Saturday Dec. 5, 2009

Well, since I did not keep up the blog like I should have because of low internet services after Sunday Nov. 22. I will just add that we did make it to Brenda and Gary's for Thanksgiving. We pulled into our KOA campground the Wednesday before and just vegged out for the evening. Had a great thanksgiving Day with the family. We went to the Gonzales's for a great breakfast that Brenda made and she outdid herself. Had a nice time with them and the girls and Antonio before Barbara and her family came. The kids are sure growing and it looks like the "scouts" are very interested in Antonio for pitching. He just got his driving permit and is very excited about that and was the highlight of his day. We had a great feast for Thanksgiving and more than enough to eat. Lots of laughs and a good time. It's so nice to be around the kids and hear their stories and what has been happening in their lives. Little Kaeylyn was the entertainer of the evening like most 1/12 yr. olds can be. Abby and Amy's dog Pnnt got along just fine. Pnut is the same age as Abby and both just mellowed out and did not pay attention to each other. Gary started not feeling very good with aches and pains and then started running a fever, so he went to his bedroom and stayed away from the rest of us. Poor guy. We had great desserts and got filled to the brim, AGAIN. hahahahaha On Friday, Brenda called us for "round 2" to come over for lunch and we feasted again. About 4:30 p.m. we went and watched Antonio play ball.He is a great pitcher with good form. They only let him pitch 3 innings at a time. He is just a natural talent. Their team lost, but it was still a thrill watching him play. After the game we all met at the local pizza place and had another great evening of laughter. Amy brought her friend Randy and Antonio's girlfriend came along also. After filling up on pizza the younger crowd continued to have a good time by going to the local cowboy bar and living it up. Us "older" group called it a night. The rain came late in the evening and the temperature dropped a bit, because there is a cold front coning this way today. Gary is still not feeling well today. On Saturday, we left about 8:30 a.m. with a chilly 55 degrees. We stopped in Valencia, CA to fill up before we start out climb up the Grapevine. We ran into snow at the 4,000 ft. level. Never got into snow up at 7,000 ft in Flagstaff, but we hit CA and we get the bad weather. We got home about 3:00 p.m. to a cool 55 degrees.

We drove 299 miles today
Total miles driven this trip---2545 miles (in 7 days) Too much in short time

Sunday Nov. 22, 2009

Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009

30143 miles on RV

7:30 a.m. - With 45 degree temperature and beautiful blue skies, we are out to Arizona. We are getting an early start in case there might be winds or bad weather that we might encounter. Altho the weather says calm winds and sunny skies, we rather go early than wait until later. Only truckers on the road now and clear dry roads.

9:00 a.m. - We are climbing now first at 5521 ft and we topped out at 7116 ft!!! A temp of 45 degrees, but no snow!

10:30 a.m. - We are going through Albuquerque, NM with beautiful blue skies and 50 degrees. A lovely drive so far and the scene is just gorgeous. They have unusual designs on their freeway overpasses.

11:00 a.m. - We are stopping for gas since we had to do so much mountain climbing and will be doing more on our way to Gallup, NM (got only 6 mpg climbing the Mtn's.) Gas here in Albuquerque is $2.49 a gallon, we are 127 miles from Gallup,NM. There is a lot of volcanic rock here in NM on both sides of the road. I'll have to check that out on the Internet.

1:00 p.m. - Crossing the Continental Divide just east of Gallup, NM

2:00 p.m. - Entering Arizona! Hoot Hoot!!! It is 66 degrees and sunny blue skies and clear roads. Passing the Chollo Power Plant at Joseph City, AZ

4:30 p.m. - Pulled into the KOA in Flagstaff, AZ with a beautiful temp of 60 degrees! It is suppose to get down to 18 degrees tonight!! That's ok, our RV has a good heater and we have an electric blanket!!

Drove 496 miles today!!!! Took 9 hours!! that's way too much.. But we made it.

Saturday, Nov. 20, 2009

SATURDAY NOV. 20, 2009

29,820 MILES ON RV

8:30 A.M. - On the road to New Mexico with a temperature of 50 degrees with fog starting to be a problem. Hopefully no rain today.

