Michigan 2023

april - oktober 2023

Back to Michigan for the summer. Going back to Fayetteville to visit Aunt Chris. Then to Traverse for the summer at Holiday Park RV campground Meer informatie

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Volgen Kalender Delen Bucketlist

Michigan 2023
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- 6 mei 2023 20:29
- Hoogte: 869 ft
- Verenigde Staten Michigan Township of Blair Silver Shores Mobile Home Park Cox Pond 44.669144, -85.68251544°40’9” N 85°40’57” W
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Dag 11
Home for the summer
6 mei 2023, Verenigde Staten
Again just another long drive day so that we could be in Traverse on Saturday. Work starts Tuesday so Tom (and I) really wanted to have 2 days to get settled in.
Getting thru the suburbs of Chicago a little tedious, we routed ourselves to avoid toll roads, so ended up on a couple of rough highways. But we saved 50 cents!
We drove the little north western corner of islands you finally arrive at the Michigan Welcome center.
Interstate road conditions much better and had a nice drive. Late lunch and had stop near Grand Rapids. Pulled into park at about 6 pm. It felt good going to bed knowing were didn't have to wake up to another day of driving!Meer informatie
Zie vertaling
Reiziger Welcome "home"! Funny they gave you the exact same spot.....are the holes Charlie dug still there?😄
08-05-2023ReagerenVertalen
Reiziger Yes, the remants of where she dug!
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Reiziger 😂
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Michigan 2023
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- 7 mei 2023
- ☁️ 61 °F
- Hoogte: 915 ft
- Verenigde Staten Michigan Township of Blair Silver Shores Mobile Home Park Cox Pond 44.6709, -85.673744°40’15” N 85°40’25” W
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Dag 12
Summer summary, May
7 mei 2023, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F
Had a family and friends filled summer! Parked in site #181 at the Holiday Park Campground just south of Traverse City. Work schedule was typically Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. The last couple of months included some Mondays for me, so we always had weekends free.
We were here just in time to attend several awards ceremonies for Spencer, watch him present in the High School "Pitch" contest, and share Tom's bday with family! Posting just a few photos for each month ❤️ with the next foot printsMeer informatie
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Reiziger This is hysterical! Would he write stuff like this each week? 🤣
02-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
Reiziger No, but every now and then...one day it had 2 check off boxes to "bitch slap" Tom. I checked one of....😂
02-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
Reiziger Such a beautiful state flower!
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Michigan 2023
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- 1 jun. 2023
- ⛅ 88 °F
- Hoogte: 909 ft
- Verenigde Staten Michigan Township of Blair Silver Shores Mobile Home Park Cox Pond 44.671093, -85.67345544°40’16” N 85°40’24” W
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Dag 37
Summer Summary, June
1 juni 2023, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F
It's graduation time! Lots of family came out to celebrate!
But it was also Shannon's birthday, Jeff and Ami's wedding, Fathers Day, and our anniversary!
Zie vertaling
Reiziger Love dad’s face here. Such joy
02-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
Reiziger 💞
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Reiziger Cute family pic!
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Michigan 2023
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- 1 jul. 2023
- ☁️ 84 °F
- Hoogte: 909 ft
- Verenigde Staten Michigan Township of Blair Silver Shores Mobile Home Park Cox Pond 44.671093, -85.67345544°40’16” N 85°40’24” W
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Dag 67
Summer summary, July
1 juli 2023, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F
This was sort of a month of mini vacations for us. Cobbs (plus friends) all headed up to Marquette (Upper Peninsula) for a week of camping, biking and hiking. Tom and I joined for an extended weekend, but elected to hotel it and leave the pets at home. Kind of glad we weren't tenting it because we had periodic rainstorms throughout the visit. Regardless we had time for bike riding around the city, hiking Sugarloaf, farmers market, and time on the rivers edge at the Cobbs campground.
Later that month we took our bikes and drove over to Boyne Mt to check out the Skybridge. Then biked into Boyne City which is the other end of lake Charlevoix. Nice paved ride, 6 miles out and back.Meer informatie
