The last post to this blog is always late! When you return home from a trip the first thing that has to be done is empty the trailer of all the dirty clothes and then fill it back up with clean stuff so you are ready when the road calls the next time! We’ve been home several days now. The laundry is done, the pantry and linens are restocked and the Aerolite is covered and parked in the backyard. The yard is mowed and weeds are pulled. Now, I can download pictures and finish up our tale! I’d better hurry because Harry says in 15 days – that’s the limit – we’ll be on the road again - - - going somewhere!!
Sunday September 14th, we left the rain soaked Upper Peninsula of Michigan and headed south across the mighty Mac Bridge – looking for cheaper gas. The tank was on empty and the dash light was glaring! Gas in St Ignace had gone from $3.98 on Friday morning to $4.09 and then to $4.29! Once the tank was full we parked and walked the town to see if there were any end of season bargains. None that we needed so we turned the windshield wipers on again and moved on down the wet pavement to Carp Lake and to spend a wonderful day visiting with Mel and Donna! The guys grilled pork loins to perfection on the charcoal grill while we ladies tried to catch up on our girl talk that was way over due! The downpour of rain continued as the evening crept closer and we hugged them for one more time and we continued down Rt 31 to Burt Lake State Park. We needed a good nights sleep and thankfully got one.
Monday was an early escape and run for the southbound I75 to the Roscommon exit for breakfast at another “favorite” breakfast spot where we ALWAYS have potato pancakes. They did not disappoint! Another favorite camp spot is #25 at Grousehaven Campground in the Rifle River Recreation Area. Once set up the Jeep headed west and north of Rose City and “Lily” the gps guided us up and down and around some great 2-track roads and some rocky, steep ORV trails! The skid plates earned their keep again and Ron’s towrope was not needed. Back at the campground, the canoe went in the water and the lures went back on the poles. It was windy and had no bites, but it was still good just to be experiencing the sunny warm day. As the afternoon settled down and the winds decreased, the reflections on the peaceful, pristine little lake grew and grew, showing duplicates of downed trees in the water and towering pines reaching for the sky-the one in the water and the one above it! The white birch trees showed up starkly against the golden flowers and deep green foliage on the bank. With a sigh, we called it quits for the evening and closed the door behind us on our mobile motel.
Tuesday, September 16th was our travel day home but thankfully – not straight home! We HAD to stop at Frank’s Sporting Goods store on Rt 13 just north of Bay City. And we can NEVER go thru Standish without shopping at Norman’s or the Dollar Store. And an extra treat was Birch Run Outlet Mall near Frankenmuth. Harry goes to the Coleman Store and this time I was looking for windbreaker jackets to replace my very warn blue patch jacket so I shopped at several places. Home in time to see if Fall had beat us there! She hadn’t but she is close!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Tuesday Sept. 9th
Tuesday morning we pulled out again and headed east on Rt 28 to Newberry- The Moose Capitol of Michigan. Our whole trip was to “Hunt Moose” and we’d only seen the big fiberglass ones in St Ignace and the tiny little ones in the gift shops! Now we should see some! Our first item to accomplish was to locate moose! We traveled up Rt 123 to Tahquamenon Falls State Park looking for them and saw none. But the Falls were still magnificent! The walkways to the falls have been greatly improved since our last visit and the sun shining on the tea colored water rushing over the rock steps of the lower falls still took my breath away. Searched the marshes that we passed on the way back and scanned the fields as we trekked across the back roads, but still no moose!
The answer to our dilemma should have been solved when we stopped at the Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday morning to pick up our “moose map” that was to show us where the best places for sighting moose were. The woman at the Chamber was of no help and didn’t have a clue as to finding real moose. She had never seen one! Oh well, off we went via more back roads to Seney Wildlife Refuge where perhaps the elusive moose were hiding. No luck but we sure did enjoy the wandering trails that wound in and out of marshes and ponds that held swans, ducks, an osprey AND an eagles nest. Closer to the campground we stopped to gather firewood for our pie iron supper of pizzas and blueberry pies!
Thursday morning came too quickly because Ron and Nancy had to head back downstate and their home. We packed up and also headed down state but just to the Little Brevort State Forest Campground and set up home and finally put the canoe in the water to fish. The lake was pretty but was full of weeds and no motors allowed. The sign in area posted no “senior” rates so Harry called and was told that thanks to our governor- there were no longer senior rates in the Michigan State Forests. We hooked back up and left. Just a few miles east we came across the Brevort Lake National Forest Campground - - with senior rates and parked in a good spot – wooded but yet right on the water. No electricity but the generator worked just fine and the temps dropped only down into the 50’s that night.
