July 6, 2022

For a midwestern state, Michigan sure has some of the nicest sand I’ve eve seen.  And we saw a LOT of it today.  And now there is a LOT of it in my camper.

Like most days, today started off slowly.  Rob and I were up and at ‘em by 7:00.  I threw my bathng suit on, made five peanut butter and jelly/peanut butter and fluff sanwiches, threw drinks and snacks into the cooler,  packed towels and sunscreen, made steak and eggs and pancakes for breakfast, swept out the camper, and did ten minutes of yoga.

By then, it was 8:00.

I’ll spare you the drama of the next two hours.  Let’s just say that there was a lot of convincing, cajoling, and negotiating to get everyone loaded up and into the Jeep by 10:30.  Since it was Brian’s day off, he planned to meet us at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park, one of the natural wonders of the Traverse City region.

Sleeping Bear National Park offers the only mountains in the area – mountains of sand!  The park includes these amazing sand dunes, 450 foot bluffs that overlook Lake Michngan, beautiful, cool freen forests, and incredible sweeping views of the landscape.  The park stretches about 35 miles along Lake Michigan’s eastern coastline.

Like any good tourist, we began our visit at the Visitor’s Center.  I learned that the true Dune Climb from beginning to end lasted around four hours.  Sure, you hike all the way to Lake Michican and are rewarded with a refreshing swim in clear blue water, but then you have to hike all the way back…on hot sand.   I asked the park ranger if there was a way to experience dune climbing without committing to an all day event, and he kindly slipped me what I will refer to as the “highlights” map.  Perfect.

We snagged our park pass, a big map, and a couple of stickers before hopping back in the Jeep and heading to the Empire Bluff Trail – a 1.5 mile moderate hike that would get us to the top of the bluffs and some incredible vistas.  Of course, no one had brought sneakers on this excursion – this is a flip-flops only kind of crew – except for me.  As a fierce protector of my feet (I hate a blister.), I wore my Columbia sandals which easily go in and out of water and are passable hiking shoes.  Fortunately the hike was not strenuous and the rest of the crew was pretty happy to kick off their shoes and feel the sand between their toes when we reached the bluffs.

As promised, the views from Empire Bluffs were amazing.  I’ll say it again, you would think you were at the ocean if you didn’t know any better – the lake seems to go on forever.  The only thing missing is the smell of salty air. Marlie and Kai went vertical and climbed up another 30 feet or so while Alyssa, Rob, and I walked on the wooden walkway peering out over the water.  I will consider this our warmup hike.

We ate a quick lunch at the car, stopped at the world’s most disgusting “nature toilet” and headed for the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, an 8 mile loop of hiking trails, scenic pull-offs.  Perhaps the most scenic is the observation deck at the Lake Michigan overlook.  It sits about 450 feet above the lake and a very steep bluff leads down to the lake.  It is not recommended (although also not prohibited)  to run down these bluffs as they are incredibly difficult to climb back up.  Also, according to Brian, if tourists do not heed the warnings about the bluffs and need to be rescued, it will be at their own expense.

Sadly, we were not able to stop at this overlook as we could not find a place to park, so we opted for a smaller overlook also with spectacular views!

By now (going on 1:30 PM), the amazing-ness of the dunes had set in and we prepared ourselves for the Dune Climb.  You can climb as much of or as little of the dunes as you want, which makes it accessible for people of all ages and abilities.  Kids and adults alike staggered up the dunes and then ran down them.

Luckily, the day was warm, but not hot and we decided to climb the first big dune.  Of course we did not bring any water with us as we believed we would “be right back.”  I’m usually a lot more practical about these kinds of things, but I wanted to travel as light as possible.  I mean, these dunes are no joke.

It’s quite a workout pushing your way up hot sand.  What do you suppose was at the top of the first big dune?

Did you say another dune?  Well, you were right!  Every section of rolling dune gave way to more dunes!  Once we got a peek at Lake Michigan, we felt we’d climbed enough and headed back towards the Jeep.  Once again, Marlie and Kai scaled some of the taller dunes while I focused on breathing.  It was actually a great climb, but I highly recommend bringing water, even if you think you’re just going to the top of the first dune.

Topping off the Dune Climb, Rob and the kids ran down the last dune.  Legs and arms flailing everywhere, they came rushing down in fits of laughter and screams.  Only Kai wiped out, face-planting around halfway down.  Tht poor kid had sand in places he didn’t even know existed.

Brian met us at the bottom of the dunes.  Our hot and sweaty car voted for a tubing adventure down the Platte River to top off the day, so we all went to Riverside Canoe Trips and booked a short trip down the river.

Adventure may have been an overstatement.  The water was refreshing and clear, but it was SLOOOOOW moving.  Nevertheless, we bobbed along down the Platte for about an hour and left the river feeling rejuvenated and hungry!  It was a great way to cap off the day.

Lazy vacation evenings are the best: dinner, games, a few drinks, Frisbee, Gaga ball.  It stays light here until around 10:00 PM, which makes it really hard to keep track of the time, so we often end up staying up later than we intend to!  But isn’t that what vacation is all about?  Relaxing the rules, making memories, and bringing all the sand in the world into the camper.

June 5, 2022

Some mornings it’s really hard to leave the cocoon of the camper.  It’s toasty and cozy and you can sip your coffee in your pajamas at the dining table and look outside at the gray, damp and your poor neighbors who are tent camping and probably soaked to the bone, and be happy to be inside.

That was this morning.  Last night I had fallen asleep even before did the “truffle shuffle” in the Goonies last night.  My body is demanding rest and it’s an indulgent luxury to be able to give into it while I’m on vacation.  I don’t feel too guilty about sleeping in (until 9:00) since I was still up before any of the children.  

One by one kiddoes emerged from their bunks in various stages of grumpiness, sleepiness, and hunger.  We did what had to be done to get them moving….

Family trip to Walmart.  Honestly, one of my favorite things to do on vacation is check out the local Walmart (although we were told we should have checked our Meijer… missed opportunity).  Usually you can find local goodies and stock up on things you forgot or used up, or just want to have (paper towels, juice boxes, Bayer Back and Body, POP-Its, etc.).  Rob and I have learned that the best way to get kids moving is to lure them out with the promise of retail and then fool them into having fun.  

