SOMEWHERE IN TIME ON MACKINAC ISLAND

Along the coast of Lake Huron

 

Shuttle taking V and D to Mackinac Island

 

7:30 am Mackinac Island...Hot tip - get there early before the crowds

  

8 mile trip around the island

 

 

 

Vannie is adding the last little pebble to the top of this cairn.  They were all along the coastline.

 

The Coastline of Lake Huron

Become a "fudgie"

 

Carriage Rides

The Grand Hotel

 

Dahlias

 

The Governor's Summer House

 

 

 

The Arch Rock...Now that's gorgeous!

 

 

Hiking Trails

 

Queen Anne's Lace

 

Finally rest...in the cemetery

  

”I have a question for you, sir.  Is time travel possible?”  This was a line from the 1980’s movie, “Somewhere in Time.”   Vannie and Dave said that when they set foot on Mackinac Island they felt like they had stepped back about 100 years. 

We arrived in St. Ignace, MI yesterday.  We found a great spot in the Strait State Park just a hop, skip, and jump from the place where V and D boarded the boat to take them to the island.  There were lots of difference types of campers around to keep me company…tents, pop-ups, motor homes, 5^th-wheels…alas, no airstreams.  Actually, I was feeling pumped among all the SOB’s (some other brand).

Vannie and Dave got to the island around 7:30 am and returned around 4:00.  A full day of fun, fudge, flowers, food, feces (those horses), and feet (for walking and pedaling).

They told me about…

…the 8 mile bike ride they took around the island.  They rode on the only state highway without motorized vehicles.  It was been this way since 1898.

…the fudge – they learned that the Mackinac Island Fudge is quite famous.  People that enjoy this fudge are called “fudgies.” 

…the beautiful coastline along Lake Heron – looked like the Caribbean

…Carriage Rides

…The Grand Hotel where the movie, “Somewhere in Time” was filmed...starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.  The pool in the hotel was built for Esther Williams for a movie in 1947.

…the flowers – Vannie said she especially liked the dahlias, because her dad always had dahlias in his garden in Bernice.

…the Governor’s House – this house was used as a summer home for the governor of Michigan many years ago.

…The horses – all over the place – horseback or carriage or trash truck or hauling stuff

…hiking trails

…cemetery – great place to rest

Wow….What a day for all of us!

I’ll close with another quote from the movie, “Somewhere in Time.”

Elise Mckenna played by Jane Seymour…”Come back to me!”  I think that this was what the UP of Michigan was saying to us as we head back to LA/TEX tomorrow.  There is still so much more to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COURTESY PARKING AT THE LITTLE BLUE HOUSE

What an awesome spot!

 

Loretta, Chuck, Dave, Vannie

 

Chuck served this at Happy Hour...his own special brew!

 

 

Wild Turkeys walking right past my bathroom window....Gobble, Gobble!

 

V and D took this shot on their hike.

 

Norway, MN...a delightful little town nearby

 

Pasties from the Pasty Oven...Vannie just loves taking "food" pictures.

 

 

Being an Airstream has its benefits…and one of them is courtesy parking.  That’s right…courtesy, as in free.  The Blue Beret, the Airstream Bible, has a listing of WBCCI (Wally Byam Caravan Club International) members that have courtesy parking at their home.

During the International Airstream Rally in July, Vannie and Dave met a couple that told them about the wonderful time they had at the Little Blue House in the UP of Michigan.  The owners, Chuck and Loretta, were so welcoming.  They highly recommended we give Chuck a call if we get close by.

So to make a long story short, Vannie called Chuck…a reservation was made…and the rest is history.  Chuck and Loretta were true Airstreamers…friendly, helpful, happy, positive, industrious...and, of course, had a beauty of an airstream in its own big blue garage.   I had my own special place to park, with electricity, water, and sewer hookups. Chuck and Loretta toured me and said the nicest things about me.  I was almost blushing.  They are really beautiful people. 

Pasties...ever heard of them. We kept passing signs that were advertising delicious pasties.  V and D had never had a pasty and were very curious about what it was and how it tasted.   Chuck told them about where the best pasty could be bought, The Pasty Oven.  Vannie and Dave could hardly get there fast enough.  They ordered the pasty meal, which included a large pasty, a drink, cold slaw, and ice cream.  They discovered that pasty's are kind of like a pot pie...meat and veggies in a pie crust.  They were stuffed when they got back to me.  They had loved their pasty experience.  Vannie thought someone might enjoy the recipe, so hear goes...

Michigan's UP Pasty

3 lbs. potatoes diced

1 cup carrots diced

2 cups onions diced

2 cups rutabaga diced

2 lbs. meat or fish diced or ground

Take about a dozen 4 oz. pie crust dough balls that have been cooled then warmed to room temperature.  Roll each into a 10 inch oval.  Put 10 oz. of pasty filling that has been mixed together on a dough sheet, pull over the top and crimp the edge.  Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.  Vannie said that she would probably add a little Tony's Seasoning to spice it up a bit.

