Tuesday September 13
Today consisted of two big things: taking a tour of the Sault Locks on a boat; and getting ready for our backpacking trip to Isle Royale. Our locks tour took about two hours, and was very well done. The boat we went out on wasn’t very full, so we could easily move around and check out the scenery, as well as the locks when they filled/drained them to match the height of the “top” of the Sinclair river, and the “bottom” of the river. We got lucky and saw several big ships pass through, and learned more about future plans, etc.
Prepping for backpacking isn’t too exciting, but… if you’re going to backpack, one of the keys is to plan well up front, in order to ensure that time on the trail is enjoyable. We went through our checklists, ran to the grocery store, and had everything pretty much ready to go in a few hours.
We also had some neighbors come over and invite us over to their evening fire – people really have been very friendly across the USA, and especially in Canada. We went for a run, and stopped by to visit with them. By then it was time to clean up, fix a little food for dinner, and call it a night!
Wednesday September 14
Today was a fairly big drive day, as we had a little over 4 hours to drive between Sault St Marie and the Hancock area where our sea plane calls home. We got up at a decent hour and got underway so we could visit the National Park visitor center before they closed at 4. We had a nice scenic drive, and even had a chance to try a pasty at a store along the way. Pasties are a nice combination of a pastry with a filling that is typically some type of meat, potatoes, and spices. We enjoyed that, and made it to Hancock in time to have a rock chip repaired at a local glass shop. The person that fixed our windshield was raving about how good the mountain biking was up at Copper Harbor (only about an hour away), so our plan is to head up there for a while after we finish up our backpacking trip!
Thursday September 15 – Sunday September 18
Our day finally arrived to fly out to Isle Royale for a planned 2 night backpacking trip. We got up early to do our final checklist, and arrived with plenty of time to get checked in at the “office” (just a small shed out by the water) and for our bags to be weighed. The office manager went through a few safety items and precautions – mainly around weather and that they can’t fly in fog or lightening, and once our schedule time arrived, we met the pilot, got our life jackets on, and… away we went!
The takeoff and flight were very smooth. The flight only lasted about 45 minutes, and we were never that high up off Lake Superior that you could not see the water clearly. Our view of the island coming in was good, and the landing was also very smooth – you could barely tell you touched down. We made it to the dock, and were quickly off the plane and on our way to a self-checkin area for backpacking.
After registering, we bought a small canister of stove fuel (they won’t let you carry that on the plane), and put our rain gear on. We fully expected some rain on our trip, and it was not letting us down (unfortunately). We decided to hike into an area known as 3-mile, which turns out to be just a bit over 3 miles away. The hike was easy as hikes go… There was not that much hill climbing to do, and our packs were relatively light as we were only staying for 2 nights. However, by the time we reached the camping area, the sprinkles had largely turned into steady rain, and we were very happy to find an open-faced shelter that was close to the water, and with great views. Later in the day, more people arrived to other shelters.
We didn’t do a lot more that day due to the rain. We did get camp set up, filtered some water, and explored the immediate area to see other camp sites, etc. After an afternoon nap, a hot (and surprisingly tasty freeze dried concoction) dinner, we went to bed early, hoping for better weather the next day. We could tell through the night, however, that the rain was continuing to come down.
The next morning, the rain had let up a bit and we decided to stay in the shelter we had, but to do a day hike of roughly 3-4 miles each way. The scenery along the Superior coast was very pretty, but the trail was definitely slippery and muddy in areas, so we didn’t move very fast. We made it out about 3 miles, had lunch, and then came back. By the time we got back, the rain was coming down again. On this evening, we had quite a bit of wind as well. It was cold enough and wet enough that we set our tent up right in the shelter to avoid getting even more wet, and we were glad we did. The wind howled at times, and we would have certainly gotten wet without our tent.
One Saturday morning, it was time to walk back to the visitor center and sea plane area. We were still somewhat confident that we’d get out that day, just based on the weather. We were wrong. We hung around once we arrived, and things continued to get backed up, with a number of people having waited around for over a day to get off the island. One guy thought he was getting out and gave up his shelter (and food!), so we were lucky to get another shelter, expecting that we’d have to wait until Sunday to get a ride back to Hancock. It wasn’t long when he came back and asked if he could bunk with us…. His hopes of leaving had been dashed, and he was stuck for at least another night.
The weather wasn’t too bad on Saturday night, so we played a card game, had our last (spare) dinner that we’d brought with us, and hoped for better luck on Sunday.
Early Sunday we had some thunder and lightening, which made us question whether we’d be staying another night! Thankfully, that broke a bit, and before you know it we learned that we’d probably be able to leave at around 10 that morning. We quickly packed up our gear, made it to the takeoff area, and did not have to wait long for our plane to arrive. As luck would have it, we had the plane to ourselves, as the few remaining people (including our bunk mate) were going to other locations. The flight back was smooth and the weather actually seemed to be getting nicer. We made it back, had breakfast, drove to Copper Harbor for our next camp site, and got all our gear organized and put away.
