More Than One Way to Get Wet!

SUNDAY, JULY 28 –
The weather yesterday [Saturday], when I woke up and looked out the window, was rainy.  Aw, this RV Park (the Silver Creek Luxury RV Resort & Campground in Silver Lake, MI) is expensive, but, I’ve got the cable TV and the WIFI, so why don’t I just stay here another night, I argued with myself.  The lady yesterday said they might be full today, remember?  Yeah, but she also said to check with them at 10:00 in the morning, remember?  So, I walked over to the office and asked.  No, they are filled up.

I left around 11:30 a.m. and, taking a road (B-15) through the vicinity, I noted not only the horde of people, on foot and on bikes, but the stores and restaurants and the many signs for “Dune Buggy Rides” and buggy, jeep, boat, and Jet Ski rentals.  I haven’t seen these particular dunes yet and when I happened to pass by the Silver Lake State Park and saw the “Sorry, Full” sign, it was obvious that this is a very popular recreation area.  I’ve got to check out this place!

The best thing to do, I decided, was to go from the water to the woods to wait out the weekend…and the wet weather.  Go east, girl!  And that I did, getting back on Rt. 31 S for about five miles and then connecting to Rt. 20 E towards the White Cloud/Newaygo area.  It rained off and on but it was a nice enough drive through farms, orchards, and woods.

Initially planning to go to a state park, I noticed signs for the Sandy Beach County Park and decided to try a county park this time.  The lady in the office assigned me site #63 and when she pointed it out to me through the window she said, “Oh, there’s a car that’s not supposed to be there.”  She suggested she ride with me to the site and she’ll ask the owner of that car to move it.

To set the scene:  Sites are marked on numbered posts.  The park pass on that car’s mirror said #64.  It was, however, parked on #63, my space.  There was a second car on #64.  There were two tents on that site.  The owners of both cars were not there.  Nobody knew where they were, including this fellow who walked over from his site.  The space between that car, at the left, and a post, at the right, was barely wide enough for me to squeeze through, but, and with guidance from the lady from the office and the fella who walked over, I was able to pull through and get situated where I needed to be.

After taking a walk around the park, and checking out Hardy Pond and the nearby dam, I returned to my camper in time to catch one of the park employees swinging by.  He said he had been going around looking for the folks on #64.  He finally left a note on the intruder car’s windshield which basically said to “move it.”  

It turned out the folks on #64 had three cars.  Interestingly enough - for me anyway, me and my sometimes outlandish imagination - there were just four people, two men and two women.  When I saw that third car pull in, I went to my door and stood there looking out through the screen.  The owner of the interloper car, a woman, saw me and immediately got in her car and moved it.  She didn’t even read the note!  She didn’t offer a gesture or a word of apology!  The nerve!

At this point in time, it’s been 8 weeks since I left home and 7 weeks since I’ve officially been traveling in my camper.  Considering all the earlier hiccups with the camper and camera, I think I’m now on good terms with them both!  The truck has been great, too!

It was still wet and gray and a bit cold on this Sunday morning.  I decided last night that I would relocate to a nearby private RV Park which has WIFI and other amenities.  In no hurry to leave, I sat at the dinette table and watched a family across the way dismantle and load up their cars with camping stuff, bags of trash, and kids.  The #64 folks had already left earlier.  I got going myself at around 11:30 a.m.

By noon I had comfortably relocated to the Woods and Water RV Park, which is located between White Cloud and Newaygo.  Being that there’s a small lake here, the owners picked a great name for this RV Park.   

MONDAY, JULY 29 –

Like night and day!  What a huge difference today is from last Saturday morning.  Going to Michigan’s forest for the weekend was a smart strategic decision.  I won’t claim all the credit though.  The relentlessly cool and rainy weather may have been a factor as well.

It was 10:30 this morning when I steered my truck back to the Silver Lake area, arriving there before noon.  Driving slowly on that same B-15 road, it was a good sign when I noted how light the auto and foot traffic was…compared to last Saturday.  A more hopeful sign was the missing “Sorry, Full” proclamation at the entrance to the Silver Lake State Park.  The young lady in the office said I had a choice of available sites and I picked one with an excellent view of Silver Lake and the sand dunes.  Beyond those dunes, and out of sight, is Lake Michigan.

