Great Lakes | FindPenguins

Newest first

Trip start
June 4, 2026
Great Lakes Traveler
Henry County
June 4 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F
Lincoln: Let the Geek Tour Begin

Springfield, Illinois – The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

This was the first of six presidential museums on our itinerary (originally seven, but one is currently closed for renovations).

My review is simple: while this museum was not as exciting as some of the others, it was absolutely worth the stop. We enjoyed our visit, and I came away having learned quite a bit.

Unlike some presidential museums that focus heavily on artifacts and official documents, this one is more concerned with helping visitors understand Abraham Lincoln beyond the handful of facts most of us already know.

There is a small section covering his early life, but the primary focus is on the enormous challenges he faced from the moment he entered the national spotlight.

I remembered from school that talk of secession had been circulating as far back as the Jackson administration. What I learned here is that by the time Lincoln took office, the country was already deeply fractured into multiple ideological camps.

The election of 1860 featured four major candidates, and Lincoln won with just under 40% of the popular vote.

Once he won—and long before he was sworn in—Lincoln became the target of criticism, ridicule, and mockery from nearly every direction. Some opponents simply viewed him as unqualified and were astonished that he had won at all. The attacks never really stopped.

One fascinating detail was Lincoln's decision to fill his cabinet with political adversaries and former rivals, including the three men who had competed against him for the 1860 Republican nomination.

Like the Eisenhower Museum, my favorite exhibit was a video timeline of the Civil War. My Lovely agreed.

A large screen displays a time-lapse map of the conflict, with one second representing one week of the war. The map tracks territorial control, major battles, and the cumulative casualty totals for both sides.

Although the North enjoyed roughly a 2-to-1 advantage in manpower, it suffered about 50% more casualties than the South. It is also worth noting that more than half of all casualties were caused not by combat, but by disease and environmental conditions.

My second favorite exhibit was a tribute to Tim Russert, the longtime host of NBC's Meet the Press.

Presented from the perspective of the show's control room, the exhibit features Russert reporting on the election of 1860 as though he were covering it in modern times. The segments highlight the wide range of public opinions and the criticism Lincoln faced from both opponents and skeptics.

The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum was an excellent stop and a worthwhile addition to our presidential museum tour.Read more
2 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Buffalo Bill Museum, Le Claire Iowa
June 5 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F
The Buffalo Bill Museum in Iowa, celebrates the life of "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who was born there, however, the museum actually highlights local history, featuring several river pilots and captains of river boats. And beyond the notable Le Claire residents, there was a reasonably large amount of "old stuff" and memorabilia that was donated by the citizenry.

The exhibit I enjoyed the most, by far, was the office of James J Ryan. He was a professor and an inventor. He was the inventor of the Flight Data Recorder - "The Black Box", which is neither black nor a box.

Ryan and his students also invented seat belts for cars long before the government required them.

A truly interesting artifact was the crash helmet - which looked incredibly similar to an early 1960's football helmet. And I should clarify, the crash helmet was Ryan's, as he was commonly the crash dummy.

He and his students built a crash sled to crash test cars and they would raise cars up with a crane to simulated a head on crash at 40 mph.

The museum features exhibits on riverboat history, and includes the Lone Star, a historic wooden-hulled steamboat - the last of its kind - steam powered paddle boat . It was in service from 1869 to 1969 when it was pulled from service because it no longer met transportation safety requirements. We were able to tour the riverboat.

