Thank You For the Comments on The Random Thoughts Post

and a couple of additional thoughts.


Monday, July 6, 2020

I would like to start this post by thanking everyone who commented on our Random Thoughts Post here and on Facebook. Thank you for taking the time to not only read my words but comment on them. We read each of your comments and  I re-read them before writing this. I have not replied but I want you to know your words added to what I said and felt while writing it. Again, thank you for your comments each one, we feel, added to the post.

In the post I mentioned part of the reason I put it all down was to be able to look back and read how we were feeling during this particular time in our life and journey. Little did I realize at the time how quickly things would change yet again in our country.

Those last few days before leaving were spent getting ready to leave and working on a more exact route with several choices for where to stop and spend each night. Something we had very seldom done in the past. I probably have mentioned more then once, we are pretty much fly by the seat of our pants travelers as we live our Retirement Dream. We pretty much always have a final destination in mind but how long and how we get there has never been part of the journey. We let how we feel about a place dictate how long we stay or if we even stay. That is not to say we do not make plans to meet and spend time with friends along the way because that is an important part of this journey something we would never want to change in any way.  The thing is with the coronavirus spreading in our country for the first time we wanted to know where we would be stopping and with the advantage of not needing RV Parks we wanted it to be places we could just pull into shut off the engine and spend the night.

That all being said we were a couple of days into our trip before we fully realized exactly what had happened in our country. We had read about Minneapolis and the awful killing of a man by the police but we had not realized how much of our country was now being targeted during the day with peaceful protesting that turned into rioting and looting at night all in the name of  his death. To see pictures of buildings burning in the city of Minneapolis and other large cities and reading that at times the police were told to stand down was mind boggling. Plus, reading of a movement to defund  police departments or even possibly close them down was unbelievable. To say crossing the Menominee River into a place that is many times left off the map of the United States of America was a relief is an understatement. With all the information in the news are thoughts turned to our kids and grandkids downstate  and their proximity to Detroit. Plus, we could see the Coronavirus numbers still going up. To say we are worried about what is happening with the rioting would not even begin to describe how reading about all of what is going on makes us feel. The word "angry" does come to mind though. The other word that comes to mind is "sad" . I questioned in that post when would enough be enough and that same question keeps circling in my thoughts. I am going to end this subject here for now. You may hear about it again in this blog because Tom and I do have strong feelings about what is going on. For now Tom and I have talked about it and praying for our family, friends, and our country will be part of our days.



Today after spending six nights at the Fairgrounds in Escanaba we pulled in the slides, hooked up the Jeep (Would it not be nice if it was as easy as that?) and headed downstate. It was actually almost
3 o'clock when we left this afternoon we had a few things to take care of before leaving and our destination for tonight was about a four hour drive so we knew we would get here before dark. We are parked in the Walmart Parking lot in Gaylord, MI and it looks like it will be a quite night. So far we  are the only ones here. Tomorrow will be close to a 7 hour day but then Wednesday we will just have about a thirty minute drive to our destination an RV Park about 60 minutes from our Son, Daughter-in-law and four of our grandkids. If it was not for those six people we would not have ventured down this way and we are so looking forward to spending this time with them.

I did not take many pictures today and once we crossed the Mackinac Bridge I did not take any at all. Below are a couple I took when we were riding right along the lake and then as we started across the bridge.

There was a definite haze over the lake today.

We could see people out on the beach and in the water enjoying
the day as we drove by. 

Then after paying the tow we headed across the bridge.

After crossing the bridge we only had about 60 miles to go before we pulled in for the night.  It was a pleasant ride today though it was very warm. No construction zones to contend with and not a lot of traffic so that was a nice surprise.


Tuesday, July 7, 2020

After spending the night at the Walmart in Gaylord, MI we pulled out under sunny skies and the cloud above opened up as we turned onto the road and continued as we merged onto I-75. We could see blue skies off in the west and about 2 miles south the road was dry and the sun was again with us.

