Our 16th and final day was just driving, driving and more driving. We were packed up, breakfasted and checked out ready to roll at 8:30 local, 9:30 AM "our" time. With singularly unfortunate timing Marissa had an incipient migraine which she staved off with medications, but said medications also made her drowsy a lot of the time. She did manage to spell John for two good breaks during the long haul, interrupted only minimally for some food and/or drinks and/or gas.
On arrival in Columbus we popped quickly into Marsh for very basics, milk, cream, eggs, bread and an oven ready fresh pizza and we finally pulled into the driveway at 7:15 PM, 10 3/4 hours after starting. Needless to say we were exhausted & only removed the essential minimums from the van.
From start to finish we had driven a grand total of 2714.5 miles!
The next day we unloaded the van, sifted and sorted everything, made essential trips for mail, groceries and so on, shopped to restock Marissa's larder, cleaned/vacuumed the van interior, returned the back bench seat into the van, jam-packed Marissa's car with all her stuff so she could head home and John went out for the final fill of the van. Due to the station's programming limitations instead of a 10 cent/gallon reduction for a car wash (worth about $2.40) he got a free $10 deluxe car wash instead - a small victory! One final shop to fill John's fridge with perishables and the day was done, leaving only the catch-up necessary from being gone for 2 1/2 weeks at the end of the month.
All in all it was a great vacation, despite some weather worries the first few days, which were amply compensated by the glory of the rest of the days, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Northern Exposure III - 2011 - Day #15
Today we saw Door County as it should be seen. We were helped by the unseasonal and absolutely beautiful weather, sunny, gentle breezes but not too hot. We got going a little later than usual but were lucky insofar as a table was vacated just as we arrived at the crowded dining room. Breakfast was pretty decent and today we got waffles as well, even spicily flavored ones.
We took off northwards, crossed the bridge in due course and a few miles later turned due west until we hit the coast road, Bay Shore Road, which we had entirely to ourselves. It was a pretty, colorful road with glimpses of Lake Michigan and some very nice houses. At a point where they used to quarry the cliffs we found a delightful roadside park/boat launch ramp and stopped to look and then take Zoe for a decent walk all around it. We carried on, enjoying the road and eventually we were dumped out right in the middle of Egg Harbor, where we could actually find parking!
All three of us set off to reconnoiter the town on foot, taking it in turns to sit outside with Zoe while we checked out various places, noted our selections but mostly didn't buy. Then we moved the van to a couple of strategic spots, left Zoe, and did our serious shopping. Our last port of call was at a great supermarket where we not only bought lunch sandwiches and drinks but also cheese curds, fresh salsa, and quiches for dinner since we had a microwave in the room. We slipped down a sidestreet to a beach park, parked strategically in a shady spot overlooking the area as well as the bay & distant marina and ate our lunch.
Eventually we headed north, stopping part way to visit a very upscale gallery where prices for original art, or objets d'art, ran from around $400 to $50,000 - all a bit out of our league, but interesting to see. Then it was on to Fish Creek which was also loaded with many interesting stores from lower end to truly high. We toured most of them, with Zoe along all but the last little bit, continuing to contribute to the local economy. We ran out of legs and feet eventually and decided to call it a day, apart from one stop at country market on our way home. Once again we took the bay road from Egg Harbor down thereby avoiding traffic and enjoying the sort of autumnal prettiness we also see in Indiana, especially Brown County.
Our holiday is now done, apart from the horrendous drive all the way back to Columbus tomorrow. The last two days (starting from Iron Mountain) have raised our trip odometer reading to 2115 miles so far.
We took off northwards, crossed the bridge in due course and a few miles later turned due west until we hit the coast road, Bay Shore Road, which we had entirely to ourselves. It was a pretty, colorful road with glimpses of Lake Michigan and some very nice houses. At a point where they used to quarry the cliffs we found a delightful roadside park/boat launch ramp and stopped to look and then take Zoe for a decent walk all around it. We carried on, enjoying the road and eventually we were dumped out right in the middle of Egg Harbor, where we could actually find parking!
All three of us set off to reconnoiter the town on foot, taking it in turns to sit outside with Zoe while we checked out various places, noted our selections but mostly didn't buy. Then we moved the van to a couple of strategic spots, left Zoe, and did our serious shopping. Our last port of call was at a great supermarket where we not only bought lunch sandwiches and drinks but also cheese curds, fresh salsa, and quiches for dinner since we had a microwave in the room. We slipped down a sidestreet to a beach park, parked strategically in a shady spot overlooking the area as well as the bay & distant marina and ate our lunch.
Eventually we headed north, stopping part way to visit a very upscale gallery where prices for original art, or objets d'art, ran from around $400 to $50,000 - all a bit out of our league, but interesting to see. Then it was on to Fish Creek which was also loaded with many interesting stores from lower end to truly high. We toured most of them, with Zoe along all but the last little bit, continuing to contribute to the local economy. We ran out of legs and feet eventually and decided to call it a day, apart from one stop at country market on our way home. Once again we took the bay road from Egg Harbor down thereby avoiding traffic and enjoying the sort of autumnal prettiness we also see in Indiana, especially Brown County.
Our holiday is now done, apart from the horrendous drive all the way back to Columbus tomorrow. The last two days (starting from Iron Mountain) have raised our trip odometer reading to 2115 miles so far.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Northern Exposure III - 2011 - Day #14
Our introduction to Door County, WI was --- mixed! The fact that the day was quite beautiful was a very mixed blessing. My first impression of Door was along the lines of imagine the Keweenaw but add a quarter million vehicles and a half million people to go with them, rather like a cross between Nashville, Indiana and Pidgeon Forge, Tennessee.
We rose and organized ourselves in good time and managed to beat the worst of the rush in the breakfast room, especially as we ignored the waffle-maker again. By 8:30 AM (Central) we were heading out on to the highway towards Norway in order to pick up the detour necessary to get us on the road to Green Bay. We made good time while listening to the latter part of "Sailing To Capri", and in fact got to the edge of Door County in excellent time and started up Route 42. We stopped at an upscale complex (candles/pets/food/"stuff") and browsed without paying the inflated prices but took advantage of their facilities. We carried on and shortly thereafter our "troubles" began.