And just for Phanie Fae:
Wild Bill's wife was 'Lulu' Fredericci. Close, but it made us think of you.Read more
1 like
Great Lakes Traveler
1 1 1
Farmer's Market Ames Iowa
June 6 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
We are in Ames Iowa. It is June 6th 2026. We are here for the wedding of Zion Parker and his bride Katie! They recommended that we check out the farmers market that happens every Saturday in the summer on Main Street in Ames. We did that this morning it was absolutely fabulous. We spoke to one of the directors while we happened to be in a storefront, and he said that today's was the lowest attendance they had ever had and they've been doing this for several years. And there were thousands of people there. It was not too crowded to enjoy by any means and I was able to get a photograph down the street towards the very end of the market when people had started to clear out. But it was a beautiful day with a lot of amazing vendors and we were able to score some lovely purchases! I got a vase of beautiful fresh flowers, we found a stone heart as a last minute little trinket for Zion and Katie this evening. We found some fun toys for Landon, Rhett, and Mav, whom will be seeing tomorrow night. Pat found a beautiful Paisley shirt and I found some striped pants that we both loved. We had some delicious pastries and coffee and found some fresh snap peas and lettuce that will make for a fine addition to our dinner tomorrow. Just having fun with my best friend!Read more
Traveler The music was great and it reminded me of one of my favorite teachers, JD Perper, my high school band director. He played the tuba. (Amy)
6/6/26Reply
Traveler This is so cool.!
6/7/26Reply
Traveler So neat !
6/7/26Reply
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Congrats
June 6 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F
Congratulations to Zion & Katie

This wedding was the marker for the beginning of our trip. The reason why we chose to come to the Great Lakes. The when, where and why.

And I love weddings. At weddings, everyone is always happy and festive. The bride was as beautiful as she is sweet. And the Groom said that he got to make one choice in the whole thing. It turns out that choice was a defining choice. The groom and his groomsmen were is jeans, white shirt, cream jackets, cowboy hat and boots. It seemed to set the tone.

It was a comfortable, fun and wholesome affair. And it was obvious that the rather large wedding party were a tight knit group. They were all having fun together. And the fun just seemed to spread.

The festivities were lively, the dance floor was full and the country music flowed.

My Lovely and I danced, sang, smiled and soaked in some young love.

Amy got to reconnect with an old friend and visit with Faith and Aaron.

The dance floor was the place to be to dance or to simply be a part of the fun.

Weddings are always fun. This one had a 2 scoops and a heaping spoon of spinkles on top.Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Bits and Bobs...
June 8 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F
We stayed at The Pines of Kabetogama campground. We visited 4 visitor centers...about the only thing to do since most of the park has no roads and is only accessible by boat. We did try a short hike, but the skeeters and horse flys!! Oh my! Not so bad until you get into the woods! We also visited Smokey Bear Park in International Falls, MN.Read more
1 like
Great Lakes Traveler
A Sweet Morning Ride
June 8 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 75 °F
A month or so ago, My Lovely and I were watching a YouTube program about the 50 greatest places to visit. Gorgeous places from The Badlands to Trogir, and to Iceland for the northern lights.

The screen listened with B-Roll of the sights as the narrator described what we were seeing. After about the seventh spot, the adjective vault was empty.

Beautiful, gorgeous, fabulous, surreal, otherworldly, breath taking, stunning, sublime. Elegant, exquisite, alluring and mesmerizing.

The truth is that anyone would run out words to describe the wonders of the world. And as we travel, I have the same issue. Not only that, but not everything is the most fabulous thing I have ever seen. But I am grateful to have been able to experience almost everything we do.

And almost everything we do is awesome because we are out doing it together.

I love my wife; and I love our travels. And whether it is a sweet and savory pizza in Minneapolis or a neopolitan pizza in Naples, it is always great with her.

Today we did a short 10 mile bike ride before we left Minneapolis - just because the trail was there and because we had time. It was beautiful (or any one of those other 14 words). The morning was severely overcast, rain was about, the air was just a bit cool. We had several lake views, priary views and internal forest views.

The park was truly a perfect place just outside the city with bike trails, hiking trails, horse trails, lakes, camping, and peace and quiet.

The park has a summer map and a winter map. The big difference is that the summer map shows the dusc golf course, the archery range and the hiking trails. The winter map shows the cross country ski trails and the ice fishing locations.

We saw a deer, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, a turtle crossing the path and a plethora of birds. It was a fabulous morning ride.

And My Lovely said "there is still beauty on an overcast day".

Yes, there is.Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
The Manos Day
June 8 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F
The Manos Day

Of course the boys are precious. It was so sweet that they were waiting for us at the door when we pulled up.