On the return ride home, we just so happened to take a detour… you know, right through Traverse City.  Before anyone could complain, we were parking on the upper level of the Hardy Parking garage and heading into downtown TC to find food and fun!  We were not disappointed.

There is no shortage of eateries in TC.  From fine Italian dining, to natural and vegan options, BBQ, bakeries, pubs, and good old American fare, restaurants are tucked in among the holistic healing stores, upscale clothing boutiques, souvenir emporiums, and other small eclectic stores selling cherry everything from coffee to barbecue sauce.  There’s literally something for everyone.  We settled on Mackinaw Brewing Company, primarily because it was the one of the first restaurants we came across, and with blood sugars plummeting all around us, we sent up the “may-day” and put in for our party of five.

A 45-minute wait.  Yikes.  Knowing that the city was teeming with tourists, we kept our name on the list and did a little window shopping.  We made it to exactly one store: Rocket Fizz.

If you have ever wanted to visit Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, it wouldn’t be as incredible as this candy store.  Do you remember that candy you loved when you were a kid?  The one you haven’t seen for 35 years, but you can remember the taste like it was yesterday?  Rocket Fizz has it.  Not only do they have shelves of nostalgic American candy: Whatchamacallit, Chuckles, root beer bottles, Necco wafers, Boston Baked Beans, but they also have international favorites from Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, Japan, and so many other countries.  You can also find gourmet treats like moodibars with flavors like “Wake Up” or “Hangover.”  Hammond’s even makes a Pigs N’ Taters chocolate bar with bacon and potato chips inside.  The store boasts an entire section of penny candy and the walls are covered in old fashioned tin signs with funny sayings on them, “Don’t Hog the Bathroom” (picture of a pig), “It’s like mom always said, ‘what the hell is wrong with you?’” or “Don’t trust the dogs and the cat’s shady too.”  Kai marveled at the selection of sodas in Rocket Fizz.  He struggled to make his selection… I mean, how do you choose between Chicken Enchilada soda and S’Mores flavored soda?  He landed on raspberry (womp, womp) and said it was delicious.  One fun find was a whole selection of Avery’s Soda straight from New Britain, CT.  So cool to see Hard Hittin’ New Britain represented all the way out here in TC, Michigan!

Thank goodness our table was ready at Mackinaw Brewing Company or we would likely have spent another hour making bad decisions and purchasing too much candy we didn’t really need.  

Lunch was great!  Standard pub fare, but I didn’t have to make it or clean it up, so it was superb! 

Seemingly everyone was in a good mood and ready to hit the midway at the National Cherry Festival.  The kids had a blast in the Magical Maze, the bumper cars (Rob got in on this one), and one something called O.M.G.  With a name like that, you can imagine the insanity of this particular ride.  I love rides, but I politely declined a turn and took pictures instead.  Marlie and Kai are the daredevils and Alyssa, Rob and I were happy to send them off to this stomach-churning attraction.  

Miraculously, everyone survived and we headed over to the actual Cherry Festival in search of all things cherry (my absolute favorite flavor – I get it from my dad) and also churros.  The fair has a lot of vendors selling cherry food products, potpourri, clothing, soaps, lip balm – you name it, they have it!  The nightly entertainment schedule is packed with headliners including – Sheryl Crow, Tesla, Collective Soul, Nelly, Jim Gaffigan, and Boyz II Men this week.  There is a Cherry Queen that is crowned and plenty of pie eating contests and even a boat parade.  The Cherry Festival is no joke.

While we did not find any churros, the girls did get friend dough (same thing, different shape, right?), and I got a giant cup of fresh cherries (sweet and tart) and split a slice of cherry crumb pie and ice cream with Kai – it was absolutely delicious.  

The Cherry Festival was everything I wanted it to be!  

Seeing the kids enjoy themselves is amazing, especially since they had woken up so grumpy.  We headed back hot and tired to the campground.  What’s up next? A couple of rounds of Gaga ball, a nice campfire and our dinner will be steaks on the grill and potatoes cooked in the fire – probably charred, and s’mores for dessert.

And definitely another glass of wine.  

Happy campers all around!

P.S. Happy Birthday to my Mom!!! Love you!

July 4, 2022

Happy Independence Day, America!

We celebrated American independence by sleeping in, eating a delicious camp breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast, fresh fruit, and the most glorious cup of coffee my Keurig mini could provide.  Admittedly, we were running on empty from two long days of travel and the most exciting day of our lives.  I don’t know how Rob stayed awake drinking beers and talking with Brian.  I stumbled off to bed after a quarter of a red Solo cup of rose, leaving them to catch up.  I knew Rob was tired and punchy (from exhaustion, not from the beer) because he was loudly pontificating on the economy and how he was a valuable member of ours, both providing a service to others an an employee, but also as a consumer, purchasing items like our RV (do you know how many people it takes to make something like this?).

Leelanau Pines campground is beautifully situated along Lake Leelanau, about 20 miles outside Traverse City.  It is a small campground with only about 200 sites, but it is well maintained, peaceful, and rustic.  Our site faces the lake, which is small compared to Lake Michigan, but actually covers about 166 acres.  To get to the campground, we passed through the small town of Cedar which looks very quaint and has an ice cream shop that we will definitely be trying.

After breakfast, Rob rented a paddleboard and a two person kayak.  We spent the middle of the day floating in the lake, switching among the kayak, paddleboard, and the inflatable tubes we brought with us from CT.  The water was refreshing and it was time well spent doing nothing except being together.  I love being on the water and floating.  You forget where you are sometimes and it’s a great time to clear your mind – no electronics, no phone, no music, just the splish-splash of children trying to get your attention while you try to pretend you can’t feel the cold droplets on your hot skin for as long as you can.  

After a quick lunch, the weather began to turn breezy and drizzly.  We spent a couple of hours playing board games on the picnic table under the awning while we thought about our next move.  We had big plans to head into Traverse City for the Fourth of July fireworks over West Grand Traverse Bay, but the weather only got worse.  To be honest, no one was truly devastated when we abandoned our trip downtown (although I was a little sad to miss our on the Tesla concert at the Cherry Festival).  The girls fed the camp ducks (renamed Bob and Jeff) and swung on the swings in the rain while Kai, Rob and I hung out inside.  We had a truly patriotic dinner of tacos and fell asleep to the Goonies.  Happy Birthday, America!

