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Michigan 2021
  • Katboz

Michigan 2021

A 159-day adventure by Katboz Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 22, 2021
    KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    1

    Sacramento and Engagement party

    May 22, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Got off to pretty early start for us. House ready for summer rental, and RV packed for the summer in Michigan! Won't be back until October?!
    Parked Subaru with cover and tickle charger on battery at our friend, Dianne's house, picked up sandwiches for lunch in Prather and then down to mom's house. Picked her up for RV drive to Sacto. Lunched in the RV at rest stop near Turlock, nice weather, thick traffic with never-ending construction projects slowed us down some.
    Got to Sacto, freshened up and visited Sara and Matt's home. Their yard project looks great!
    Then headed to his folks home for a wonderful evening celebrating their engagement. Great food, beautiful view, warm hosts. Met several Waldron folks and reacquainted with Hibbs sibilings. Back to Hibbs home and slept in RV.    Read more

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    Fernly, Nevada

    May 23, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    Spent the morning with family having brunch at the Hibbs house. Good food with lots of crispy 🥓! Hugs goodbye, handed mother off to Coopers for trip back to Fresno.
    Tom and I headed to 80 and across the Sierras. Beautiful day for a beautiful drive. We hadn't been this way in some time and really enjoyed the views. Pulled over at Donner Summit rest area and snacked for lunch. It was cool with a pretty cold wind. 🥶 Skies got a little cloudy, and there were pockets of snow.
    Down into Reno, blowing by the Bas Pro shop (dang!) and into Fernly, overnighting at Desert Rose RV park. Nice park, $40, concrete pads and grass. Right off of 50, so a little noisy. And supposedly was one of the RV parks in Nomadland...    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    22

    East thru Nevada on Hwy 50

    May 24, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    From Fernly west via Hwy 50, the loneliest highway... great weather and a lot of wide open spaces. Lunched at the International Cafe in Austin, Nv; which is almost on the verge of becoming a ghost time. Typical late 1800's mining town that had a high population of 10,000 and as of 2010 had 194. Boy and as of 2021, I'm guessing that number is smaller. The cafe had only one employee, hostesses, waitress, cook, and busboy in one. I think she was the owner!
    Drove thru Eureka, the only other town on 50. This town actually looked like it was still surviving, but still pretty small.
    Ended the day at Major Station; a little bar, restaurant and RV Park. Hmmmm not sure it offered much in services, no restrooms, no showers, no wi-fi and no cell service. But they were right over the crest of Conner Pass (7,749 ft) and had a really nice view of the valley below and the snow covered mountains beyond. Plus there were very cute goats to say hello to!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    2

    East thru Utah on Hwy 50 & 70

    May 25, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Well, interesting contrast to yesterday's drive thru Nevada... we pretty much drove east thru Utah today. And as much as I really enjoyed yesterday's drive, I had forgotten how beautiful Utah is! We didn't even drive a national park, and the landscape was gorgeous. The color of the rock, the blue sky, white clouds...I fell in love with Utah all over again!
    We lunched in Delta, the cleanest looking main street I have driven in quite awhile, and took a 30 minute camera stop at one of the many view stops. Tonight's location is Ballard RV Park in Thompson Springs, just north of Arches on interstate 70. Planning to give ourselves a day in the park tomorrow.    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    2

    Toms Bday!

    May 26, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Got up fairly early, like 5 plus to try and catch the eclispe, but there was a high, thick cloud cover and I could not even find the moon...
    Because I was up, Frankie was meowing for breakfast and eventually roused Tom. We had a fairly quick breakfast and were on the road in the jeep to visit Arches. The RV park was about 45 minutes away and when we got there the park ( just before 9 or so) it was already full and no visitors were allowed in. We could wait for sometime after lunch, but decided we just would have to come back to Utah another time.
    Headed into Moab for groceries. Cute, very touristy looking town with lots of shops and restaurants, but decided we didn't want to actually spend money and went back to the RV. Again, hopefully back to visit.
    We both puttered around the RV and then spent the afternoon and cocktail hour chatting with another couple that had the exact same RV! They live in Troutdale, outside of Portland, and are snowbirds heading home from their 6 month stay in Phoenix. We enjoyed sharing travel destinations.
    We had planned on barbcued steak to celebrate Toms bday, but it was just too windy... so taco salad it was!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    1