Landon is so impressive, remembering Sam and the Air Force and knowing about the divisions of the special forces. Watching Rhett get excited about the train engine. Seeing My Lovely's face glow with Mav. It was all fun. Hearing the excitement in their voices makes my heart jump.

We can't wait to hear more about Berlin and Prague after Andy goes to run. Andrea had a sweet story about her going to Prague alone. And when she was there she told herself she would one day come back with her husband.

We only had anout 5 hours, but ut seems like we got 8 hours of conversation and catching up squeezed in.

The Tapas restaurant, Salt and Flour was a great choice. I really enjoyed the sweet and savory pizza. I'll repeat that when we get home.

We love them so much and we had another great time with Andy, Andrea and the boys.Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Voyageurs National Park
June 9 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F
Today was all about the water.

Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota is a water-based park on the Canadian border, known for its boreal forest, lakes, and history of French-Canadian fur traders (voyageurs). It offers year-round activities like boating, fishing, and hiking in summer, and snowmobiling, ice fishing, and Northern Lights viewing in winter.

Most of the park is only accessible by water. We booked a 6 hour tour with Bill who owns Border Guide Service. He has lived here all his life and spent 10 years as a park ranger at Voyageurs. His grandfather settled here in the early 1900s and he spent his life on the lake.

It would take a lifetime to learn these waters. They are huge. There are 4 BIG lakes plus the waterways that connect them and more beside that. It's hard to tell where one lake ends and another begins.

It was a beautiful day and we traveled over 65 miles by water, criss-crossing the lake as Bill told us stories of the area. He also brought along his dog, Irish. Our turn around point was Kettle Falls.

Before Kettle Falls, we stopped for 30 minutes at Ellsworth Rock Gardens, a unique, terraced garden on a rock outcrop on Lake Kabetogama (`cab-uh-`toe-gah-muh, or just Kab as the locals say) in Voyageurs National Park, created by self-taught artist Jack Ellsworth from the 1940s to 1960s. He built 62 flower beds with thousands of lilies and other flowers, accented by over 200 abstract rock sculptures, making it a popular destination accessible only by boat. The National Park Service now maintains the site, with docks, restrooms, and picnic areas. We spent 30 minutes climbing around what is left of the gardens before the mosquitoes chased us back to the boat!

If we had rented a boat an toured the lake, we would have had absolutely beautiful scenery, but with no history. Bill's take was somewhat jaded he is not a fan of the National Park Service and their decisions), however, with most NPS tours, you hear a guide tell you stories that have been handed down. In Bill's case, he is the historian. Bill talked about the origins of the lakes, the Voyagers, the indians, and the trades that populated the lake. Beyond that, the tour is about the history of the lak over the past 100 years. And he lived most of what he talked about. He personally knew people and the events of the lake.

As we were cruising the lake we spotted a large bald eagle (one of several we saw), struggling at the edge of a small rock island. We thought he had caught too big a fish to be able to fly. As we came quietly around the island we startled him and he lost his grip on his prey. Turned out to be a loon. The eagle hopped up onto the rock and shook the water out of his wings. The loon swam away to it's mate who had been nearby watching the attack and calling out. Miraculously, it seemed to be okay! The eagle flew off across the lake.

Kettle Falls in Northwest St. Louis County, MN, refers to a historic district in Voyageurs National Park, accessible only by boat, known for the Kettle Falls Hotel (built in 1913) and the falls where Namakan Lake drains into Rainy Lake. It's a remote, historic site with a unique tilted bar in the hotel, a small dam, and a history of voyageurs, miners, and tourists. It is located on the US-Canada border where Canada is to the south.! It is only reachable by boat or air, deep in the wilderness of Voyageurs National Park. It is probably the most remote place I have ever been to. With the maze of islands it is also easy to get lost.

The hotel is quite run down, which is completely understandable, given the only way to get there is by boat over 2 hours from anywhere! But it was very cool to see. We had lunch on the porch and took in the overlook above the dam. It was strange to be looking south into Canada!

We enjoyed the day on the water, but the sun and heat did tire us out!