Prior to that, but as we were getting close, we saw a billboard and then the store itself of wild birds supply and equipment. It was fabulously stocked with many wonderful bird houses and even more feeders but especially really inexpensive but good bird foods. Marissa bought a very attractive feeder for her house and John was, well, John, buying no less than 90 pounds of food, one bag of 50# oil sunflower and two 20# bags of the equivalent of "woodland"ready for his winter feeder set-ups, all for about 2/3rds of anything obtainable in and around Columbus.
It was a beautiful Sunday with many people having a holiday Monday to follow and it seemed as though every village (or whatever one calls those "named but unincorporated" settlements) was having a festival, or art show, or craft fair or something that made travel very much of a slow crawl and made all potential parking quite impossible. We slogged on and eventually traffic became more bearable but still anywhere that might have been interesting to stop and see was still impossibly short of parking. By now the scenery around the road was largely lovely and colorful, although a great deal more cultivated, especially including orchards, than had been the U. P.
At about the time our stomachs were flapping against our backbones we found an established restaurant, primarily hand-made-on-site pizza, with ample parking. We ordered a small pizza and breadsticks "to go" and sat outside in the shade with Zoe while it was made and cooked, and then ate it in the same place. We followed that up with superb Gelato each chosen from an huge selection all of which looked delectable. Then we carried on to the very top of the mainland (where it takes a ferry to go further) through pretty scenery but with Marissa fighting a headache. Unfortunately parking and opportunities to take picture were over-subscribed so we cut our losses and started to return.
With the best of intentions but lack of local knowledge John started a side trip in the hopes of getting out to a coastal bluff, but it became, as Marissa later pointed out, another Bataan death march! We followed directions to the park and started down the gravel road doing quite well until until we came to the first large fallen tree and the long line of parked cars. This necessitated about a 200 yard reversing experience just to find sufficient width to turn something as large as the van around! Then we parked and with an excited and frisky Zoe started to follow the road on foot. Although fairly easy to step/jump over, duck under, or circumnavigate we found 7 or 8 more trees across the road & other signs of storm-caused devastation. When the road ended an indistinct trail continued on downwards through the sweet-smelling pines, over roots and rocks and occasional patch of dirt to the water's edge. Once we could see the "beach", as inhospitable collection of rocky stuff as can be imagined, we decided to cut our losses and rather more slowly slogged our way all the way back to the van. We think even Zoe was glad to see it.
We continued heading downstate, so to speak, and as soon as the opportunity came to switch to Route 57 down the "other side" we took it and started to make good time. We stopped at a great store, but could find little to take for our supper, but Marissa indulged in an assortment of sweet and sour items in jars and bottles, some for gifts and some for her own enjoyment. We continued cruising down this pretty but sparsely inhabited road making good time until 57 and 42 combined ahead of the bridge and the next two miles or so were traveled at a speed of which a hiker would be ashamed. After the bridge things opened up and we soon found our hotel, OK but definitely a cut below the standard we usually enjoy given a choice.
John took a book to a restaurant in walking distance and waited a while to get carry-out of delicious patty melts with home-made chips and a "starter" of fried breaded cheese curds which were absolutely super. And thus ended our day.
We rose and organized ourselves in good time and managed to beat the worst of the rush in the breakfast room, especially as we ignored the waffle-maker again. By 8:30 AM (Central) we were heading out on to the highway towards Norway in order to pick up the detour necessary to get us on the road to Green Bay. We made good time while listening to the latter part of "Sailing To Capri", and in fact got to the edge of Door County in excellent time and started up Route 42. We stopped at an upscale complex (candles/pets/food/"stuff") and browsed without paying the inflated prices but took advantage of their facilities. We carried on and shortly thereafter our "troubles" began.
Prior to that, but as we were getting close, we saw a billboard and then the store itself of wild birds supply and equipment. It was fabulously stocked with many wonderful bird houses and even more feeders but especially really inexpensive but good bird foods. Marissa bought a very attractive feeder for her house and John was, well, John, buying no less than 90 pounds of food, one bag of 50# oil sunflower and two 20# bags of the equivalent of "woodland"ready for his winter feeder set-ups, all for about 2/3rds of anything obtainable in and around Columbus.
It was a beautiful Sunday with many people having a holiday Monday to follow and it seemed as though every village (or whatever one calls those "named but unincorporated" settlements) was having a festival, or art show, or craft fair or something that made travel very much of a slow crawl and made all potential parking quite impossible. We slogged on and eventually traffic became more bearable but still anywhere that might have been interesting to stop and see was still impossibly short of parking. By now the scenery around the road was largely lovely and colorful, although a great deal more cultivated, especially including orchards, than had been the U. P.
At about the time our stomachs were flapping against our backbones we found an established restaurant, primarily hand-made-on-site pizza, with ample parking. We ordered a small pizza and breadsticks "to go" and sat outside in the shade with Zoe while it was made and cooked, and then ate it in the same place. We followed that up with superb Gelato each chosen from an huge selection all of which looked delectable. Then we carried on to the very top of the mainland (where it takes a ferry to go further) through pretty scenery but with Marissa fighting a headache. Unfortunately parking and opportunities to take picture were over-subscribed so we cut our losses and started to return.
With the best of intentions but lack of local knowledge John started a side trip in the hopes of getting out to a coastal bluff, but it became, as Marissa later pointed out, another Bataan death march! We followed directions to the park and started down the gravel road doing quite well until until we came to the first large fallen tree and the long line of parked cars. This necessitated about a 200 yard reversing experience just to find sufficient width to turn something as large as the van around! Then we parked and with an excited and frisky Zoe started to follow the road on foot. Although fairly easy to step/jump over, duck under, or circumnavigate we found 7 or 8 more trees across the road & other signs of storm-caused devastation. When the road ended an indistinct trail continued on downwards through the sweet-smelling pines, over roots and rocks and occasional patch of dirt to the water's edge. Once we could see the "beach", as inhospitable collection of rocky stuff as can be imagined, we decided to cut our losses and rather more slowly slogged our way all the way back to the van. We think even Zoe was glad to see it.
