2 miles and rode back to camp. When we got back we found out you can acess the trail right from the campground.... oh well...

We've enjoyed this campground, but it's time to move on. We took an excursion to Cheboygan and found a grocery store and then got ready to move out in the morning.

What's are Pasties?

Quiet day today so after "brunch" we drove over the Mackinac Bridge. Known as the "Mighty Mac" the bridge rises 552 feet (55 stories) above the Straits of Mackinac, where Lakes Huron and Michigan meet. This engineering marvel is 5 miles long. It held the record as the longest suspension bridge in the world for half a century. We decided to following Rte 2 along Lake Michigan on the southern Upper Peninsular because we won't be going this way when we leave Mackinaw City. We just wanted to see what was there.

We stopped at the National Forest Visitor Center and met Alexandra & William Riggins who are bicycling across the US. Twelve years ago they sold everything and have been traveling through Europe. They shared some unique stories with us about how people have helped them along the way.

Well Rte 2 was like a big highway and we got off as fast as possible and found a back road that would take us to the little town of Trout Lake. Nope we didn't fish, but we did have lunch. Ken had the local Whitefish and I had the local "Pastie" pronounced Pass-tee. (If you pronounce it incorrectly they will embarras you). It was like a meat pie and a little spicy - very good.

Got back to camp and sat at the edge of Lake Huron and watched the sunset. It seems weird but it is 10PM (eastern time) and it is still daylight here!

Step Back In Time - Part 1

The ride to Mackinac Island is on a “jet boat” ferry which has a “rooster tail” behind it as you go across Lake Huron. Very cool!

Close your eyes and step back in time! You are strolling up the dock from the ferry, and through a portal into the 1800’s. There has been a ban on automobiles since 1898 and there is nothing motorized on the island. Everything is done by horse drawn wagon or bicycle. Walking down main street to the carriage stop you get a tour time and then grab a coffee (no Starbucks here). Sitting on a bench in front of the Chippewa Hotel on Main St you get a real feel for 1800 life. A 2 horse wagon goes by carrying bags of sugar from the docks to the Grand Hotel. A young man came up the street on a bicycle piled with 6 - 8 suitcases and a guitar case lying on top of them. He was a “bell boy” bringing bags to one of the hotels from the ferry. It is a very strange feeling.

Time for the tour (which was wonderful!). Don’t expect to get any where fast. The tour is complete relaxation (for us) as the carriage holds about 12 people and is pulled by two very large horses. The carriage headed down Main St and past Marquette Park which is full of Lilacs and then up a fairly steep hill. Too bad you missed the Lilac Festival by 1 week, but they are still in bloom. I’ve never seen so many different colors of pinks and purples! The drivers are all college students and do a great job with the narration as you arrive at the 1st stop - Surrey Hill. There is a Butterfly Conservatory here and naturally “a gift shop”. The main reason for the stop is to change from a 2 horse carriage to a 3 horse which pulls 35 people and a larger carriage. Driving through the forest we see wild flowers like Trillium and Yellow Lady Slippers (which I had never seen before). There is a very large fine for picking anything from the forest, but the Lady Slippers carry a $5000 price tag.

The carriage arrives at Arch Rock which rises 146 feet above the water. It is a natural curiosity and spans fifty feet at it’s widest point. Geologists explain the arch was formed by wind and water erosion over thousands of years…But the Indian legend is better. A young beautiful Indian maiden calld Ne-daw-niss (She-who-walks-the-mist) met a handsome brave who was the son of a sky spirit. They fell in love, but her cruel father forbid her to marry as he was non-mortal. He beat her and tied her to a rock high on a bluff. She wept softly for her love. Tears flowing down the bluff washed away the stone and formed the Arch. In time the brave returned, rescued her, and took her home to his people. (I like this version better.)

Leaving Arch Rock the carriage heads through the forest to Fort Mackinac. Here you will leave the carriage and spend as much time at the Fort as you want. Spending over an hour here is easy going through all the various buildings like the Post Hospital and Schoolhouse. The fort also offers spectacular views of town and the Straits of Mackinac. in one day!