I am glad we came to see the park. It was beautiful. There are people that come here every year, like we go to Dale Hollow. I'm not a fan of all the biting bugs!Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Glensheen Mansion
June 11 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F
My Lovely and I enjoy touring Historic homes. The Glensheen Mansion was excellent and an awesome choice to break up a drive day.

This historic mansion offers a fascinating glimpse into the past with its well-preserved architecture, original furnishings, and beautiful grounds.

Glensheen Mansion is a 39-room historic estate on Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota, built by the Congdon family between 1905 and 1908.

The house is 20,000 square feet and spectacular. The gardens, the lake shore, the boat house on Lake Superior are all outstanding.

The Congdon family's wealth came from leasing land for iron ore. This home was used by the family until 1977 and the furnishings are all original. The home was donated to the University of Minnesota who maintains, preserves and restores the home. Unlike many of the historic homes we have visited, the gardens have been well maintained which adds to the awe of the home.

This home is from the gilded age. It was designed and built incredibly well with steel, concrete, stone and hardwood.

The Congdons had 8 children, most of whom grew up in this house. It was well laid out for such a family and each area and room having customized furnishings and decor to the person living in that room. You feel the personality of each family member in their respective room.

Obviously, anyone could go on about the beauty of the pieces in the house.

Something that particularly touched my heart was on the lower level with the billiard room and the amusement room. The largest room in the house is a room that runs under the upper terrace of the gardens. It is an indoor playroom where the children could run, play, roller skate.

For the time when this house was built, the showers were extraordinary. Walk-in showers with valves that controlled a rain-type shower head, a valve that controlled body shower heads (4 heads in each of the 4 corners) as well as a handheld.

The showers were all done in subway tile (always a classic).

Another thing that surprised me was that the tour included a trip up to the attic. The attic was full of the family's items and is a working attic for the university managing the house. It had everything from kids toys to rugs and old furniture. Also, in the attic you get a peek at the steel superstructure of the house.

Lastly, as I said, this house is furnished with original items as opposed to period pieces brought in to illustrate what would have been in the house at a specific time. Being that this house was lived in until 1977, it is interesting that the kitchen was not full of modern (50's, 60's or 70's) kitchen equipment. It has the original stove (industrial). However, I fully expect that there was at some time, a Frigidaire somewhere at some time.

The last Congdon to live there was the youngest daughter Elisabeth. She was tragically murdered in her 80s by her adopted daughter (and the son-in-law) for the inheritance.

The murder (and some amazing details) is not mentioned in the tour because the family did not want this to be the focus.

The tour itself is a self-guided cellphone tour. It is very well organized — the most organized of any tour we have ever done. They do timed entries and manage the amount of traffic which makes the tour just that much more enjoyable.Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Apostle Islands
June 12 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
Can we just laugh at ourselves for a minute?

Today's plan was to kayak to Meyers Beach Sea Caves in Lake Superior.

Today's temperature is 61°.
The water temperature is 41°.

We wisely decided on a boat tour of the islands instead — which was cold, and were fully dressed.

While we were out, as the captain commented on points of interest, he highlighted the last hunk of ice out on the lake that hadn't melted (it was miles away and yet big enough to see). Maybe not the best kayaking situation.

Ok, yes, it is June 12th, and in our neighborhood, this time of the year, you can get out on the lake and enjoy water sports. We simply lost perspective of the differences of the north and the south. So a little oopsy.

But no, that is not why I am laughing at us. I'm laughing at us because before we found out the water temp was 41°, we were still trying to figure out if we could do this and stay dry in 61° weather (NOT A CHANCE).

But we had a great day. The boat tour registered a solid "ok" on the fun scale which is being just a tad bit liberal as the highlight was the boat view of the sea caves at Devils Island. But without this tour, I think we may have returned home lacking perspective for the vastness of Lake Superior. At one point we could look far into the horizon on the west and see Minnesota, and at the same time, look to the east and see Michigan, and look nrth and only see a horizon.

We saw such a small part of the lake, but it has more of a feel of an ocean than a lake.

