On the road again!
All slides in, ready to travel!
Like the rest of the country, we were celebrating our return to normalcy, or at least some semblance of what was normal a year and a half ago. Recently, as a precaution against contracting and/or spreading the Delta variant, we are not celebrating quite so much, and we have returned to mask wearing and distancing.
Our last hurrah before heading north included a stop in Marathon (in the Keys) to attend a Tiffin Club rally. Marathon is way more congested than the last time we were here (on the boat), but there is still the beautiful water and really good french fries at Burdines!
Of course the Tiffin Rally included a boat ride!
Like many of our trips north and south, we made a slight detour to go to Red Bay, Alabama where our motorhome was build 10 years ago. Our stop consisted of several minor repairs and a few upgrades. We were there for just about a week. We ponder what to do while they are working on our home. We have been to Coon Dog Cemetery, Dismal Swamp, Rattle Snake Saloon, Helen Keller birthplace, Rock & Roll Museum, Elvis Presley childhood home and every other interesting point within a 50 mile radius. As a last resort we can always make a side trip to Sam’s Club in Tupelo!
An original building on campus.
Mike has always wanted to go to Bowling Green, KY, so that was our next stop. After walking downtown through Fountain Square Park and perusing the town square, we headed up the hill toward Western Kentucky University. Wandering around the beautiful campus, it became apparent that it was graduation day. The teacher in Mike really began to emerge when he started greeting everyone in a cap and gown and congratulating them on his/her accomplishment. He would have attended the graduation ceremony if Francie hadn’t kept moving him along. We decided to skip the Corvette Museum and several other sites since we were still unsure of new protocols for Covid.
The real joy of traveling again is finding places we haven’t been. We stayed in Charlestown, IN for several days at the State Park. Francie combed through the internet and brochures looking for somewhere to explore. Our first stop was the Carnegie Library in New Albany, a river town directly across the Ohio River from Louisville, KY. The librarian mentioned Schimpff’s Confectionary and Candy Museum as a must see. Established in 1891 the confectionary still uses the original equipment. We can attest to the fact that the candy is still excellent!
The next day we ventured into the same area and walked across the Ohio River to Louisville on what had been an abandoned railroad bridge. After crossing, our walk continued for a mile or so in a city park along the river.
Unfortunately the river towns are similar to so many towns across the country, whose past manifests itself in decaying structures. Large mansions, commercial docks, warehouses and large downtown buildings visibly portray a once vibrant economy.
Charlestown State Park has a rich history. In the Second World War, the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant owned the land. After the plant closed the land was donated to the state as part of Charlestown State Park. The park offered multiple scenic hikes.
On one walk we discovered the remnants of Rose Island Summer Resort built in 1923. An amusement park, swimming pool, zoo, dance hall, golf course, dining facility, and cottages attracted thousands of visitors who arrived by car or boat – with departing points in Madison and Louisville. Rose Island Resort met its demise at the hand of one of the “great floods”.
Our next stop was Columbus, Ohio for a celebration with Francie’s sister, Margaret. She had turned 65 and was retiring from teaching. It was also Mother’s Day for the two sisters.
After leaving Ohio, we drove to Lansing, MI where a good friend had created a parking spot for us several years ago on his farm. We spent a week visiting Mike’s 95 year old Father. Later in July we were able to celebrate with his 96th birthday.
After leaving Ohio, we drove to Lansing, MI where a good friend had created a parking spot for us several years ago on his farm. We spent a week visiting Mike’s 95 year old Father. Later in July we were able to celebrate with his 96th birthday.
Mid-May we arrived in Michigan City. We made frequent trips into Chicago for our annual medical and dental checkup and follow ups. Between our medical visits we were able to visit our kids and our granddaughter on multiple occasions.
During the past 5 years, we have camped in a variety of places. Each one has its own uniqueness – some good and some less desirable. Never have we spent 4 days during an insect infestation. After leaving Michigan City during the last week of June, we arrived at Van Buren State Park in South in Haven, Michigan. We had a level site that was quite spacious. It did strike us as odd that the many of the trees were devoid of leaves and looked dead. We noticed caterpillars on the picnic table and around our campsite. The next day we realized that the caterpillars were everywhere, on our car, bikes and motorhome. They were even dropping out of the trees on us! They left a sticky brown residue on the car, the motorhome and the bikes. They were also beginning to crawl into the crevices of things and cocoon. We have had our first and hopefully our last experience with Gypsy Moth, an invasive species.
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Cleaning caterpillars off the awning and slide cover before we could leave!
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Delighted to leave Van Buren State Park, we traveled to Montague, MI where we would make our home for a month. The first order of business was scrubbing the caterpillar residue off everything!
We loved this small, no frills RV park on White Lake between the downtowns of Montague and Whitehall. It is a city owned park adjacent to a really nice bike path.
Little Sable Light
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White River Light Station
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Lumber barons Hackley & Hume Site
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We continue to talk (ruminate?) about our future plans. Montague is a small town that is not touristy, and offers lots of plusses. The bike path to towns both north and south of us was next to our driveway. A grocery store was less than a 100 yards away along with an ice cream shop. There were concerts in a park which was a short walk away. We could walk to Whitehall for a beer at the local brewery. Montague had everything we wanted in a town.
Then we drove down to see our family in Chicago and Woodridge and realized it is too far for a permanent summer location for us!
Next stop – the Upper Peninsula of Michigan!