Before setting up the camper, I drove to the nearby town of Mears, looking for the Post Office.  I found that and then, spotting a coffee shop across the street, went there to see if they had a WIFI hotspot.  They didn’t, BUT they did have French Vanilla!  The only time I will drink black coffee is if French Vanilla is available.  Cream (or milk) and sugar doesn’t do it for me.  So, I bought a cup and it sure was good on this cool day!  I followed that with some lunch back in Silver Lake and then settled down at my campsite.  By late afternoon the sun peeked through the clouds.  Another good sign!
 

The sand dunes of Silver Lake, complemented by a sailboat. 
Silver Lake State Park, MI.

My chair, my book, my cocktail, and my view of Silver Lake.

 

A family wading to their boat for a sunset sail on Silver Lake.

O'er the dunes, against the backdrop of a rain-cleared blue sky, the sun set.

TUESDAY, JULY 30 –

It was a beautiful sunny morning and I walked over to admire the morning’s light on Silver Lake.  People were up and about and so were the birds and some ducks in the water.  I took some pictures –

Silver Lake on a sunny morning - as enjoyed by some ducks...

 

...and boaters, too!



Curious about where the dune access was for the ORVs (off-road vehicles) I headed for that area.  The parking lot wasn’t full but as I turned around to leave I noted the arrival of a caravan of ORVs, equipped with orange flags atop long poles.  Sure looks like a fun thing to do!

Still up for a bit more sightseeing I took a narrow winding road to the Little Sable Point Lighthouse.  The Lighthouse Keeper’s residence is gone but the lighthouse, built in 1874, has been restored and, for a $3.00 donation, you can climb the 130 spiral steps of the 108 ft.-high red brick lighthouse.  I had a quick flashback, remembering two lighthouses that I climbed some years ago – the [144 ft.-high] Tybee Island Lighthouse, near Dad’s place on Tybee Island (just east of Savannah, Georgia), and the [187 ft.-high] Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.  Deciding that my lighthouse climbing days were pretty much over, I went down to the sandy white beach instead.   

Little Sable Point Lighthouse, on Lake Michigan, Silver Lake Sand Dunes Area.

 

Dune grass.

Next stop, the Muskegon State Park (via Rt. 31 S and 120 W) in North Muskegon.  A very woodsy state park, this one, with lots of trees around all the sites.  Steps led down to the beach and that’s where I went, to enjoy the sunshine and to read a bit.  The water was cold and it took a lot of self-prodding to suck it up and submerge myself!

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31 –
I think it’s a fair observation to note that, in addition to eating, drinking, sleeping, and crapping, looking skyward is something all humans do, the world over, every day.

It’s raining again this morning!  Oh, Michigan, how fickle thou art!  But…rain sustains life and it certainly has been good for the fruit orchards around here! 

Okay, Mappie!  You know what?  The truck needs an oil change so let’s go inland and make that happen.  Back on my well-travelled Rt. 31 I then turned east on Rt. 46, towards Cedar Springs, and got a site at the Lakeside Camp Park.  Before setting up the camper, I went to the local Ford dealership and asked about an oil change service for the truck.  The fella there, Mike was his name, said that because of the camper on the truck, they will have to do the work outside.  But not when it’s raining.  I gave him a little bit of my distressed oh-oh-oh look, then asked him what the weather forecast was for tomorrow.  He whipped out his mobile and we both learned that it’s gonna be partly sunny.  “See ya tomorrow!” I said.

Additionally, it’s the end of the month and this unplanned excursion inland to this RV Park, which has excellent WIFI connection, has prompted me to take care of my August bills ahead of time.  While doing that this afternoon, I looked up often from my laptop to admire the view from my site.  It’s an old barn, just a few yards away, partly covered by ivy and surrounded by high grass.  I like old barns.  I think debilitated old barns have a lot of character.  Just think of the stories they could tell.

Even in inclement weather, I find things of interest...like this old barn. 
Cedar Springs, MI.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1 –
“Happy Birthday, Dad!”  Had he lived, Dad would have turned 96 today.  He was a swell guy and quite a character! 

The sun was out this morning so I got ready to take the truck back to Ford.  Having already decided to stay here another night, I first stopped at the office to pay for my site – the one with the view of the charming old barn!  There’s a small fish-stocked pond behind my site, but the barn is lively, with birds flitting around and the overgrowth swaying in the breeze. 

The oil change and general all-around check of the truck was finished in about an hour's time.  All's good, Mike said.  I was back at my site just before noon.

Getting the truck serviced at the Cedar Springs Ford.

 



The old barn, at dusk.

 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3 -
Before leaving Cedar Springs yesterday [Friday 2^nd] I got some breakfast at a family restaurant.  It got cloudy again but I didn’t particular mind because Thursday was perfect for the We-have-to-do-it-outside-oil-change and I’m not heading back to the shoreline until Sunday.