Friday September 12th. We would have liked to have stayed longer and fished that lake with canoe and motor but it rained again so on we went. Breakfast in Naubinway and we parked in the Straits State Park in St Ignace. It was just a short walk to the beach and a great sight of the Mackinac Bridge. We had heard of a car show that was to be in town but NO ONE up in the U P had heard anything about it. Well – it was an Antique Tractor/Big Rig Truck / Car / Flea Market Show! There was even a parade across the Mighty Mac Bridge and right thru town of 563 antique tractors and we were there to see them enter the Guinness Book of World Records! The longest parade of antique tractors!
Saturday morning we checked out town again as it had filled up overnight with huge fancy semi tractors and their matching trailers. At the flea market Harry even picked up an LED light for the motorcycle at a very good price. The rains came again during the afternoon so we caught up on our blogging and reading! Now off we go to post this and to find ketchup for our supper of hotdogs! Tonight there is to be a Lighted Parade of the trucks! But it’s raining.
The answer to our dilemma should have been solved when we stopped at the Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday morning to pick up our “moose map” that was to show us where the best places for sighting moose were. The woman at the Chamber was of no help and didn’t have a clue as to finding real moose. She had never seen one! Oh well, off we went via more back roads to Seney Wildlife Refuge where perhaps the elusive moose were hiding. No luck but we sure did enjoy the wandering trails that wound in and out of marshes and ponds that held swans, ducks, an osprey AND an eagles nest. Closer to the campground we stopped to gather firewood for our pie iron supper of pizzas and blueberry pies!
Thursday morning came too quickly because Ron and Nancy had to head back downstate and their home. We packed up and also headed down state but just to the Little Brevort State Forest Campground and set up home and finally put the canoe in the water to fish. The lake was pretty but was full of weeds and no motors allowed. The sign in area posted no “senior” rates so Harry called and was told that thanks to our governor- there were no longer senior rates in the Michigan State Forests. We hooked back up and left. Just a few miles east we came across the Brevort Lake National Forest Campground - - with senior rates and parked in a good spot – wooded but yet right on the water. No electricity but the generator worked just fine and the temps dropped only down into the 50’s that night.
Friday September 12th. We would have liked to have stayed longer and fished that lake with canoe and motor but it rained again so on we went. Breakfast in Naubinway and we parked in the Straits State Park in St Ignace. It was just a short walk to the beach and a great sight of the Mackinac Bridge. We had heard of a car show that was to be in town but NO ONE up in the U P had heard anything about it. Well – it was an Antique Tractor/Big Rig Truck / Car / Flea Market Show! There was even a parade across the Mighty Mac Bridge and right thru town of 563 antique tractors and we were there to see them enter the Guinness Book of World Records! The longest parade of antique tractors!
Saturday morning we checked out town again as it had filled up overnight with huge fancy semi tractors and their matching trailers. At the flea market Harry even picked up an LED light for the motorcycle at a very good price. The rains came again during the afternoon so we caught up on our blogging and reading! Now off we go to post this and to find ketchup for our supper of hotdogs! Tonight there is to be a Lighted Parade of the trucks! But it’s raining.
Sunday Sept. 7th
Sunday, September 7th - Munising Michigan! The little motel that we stayed in years ago on a previous bike trip was still there but the bar where we got the absolute best pasties was gone. We were advised to eat at Muldune’s and ate every savory bite of Pastie before we continued up the road to park the trailers at the very nice city park, this time right on the south shore of Lake Superior. We had just enough time to explore the town and be at the dock for the 4pm tour boat ride to Pictured Rocks National Seashore. Stunning views, even after the downpour started! The rains quit and the late afternoon sun came out again to show off the rainbow of colors in the jagged cliffs of this national treasure! But the rains would not be held off forever and as we returned to Munising Bay we were held captive inside the boat. As we neared the docks, the rains let up and the sun shone once more and we were all blessed with 2 brilliant rainbows that stayed visible till we left the docks and headed back up the coast to our campsite. Later that evening we even dared to venture farther west (about 1 mile) to the town of Christmas and Harry and I each “donated” a dollar to those machines that eat your money.