    Into central Colorado

    May 27, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    We actually were on the road by 8:30 which is pretty good for us! Including morning devo with Cindy... beautiful drives today. Went through Grand Junction, and then took 50 through Delta, Montrose, Blue Mesa Res., over Cerro Summit and into the Curecanti Natl. Rec area before Gunnison. It was there that we spent about an hour allowing for single lane traffic on this two lane county hwy. Fortunately weather was gorgeous and views nice... loved the drive through the Gunnison area, just sort of a big river plain with mountains on either side.
    Dropped the jeep off of the RV in Sargents, so we could cross the divide without towing. Tom took the RV and I led in the jeep. Again great drive up over 11,000 for pass. Down into Salida and a gorgeous river canyon drive along the Arkansas River ( the headwaters are in Colorado) to a odd little RV Park in Howard, Colorado. Small little park that has staggered pads up the hill. Nice views, but a mixture of semi permanent guests. They had a cannabis smoking area by the office, which Tom and greatly appreciated, just joking! Owner would not let anyone in the office, you had to text her to let you know you needed to check in. She saw us to our site and then explained that it was a long day and she needed to get back to bed. (It was 5:15) I don't know maybe she had spent the day in the "smoking" area?    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    2

    Colorado to Oklahoma Panhandle

    May 28, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Another beautiful morning drive thru the Arkansas River gorge. Long winding drive that parallels the river. I am sorry that I hadn't done much research for our trip because I might have gotten Royal Gorge on my radar. Apparently the "grand canyon" of the Arkansas River. We drove right by it. Hope we will back again...Looped down into New Mexico on I-25, then headed east into the Oklahoma panhandle on 412. The topography really flattened out and is everything I had imagined Oklahoma to be. Flat plains,, not even a tree. However we did finally see wildlife. We spotted several deer, and one small herd of deer as we drove the plains. Looking for them kept us awake!
    Overnight in the small town of Boise City. Wild Bill's RV park. No wild Bill, no restrooms, no showers, but very quiet! And it did have a little minature golf course. Not sure where you get your putter?
    We were right across from the Cimarron Heritage Center, so Auggie and I wandered around the outside. Since we are so close to Kansas, it had a large "tin man" and a dinosaur sculpture. I think some bones had been found nearby. Couldn't get in, but I understand that they have a replica of a typical home from the dust bowl era. This location was almost the heart of the dust bowl. Would have been good to get into the center for more historical background.    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler

    Oklahoma and Oklahoma

    May 29, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Well Oklahoma got a little more interesting as we drove east. Morning drive had more flat plains, and a little more cattle. But the good news is that gas is under $3.00 out here. So filling up isn't quite as painful. (Trust me, it still hurts...we are averaging about 8 mpg. Ouch!)
    Lunched at a little downtown cafe in Woodward. Another (slightly larger) Midwest town with lots of empty buildings. So many of these places were booming in the 1900s, (I think) but seem empty these days.
    We were surprised to see so many yucca plants. Not the big ones we see in the California desert but these smaller ones that were all blooming. At one time they were considering making it the state flower... to replace the mistletoe that had been in place for over a hundred year, until actually the Oklahoma rose won out.
    Topography really started changing, rolling hills, lots of trees, even some rocky plateaus...and began to see random oil "grasshoppers" pumps and air turbines with some big blades.
    Overnighting in Enid, Oklahoma. Pretty spot with lots of shade 🌳! (Not many pics today?!)    Read more

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    Memorial Day in Fayetteville

    May 31, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Restful day at Chris's... weather is gray, and while it is cool, it is also humid. It turns out I really have very frizzy hair, and I always thought I had straight hair?!
    Chris's "girls" began to grudgingly accept Auggie... she has 2, Romy a darling tiny pomeranian mix and Zoe a fiesty, also darling, malti-poo! Introductions yesterday were challenging. We sort of "burst" into the house with Auggie, and the girls went crazy! While Romy had a little puff of a bark, Zoe has a bark that "will be heard". Which of course sets Auggie off with his big bark. Deafening...
    It took about an hour of sitting quietly with all 3 dogs to get them to agree to cohabitate for the duration of our visit.....while studiously ignoring each other.
    Spent most of the day catching up on laundry, all our clothes, towels, linens and bedspread.