 

Michigan’s countryside is beautiful and I enjoyed my drive along Routes 131 S, 57 E, and 66 S to the Ionia State Recreation Area, near Ionia.  I arrived around 1:45 p.m. only to find out that all the sites at the “modern” campground (translation: with electricity) were full.  The lady in the office said there’s plenty of spaces at the rustic campground and I told her I was OK with that.  My only request was for something level and her response was, no worries, the spaces are big and grassy.  When she showed me my site on the map, I said, “Horses!”  She was giving me a site at the Equestrian Campground!

 

Lordy, my site is huge!  You could fit three truck campers there!  Of course!  They are spacious in order to accommodate horse trailers as well as RVs and trucks.  At the rear of my site were three hitch posts and each one had a thick eye screw near the top – to run the rope through, I figured.  I took a close look around and found strands of horse hair on one of the posts, a couple of hoof prints, and manure and hay that had been tossed into the woods.  I had no neighbors within my immediate vicinity but, just wait and watch, and sure enough, two teen girls came trotting by on their horses.  Pretty girls I thought, but the horses were gorgeous!  This is the second time I’ve ever camped in an area for horses.  I should do this more often!

 

I took a walk around the campground before it got too dark and marveled at how large the spaces were.  There are horse trails at this SRA and manure depository sites, complete with pitchforks, shovels, and wheelbarrows.  I came upon those girls’ site and saw that they had five horses and two horse trailers.  Now I could see the rope through those screws.  The horses and their feed bags were tied to that rope.  Although there were two other RVs at the campground, this group was the only one with horses.  This morning, Saturday 3^rd, I counted four groups, including a family with young children.  Lucky kids!

 

Manure depository at the Equestrian Campground, Ionia State Recreation Area.

 

Horses tethered at their spacious campsite.
 

Morning feeding.

 

Shortly before noon today I arrived at the Woodchip Campground in Byron Center, MI, just south of Grand Rapids.  Tomorrow I will return to the Muskegon area, pick up where I left off, and continue my shoreline drive south.  Soon I will arrive at the southernmost arc of Lake Michigan…

Cool Blues, Dunes, and Wildlife

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24 –
As I write this I’m at the Orchard Beach State Park in Manistee, Michigan.  The heat wave and humidity that had blanketed this region last week is now a distant memory.  When I left the RV Park in Traverse City last Sunday [21st] it had become much cooler and drier.  Ready to move on that morning, I got back on Rt. 31 S for just a few miles before I turned north on Rt. 37 to head up the Old Mission Peninsula.  The peninsula, which juts up the Grand Traverse Bay, is about 20 miles long and three miles wide at its widest.  The bay on the east side is called the East Grand Traverse Bay, which means, obviously, that the bay on the west side is called the West Grand Traverse Bay.  Rt. 37 is the only major highway that traverses the north/south route of the peninsula.  As I drove up to the tip I noticed a lot of orchards and vineyards along the way. 

The restored Mission Point Lighthouse, built in 1870, is located at the “Dead End” of Rt. 37 and since I had to turn around right there I decided I might as well stop and walk around for a while.  The gift shop had a free local map and when I noted all the side roads I knew immediately I was not going back south on Rt. 37.  Kinda hard to get lost on this little sliver of land, I figured.

I turned left here.  I turned right there.  Goodness, there’s the historic Old Mission Inn, built in 1869.  The chairs on the big porch provide a wonderful view of the East Grand Traverse Bay.  There’s the Haserot Beach and the Old Mission General Store, the original store and trading post since 1839. 

Orchards.  I wanted to see orchards.  So I turned west, crossing Rt. 37 over to the West Grand Traverse Bay.  Referring to the local map, I got on a couple of narrow farm roads and was soon in the middle of groves of cherry and other fruit trees.  I found a place to pull over for a close look at the bright red cherries and to take pictures.  I picked one up from the ground, just to feel the texture.  I did not pick a cherry from a tree.  Mama taught me well!

With the bay on my right, serving as my guide, I headed southward to return to Rt. 31.  People live on this peninsula and there were many lovely homes along this drive. 

 

 

The rocky shoreline of East Grand Traverse Bay, as seen from the site of the Mission Point Lighthouse, Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan.

 

 

A grove of cherry trees on Old Mission Peninsula.



Cherries!

