Final Entry

We arrived home on August 1st just short of being gone for 7 weeks. 5,902 miles were traveled safely. Thank you God! Here are some parting thoughts.

10 Reflections on our Northeast Trip
1. After living in a travel trailer for weeks, our house is a mansion.

2. Maine has the best lobster.

3. Americans are getting more obese every year.

4. Best bumper sticker seen on the back of a trailer, "I do what I'm towed."

5. The great lakes are great and we were able to see all five.

6. The trailer tows better when the 700 pound motorcycle is absent.

7. Door County is truly "a-door-able".

8. Japanese tourists are not sightseers but are picture takers.

9. The least friendly people were New Yorkers.

10. It is true that people in the Northeast don't say their r sound. They always knew we were from Minnesota by our accent.

Marquette, Michigan

Our day started with taking a tour of the Empire open pit iron ore mine. We then went by bus to the Tilden processing plant tour. (We had to wear all the safety gear to be able to go. Al models it.) My first graders would have loved it-big trucks and huge machines. It was the blueberry festival in Marquette so we went there for dinner and also went to a play. The play was at the Lake Superior Theatre which is someones boathouse that is loaned to the theatre during the summer. The play was called The Last Five Years and was a musical with two characters. The singing was good but the story was sad. Tomorrow we head to Minnesota.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

After two days of driving, we are back again at the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We took our last boat trip (this was our 5th boat trip.) Our boat trip took us 13 miles up the rugged coast of Lake Superior. The colors and shapes of the rock outcroppings were beautiful. The best way to see the pictured rocks is to see it by boat. We enjoyed watching the waves roll in on Sand Point as we had little energy to hike!

Hills of New York State

This is the Finger Lakes area of New York. It is hilly, wooded with long thin glacial lakes. We visited Keuka (pronouced Cukeah) State Park. Golfing was also fun on a hilly course. (We tied at golf even with Al taking 2 mulligans!)

Corning Museum of Glass

It is Sunday and rainy. We went to the Bath, New York Presbyterian Church. It was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany in 1897. It is a beautiful sanctuary. We decided to go to Corning to the museum. This was a great idea! (You've heard of Corning Ware?) There were wonderful displays of antique glassware,modern art, history of glass and demonstrations. The Pyramid is by Marian Karel (1989). We watched the vase being made at the hot glass show.

Waterfalls

Wednesday night we had a downpour here. It rained hard all night. We were blessed the next day to go back to Acadia National Park to bike the carriage trails again and find out that there were hundreds of waterfalls as the rainwater worked its way out to the ocean. This is an unusual occurrence and we were so happy to see the waterfalls and the weeping rocks. Today we move on.

Bouldering

Today we climbed to the summit of Mt. Cadillac. (The automobile called the Cadillac was named after the discoverer of this mountain peak. ) It was a wonderful climb and we enjoyed ourselves so much. Today as I sat by the seashore looking for seals, a young boy about 11 years old came to the rock ledges and started throwing rocks at the gulls. I got really mad at him. How is it that some kids have no respect for nature? This is what Sheridan Steele, superintendent of Acadia National Park says, "If young people spend 6 hours a day on cell phones and computers, national parks and the outdoors seem to be increasingly irrelevant. You and your family have a wonderful opportunity to enjoy Acadia today-and to help us inspire the next generation of stewards." I hope you have been inspired by this blog.

Tides

As Minnesotans we are not used to the water level changing on the lakes. Here we are staying on Western Bay and the water level will change 6 feet. Today we traveled south to the Cranberry Islands and we were told that the change in water level can be 18-20 feet! The pictures are taken at the same place in low and high tide. Tonight we were thrilled to see seals swimming in the bay.

Carriage Roads

John D. Rockefeller Jr. was busy in 1919 when Acadia National Park was founded. His dream was to have roads on the island that would be used just for carriages or horses. (At the same time the state of Maine decided that the island could be opened up to cars.) So using his own money he built the carriage roads and also some beautiful bridges. They are marvelous roads-gravely, hilly and 45 miles of them. Fun!

Lobster

When in Maine-eat the lobster! We are here at Acadia National Park and paid more to camp on the water. The breeze is cool which helps with the heat. We decided to go eat lobster at a local "lobster pound". Two live lobsters were shown to us for our approval and 20 minutes later and $17.50 each, we ate them. Excellent!

The Obamas

Darn, the Obamas heard we were going to Acadia National Park and then they showed up. All the press corp showed up with them. Now we will not get any privacy!

Green Mountains

The mountains are with us again. We have missed hiking in the mountains after our trip out west last year. So we took a little trip to two ski areas in Vermont-Smuggler's Notch and Stowe. We took the opportunity to hike to Sterling Pond. It was a strenuous hike with lots of climbing but we made it even with the heat. The hike went to the pond pictured and if you climbed a bit higher you would be at the top of a blue ski run.