10:30 a.m. We crossed the Texas state line in a short time--only 76 miles going this way. i think we can make thatin less than the normal 3 days it usually takes us. hahaha

It is 48 degrees and overcast and still some fog. We are 10 minutes into Texas and the skys are a beautiful blue, no fog all of a sudden. The weather man said last night that Oklahoma would have fog and overcast skies up to the Texas border and he was right for a change!

11:00 a.m. - We ulled over off the highway to streth our legs and give Abby a run. We have been fighting strong winds and Frank needed a break. The town here is called McLean, TX with a population of 830. Wild turkeys just passed the RV!! It is a pretty dead ghost town. An ugly Llama kept eyeing Abby in a not so friendly way. Also a shaggy shetland pony seemed to be doing the same thing. Both are eating dirt because there is no grass in this redneck house they live in, as you can see by the pictures. The cattle skulls hanging under the Christmas lights hanging from the roof is a good clue as to what is here. The car and the tree were in front of the house. hahahaha. I-40 use to be Route 66 and the original road is right along side of the interstate. I remember driving down that old Rte. 66 many years ago. Took a picture of the Biggest Cross in the Western Hemisphere, so they say. we stopped in Claude, TX just east of Amarillo for gas. it is 60 dergrees and beautiful blue skies. Getting gas there were 3 of us from Michigan getting gas, one from Jackson going to Tuscon,AZ and another from Port Huron going to Packert, AZ then on to CA. Small world for sure. Very windy here with winds at 25 mph. and hitting the RV from the side. Frank has to really hold the wheel.

1:00 p.m.- Passing through Amerillo with blue skies and sun with a temperature of 64 degrees and still really windy. In about 1/2 hour we will cross the state line into New Mexico where we will put our clocks back an hour again. We will be on AZ time then.

2:30 - Central Time we crossed into New Mexico. Now it is only 1:30 p.m.!!! At this rate we could be driving for 10 hours!!! It is 68 degrees and sunny with still 25 mph winds.

2:30 again and we are pulling into the KOA in Tucumcari, NM. It is early, but it is either here or another 1-2 hours down the road in this wind. We will get an early start tomorrow and hope it won't be so windy.

Drove 323 miles today

Friday, Nov. 20, 2009

FRIDAY, NOV. 20, 2009
29,380 MILES ON RV

8:30 a.m. – Leaving Brinkley, Arkansas and headed hopefully for El Reno, OK. We are taking a differend route than planned this time because for one thing it is shorter and also the weather on I-40 W is suppose to be good for us this time. A lot of the time snow appears in the month of November and it is not good driving for us. We have a nice morning temperature of 45 degree with sun and some clouds. Dry roads and not much traffic right now and my California husband is wearing shorts today and probably the rest of the way home.
12:00 noon- We are going through the Ozark National Forest and it is very beautiful, even this time of the year. In the spring time, I bet it is just beautiful. Just passed a city called Alma, Arkansas which is the Spinach capital of the world! There are Popeye’s all around. Hahahaha. (there is a city called Alma about 20 min. from Mt. Pleasant) We are at Fort Smith and crossing into Oklahoma with a temp of 64 degrees and overcast skies.
Saw a sign on a bill board that was advertising wine tasting and said “Like California but not as fruity.” Hahaha . There is also a street named in this area called- LOTAWATAH-cute
3:30 p.m. – We are in Oklahoma City now and no rain. We did get a huge downpour about 30 minutes ago, but now the rain has stopped and we are at Tinker AFB, I did not know there was an AFB here in Oklahoma. We are about 50 miles from El Reno, OK where we will stop for the night. 5:00 pm. – After a small break, we are at the KOA RV Park in ElReno, OK and ready to settle in for the night.

Drove 440 miles
29,820 miles on RV.

Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009

THURS. – NOV. 19, 2009
28,930 MILES ON RV

8:45 am – On the road again with a little spitting rain and the temp. at 44 degrees. We had a great free breakfast at the RV Park and now ready to hit the road.
8:15 am – We just crossed the border into Illinois and had a time change. I guess that is good and bad. Hahaha
9:05 am – We are getting on I-57 south towards Memphis, TN which is the connecting Interstate to our southern route. We just turned over 29,000 miles on our RV. Not too shabby, time to turn it in for a new one. Hahahaha—NOT –We are still having some lite rain and the temp is still at the 44 degree mark. We are now passing Effingham, Illinois where we have stopped about 2 times before.