Back on Rt. 31, again for just a few miles, I then turned onto Rt. 22 N to visit the Leelanau Peninsula.  First the “thumb,” then the “tip of the mitt,” and now I’m on the “little finger” of Lower Michigan! 

Route 22 traverses along both the eastern and western sides of the peninsula.  It splits at Northport, but, by way of a couple of county roads, I drove all the way up to the peninsula’s tip and got a site at the Leelanau State Park.  After a short walk on a path to check out the water I then walked over to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, which is situated right here within the state park.  Since all the sites here are rustic (no hookups), I opened the propane tanks for the fridge.  Still wary about my camper’s batteries, I kept the dinette slide-out closed.  But I did heat up some soup on the propane-fueled stove!  Since I have a propensity for screwing up anything I try to cook – and probably have the cleanest stove and oven in camperdom - my success with the soup is to be celebrated!

Monday morning [22nd], and on the western side of Rt. 22, I drove south though a lovely landscape of orchards, vineyards, wineries, woods, and lakes to the Village of Empire and stopped at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Visitors Center to get campground and other information.  From there I took Rt. 109 towards the Glen Arbor Village and turned into the D. H. Day Campground.  It was about noon and there were three parties ahead of me.  I looked at their vehicles and they appeared to be tent campers.  Holding my breath and keeping my fingers crossed, I soon found out they had just a few spaces left!  Named last year the “Most Beautiful Place in America” by ABC’s “Good Morning America,” the Sleeping Bear Dunes is a popular national lakeshore and the limited number of unreserved spaces are quickly snatched up.  Feeling extremely lucky, I got a site for tonight and tomorrow.      

Before setting up at my [rustic] site I went to the Glen Arbor Village to look for a WIFI hotspot.  I found it in a coffee shop and hung out there, with a Frappuccino, for about an hour.  Again I opened the propane tanks but not the slide-out.  With hours of daylight left, on this sunny and warm day, I went to the beach with my 3^rd book of the trip.  The various hues of blue on Lake Michigan, indicating water depth, are most evident on a sunny day.  From where I sat, aqua was the color of the water closest to the shore and dark blue beyond.  Nearby are the North Manitou and the South Manitou Islands, accessible only by ferry.  I went in the refreshingly cool water twice.      

It turned out to be cloudy, breezy, and very cool on Tuesday [23rd].  While I will always prefer my travel days to be sunny and warm – for beach and photography reasons – I was grateful that today at least was not humid and it did not rain.  I set out at 9:30 a.m. stopping first at the nearby historic Glen Haven Village.  This used to be a bustling lakeshore village, populated by lumbermen, fishermen, and visitors.  Extending yards out in the water was a long dock where ships would anchor to drop off and pick up cargo and passengers.  Wood pilings of that dock can still be seen in the water and some buildings, including an inn, still stand.  They’ve been restored/renovated but at the time of my visit they weren’t open.

The beach at the Glen Haven Village, with South Manitou Island in the background.  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

I then went to the Dune Climb and climbed the 110-foot high sand dune.  It was tough going and I had to stop about 10 times to catch my breath.  I tried to nonchalantly make it appear I stopped to look around (heh, heh) and it was quite satisfying to see other people stopping for a moment, too!

Getting up that dune, I saw that the sand leveled out for some yards and then there was another dune, but not quite as high.  I made it up that one and saw still another dune!  By that time, the clouds had gotten darker, the wind had picked up, and it had become a lot cooler.  I was in t-shirts and shorts and wearing my sneakers.  Off to my right was a dune that had patches of dune grass and other vegetation on it.  A narrow sandy path led up to several elevated ridges and, since it looked like an easier climb, I went that way up to the highest ridge.  From there I could see Lake Michigan.  I think the people that crossed that third dune reached the shore itself.  Feeling pretty good about my considerable efforts, I headed back down to the parking lot.  The return was a whole lot easier and it was fun watching kids of all ages and nationalities having a great time.  It is universal, this joy that kids exhibit with wild abandon.  We adults could learn from them!    



The "Dune Climb," Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

 

 

Looking back the way I came.  Glen Lake in the background.

 

 

Looking up and over a ridge to Lake Michigan and the South Manitou Island.

 

My next adventure was an auto tour on the scenic 7.4-mile Pierce Stocking Drive.  There were 12 points of interest and I stopped at most of them to look around and to read the descriptive guide I had purchased.  Needless to say, the most popular stop, and the one with the packed parking lot, is the Lake Michigan Overlook.  Here, at the top of a high ancient glacial bluff, a mixture of sand and stones, was an impressive view of Lake Michigan and the two Manitou Islands.  The way down the bluff to the rocky shore is extremely steep.  A lot of hardy souls went down easily enough.  There was only one way back - up that same steep bluff!  Many people resorted to getting down on their hands and knees and crawl back up!