Burlington Cows

Burlington Vermont is smaller than St. Cloud but has lots of people around the area. It has three colleges/universities and is located on Lake Champlain. It is the hottest that it has been in 7 years! The humidity is high too. We are glad for the AC in the trailer. The picture is one of 40 cows situated all over the city. This one was found on the Church Street Marketplace which is a huge mall where you can get some good food.

The Thousand Islands

Northern New York borders the St. Lawrence Seaway and so we took another cruise! This cruise was down the seaway for 9 miles to an island called the Dark Island. Here you will find Singer Castle. I quote from the brochure.."built at the turn of the 19th century by Commodore Bourne, President of the Singer Sewing Machine Company as a hunting lodge. The castle remains just as it was during its heyday-fully furnished with antiques, coats-of-mail, original paintings and more." We are also camped on a beautiful island on Lake Ontario. The area is called the 1000 islands because the seaway is filled with tiny little islands.

Tiffany Window

Nicodemus Came to Him by Night is the name of this stained glass window at First Presbyterian Church in Lockport, New York. My photo does not do it justice. It is a Tiffany window and is truly gorgeous! The lantern really glows. It was a rainy day so we traveled to where the Erie Canal came through. We went to a number of museums and ended with the tour of the windows at the church. One half of the windows were by Tiffany and were placed in the church about 1900.

Fort Niagara/Niagara Falls

We couldn't come to this part of the U.S. and not see Niagara Falls. Unfortunately, we were disappointed. It was hot, later in the evening, and busy with tourists. The approach from the American side is very commercial. Today we spent the day at Fort Niagara. A beautiful place with less than 10 million visitors per year. (Niagara Falls has that many visitors in a year-most of which are here in July!) It was still hot but fewer people. I am now reading the classic Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimor Cooper. This book was written by a New Yorker in 1826. It is fiction and takes place during the war of 1812.

The fortress shown is called the "French Castle".

Ohio

When we are on the road we get a little lonesome for friends. That is why it was so nice to spend time with our friends Linda and Dan Miller who live in Sandusky. This is the third time we've been to Sandusky. Dan and Linda are the parents of our pastor's wife Lisa. Today was a travel day and we drove on the toll road. When we pulled up to the booth to pay our fee, the toll taker yelled at us for taking up too much room with our trailer. Welcome to New York! Whatever happened to Minnesota nice?

National Scenic River

After the hustle and bustle of the campground with the 4th of July, we were happy to go for a small kayak trip on the Pere Marquette River. We saw muskrats, many dragonflies, turtles, birds and deer. A spotted fawn got separated from the doe and was bleating for her to come back. We hope she came back and found her! Tomorrow is a travel day. Al didn't want to travel today because of all the holiday traffic. It is hot and humid today-not my kind of weather.

4th of July

Of all the years that I've been to 4th of July parades, this is the first time I've gotten a pint of ice cream! Al and I split it. There is a wholesale ice cream distributor, House of Flavors, in Ludington and they gave out thousands of pints of ice cream at the parade. Otherwise, the parade was typical. For $50 each you can board the S.S. Badger car ferry and travel up and down the coast from 9-11 p.m.. You can watch fireworks from the deck. We checked on tickets and all 600 were sold!

Freedom

This morning we got up early and drove to Ludington State Park. We hiked the 4 mile round trip to the Big Sable Point Lighthouse. It was just the waves, wind and Al and I. There was such a feeling of peace as we were able to experience this wonderful place. At the lighthouse we met some charming people who volunteer to run the lighthouse in the summer. They were thrilled to hear about the journey that we have undertaken. It was a special morning!

The Dam Broke

In 1888 the dam broke and wiped out the town of Hamlin. (Miraculously, no one died.) Now Ludington State Park is found in the same area. The dam was rebuilt and broke again in 1912-it now seems to be solid! The dam provided power for a sawmill that made cedar shingles. The shingles were pulled by mules on a tramway down to Lake Michigan. Other logs were floated down the Big Sable River. Much of the lumber was shipped to Chicago and Milwaukee to provide for those boom towns.

Sculpture Garden

We continue to travel south but will be in Michigan until after the 4th of July. Ludington is a city right on Lake Michigan with wonderful beaches and nice walking trails. It has a state park to the north and to the south. At the waterfront they have a newly developed park. The photo is of the sculpture called Reflections by Irina Koykhanova. It represents the past of the lumbering schooners, the present of the pleasures of boating and the future of the winds of change.

Interlochen Arts

We went to a concert at the Interlochen Arts Center. Three amazing musicians joined together to make some original music. The group does not have a name but goes by the musician's names. Bela Fleck-banjo, Zakir Hussain-tabla (percussion) and Edgar Meyer-double bass. The concert takes place on the campus of the Interlochen Arts Camps. Kids who are studying music were all over the campus. We talked with four delightful students who are aspiring artists. They are 4 of 2,500 who will be at the camp this summer. This is where they come from and what they are studying: Chicago-theater, Peru-opera, Florida-dance, Michigan-opera.