We continued heading downstate, so to speak, and as soon as the opportunity came to switch to Route 57 down the "other side" we took it and started to make good time. We stopped at a great store, but could find little to take for our supper, but Marissa indulged in an assortment of sweet and sour items in jars and bottles, some for gifts and some for her own enjoyment. We continued cruising down this pretty but sparsely inhabited road making good time until 57 and 42 combined ahead of the bridge and the next two miles or so were traveled at a speed of which a hiker would be ashamed. After the bridge things opened up and we soon found our hotel, OK but definitely a cut below the standard we usually enjoy given a choice.
John took a book to a restaurant in walking distance and waited a while to get carry-out of delicious patty melts with home-made chips and a "starter" of fried breaded cheese curds which were absolutely super. And thus ended our day.
Northern Exposure III - 2011 - Day #13
This day was supposed to (and probably did) set all time records for high temperature for the date and was only saved by the very stiff breeze which lasted until sundown. This must be the first time we have stayed here over the weekend days and the place is crowded with parents and children. We joined the herd and managed to have an adequate breakfast without joining the lomg line for the single, slow, waffle maker.
Three Hammonds plus Rita stopped by and we followed them a little way out into the country on the other side of Norway to an apple orchard. They did not pick, just bought - a sack of bruised ones for Jerry to feed to deer, a peck of eaters for young Sam to eat alone, and some cooking ones for Carol & Rita's use. We followed them back to Norway and separated. We ducked in to the amazing quilting and fabrics store & gift shop. I browsed, resisted temptation, and went and joined Zoe in the van. Marissa finally emerged with a big bag of enough hard-to-find supplies to last her, literally, a year or two.
Knowing our time was limited (as cold picnic lunch would be served by Rita strictly by the clock) we limited ourselves to a great browsing store that also serves as a coffee shop. We again resisted temptation for hard goods (although I almost bought a lovely book of photos, but rather similar to several I have already) but we did succumb to an exotic coffee and equally exotic cookie each. Our last stop was at a bank with an ATM where we were able to replenish our virtually depleted supply of cash and can again feel comfortable at all the places that don't want plastic.
We raced back to the campground to join them all for lunch as some of them had not yet finished, and for the next several hours we socialized in every possible permutation and combination of groups and one on ones, taking occasional strolls to keep Zoe from getting too bored. Zoe had again shot herself in the foot. Initially left free to wander in a great deal of space on the first afternoon she had slipped away, made her way at least 100 yards to the entry and proceeded to walk up the road - giving Marissa a string of heart attacks before being recaptured. Thereafter she was leashed all the time.
In the early evening with the cats in the house and Zoe in lock-down in the camp store we headed back into town to a very nice restaurant for a triple Dutch treat (i.e. by family, as Carol's boys came too) dinner. Apart from the "vegetable" combination Marissa and I ate identical delicious meals from the higher end of the menu, a nice change after so much "road food", even including dessert.
Back at the campground Jerry lit a fire and we all sat around it beside the RV enjoying the flames and chatting in a desultory manner pretty much all as a group. It made a great finale to the day. However, all good things must come to an end and with everybody feeling drowsy we embarked on the round of handshakes and hugs and said goodbye to each other for probably another year. This is the 44th year of our friendship!
As we prepare to leave Iron Mountain for Door County, WI the odometer stands at an even 1809 miles.
Three Hammonds plus Rita stopped by and we followed them a little way out into the country on the other side of Norway to an apple orchard. They did not pick, just bought - a sack of bruised ones for Jerry to feed to deer, a peck of eaters for young Sam to eat alone, and some cooking ones for Carol & Rita's use. We followed them back to Norway and separated. We ducked in to the amazing quilting and fabrics store & gift shop. I browsed, resisted temptation, and went and joined Zoe in the van. Marissa finally emerged with a big bag of enough hard-to-find supplies to last her, literally, a year or two.
Knowing our time was limited (as cold picnic lunch would be served by Rita strictly by the clock) we limited ourselves to a great browsing store that also serves as a coffee shop. We again resisted temptation for hard goods (although I almost bought a lovely book of photos, but rather similar to several I have already) but we did succumb to an exotic coffee and equally exotic cookie each. Our last stop was at a bank with an ATM where we were able to replenish our virtually depleted supply of cash and can again feel comfortable at all the places that don't want plastic.
We raced back to the campground to join them all for lunch as some of them had not yet finished, and for the next several hours we socialized in every possible permutation and combination of groups and one on ones, taking occasional strolls to keep Zoe from getting too bored. Zoe had again shot herself in the foot. Initially left free to wander in a great deal of space on the first afternoon she had slipped away, made her way at least 100 yards to the entry and proceeded to walk up the road - giving Marissa a string of heart attacks before being recaptured. Thereafter she was leashed all the time.
In the early evening with the cats in the house and Zoe in lock-down in the camp store we headed back into town to a very nice restaurant for a triple Dutch treat (i.e. by family, as Carol's boys came too) dinner. Apart from the "vegetable" combination Marissa and I ate identical delicious meals from the higher end of the menu, a nice change after so much "road food", even including dessert.
Back at the campground Jerry lit a fire and we all sat around it beside the RV enjoying the flames and chatting in a desultory manner pretty much all as a group. It made a great finale to the day. However, all good things must come to an end and with everybody feeling drowsy we embarked on the round of handshakes and hugs and said goodbye to each other for probably another year. This is the 44th year of our friendship!