The Pierce Stocking Drive, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

 

 

A very steep bluff down to Lake Michigan, from the Lake Michigan Overlook, along the Pierce Stocking Drive.  

 

To wrap up this fantastic day, I went to Glen Arbor for a late lunch.  I haven’t been eating out much so this was a rare treat for myself.  Being that it was too cold for the beach, there were lots of cars and people in the village.  The coffee shop was my last stop before I returned to my camp site for the night.  As I backed in I thought, “Aw, MAP, open the dang slide-out.”  So I did.

This morning (Wednesday 24^th), the first thing I did was close the slide-out.  No problems at all!  I had decided last night that if it wouldn’t close due to insufficient battery power, I would just start the truck and let it charge up the camper’s batteries while I got ready to leave.  It sure was a relief to discover I didn’t have to do that.

As I approached the exit of this wonderful Sleeping Bear Dunes campground, I was very surprised to see this long queue of cars – maybe 12 total – outside the registration office.  People were standing around outside, waiting their turn to go in the office.  It was only 8:30 a.m.!  Maybe they had reservations but I am glad this is not what I experienced when I arrived last Monday!

Look for it, girl.  If you look for it, you’ll find it.  Just as I drove through Empire, back on Rt. 22 S, I saw it!  Making my entrance, there were four gentlemen ahead of me.  They all had white hair, or grey hair, and various degrees of baldness.  One fellow had a comb-over.  I figured on one hour so I sat down and read a People magazine.  When it was my turn, I told the barber – “Clipper #2, all over!”  Ten minutes and $7.50 plus tip later, I was on my way with my newly shorn head!

Although the Leelanau Peninsula pretty much ended just south of Empire, I was still hugging the Lake Michigan shoreline and decided to pull into the first scenic turnout I saw.  Unlike yesterday, the weather is clear today and the sky is blue, and I wanted to see those blue hues of Lake Michigan.  Climbing up a lookout platform, I wasn’t disappointed.  As there was no wind either, the water was calm…almost like glass.  Seagulls were gliding above the water, some plucked something from the water, a few floated on the water.  Nothing really unusual about all this, except that this time instead of looking up at them, I was looking down.

Lake Michigan, seen from an overlook platform, somewhere along Rt. 22. 

 

For tonight I got a site at the Orchard Beach State Park in Manistee.  The state park is also on top of a bluff and there are steps leading down to the beach.  I didn’t go to the beach today but did admire the view and the sunset from the top of the bluff.  Earlier, as I was driving through the state park to pick my site, this fellow got my attention and informed me that the brake light on my camper’s right side wasn’t working.  Nor was the turn signal.  How long it’s been out like this, I do not know. 

 

 

Lake Michigan, as seen through my kitchen window, Orchard Beach State Park.

 

 

The colors of a setting sun on the sand and trees, Orchard Beach State Park.

 

THURSDAY, JULY 25 –
Route 22 ended at Manistee and I continued south on Rt. 31.  Heeding the advice I got from someone yesterday, I stopped first at the local Chevrolet dealership to ask if they could look at the camper’s brake light.  It wasn’t broken.  Just a loose connection, apparently caused by all the jostling and bouncing around that happens when I travel around in the camper.  They tweaked and tapped the little round red thingie, but this is on my list for David, my Galaxy Campers guy, to look at when I get back home.

It’s a good thing I ignored my initial thinking that maybe I’d skip the Ludington State Park [in Ludington, MI] today and go somewhere else.  Once I passed through the town and saw all the sand dunes around Lake Michigan, I perked up.  Further, it’s a good thing I ignored – completely ignored - the “No Vacancy” sign at the park’s registration office.  It was 11:00 a.m. and the woman in there was all smiles when I walked in.  I said “Hi, I see your sign but I thought I’d ask if maybe somebody has left and there’s now a vacancy?”  She checked her computer and, yes, there’s three at the Pines Campground!  I picked #42. 

Dubbed the “queen of Michigan State Parks,” Ludington State Park is located on the shore of Lake Michigan and “…is comprised of nearly 5,300 acres of scenic sand dunes, over five miles of Lake Michigan shoreline vistas, ponds, forest and Hamlin Lake.”  It is also home to the restored Big Sable Point Lighthouse, one of the oldest lighthouses on Lake Michigan.  A posted notice at the office advised that fawns were born in May and June and to please leave them alone because, even though their mothers will walk away when they see people, they have not been abandoned.  Another notice advised that the raccoons are cunning and fearless and campers, especially tent campers, should leave their food and trash inside their vehicles.

