Blog is Slowly Catching Up to Us....Happy Birthday, Thomas!!!

On Tuesday, May 30, 2023, after 256 day under a beautiful blue sky we crossed the Mackinac Bridge and we were back in the UP.  Our Ninth Adventure, living our retirement dream, has come to an end. The plan right now is to spend the next three months and a few weeks visiting and catching up with family and friends. We will also be looking into some tentative plans for our Tenth Adventure.

Mackinac Bridge

We are presently parked at our daughter's in Gladstone, MI

My goal for the next couple of blog posts is to catch up to where we are. This blog is a journal of our travels and as such these days need to be included. 

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

This morning we went inside for coffee with our son and daughter-in-law and to get kisses and hugs from three of our grandchildren as they got ready to leave for school. Then all to soon it was time to go out to the Stinger "B" and get things ready to roll. There actually was not much to do as we pretty much were only inside for sleeping. Since, we had unhooked the Jeep we did have to hook it back up. Once that was done we went back in to get kisses and hugs from our youngest grandson and his parents. A picture of them waving as we left would have been nice to have but I was to busy waving and we were several blocks away when that thought came to me.

We decided to take I-94 North for a few miles then make our way up to I-69 where we turned west for a bit. We then cut across on I-475 to I-75 which we stayed on to just past Bay City where we exited on to US-23 for the rest of our trip to Mackinaw City. I had done some checking the afternoon before and there is a Walmart in Tawas City that said we could park for the night in their parking lot.

What follows are a few random pictures of our two day ride.

I-69

On I-75 going by

Birch Run

Zilwaukee Bridge which takes us over the Saginaw River.

On US-23

You know you are on a rural highway when you see this sign.

Lake Huron

Parked at the Walmart in Tawas City, MI and
we sort of had a view of Lake Huron out the front windshield.

It was, of course, sad pulling away as we waved to our littlest grandson and his parents...it always is...yet today's ride was pleasant and uneventful. It was our first time riding along the east coast of Michigan and Lake Huron; a new adventure. It was a surprisingly a quiet night parked at the Walmart considering there were railroad tracks just across the road. 

Thursday, May 25, 2023

This morning as we pulled back out on to US-23 Lake Huron was sparkling in the sunlight. 

This must be the place to be????

Some interesting facts about Lake Huron: it is the second largest, surface wise, of the Great Lakes making it the 3rd largest fresh water lake in the world. By volume it is surpassed by Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. What I found extremely interestingly when doing some reading about Lake Huron was that within the lake is the world's largest island lake, Manitoulin Island. Plus the largest lake on an island in a lake is Lake Manitou on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron. Then I read that the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake is Treasure Island in Mindemoya Lake on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron. At that point I decided I had read enough. What has always struck me each time we pass over the Straits of Mackinaw is just how blue Lake Huron's water is. I did also read it does have the bluest water of the Great Lakes. I would also like to mention that Deb and Riley, On the long and lonesome highway... are from Manitoulin Island, they probably know all this information about the island, and spend there summers there. She does post pictures of the island and right now her header picture is particularly a lovely shot. Also, Al, Travel With the Bayfield Bunch, posts pictures of Lake Huron from his side of the Lake in Ontario and when he does they truly capture its beauty.

Driving down any highway, when not in a city, in Michigan
your view is filled with trees and/or lakes and rivers.

These three pictures 

were taken on a short

detour off of US-23 due to construction.

Lake Huron

and more trees. I did mention there are trees in Michigan.

The lovely blue water of Lake Huron.

Our two days traveling to Mackinaw City, especially on US-23 along the lake were slow paced and wonderful. I have often said, we are so lucky to be living our retirement dream. We have seen the beauty of the mountains in the west and east, the vastness of the desert. Then we spend our summers surrounded by the beautiful forest of Michigan and time near some the most beautiful lakes in the world. Life truly is good.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Happy, Happy Birthday to our Son, Thomas!

From a little boy to having one, bottom left, two middle bottom,
then three, middle right, to a father of four, bottom right,
with a lovely wife. We were proud of the little boy and
we are proud of the man you have become.
Love you to the moon and back.
Dad and Mom xoxo xoxo

We are glad you stopped by!

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