    Headed over to Shari and Andy's for a memorial day barbecue in the 🌧! But with their big covered patio we still got to enjoy the evening! They had most of the family over, Rick and Michelle with Safi and Rhett, and of course their girls, Kate and Abby. Had another noisy greeting as Auggie got to know Shep and Aspen.

    Even in the rain Rhett and Safi took to the swimming pool which upset Auggie. Auggie was frantic to let hem know it was "wet" in the pool, and in his attempts to get them out, fell in himself!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    1That bit of blue and white sign behind the post is the Arkansas state line notice...
    1Aunt Chris's house

    Oklahoma thru to Aunt Chris!

    May 31, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Drove pretty much straight thru from Enid, Oklahoma to Fayetteville...about 250 miles. But it also cost us about $15.00 in tolls! Well besides the $125 fill up...) Who knew? We managed to take 3 different turnpike before we realized that turnpike is synonymous with toll roads. And apparently you need 💸🤑 the real stuff, not an ATM card. As one toll keeper (?) told us, you either pay or "work the potholes". Scraped enough up for the first one and then made sure we stopped in our drive to get more cash. As we left the last turnpike, Tom asked about them... why so many in this one drive, and this toll keeper just smiled and said "welcome to Oklahoma!"

    We ended the day parking the RV at the Heinzelmanns and transferring some clothing, overnight items and Auggie to spend the night at Chris's. Frank got a quiet night to himself!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    1Princess Romy, on the back of the sofa, her spot2The best we could do....

    Bentonville and Ford Dealership

    June 1, 2021 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    Well....today was about getting the RV into a Ford dealer to be looked at. On the way into Fayetteville we noticed that the unit seemed to be backfiring and losing power as we were going uphill. Since we came into town on Memorial day weekend we couldn't do anything about until Tuesday. Took it into the Fayetteville dealership, who then pointed us to the Bentonville dealership, which actual works on RVs.
    Drove up to Bentonville (about 30 miles north) in a pretty good rain and checked the RV. They were a little unsure when they could "get to it", but said they would do their best. Unfortunately that meant Frank would need to stay in the RV at the dealership. This trip has been a challenge for him. He practically lives in the closet, except at night...
    Met Chris for late breakfast back in Fayetteville and then spent the day at her house following up with some computer time. We did also had to Hobby Lobby to find a frame for the picture of Pompa for her office and worked on rehanging some items so we could hang the McCoon watercolor painting of Nonnys that we brought with us.
    Delicious pork tenderloin for dinner and bed...    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    At the Crescent
    111St Elizabeth's2Kings river access

    Eureka Springs and the River House

    June 2, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    Since our visit to Chris has been extended we decided to get a little sightseeing in. We drove up to Eureka Springs to visit the Crescent Hotel and the town. We toured the hotel and grounds in a light rain. Beautiful old building with an interesting history. Across from the hotel is a beautiful catholic church, St Elizabeth's with gorgeous garden space. Drove through the downtown area with many cute and interesting old buildings. Lots of Victorian architecture!
    We met Shari on the edge of town and followed her to get a peek at their newly purchased "River house", as Chris calls it. Shari calls it a cabin, but that is because it is a recently built log style home... and has a cabin feel to it! Big beams and posts all in their natural shape. All cedar wood, granite counter tops, wood floors, fun mountain chandeliers and light fixtures... with a great view of the Kings River. So i have a picture of the river, but totally missed taking one of the house!
    Back to Chris's, leftovers for dinner and bed!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler

    Checking on Frank in Bentonville

    June 3, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Poor guy, Frank has been by himself with the RV since Tuesday. So after dropping Auggie off at Petsmart for a bath and de-shedding treatment we drove up to Bentonville to check on the RV and Frank. Fortunately the weather had been wet and fairly cool so we weren't too worried.
    As usual found him tucked back in the closet, the darkest corner. But it was clear he had been eating and using his litter box.
    Good news with the RV, dealership determined that the backfiring was due to some faulty wiring with the spark plugs. All work was preformed under warranty!
    Grabbed lunch at the Stone Mill Cafe, they make great bread, drove back to Petsmart, picked up a gorgeous looking pup, grabbed some groceries and went back to Chris's.
    Made a baked ravioli dish and had last dinner with Chris, Andy, Shari and Abby.
    No pictures!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    Stuck in traffic
    State capital as we crossed the Missouri River

    Goodby Aunt Chris, hello Missouri

    June 4, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    We hated to say goodbye, because we had such a nice visit with Chris! But you can't get to Michigan if you don't move on...
    Had to pack up our stuff back into the jeep and drove up to Bentonville to get the RV. Unloaded jeep, all our laundered clothes, linens, leftover food, bags and Auggie back into the RV, so it took awhile. Frank was a little put out, but he'll recover.
    Spent the day driving across Missouri, sort of like Arkansas, but just a little more hilly and with crumbling rocky bluffs. Beautiful blue sky, clouds and a very warm sun.
    Decided to save some money by overnighting at Walmart in Jefferson City. Hmmmm. It was hot, we didn't have AC. No trees. Lots of asphalt, and noisy cars. We have had more enjoyable nights than this. But we "saved" money! No pictures?!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    First view of the Mississippi
    Downtown Hannibal2Local flower gardenSome of the color in the older buildings1Driftwood RV park in Quincy

    Visit Hannibal, Missouri

    June 5, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    Had a wonderful afternoon visiting Hannibal, Missouri. This town is all about Mark Twain, and the characters he created from his own personal experiences.
    We didn't get here until noon, after doing some shopping at Walmart before we left. Crossed the Missouri River getting a glimpse of the state capital before heading pretty much northeast to Hannibal and the Mississippi River.
    Had lour first real glimpse of the Mississippi, and then lunched at the Old Planters restaurant. Barbecue pork sandwiches, the special of the day. Complete with German chocolate pie for dessert. Strolled the very cute downtown area prior to catching our trolley tour of the town at 2:30.
    Really liked hearing about the history and seeing most of the major sites for this historical town. I think she said that they had 400 plus homes/ buildings on the historical register, many are restored Victorians from the late 1800s.
    So much about Samuel Clemens and his life, about the people and places in his stories, seeing where they lived, and also about the history of Hannibal itself. Great way to see the town in a couple of hours!
    Back to the RV, got the generator turned on so we could get a little cool air going and then crossed over the Mississippi to get to Quincy, Illinois. Small, shady RV site fairly close to the River. Wonderful shower and lots of air conditioning to end the day!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    1Villa Katherine, (Visitor Center)
    Historic homeHistoric homeSternwheeler, George M. VerityView from our site on the Mississippi River

    Quincy, Ill. & Keokuk and Fairport, Iowa

    June 6, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    Enjoyed a little more sightseeing today. On the way out of Quincy we did stop at the visitor center because it is housed in an Italianate masion on the river, the Villa Katherine. Unfortunately they don't open until 1:00 pm so we didn't get to go inside. We did walk around and enjoy the view which is on a bluff above the Mississippi, looking at the bridge into the city.
    Took off following the Great River Road travel recommendations which really are a bunch of intermingled county highways that zig and zag following the river, so you have to pay attention to your Google maps directions. Got to Keokuk, a little town on the Iowa side (the city on the Illinois side is Hamilton, so many split across the river) and toured the George M. Verity steamboat. We had a very interesting tour all to ourselves and then had some lunch at a diner across the street.
    Back on the road (County highways) with more zigs and zags. There is a note that if you follow the actually GRR highways it takes twice as long then taking the interstate from one end to the other. We enjoy the county highways because you see so much of the living style. That last day of driving in both Illinois and Iowa, it's been all about the corn. Acres of farms and ranchs, silos, cattle, creeks, quite a few houses on stilts as you get closer to the river. Very green, and where there is no corn growing you see a pretty dense wood. And everyone mows their very green yards! Even a small shack with some non operational cars parked outside is mowed; right around the cars as cleanly as possible.
    We found a Core of Engineers csmpground with a site right on the river and while the shower and restrooms are typical os a state park (concrete block buildings) we have everything else we need for $10 a night!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    The single blossom I saw on our walk... the words are pretty dense
    Camp siteAuggie cooling off in the rain!