As we prepare to leave Iron Mountain for Door County, WI the odometer stands at an even 1809 miles.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Northern Exposure III - 2011 - Day #12
This was a traveling day primarily but also a pleasant, if rather windy "partly cloudy" day. We rose at dawn (which doesn't happen until 7:30 AM up here) had coffee and breakfast and then proceeded to "break camp" steadily but without excessive haste. Getting the full-size mattress we had brought down for the duration back up the steep staircase was a challenge but we succeeded. We systematically returned the cabin to the "unused" condition, everything washed up, floor vacuumed, fridge emptied, etc and packed all our "stuff" back into the van, before reluctantly saying farewell to our home away from home!
By 9:30 we were moving, first over to Lake Linden and then around Route 26 to the Hancock-Houghton bridge. Heading up the hill out of Houghton we filled up with gas and then made the two hours-odd cruise down the Keweenaw and across much of the U.P. listening to a book on disc. Marissa was thrilled, as traffic slowed, to actually see a bear lumber across the road. John missed it completely! We turned off the main road and headed down to the Bond Falls park for the usual look-see & photographs, the first time in three tries Marissa saw them in sunshine rather than in gloom and/or rain. On leaving we checked out the well-stocked tourist shop but only John bought a couple of things, a mug and a loon.
We continued heading south, turned on to Route 2 and started heading east. In due course we reached Wink's Woods store. Marissa picked up some dip mixes but for the first time in some 10 visits over the years John walked out empty handed! Failing to find any suitable food sources we chose to delay lunch until we could get to the far side of Iron Mountain and the source of the U.P.'s very best pasties, The Pasty Oven on the road to Norway. We both enjoyed most of a large pasty each, John's with rutabaga and Marissa's without, and Zoe enjoyed the remains! Heading back we stopped at our motel, checked in early and got the best pet room (right by the outside door), but didn't move in just carried on driving and on out to Summer Breeze campground for a happy reunion with Rita and Bob Stevens and (their daughter) Carol and Jerry Hammonds. The remainder of the day was largely conversation with some mutual show and tell mixed in and a delicious dinner. Eventually plans were made for tomorrow and we returned to the hotel to get ourselves a bit organized and caught up.
By 9:30 we were moving, first over to Lake Linden and then around Route 26 to the Hancock-Houghton bridge. Heading up the hill out of Houghton we filled up with gas and then made the two hours-odd cruise down the Keweenaw and across much of the U.P. listening to a book on disc. Marissa was thrilled, as traffic slowed, to actually see a bear lumber across the road. John missed it completely! We turned off the main road and headed down to the Bond Falls park for the usual look-see & photographs, the first time in three tries Marissa saw them in sunshine rather than in gloom and/or rain. On leaving we checked out the well-stocked tourist shop but only John bought a couple of things, a mug and a loon.
We continued heading south, turned on to Route 2 and started heading east. In due course we reached Wink's Woods store. Marissa picked up some dip mixes but for the first time in some 10 visits over the years John walked out empty handed! Failing to find any suitable food sources we chose to delay lunch until we could get to the far side of Iron Mountain and the source of the U.P.'s very best pasties, The Pasty Oven on the road to Norway. We both enjoyed most of a large pasty each, John's with rutabaga and Marissa's without, and Zoe enjoyed the remains! Heading back we stopped at our motel, checked in early and got the best pet room (right by the outside door), but didn't move in just carried on driving and on out to Summer Breeze campground for a happy reunion with Rita and Bob Stevens and (their daughter) Carol and Jerry Hammonds. The remainder of the day was largely conversation with some mutual show and tell mixed in and a delicious dinner. Eventually plans were made for tomorrow and we returned to the hotel to get ourselves a bit organized and caught up.
Northern Exposure III - 2011 - Days #5 thru #11
Our last night in Munising became quite interesting! While continuing to rain heavily the winds kicked up to 50 MPH or more, our plastic patio chairs and side table took off for parts unknown and water started to find its way in over the patio door and drip down. The front desk gave us some old towels to put down to keep it contained & minimize carpet wetting. After we had swum and hot-tubbed (chatting with a former resident who had grown up here and was used to family reunions in Calumet in the Keweenaw) we brought additional towels back from the pools.
At around 10 o’clock the entire hotel lost power (except emergency exit signs), pretty much dictating bedtime, although Marissa’s Kindle has a light. Right after we had each in turn fumbled our way to the bathroom around 2:00 AM the power came back and all the lights came on and suddenly seemed very bright. After we had reset the clock we settled down for sleeping part 2. By the time Zoe demanded to be taken out for her own morning bathroom break the rains had stopped and the winds had died down to merely “windy”.
The power had been on long enough for them to present the usual excellent breakfast although the breakfast room was more crowded than usual. Neither hurrying nor wasting time we organized for departure, brought the van up to the closest available spot and loaded up. We shot down into town and parked just outside the Internet Cafe there and Marissa checked weather, etc (the hotel network was up but they had lost their internet connection in the storm). We then started westwards and in between the two M towns pulled into a lay-by and took some pictures of a very rough lake, reminiscent of an early trip with Maria resulting in a picture that was our computer "wallpaper" for years. I think we took from the very same spot.
The whole journey was a struggle for me driving. Not only was I fighting fierce winds in a very large vehicle, but the skies could not stay consistent for what seemed (endlessly) more than 45 seconds at a time, from nothing & squeaky wipers, to "full-on" and everything in between. From that perspective it was a very tedious drive. As we approached Marquette Marissa suggested a side trip to Presque Isle where we not only saw an ore boat at the loading dock (first time one had actually been there since Maria & my very first time there). In various places wave action was spectacular and a great many pictures were taken from which to make a subsequent choice.
Eventually we headed back to the main road and in view of the weather conditions make no more stops until halfway down the hill at L'Anse closing in on Baraga. We stopped for a quick lunch of burgers and fries, slipped around the bottom of the bay and topped up with "cheap" (i.e. no-tax) gas on the "Indian Reservation". We cruised up the lower Keweenaw, slid through Houghton, over the bridge, up the hill in Hancock and stopped at Pat's Foods IGA where we shopped for basic supplies for the next 24 hours. Then we cruised up to Mohawk, turned off and headed to Gay and followed the necessarily detailed directions to our home away from home cabin, Loot's Lodge, which was simultaneously a wonder and a disaster!!!