The sea caves would have really cool (had it not been so cold). But the rest of the day made up for it 10-fold.

Today was bike riding, shopping and essentially taking a day off in a beautiful small town. No crowds. Everything just a calm day and relaxing. As we cycled from 1 place to another, we looked at pretty houses. We hit every little shop in town, enjoyed key lime pie ice cream, looked at all the pretty flowers and basically spent the day doing "us".

We learned that we will have to return during harvest time and do the fruit loop.

And I said, we did Apostle Islands tour:

This was a 3 hour tour (♬♬ a 3 hour tour♬♬) where we were introduced to Magnificent Sea Caves, Multicolored Cliffs, Raspberry Island Lighthouse, Devils Island Lighthouse, Brownstone Quarries on Hermit Island, Manitou Island Fishing Camp, Basswood Quarry. We were told of the history of the people who lived and worked on these islands.

We withstood the wind and the spray from the lake and came back Jonesing for some fresh fish and chips.

---

Shopping in a tourist town you are bound to see t-shirts, coasters, and signs with cute sayings on them. We were shopping in a tourist trap retail store and one of these signs said read:

"These days, I'm expecting to open my utility bill and find a place to leave a tip."

I could absolutely relate. Ironically, at the checkout of this retail store ... a tip jar.Read more
1 like
Great Lakes Traveler
The Lupines of Madeline
June 13 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
My formula for a perfect day is a bike ride to explore a small town. For My Lovely, the ideal start is a boat ride. Today marked the second consecutive day we enjoyed these respective pleasures.

Our destination was Madeline Island. We began with a short bike ride, pausing first for pastries at the Gourmet Garage in Bayfield before catching the ferry, setting the stage for a day of adventure.

As the largest of Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands, Madeline Island presents a compelling blend of sandy beaches, well-marked casual hiking trails, rocky overlooks, crystal-clear water, and — to My Lovely’s immense delight — abundant lupines and forget-me-nots.

Disembarking the ferry, we cycled to the state park to hike a trail through the forest and tracing the shoreline. This hike offered continuous payoff. The walk was easy, and we spent most of the day hand-in-hand, strolling beneath the trees with the lake constanty in view. Occassionaly, we emerged onto overlooks perched 20, 30, or 40 feet above the water. We stood on solid rock edges, gazing down into water so transparent we could see the bottom, listening to waves lap against the rocks as we watched birds fishing.

Then came the day’s highlight. As we stood there hand-in-hand, quietly absorbing the view, a memory surfaced—a vision, a feeling, a moment from our trip to New England. Just above a whisper, I said to My Lovely, “This reminds me of Maine.”
She all but finished my sentence. "It was my birthday,” she said.
She was right. “The sunrise that never came,” I replied. (You can find that story here on Penguins.) We shared that moment completely. I am profoundly grateful for my life with you, my sweet love. Thank you for making these memories with me.

Continuing along the point, the rocky bay gave way to a sandy beach. We paused on a boardwalk bridge to watch a man playing with his puppy several hundred yards away before venturing onto the sand. We discovered the “Madeline Library”: a collection of about sixty canoes and kayaks available for rent on the honor system. A few minutes on the beach and then we were off to the next thing.

Another short ride took us to the town park (and more lupines), then back into town for lunch and some light shopping (resulting in a pair of cute earrings).Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Mackinac Island
June 15 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 52 °F
Mackinac Island, Michigan, is a historic island on Lake Huron known for its Victorian charm.

Cars are not allowed; bikes and horse-drawn carriages are the favored modes of transportation, fudge is a food group, and shopping is a leisure sport.

A major part of the island is Mackinac Island State Park, featuring Fort Mackinac, historic sites, and scenic trails. It's a popular tourist destination for its unique, step-back-in-time atmosphere.

There are no bad views on Mackinac Island. We went for the Grand Hotel (its own post), bike riding (its own post), shopping (its own post), and looking at the houses. This was the splurge part of the trip (in a few respects).

Q: Was it worth it?
A: Well, one location, two days, five posts on Penguins. Yes, Mackinac Island was worth it—a resounding YES.