Step back In Time - Part 2

-continued-

At the Officers Stone Quarters, which was built in 1780, we stroll down the stairs to the veranda and the fort Tea Room where a fantastic lunch is served along with spectacular views of the island village and shimmering blue waters of the Straits of Mackinac. After lunch there is a musket firing presentation and the firing of the cannon. Time to continue the tour and walk down the avenue of flags and back to the carriage.

Next stop the Grand Hotel. This is the showplace of the Great Lakes and was built in 1887. During the days of steam-powered boats and railroad wealthy patrons dressed for tea and promenaded on its 660 foot porch. Well we didn’t promenade (entry fee $10). The front lawn has a beautiful topiary sculpture and a childrens Victorian carnival set up with pony rides and animals. The view is fantastic and the Livery that brings guests from the ferries is very striking . Walking down the Grand Boulevard on our way back to town it's time for a cold beverage at the “Gatehouse”.

Eventually it's time to go back to the 21st century. Stopping at Murdick’s 1880 Main Street Candy Kitchen we buy our supply of fudge and head for the boat. This was a fantastice day!

Note: Ken and I don’t usually go back to too many places but this is one we will return to. I think you have to go twice. Once as we did for the tour and then once to bicycle the island on your own. You can’t do both in one day!

Is It Mackinac or Mackinaw?

Sunny and hot but the drive up Rte 31 along Lake Michigan was beautiful. We stopped at a roadside park for lunch right on the lake. These are great places to get out and walk around and gives Ken a break from driving. On the way to Mackinaw City we went through Traverse City. This is a really pretty area and very popular for summer vacationers. They have a lot of shops, restaurants and resorts right along the lake. Cherry wine is popular here and there are a number of good wineries. (We visited these during my consulting assignment in Detroit so we didn't stop this time.) As we drove north through Petosky we had another Coach House pass us going South. First one we've seen on our trip.

Arrived at the Mill Creek Campground about 1PM . It is a huge place and our site is perfect! Right on Lake Huron with a view of Mackinac Island, Mackinac Bridge, and the Mackinac Straits. We had heard a lot about the Mackinaw area .This is one of the key places we wanted to visit on our trip. We drove into Mackinaw City to check it out. Driving along the waterfront we stopped to get our ferry tickets for Mackinac Island tomorrow. The man at the counter suggested a tour package (ferry, carriage tour, and fort tour) all included. He suggested we leave our bikes home and take the tours. So that’s what we will do. We followed the main street along fishing piers and came to the historic part of town. Very quaint little shops and “eateries”.

By now you are probably thinking “Is it Mackinac or Mackinaw?”….The name Michilimackinac, the place of the "Great Turtle", was first given to Mackinac Island for its shape and was eventually given to the entire Straits of Mackinac region. By the 1820s, it was shortened to Mackinac. The founders of Mackinaw City decided on the phonetic "aw" spelling, probably as a way to distinguish their town from Mackinac Island. Today Mackinaw City retains the "aw" spelling while the bridge, straits and island steadfastly cling to the "ac" spelling. No matter how it is spelled, however, it is always pronounced Mackinaw!　

At the end of the waterfront we came to the Mackinac Point Light Station which was in operation from 1890 until 1957. The lighthouse is located within Michilimackinac State Park, just a few hundred feet east of the Mackinac Bridge. It’s a beautiful state park with picnic tables and benches. We followed the path down to the water and over to “Old Mackinac Point“. From here you have great views of the bridge and the Mackinac Straits. It’s a popular place for watching sunsets.

Behind us was the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. German-born John Peter Schmitt and his crew built Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in 1892. Its light guided ships on the Straits of Mackinac for 66 years. Its steam-powered horn steered ships clear from shore in fog and darkness. Lighthouses were extremely important (and still are) in this area to keep the ships safe in the heavy fog and storms as they pass through one Great Lake and into another. "Old Mackinac Point is one of Mackinaw City's oldest original buildings that maintains its original late 19th century castle-like architectural integrity.

Time to head home for dinner and sunset viewing from our campsite. We are really excited about going to the Island tomorrow.