The wonder was its location, the disaster was that it also had lost electrical power in the big storm and since everything, including water, relied on electricity we became instant pioneers. Soon after our arrival the "cleaning lady" arrived back with clean sheets from the laundrette and told us that she had called in our outage and had been assured they were "working on it"! After some debate we decided to chance that it would be fixed before we became desperate (the optional outhouse was indescribable & impossible) so we moved in and immediately set about lighting the wood stove so that we would at least have heat. We investigated the place & its surroundings, much to Zoe's joy although she blotted her copybook by disappearing for too long at one point & may have to pay for it by being leashed hereafter.
As the light started to fade we heated some pasties & gravy on the now scorching hot wood stove and prepared ourselves, despite the early hour, for going to bed in total darkness - and out here it is DARK! However, just as the light was fading Marissa heard the beeping of a reversing truck and shortly afterwards WE HAD POWER! The water pump kicked on, the toilet refilled, the fridge started to run and lights galore provided brightness. Now we could relax and settle in properly. We can also download pictures to the PCs, etc, but of course can no longer upload anything to the Internet, so anyone reading this will be seeing slightly "old news".
Saturday was a much prettier day with lots of sunshine and some diminution of the wind, in fact as Marissa photographed the dawn mist was rising off the lake. The cabin is an odd mixture. It has a great kitchen, decent Master bedroom, reasonable living room, somewhat scary stairs, a scary dormitory upstairs and a minuscule bathroom. Marissa has elected to sleep down by the stove on a sofa bed and after the first night we have dragged down a full-size mattress from upstairs to supplement it, making a reasonable bed. We are hoping it will stay cool enough that bathroom time can be minimized!
In due course we headed out, retracing our initial route through Gay to Mohawk but then turning up the peninsula to Phoenix where we turned off down to Eagle River. Our first stop was at North Country Crafts which was poorly stocked as in our usual chat with proprietress Bonnie she told us they are retiring and will close for good as soon as this season ends. They will still use the home behind as a summer place and invited us to call and say hello on any future visits. We did manage to find a few small things to purchase. Then it was down to the beach to exercise the hound although John was frustrated as the drainage stream, normally just a trickle, was wide enough and deep enough to limit our range, but we still had good run/walk.
We headed on to the monk-run Jampot, bought some jams and fancy muffins for home and here, looked at Jacobs Falls and then went on along the coast to Eagle Harbor, parking on the lighthouse side for a general look (little had changed) and a photo or two before heading inland and eventually down the main road to Calumet. We cruised an assortment of shops but only bought in Copper World and even there not as much as in prior years, but it was nice to look. We moved from ancient to modern and the huge Pat's Foods IGA there where we took our time buying a week's supply of potential breakfasts and dinners - our "big shop" for the duration - as we assume we will be out for lunch most of the days as the weather forecast is very encouraging.
Back at the cabin we ate our sandwiches & salads then settled down for a reading and somnolent afternoon. After tea we essayed forth and took a long hike along the beach, much to Zoe's delight. It was a good day.
Sunday was the kind of weather day we had hoped for and expected. Lots of sunshine, comfortably cool temperatures and not much wind. Today we headed up the peninsula on this side. We first stopped at a delightful rest area, beach, rocks, trees, etc seen several times before but always just in passing. We carried carried on to Lac La Belle, stopping briefly at Haven falls, pretty, but not much flow at this time of year. Then it was on to Bete Gris Bay beach where we walked and Zoe romped for a while, her second significant beach run of the day.
Back in the van we cruised through the "pretty" right on up to Copper Harbor, took a side trip to Manganese Falls, small, noisy and very deep in a narrow ravine. John took a couple of pictures before Marissa donned her "Maria hat" and decreed no further exploration on the treacherous paths with no guard rails! We then took a dirt road through some pine forest but a road closed sign spooked us and we turned around and ran back into town. We picked up some supplies, including sandwiches for lunch, found a pretty spot to eat them, returned, parked, and then did some touristy shopping (looking but not buying) on foot but eventually lost interest. This time we took the "other side" coast road cruising along through Eagle Harbor to Eagle River where we parked and Zoe had her third (and last) major romp of the day. Once home she gave every sign of being exhausted!
We returned to our cabin by the shortest (but still significant) way only to find that just one wall, the one with windows and patio door looking towards the lake, has suffered the Invasion of the Flies! We commenced a fly Jihad and in due course had achieved spectacular success ending with a vacuum cleaner canister full of dead and dying flies. The wood stove was again lit as the evening boded to be cool and we settled into our usual relaxed holiday routine.
Monday - For no particular reason all three of us slept a good hour later than usual so we made a pretty late start to the day's adventures, once again in cool sunshiny weather. We headed over to Lake Linden (the city) and made a mini tour during which Marissa spotted a store called Copperland Arts Crafts, about one third of which is a studio in which two or three artisans make a lot of what they sell. We browsed, and before we left I had bought a large and a small wall decoration (one for show, one for the "trips taken" passage wall) and Marissa had bought one.
Next door was a gas station and a large supermarket. We topped up (always a good idea up here) at the one and bought sandwiches and salads for lunch in the other. Then we headed to the bottom of the top (i.e. the southernmost point of the peninsula after the H-H bridge) the hamlet of Jacobsville and the public shoreside park there. After eating our lunch we walked along the breakwater between the main lake and the inland waterway, quite rough to one side and dead calm to the other all the way out to the navigation light - a distance that surprised us by being much further than it looked! As we neared the end Zoe decided it was too cold (the breeze was quite fresh along there) and sat down in protest and shivered, so she was carried back cuddled to a warm human, each of us carrying her about half the way. Back on the sheltered beach she regained her joie de vivre and scampered about, free of restraint for quite a while.