Dune Climb

Hey, all you first graders out there, this day would be for you! If I could take you on a field trip it would be to the sand dunes at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It is so much fun to climb up the steep hills and then run down the dune at full speed. The dune in the picture is 110 feet long. I tried to hike from this dune to Lake Michigan but it was too tiring. I would have to have gone up and down 9 hills. It is hard walking through sand for a mile and one half ! I'm glad that it was a cool, beautiful day for this hike.

Mission Point Lighthouse

Today we biked the length of Old Mission Peninsula. By definition a peninsula has water on three sides so we never were far from the water. The island is known for its wineries and cherry trees. (We also saw some beautiful homes- many of which were for sale.) At the end of the peninsula is the Mission Point Lighthouse. You can go in the lighthouse and climb the skinny stairs to the tower. There is a small museum inside. Did you know that Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state?

Airstream

The Holiday Park Campground where we are staying is an Airstream campground. Airstream trailers usually are silver on the outside They still make them and they are well built. Many people here own Airstream trailers. Bob and Judy live right near the lake and shared their love for their home on wheels with us.

Day of Rest

Sunday is our day to go to church. We went to the Baptist church but what a surprise with the preaching! The regular pastor was gone and so David Kase the National Director for Christ's Hope International spoke. His ministry is to people in Africa who have HIV and AIDS. There are 3 ways that they work with the Africans. 1. teach the choose to wait program in schools 2. show care and compassion 3. work with orphans and vulnerable children. This is a good work happening in Africa. Please check out the website. It just so happened that we sat in front of his wife and two kids. They were able to tell us about some things to do here in Traverse City They even offered to let us use their kayaks. God is good....all the time!

Colonial Michilimackinac

Yesterday it rained all day so we went to a museum. The museum is a 1770s-era fort and fur trading village. We were also able to witness an ongoing archaeological dig. There were 13 authentically reconstructed buildings. Today we found the sunshine again and beautiful sail boats on Lake Michigan at Traverse City. The lake shore of the city has all been turned into "open space". There are beautiful swim beaches, picnic areas and a great bike path right next to the lake.

Mackinac Island

We have traveled to Michigan and have followed the coastline the whole way. Yesterday we took the ferry to Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw). The ferry was fast and shot up a large rooster tail behind it. It was a little rocky coming back! The island is quaint. There are no vehicles allowed on the island-only horses and bikes. We saw a new house being built and the materials were being "trucked" by cart and horse. Al wondered what the total delivery costs would be on that house! It is 8 miles around the island. We spent the day biking and it was wonderful.

Kayak on the Mink River

After taking Sunday as a day to go to church and an amazing Hymn Fest in the evening, we decided to do some water activities. We hired a guide and rented kayaks to go up the Mink River. This is a wildlife sanctuary off of Lake Michigan but we were surprised at the cabins along the way. In the evening we went to an outdoor playhouse and got rained out. The play was Life on the Mississippi which was about Mark Twain's time as a pilot on the river. Too bad.

Fyr Bal

This is a Norwegian celebration held at Ephraim. It is pronounced Fye (fear) Bal. It is a time to say goodbye to Winter and hello to Summer. (I don't know what happened to Spring!) They had the typical small town happenings. A stage with entertainment (little girls dressed up in Norwegian costumes who sang, the Door County idol winner and a guy who read off the raffle winners.) The chieftain is named and comes across the Bay in a pontoon and then the chieftain lights the official bonfire. Bonfires are then lit all over the Bay. Cool! The night is finished off with fireworks. It was fun.

Fish Boil

We had never heard of a fish boil until we got to Door County. First the potatoes and onions are put into boiling water. Then pieces of whitefish are added. Kerosene is added to the fire to make the fire flare up and make everything boil over. They then yell "Dinner" and you line up to get your plate filled up. This tradition started in 1962 at the Viking Grill where we had dinner. You now see fish boils all over this resort area!

Biking on Washington Island

A person can catch the ferry at the northernmost

tip of the peninsula of Door County. It is a 30 minute trip on the ferry to get to Washington Island. Many people bring their car on the ferry but we chose to take our bikes. There are miles of roads that are safe for biking. We biked to the north of the island and watched as people boarded another ferry for the 15 minute trip to Rock Island. No cars or bikes are allowed on this island. There are remains of an estate that was built by an Icelandic millionaire back in the early 1900s.

Looking Around

We spent our first day scoping out the area. There are many things to do here. We bought strawberries and asparagus at a roadside stand and ate them in the car. A short walk from the campsite is Rowles Bay and a great view of Lake Michigan. The dock where this picture was taken was originally built in 1870. Indians and Scandinavian immigrants waited here for the boats to bring supplies.

New Travels

We start our new trip. I will miss my garden but we leave the house sitting in good hands. Surprisingly, we made it to Door County in one day. Door County is a group of towns on a peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan in Wisconsin. There is much to do here and we will be here for almost a week. It is good to be on the road for two months.