    Never left camp

    June 7, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    We decided to take a day off from driving our sightseeing and just stay in camp. Did some financial work, responded to some emails, had tuna sandwiches watching a barge go by, saw a young eagle, took a walk, caught up with my travel app, booked tomorrow nights reservation, determined what we wanted to stop and see on the way.... being a traveler is a very busy lifestyle!
    AND we had our first thunder storm late this afternoon. We were in our RV just watching the rain and listening to rolling thunder. Never saw lightning, but enjoyed the noise!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    My oooops turn. Dirt and gravel, although many roads are in the MidwestSome of these towns are pretty little!

    Fairport to (Port of) Dubuque, Iowa

    June 8, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Back on the road again heading north to Dubuque. Every road was a little two lane county road, no interstate or highway. And some of those roads were really only a lane and a half but they painted the lines to make it qualify as a two lane! At one point after missing a turn we actually ended up on a gravel road (Google maps does not specify road condition) for about 2 miles. This is not Toms preference, he kept mumbling something about the jeep and how did we end up on gravel....
    Again acres and acres of corn, and I forgot to mention the hay. Rolls and rolls of mowed hay. If it's not corn, it is hay, and most farms have both. Blue skies, fluffy clouds, warm and humid. Favorite home color, white shiplap or brick...Favorite barn color, red. Maybe only 85 degrees, but it is not a "dry heat" here! I now carry a bandana around to " mop" my brow!
    No stops until Dubuque, just snacked on salami and cheese with some fruit while driving. We took some back road into town that was a single(?) lane, but went through some interesting neighborhoods. I did see one or two yards that actually looked unkempt. ( I need to check my settings in my map app.) Arrived Dubuque at about 2 pm.    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    1Mark Twain is always a part of any Mississippi stopThis guy was at least 10 feet long?Just great visualsWe got to pet them3Toms always making friends

    Natl Mississippi River Museum/Aquarium

    June 8, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Om my gosh, how do I even begin to describe this museum...we had two hours and I think we saw maybe half, or two thirds. We didn't even go upstairs. It is pretty spread out and covers not only the Mississippi, habitat, management issues, commerce (barges), fish and wildlife (aquarium), native American culture, and river culture in general (through writings and music); but it looks at the bigger issues associated with ALL river management. What we Americans do to use it as a resource or protect homes and cities, and what we have enviornmentally sacraficed as a result. We are undoing many poorly made decisions, that were made with the best of intentions and limited knowledge at any given time. Always a compromise, no perfect answers. Visually great exhibits, outdoor and indoor. Hope to come back and see it again, but maybe in the morning, not at the end of a very warm day!
    Drove another 20 miles up the road and are staying overnight at another Core of Engineers csmpground located right on the Mississippi again!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    Very typical farm view
    Sparta, Wisconsin biking parkLargest bike in the world...sparta claims to be the biking capital of the world. I am unsure how they earned tMe and Ben Biken1If you look carefully you will see the moose I spied1Country Villa Motel and RV Park. So disappointed, thought they might have swimming pool. No such luck