A bite of lunch first, followed by about an hour of writing.  At 2:00 p.m. I set off for a walk.  First stop (but, of course!) the beach and the restored Beach House, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late 1930s.  The sandy beach and water looked so enticing but I decided it was a perfect day – sunny and in the mid-70s – to walk on the bike paths and other trails and see things other than Lake Michigan.

The first bike path I got on followed the shore of the Big Sable River where people were lazily floating by on inflated tubes.  I had my binoculars with me and used it every time I detected movement.  As I began my walk through the forest section, I spotted a deer. She saw me too but wasn’t spooked at all.  I saw birds, two that I recognized as a robin and a woodpecker, and a yellow and a blue bird that I couldn’t identify.  On the way back to my campground, I saw another deer and her fawn.  The fawn walked around, nibbled at the ground, and then laid down among the leaves.  I lost it and then found it.  It certainly is amazing how a fawn's light brown color and white spots camouflage it so well.

It was 6:00 p.m. by the time I returned to my camper.  It was a very satisfying and pleasant four-hour walk and I was glad I took this time to see the geological diversity of the area…and some of the wildlife!

 

 

The beach at the Ludington State Park, Ludington, MI.

 

 

Listen up, people!

 

Sand dunes, trees, Lake Michigan, Ludington State Park.

 

 

A fawn in the woods, Ludington State Park.

 

 

One of many ways down to the beach! 

 

FRIDAY, JULY 26 –

I had learned yesterday that inclement weather was in the forecast for today.  The morning started off nice enough and after getting some groceries I got back on Rt. 31 S and, less than an hour later, arrived at the Silver Creek Luxury RV Resort & Campground in Silver Lake, MI.  The resort has WIFI, which I need so I can post my blog, and cable as well for the TV.  The lady in the office said they were full, but then she said, wait a moment…somebody is supposed to check out and they haven’t yet.  Eventually those folks left and I got that site for tonight.  About 30 minutes after I got settled in the camper, it rained.

I think I’m going to make a “weekend route diversion” away from the shoreline tomorrow.  Maybe I’ll head for the woods…

Batteries...the saga continues.

MONDAY, JULY 15 –
If I can request one thing right now, I’d like to ask “Trouble” to quit following me around on this trip!

Inasmuch as I am grateful my Nikon camera functioned long enough to snap that great photo of Donna and Clyde before the battery quit on me, I am puzzled, not to mention concerned as well, that the battery now won’t recharge.  Did that Batteries Plus store back there in South Dakota last month sell me a defective battery, or one that had been on the shelf for a long time?  I’ve certainly had my fill of battery problems on this trip!

Yesterday [Sunday 14^th], from Indian River, I drove north on Rt. 27 and returned to Cheboygan to resume my shoreline route.  During that brief drive I considered my options regarding the camera.  The familiar “Walmart,” with the star in the middle, loomed into view and, seeing a grocery store next door, I decided to pull in and see if they might have a battery for my Nikon.  They didn’t.  But I did get a case of water and some other items at the grocery store next door.  Best I support the local store, I decided. 

I then took Rt. 23 N towards Mackinaw City, the very “tip of the mitt.”  I could see the famous Mackinac Bridge and here is where I left Lake Huron behind and reached Michigan’s Lake Michigan side.  I’m glad to be on this Great Lake now.  I used to live in South Bend, Indiana and I remember trips to Lake Michigan.  My younger siblings probably don’t remember much of Lake Michigan but I know my older brother does!

Turning southward I picked up County Road 66 and headed west to connect to Rt. 119 S.  The map shows this to be a scenic drive and I had this image of Lake Michigan in all its sparkling blue glory, similar to the view of the Pacific Ocean from Rt. 1, the Pacific Coast Highway.  And then I saw the sign – “Tunnel of Trees.”  A scenic drive it was, indeed!  For about 15 miles, I was driving on a narrow winding road through, literally, a tunnel of trees!  I practically hogged the one-lane road but there was just enough space for incoming vehicles and me to move aside and squeeze through.  I bet my camper got whacked a few times by low-hanging branches.  And, yes, Lake Michigan was right there, off to the right, and I could see it through gaps in the trees.