Sunset on Grand Traverse Bay

Today is a travel day which gets us closer to Mackinaw City where we want to spend a little time. Heading up Rte 37 N our destination is Eastport, Michigan. The trip to Eastport was nice and we went through a lot of little towns which are always interesting. On our way through Buckley we saw a great saying on a church sign board - “Laughter is Gods hand on a shoulder of a troubled world”.

We crossed the 45th parrallel today which is the mid point between the Equator and the North Pole. Rte 37 takes us out of the flat country and back into the hills again. It is definitely cherry country. There were a lot of cherry orchards along the road. Too bad we are too early for the harvest!

Arrived at the Antrim County Campground in Eastport. What a pleasant surprise. We didn’t really know what to expect as this was the first County campground we had stayed at. We got set up and took our camp chairs and walked down to the beach. We found a shaded area in some trees right by the stairway. The campground is right on the Grand Traverse Bay area of Lake Michigan. We decided to test out the water. It is really clear and the bottom is beautiful sand. Very nice! It is breezy on the beach and we sat in our chairs, ate cherries, and read most of the afternoon. The breeze cooled us right down and was a great way to spend the rest of the day.

After dinner we decided to back down the beach and watch the sunset. It was gorgeous!

Once we got back to camp we discovered there was a street light right over our site. Figures - probably the only light in the campground! We had to pull the night shade on the bedroom window (1st time ever).

We enjoyed our stay, but looking forward to Mackinaw!

Whats a Premelian Burger?

Off to Luddington on Lake Michigan. It was a nice drive and the town is very cute. As we drove down the main street there were Petunias all along the curb stones. It was very picturesque as you drove in. We drove through town and parked at the town park along the waterfront. There is a 1/2 mile pier you can walk down to a lighthouse. We did the walk and watched people fishing off the pier for a while. Naturally after the walk we were hungry!

On Main Street was the Old Hamlin restaurant. This has been family run since 1926. A lot of times when we travel we like to eat in little historic places and eat the local “fare”. Michigan is “cherry” country so Sandi decided to have a Premelian Hamburger for lunch. It’s ground beef and cherries mixed together. It was good! Didn’t taste too much different than a regular burger.

Walking back to the car we passed another little shop called Kilwin’s Chocolate & Ice Cream Parlor. Believe it or not we didn’t go in, but we peeked in the window. This was just like an old fashion ice cream parlor with the candy counter in the front. (Too bad we had just had lunch..) Along the walls of the buildings on Main St were murals of the old west. We walked around and looked at some of these. They were really intersting. The town is full of fantastic Victorian homes/B&B’s. The porches look so comfy unfortunately we didn't have time for a nap!

We got back and it was really hot and humid so we decided to go to the pool. We had it all to ourselves. It was great just floating around on the “noodles”. Had dinner and hung out. This was a great place but we are ready to move on tomorrow

Chore Day

Got all our chores done. While I was doing laundry at the pool I saw this beautiful woodpecker on a tree. It had a bright red head, white breast, and black wings. We looked it up on line and it was a Red Headed Woodpecker. We had never seen one before.


The plan was to only spend 2 nights here, but we like the park a lot and decided to stay another day. The park is beautifully landscaped, all the sites have cement pads and an attached patio area with a built in fire pit. The sites are very large and plenty of room for the coach and car to be parked together.

Later we checked out the local bait shop. We checked out the public access sites and we may fish tomorrow on the Pere Marquette River.

Seems everyone goes for a walk or bike ride around the park after dinner. We talked with one of our neighbors and she suggested we go to Luddington, Michigan which is on the lake. She said it was a very nice town and very quaint. Maybe we will go tomorrow.

Pere Marquette RV Resort - what a find

Drove out of the Blue Chip in Michigan City about 8:45AM. We drove a few miles and found ourselves in New Buffalo, Michigan. We had breakfast in a little café called Michigan Thyme (cute play on words).

Continuing up Rte 12 the scenery got better and we turned onto the Red Arrow Highway. Stopping at an overlook where we could “sort of” see Lake Michigan for the first time we could only see a little of the lake. It was very foggy on the water and we’ve noticed there are a lot of heavy tree branches down in yards and along the road. We learned that there had been some serious storms all around us last night, but we fortunately missed it.