We had high expectations for the Grand Hotel, and it delivered. Main Street is a complete tourist trap but very enjoyable. We had a successful shopping excursion, and My Lovely had one of the best burgers of her life.

We took two walks as well as a bike ride, and the Victorian homes delivered. We picked house colors for our house as we strolled through. None exactly matched where we'll end up, but it was fun to imagine.Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Lake Superior Shipwreck Museum
June 15 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F
After spending a couple of days on Lake Superior, stopping at the Shipwreck Museum proved to be an interesting stop.

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, located at Whitefish Point Light Station, Michigan, preserves the maritime history of the Great Lakes, focusing on shipwrecks, particularly those in Lake Superior. It features exhibits on the U.S. Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard, artifacts from wrecks, and the recovered bell from the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.

One thing you learn while you are there is to not press your luck near Whitefish Point, especially late in the season. Lake Superior holds an estimated 550 shipwrecks, with over 350 discovered so far.

Often called the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes," at least 200 of these wrecks lie along Michigan's treacherous "Shipwreck Coast"—an 80-mile stretch of shoreline between Munising and Whitefish Point. The 25' and 30' waves took down ships from the 65' schooners to the 729' steel-hulled Edmund Fitzgerald. Once again, a well laid out Museum. The exhibits have artifacts recovered from the downed ships with excerpts from newspaper articles to tell the stories, all while listening to the ballad "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

The museum included a tour of the lighthouse keepers' housing as well as a "lifesaving garage" exhibiting a cart to launch a tethered life preserver (imagine a wooden wagon circa 1920 that would have to be pulled on by two men on a sand beach).Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Grand Hotel
June 15 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F
The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. America’s Summer Place. The 139 year-old hotel brings culture, history and romance to life in the form of old world charm.

I asked My Lovely what was the best part of the hotel. It was a trick question. There is no best part. The Grand is a complete package. It is an experience that one embraces, and then you savor one step into the next.

The 653' front porch overlooking the grounds, the gardens and the lake is overwhelming. The atmosphere and the breeze sweeps you into yesteryear.

After 6 pm, ladies and gentlemen dress for social hour and dinner. It is such a gift to dress for each other, a gentleness saturates the air. My Lovely stole the show. Classic beauty. She had the perfect dress. A mid-century seafoam teal with lace and roses. Several people commented on her dress and one called her the Queen of the prom.

Live music in the form of a pianist or harpest as you sip an aperitif.

A jazz band serenades you through dinner.

The rooms are opulent and each has a unique decor. The service never ends. Hotel staff is everywhere and they all treat you with regal respect.

The Grand Hotel is not a place to stay. It is an experience to behold.Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
The Secret Garden
June 15 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F
The Secret Garden on Mackinac Island is a hidden gem on the grounds of the Grand Hotel, known for its artistic, flowing "river" of flowers, particularly vibrant spring bulbs like grape hyacinths and tulips, which are replaced by colorful annuals in summer. Despite being centrally located, it's designed to be discovered, with paths leading through it and staff available to help find it, making it a popular spot for photos and proposals.

It actually is a bit hidden...we missed it on our first try! We happened to be there in the morning and had the garden mostly to ourselves. It is right at that point where the spring blooms have spent themselves and the gardeners will soon be swapping out the flowers here as they are everywhere on the property. It is just lovely! There is even a carving of the hotel on a tree stump that is a bit hidden.

I have especially enjoyed the lilacs which are in full bloom everywhere. The beautiful scent brings me back to the lilacs growing in our back yard in NY when I was a child.Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Mackinac Loop
June 16 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 57 °F
A must-do on Mackinac Island is a bike rental.

We were looking forward to this ride for a couple of reasons. The first is that we weren't allowed to use our ebikes. These were regular bikes. We wanted to gauge ourselves on strictly pedal power. We generally try to use our ebikes for assistance as opposed to all e-power, but we didn't know how we would do. We are normally riding in hilly terrain and the ebikes are very heavy, so even on slight inclines we need the assistance.

Fortunately, I can report, with the path being mostly level, we did great. We breezed the 8.5 mile loop around the island without a hiccup.