11:00 a.m. - We stopped for a break at a rest stop south of Mt. Vernon, Illinois and the rain has stopped but it is still cloudy with a temp of 50 degrees.
12:15 pm – We are crossing the Mississippi River and the nice bridge that spans over this famous river that connects Illinois to Missouri. We are having sunny blue skies with a nice temp of 56 degrees.
1:00 p.m. – We are now at Lambert’s Café in Sikeston, MO which is the home of the “Throwed Rolls” on I-55 at exit 67. We are going here for a late lunch/early dinner because you get a lot to eat here! Frank and I both had Polish Sausage and sauerkraut with carrots, sweet potatoes, fried potatoes, okra, applesauce, and cottage cheese. We could not eat it all, naturally, so we boxed it to have for dinner tomorrow and possibly lunch! Hahahaha. It is a place you don’t really want to stop at unless you have a big appetite or are a big eater. Even Frank could not finish what they put on your plate. They come by as soon as you sit down with a big pot of fried okra that they spoon on a brown paper towel that is sitting on the table. Then they come by with “side dishes” of macaroni and tomatoes, fried potatoes, black eyed peas and huge drinks! Whenever you want a hot roll from the oven, you just raise your hand up and they throw you one from wherever they are standing. It is so funny and a great place to have a good time. We missed the storm that was coming our way, seems it is behind us and now it is a gorgeous 61 degrees.
3:00 p.m. – We just crossed into Arkansas and it is beautiful weather. The cheapest gas so far is in Missouri at $2.37 a gallon, most of the states are at $2.59 a gallon.
5:15 pm. (Mountain Time) We pulled into the RV Park here in Brinkley, Arkansas with a lovely sunset and the temperature about 60 degrees and clear sky. Had a good day today with a good driver. We do not get the internet here.
Drove 450 miles in 9 hours! Whew!!!

MICHIGAN TO CALIFORNIA-NOV.18, 2009

Wed. Nov.18, 2009

28,536 Miles starting

9:15 a.m. - Said our good-bye to Tina and on our way back to CA. had a nice evening last night with Milne, Marilyn, Harold and Eleanor at the Big Boy Restaurant. Judy Bissel brought over some cookies that her lovely daughter, Tabitha made for us and also gave us her graduation picture which is very lovely. It sure is nice to have such good friends and family and co-worker giving all that love and kindness to us. We sure appreciate all that Bill, Eleanor and John have done for us this last year. It makes us feel very special.

12:15 p.m. - Entering the state of Indiana and the weather here is 49 degrees and a light rain is falling. We are stopping for a break and a "snack". Gas here is $2.45 a gallon, that is 24 cents a gallon cheaper than in Michigan. As we were pulling out of the gas station, they were changing the price to $2.59 a gallon!!

5:15 p.m. - Just arrived at the KOA Campground in Terra Haute, Indiana with the temp at 49 degrees and very cloudy. Rain is expected tonight and tomorrow here. It is starting to sprinkle now, glad we got hooked up before it rains hard. We stopped at a Pilot Gas Station here before we went to the campsite to fill up so we van just take off tomorrow morning. It has been a long day, but we had good weather and clear roads. We have stopped and stayed here at this KOA before, I think it was in 1998 and again in 2000. The same mules and Kamp are still here