Did I mention it was a beautiful day?  It was a gorgeous day!  The sandy beach at the Petoskey State Park, in Petoskey, was gorgeous!  The state park is situated on Little Traverse Bay and the water was gorg….OK, heavenly!  This area is famous for the Petoskey Stone, 350-million-year-old stones adorned with hexagon-shaped fossilized coral.  The lake dredges them up from the bottom every spring and it’s a lucky beachcomber that finds them. 

The sun set around 9:15 p.m. and I took pictures with the camera features in both my camcorder and iPad.  It’s not a total loss, Mappy…

Dusk at Petoskey State Park, Petoskey, MI.
(Photo taken with iPad)

Sunset, Petoskey State Park.
(Photo taken with iPad)

Self portrait, Petoskey State Park.
 (Taken with iPad)



A Lake Michigan morning at Petoskey State Park.
(Photo taken with iPad)

This morning, Monday 15^th, I decided to go to the nearby Office Max but they couldn’t help me with my camera either.  I did learn that there is a camera store in Charlevoix and possibly a Best Buy in Traverse City.  Both towns are on my southward route so, we’ll see.  While I was at Office Max I asked the woman at the print/copy section to print out a document for me – my automobile insurance card which I had received online weeks ago.  The effective date is July 17^th so I got this business taken care of just in time.

From there I went to Bailey’s Place, a store that sells polished Petoskey Stones.  I wanted to see what they looked like and the owner, a very nice lady named Bailey – first or last name, she wouldn’t say – showed me stones in their natural state and after they’ve been polished.  She let me see her workroom and explained how she cuts and polishes the stones.  She makes magnets in the shape of Michigan and that prompted me to ask her about Michigan’s unusual boundaries.  Most people picture Michigan as a “mitten” but there is that peninsula in the north which is part of the state.  She confirmed that the Michiganders up there do feel kind of “neglected” and she said that they call the Michigan folks who live “under the bridge” – that would be the Mackinac Bridge – “trolls” and they call themselves "uppers," pronounced as "oopers."  Clyde told me about that, too. 

Rather than move on, I decided to stay in Petoskey and got myself a site at Magnus Park.  It’s close to downtown, a marina, and also overlooks Little Traverse Bay.  After catching up on my writing, I went down to the beach.  The beach is rocky, the fellow in the office told me when I registered, and it certainly is!  Rocks and pebbles of all sizes everywhere and flat slabs of rock that extended all the way out into the water.  I took care, wearing my rubber-soled water shoes, wading in the water until I had gone deep enough to sit down and submerge myself.  The sunset, at around 9:15 p.m., was this big ball of orange, slowly dissolving into the water.  I wasn’t the only spectator.  Seagulls were in free flight and people were sitting around outside their RVs or near the water.   

 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17 –

 

Testing, testing...yup, it works!

 

My camera is OK.  My battery is OK.  My old battery charger, the one that came with the camera, apparently is not OK.  All I needed was a different kind of charger.  And it pretty much took me all day yesterday [Tuesday 16th] to find that out.

Charlevoix was the next town on my route from Petoskey, about 15 miles south on Rt. 31.  I had found online the address for the camera store there and when I walked in with my camera and charger apparatus, I thought I had misunderstood the type of store it was.  The owner said she used to operate a camera store but she changed the merchandise to photographs and framing.  Knowing cameras anyway she offered to take a look at mine and then said I really should go to The Camera Shop in Traverse City, 50 miles further south.

Traverse City is the kind of beach/resort town with “No Vacancy” motels everywhere you looked, restaurants, pubs, pizza and ice cream joints.  And people.  People everywhere!  People of assorted ages, heights, girths, and clothing attire!  Downtown is very nice, very chic with classier clothing stores, restaurants and coffee shops.  As soon as I located The Camera Shop, I then had to find a place to park.  After a series of turns I found one a couple of blocks away and had plenty of quarters for the meter.

The fellow assisting me suggested I let him charge my battery on their charger for about 45 minutes.  OK, I want to get some lunch anyway.  When I returned, the battery was nearly fully charged.  I decided then and there to buy that kind of charger.  I also decided it would probably be smart for me to finally heed the advice I had received, more than once, from my dear friends Linda and Helena, to buy a second battery for back-up.

It was going on 3:00 p.m. by the time I returned to my truck.  Not feeling satisfied with my visit around the Charlevoix region, I wanted to go back up there.  But not now.  Worrying about my camera and making such “tough” decisions wore me out.  Plus, the humidity had come back!  That alone can sap your energy real quick! 