Secondly, this path was absolutely gorgeous. The lake is visible throughout the ride, beautiful homes, the park and trees, and of course, the attitude of the ride.

We pulled off the road several times to take pictures. My Lovely took one photo of the lake shore where the water is so clear that you cannot tell where the rock beach stops and the rock in the water starts. And I took a photo that is so beautiful that Phanie Fae commented "Oh my goodness look like entry to heaven wow".

One stop was at "the arch" formed by wave and wind erosion during the Nipissing post-glacial period when lake levels were higher.

One fun little bit was my little hitchhiker that My Lovely nicknamed Tairn. Tairn was a dragonfly that hopped up on my shoulder along the ride and stayed with me for the last 2.5 miles. When we returned the bikes, he was still there chilling out.

My Lovely decided we should take Tairn to the Secret Garden and let that be his next habitat. Amy led Tairn off of my shirt to let him fly away, but he just flew back to me and landed on my shirt again. The second time she set him down on an Allium flower and that worked for him.Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Dang That Dung
June 17 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
Mackinac Island is known for the horse drawn carriages. There is no car traffic on the island, not even delivery trucks.

Everywhere you go you see the horses, either saddled or pulling carriages. And everywhere they go, they leave behind a trail. A trail of dung. I am not complaining. I simply found it noteworthy.

The island also has a large number of people cleaning the dung up in real time. They are on foot, pushing clean up carts and riding bicycle carts, stopping every few feet to clean up the most recent trail. But even with that . . . . Watch your step.

Maybe watch out for the brown puddles too. Ehhh, yeah, maybe all the puddles.

Seriously, it is not a problem but the dung is ever present. It made me think of the people that romanticize the old west. Who cleaned up behind the horses then.Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Gerald Ford Presidential Museum
June 17 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 59 °F
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, chronicles the life and presidency of the 38th U.S. President, Gerald R. Ford, and his wife, Betty Ford, featuring exhibits like a replica Oval Office, Watergate burglary tools, and artifacts from the 1976 Bicentennial.

The museum offers a tour through Ford's journey from his Grand Rapids roots to the White House, including his time as a Boy Scout, football player, Navy officer, Congressman, and Vice President, president and finally, his funeral.

Key exhibits and features:

Oval Office replica: A detailed recreation of Ford's Oval Office.

Watergate tools: The actual tools used in the Watergate burglary.

Bicentennial collection: Items from the nation's 1976 Bicentennial celebration.

Betty Ford's impact: Exhibits on the life and work of First Lady Betty Ford.

We both enjoyed the replica of the Oval Office and were both struck by how many of Ford's cabinet members we were familiar with.

I think the thing that touched My Lovely the most was the poignent words from Henry Kissinger as well as Presidents Carter, Bush 41 and Bush 43. They truly honored him.

Several of his contemporaries (from both sides of the aisle) said that they disagreed with Ford at the time on the Nixon pardon, Vietnam refugees and the Helsinki Accords, and they all said that even though Ford took political hits for those decisions, in retrospect, they now see that he was correct.

From Amy... I was struck by his character and integrity. His determination to do what he thought was right regardless of the political fallout. So many speak of him as the right man at the right time and how he was able to bring healing to the country. We could sure use him today.Read more
0 likes
Great Lakes Traveler
Robinette's Harvest Host
June 17 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 59 °F
Our first Harvest Host.

- Harvest Hosts is an annual membership program for RVers that provides overnight camping at locations across North America, including wineries, farms, breweries, and museums. Instead of paying a nightly camping fee, members agree to support the host business by purchasing their products or services during the stay. -

Robinette's is a "farm store" at an apple orchard. They make ciders, wines, jams, salsa etc. The have a little donut shop, gift shop and lunch restaurant.

It was a quiet, easy place to stay near the Ford Presidential Museum.

We bought a bottle of wine, some salsa, a jigsaw puzzle and, most importantly, a cinnamon apple cider donut.

Thank you Robinette'sRead more
0 likes

Trip end
June 20, 2026