The decision to avoid large cities on our way down to see our children meant some of today's route took us through parts of Michigan we had never seen before. Doing this makes for a longer ride yet at the same time less stressful. The next two collages are from the ride. One thing we have found as we travel this beautiful country we call home is  "small town America" along the back roads is pretty much the same. 

One thing we see a lot of in Michigan is trees we do not lack
for trees in this state.  

One common thread we find in small towns, that does not mean
we do not see it in larger cities, is a pride in their town and country.

Below are a couple of pictures I took this past Saturday Night, July 3rd. We are parked next to the race track at the Fairgrounds, this is were the full hook ups are, and on race night it can get quite noisy. Tom does like to climb up on top of the Stinger "B" to watch and he said except for one corner can pretty much see the whole race. My dad used to love going to the races. Partly I am sure because over the years several of his nephews raced. I do remember going more then once with him to watch the races. Tom and I went one time, as I recall, when we were dating, nothing says a romantic evening out like the roar of engines while sitting in the stands with dust blowing up at you...lol

It almost looks like the lights are illuminating the moon.

 

Standing in our doorway I could just see the top of the cars
as they came around the corner for the last race of the evening.

We will be busy the next couple of weeks hugging grandchildren so if you do not hear from us that will be the reason.

In the mean time our hope and prayer is that each of you and those you care about and love stay safe and healthy.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness;

 only light can do that. 

Hate cannot drive out hate; 

only love can do that.

                                                      ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

We are glad you stopped by!

If you have time to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.

Happy 4th of July!

Saturday, July 4, 2020


To all of our Family and Friends:

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!

In The Upper Peninsula of Michigan

(Fair warning this post contains several pictures. What follows is our four day trip from Corinth, Mississippi back to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.)

Thursday, July 2, 2020

It is amazing how quickly the time goes once we are back up here in the place we call home. We pulled back into the Upper Peninsula of  Michigan on Sunday, May 31, 2020, and spent our first night parked at the Walmart. Our reservations at the Whitefish Hill RV Park in Rapid River, which is about 15 more miles, started on June 1st and though we could have just went there we decided to stay in town, since, we needed to fill up our propane tank and the place we would take care of that was on the way to the park. 

Thursday, May 28, 2020

After two months we pulled in the slides and hooked up the
Jeep and left the Cross City RV Park in Corinth, MS

We stopped and said goodbye to the owner and before  I
could focus my camera he was back on his mower.
Top right: heading out of the park we turned left onto
County Road 405 and then right onto US-45 heading North.
The weigh station were we stopped in March before turning
around and heading back to Corinth.

About 10 miles and we left Mississippi in the rear view mirror
and crossed into Tennessee. A couple of hours later we crossed
back across the Mississippi River this time going west and 
into Missouri.

The problem with catching up is I am not going to remember where these pictures where taken other then they were that first day on the road.

We could see rain ahead. At this point I know we are on the
west side of the Mississippi River. We did ride into that rain
storm but it was a short burst of rain.

We spent the night at a Walmart in Perryville, MO
These were the clouds over the store as the sun set.

,

More of the clouds around us 

as the sun set on our first night heading north and home.

Friday, May 29, 2020

Heading out this morning we are on I-55 and we went around the west outskirts of St. Louis. By the time we stopped for the night we where at a rest area west of  Davenport, Iowa. Stopped for the night we learned what is taking place in Minneapolis and several of the larger cities in our country. We spent some time re-thinking our route home. The decision was to avoid getting close to any larger city and to keep ourselves informed as to what was going on.

We took some back roads and made our way to I-80.

Taking what I would describe as serene back roads

it is easy to forget that there is anything called Covid-19
in our country. It is hard to believe there is now rioting and
looting taking over some of our cities.

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Today we headed East on I-80 before heading north again towards Dubuque were we crossed the Mississippi River. Once again we are back in the East and  leaving Iowa behind we are in  Wisconsin.