We got off the Red Arrow Highway and onto Interstate 194 in order to miss the little bumpy roads. WHAT A MISTAKE! The good old 2009 Recovery Act has everything torn up! The interstate is an old concrete road and it was full of holes. It was so bad the refrigerator door flew open and we had stuff all over the floor. As Ken is trying to get through Grand Rapids at 55MPH I am trying to clean up the mess. Once we got into camp we found we even had a broken glass in the cabinet. Argh…

We got off the interstate and onto Rte 37N which takes us into Manistee State Forest. This is a beautiful area. We will stop in Baldwin, Michigan tonight. There is an RV resort there and we need some down time as well as time to do laundry and house cleaning. Pulling in we felt like we were in a little village. We pulled through the gates and caused stir”. Ron and Jim are the managers and they love our “rig”. They came over to tell us that everyone wanted to know what kind of coach it was. We have done 2 tours already.

Settled in for the night. It is still hot and humid. A lot of the RV’s here are either seasonal or weekenders, but it is very nice.

Blue Chip Camping

Looking out the window this morning and seeing the ominous sky with more storms predicted we thanked Allison for her offer to take us around Chicago and said goodbye to Blanche. We had a great time!

We took Rte 57N to Rte 30E back into Indiana so we wouldn't have to travel the Interstate again. Then we hopped onto I65 to Gary, Indiana because Rte 30 got a little rough with a lot of pot holes. We had a car go by us and the lady in the passenger seat stuck her head out the windo and yelled "Hello New Hampshire!" We waved back and it was funny.

We turned onto “scenic” Route 12 which the map shows going along Lake Michigan. Well it’s not scenic and you can’t see the lake. There are a number of parks along the route but signage is poor. We didn’t stop because we couldn’t tell if there were campgrounds in the parks or not. We bumped our way along into Michigan which was our 3rd state today! Well all of a sudden the road got 100% better and appearing to our right was the Blue Chip Casino. The coach just turned itself into the parking lot and decided this was home for the night! Casino Camping can be fun. Usually there is one location in the parking lot where all of the RV’s and tractor trailer trucks go. There are do’s and don’ts for Casino Camping. We don’t put our levelers down or our sliders out. We don’t set up our lawn chairs. We come in and park, utilize the restaurants and restrooms and we leave. There is no fee for parking and security does a great job watching the vehicles.

We went in and played for a while and had dinner. We had tornado warnings until 6PM but fortunately we had only a little rain and very gusty winds that shook the RV a little. We did some planning for Michigan and then went to bed.

Family Ties

Wow we had awful thunderstorms and some wind early this morning but it cleared. Still very hot, humid, and sticky. Visited some more and Ken made bacon and eggs. We all headed back to Chicago early afternoon as the neighbor warned us that there were severe storm warnings. So we buttoned up the coach and headed out. We will spend the night at Blanche's.

We were able to all meet up with Allison (Ken's neice) and her husband Dave for dinner. We went to a place called Moretti's in Chicago. We sat outdoors in a little patio and the food was terrific. Then we went back to Allison & Dave's for dessert. Their house is an older home that they have remodled keeping the older feel. It is a beautiful home. We had a really nice time and it was good to see everyone.

Family Visit

Left for the big city of Chicago (well Park Ridge suburb) to pick up Blanche and bring her back to the coach for dinner and overnight. On the way up Interstate 294 we went through several ipass toolboths and were good tourists and paid the toll. At the last one the attendant said "go you have a pass"! Well we looked at each other and said OK. Apparently our EZPass from home works in Illinois too. Funny thing was it was in the glove compartment and it must have connected right through it.

Blanche's place is adorable and has lots of room. We visited for a while and then headed back to Kankakee. Stopped at Walmart and got groceries for dinner. Gave Blanche the tour of the coach when we got back (all of 5 minutes) but it was fun. We took a walk around the park and talked about the different types of RV's. The rain held off and we cooked out (thank you weather gods) but it is really humid. We had a campfire and sat around and talked. This was a really special visit.

Illinois Here We Come

We are all fixed and functional again thanks to the folks at Stewart Service and we have a new microwave/convection oven thanks to Charger Enterprises. If you are on the road and need assistance we can't say enought about these two businesses. They were great.