Despite the inclement weather and delayed flight, we had a great time, met some very nice people, and got to see the island when it was relatively quiet (as compared to peak season). It didn’t have some of the “grandeur” that some of our other backpacking adventures have had, but it was still a great experience, and a chance to see a park that relatively few people make it out to – especially via sea plane!
Monday, September 19
We got up this morning and made our way out to a mountain biking trailhead just outside of the small town of Copper Harbor. We had scoped out the location late Sunday afternoon, so we knew where we were going, and were happy to see that we were the only vehicle in the parking lot. We rode about 6 miles out to a point on Superior, and the trail was great. It wandered through forest with a great flow that was just hard enough to be fun, but easy enough to where you never had to walk your bike (an easy “blue” run). We had a good time, and… good weather! We made our way back, and then set out for the drive back to Pictured Rocks Michigan. It was a pleasant fall day in the “U.P.” The weather is definitely starting to cool down, but… there are still crowds in the campgrounds. It would seem that there are quite a few older (mostly) people that arrive to check out the colors, and of course many of them are not on a schedule like so many others. We’ve found places to stay, but have been a bit surprised to see a lot of places 90% full.
Tuesday, September 20
We found a campground near Pictured Rocks, and Mona had arranged for us to take a tour out to Pictured Rocks via a boat. We arrived in the morning, and found the boat to be fairly full. It was a fast-moving boat, and the captain did a nice job narrating the sights as we made good time out to the most scenic areas. We had great weather as well – the water was smooth, and we made good time. We found that standing near the back of the boat and taking in the sights worked best for us. Mona really enjoyed the scenery. We also saw people out backpacking along Superior, and decided that if we were ever in the area and had time, it would be something worth considering.
All in all, we had a good time in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but our time was drawing to a close and it was time to begin making our way down to Detroit.
Wednesday, September 21
Today was primarily a drive day down to Bay City, Michigan. I took Ramona around Saginaw and the surrounding area, as I’d worked there many years ago. The area that I’d worked had changed quite a bit – it’s no longer a GM owned factory, but has been taken over by a company that (likely) provides parts for GM. The city of Saginaw is (still) struggling, and there’s definitely a feel of poverty in the town – it was sad to see.
I was also a bit distracted, as I lost a pair of reading glasses on our backpacking trip (grrr….). We went to a Costco that was located in the area, and I was hopeful that I could get a replacement. After a bit of confusion on things, I realized I was probably wearing an old pair of glasses! So… will wait until we’re in one spot for a longer period of time to get my eyes re-checked, and a new pair of glasses.
Thursday, September 22
As we continued our way down to Detroit, we found a Harvest Host business that was an apple orchard, and spent the night there (located in Montrose, MI). The little store was very nice, and we had tons of space all to ourselves that evening as we had apple cider, and some fresh donuts that they were selling. We didn’t do lots of things today, and… that’s OK! Some days turn out to be slower than others, which can be a nice break to just catch up on things and have a bit of down time.
Friday, September 23
We finally made it down to the Detroit area, and decided to spend a few nights north of Detroit up near Pontiac. We took the long way and stopped in Lansing so Mona could see where her parents lived while they were there for school. She remembered her mom saying the train ran right behind their apartment and was noisy. We showed up and the timing was perfect as a train was going by. The buildings have been abandoned, which is too bad since they seem like solid brick buildings.
We then looked around Pontiac, and I took Ramona to see the first apartment I’d lived in up in Detroit, as well as the first house I’d ever bought. The Pontiac area had changed a lot! A lot of the older building had been torn down and replaced with newer places. It was certainly much nicer – to a point that I barely recognized it. The neighborhood where my house was had not changed too much, so that looked much more familiar. We drove around a bit, and made our way out to our campground.
Saturday, September 24
We had a bit of time in Detroit, and decided to do a tour of the Ford River Rouge vehicle assembly plant. We drove down to Dearborn (a bit of a drive), and headed off on the tour. It was well done, and we got to spend some time on a cat walk above some of the assembly areas to see exactly how they put together the F-150’s. It was well worth the time, as we got to see a mix of automation and good old fashioned labor by people working on the lines. We’d recommend this to anyone visiting Detroit. We had a late lunch, and then decided to check out the downtown Detroit area, as there has been talk of the city going through a bit of a “revitalization”. Alas, much of what we saw was still struggling. It’s always sad to see poverty in such broad swaths of a city. We drove up Woodward Avenue all the way to Pontiac, and then I took Mona to a lake where I used to do some water skiing (Lake Oakland). We had a little time to view the lake, and then made it back to our campground.