We drove 394 miles today

Sister Nashville Trip

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009-- 2:15 p.m. and Eleanor and I landed in Nashville and met up with Caroline. Her plane had just landed about 15-20 minutes earlier. The weather was bad for her getting out of Dallas. We didn't have any problem and had a good flight. We got to our hotel and settled in. We are staying at the Marriott Courtyard in Nashville about one mile or so from Downtown Nashville. The weather here now is partly sunny with some clouds and a nice temperature of 70 degrees. We decided to take the shuttle that the hotel offers and go downtown and see what was there. Walking the streets of Nashville and there are shops after shops with all kinds of western wear and gadgets and souvenirs to buy. All the honky tonk places here have some kind of country music being played by kids who hope to hit it big and be a star. It is amazing how many people are here mid-week. We got back to our hotel and had a lovely evening, with such balmy weather and not a bit cold. We went to dinner at the "Mid-Town Cafe" which is right across from out hotel. We can see it from out window. It is a small place and suppose to have "famous" people come there to eat because it is away from the "tourists" downtown. Tim McCraw and Faith Hill have a home here in Nashville and have been seen in this restaurant with "from what were told" other country stars. Every evening they put orange cones in the front of the cafe to "save" parking spots for the "exclusive guests". Also a valet stands outside and waits, just in case. No one of importance, except us of course, came in to eat the time we were there. They do a good business and the food was amazing. Back at the room and now we need to figure out what our game plan is for tomorrow.

Friday - Oct. 23, 2009-Well we are ready to go downtown again and see the Music City Hall of Fame. It is suppose to rain off and on all day today, so it is a perfect day to go and do something inside. The temperature is suppose to be 68 degree and balmy again. We toured all around downtown Nashville and went thru the Hall of Fame. It was very interesting and a great site to see a place for anyone coming to Nashville to see. We had some lunch and a great guitar player named David Anderson was playing and strolling through the lunch crowd. He was very enjoyable to listen to playing a lot of old country mixed with new music. I bought 2 Cd's from him and had my picture taken with him. It is suppose to be on his web site, but I have not seen it posted yet. We also had a tour of "Studio B" where Elvis and many other singers made their recordings. Finally got back to our hotel about 6:30 p.m. and then left to have dinner at the Valentino's Restaurant. Since it was late we only wanted something lite to eat so we just had some smoked salmon and minestrone soup. Back to the room to plan our day for tomorrow. Finally sleep at 11:00 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009 - Breakfast at 11:00 a.m. in the hotel. hahahaha. On our way to Opryland area. Took a cab since the shuttle at the hotel does not go that far. Walked all through the beautiful gardens and the hotel area, we sat by a beautiful waterfall and relaxed with the orchids and all the other exotic plants, I can't name. It is almost like being in a rain forest, everything is so green and full. There are small boat rides that take you for a ride down a "river" that is just lovely. The trees are just starting to turn color here and the weather was so nice to just walk around this complex. We are having a great time and after sitting and resting awhile, having something to drink, we decided to walk over to the Opry Mills Mall. It is a HUGE mall!!! It has every store imaginable and then some. We did not even have time to walk all through to the end because it was getting close to the time for us to go to the "Grand Ole Opry" show. We saw Montgomery Gentry, Oakridge Boys and Trace Atkins and Mallary Hope. Trace Atkins was the best and also the cutest. I did not know he was 6'6". What a deep voiced he has. WOW. We enjoyed being in a place that has been around for so long and has had the best of the best in country music sing here. The Oak Ridge Boys were also amazing. Sure glad we had a chance to do this. It was a full night of good happy music. We all walked out of there singing and laughing.

Sunday -Oct. 25, 2009 - Took off this afternoon on the shuttle to downtown Nashville again. This time we wanted to listed to some Blue Grass music. Went to a few places that advertised, Blue Grass music, but they were playing rock and roll and we were not interested in that. So we walked up and down Old Nashville streets and went into almost all the shops and checked them out. We walked down by the river they had at the end of town and there was a nice park and it overlooked the L.P. Field, which is the stadium where the Titans play. We had lunch on the top deck of a very nice restaurant that overlooked the downtown area. Because the temperature today was 70 degrees with blue skies we decided it would be a good place to eat. We called our hotel shuttle and had them pick us up and the we vegged out for awhile then went out to eat at the Brewery which was right across the street. None of us were very hungry since we had such a late lunch. So we only had Nachos and chips for dinner. Walked back to the hotel and enjoyed our "sister bonding".