In short, we have decided to stay here at Lake Leelanau and use it as our home base for day trips and activities rather than to push onward, hopping from campsite to campsite.  On our trip out to Montana last year, our biggest takeaway was that we needed to be still for longer periods of time to get to know a place deeply rather than jump see as many places as we could.  Sure, we won’t see as much the the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (in fact, there is a good chance we won’t make it there at all), but we will get to know this corner of northwest Michigan pretty well. It’s a relief knowing that we won’t be packing up and changing sites until the end of the week.  Of course, we will be exploring the area, but in a way that actually feels restful and enjoyable.  

So friends, if you were hoping to get to know a ton about UP, sorry to disappoint.  We are sticking around Lake Leelanau.  We do plan to hit the Sleeping Bear Dunes and head into the Cherry Festival, and I have a couple of other ideas floating around my brain, so there’s still a lot to look forward to on this Michigan adventure!

Sunday, July 3, 2022

I have been very proud of myself when it comes to driving Kevin, especially when we tow the Jeep.  My first time driving solo (everyone else asleep) was on I-80 starting in a Scranton Walmart parking lot.  However, given the length of our vehicle, you would most certainly understand that there is always a bit of a learning curve that comes with getting behind the wheel for the very first time after a long hiatus.  While it is true that I did not do the bulk of the driving yesterday, I did drive the graveyard shift – 9:00 – 11:30.  It’s a lonely time to drive when the rest of the camper crew retreats to their bunks.  No one riding shotgun, no one to help you read the GPS or talk to you.  It’s dark and there are a lot of semi-trailers.  Driving    Also, when you’re in Canada, your cellular phone plan has talk and text, but charges you a very high fee for every megabyte consumed.  Translation: if you don’t have any music downloaded, you have to listen to local radio which is a crapshoot.

I didn’t have enough hands to white-knuckle the steering wheel and find acceptable music on local radio, so I suffered through about 40 minutes of 70s soft rock before I felt comfortable enough to search for a better station.  When driving a nine-ton vehicle at night, with the rest of the passengers sleeping, it is very important to be able to sing along. It is also important to have a snack.  

Here are some of the interesting things I observed during my night drive:

• Wineries everywhere: this area is full of wineries – it’s like an Ontario wine trail
• Best name of a winery: Frisky Beaver Winery, off Highway 403 heading toward London, Ontario – I would buy wine from here just to be able to keep the bottle
• Translating kilometers into miles and minutes will make your head spin
• An exit along Highway 401 called Oil Heritage Road – off that exit there is a town called Petrolia (hehe)

We were aiming to stop around 11:40 PM at a Walmart close to the American border in Sarnia, Ontario, but I spied a truck rest area around seven miles before Sarnia and decided it looked safe for the night.  Walmarts are never a sure thing – some do not allow campers and you can never be sure until you pull in, no matter what the online community says.  I parked Kevin in a pull through spot between two tractor trailers.  Rob leveled the camper, put out the slide, and I put up the privacy curtain.  Then, we slept.

After a mere five hours of sleep, we crossed back into the U.S.A. at 6:33.AM.  Hello, Michigan!   Border patrol required all the kids to show their sleepy faces before they could crawl back into bed.

Interestingly, we passed through the border alongside an Eric Church tractor trailer – maybe carrying stage equipment for concerts?  He’s not playing in Michigan until July 22nd, so who knows?

Our goal for the day was to head to the Cherry Festival in Traverse City, where Rob’s high school friend, Brian, lives and flies helicopter tours in the TC area.  More specifically, the Blue Angels were scheduled to headline the airshow and we thought it might be fun to catch them in action.  So, after fueling up and cleaning the bug carnage off Kevin’s windshield and mirrors, we started down I-75 towards Flint/Detroit we drove, listening to Rob’s Michigan playlist: KISS and Kid Rock, clearly the best musicians Michigan has to offer (I know, Motown.  Don’t get me started.)

The route to Traverse City was varied.  We passed Flint, which was gray, industrial, and run down.  We passed signs for Frankenmuth, Michigan’s Little Bavaria, with the famous Bonner’s Christmas store!  (Thanks for the recommendation, Roberta!)  We have already decided we’ll stop there for some gnome hunting on the return trip.  Fields of corn, and mostly flat expanses laid out before us.  Full disclosure, I did close my eyes for nearly an hour. (I had an unfortunate run-in with a mascara wand earlier this week and have a nasty scratch high up inside my eyelid – yikes.)

Approaching Traverse City was like rolling into an affluent beach town with charming chalet-like hotels, neat bungalow, upscale condos, and enormous beachfront homes..  Lake Michigan is an expanse of blue green with no end in sight.  I would have believed it was the ocean if I didn’t know any better.  Jet-skis, pontoon boats, kayaks, paddle-board and any other water sport you could imagine were advertised on myriad businesses lining the main drag leading into the city.  I’ll admit it – I was completely surprised.  This was definitely not what I expected.  It’s beautiful and I can’t wait to explore it more.

We headed straight for Brian’s work, a company called 45 North Aviation located off the Airport Access Road.  We rolled on out of the RV in yesterday’s clothes (at this point, there was nothing I wanted more than a shower and a fresh change of clothes), were escorted right into the luxury lounge of the tour office, and introduced to Mike, Brian’s boss and owner of 45 North Aviation.  No makeup, lopsided ponytail, a wonky eye – I felt GROSS.  And I surely didn’t expect what happened next.  None of us did.

Mike offered to let Brian take us up in his Robinson helicopter for a quick tour of downtown Traverse City.  We would take two short trips to accommodate all of us.  Awesome!  We walked out to the hanger and begin gawking at the collection of aircraft – some are privately owned and some belong to Mike, including a MiG-17, a Soviet subsonic fighter plane that he would be flying in today’s airshow.  All of a sudden, Mike turned on his heel and said, “I have a better idea.”  We hopped on two golf carts and headed to a hanger a couple of hundred yards away.  “How about we all go together in this?” he says… and gestures to a Bell 407 GXP 7 seater helicopter.

Holy mackerel. I’m pretty sure my one good eye was as big as a saucer.  Rob whispered, “If I woke up with my head stapled to the carpet, I wouldn’t be more surprised.”  Best day ever.

