Our drive down to the lower peninsula of Michigan went very smoothly – with the exception of crossing the 5 mile bridge. Well, that was also smooth but I had some serious butt-pucker driving over that VERY tall bridge with ridiculously short guardrails! Because of the frequent windy conditions, cars can only go 45mph across the bridge & loaded trucks are limited to 20mph. I didn’t see the 20mph signs until we were headed down the far side or I would have lead the way at a much reduced speed. The RV is TALL but Perry says it isn’t considered the same as a loaded truck so that sign wouldn’t apply anyway. And there was a good bit of construction going on atop that bridge! The right lane was closed for most of the length so all vehicles had to use the center lane where they were just a foot or two from vehicles going in the opposite direction – only a 4 inch bump dividing the lanes! Let us not forget the majority of the driving surface at the top of the bridge is metal grates! Oh my goodness! No “grip” on the road! For this adrenaline rush, one must pay $4 per car & $10 per RV. What a bargain, huh?
We do use the two way radios as we travel in separate vehicles. I can only imagine what other drivers that may have been privy to our conversations heard as I babbled on about my fear in a high pitched squeak. That was not my favorite adventure, I can assure you!
Our campground for two weeks was Camp Grayling, a military base in Grayling, Michigan. I had to call the host for directions because there was no address on the app I used or on my GPS. She said that is a common concern but her instructions were pretty simple & we found it easily enough. It’s an older base & the campground is okay, not spectacular as many military campgrounds are, but adequate. We got set up in less than 30 minutes with no issues.
Our good friends Jean & Mike Murray drove up from Winder, Georgia to spend a few days with us. I called them to see where they were in their drive & we set off to meet them for dinner in downtown Grayling. Cute town! Lots of beautiful homes & fun art! I took a picture of some metal bugs on the building next to where we ate. Fun stuff!
After dinner they drove further north up to the next town to stay at a hotel for the night. Our adventure with them would begin the next day.
In the morning we dropped the pups off at a boarding kennel for a few days stay. It was a private residence / farm & the girls took an instant liking to the owner. Spice did drag her tail for a sec when she realized we were leaving but they seemed happy & rested when we picked them up a few days later.
We then stopped in Gaylord to begin our caravan with Mike & Jean – going north over that perilous bridge again! Perry was driving me in the car this time so having my eyes closed for the duration didn’t seem as dangerous as it was when I was behind the wheel the day before. Jean took a picture of us as we drove ahead of them. This picture doesn’t look scary! How can that be????
We stayed at a hotel from the 70s era just a mile north of the bridge in the city of Saint Ignance. It afforded us close proximity to the ferry boats that would take us to Mackinac Island the next day. We spent the afternoon driving around the city that prides itself on having no traffic lights (true & surprisingly no traffic issues either). And we found one of the attractions listed on my Roadside America app we refer to often for the oddities to see.
That evening we went to Driftwood Restaurant just down the road from the hotel for some good eats. Later we wandered down the pier to the lighthouse.
The following day we got up & out early to catch the ferry over to Mackinac Island. The boat filled fast so we were not able to get a seat on the upper level. That’s probably a good thing since the water splashing onto those seats was abundant. We would have had to wear cold wet clothes on the island for the day – not fun! I forgot to get a picture of the ferry – one day I’ll learn to just take pictures of EVERYTHING!
Once on the island, we jumped on a buggy for a horse drawn tour of the city. It was so fun & the driver filled us in on the many buildings & such we saw along the way. There are no cars allowed on the island (except emergency vehicles). Consequently people either walk, ride bikes or horses or ride in horse drawn buggies. All supplies are transported throughout the island by buggy so we saw lots of deliveries being made … slowly. The downside to the horse transportation is the poop. LOTS of horse manure lands on the roads so one must watch their step constantly. There are MANY clean-up crew people who troll the roadways on bikes with poop carts in tow, scooping up the “debris” to keep the roads at least looking nice. It’s still a distinct smell one has to overlook.
We toured the butterfly house at the buggy transfer station. We had to be careful where we stepped because the butterflies often land on the ground. We also had to be “inspected” before leaving the butterfly house to ensure no winged hitchhikers were joining us on the outside.
Our next stop was the Grand Hotel stables. Beautiful building & it housed a museum of old, very fancy buggies. Some have transported Royalty & dignitaries over the years!
Our carriage dropped us off at The Grand Hotel. This place was the reason I personnally wanted to visit the island. “Somewhere in Time” with Jane Seymore & Christopher Reeves is my absolute favorite movie! And this is the location of it’s making.
It was an exhausting day with more than enough walking so we retired to our rooms for a short while after we got back to the mainland.
Later on, we gathered at the hotel’s outside firepit where we visited with other guests & enjoyed “the show”. More on that later.
On our last day with Mike & Jean, we drove up to Sault Ste Marie. Perry & I had been there for a short day the week before & were happy to return to experience the city even more. While Perry & Mike went to the Soo Locks to watch the ships travel through at a snails pace, Jean & I set out to find a salon. Unfortunately, the stylist had time to cut only one of us & Jean insisted it would be me. I was most pleased with the results. We wandered into a few shops before the men rejoined us.
A visit to the Tower of History was fun although it wasn’t much of a museum but more of a viewing tower some 20+ stories high. Jean & I took the elevator back to the ground floor & the men decided to use the stairs. Even going down stairs can make one winded & definitely dizzy when the staircase is (sort of) circular.
We drove up I-75 as far as we could & stopped at the newly reopened Visitor’s Center. The attendant was so informative & interesting – she was probably happy to have us stop by as the place didn’t have traffic coming by with the Canadian border still closed.