Monday - Oct. 26, 2009 - We took the shuttle downtown again, (Frank asked us if the shuttle driver was cute, since we are always taking the shuttle) I laughed, because they change from old, retired, to fat, old and retired. hahahahaha. But it is the only way we can get to the downtown area without having to pay for a cab and it is just a little too far to walk. We walked up and down all the streets of Music Row and saw the recording studios of the stars, Reba, Tennessee Ernie Ford and many others. We got back home and ready to see our Elvis show tonight. the Elvis shuttle picked us up and the show was great!! Started out slow, but it sure turned out fabulous. Shuttle took us back to the hotel when it was over, all included in the price.

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 - Going to the Ryman Theater today and it was so interesting. This is the original Ole Opry. Where the Grand Ole Opry is broadcasted from now is a new building. Saw all the old gold records on the wall from all the country stars, a video and blurps of the country stars in concert, Elvis's Cadillac, so much history, it was hard to comprehend and remember it all. Took some pictures of our new group, called the ATM Trio, Anderson (lead singer), Tiahrt (Guitarist), Martin (2nd Guitarist). Catch them if you can the next time you are in Nashville. (hahaha) Walked back to the Music hall of Fame and saw Anne Murray signing autographs on her new book. Also check out how much the tickets were for the AMA Awards that will be held here and also if there were any seats available. (Just for the fun of it). Tickets are still available ranging form $115.00-$470.00 depending where you wanted to seat. BUT they did not have any two or three seats together, only single seats, scattered here and there. We then decided that we would go see a local entertainer. We went to a place called "The Station". We saw the Dole and Debbie Show. What a hoot that was!!! A redneck comedy show and we laughed, and laughed. It was so funny!!! Went back to the hotel after the show and had our usual cup of coffee. It rained hard all day today. ugh!!

Wed. Oct. 28, 2009 - Going downtown today to see the world famous "Wild Horse Saloon". Having lunch there and checking it out. They were getting ready for a "Halloween Party" so the country band they are having was tuning up and we got to listen a bit. It has 3 floors and it is amazing to see. Does not look like much on the outside, but is very nice on the inside. We then decided to go back to the Opry Mall and check out the SAKS store for sales. We went and could not find anything "saleable" so we decided to go to a movie. We saw the movie "Amelia". It is about Amelia Earhart, and it was

a "must see". With Richard Geer, how can it not be a good movie. We took a cab back to downtown Nashville and walked around just people watching. Since "Kiss" is in town having a concert there was a lot of people watching to do. A lot of people dressed up to look like the "Kiss" group. Eleanor got interviewed by Nashville Channel 2 News and was suppose to "air" tonight, but she got "cut" and they put on the news someone dressed up like "Kiss". So much for her "debut".hahaha. Called our hotel shuttle again and back to the hotel. We walked across the street to our favorite place-Midtown Cafe-and had a good final dinner here. Back in the room we called and asked for a "wake up call" at 5:00 a.m.!!! for our ride to the airport after a fun filled week here in Nashville. Lots of food, walking, music, and laughter. A good shot in the arm for all 3 of us for another year.

tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009

Well we are finishing up our 5 day stay here in Traverse City, MI. Have had a great time and have taken a few road trips around the area and out to the tip of the finger at the Grand Traverse Bay area. Drove around the other day for 4 hours and made a complete circle from where we started. Then the next day we took off and did the touristy thing. Went to a few wineries and enjoyed the beautiful area. It reminded us of Napa. The weather has been perfect with nice warm days with lots of sun and blue skies and the evenings have been great for campfires, which we have had every night. Looking at the stars away from city lights are unbelievable. I forgot how huge the sky is at night, hahahahaha. We can even see the "Milky Way" it is so clear here. We will hate to leave, but since Frank is a member of this area's wood turning association, there is a good chance we will be back for the monthly meetings while we are in Michigan. Most of the members leave and go to area's where it is warmer when winter comes, so he won't be missing out on much while we are at places that are warmer than Michigan.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Well we finally got back to the Mt. Pleasant Home and unpacked our things from our week long "camping" at the Martin's Cabin---Martin RV Park-- hahahahahaha
Had a great time with the brothers and it was a sad thing to see them take off down the road without us! Lyle and Elaine will be traveling down to Ohio to be with Ron and Bonnie for a few days before they take off solo, to see Niagara Falls, Statue of Liberty and down south to visit with friends in South Carolina and then heading west to sight see back to California. We had a great time with them and Frank and I are so glad that they could make this trip with us. We will begin to do our regular chores and I am sure Frank will start to do some wood turning, since Hunting is only one month away. No one wanted to leave the cabin it was so beautiful and the weather was perfect. Bill and Eleanor were the perfect host. We celebrated Ron's 65th birthday with 2 cakes and a bonfire. He is putting in his resignation tomorrow for retirement. Now all brothers will be retired and able to travel together sometime. We think that will be great!!

Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009

8:30 a.m. - Frank and Lyle, with big smiles on their faces were up and gone to a Wood Turner's Meeting here in Traverse City. Frank got in touch with one of the instructors that teaches wood turning at the seminars he has gone to and asked if him if him and Lyle could come by and see him since the guy lives in Traverse City and we were spending the night there. The instructor mentioned that they were having a Wood Turner's meeting this a.m. and they were welcome to come along to the meeting. Frank is so00000 excited!!! He said, it is like meeting an NFL Quarterback! hahahaha
10:30 a.m. - It has rained all night and it is still raining. This weather is suppose to hang in here until Monday and Tuesday.
12:30 p.m. - Frank and Lyle got back from their meeting and happy campers! They had a great time and as usual, learned a great deal from the PRO. More wood turning tips and to just be able to hear them discuss and critique some of the projects other brought in to "show and tell". A rare thing for both Frank and Lyle to be together for something like this. These instructors don't come to Merced, Williams or Mt. Pleasant, that's for sure. Frank signed up to be a member of this Northern Michigan Wood Turners Association. They meet the 2nd Saturday of every month. So we will just come up here for the night on a Friday, he will go to the meeting and then we will drive back to Mt. Pleasant, since it is only 11/2 hr. away. A lot of the guys who belong to this meeting from all over Michigan also go someplace to "winter". Quite a few go to AZ, which surprised Frank. Frank has met so many people from all over by getting involved with the wood turning. It is amazing how big an organization it is.
3:00 p.m. - Just pulled into the Isabella Village Park and the weather is a sultry 90 degrees, with humidity. Talked to one of the ladies that live here and she said they have had a lot of rain today-more than they have had all summer. It has been only about 75 degrees all the month of July and it was the coldest July they have had in years. I guess we brought the warm weather with us.

Drove 94 miles today

TOTAL DRIVING FROM CALIFORNIA TO MT. PLEASANT ---3,413

Friday, August 7, 2009

9:45 a.m. - We are on our way to Traverse City, MI - we will stop and have lunch with Eleanor and Bill today before we get to Traverse city and the weather is cool about 57 degrees but clear blue skies.

10:45 a.m. - We are going through Pellston, MI which is called "The Ice Box" of the nation. Lyle remarked he would not like to be living in a city with that kind of title. (me either) Lyle and Elaine have remarked it is hard to believe that this area around lake Michigan which is so beautiful now could be under snow in the winter!

10:50 a.m. - Just pulled into Eleanor and Bills place in Charlevoix, MI. It is a nice day today, so after sitting on the back patio for awhile Bill suggested we take the boat and go for a boat ride around the lake and then dock it and go into town for some lunch. that sounded great for all of us. The boat ride was great, around the lake then under the stow bridge they have in Charlevoix and out to Lake Michigan. Lyle and Elaine just loved the trip and loved the town and all the shops. Lyle was amazed as to how many people are here, especially during touring season! Pulled into the boating slip at the Harbor and went and had a great lunch at the local diner, then on to the local fish market to get some more Whitefish and Perch, then a nice relaxing boat ride to the beach house. What a great time had by all.

5:00 p.m.- Stopped at a roadside fruit stand and picked up some Cherry merchandise since all this area is the "Cherry Capital of the World". The clouds are starting to form and it is getting overcast, it feels a little more humid now. rain is expected this evening and through the weekend. Lyle and Elaine will get a little taste of Michigan storms, wind, rain and humidity this weekend.

6:15 p.m. - Pulled into the Traverse City KOAwith overcast skies and 68 degrees. We have a nice shaded area and it is a clean park and we are looking for a good restful night. Glad we are not continuing on to Mt. Pleasant tonight even tho it is only about 1/12 hr. away. It would have been just a little too much driving for all of us. A relaxing evening sitting outside, with the clouds forming more for the rain that is expected.