Monday morning was the adventure day and off we went to explore the backcountry. Everything was going well- the autumn scenery was starting to show its colors and the sandy logging roads were adequate. Lunch was at an empty picnic table in an empty campground on a deserted lake off of a deserted backroad! And then- Harry tried to get adventuresome with his new Jeep and climb over a large barricade of sand to enter a “closed” road area. Yep! Got stuck- he high centered his Liberty and his little brother Ron had to pull him off backwards. Now, if that’s not enough – we were trying to catch up them again and this time Harry decided to take a shortcut. Too bad he didn’t notice that drop off under all those weeds! One more time, he had too many wheels in the air and not enough on the ground! Ron had to pull him back onto the path- - - again. Our off road journey ended at the shoreline of Lake Superior just east of the Au Sable Point Lighthouse at the mouth of the Hurricane River as it splashed over rocks and logs on its way to join the cold waters of the lake.
Monday morning was the adventure day and off we went to explore the backcountry. Everything was going well- the autumn scenery was starting to show its colors and the sandy logging roads were adequate. Lunch was at an empty picnic table in an empty campground on a deserted lake off of a deserted backroad! And then- Harry tried to get adventuresome with his new Jeep and climb over a large barricade of sand to enter a “closed” road area. Yep! Got stuck- he high centered his Liberty and his little brother Ron had to pull him off backwards. Now, if that’s not enough – we were trying to catch up them again and this time Harry decided to take a shortcut. Too bad he didn’t notice that drop off under all those weeds! One more time, he had too many wheels in the air and not enough on the ground! Ron had to pull him back onto the path- - - again. Our off road journey ended at the shoreline of Lake Superior just east of the Au Sable Point Lighthouse at the mouth of the Hurricane River as it splashed over rocks and logs on its way to join the cold waters of the lake.
Friday Sept. 5th
We are up in the land of ten months of winter and two months of bad sledding! A nice trip-we’re seeing some things that we haven’t seen before in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This time Harry is driving his New Jeep Liberty. He had sold his Zuki and went thru withdrawal so he traded in the Dodge Shadow Convertible and bought the Liberty to tow the trailer and to go off road with it.
Friday, September 5th, our first night out we stopped at a really beautiful campsite on the north shore of lake Michigan, right off of Rt 2. This time of year the campground was empty except for us and Harry’s brother Ron and wife Nancy so we had a nice campfire going and cooked supper
The next morning we moved on to Manistique and set up camp on the south shore of Indian lake. From this base camp we traveled down the Garden Peninsula to the old restored ghost town of Fayette, which sat in a deep bay, rimmed with sandstone cliffs. This was an active iron foundry town in the 1870s and was quite interesting to tour. We hurried back to the campground when we learned we had company waiting for us! Our friends Joel and Carol whom we met while camped on S Padre Island Texas were on their way home near Wisconsin and stopped to visit with us! We shared a lovely meal with them and sang Happy Birthday to Nancy before we all said Goodnight and Joel and Carol headed on home.
Sunday morning we revisited Palm Book State Park on the NW side of Indian Lake. Ron and Harry shared the duties of pulling the large sturdy raft across the 45 ft deep dark blue spring while Nancy and I snapped pictures and kept track of the huge trout swimming below the open center portion of the raft. From here we headed farther north to Munising!
Friday, September 5th, our first night out we stopped at a really beautiful campsite on the north shore of lake Michigan, right off of Rt 2. This time of year the campground was empty except for us and Harry’s brother Ron and wife Nancy so we had a nice campfire going and cooked supper
The next morning we moved on to Manistique and set up camp on the south shore of Indian lake. From this base camp we traveled down the Garden Peninsula to the old restored ghost town of Fayette, which sat in a deep bay, rimmed with sandstone cliffs. This was an active iron foundry town in the 1870s and was quite interesting to tour. We hurried back to the campground when we learned we had company waiting for us! Our friends Joel and Carol whom we met while camped on S Padre Island Texas were on their way home near Wisconsin and stopped to visit with us! We shared a lovely meal with them and sang Happy Birthday to Nancy before we all said Goodnight and Joel and Carol headed on home.
Sunday morning we revisited Palm Book State Park on the NW side of Indian Lake. Ron and Harry shared the duties of pulling the large sturdy raft across the 45 ft deep dark blue spring while Nancy and I snapped pictures and kept track of the huge trout swimming below the open center portion of the raft. From here we headed farther north to Munising!
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