I have never ridden in a helicopter before and I am sure this ride has spoiled me for life.  We buckled in, put on our headphones and mics, and Mike took us up.  The ride was smooth and he flew low over the lake, allowing us to get a great view of the Cherry Festival, carnival, downtown area, and all the watercraft that had assembled for the upcoming airshow, including the large ship with the flag which signaled the center of the show.

From our viewpoint, Lake Michigan was crystal clear and parts of it were as turquoise as the Carribean sea.  The Top Gun theme softly played in our ears as we snapped pictures and took videos.  About halfway through the 20-minute trip, I just stopped and absorbed the view.  Sometimes putting down the camera and just being in the moment is all you need.  This was a once in a lifetime opportunity in a multimillion dollar aircraft and I intended to soak it in.

After a quick freshening up, we raced downtown to catch the airshow.  The sky was clear – the perfect day to watch amazing flying with incredible aircraft – and we plopped down in the sand with thousands of other tourists.  With around ten different “acts” in the show, it lasted three hours!  This was my first airshow experience, and man, was it… LOUD!

*NOTE – Yes, this would be much more interesting with video. Know that we are at a campground with exactly one bar of service at all times… I’ll add video when I’m back home with a strong signal! Pictures do not do this event justice.

We watched Mike fly the MiG, lighting up his afterburners.

The Coast Guard performed a demonstration “rescue” with a diver penciling into the water to “rescue” a swimmer and hauling them up onto the hovering Coast Guard chopper.

Probably the most unbelievable aircraft was the Harrier plane – it can take off vertically and hover.  

There were a few stunt-planes that barrell-rolled, flat spun, and looped all around the skies.  So impressive.

We loved seeing the F-16 and the A-10, although Kai was disappointed they didn’t fire any blanks.  That sure would have shaken up the folks watching the show from their kayaks.

The Blue Angels wrapped up the show for 45-minutes of incredible precision flying. In case you you don’t know, the Blue Angels are a U.S. Navy demonstration squadron of pilots who fly F/A -18 Super Hornets (this is what they fly in Top Gun: Maverick. So cool..) There are six pilots: four that fly together, primarily in their signature diamond formation, and two solos, a lead and an opposing, that do a lot of criss-crossing. At times, the planes in the diamond formation are separated by mere inches. They move with such incredible precision, it’s like they are held together with wires. The solos fly belly to belly, wingtip to wingtip, or with one plane inverted. We all sat slack-jawed as the planes roared overhead, making one incredible pass after another.

The big finale was the Delta formation which joined the diamond formation with the two solos.  Chills.  I mean, this was just breathtaking.

I’ve never been a big fan of all things aviation (except for Top Gun… I do love that movie.), but today was an all around A+ day!  What a spectacularly thrilling start to our trip!  

I’m not sure how we are going to top today.  However, I am ready for a little rest and relaxation – maybe a little floating on the lake, a little paddleboarding, a leisurely morning coffee and a walk around the beautiful campgrounds.  I’m happy to report that we are finally at Lelanau Pines Campground, where we will stay until Friday.  

We have set up camp, are relaxing, making a fire and getting ready to grill some cheeseburgers.  And wine,  There will be wine.

Pics to come tomorrow!

Cheers to you all!

Saturday, July 2, 2022

What kind of travelers are you?

Traveler A:

• We have a definite departure time and plan to eat a good meal before we leave so we do not need to make many unscheduled stops.
• We plan out scheduled stops and know what times are more “high-volume” than others near popular destinations.
• We have a specific destination in mind to spend the night on our multi-day travel itinerary.

Traveler B

• We pull our 46 foot RV and “toad” through a Dunkin’ Donuts and have to leave out the entrance blocking angry customers who just want their Saturday morning coffee.
• We decide last minute to stop at one of the busiest tourist destinations in the Northeast on a holiday weekend.
• We grab our passports in case we decide to travel internationally at a moment’s notice, but fail to thoroughly review the registration and insurance documentation of both vehicles, just because the kids want to be able to say they went to Canada.

We are B.  

Honestly, we have good intentions, but we also are fairly impulsive, especially with the flexibility of RV travel.

Rob and I hitched up the “toad” (my Jeep) to Kevin last night and I installed the RV brake.  We tested it, locked it up, ate a late dinner, and drank a beer. I laid out coffee and travel mugs for the morning and double checked the animal care schedule for Amaya.  Rob packed.  I fell asleep.

We were up bright and early.  Both of us showered, loaded last minute electronics and chargers into the camper before herding the half-asleep kiddos into their bunks.  We thought we’d celebrate the beginning of vacation with a quick trip to Dunkin’ instead of making our own coffee.  Good intentions, maybe not such a great execution.  (This will be the first of many questionable decisions that will be made on this trip.)  This Dunkin’ is literally 30 seconds from our home.  Could we have zipped over in the vehicle that was not hooked up to the camper for a quick run?  Sure, but wouldn’t it also be riskier and much more inefficient to take the whole show on the road?  Absolutely.

After getting drinks, breakfast sandwiches and Munchkins (If you have not had a cornbread Munchkin yet, do not sleep on this – they are delicious!) for the road and only blocking four (or so) customers from entering the drive-thru, we were on our way!  The kids went back to sleep in their respective hidey-holes and Rob and I had about three hours of peaceful driving with light traffic through scenic CT, MA, and NY, just chatting, spying the different species of roadkill (so far, a porcupine, a bear, a deer, and a wolf/coyote), and sipping coffee.  Somewhere in this cozy together time, we decided to stop at Niagara Falls… and then cut through Canada to get to Michigan.

What could go wrong?  I mean, who else would visit one of America’s most iconic landmarks on the weekend celebrating America’s independence?  

The correct answer is: everyone.  And they all converged on Niagara Falls at the same time as we did: 1:30 PM.  Suddenly, our peaceful drive turned into a frenetic bottleneck with one “at capacity” parking lot after another.  Also, you can’t park Kevin just anywhere.  She’s big, and doesn’t take corners easily.  If you miss a turn, you’re out of luck because there’s no backing up with the “toad” hitched.  We have come close to having to detach the “toad” in order to back up due to almost not making a tight corner or driving under a low bridge.  I can’t even imagine how horribly embarrassing it would be to have to go through the whole process of removing the RV brake, getting the car out of neutral, folding up the hitch and driving off separately to regroup with the hordes of traffic watching, beeping, yelling… I get sweaty just thinking about it.  It turns out the DoubleTree Hotel had an event and they were more than happy to sell us a parking spot in the grassy field across from the hotel for the bargain price of $20.  Money well spent.