We are on our way to Kankakee, Illinois. This is the closest campground to Ken's sister Blanche who lives in Chicago. We had planned to stay at the casino RV park in Joliet, but they had a big fire and weren't opening until next week (of course!). This was the first Interstate (80/90) we have been on since we left home.It was raining hard and we had tractor trailer trucks on both sides and in front of us. It was hard to see and of course it was rush hour. Finally we got off I80 west and onto Rte 57 S and we finally got to our campsite. Now we know why we love the back roads so much.

The campground is OK and funny thing is the coach across from us was at the same campground we were in Elkhart last night. They are from New Jersey on their way to Montana. We talked for a while and then we headed inside.

Looking forward to seeing Blanche tomorrow!

RV/MH Hall of Fame

Left camp about 7:30am and dropped the coach at Stewarts Service Center. They are going to work on our leveler problem today.

We took this opportunity to visit the RV/MH Hall of Fame. We started in the Founders Hall where many historical RV's are displayed. There were RV's that went back to Pre WWI. The hall is set up like a little highway with the RV's displayed in sites along the road. One of the first RV's was the 1931 Model AA Ford Housecar (picture 1 & 2). We loved this one it was really plush! The floors were yellow pine with cabinets and interior of oak and yellow poplar. It is thought to have been built by a custom carriage maker and woodwork artist. Originally it had a flat bench with no back for the driver and passenger. One of Sandi's favorites was the 1928 Pierce Arrow Fleet Housecar (picture 3). This is one of only 3 that were built before the crash of 1929 which ended the manufacture of Pierce Arrow luxury housecars. There were so many other beautiful campers we couldn't take pictures of all of them. The last one we looked at was built for the actress Mae West when they were trying to lure her away from vaudeville and into the movies. They would pick her up in this luxury coach that looks like a plush railroad car and bring her to the studio. Very nice for that time period. Lastly the hall displays pictures of those inducted into the hall. These individuals have helped shape the RV/MH industry. This is a stop well worth making if you are traveling through Elkhart!

Outside the hall there were a group of people known as the "Tin Can Tourists". You may have seen a program about them on the discovery channel. We met Dorothy and Richard Tate in thier older RV complete with green shag carpet and all the ammenities. It was very cute and they were wonderful giving us a tour and telling stories about their travels.

Went back to pick up the coach and thanks to Randy and the folks at Stewarts our levelers are fixed. They were wonderful!

However, we have to stay one more day in Elkhart. We had a problem with our microwave/convection oven. Of course these things happen when your warranty ends but fortunately we purchased extended coverage when we bought the coach. They arranged for us to take the coach in tomorrow.

Today was a busy day and we just hung out when we got back to camp. It is very hot and humid and we could have thunderstorms tonight.

Elkhart - our fix it stop

Hot and sunny as we left Albion for Elkhart. It is a nice drive up Rte 9 N, Rte 6 W and then north on Rte 33 but I don't think Indiana is a pretty a state (atleast the northern part) as Ohio. The hot & humid weather has arrived. The park we are staying at for the next couple days is the first Good Sam Park we have tried and it is very nice. The lots are level and good size. The facilities are very nice. Even the satellite worked. It is also close to the service center we need to visit.

Elkhart is the RV Capital and until the economy slump the area manufactured almost 50% of all RV's (except ours which is made in Nokomis, Fla). This area has been hit very hard and it is sad to see all of the closed businesses. Took an excursion around town and found some very nice areas along the Elkhart River. Decided to stop at an Italian place called Michaels (was good but not as good as Guido's).

I always check the tourist brochures in the restaurant lobbies for information. That's how we found out about the RV/MH Hall of Fame and we will go there tomorrow while the coach is being worked on.

Sat at the picnic table for a while and then called it a night.

Dock Lake

Pancakes for breakfast with NH maple syrup! It's partly sunny and we got ready to go fishing on Dock Lake. Right now getting ready to fish for us is like the "travelling follies". We have all of our sporting gear (golf clubs, bike helmets, fishing poles, boxes of lures and fly's, walking sticks... well you get the idea...) on top of our inflatable boat. Sooo when we want to fish we have to unload it all (no easy task). We have decided we definitely need a car top carrier (next stop a Thule dealer). Got the boat in the water. It was a nice lake and bigger than it looked. We packed our lunch and spent several hours floating in the peace and quiet. There were several channels off the lake for canoeing but didn't look big enough for the Fold Cat. I had a couple of bites, but to be honest I was so shocked I didn't get it hooked! Of course we had showers, but we enjoyed ourselves.