Drove 119 miles today

Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009

10:00 a.m. - This is our 2nd day in Mackinaw City and we are up and at the boat dock to catch the ferry over to Mackinac Island. We will be crossing over Lake Michigan and what a beautiful sight this is today. The skies are clear, blue and the water is sparkling. We sat on top and this particular ferry takes you under the "Might Mac" and that was quite a thing to see. The cars going over the bridge looked like little match box cars. It was interesting to hear how and why the bridge was built and to see it from the water's angle. While on the Island we took a Horse and Buggy carriage tour. It is a great way to see the sights of the island and hear the history behind it. After the tour we got dropped off at Fort Mackinac and toured some of the building with the history of the American Revolution War. We saw the presentation of the Rifle Firing and the Cannon Firing and both events were very interesting and informative. Lye just loves this kind of history and was very impressed with all that is on this island. We also went and saw the "Arch Rock" and had lunch at the "Tea Room" connected with the Grand Hotel. The food was suburb and the service was from many nations. Most of the waiters and servers were from different parts of the world. Jamaica, Ukraine, plus a lot of college students both from abroad and the states. We then walked the streets looking at the different shops, bought Mackinac Fudge - of course- and some smoked fish and some cheese, all of which this part of Michigan is famous for. They make and sell about 10,000 lbs of fudge a DAY during the summer months. Caught the 4:00 p.m. ferry back to Mackinaw City and this time sat down below where #1 it is much warmer, and #2 we could see the lake and bridge from a different view. We had more wave action than earlier in the day, but a lot more interesting. Got back to the RV about 5:30 p.m. after a little dinner in town and we are pretty much wiped out again. We did a lot of walking and climbing steps. It was a beautiful quiet night to sit outside by the bonfire.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

9:00 a.m. - On our way again with at 62 degree weather but nice and sunny. What a lovely stay we had at this great RV Park.

10:15 a.m. - We pulled off the road to view a beautiful city park along the way as we travel along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. The sun is out full force now and not a cloud in sight with a temperature of 70 degrees. The sun is making the lake sparkle like diamonds. We stopped here in Manistique to gas up for probably the last time until we get to Mt. Pleasant, with gas at $2.69 a gallon.

12:15 p.m. - Stopped at our "usual" stop when we come up to the Upper Peninsula. Frank needed to get his fix of smoked fish-- which he LOVES! We also bought some Pasties--(past-ies) that the UP is noted for and some good ole Black Cherry Ice Cream! yum yum. We are still driving along the Lake Michigan shoreline and there are a few white cap's appearing on the lake now, but it is still a beautiful crystal blue color. We are having to wait for some oncoming traffic to clear because of road construction. Every state we have been in has had road/or detours because of road construction.

1:00 p.m. - Crossing the Mackinac Bridge at 69 degrees with sunny skies and the cost for us in the RV pulling the Jeep is $10.00 just a car is $3.00. We are on our way to the KOA Campground in Mackinaw City. ( The city is spelled different and pronounced different also) city is Mack-in-aw the bridge is pronounced the same way but spelled Mack-in-ac.

2:30 p.m. - We unpacked, and hooked up and now are on our way to Sault Ste. Marie to the "SOO" locks. It is about one hour away and the drive is just lovely. Lyle and Elaine just love these hardwoods and all the green. We hung around the area because at 5:40 p.m. a ship was scheduled to come through the Locks and we wanted to see that happen. We watched it come in and it is amazing how the water in the Locks is so low for the ships to come through and then raised, quite fast to make the passageway as deep as lake Michigan so the ship can pass on through. this ship was on the way to Thunder Bay in Michigan carrying wheat on board and then another one came in about 10 minutes later and it was from Norway and going back with a load of cement on board. After we saw all that we had a "Yooper" dinner of pasties and fish and chips. Stopped at the Mackinac Crossings which is a mini mall and went through all the shops and bought our tickets to take the ferry boat across to Mackinac Island tomorrow another full day in store. We did not get back to the RV Park until 10:30 p.m.