Everyone was more than happy to stretch their legs as we made our ways down the riverwalk towards the falls.  The closer you get to the falls, the faster and rougher the rapids get.  What we thought were helicopters giving tours of the falls were actually Sheriff’s department helicopters.  How many fools try to get in this water (fall into the water)?  It’s terrifyingly swift.

All of a sudden, the riverwalk opens up onto a huge patio and you are literally on top of the American Falls (cleverly named, right?).  The roar of the water is loud enough that you have to raise your voice a bit to talk to one another.  What appeared to be thousands of tourists gathered for scenic photos along the overlook, chatter in at least five different languages.  We took the obligatory family selfie before meandering among the crowd and exploring the kitschy shops and food trucks.  A line that seemed to go on for at least two miles, snaked through the crowd, filled with tired, hot folks waiting for their turn aboard the Maid of the Mist, the scenic boat ride that approaches the falls.  I’ve done the tour on the Canadian side, Horseshoe Falls, (well done naming these falls, Canada) and it’s fun, but it’s unlikely I waited in a line like that.  I was with my parents and they are more of “Traveler A” people, so I’m sure we had a reservation or got there at the crack of dawn.

After a snack and a souvenir, we headed back to Kevin to cool off.  We had decided, with the kids’ input, that it would be a fun (and timesaving) detour to cut through Canada on the way to Michigan.  Our GPS led us to believe that this shortcut would save us around two hours.  We had thrown our passports and kids’ birth certificates in the camper just in case.  A quick Google search of necessary documents informed us that all we needed were registrations and insurance proof for both vehicles, and our COVID vaccination cards.  No problem.

So, we got in line for Canada.  And there we sat for two and a half hours, inching half a car length at a time toward the Rainbow Bridge that connects the U.S. to Canada.  What does it say about America that the wait to get into Canada on Fourth of July weekend is over two hours? 

By the time we approached the custom’s checkpoint, it was closing in on 7:30 PM.  Sure, the views from the bridge were incredible, but holy moly, our shortcut wasn’t exactly a timesaver.  A helpful agent directed us to the RV checkpoint an a border patrol officer requested and reviewed our paperwork.  He asked us about our ArriveCan registration.  Um, what?  We neglected to register our COVID status on the health app for travelers.  Oops.  Luckily, he waved us through the gate with a brisk (very kind, he was Canadian, after all) reminder to use the app for our return trip or they would turn us away.  

We made it!  And only four hours later than we had expected to cross the border.  Entering Canada made everyone famished, so while we made our way down the the Queen Elizabeth West Highway, I threw together some barbecue pulled pork sandwiches.  (I pre-cooked about six meals and froze them so we could heat and eat and not waste time with such trivialities as stopping to eat.)  If you’ve ever prepared a meal in a moving camper, you know it is a feat in balance and timing.  Miraculously, no swears were uttered and no one dropped their food.  Happy bellies, we barreled along.

While Alyssa and Marlie took turns riding shotgun, Kai played on his iPad and I got to watch the world go by from the couch.  We saw Toronto across Lake Ontario and passed the Real Canadian Superstore (so mad I missed this photo opportunity) and about twelve Tim Horton’s – think: the Canadian Dunkin’.  

Although we will only spend about three hours in Canada and it is unlikely we will even leave the confines of the RV, the trip will have been worth it.  The kids get bragging rights about their first “international” trip and we got to spend four very cozy hours together belting out the entire PopRocks library.  So far, no regrets on the twists and turns of the day.  Let’s see how we feel after trying to find a place to spend the night just over the U.S. border at around 11:00 PM this evening.  

I have a feeling there will not be enough coffee in the world tomorrow.  But, it’s OK because I’m on vacation with some of the people in this world (minus Amaya).

Thursday, June 30, 2022

Hello friends and fellow travel enthusiasts! Well, the long wait is over and camping season is once again upon us! We disappointingly did not camp until Father’s Day weekend. Why? The reasons are threefold:

1. There is exactly ONE Ford dealership within 50+ miles of us that could address our factory recall on the brakes and steering and provide the necessary repairs and also change the oil. Stupid supply chain issues held up the shipment of the parts and dumb rain delayed the oil change, as with an RV as long as ours, this needs to be done outside. Needless to say, our camper was in their possession so long, we thought we half expected a ransom note to arrive in our mailbox.
2. Baseball. It was the most fun (longest) season ever. In fact, it’s actually still going on, but we are peacing out on this summer’s adventure, so the Rebels will just have to muddle through without Kai this week;-)
3. Work was really hard this year. I mean, if you’re in education, you perpetually feel like you’re about 30 seconds away from utter implosion, but this year has been ridiculously and unexpectedly more difficult. Lots of changes coming and a lot of unknowns too. Sounds like the perfect time to ESCAPE on a road trip!

You are probably wondering about Kevin and how she fared through her first winter outdoors. (In case you’re reading this for the first time, Kevin is our 2021 Grayco Jayhawk Class C RV on a 2022 Ford E450 chassis.) She was a little green up on top and some little friends did make a bit of a nest in her engine, but it appears no real damage was done. After a good airing out, her recall updates and oil change, and a scrub-a-dub-dub, she looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! In fact, you might say even better than before. I mean, she also got new LED headlights so Rob and I don’t need to white-knuckle it driving down country roads in the middle of the night, and four new hubcaps. as well as some aesthetic/functional improvements on her interior. You may recall, we lost two hubcaps on our adventure to Montana and Wyoming last year. Well, these new hubcaps are bolted on and aren’t going anywhere. Whoever thought snap on hubcaps were a good idea for a long-haul recreational vehicle had obviously never traveled in one. Your teeth are practically jarred from your mouth if you hit a pothole or travel down a dirt road (God bless you!).