We returned to L.L. and went on to Laurium, found the Laurium Manor, paid a small fee to take a self-guided tour and did so. It is an early 1900's mansion, 4 stories, 45 rooms and 13,000 sq. ft. It has been restored and doubles as a high-end B and B as all bedrooms, including the staff's, had attached bathrooms. It was very interesting to see. Once we were done we called it a day and headed back to our cabin to light the stove ready for the evening and generally relax, apart from a late afternoon beach walk.
Tuesday - This was yet another gorgeous autumn day. Part of this day's "adventures" really were such. We took our side coast road until it joined US41 and then on to Copper Harbor. After some minor shopping we headed up to the official end of paved US41 (1994 miles from Miami, FL) but carried on up the decent graveled county road for a while before turning onto a track and bouncing our way down to the parking area (room for 3 vehicles!) for the Mary Macdonald Preserve (of the Nature Conservancy) and the start of the trail to Horseshoe Harbor. The trail surface was about equal parts dirt, tree roots and rocks, but passable. We reached the cove (not a harbor at all) and spent some enjoyable time in splendid isolation on the rocky beach and the rocks, enjoying the sunshine and silence.
Eventually we staggered back to the van, largely uphill, and then bounced our way back to the gravel road, down to 41 and on into Copper Harbor. Deciding we wanted a change to cold sandwiches for lunch we found a restaurant willing to give us carry out of hot sandwiches which we thoroughly enjoyed while overlooking the little park beside the visitors center. We checked out the remaining tourist shop and are now done with Copper Harbor from whence we embarked on the hill climb up the Brockway Mountain Drive which was very pretty. We parked at the top, took the usual ritual pictures, although the hazy day did not allow good long views, and John finally found a suitable memento of Copper Harbor in the small isolated gift shop up there.
We went down the other side, joined the coast road and cruised along all the way to the Jampot Bakery to replenish our supply of the truly delicious, Monk-baked, muffins for our breakfasts. Then it was on to Eagle River and the usual afternoon Zoe beach romp. We took the "coast road" out and down to Ahmeek, also a very pretty drive, and turned back up a little way to Mohawk where we stopped at the surprisingly well-stocked Superette and while in there decided to get tomorrow's lunch supplies as we plan to stick around the cabin for a day, just taking it easy.
Before we left and still after we returned we could hear heavy machinery running as it appears a nearby unimproved lot is being cleared and leveled no doubt prior to some sort of construction. However, it does look as though they are done so we should have a peaceful day tomorrow.
Wednesday - Although only appearing a little breezier at the cabin the wind must be up out on the lake as we have had wonderful crashing breakers all day long. Apart from a couple of threatening clouds appearing and then disappearing the day has remained pleasantly "partly cloudy". This has been our "day of rest" and the van hasn't moved at all. Everything has been done in a leisurely manner will small reference to the clock. We took a beach stroll in the morning then sat and read, when not dropping off for an extended late morning nap. In mid afternoon John took a couple of walks, a shorter one with Zoe who after a while made it very clear she had no interest in going further without Marissa! In fact we seem to have burned off much of Zoe's reserves of abundant energy. The second walk was a local exploration with much retracing of steps since the side lanes are like a delta branching and branching into many dead ends. Eventually the yard of an unoccupied cabin was snuck through and a return was made along the beach. We sat at the end of the "lawn", watched the waves, drank cups of tea and generally relaxed. It's been a lovely, peaceful, restful day. However, in the end our restlessness got the better of us and embarked on a tour of local exploration, the nearby mini-park and a beach area somewhat further afield, finally being driven to return home by a combination of hunger and sunset.
Thursday - Our last day in the Keweenaw was a perfect autumnal day. It is also the peak of color up here, almost everything turned but few leaves actually fallen as yet. We started off by taking a couple of new-to-us roads and the colors were magnificent. From Lake Linden (city) we headed to US41 and on towards Calumet looking for a place that apparently no longer is in business. We stopped in one or two places that caught our eye and then did a motor tour of Calumet but nothing there (other than where we had already shopped) seemed worth stopping to check out. We continued on up and stopped at the "snow thermometer" noting that this past winter was close to the least snowfall since they started keeping records.
A little further on we stopped at a combination Information and Local Crafts store and after much browsing John bought an attractive birdhouse largely crafted from driftwood - he must have been suffering from spending withdrawal! Our next stop was Eagle River, where the falls are almost non-existent at this end of a dry year, and down to the beach for a long walk (humans) and a very long, fast, erratic excursion (Havanese). From there we took the coast road and eventually found the "short-cut" to the one-lane, unpaved, lengthy Bumbletown road to Gratiot Beach. If we had known how to recognize an agate when it reached up and bit us we could have joined the few other people there as that beach is supposed to be a famous source. However, by that far into the afternoon food seemed more appealing so we bounced our way back and on to Ahmeek, getting a buffalo meat hot dog and an ice cream sundae each. Thereafter we meandered our way back to the cabin to take the rest of our time here nice and easy.
As we load up to start the run from the cabin to Iron Mountain the odometer is at 1559.3 miles for the trip so far. Pictures taken during the days described above will be added to Flickr at a later date.
At around 10 o’clock the entire hotel lost power (except emergency exit signs), pretty much dictating bedtime, although Marissa’s Kindle has a light. Right after we had each in turn fumbled our way to the bathroom around 2:00 AM the power came back and all the lights came on and suddenly seemed very bright. After we had reset the clock we settled down for sleeping part 2. By the time Zoe demanded to be taken out for her own morning bathroom break the rains had stopped and the winds had died down to merely “windy”.
The power had been on long enough for them to present the usual excellent breakfast although the breakfast room was more crowded than usual. Neither hurrying nor wasting time we organized for departure, brought the van up to the closest available spot and loaded up. We shot down into town and parked just outside the Internet Cafe there and Marissa checked weather, etc (the hotel network was up but they had lost their internet connection in the storm). We then started westwards and in between the two M towns pulled into a lay-by and took some pictures of a very rough lake, reminiscent of an early trip with Maria resulting in a picture that was our computer "wallpaper" for years. I think we took from the very same spot.