Got back to camp, sat outside and relaxed and talked about the day. We had lots of people go by and compliment us on the "camper". Started to get ready to move on tomorrow.

Next stop Indiana

First we have to say that we loved the Ohio State Parks and the state itself. Highly recommend if you are camping in Ohio stay in the state parks.

We left Ohio and "the bugs" and had a nice drive through country roads on Rte 6 W. Lunch was wonderful homemade apple bread which we bought yesterday at a farm stand. Continuing down Rte 6 and then Rte 9 S to Chain O Lakes State Park in Albion, Indiana. This is located just a little north of Ft. Wayne. Checked into the campground after "emptying" our pockets at the reservation stop. There seems to be a fee for everything here and the sites are not very level. A big difference from Ohio.

The park does offer a lot to do. We went for a bike ride to check the place out. The park is hilly and it was a good workout. We checked out the boat launch for tomorrow and saw some deer as we rode down the road. The park has 3 natural lakes and the Fox River connects the other 7 lakes as well as a 44 acre lake that is within it's boundaries. Hiking, canoeing, swimming, and fishing are easily accessable.

It was a beautiful night and we are sitting under the awning, on our rug, in our chairs and this is what it's all about!

Marblehead Light

Emerging from the coach this morning we found that these crazy bugs had blanketed everything! They are very strange. I hope they don't have them in Indiana where we are going next.

Took a ride to Marblehead, Ohio to see the Marblehead Lighthouse. It is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the Great Lakes. It has guided sailors safely along the rocky shores of Marblehead Peninsula since 1822. We went through the museum and learned a lot about what the light keepers life was like back in the 1800's. It is windy and Lake Michigan looks like the ocean with pretty good size waves crashing against the rocks.

Left the lighthouse and took a tour of Sandusky. Not much there so we headed back to camp.

Back at camp I made a new cabbage and cucumber salad to go with our pork chops and sweet corn. Don't know where the corn came from because it isn't local but it was delish!

Roller Coaster Capital of the World

We put on our rain jackets and headed out to Cedar Point! This is a great park with 17 roller coasters. There is a rating system (High Thrill, Aggressive Thrill, etc.) There is also a Water Park (called Soak City). We aren't big amusement park riders but we had a fun time today. We checked out the park, had a $5 hot dog and found ourselves in the 'bleachers' of the Top Thrill Dragster (Aggressive Thrill 5). Over the speakers we heard:

"Keep Arms Down, Head Back, and Hold On!"

This amazing speed machine is one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters on Earth. We watched people climb aboard a dragster-style train and inch forward to the starting line. The engine revs. Your heart pumps (even in the bleachers). The tree lights count down to green and you're launched to speeds of 120 mph in less than 4 seconds.
The ride's just getting started as you climb 420 feet into the air, crest a massive hill and spiral 270 degrees as you speed towards the finish line.

We sat and watched this ride for over an hour. It looks like a big upside down horseshoe. I think we had more fun as the ride only takes 17 seconds! The waiting line to get on the ride took over an hour. Ken and I rode the Race Horse Carousel and it was fun (my horse won). On our way out of the park there was a little theatre and we watched the 50's review. The performers were very talented. As we came out of the theatre the rain got a little heavier so we knew it was time to go.

Back at camp we met another couple in the site across from us. They invited us to their campfire for some Heinrich Wine. Of course we couldn't turn that down. He had been out fishing and gave us a nice piece of Walleye to have for dinner.

Put-In-Bay

Got on our bikes and rode the 1.5 miles to the ferry. Put-In-Bay has been a small summer resort vacation destination, since the mid 1800's located on South Bass Island in Lake Erie's western basin. It thrived during the turn of the last century during the Victorian era when thousands of visitors disembarked from different steam ships that anchored here. It has a very quaint downtown with shops and many of the buildings are still original. Put-In-Bay is home to Perry's Victory and International Peace Monument. This was built as a symbol of lasting peace between the US, Great Britiain, and our northern neighbor Canada. We learned about the battle of Lake Erie in the 1800's as well.