We took Kevin out on her maiden voyage on Father’s Day weekend. Having missed Mother’s Day camping at the Charlestown Breachway in RI due to Kevin’s unfortunate holdup at the dealership, this was a late start. We went to our traditional stomping ground, Pine Acres in Oakham, MA. Normally this is an amazing weekend of friends, fun, food, and booze. This year, we added baseball into the mix. Kai’s (13) All-Stars tournament began on Saturday and depending on the outcome, games were scheduled all throughout the rest of the weekend. I’m pretty sure Rob had fun with his girls (12, 10) which was the point since it was FATHER’S day, but for me and Kai, it was chaos. Here are the two photos I took on this camping weekend:

You might be wondering how we intend to top last year’s epic trip out west. What could possibly top the majestic Grand Tetons or the Black Hills or digging up dinosaur bones?

Were you going to say Michigan?

No?

Look, I have nothing against Michigan. To be fair, I really don’t know much about the state except it has two parts and looks like a mitten. It seems cold. And I assume it is home to Lake Michigan. That is all.

We do not even have any family in Michigan, but we do know one person in Traverse City, and that is why we are packing up Kevin and headed to UP – that’s the Upper Peninsula, for all you non-Yoopers. According to my limited research on Michigan (I mean, did you expect I wouldn’t do my research?), the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan are like two completely different states, More on this as we travel…

I recently read the Facebook post of a high-school classmate’s wife whose friends and family questioned their vacation destination, which, coincidentally is Michigan. I quote, “Michgan… why?” After seeing their adventures play out, I can say that I’m coming around to the idea of Michigan. After all, seeing America from the road has been one of my greatest joys of the past few years.

So follow this blog for stories from the road. We’ll be packing up Kevin tomorrow and hitting the road on Saturday. Join us on our adventures as we discover what makes Michigan so great and also join us to see what kinds of shenanigans the five of us (only five – Amaya is staying behind to work and interview for a new job – boo) can get into.

Great Lakes State, here we come!

No one likes going home after vacation.

Our little foray into the Black Hills left us wanting more time to travel and to see more of South Dakota. We all agreed that we need to come back and spend some time in the Badlands. It just wasn’t meant to be on this trip, but it gives us something to look forward to for next time.

And so we climbed into Kevin, continued east… 1,740ish miles.

With only a few hours to travel after hitting up Wall Drug, we hunkered down in a rest area for a few hours of shut-eye before yesterday’s long haul. It was a twelve -hour driving day that began at 7:30 AM and ended at precisely at 7:38 PM. I only know this because I tried all day to keep our arrival time before 7:30 PM and at 7:27 PM with only two minutes left in our drive, we were DETOURED 10 minutes. (Do you play these mind games with your GPS? It’s the only way I can chunk out the time on these extended drives.)

Rob and I share the driving and yesterday was my turn. Passing through the remainder of South Dakota, Minnesota and Illinois we decided on taking a more southerly route to avoid Chicago at all costs. Remember that harrowing nighttime journey through downtown Chicago on the way out? Well, there was absolutely no way we were taking Kevin back there during rush hour! Back roads all the way.

The landscapes out here are courtesy of corn.

It is simply EVERYWHERE. The land is lush and green and so flat. Grain elevators pop up on commercial farms.

For most of the day, I drove by myself, giving Rob a break and allowing him some time to hang out with the girls in the back, watching movies and playing games. All the kids have been simply incredible travelers. Yes, they have their electronics, full access to snacks, and a bathroom, but let’s be real. There is a LOT of sitting and being fairly still. The silliness finally set in around 6:00 yesterday afternoon. There may have been a little wrestling in the dinette area.

The ride on the smaller highways is downright enjoyable. Traffic is light and there’s some pretty fascinating sights to see out here if you keep your eyes peeled (you’re just going to have to believe me – no pics because I was driving). Kevin sped past the largest frying pan in Illinois and also the largest truck stop (in Illinois? in the U.S.? in the world? I’m not sure how this is qualified.)

The last hour of last night’s travel was down a maze of country roads, leading us to the KOA Kankakee. The campground is literally in the middle of a cornfield – beautiful, but remote. And so dark!

It was 5:30 AM when we rolled out of Kankakee – a lovely little town in Illinois, about an hour south of Chicago. We tried to map a route on secondary roads that would help us avoid Chicago and Google Maps tried to punish us by trying to take us down gravel, one-way “roads” to get us on the interstate. I mean, the road closures and detours every three streets did not help either. Poor Kevin bumped along down roads she never should have seen. At some point, she lost another hubcap, so now we are down two hubcaps.

Fast forward to 45-minutes later, when we finally turned onto a “major” road with yellow lines and guardrails. Rob and I may have let out a little “whoop”, herd by no one, as all the kids were still asleep in the back. I was half convinced we were going to drive around the cornfields of Illinois, running out of gas and having to hitchhike to the nearest farmhouse.

And so, where are we now? Well, at noon, we made our first stop for lunch at a KFC/DQ and gas station combo somewhere in Ohio west of Cleveland. That was around two hours ago. The GPS says 9:05 left to drive today. Translation: 12 more hours to drive with gas, food, and sanity breaks. My guess is that we will crawl into the driveway sometime after 1:00 AM. We will be tired and cranky, but at least the dogs will be happy to see us – not so sure about the cat!

And tomorrow, the unpacking begins and life returns to normal.

But until then, time to turn up the 90s alternative rock on Sirius radio and grab another snack, put my feet up and savor the last few hours of this epic road trip!

*Please enjoy this treasure that I forgot to post in the last chapter. Yes, those are matching sheriff badges.”

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again, in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.”

~Pat Conroy

It’s been such a pleasant experience camping at the different Kampgrounds of America (KOAs) across the midwest.  I have to admit that I am a bit of a campground snob. I like a maintained and clean. We had not stayed in a KOA prior to this trip, but they are reliable, numerous, and have a certain standard of quality.  There are three classifications of KOAs: 

• Journey – for a one-night stopover (basic facilities)
• Holiday – for vacationers 
• Resort – for vacationers, but with amenities like water parks and huge recreational areas for horseback riding or other outdoor activities.

The KOA Journey in Douglas, WY was a hidden treasure.  Since we arrived late, they left our paperwork in the drop box and left a blue light on our campsite, making it easy to find in the dark.  This morning, we ventured outdoors and found a Coffee Cabin serving handcrafted hot beverages – what a nice little touch!  I’m a pretty basic coffee drinker, but I even indulged in a latte this morning.  It was just what I needed to get me going!

The landscape in this part of Wyoming is harsh – lots of scrub brush and yellow/brown pastures.  