Riding peacefully along, like I mentioned above, you forget
that anything has changed then there is a sign overhead
reminding you of just how much things have changed.

Coming into Dubuque we can see the Mississippi River ahead.

Going through a small town in Wisconsin that Tom
remembered won the State Basketball Championship back 
in the 60's. I looked it up and it was 1964.  
They did this before the state created a small-school division 
against a much larger school Milwaukee North. 

Riding through small town America and there is another
reminder of how things have changed. (Middle left.)

We spent part of the day on back roads in Wisconsin making our way to the Walmart in Portage, WI.
This would be our last night on the road for this our Sixth Adventure.

Sunday, May 31, 2020

We woke up this morning to more blue skies after spending a quiet night at this Walmart. Interesting side note: Back on November 8, 2014 we started our First Adventure in our 5th Wheel, the Crusader, and we spent a very cold first night at this same Walmart. Here we are almost six years later in our motorhome the Stinger "B" on our way back home for the summer. As we made our way north today we realized we had taken pretty much the same route that first day. I remember as we made our way south that day we could not believe how many hills there were in this part of Wisconsin and how anxious we were about the trip and what we would encounter along the way. Today we were anxious for another reason. With the pandemic and now the protests and rioting going on we are just anxious to be back in the UP.  Those hills we thought were high back then, well since then we have been over some pretty good size "hills" in the West and East and we reminisced and talked about how our lives have changed since that first day.

Walmart in Portage, WI

We have made it to US-41 and a very familiar sign.
Escanaba 90 miles

Marinette, WI

Crossing over the Menominee River and we are in
the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

We are now on M-35 and we are looking at Lake Michigan and
this view says we are home. The first thing we notice is how
 high the lake is and we can see how much of the shoreline has
disappeared into the lake.

We are in very familiar territory now. We know all the turns
and when we will see the lake, which is a lovely blue
today against the white caps rolling in.

Going over the Ford River we can see it is way above its banks.

Monday, June 1, 2020

After spending the night at the Walmart in Escanaba we are now headed towards a small town about 15 miles east of us. Riding along the lake it is not as blue today but still beautiful.

Upper left: the Rapid River
Upper Right: the Whitefish River
Lower Left driving through Rapid River and then arriving
at the Whitefish Hill RV Park.

There are still a few dandelions around though most have
gone to wishes. Some of the decor near where we are parked.

We have just pulled in to our spot next to the Red Barn.
This will be our home for the month of June. 

This is an older park that shows its age but it is well kept up with long fairly level sites. We do have highway noise and a couple of times a day a train goes by but just the same we like it here. The woman who owns it was not sure she was going to open this year because of the coronavirus but in the end made the decision to do so and had only been open a couple of days when we pulled in. The red barn next to us is were the bathroom, shower, laundry, and office is located which she is not opening. In order to stay here you need to be totally self-contained this year. We do have full hook ups with 50 amps though there is also 30 amps at the sites, also. Plus, there is free WiFi.

A little history: The Red Barn is a 100+ year old cordwood barn. Back a 100+ years ago this was a farm. The history is that 2 young boys cut and split the cord wood by hand and used it to enclose the bottom half of the barn, each piece is 16" in length and laid in a bed of mortar. This has been written about as on one of the few remaining cordwood barns. (Information from the RV Park's website.)

The cordwood bottom half of the barn.

As I write this catch up post we are now settled in for six days at the Fairgrounds in Escanaba. We will be heading downstate to see our son and his family this coming Monday. Then we will be spending the month of August back at the Whitefish Hill RV Park.

Tonight's Afterglow

Quick update: I wrote this blog last night figuring Tom would take a look at it this morning and then I would re-read and publish. With the hope as always that I have not missed any misspellings. Anyway, if it is true that things come in three's hopefully we are good. This morning the toilet broke which makes the 6th thing we have had to replace since March.  We are good now and would like the trend to end.

We are so glad you stopped by!

If you have time to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.