We are on our way to Mackinaw Island feeling great after our stay at “The Little Blue House.”   

 

 

 

ON GOLDEN POND (LAKE SUPERIOR)

 

 

 

 

The Lake

 

The Loons

 

Hot Coffee

 

Cool, Crisp Air

 

Each other

 

Sunrise

 

Ahhhhh

 

Vannie said it was a moment from the movie, "On Golden Pond." 

 

SWEET!!!!

 



 

LET THERE BE LIGHT ON DAVE'S BIRTHDAY

The birthday day boy at Slit Rock Lighthouse

 

The light that did its job since the early 1900's.

 

 

The houses for the workers of the lighthouse.

 

One of the bedrooms

 

Vannie and Dave had to walk down a bunch of steps to get this shot...and walk back up.  They were doing some huffin' and puffin' when they got back to the parking lot. 

 

New friends, Barbara and Al

 

A sidewalk scene in Ely, MN...really a pretty little town!

 

…and there was light on Dave’s birthday at the Split Rock Lighthouse near Silver Bay, MN.  Since it was his birthday, Dave said that I could go with them to see the lighthouse.  Of course, I had to stay in the parking lot, but I could see it out in the distance…and I got to listen to all the people as they returned to their cars talking and laughing about their experience.

This was the first time for all of us to see a real lighthouse.  It was just like we all imagined that it would be…lots of steps, big glowing light, high up, a keeper and his house, circular staircase, lots of rocks.  This one was right on Lake Superior.  Really a sight to behold!

After the light house, V and D dropped me off at our campground.  I was pooped!  They were hooking up with some friends of friends in Ely, MN.  It was about an hour drive west of where we were.  Barbara and Al were friends of Julie and Ewell Smith from Lafayette.  Julie had told Vannie if they got close to Gilbert, MN to give Barbara a call.  Vannie didn't know Barbara from Adam, but that didn't stop her from calling. Barbara was a risk taker, too, so they decided that Ely would be halfway between and a good place to meet.  V and D are always excited about meeting new people and making new friends.  They connected…toured the small town, shopped, and, of course, ate.  Barbara and Al even bought their dinner in honor of Dave’s birthday, and the waitress gave him a free dessert.  How cool is that!!!

Dave was still glowing when he walked through my door back at the campground.  Happy Birthday, my friend!

 

WE MADE IT BACK IN

USA Border...We were feeling a little nervous.

 

High Falls on the Pigeon River In MN

Vannie used to teach a Turtle Unit.  She loved this mosaic on the floor of the Nature Center.

The turtle is a very special symbol in the Ojibwe Tribe.

 

Thimble Berries...Never heard of those...Someone on the trail told V and D that they made wonderful jelly.

 

Look carefully and you can see Lake Superior between those trees.

 

A special Nook just for V and D

 

…Thank the Lord…we didn’t have too much trouble getting back in to the United States.  The grime-faced guard at the border was not impressed by Vannie and Dave’s expired passport.  There was no smiling or joking around…this was serious business.  He looked inside the truck and then came back to check inside me.  I was on my best behavior.  Sure didn’t want to tick him off.  He mostly just looked in my refrigerator.  He took stuff out and put stuff back in.  Finally, he decided to confiscate that one lone lime.  Can you make a bomb with a lime?  Probably!  Well, that was that, and he said, “Go on in and remember to renew those passports.”  I was wiping the sweat from my brow, and thanking the good Lord that we didn’t have to live in Canada.  Don’t get me wrong…it’s a great place…but I’m a citizen of the US of A, and proud of it!

We stopped at a rest stop right across the border.  V and D needed a little breathing room after the border experience.  They ate lunch and visited the tourist center.  There was a beautiful nature walk leading out to the High Falls on the Pigeon River.  Their mouths were still hanging open when they got back to me.  High Falls plummets 120 feet.  It is considered the highest falls in the states.  One of the Niagara Falls is higher, but it is in Canada. There are 3 falls at Niagara.  The other 2 are in the states and are around 70-100 high.  Remember this if you are ever on Jeopardy.

We stayed overnight at Temperance State Park right on Lake Superior.  After V and D unhooked me, they headed down to the Lake with their cup of coffee, lawn chairs, and Kennels.  When I saw the pictures, I loved the special little nook that they discovered.  It was made just for them.

Heading down to Tettegouche State Park tomorrow.  V and D have some friends of some friends that they are going to try to look up.

 

 

 

THE YEAR IS 1816

Fort Willam...Canada

 

Me perched on the hill 

 

Canadian Geese...my new friends

 

 

Ft. William was all about fur trading...Vannie loved feelin' the goods!

 

Attention!!!  Come on, Dave, get with the program!