The whole journey was a struggle for me driving. Not only was I fighting fierce winds in a very large vehicle, but the skies could not stay consistent for what seemed (endlessly) more than 45 seconds at a time, from nothing & squeaky wipers, to "full-on" and everything in between. From that perspective it was a very tedious drive. As we approached Marquette Marissa suggested a side trip to Presque Isle where we not only saw an ore boat at the loading dock (first time one had actually been there since Maria & my very first time there). In various places wave action was spectacular and a great many pictures were taken from which to make a subsequent choice.
Eventually we headed back to the main road and in view of the weather conditions make no more stops until halfway down the hill at L'Anse closing in on Baraga. We stopped for a quick lunch of burgers and fries, slipped around the bottom of the bay and topped up with "cheap" (i.e. no-tax) gas on the "Indian Reservation". We cruised up the lower Keweenaw, slid through Houghton, over the bridge, up the hill in Hancock and stopped at Pat's Foods IGA where we shopped for basic supplies for the next 24 hours. Then we cruised up to Mohawk, turned off and headed to Gay and followed the necessarily detailed directions to our home away from home cabin, Loot's Lodge, which was simultaneously a wonder and a disaster!!!
The wonder was its location, the disaster was that it also had lost electrical power in the big storm and since everything, including water, relied on electricity we became instant pioneers. Soon after our arrival the "cleaning lady" arrived back with clean sheets from the laundrette and told us that she had called in our outage and had been assured they were "working on it"! After some debate we decided to chance that it would be fixed before we became desperate (the optional outhouse was indescribable & impossible) so we moved in and immediately set about lighting the wood stove so that we would at least have heat. We investigated the place & its surroundings, much to Zoe's joy although she blotted her copybook by disappearing for too long at one point & may have to pay for it by being leashed hereafter.
As the light started to fade we heated some pasties & gravy on the now scorching hot wood stove and prepared ourselves, despite the early hour, for going to bed in total darkness - and out here it is DARK! However, just as the light was fading Marissa heard the beeping of a reversing truck and shortly afterwards WE HAD POWER! The water pump kicked on, the toilet refilled, the fridge started to run and lights galore provided brightness. Now we could relax and settle in properly. We can also download pictures to the PCs, etc, but of course can no longer upload anything to the Internet, so anyone reading this will be seeing slightly "old news".
Saturday was a much prettier day with lots of sunshine and some diminution of the wind, in fact as Marissa photographed the dawn mist was rising off the lake. The cabin is an odd mixture. It has a great kitchen, decent Master bedroom, reasonable living room, somewhat scary stairs, a scary dormitory upstairs and a minuscule bathroom. Marissa has elected to sleep down by the stove on a sofa bed and after the first night we have dragged down a full-size mattress from upstairs to supplement it, making a reasonable bed. We are hoping it will stay cool enough that bathroom time can be minimized!
In due course we headed out, retracing our initial route through Gay to Mohawk but then turning up the peninsula to Phoenix where we turned off down to Eagle River. Our first stop was at North Country Crafts which was poorly stocked as in our usual chat with proprietress Bonnie she told us they are retiring and will close for good as soon as this season ends. They will still use the home behind as a summer place and invited us to call and say hello on any future visits. We did manage to find a few small things to purchase. Then it was down to the beach to exercise the hound although John was frustrated as the drainage stream, normally just a trickle, was wide enough and deep enough to limit our range, but we still had good run/walk.
We headed on to the monk-run Jampot, bought some jams and fancy muffins for home and here, looked at Jacobs Falls and then went on along the coast to Eagle Harbor, parking on the lighthouse side for a general look (little had changed) and a photo or two before heading inland and eventually down the main road to Calumet. We cruised an assortment of shops but only bought in Copper World and even there not as much as in prior years, but it was nice to look. We moved from ancient to modern and the huge Pat's Foods IGA there where we took our time buying a week's supply of potential breakfasts and dinners - our "big shop" for the duration - as we assume we will be out for lunch most of the days as the weather forecast is very encouraging.
Back at the cabin we ate our sandwiches & salads then settled down for a reading and somnolent afternoon. After tea we essayed forth and took a long hike along the beach, much to Zoe's delight. It was a good day.
Sunday was the kind of weather day we had hoped for and expected. Lots of sunshine, comfortably cool temperatures and not much wind. Today we headed up the peninsula on this side. We first stopped at a delightful rest area, beach, rocks, trees, etc seen several times before but always just in passing. We carried carried on to Lac La Belle, stopping briefly at Haven falls, pretty, but not much flow at this time of year. Then it was on to Bete Gris Bay beach where we walked and Zoe romped for a while, her second significant beach run of the day.
Back in the van we cruised through the "pretty" right on up to Copper Harbor, took a side trip to Manganese Falls, small, noisy and very deep in a narrow ravine. John took a couple of pictures before Marissa donned her "Maria hat" and decreed no further exploration on the treacherous paths with no guard rails! We then took a dirt road through some pine forest but a road closed sign spooked us and we turned around and ran back into town. We picked up some supplies, including sandwiches for lunch, found a pretty spot to eat them, returned, parked, and then did some touristy shopping (looking but not buying) on foot but eventually lost interest. This time we took the "other side" coast road cruising along through Eagle Harbor to Eagle River where we parked and Zoe had her third (and last) major romp of the day. Once home she gave every sign of being exhausted!
We returned to our cabin by the shortest (but still significant) way only to find that just one wall, the one with windows and patio door looking towards the lake, has suffered the Invasion of the Flies! We commenced a fly Jihad and in due course had achieved spectacular success ending with a vacuum cleaner canister full of dead and dying flies. The wood stove was again lit as the evening boded to be cool and we settled into our usual relaxed holiday routine.
Monday - For no particular reason all three of us slept a good hour later than usual so we made a pretty late start to the day's adventures, once again in cool sunshiny weather. We headed over to Lake Linden (the city) and made a mini tour during which Marissa spotted a store called Copperland Arts Crafts, about one third of which is a studio in which two or three artisans make a lot of what they sell. We browsed, and before we left I had bought a large and a small wall decoration (one for show, one for the "trips taken" passage wall) and Marissa had bought one.