Sunday, September 25
Much of today was spent visiting my old roommate Rance. We had a great time catching up after many years, and he caught us up on things happening with his kids, work, the surrounding area, etc. I had not talked to him in many years, so it was nice to see him and hear about things going on in his world. We had a nice lunch with him, and before long it was time to head to a new campground for our final night in Michigan. We typically try to arrive in new campgrounds before dark so we can get settled in without quite so much guess work.
We stayed in a nice state park in Leonard MI, and planned on getting up at a decent hour so we could head to Indiana.
Monday, September 26
The early part of our day was spent driving from north of Detroit down to Beverly Shores Indiana, which is not too far from Gary Indiana. Our plan was to check out the Indiana dunes. We made it down, and had a bit of time to look around and see the dunes. That area on Lake Michigan is pretty, and you could see Chicago in the far distance from where we did some hiking. The weather is starting to change a bit, and after looking around, we headed back to our campground for a bit of time to read, do some computer work, etc.
We stayed in the area for a couple days, and got some hiking in, and had a chance to just “hang out” and enjoy the area. While it’s not something we’d likely rush back to do, it was a nice place to visit and explore for a bit.
Wednesday, September 28
We’re off to Wisconsin! Mona found a climbing gym in Madison to stay at for the night. Mona was feeling a bit under the weather, so I enjoyed the gym, and she relaxed in the van to recuperate a bit with the hopes of getting to feeling a bit better. We found a small pizza place with good reviews, and had dinner and an early evening.
Thursday, September 29
We drove into Madison to see the capital today and stop and get some cheese at a popular cheese store. We also drove by the U of W campus which was in downtown Madison. It’s a big school and the campus was really nice.
Mona found another campground for us to check out – the Cox Hollow campground – which was in Dodgeville Wisconsin. It was a nice state park, but not too much to blog about today. Some days are all about covering some distance and a few chores – and typically getting a bit of a workout in as well. We enjoyed the state park, and have enjoyed the cooler weather.
Friday, September 30
Today we toured a Frank Lloyd Wright house and grounds. It was a very interesting place, and nice to get to know a bit more about him. Mona enjoys the style of a lot of his homes, and this helped us understand much more about his history and what he was all about. He grew up on a farm, but was always drawn more to design and architecture then all of his assorted farm chores. One thing that struck us about his places were the low ceilings – he wasn’t very tall, and was a believer in building things that “fit” the people in the building. For me, this didn’t work so well!
As we continued our journey through Wisconsin, Mona found a small vineyard outside of River Falls WI where we could stay. It was school-themed, as they had converted an old one-room school house into a small store selling their wines and a few other goods. They also had live music for the evening, so we enjoyed some music, and just spent a bit of time at the vineyard after a fairly full drive day.
Saturday, October 1
Today we continued our drive and made it to Valerie’s house without problems. She was quick to greet us, and we had a nice visit in the evening with her husband, and also had a chance to meet her daughter and her boyfriend. We had a great visit, and it was good to connect after so many years. The area they live in was pretty rural and peaceful – we had plenty of room to park and enjoy their large yard.
Sunday, October 2
We managed to get out and go for a bike ride with Valerie and her husband in at some nearby bike/running trails. The fall weather is changing the colors quickly, and we really enjoyed all the colors and the cooler air for being outside. Val’s husband Don even got a crack at trying to mountain bike on some narrow, dirt trails (which happened to be rated “black”). I think he was glad to have tried it, but also glad he didn’t fall and get banged up! There were lots of trees to dodge, and when you’re not used to it (and on someone else’s bike), it’s not for the faint of heart.
We had dinner with them at a local Mexican restaurant, knowing that our time was coming to a close with them.
Monday, October 3rd
On Monday morning, it was time to once again hit the road, and head to…. North Dakota! It’s hard to believe, but we’ve now visited almost every state in the lower 48. North Dakota is one of those states that’s a bit “out of the way” with not a lot to do, but we found a very interesting missile control underground base that offered tours (in one of the decommissioned control sites), and enjoyed learning more about the cold war and all that went into “fighting” the cold war.
Most of North Dakota is definitely farm land. It’s harvest time, so we’ve seen lots of combines and people out in the fields. It’s been dry as well – I’ve been surprised at just how dry and dirty the land feels right now, given the lack of water. We learned that it’s been one of the driest Septembers on record, which is a bit scary.
Tuesday, October 4th
Before leaving North Dakota, we found some mountain bike trails to try out up near Hankinson ND. We were a bit skeptical, but we actually had a really good time riding the trails. They were quiet as well – we saw no other bike riders, and just one older guy out doing some bird watching.
We’re now able to do some boondocking again as well – once nice thing about being further west and in areas of the country that are much less populated.
