One of our favorite places to stay is a beautiful motorcoach resort called Hearthside Grove in Petosky MI. Petosky is just south of Mackinaw Island on lake Michigan. I did some research on trip advisor and we decided to check out Castle Farms. Built in 1918 by Albert Loeb, as a model dairy farm, Loeb Farms was modeled after the stone barns and castles found in Normandy, France. After the farm closed, the buildings fell into severe disrepair. In 1962, John VanHaver…
The city of Sault Ste Marie sits on the shores of the St. Mary’s river. The St. Mary’s River connects Lake Huron and Lake Superior. There is a 21 ft. difference in the height of one lake to the other so that is why the Soo locks were built in 1881. They have been rebuilt over the years to accommodate the larger 1,000 ft. ships on the Great Lakes. We took a boat ride to explore the locks and found…
Crossing the border is always an interesting experience – we got the usual questions, no guns and no liquor. We were allowed to cross the border then after we got settled in we went to hunt for some wine. Now this sounds like no big deal but Canada does not have the same brands as in the US which requires a wine tasting. No we did not drink all four! Our first stop was Thunder Bay. We were excited…
We lucked out to get a camping spot in Grand Marais MN during their annual Fisherman’s Picnic. Grand Marais is a town of about 1,355 people, but it grows to 15,000 during Fisherman’s Picnic weekend. The Lions Club sells 1,200 pounds of its famous Fish Burgers. This tasty delight is made with Lake Superior herring, hand-breaded and served on a bun. We tried one and decided we were one and done! The festival includes rides for the kids,…
Our 5 star motor coach resort is in Knife River MN just north of Duluth – the home of Nancy and Rich Ojard. Knife River is a small town of 230 people of which about 200 are related to Nancy and Rich Ojard. We were escorted into our spot at the Garage-Mahal which was a full hookup site that included breakfast. Where else can you get homemade blueberry pancakes and SPAM ? After a…
We rolled into Bayfield Michigan to explore the Apostle Islands. The Apostle Islands are a group of 22 islands with lighthouses and miles of sand beaches. They are known for their sea caves to kayak through. We only had 1 day here so we decided to explore Madeline Island, the largest of the Islands. A car ferry takes you on a short ride over to the island and we decided to take our bikes tour the…
Not many people know that Fred grew up on an Indian reservation – this explains why he does not like to fish or hunt. Fred’s parents had a resort in Hayward WI and Fred spent his summers helping out. His chores as a 10 year old included baling boats, bartending, cleaning cabins, raking the pine needles (why?) and watching his brother JJ…….many a day you could find JJ on Fred’s back traveling the roads and woods. The original…
Yoopers is the nickname for residents of the Upper peninsula of Michigan. The bus rolled into Marquette MI for a stay at the Gitchee Gumee RV Park. Park owner Jeff Glass has a very unique place with rock carvings, multiple log structures and many other features which he personally constructed. We had an amazing site right on the water – beautiful sunrises and some long walks with the puppies on the beach. While…
We have spent many years in Chicago and there are the places you like to revisit. The lakefront, G dock, McCormick Place Truck Marshalling lot, LaLo’s Mexican restaurant, Marina City and McHenry. Yet there is always something new to see and do. So then we said, “Let’s act like tourists!” We went to Navy Pier to ride the new Centennial Ferris Wheel. Navy Pier’s Centennial Wheel is an iconic part of the Chicago skyline and a…