There were plenty of sites at the nearby Traverse City State Park and I got one under the shade of trees.  The park has a pedestrian overpass and I used that to cross over Rt. 31 to reach the beach.  Situated on Grand Traverse Bay-East Bay, the beach is nice enough.  I’ve observed, however, the more secluded the state park, the prettier the natural environment and the clearer the water.

I needed to cool down in the water at least five times.  For entertainment, in addition to my book, there were ducks, including a mother with four ducklings, hovering around my space. The people next to me had been tossing out chips and bread and the ducks kept coming back for more.

This morning, Wednesday 17^th, I looped back, via Rts. 72 E and 66 N towards the Charlevoix region and got a site at the East Jordan Tourist Park in East Jordan, MI.  There’s boating, fishing, and swimming here on Lake Charlevoix…it’s pretty…and it’s still humid…

FRIDAY, JULY 19 –
Taking advantage of the $5.00 WIFI fee that I had I paid for at the East Jordan Tourist Park last Wednesday, I stayed there until the noon check out time the next day [Thursday 18th].  About an hour later, I was on the other side of Lake Charlevoix, at the Young State Park, near Boyne City.

I’ve fallen into a pattern:  Drive.  Enjoy the scenery.  Get gas.  Or don’t get gas.  Get a site.  Write.  Go to the beach.  Read book.  Go in the water.  Repeat.

At the Young State Park, as soon as I made my way to the beach, I encountered this gentleman who was just standing there on the sandy path.  My brain registered a number of things.  First, menacing dark clouds, just beyond the water.  Then, the man himself, who appeared to be in his 70s.  He wore a cap and had large headphones covering his ears.  In his left hand he was holding a couple of plastic chairs, resting them on the sand.  In his right hand, he had a cane.  We said hello and I asked him if he needed help.  “No, I’m just taking five,” he said.  Looking at the sky, I asked him, “Did you hear thunder?”  He said yes and advised that I come back to the beach later.  Storm clouds in motion are fascinating to watch but I did return to the camper when I saw the flashes of lightning.  Once that passed, I went back to the beach…and so did the guy with the cane.  My final dip in the refreshingly cool water was at 9:30 p.m., just after sunset.

Sunset silhouette of watercraft, Lake Charlevoix, MI.

This morning, Friday 19^th, I completed my loop drive and returned to Charlevoix, where I first attempted, last Tuesday, to resolve my camera’s battery problem.  It rained a little this morning, which was actually a relief due to the humidity.  Back on Rt. 31 S and, for the second time, heading towards Traverse City, I recalled several orchards and Farmer’s Markets along the way enticing travelers with big signs proclaiming “Fresh Cherries, Raspberries, Blueberries, etc.”  I stopped at one of those places, looked around, and bought a slice of homemade Cherry pie, which, when I ate it later, was absolutely delicious!  A few miles further south was the King Orchards and I stopped there as well. 

With my new digital camcorder in my shorts pocket and my Nikon over my shoulder, I went inside the market and asked if I could walk around the orchard.  This market was also a “U-Pick-Em” place but I was more interested in taking pictures, especially since I’d never seen orchards like this before.  The fellow working there said he would give me a tour on the golf cart.  Not about to pass that up, I hopped in with him and off we went.  The cart, I should point out, had no overhead cover.  All the better to see the rows and rows of fruit trees, I thought. 

The first thing he showed me was a tree with black cherries.  “You just pick them one by one?” I asked.  Yes, he said.  As we moved forward to the next fruit tree, I looked skyward and before I could say anything, the clouds burst open and we were caught in a torrential downpour!  I quickly covered my camera under my t-shirt and he just as quickly steered the cart back towards the market.  It was hilarious!  He was squinting against the hard rain, I was trying to keep my wet t-shirt from clinging to the camera and, with my free hand, holding on to the low bar on my right side.  We were both laughing all the way!  I took his hand, thanked him for his willingness to show me around, and told him I had fun!  Another missed photo opportunity but this time I can blame the weather! 

King Orchards, along Rt. 31 near Traverse City, MI.

Display of Cherries and Blueberries inside King Orchards.

For tonight and tomorrow I have a site at the Timber Ridge RV and Recreational Resort, in Traverse City.  This is a fun place for families – playground, pool, planned activities for the kids, a snack bar (ice cream!), and even an outdoor movie screen.  A good place for me to catch a driving break and wait out the weekend.  The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is nearby and I’m hopeful I’ll find a site there on Monday…after the weekend crowd leaves…