We visited a chocolate museum and bought fudge and then moved on to the Heinrich Winery. While digging a well at the winery they discovered a cave which was filled with crystals. We took the cave tour and it was very interesting. After coming back up we were thisty... so we tried some wines.

We headed back to the ferry about 6pm. Had dinner and and met two really nice couples from Ohio in the campground. We all shared a camp fire. It was nice to talk with some folks and share stories. We hung out so we could recharge for tomorrow when we attack the roller coaster capital of the world!

On to Sandusky Ohio

People may ask why we are going here, but it has a personal tie for me. My dad was on the USS Sandusky during the war so we decided to go see the area. Besides we hadn't spent any time on Lake Erie.

This was a travel day and it started out well. We reached Catawba Island, Ohio without any issues. The campground is 1 mile from the ferry to Put-In-Bay so we can ride our bikes down there. Well we went to set up and had another issue with the levelers. Again we worked with HWH and they walked Ken through the diagnostics over the phone. Poor thing had to crawl around under the coach in the dirt. We determined the issue and HWH wanted to know where we were and where we were heading. They got us set up with their master service location in Elkhart, Indiana and they will fix the problem when we get there on Monday. I mention this for two reasons: first HWH has been wonderful and definitely stands behind their products and second I don't want everyone to think trips like this don't have their problems. The coach is just like a house and sometimes things need fixing!

Well we got introduced to something called a "Canadian Solder" or "Midge" upon our arrival. They are bugs and at first we thought they were misquitoes. They don't bite they are just a pain and they lite on anything that isn't moving! It's very humid and we have severe thunderstorm warnings tonight. The state bird is the Cardinal and we have a beautiful male who seems to think our campsite is his also. We don't see many of these at home so it is fun to have him around.

Knock - Knock

Sitting at our picnic table this morning over western omlettes we heard a "knock, knock" behind us. As we turned around there were four people standing by our coach. One lady says "this is just what I want - can you tell us about your coach?" Sure, we spent about 20 minutes talking and giving a personal tour. This is not uncommon! We have finally gotten use to the stares and people walking slowly by the coach several times a day. Every where we go people have commented "nice rig"! It makes us feel proud.

We rode our bikes to the other side of the campground and took the Gorge Trail that ran beside the Mohican River. About 20 minutes into the hike we came to an access spot and looking into the river we saw 5 beautiful trout. We had checked all kinds of fishing access while we were here and they were right under our nose. The hike took about 2 hours and it was nice but we were tired.

Planned the next stop. We just learned that it is "bike week" in Sandusky, Ohio next week and that is where we are headed. Hope we don't have trouble finding a camp site, but it should be interesting.

Amish Country - Holmes County Rail Trail

Headed back up Rte 39 to Millersburg and back into Amish Country. There is a rail trail we read about so we found the old Millersburg railroad depot which was the trail head. Soon we found that we were going to share the trail with horse & buggys. There was a lane for horses and one for bikes. It was really fun. We saw different types of buggys and the horses were gorgeous. We rode about 5 miles round trip. The trail took us through forest and farm land. There was a trail that lead to a little rest area and we had lunch at "Skips" and then rode back to the depot.

Next stop was the Guggisberg Cheese Factory - home of the original Baby Bell Swiss. Unfortunately it was the weekend and the factory area was closed. However the Cheese Shop was open! Naturally we got some swiss and some jalpena cheese to make nachos with. On the way back we found Hersbergers Truck Patch. It was all fresh vegetables and we picked up 1 zuchini, 2 summer squah and a blueberry pie (home made) for $8! (Try that at home.) The place was really neat. They had farm animals and pony rides for the kids. We saw a 10 day old baby goat. He was really tiny and fluffy. The grandkids would have loved this place!

Hung out at camp as you can see in the photo. Planned the day for tomorrow.