    Wisconsin Drive

    June 9, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    Mostly a drive up and away from the Mississippi today, through the "Driftless" area, which means this is one of the few areas that is essentially untouched or carved, (formed) by glaciers. The resulting topography is just the natural carving by rivers in soft limestone. Wisconsin is home to one of the worlds largest collection of clear, cold water rivers. It's all about the
    We are heading up to the very north of Wisconsin, to the Apostle Islands National lakeshore, similar to the Picture Rocks lakeshore, but larger. One, it is supposed to beautiful, and two, it should be (better be) COOLER.
    It had been hot here, I guess we are in a heat wave. It was 95 degrees here with 60 plus humidity. Very high for this time of year, and it is taking a little bit of a "toll"!? Sometimes you don't want to get out of the RV. Thank goodness we have excellent air conditioning and I usually have a little fan near by. Makes us sort of nervous about our outside Parks job in Traverse!
    Stopped for lunch in Coon Valley, and made a couple of drive by photo ops heading north. Overnight in a little RV park behind a hotel north of Eau Claire. $40, but the showers were acceptable and clean. (Miss the core of Engineers sites for $10, but they only had the shower that you push the button for water, & one temperature) Got to wash my hair, which I don't try to do in RV. Walked out back with binocs and saw two deer feeding and a four legged animal, looked big for fox, but maybe, or coyote. Saw lots of road kill on the highways up here, deer, racoon, and unidentifiable animals....just a lot more wildlife up here trying to cross the highways!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    Bayfield marina
    Lunchtime view of marina and SuperiorThese poppies make me think of Alaska..Just to give you an idea of all the islands in this area. With the exception of the large one, the are all par

    75 degrees in Bayfield, Wisconsin

    June 10, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    Drove pretty much due north on the interstate today, so travel distance and time was brisk. Back on county highway as we got further north, AND the weather started cooling off. When we got to Bayfield it was a refreshing 75 degrees with a light, cool breeze. Perfect! Spent a little bit of time solving housing, because this area is very popular...but we do have housing for the next 3 nights.
    This is a darling costal lake town and there is tons to do here. Kayaking is one of the biggies because they have an abundance of sea caves. Sailing, hiking, biking, paddleboards, mopeds, island hopping, shopping and eating to name a few.
    We had lunch out by the marina, enjoying the whitefish that is common in the great lakes. Delicious, tender and mild. Then just spent the afternoon making arrangements for some planned activities the next couple of days and just walking the downtown area visiting their marine museum and window shopping. Beautiful day to be outside!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    Apostle Island campground
    Lupine from deep purple, to bright pink, pale pink, to white. They border almost all the highways up here!Cocos for lunch, excellent!Beaver Hollow trailThis picture can help you appreciate why there are so many mosquitos. Also home to beaver, frogs, ducks, etc. 1View from our site

    Wash day in Washburn, Wis

    June 11, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    Woke up to a gray, foggy morning as opposed to the crystal blue skies we had yesterday. We had only been able to get one night's stay at the campground so had to pack up and move up to the site we found for the next two nights. We were sorry to go, this campground was nice, great staff, nicely wooded and just outside of Bayfield.
    Once we were on the road up the highway the rain let loose. Just came slamming down. But only for only 10 minutes or so, and then just a more steady drizzle. By the time we got to our new site it had stopped. But because of the weather, and gambling on a better day tomorrow, we bailed on plans to take the ferry to Madeline Island and decided we really needed to get some laundry done.
    New site is at a casino, and while the sites are just pedestals in the grass, our site is right on lake superior, no trees to even impede the view! Instead of backing in, we drove straight in so we would have the view on our big front picture window. Grabbed our laundry and headed back south past Bayfield to Washburn to get it done.
    Washburn is one of the few towns with a laundry, all Electrlux machines, but it was the most expensive wash day ever. 3 big loads, we had linens, we had spent just over $20! Usually we spend about $10. Ouch!
    Stopped at Cocos for lunch, an artisan bakery, yum. Double decker grilled ham and Wisconsin cheddar on wheat, yum, yum! Picked up a pastie and bacon cheddar Mac and cheese for dinner, oh, and dessert rhubarb bread pudding for Tom and a lemon bar for me, yum, yum, yum!
    Drove thru some orchards and took a brief walk at Beaver Hollow, hoping to see some wildlife. So many mosquitos that I hated to even stop to take a picture. Just kept walking and flailing my arms so they wouldn't land. Hopped in the jeep with at least a dozen joining us....
    Back to the RV and just enjoyed our view of the lake. We are parked in a channel around an island so we see sail boats, fishing boats, ferries, kayaks and paddleboards... and of course lots of geese with their flock of goslings. Darling!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    Cruise catamaran
    Graphic of the islandsSome cages large enough private boats, and/or kayaks go in to investigateLighthouse on Devil's Island, and the island with the largest and best looking"ice caves"Garden tour!View from the front seat of the RV... kayak class. We saw sailboats and fishing boats, and 2 paddleboarders