We drove back to Saint Ignance & stopped at a candy store to pick up some fudge as gifts. We bought some but made the mistake of putting the box in our in-room fridge of our hotel room. That was exactly where it remained until the next guest or cleaning crew found it. <sigh>.
We had an early dinner at a nice Mexican Restaurant before heading back to the hotel to rest up & watch movies for awhile. Then we met at the hotel firepit for fun conversations with other guests.
As I eluded to earlier, we watched “a show” of sorts the evening before. A wedding transpired on the grounds of the hotel & the bride who looked very similar to Honey BooBoo’s Mama June & her flip flop wearing groom were apparently in charge of decorating their own car for their departure. Mama June was tired of wearing her shoes so she was barefoot, holding her long white gown “way up” giving the world a view of her bits. She had a cigarette hanging from her mouth nearly the whole time & her deep cleavage was serving as an ashtray. I was expecting the family & guests to come see them off but no one showed as they got in their ride & took off.
The newlyweds didn’t go far because their car was back in the parking lot the morning after. And Mama June was perched on the swing by the firepit, dressed in her PJ’s smoking away as we left for the day.
One of the discussions around the firepit with another couple who were guests was about the wedding the evening before. Angela had also spotted & identified the similarity to Mama June. She said the bride kept calling for her man while he was loading the car, “Scooter! Scooter!” Angela’s fella Bryan exclaimed he thought she was calling her dog! We all erupted in laughter. Such a fun evening & happy memories to tuck away for a lifetime.
The next morning we had breakfast at a popular little place on the main drag before we parted ways with Mike & Jean. What a wonderful few days with great friends. Looking forward to seeing Mike & Jean again when we get back to Georgia!
By the way, Mike decided to drive straight through to Georgia when they headed south. They made it safely but I think the picture below represents his plan. Jean is a saint.
Our pups were happy to see us when we picked them up from the boarding facility. They had obviously been well cared for. We did give them extra cuddles for the rest of the day once back in camp.
The following day Perry & I resumed our occasional outings to experience the local shops & touristy sites. We spent a day in Traverse City just walking around town & wandering into shops. We didn’t stay long – the news of COVID resurging kept us from being too close to others.
We stopped by the Botanical Gardens for a tour. Unfortunately, we arrived just minutes after the tour cart left for the last run about of the day. We did take pictures of a neat water fountain & some flower beds near the main building. But it was too hot to wander around the grounds by foot.
The following day we drove over to Thompsonville, Michigan looking for the Michigan Legacy Art Park. On the way, we skirted the outer parts of Traverse City & snapped a few photos of fun stuff on the sides of the roads.
In Michigan they don’t have “caution lights”. They have “flashers”. I saw a sign that said, “Watch for Flashers” & was looking for a man in a trench coat on the side of the road. I was so disappointed when Perry told me what it meant.
We found Thompsonville & Crystal River Resort where the Art Park was nestled along the side of the gorgeous golf course. But we stopped in the stunning clubhouse for a potty break & lunch before we went into the woods. It was a good thing we did!
Mayhaps that little walk in the woods to see the commissioned art sculptures was overrated. Or, better yet, a farce. It had slippery sand, some steep climbs, fallen trees, over half the “art” was missing, 3+ miles, & a hot & steamy & mosquito hell. And we pretty much got lost in the woods. And I had on flip flops instead of sneakers because I thought it was going to be a paved, flat trail. NOT a fun time! We were definitely not the only people who experienced such disappointment. Sure am glad we eventually found our way out & had a good a/c in the car! But the resort this hell hole is a part of is quite beautiful. A contradiction, for sure.
On another day we stopped into a pizza parlor in downtown Grayling – a perfect place to get out of the downpour & enjoy some really good pizza at the same time. The owner was an avid bow hunter apparently because he had LOTS of bows on every available wall section accompanied by pictures & news articles about his accomplishments. Even the light fixtures were made of objects from his sport or kills. It was “stange” but rather interesting, too.
Once the rain cleared, we wandered out to see the military displays throughout Camp Grayling. And we got to see some helicopter training at a distance. Lots of soldiers repelling from the belly of a military helicopter, honing their skills & doing it well.
We went to the small museum in Grayling one morning – it was located in & around the old Train Depot. The city leaders & the citizens definitely support the history museum as the blocks with people’s names filled the entire brick surround. That’s such a great way to raise funds!
On our last full day in the area we drove up to Mackinaw City to visit the 18th Century Fort Michilimackinac. The fort has been recreated to look very much like it did well over 100 years ago. While we were there we had the opportunity to speak with several students who were participating in further excavations on site. Their excitement in finding treasures was palpable. Learning while doing is so much better than classroom studies!
The next day we were on the move again. Crossing the big bridge for the FOURTH time was rather slow – apparently EVERYONE travels on a Sunday so traffic had us stopped nearly at the top with a slow decent to the toll booth. Fortunately, it was not windy & I was most thankful for that!
We moved across the Upper Peninsula along with every other RV known to man – it was CRAZY how many we saw as we drove east! Both the car & the RV were in desperate need of gas but so many stations were backed up with waiting vehicles. That was a bit disconcerting!
We got over to our reserved Harvest Host location in the early evening & had a quick tour of the museum at this “retired” military base. Then we drove into the nearest town to fill up the gas tank of the RV completely. We had only gotten $100 worth of gas (it was nearly on empty) when we stopped earlier in the day so the gage was down to 1/4 tank. To use the generator (no hook-ups at most Harvest Host locations) we needed to finish filling it up. Got it done & returned to the museum to park it for the night.
We did drive the car up to Marquette to get dinner & took some pictures of the various planes still parked at the base when we returned to the base.
An early wake-up the following morning got us on the road back to Wisconsin where we had a volunteer project waiting for us!
Not All who Wander are Lost! #whereswaldocamping