Next door was a gas station and a large supermarket. We topped up (always a good idea up here) at the one and bought sandwiches and salads for lunch in the other. Then we headed to the bottom of the top (i.e. the southernmost point of the peninsula after the H-H bridge) the hamlet of Jacobsville and the public shoreside park there. After eating our lunch we walked along the breakwater between the main lake and the inland waterway, quite rough to one side and dead calm to the other all the way out to the navigation light - a distance that surprised us by being much further than it looked! As we neared the end Zoe decided it was too cold (the breeze was quite fresh along there) and sat down in protest and shivered, so she was carried back cuddled to a warm human, each of us carrying her about half the way. Back on the sheltered beach she regained her joie de vivre and scampered about, free of restraint for quite a while.
We returned to L.L. and went on to Laurium, found the Laurium Manor, paid a small fee to take a self-guided tour and did so. It is an early 1900's mansion, 4 stories, 45 rooms and 13,000 sq. ft. It has been restored and doubles as a high-end B and B as all bedrooms, including the staff's, had attached bathrooms. It was very interesting to see. Once we were done we called it a day and headed back to our cabin to light the stove ready for the evening and generally relax, apart from a late afternoon beach walk.
Tuesday - This was yet another gorgeous autumn day. Part of this day's "adventures" really were such. We took our side coast road until it joined US41 and then on to Copper Harbor. After some minor shopping we headed up to the official end of paved US41 (1994 miles from Miami, FL) but carried on up the decent graveled county road for a while before turning onto a track and bouncing our way down to the parking area (room for 3 vehicles!) for the Mary Macdonald Preserve (of the Nature Conservancy) and the start of the trail to Horseshoe Harbor. The trail surface was about equal parts dirt, tree roots and rocks, but passable. We reached the cove (not a harbor at all) and spent some enjoyable time in splendid isolation on the rocky beach and the rocks, enjoying the sunshine and silence.
Eventually we staggered back to the van, largely uphill, and then bounced our way back to the gravel road, down to 41 and on into Copper Harbor. Deciding we wanted a change to cold sandwiches for lunch we found a restaurant willing to give us carry out of hot sandwiches which we thoroughly enjoyed while overlooking the little park beside the visitors center. We checked out the remaining tourist shop and are now done with Copper Harbor from whence we embarked on the hill climb up the Brockway Mountain Drive which was very pretty. We parked at the top, took the usual ritual pictures, although the hazy day did not allow good long views, and John finally found a suitable memento of Copper Harbor in the small isolated gift shop up there.
We went down the other side, joined the coast road and cruised along all the way to the Jampot Bakery to replenish our supply of the truly delicious, Monk-baked, muffins for our breakfasts. Then it was on to Eagle River and the usual afternoon Zoe beach romp. We took the "coast road" out and down to Ahmeek, also a very pretty drive, and turned back up a little way to Mohawk where we stopped at the surprisingly well-stocked Superette and while in there decided to get tomorrow's lunch supplies as we plan to stick around the cabin for a day, just taking it easy.
Before we left and still after we returned we could hear heavy machinery running as it appears a nearby unimproved lot is being cleared and leveled no doubt prior to some sort of construction. However, it does look as though they are done so we should have a peaceful day tomorrow.
Wednesday - Although only appearing a little breezier at the cabin the wind must be up out on the lake as we have had wonderful crashing breakers all day long. Apart from a couple of threatening clouds appearing and then disappearing the day has remained pleasantly "partly cloudy". This has been our "day of rest" and the van hasn't moved at all. Everything has been done in a leisurely manner will small reference to the clock. We took a beach stroll in the morning then sat and read, when not dropping off for an extended late morning nap. In mid afternoon John took a couple of walks, a shorter one with Zoe who after a while made it very clear she had no interest in going further without Marissa! In fact we seem to have burned off much of Zoe's reserves of abundant energy. The second walk was a local exploration with much retracing of steps since the side lanes are like a delta branching and branching into many dead ends. Eventually the yard of an unoccupied cabin was snuck through and a return was made along the beach. We sat at the end of the "lawn", watched the waves, drank cups of tea and generally relaxed. It's been a lovely, peaceful, restful day. However, in the end our restlessness got the better of us and embarked on a tour of local exploration, the nearby mini-park and a beach area somewhat further afield, finally being driven to return home by a combination of hunger and sunset.
Thursday - Our last day in the Keweenaw was a perfect autumnal day. It is also the peak of color up here, almost everything turned but few leaves actually fallen as yet. We started off by taking a couple of new-to-us roads and the colors were magnificent. From Lake Linden (city) we headed to US41 and on towards Calumet looking for a place that apparently no longer is in business. We stopped in one or two places that caught our eye and then did a motor tour of Calumet but nothing there (other than where we had already shopped) seemed worth stopping to check out. We continued on up and stopped at the "snow thermometer" noting that this past winter was close to the least snowfall since they started keeping records.
A little further on we stopped at a combination Information and Local Crafts store and after much browsing John bought an attractive birdhouse largely crafted from driftwood - he must have been suffering from spending withdrawal! Our next stop was Eagle River, where the falls are almost non-existent at this end of a dry year, and down to the beach for a long walk (humans) and a very long, fast, erratic excursion (Havanese). From there we took the coast road and eventually found the "short-cut" to the one-lane, unpaved, lengthy Bumbletown road to Gratiot Beach. If we had known how to recognize an agate when it reached up and bit us we could have joined the few other people there as that beach is supposed to be a famous source. However, by that far into the afternoon food seemed more appealing so we bounced our way back and on to Ahmeek, getting a buffalo meat hot dog and an ice cream sundae each. Thereafter we meandered our way back to the cabin to take the rest of our time here nice and easy.
As we load up to start the run from the cabin to Iron Mountain the odometer is at 1559.3 miles for the trip so far. Pictures taken during the days described above will be added to Flickr at a later date.
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