Wednesday, October 5th
Today we headed out of North Dakota and started driving to Ruthton MN – the small town where my moms parents farmed many years ago. We drove to their old farm and looked around. Time and the environment have not been kind to the buildings there – the barn, shed, and house are almost all completely gone from various weather events. It was nice to show Mona the home place, and to look around a bit. After walking around where the buildings used to be, we headed over to Tracy MN to spend some time with my aunt Lois and her husband Tyson. They fixed a nice dinner for us, and we found a good place to park in her yard where the van was flat and a bit out of the wind. The weather was definitely changing, and we came close to using our little van furnace for the first time this season.
Tyson and Lois were doing well, though they’re both spending some time dealing with Tyson’s sister who is very sick and in the hospital.
Thursday, October 6th
Tyson had class in the morning and most of the afternoon – both he and Lois are taking some university led classes that keep them busy and continuing to learn. I took the opportunity to drag my laptop inside Lois’s house to work on a project that has been on my mind, and Mona spent time working on labs associated with the biology class she’s taking. Some of her school work can be tough to do in our van, so having a bit of a break worked out very well.
We continued our visit with Lois and Tyson, and today Lois and I spent some time in her yard starting to prep some areas for the winter season.
Friday, October 7th
I continued to work on my computer projects today, and Mona continued with her biology labs. Both Lois and Tyson have fed us well, and it has been nice to have a little break from constantly being on the go.
We also did a bit more yard work, as there was a bit of tree trimming to be done, and some plants to bring in from the cold weather in the forecast.
We also went to an Eagles fund raiser in town for a steak dinner. We enjoyed a good dinner, and had a chance to drive around and see a bit more in Tracy. Sadly, Tracy is not thriving that well these days, and a number of shops and stores have closed over the past number of years. There’s still a number of people that live there, but Lois felt like it was becoming a bit more of a bedroom community for the bigger town of Marshal nearby.
We also continued to catch up on all the happenings with Lois, and just spending some time after so many years.
Saturday, October 8
Today we ventured out to visit my aunt Leonne out at her farm. We stopped at a farmers market on the way for a bit of fresh produce, and then had several hours to visit with Leonne and see her place. Leonne let us take her ATV out to check out her farm, and we also got a ride in her ’70s vintage Lincoln. That evening, Dean (her son) came over and Leonne was kind enough to fix us all Chilli for dinner. As with Lois, it was good to see Leonne in person after so many years, and to hear more about what she has been up to.
Leonne is now 95 – she’s still going strong, but did have a health scare a year ago with a lung infection that wiped her out for a while. She has recovered from that, and is back to mowing her large yard, as well as keeping up with several farms that she owns and manages. Working hard and staying active has definitely served her well!
Sunday, October 9
It was time to get back on the road, and we headed to Iowa! Our first stop was the Amana Colonies, but given how much of a drive this was, much of Sunday was a drive day for us. We found a campground outside of Oxford IA to spend the evening, and made plans to head to the colonies in the morning.
Monday, October 10
After having a rather leisurely morning having some coffee and doing some reading, we made our way to Amana for some good German food! We looked around a bit before having lunch, which was served family style, and was tasty. We also stopped at a museum that had a video explaining more about the colonies, and also had quite a few old artifacts that helped paint the picture on what it was like to be a member of the Colony years ago.
Amana is still going strong, but the communal structure now allows for more individualism (more of a co-op now), while at the same time having people come together as a community. As with many of our travels, there has been a lot to learn! It will be hard to remember the many details of what we’ve seen, but thankfully there’s great information on-line, and this blog will hopefully jog our memories’ a bit to remember back to these days!
We once again found a nice campground to stay at, and enjoyed a nice peaceful evening near a lake. The weather continues to hold out for us, which has been nice.
Tuesday, October 11
We stayed right outside Pella IA, which is largely known for the Pella windows that are used throughout the country. That said, they’re also known for some fine dutch pastry shops! We found a highly rated shop, and left with far more sweets that we should have! We enjoyed looking around the town, but as we had a fairly long drive, we started heading for Nebraska before too much of the day got away from us.
Once again, today was mostly a drive day for us. We did managed to drive by Warren Buffet’s house in Omaha Nebraska (no sign of him!), got a workout in at an Anytime fitness center, and drove to Lincoln for some dinner before heading to our site for the night. Our small (and pleasant) surprise tonight was having a chance to check out the Nebraska capital building located in the heart of Lincoln. All too often, we will see things that we didn’t think to plan, largely because we’re not so rushed to always just be going from one stop to the next.
Our biggest surprise of the evening was the storm that passed through. It seemed to hit pretty suddenly. The wind was howling, then the rain hit and then the hail (luckily it wasn’t too big). The electrical storm that accompanied the storm lasted for a few hours and it was the craziest electrical storm either of us had seen. We were glad it wasn’t as bad as the weather warnings were saying it was going to be, but nonetheless and exciting end to our day.