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Reiziger This sort of says “don’t take my picture” 🙃
02-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
Reiziger Followed by, “take this picture!” 😁
02-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
Reiziger You ought to enter this picture in a corgi photo contest!
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Michigan 2023
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- 15 aug. 2023 18:39
- ☀️ 73 °F
- Hoogte: 909 ft
- Verenigde Staten Michigan Township of Blair Silver Shores Mobile Home Park Cox Pond 44.671093, -85.67345544°40’16” N 85°40’24” W
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Dag 112
Summer Summary, August
15 augustus 2023, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
August did not disappoint! Lots of Cali friends for the Cobbs, but we got to see them all as well. Barbie movie event was lots of fun and even Tom dressed up, borrowing clothes from Jeff. Park hosted a Kids Day event and Spencer and Siena joined us, tie-dye, rock painting and more.
We all got together to say goodbye to Spencer as he leaves for college with a big pot luck dinner at the Cobbs. Day trip to Suttons Bay and Leland with a stop at 9 Bean Row for croissants. (These are my favorite gift shopping cities.) As the month came to an end we got a chance to watch Sienna play in a hockey match and a final weekend that included breakfast with Shannon at the Commons, a wonderful bike ride around Boardman Lake, and lunch with all the remaining Cobbs up top at Indigo.
Spent the last part of August with some work days and a couple of days to repack before we start the drive home.
One final dinner out with our family at Burrow restaurant. I can't believe we didn't stop and get a final pic!Meer informatie
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Reiziger 2023 summer in Michigan looks like a great time 🥰
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Reiziger 😍
03-09-2023Reageren
Reiziger I was kicking myself after dinner for not taking a picture! We were having too much fun 😜❤️
04-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
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Michigan 2023
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- 1 sep. 2023
- 🌬 75 °F
- Hoogte: 587 ft
- Verenigde Staten Michigan Alger County Williams Landing Powell Point 46.441205, -86.6765846°26’28” N 86°40’36” W
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Dag 129
Heading home, Sept 1st
1 september 2023, Verenigde Staten ⋅ 🌬 75 °F
We were pretty well packed up yesterday, but had lots of good byes this morning! There 4 couples we have spent the last 3 summers with, and then some new friends from this summer. Even though we are coming back we are sure it will be a visit only without being work campers.
Beautiful day for a drive! Had to keep our hands firmly on the wheel because it was breezy! Headed up to the mighty Mac, and over the UP to Munising which is on the south shore of Superior. Superior is the greatest of all the Great lakes and has a different feel then lake Michigan. Probably just because not so many people live or vacation here. The shoreline is classic Michigan look...
Have always wanted to stay at this particular park-its right on the shore. We didn't get a spot on the water (it is Labor Day weekend!) But certainly had views of the lake. Sites a little rough, but they all had w/e.
Still very windy, but able to have lake time with Charlie!Meer informatie
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Reiziger Grass looks pretty good this summer!
03-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
Reiziger I’m sure that your Holiday Park friends will be missing you both! And some of the pups will be missing Charlie!!
03-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
Reiziger The Mackinac Bridge is so pretty, & great views too! But the lanes look a little narrow 😬
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Michigan 2023
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- 2 sep. 2023
- ☀️ 82 °F
- Hoogte: 617 ft
- Verenigde Staten Michigan Hancock Houghton City Park 47.120164, -88.58907347°7’13” N 88°35’21” W
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Dag 130
Visit with Spencer
2 september 2023, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F
Got off the slow start this morning- Tom woke up feeling pretty crummy. And worse yet?? No COFFEE! OMG.
Totally forgot to stop and get some. Tore apart RV; no tea bags, no grounds, not even hot cocoa mix...how could I not have anything?
Fortunately (for Tom) I did not drink all my coffee yesterday so I could microwave some for him. Yuck!