 

 

This was used to trap the beavers for their prized fur...Can you guess?  This was placed very carefully on the trap, and when the beaver gave it a sniff...Bam...It was caught!  OK...Give up?  Beaver sex glands!

 

 

V and D said they used muscles that didn't know they had.

 

Leaving Ft. William...Nice Place

 

 

Kakabeka Falls

 

…well, not really…but we are camped at Fort William Historical Park in Thunder Bay, Canada.  It has a replica of the real Fort William way back when.  Fort William was considered the capital of the greatest fur trading empire on the continent.  Vannie and Dave enjoyed touring the fort and really getting the “feel” of how it was in 1816.  They got to step back in time and experience the wigwams of the local Ojibwa tribe, see birch bark canoes under construction, visit animals on the working Farm, touch the many different pelts in the fur stores, meet the doctor in the Apothecary, see how beavers were trapped (and the unusual bait used), watch the bread being made and baked, and paddle down the river in a canoe. 

As for me…I’m still riding on the awesome greeting we received upon our arrival.  Dave pulled me in my spot, unhooked me from the truck, plugged me in to water and electricity and then they came.  Geese…Canadian Geese…about 100!  They were all around me…visiting, eating, relaxing.  They were so happy to see a big shiny thing like me, and I was happy to see them, too.  I’ve never seen a Canadian goose.  I thought they would be really messy, but they were as neat as a pin.  Other birds that joined us the next day were seagulls.  Now, I know about those.  Saw plenty of those in Louisiana and when we were in Gulf Shores.  The geese and the seagulls kept me company while V and D did their touring.

After their day at the Fort, Vannie and Dave squeezed out a little more energy to visit Kakabeka Falls.  The Ojibwa Indians were one of the earliest people to see the Falls, naming it after the Ojibwa word kah-kah-pee-kah which means “sheer cliff”, “thundering waters” or “high falls”.  Don’t you just love it when I throw in a little history lesson!

Oops…almost forgot to tell you about Lake Superior.  Now, that is one big sucker!  It looks like the Gulf of Mexico…water as far as the eye can see.   It’s a beautiful sight, and I overheard Vannie and Dave say that we were going be seeing a lot more of it as we travel back down into Minnesota.

Neh-neh-tee-neh…Indian word for “Good Night”…Gotcha…I just made that up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

GYPSY DANCES UNDER THE MAPLE LEAF

The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear

City park in Fort Francis, Ontario...dancing under the Maple Leaf

 

Out my bathroom window...I'm singing now!

 

Checkpoint Charlie!  The scene of the crime...or, almost crime!

 

Tea, anyone!

 

The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear,

The Maple Leaf forever

God save our Queen and Heaven bless

The Maple Leaf forever

I feel pretty

Oh, so pretty

I feel pretty and witty and bright

I can’t stop dancing and singing right under the big red and white Canadian flag with the big red maple leaf.  We have been at the city park in Fort Francis, Ontario, Canada for 2 days.  It is a little town just across the border from International Falls, MN.  Of course, I’m feelin’ good today…but yesterday…a little nervous.

When we pulled up to the border, Dave handed the guard his and Vannie’s passports.  The guard looked at him over the tops of his glasses and said, “I’m sure you are working on renewing these.”  Dave looked back with a blank expression.  The guard motioned for us to go on through.  Dave looked at Vannie and said, “What did he say? Renew…what did he mean by that?”  Vannie looked at the passports and discovered that their passports expired in January of this year.  How could that happen?  Then the guard asked Dave if he had any guns, mace, etc.  The answer was “No, Sir."

OK…Now came the search…This time there were two guards.  They asked us to pull off to the side.  They repeated the same question as the first guard.  A light came on in Dave’s head.  He remembered the mace that was hanging on a keychain right inside me by the door.  Oops…forgot!  He told the guard, thank goodness.  The guard said if he had not told him, and he had found it during the search, there could have been a $500 fine and possible jail.  Ouch!!!!  The two guards searched the truck and me from top to bottom.  I felt a little violated, but, of course, I kept my mouth shut.  I thought we were already in hot water.  When the search was complete, we passed and were sent on our way with broad smiles.  All in all, the Canadians were very nice, considering V and D had not done their homework about crossing borders.  Just hope they let us back in the USA with those expired passports.  LOL

Today Vannie was reading the local newspaper and discovered that the Fort Francis museum was having tea and scones at 1:00 pm.  There would be an author attending the event. She would be signing her new book about a pioneer woman.  Vannie couldn’t let this go by, so off she went to have tea and scones with the ladies.  The museum was small but delightful.  The tables were set, and the scones were made, and the tea was brewing.  She sat with a little lady that was very hard of hearing, but they both enjoyed the event and each other’s company.  Afterwards they toured the museum’s special exhibit of bone china.

Tomorrow I will dance and sing my way to Thunder Bay.  More new adventures!