Entering the Buffalo Gap National Forest and crossing over in South Dakota again, the terrain softened a bit and you could picture giant herds of buffalo roaming the lands… of course, we did not see any, but I’m using my imagination.

In the Black Hills, we made two stops: Crazy Horse Monument and Mount Rushmore.  Both monuments are immense tributes to heroes of two distinct cultures.  While the Crazy Horse Monument has been a work in progress since 1948, when it is completed, it will be the largest mountain sculpture.  Chief Henry Standing Bear, a leader in the Lakota community helped to select Crazy Horse (most famous for leading the native people to victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn) as a representative for all native peoples and the sculpture is not intended to be an exact likeness of Crazy Horse, but rather embody the heroic spirit of many native people.  

Chief Henry Standing Bear invited sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to create the monument in the Black Hills, land sacred to his people.  Interestingly, Korczak Ziolkowski was a renowned sculptor who had studied under Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of Mount Rushmore.  We found his name on the wall of workers at Mount Rushmore.

Ziolhowski was such a quirky and dedicated artist.  He refused $10 million in grants from the federal government in order to maintain the integrity of the monument and his promise to Chief Henry Standing Bear.  He worked by himself for many years, making roads and living quarters by hand.  Later, when he began drilling and blasting the mountain, he drilled holes in the rock using an old compressor that often went “kaput” several times a day, making him climb the over 700 steps to the top of the mountain.  He knew that the scope of the project was so massive that he would not see its completion in his lifetime, but his family continues the mission to complete the sculpture today.  From the looks of the progress, it will be many years before the Crazy Horse Monument is completed.

On the other hand, Mount Rushmore is a finished project.  It is one of those places that I have seen in photos or on television so many times, but never had the desire to see in real life.  It truly is an impressive work of art and when you think about the number of workers it took and the amount of rock that had to be blasted away, it is astounding to see.  What was particularly fascinating about Mount Rushmore was the number of languages being spoken around us.  I counted at least seven different languages.  We talked about why each of the president’s was chosen to be on Mount Rushmore as we moved toward the viewing area down a pathway lined with all the flags of the States and territories.  

It’s a very patriotic place.  It also sells ice cream!  Delicious ice cream AND they have Thomas Jefferson’s original vanilla ice cream recipe which they will sell to you for a dollar.  So now I have Thomas Jefferson’s original recipe for vanilla ice cream.  The Declaration AND vanilla ice cream?  That’s just showing off.

The last stop on our tour of the Black Hills was Wall Drug.  In my mind I equated Wall Drug to South of the Border.  Along the sides of the highway, signs for Wall Drug dot the landscape every couple of miles about 100 miles out of Wall, South Dakota.  They are funny and quirky and often have an Old West theme, like so much else out here.  

I was not wrong.  It was a giant tourist trap and IT. WAS. PERFECT.  WE only had about 30 minutes to explore, but we all managed to find some junk we didn’t need before getting back on the road.

We stopped here for the kids. Since we tortured them with culture this morning, we promised them some actual fun!  This reminds me of the vacations I took with my parents when my brother and I were young.  Something educational + something fun =  vacation.  

Example: Colonial Williamsburg + Busch Gardens

Example: Gettysburg Battlefield + Hershey Park

Example: Everglades + Disney World

* Has anyone visited Colonial Williamsburg or Gettysburg in July?  No?  I don’t recommend it,  You will melt.  All kidding aside, I am thankful for all I learned on these trips even if I complained at the time.  This is something I keep telling myself every time a child rolls an eye.

I think my Mom and Dad would be proud of this trip.  We’ve had a lot of fun mixed with a lot of cultural experiences while we toured the American West.

I am proud of this trip.  We saw a lot in a little time.  But, the best part was that we were all together.  I feel like we all know one another a little better and have a deeper understanding of each other’s quirks and habits.

“Travel is not a reward for working, it is education for living.”

Today’s adventures began in the sleepy little town of DuBois, Wyoming, population 960.  It’s located right outside the Wind River Indian Reservation between the Absaroka and Wind Mountain ranges .

Fun fact: the original residents of the town wanted to name the town “Never Sweat”, but the post office rejected the name.  In response, the townspeople rejected the French pronunciation and so the name of the town is pronounced DEW-boys.

While the people are few and far between, the livestock is abundant.  Cattle ranches surround the area in the Painted Hills and the National Bighorn Sheep Center also falls within the city limits.  If you want to visit a guest ranch (think City Slickers), this is the place to be.  

Though tiny, the town has its charms.  A general store, patronized by Butch Cassidy, a few steakhouses and restaurants,  wooden boardwalks, curiosity shops, the largest Jackalope exhibit in the country (Jackalope are mythical antelope/rabbit animals) art galleries and various shops selling sundries are  just a few of the sights to see in the downtown area. Rob and I were fortunate to have time for an early morning walk through the quiet street, making our way to Ace Hardware (run by three women – yay!) and The Perch Coffee Shop, the cutest artsy little cafe.  

In the warmer months, the population of Dubois increases as artists and writers hunker down in the area, obviously inspired by the rich landscapes and beautiful climate. 

We half expected to see Walt Longmire emerging from one of the buildings downtown or the local bar.  The Cowboy Cafe is no Red Pony Bar and Continual Soiree, but it comes pretty close.

We left Dubois with intentions to return when we can stay a few days and get into the hills to do some exploring on ATVs (street legal here – and you see lots of folks riding around town on them), or side-by-sides.  Next stop, Thermopolis.

Thermopolis (it took me a week to figure out why this sounded familiar… Mia Thermopolis!  The character from the Princess Diaries) is a bit larger than Dubois and is the home of the Wyoming Dinosaur Center.  There are around 175 active dig sites and we headed up the mountain in a van with two paleontology interns for a three-hour dig at a sauropod site.  Pro tip: better not to look over the edge of the ravine while bouncing along in a 12-passenger van.  Yikes!

Mick and Jackson gave each pair of “bucket buddies” the tools we needed to actively dig on site: a small broom and dustpan, a soft-bristle paintbrush, and an oyster knife.  They also told us how to identify dinosaur bones from rock.  Apparently, dinosaur bones are BLACK.  Mind blown.  Also, you have to be very careful if you find one since they are easy t damage and they need to mark where bones are found in order to record the information for the museum. 