Repacked RV and hit the road.
Nice drive through the UP, color just starting, with small clumps of orange and even red peeking out.

Got to our RV Park in Houghton, right on the Portage Lake canal. Houghton is such a cute older, town on the Keweenaw peninsula. It sits on one side of Portage Lake with Hancock on the other side. It skinnies down to a wide canal with only a single lift bridge to get to the other side.

Since Tom was still not feeling well, I met Spencer and we toured the campus and his dorm. Just enjoyed walking (in spite of the 90° weather) and having him talk about his classes and all the resources they offer the students. Quick trip to Walmart for yet another fan for his room, they have no AC!
Then we drove out to the RV to spend time chatting with Tom. We were going to go out, but decided to order take out pizza from the Ambassador and ate in the RV. Quick drive back to his dorm to drop him off.
Note: I have NO pictures of the town, campus or Spencer!!? Huge fail. Am including one of the bridge I downloaded, and a couple from Shannon when she dropped him off at school. Just was not thinking...🤔Meer informatie
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Reiziger It’s because you had no coffee! That’s like running out of TP… 😂 I think my first stop, after letting Tom finish off yesterday’s re-warmed coffee 🥴, I would have looked for a coffee shop!
04-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
Reiziger Pretty views 😊
04-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
Reiziger I agree Linley…. No coffee! Here in Italy, impossible to not have caffe available at every corner and in between….coffee is never a problem!😀
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Michigan 2023
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- 3 sep. 2023
- ☀️ 90 °F
- Hoogte: 633 ft
- Verenigde Staten Minnesota Saint Louis County Duluth Duluth Harbor Marina 46.773453, -92.09275446°46’24” N 92°5’34” W
Dag 131
Lakehead Boat Basin
3 september 2023, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F
Second stop was the visitor center for the Northern Great Lakes. I left Charlie and Tom in the RV for nap time with the generator still running so they could have some cool air. Nice exhibit, and the AC in the center was in great condition!
Another couple of hours and we were in Duluth. We stayed here once before and I really liked it so we came back. We are parked in a marina just down from the lift bridge in this town. We get to see some really big freighters going by and then watch the bridge raise up to allow them to clear. Even most sail boats require the bridge to lift. Weather was miserably hot and humid. Showered, dinner, bed. End of day thank goodness.Meer informatie
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Reiziger I liked Duluth, but we were lucky when we visited & it wasn’t too hot or humid! Remember waking to a huge storm & watching it come across the lake in the middle of the night!
07-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
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Michigan 2023
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- 4 sep. 2023
- ☀️ 82 °F
- Hoogte: 581 ft
- Verenigde Staten Minnesota City of Duluth Hunters Park Tischer Creek 46.815159, -92.05174446°48’55” N 92°3’6” W
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Dag 132
Glensheen Mansion
4 september 2023, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F
Took it pretty easy this Labor Day Monday. Was able to finally have nice phone visit with Cindy and Chris, life update and devo time. Then spent quite a bit of time getting a hold of KP advice nurse who then connects you with a doctor who makes final diagnosis and recommendations. Then had to confirm a local pharmacy that would take California call in prescription. Then back to advice nurse who then sendd message to our actual doc in Fresno who calls in order. A little convoluted process, especially on Labor Day!

Finally solved most of that and headed out to do a little sightseeing on my own. I visited the Glensheen Mansion which is located on the north shore drive of Lake Superior. Beautiful brick mansion, carriage house, gardeners cottage, boathouse and grounds. Just spent the afternoon wandering and enjoying this self-guided tour. It was built in the very early 1900s, and most furniture and accessories are original to the house since the family still lived there until 1977. It actually has a sort of bizarre back story with one of the daughters and maid being murdered.

Checked on prescription, still not ready, pharmacy closed early because of holiday....arrrgh. Back to RV and just enjoyed viewing the lights of the bridge and town from our spot in the Marina.Meer informatie
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Reiziger Fabulous pictures!!!!
06-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
Reiziger Is Tom still not feeling well? Please tell him I am thinking of him and hope he can get better soon❤️
06-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
Lovely! [Lynn]
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Michigan 2023
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- 5 sep. 2023
- ☁️ 86 °F
- Hoogte: 1.050 ft
- Verenigde Staten Minnesota Benton County Sherwood Manor County Ditch Number Three 45.569441, -94.11114745°34’10” N 94°6’40” W
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Dag 133
Heading west to St.Cloud
5 september 2023, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F
Woke up to this beautiful, still morning. I never get tired of Marina views, and the reflections in the water were awesome. We dawdle around a little bit because I still had to pick Tom's prescription. Since the pharmacy was clear across town it made more sense to go by jeep. Once back we finished packing up and hooking jeep up.

We only had about 200 miles to go so I took a slightly longer route around one the larger lakes (of the 10,000 found in the state) Mille Lacs. This lake was large enough that you really couldn't see to the opposite shore. But it was a large shallow lake and just lacked the charm of the many lakes in Michigan. (It almost seemed like Minnesota's version of Clear Lake, but with a flat wooded topography.) Nice cool day for traveling and had some rain.

Grabbed some lunch at McDonald's and finished the day driving into St. Cloud. This fairly good size city is about 45 miles north of Minneapolis. Just seemed liked a nice quiet park to leave Tom and the RV. Only drawback is no cable, just weak over the air signals and relatively good wi-fi so Tom could stream some TV shows. Should have checked ammenties more closely!?

Nicely spaced sites...and even though slightly older park, it has been well maintained! Individual restroom and shower set up as opposed to large gender specific restroom/ shower rooms. Lots of nice walking areas for CharlieMeer informatie
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Reiziger Such great pictures, what a beautiful part of the country!
09-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
Nice marina pictures, the water looks like glass! [Lollie 💜]
10-09-2023ReagerenVertalen
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