3 days to get back home - 9-27 to 9=29-2010

On the way home we watched all that corn being harvested that was standing so pretty on the way up to Michigan. Harvest had come during the time we were gone and returned. It was so strange to me to have been gone that long, to see the season change. The farmers were out in droves with combines and  tractors to load the yellow corn into big trucks with long trailers. All day the scenery repeated itself.

Hard working farmer in his combine

David got mesmerized by the windmills standing in the middle of farmland and had to stop to inspect them at close range. He took an eery picture of one behind the motorhome. The rv looked like it had an antenna from out of space!

Aliens taking over the rv

That evening we stayed at a very remote campground, found all the firewood we needed in the surrounding woods and one last time enjoyed an outdoor fire in the dark. David set up the tripod for the picture around the fire circle. It was sort of melancholy, the trip was really coming to an end. We only had about four hours left the next day to get home.

End of trip blues

You can see us the next day in our driveway back home. The decal of the US States map now had Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan filled in. Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas were already visited from a previous trip. Eight states out of 50........42 to go, YEAH!!!!       

Hope you enjoyed reading about our Western Michigan trip!! We are home now and will blog again on our next trip.

Already to go on the next big adventure!

Last Day at Paula's House 9-26-2010

Sunday was our last day staying with Paula. She came to the door for an  early morning picture and got David in his robe drinking his first cup of joe!

Morning Coffee

It was so fun just being next door and being neighbors! She also took a picture of us standing in our living quarters, although the slideout was pulled in for traveling.

RV'ing Joy

We wanted to take the dogs for a nice, long walk and believe it or not, found a great bike/walking trail through town that Paula did not even know about. We just stumbled across it and walked for an hour. The dogs felt great and so did we. Here is Paula with two of her wonderful furry friends, Lilly Star and Honeymoon Riley. Poor Maggie could not come, even though she is a well behaved shepherd/rottie mix. It would have just been too many dogs to handle. The trail took us through some neighborhoods and wooded land, very nice! Paula decided that she would return after we leave to make use of the trail.

Paula walking her dogs

After having a relaxing conversation back at the rv and David getting in some time to watch football, we ended the day by meeting up with David's brother Tom at a local bowling alley. Paula came as well and even though none of us had great scores we still had a good time.

Girl talk while David watches football

1965 Utica HS Reunion 9-25-2010

Hard to believe but it's been 45 years since I graduated high school. Although I found out they have been having a class reunion every 5 years since 1975 this was the first time I knew about them. Actually, have Facebook to thank for that, as one of my classmates contacted me through it this past year. Through him the Reunion Committee was able to locate and send me an invitation. My graduating class was 500 that year and I probably hung with 1/2 dozen of those kids back then. About 100 graduates showed up for this reunion, so even though many of the yearbook pictures and peoples faces, and even their voices in some cases were familiar I had no actually memories associated with them. None of my high school buddies were able to attend. We'll try again in 2015!! Never the less had a great evening, meeting some new people and dancing to all those great hits of the era, like this one!!

1965 Class Memory Board (double-click to enlarge)

Band played great 50-60's music

Dancing the evening away!

Yearbook Photo

Visiting Paula 9-24-2010

Paula and I used to work together at Children's World in Detroit. Our friendship continued over the years per phone calls. Then one day, after 20 years of not having seen each other, Paula came to visit me in Kansas City. We resumed our relationship as if no time had passed. After that visit, David and I went to see her in Michigan a few years ago and of course on this trip up north  we stopped in to see her as well.  David always has his work cut out for him by installing and upgrading Paula's computer. Paula has a way of bringing out my intense silly side and, as you can see in this video, she succeeded again! We had so much fun in that pumpkin patch that some teenagers stopped and watched us and grinned at the older ladies having fun like kids. Paula made me my very favorite food.... her  famous pasta salad, yummy!!! She fixed breakfast, did our laundry and most of all, we just talked and caught up and watched our pajama movie we had produced when she had visited that time in KC. We had parked our rv right beside her house on an empty lot and so it seemed like we lived next door for a couple of days.

Helping Paula with Picasa editing

Not so scary scarecrows

Two prized pumpkins in the patch

BOO!!

Cheboygan, Mullet Lake 9/23/10

Mullet Lake is a fond memory from my childhood. My family vacationed here in a rented cottage for a week in 1956 or '57. I remember the fun we had walking out the cottage door, down the dock, and jumping into the water. Just being back on the lake after all these years felt good!! Unlike that summer week when I remember no rain, today has been nothing but a steady downpour. But we have enjoyed it anyway as it gave us to a chance to catch up on emails, phone calls, and blogging.

Docks in channel to Mullet Lake

Waterside RV Park

After their walk in the rain

Cooking dinner

Blogging

Hot Sparks Flying!!

Charlevoix 'the beautiful' 9/22/10

Although we planned to stay in Traverse City for 4 nights, after 2 the 'wanderlust' hit us hard. We found ourselves heading out on the highway going north, pulled by an unseen hand. Coming into Charlevoix, we were transfixed by Lake Charlevoix, its harbor, the downtown shops, and Lake Michigan all beautiful arranged to compliment each other!! We parked on a back street and immediately unloaded our bikes for a tour of the city. The harbor was first in view from a magnificent platform area complete with music. The moment was magical and I opened my arms in invitation to Dagmar to dance. Only one other man was there and I think he was a little embarrassed, but he stayed and I caught him secretly glancing at us.