At first we did a LOT of sweeping.  The area is covered by mudstone (essentially, just dried mud) and it crumbles easily when yu sweep it or loosen it with the oyster knife, making a mess.  You have to clean the area frequently as not to accumulate a big pile of rubble.  What you do sweep up needs to be collected in the bucket and heaved over the side of the ravine (this was not my favorite part, mainly because of the incredibly steep ravine we were standing on).

It gets hot up there on the mountain and this activity requires patience and persistence.  Flaking off the bits of mudrock and moving deeper and deeper into the side of the mountain is oddly satisfying. Rob and I were amazed at how persistent the kids were in methodically loosening and sweeping, funny since no one really cleans up after themselves at home.  

Well, three of four kids were actively engaged, while one was politely compliant before tapping out with about 45-minutes left.  She tried.  

Around the two hour mark, I struck bone.  Before my discovery (haha), a few tiny bone chips had been found, but Jackson used his pick ax to loosen the area around the tiny black sliver to reveal a five-inch bone fragment.  He allowed me to use my tools to try to remove more mudrock from around it (this seemed like an inappropriate amount of responsibility), and finally the bone popped out.

The fragment was covered in a watered down superglue to preserve it, given a number and packed up to take to the museum for cataloging.  I am now a paleontologist and will be adding that to my LinkedIn profile.

Other discoveries included some gastric stones that dinosaurs ate to help them digest their food, a kind of “young” coal, and lots of little bone fragments that the kids were allowed to take home.  Dusty and happy, we loaded back up into the van and headed into Thermopolis for food.

Dinosaur digging is hard work and we were starving.  On the recommendation of the paleontology interns, we ended up at the One-Eyed Buffalo, a local brewery and wolfed down an early supper before packing up Kevin and driving two and a half hours to a KOA Journey in Douglas, Wyoming.  

This campground is specifically for people passing through, so there are a lot of pull through sites, which was fantastic because we kept the toad hitched.  Ahhh… another day, another adventure.  This is the life!

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”

~Confucius

As easy as it was to take the toad into Yellowstone, it was just as hard taking Kevin. Poor Kevin is awkward, big, and just plain clumsy. We packed her up, wished Rob’s sister and her family goodbye and made our way back through the park on our way to DuBois, Wyoming. Route 89 runs right through Yellowstone and then into Grand Teton National Park.

We focused on seeing the geothermal sites and made good time as we headed to the southern entrance of the park. Due to our enormous size and toad, we rarely were able to get out of the car, but we still saw some incredible sights! Also… a few more buffalo!

All these mini-geothermal features were leading up to the main event – a stop at Old Faithful. With the swarms of crowds at Yellowstone on a Saturday, we decided to park outside the Old Faithful Visitor Center, leave Kevin, disconnect the toad and drive in. Turns out, there was plenty of RV parking, but sometimes it just feels good to whip around in a little vehicle. Driving an RV is convenient in so many ways, but often an inconvenience to others, especially in high-volume areas. You block traffic, you go slow, you need a LOT of room to make turns.

Luckily, when we arrived at Old Faithful, we only needed to wait ten minutes for the geyser to begin letting out a little steam, gearing up for a full eruption. The crowds “oohed” and “ahhed” as water burst from the earth and spouted into the air. for a good two and a half minutes. Steam blew over out heads and dissipated into the air. Honestly, Rob and I both looked at one another and shrugged out shoulders. Is it bad to say we were underwhelmed by Old Faithful. I feel like a bad American. I suppose the “wow factor” of Old Faithful is not the size of the eruption, but rather the regularity and frequency with which it erupts. Every 60-90 minutes, 3,700 – 8,400 gallons of boiling water are shot into the air, but Old Faithful is not the largest geyser in the park. I’m not exactly sure what I expected, but I was definitely a bigger fan of other sites in the park.

Somewhere between Old Faithful and the Southern Entrance to Yellowstone, Marlie began reading maps. She followed the park map right out of Yellowstone and into Grand Teton National Park. Knowing we did not have a lot of time to spend stopping in Grand Teton, we limited ourselves to a few select vistas to snap a few pictures. My camera does not do it justice. It is the most beautiful place I have ever laid eyes on. While most of the views on this trip has been jaw-droppingly stunning, the Grand Tetons are without comparison.

It is no wonder that the Grand Tetons is my father’s favorite place in the U.S. He strongly encouraged us to visit because of its mesmerizing beauty and grandeur. Of course, he was right. We were impressed – mostly the adults, as most of the kids were napping on this portion of the route. I get it. I wasn’t wowed by landscapes as a kid either, but the immenseness of the Grand Teton mountains and the forests is unquestionably impressive. To say we were awestruck is an understatement. Rob said he just never got tired of seeing the landscapes, that it was as if his eyes were hungry and couldn’t get enough. I concur.

One lesson we learned on our visits to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons is that if we want to see more, we need to move less. Yes, we saw some fascinating wildlife, but we could have seen more, should have seen more. In trying to see it all, we didn’t see enough. Rob and I have accepted this trip as a “fact-finding” mission and WHEN we return, we will intentionally carve out time for quiet hikes, stillness in the woods, just to observe all the phenomenal creatures in the parks.

Moran Junction was a bittersweet arrival. At 5:45 PM on June 26, 2021, we turned east out of Grand Tetons and headed toward DuBois, WY, our next destination. Although we are excited for the next leg of this adventure, we have officially turned back home. *Sigh*. There is still so much more to see, do, hear, smell, and taste. I’m not quite ready to be done, so I plan to savor each and every moment.

With just a few hours to DuBois, WY, we drove quietly through the varied landscapes – eyes peeled for grizzlies. No such luck. But, we did pass the continental divide four times. If you have heard of this term, but are unsure of what it means, you are not alone. The continental divide is the boundary between the two main watersheds on the continent. Basically, whichever side you are on, determines the way the rivers flow.

Arriving in a new place every night can be exhausting. You don’t know the area, the campgrounds are all slightly different, and sometimes you are just plain travel-tired. It was a frozen pizza and scoopy dip kind of night spent entirely inside the RV with an early bedtime for all. Even with the exhaustion setting in, when you arrive at your campground and this is the view, it’s sort of makes it all better. Look at the colors on those hills – breathtaking! Resting up for tomorrow’s dinosaur dig out in Thermopolis!

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”

~Henry Miller