Flying With Hawks

Left Paul & Suzie's after breakfast and took the backroads back to the campground . When we got back into the Mohican State Park area we found a little stone shrine on a hill overlooking the forest. Very quiet and peaceful. We stopped and found that it was a memorial to all of the lost veterans from WWII on from Ohio. There were 26,000 names listed in several 3 ring binders. The stone building had glass cases with different military momentos and the outside had a couple granite benches. It was a very moving.

We moved on and found an overlook to a gorge in the Mohican Forest. We walked down a path to a viewing platform. We were about 200 feet over the gorge. There were a large number of hawks circling and eventually they came closer and closer to the platform. They were at our eye level and it was a feeling that is hard to describe. They were flying so close we could see their eyes! We felt like we were flying with them. It was awesome.

We are finding that we really like the state parks more than the private campgrounds. The sites are bigger, and they aren't as commercial. There are hiking and bike trails that start right in the park, great boat launches and some even have canoe livery. Most of the restrooms and showers are pretty modern.

We had a fire tonight and naturally the camp firewood is still wet from last weeks rain. Oh well we had a smoky one anyway.

"Uncle Mike's" Beef Jerky

Finally moving! We entered the Amish Country today on Route 39 going through Walnut Creek, Berlin, and Millersburg. It's beautiful with rolling hills and farms right out of the picture books. This is a scenic byway. The entire route is shops, farms, and little restaurants. We stopped at the Walnut Creek Cheese Company. One reason is because we love cheese the other was we saw a sign for "Uncle Mike's Beef Jerky". (Uncle Mike is what our grandkids call our son.) It was a really neat place and you could smell the bakery from the parking lot! Homemade jams, kitchen gadgets, groceries, and homemade ice cream. We had lunch on the balcony that over looks the store floor. Across from our table on a platform is the truck you seen in the picture.

After leaving the store we moved on to the Mohican State Park in Loudonville . We didn't stop along the way because we wanted to be sure we could get a walkin spot at the campground. We will drive back and see some of the Amish areas later.

We called Paul Nystrom (a friend Ken used to work with) who lives in Powell Ohio. Paul invited us to stay overnight so we parked the RV and headed out. It was great to see Suzie, Alexis, and Paul again. They have a beautiful home and we had a great time. They even replayed the American Idol Finals for us as we had missed them while we were on the road. (Thanks!).

Ups and Downs along the way

We were suppose to leave Ravenna this morning, but when I went to bring in the slider it wouldn't work. (Just another adventure!) We will need to spend another day here to get things fixed and the folks at the campground were wonderful and booked the site for another night. Ken worked on the hydraulics all morning with the tremendous help of the Coach House staff and the hydraulics vendor HWH. Every0ne was terrific. HWH helped Ken and we were able to bring the bedroom in. We slept with the room in so we could just leave in the morning. We took a walk and sat on the campground office deck and watched people come and go. Believe it or not we had a sort of sunset at 8:30 tonight!

Camping isn't just about the sunshine!

Another rainy day, but there is still plenty to keep us busy. We just hung out, took a walk in the rain (very romantic) and planned some more of the trip route. However, we could both use some sun! The rain let up a little and Ken through a line in an snagged 2 little fish, but they both jumped off...but we saw them "honest"!

Fold Cat Funnies

I can't believe it's June 1st already. Now that our sight seeing trips are over we will be around camp more. We have a really nice site right on the lake. The picnic area is really big as you can see in the picture. We can launch the boat just over the edge of the bank and tie it up to the tree.

We'll be here today and tommorrow hoping we can get some more fishing in. The sun finally came out and we launched the Fold Cat. Thank goodness we didn't have an audience. We had to remember how to put it together and got laughing so hard I didn't think we would ever get in the water, but we did. The lake was great and very scenic, I had a "nibble" but that was it. We had been out about half an hour and of course the wind came up and it started to rain. We got hooked up on a sandbar on the way in and that started us laughing again. It got worse from there, it is all clay here on the banks and clay gets slippery in the rain. Picture us scrambling up the bank trying to pull the boat in...we will definitely need the laundry to clean Ken's rain jacket and shorts!

We have been having problems with wifi access and we finally gave in today and got a Verizon card. Now we should be able to get on line most anywhere. (We have people now...)

I think tommorrow will be a house cleaning day.