Stunning Lake Charlevoix Harbor downtown view

Powering up the Lake Michigan channel

Biking out on the pier for a better view of Lake Michigan we met a man hopping along on crutches in shorts and short sleeves. Dagmar struck up the conversation first by remarking that he must be a native, because he was obviously thick-blooded and not bothered by the cold. He said he was now from California but was born in Charlevoix and was visiting home after a 15 year absence. He remarked on a number of changes that had been made and remembered fondly the times as a boy when he swam and dove from the pier. As we were leaving he pointed to the Southern shoreline and said we should go over and see the rock houses there.

Channel entrance to Lake Michigan

Feathered Birds perching on boardwalk

David and I biked down to the lakeshore and I will be forever grateful for that man at the pier for telling us about the rock houses. David and I would have never known they existed and yet they are so famous and made the city of Charlevoix even more famous in the entire world. Many times these homes have been featured in magazine articles. The houses have been dubbed "mushroom houses" because of their distinct shape and color. The architect, Earl Andrew Young had a motto: "There is no use paying rent---when you can buy a home at the prices I have places for sale for". Boy, I wish I would have been here to buy my house!! And so did many other people. We took several pictures of some of his houses along Lake Michigan's shoreline and one in particular, the Boulder House. It was for sale for $ 1.99 million! An entire bus tour stopped by while we were there and got out to look at it and wander amongst the houses. I walked all around the yard, and when I touched the stones, I started to well-up, it was so beautiful!  It had a little playhouse that I am sure my Granddaughter Evly would love to play in.That man had a vision of building unique homes using the local stones that washed up ashore Lake Michigan.

The Sucher House

Boulder Manor - front view

Gate view to cottage

Boulder House - Dagmar's dream backyard!!

Boulder House - side view

Boulder House - children's playhouse

Boulder House - entrance

Boulder House - side view

Traverse City 09/21/10

The first place we stopped was at the local Walmart as we needed a few groceries and needed to replace the lost camera. I chose an intermediate Samsung point'n'shoot since they didn't sell the Panasonic brand that we had before. We have 30 days to return it if we don't like it. We then headed for the Traverse City State Park which is a large RV park right downtown. It was a little noisy during morning and evening rush hour but quiet at other times. The black squirrels absolutely own the place. They drove our dogs, Baker and Grindstaff crazy because they could only look at them and not chase them. The TART bike path passes by the back of the park. A short 4 mile ride takes you through neighborhoods, along the beach and marina and into the heart of downtown. We biked all over, stopping  to talk with a man about his Irish Setter, another about his Golden Retriever, and still another who was fishing for Salmon that were just beginning to make the river run upstream. Later we met Terry's wife Susan (you remember our remarkable diesel mechanic from Montague) for conversation and drinks at the Mackinaw Brewing Co. We had delightful chat for about 45 minutes during her lunch break. They were celebrating their 1 month anniversary. 

'Time to Let Go' statue in the marina park

View from one of the many downtown bridges

Inside channel

Local fishing spot

Shopping time, my favorite time!! This trip has taken us far away from any of the strip malls that I was accustomed to back home. Imagine my delight when we stumbled upon this hat store. They carried some of the most unique looking hats I have ever seen.  We spent quite some time in there and David had to take some pictures of his favorites. I took one of David decked out as a pirate :). We especially enjoyed visiting a store called "The Cherry Republic", where all kinds of goods made with cherries are being sold, almost all items were available for tasting, yummy! Jelly, BBQ sauce, salsa, dried cherries, vinagrettes, mustard sauces, sour candy, best of all, chocolate and vanilla covered cherries....... amazing all the things that were made with cherries! They do a great mail order gift business, in case your looking for something special!! Traverse City is known as the cherry capital of the world, since it  grows one third of the world's cherry crop! The weather was perfect, very balmy and warm that day and we just went up and down Front Street, having tied the bikes to a post. Many people were out enjoying the weather, as well.

Like none other!

Dagmar Hildegard Silberschneider (my maiden name)

This was David's favorite

Pirates don't come any more intimidating than this!!

Glenn Arbor 9/20/10

We stayed at the DH Day campground just a mile or two from Glenn Arbor, a beautiful little lake town. We were surprised to be able to get a site with electricity, 50amps no less, because I thought it would be dry camping only. The site was wooded and a tight fit for the motorhome but after a couple of tries we got it backed in correctly. On the dog walk around the campground Dagmar met a German couple that was in a rented RV. They started in Chicago and went all the way to the Upper Peninsula  and were coming back  down  to Chicago. Their English wasn't very good, but they said people everywhere in the States were so helpful they really had no trouble. Later that evening we had a nice fire before heading for bed. The next morning we decided to go canoeing, or as it turned out kayaking, so we stopped at Crystal River Outfitters and rented a kayak. They took us upstream for a 7 mile, 3 hr float back to their store. The scenery was awesome, quiet and serene and the water crystal clear. This was my (Dagmar) first float trip ever and I was hooked!  We saw 11 Salmon swimming upstream to their spawning grounds. It was great but we have no pictures because I wasn't willing to risk loosing my phone to the Crystal River. We'll look for a new camera in Traverse City which is where we are heading next.

DH Day Campground

Morning on the Beach