    Apostles Islands Cruise

    June 12, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Got up and going this morning for the Apostles Islands cruise. It was a beautiful weather day, blue skies, warm sun, and a great steady little breeze. We were in line by 9 to get seats we wanted, so that meant we were first in line. Coffee shop close by, so we could tag team waiting. Boat boarded at 9:45 and we got seats on the back deck which seemed good at the time, but by the end of the cruise you begin to notice the diesel engine smell. Not bad, just a little noticeable.
    But because we were first in line we were rewarded with this nice little photo book of the islands, so it was worth the hour wait, at least I think so!
    Great cruise, great narrator, couple of cheesy jokes, but nice view, and history, of the islands. Only draw back is that I had expected to see more of the "ice caves", like you see in the photo of lighthouse. Mostly you see slightly carved, low cliffs that are heavily wooded. Saw several eagles, and one large eagle nest. And we saw two lighthouses (out of 8 total) and one fish camp. Several of the islands are accessible in the winter with ice roads... lots of fishing activities.
    Back to Bayfield about noon or so, had a great lunch in a little bistro, more whitefish for us. And then we got to walk the area because they were having their garden tour that day. We didn't do the whole thing but hit about a half dozen homes, inns, or B&Bs that keep up their gardens. Just a nice way to end the day with such beautiful weather.
    Finished the day with a great shower... because of Covid, you get the whole room (2 showers, 3 toilet stalls) to yourself. You just have to sign up for a 30 min. time slot. Spent the evening watching the lake traffic with the binoculars!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    Hiawatha!
    Hoop n Holler, nice staff and good mealDock viewLocation of Marquette, on the (UP) Upper Penisula1Home when you don't have a home... we are walmart regulars!

    Driving the UP

    June 13, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Back on the road today with serious intentions of getting to Michigan.... finally! We really enjoyed the little bit we saw of Wisconsin and hope to be back for more time to visit.
    Heading east, and since we didn't have any visits planned, I did route us with one drive by photo op. This big guy was found in the town of Ironwood, Michigan; just over the state border from Wisconsin. He, Hiawatha, is the largest Indian in the world. He is 52' tall, and weighs 18,000 lbs. All fiberglass, made in 1964. Not clear why, but he is in very good shape. The name Ironwood comes from the fact that a great deal of iron ore came from this region.
    Lost an hour as we crossed into eastern time zone and realized we were hungry... saw a small billboard advertising the Hoop n Holler tavern on Gogebic Lake. It was only a mile off the highway, and the sign did mention lakeside dining! Found a cute, very old, tavern with good 'ole tavern food, all though they were sold out the "sea salted wings" (?), their specialty. Asked what they did for the winter season and they looked at us like we were from out of state ( oh, that's right we are...) and laughed and said that winter was their big season, lots of snowmobiling in this area and many come by during the day. Great looking lake, their little lakes are bigger than our big lakes!
    Finished our day with salad, ramen noodles and a big, windy, rain storm in the Marquette Walmart parking lot! So nice to actually turn my fan off because it is in the 60s right now!    Read more

  • KatbozMichigan 2021Traveler
    Marquette lighthouse
    Lifeguards!View point in Presque Isle Park4Black rocks, you are supposed to jump from here into the lakeFinding his way back to the parking lot

    Presque Isle

    June 14, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    It's nice spending the night at Walmart because you can wakeup and head for breakfast in the store. So McMuffins it was. No muss, no fuss.
    Headed into downtown Marquette, but as is often the case, it was pretty quiet on a Monday morning. Shopped a bit and then visited the lighthouse (closed on Monday), walked the city trail along the lake and then drove out to Presque Isle park. This is pretty much a small peninsula of land that has a nice 3 mile one way drive (or walk) along the edge that has lots of nice view points and stops. Got to the Black Rocks area, which can be busy with kids jumping off the rocks into the lake. None today, it is Monday and fairly cool with cloudy overcast. But it looked very doable and fun. Hope to come back this summer with the Cobbs and try it out...we are about 250 miles from Traverse.Read more

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