Jun 18, 2013 - Allendale MI

Today went well; we have the new bus, we have moved everything over from the old to the new and most things work, but not all. Oh, and by the way, we’re tired. We got to Tom and Susie’s just before 9:00 and went over the coach and its features. We pulled out of their driveway just before 11:00 and I was off to put some liquid dinosaurs in the tank while MB went to the King of Burgers for some quick grub which we ate in the grocery store parking lot. I finally got back to the campground about 1:30 and by 2:00 we were parked side-by-side next...

Jun 18, 2013 - Glacier National Park

Today was a somewhat uneventful (that's a good thing!) travel day from Fort Peck Recreation Area in eastern Montana to Glacier National Park in northwest Montana, a distance of 386 miles. US 2 continues to be a great route to travel, straight as an arrow in some places, but enough local flavor so you tend to enjoy your surroundings more than one does with freeway travel. We had breakfast and lunch at some rest stops along the way, our preference over fast food. At one rest stop we pulled up next to a sage green Subaru pulling a Scamp...

Jun 17, 2013 - Fort Peck Recreation Area, Montana..............again!

Well, here we are.................again. Melita just dug out her trip journal from the summer of 2004 when we took a six-week trip to the Pacific Northwest and Canadian Rockies. She discovered that we camped at this location nine years ago, almost to the day. Fort Peck Recreation Area, in eastern Montana, is a beautiful place for lots of different recreation, and the campground has all the amenities we need............and some things we don't..............I think the mosquitoes followed us here from Michigan. We put in a long day...

Jun 17, 2013 - Allendale MI

Well, things actually started out better than I expected and as of this writing, they have continued. We got a phone call at 8:30 that our money was transferred into our account so following a quick call to the seller, we were on our way to meet him to handle the first wave of transactions. It all went surprisingly well and we have made arrangements to meet at his house early tomorrow and go over some specifics of the bus, then we will bring it back to the campground and start swapping all of our traveling goodies from one fast house to the...

Jun 17, 2013 - Back in USA at St Ignace, Michigan

Back on the road this morning with cloudy skies with some patches of sun, A nice drive across Canada, Mid morning the clouds give way to the sun so making it a pretty day. I cross into the USA at Sault Str. Marie through customs Got pulled for a complete car check which lasted about a hour and a half, I think what triggered it was the Russian and China stamps in my passport. They went through every bag and even had to unlock my computer. Had to repack my car after the big mess they made of everything. Back on the road headed into St Ignace...

Jun 16, 2013 - Allendale MI

We did some packing and prepping for the big as-yet-to-happen move, but that was about it for the majority of the day. We watched all the weekend campers leave and as of late afternoon our “neighborhood” was quiet again. About 3:30 we were both hungry so in honor of Father’s Day, my lovely wife said we should go to dinner – who am I to argue? We talked to Marie in the office for a recommendation and decided to go to a Mexican restaurant about 15 minutes down the road. Good plan, but poor cooperation on the part of the restaurant – they...

Jun 16, 2013 - Wings over Gaylord: Day 2

After church, we returned to Wings over Gaylord for the flying portion of the day. The skies were blue and got clearer by the minute. By 1pm there was not a cloud to be seen so the photographs of the stunt planes really look fantastic. Today we sat by a grandfather and grandson; the younger male had his iPad and took videos of many of the stunts. He's sending me his Facebook page so I can download them. I think you'll really enjoy seeing what these pilots did in the air! Nice warm day today - sun was bright and hot (as hot as it gets in...

Jun 16, 2013 - The other Grand Rapids.........

They say "there's a reason everything is so green!" It rains a lot! That was the case overnight last night at Straits State Park, but we stayed dry and snug in our little Teardrop. After a breakfast of bran muffins and boiled eggs, and Norm's good coffee from our manual drip pot, we hit the road about 9am. The drive along US 2 west of St. Ignace is usually spectacular as the road hugs the northern shore of Lake Michigan. However we were socked in with fog for the first hour of the drive. Good thing we have been on the road many times and...

Jun 15, 2013 - We're off!

Well, here we are safely ensconced at Straits State Park in St. Ignace, right on the Straits of Mackinac and would you believe in the same site we camped 23 years ago when our family took a camping trip around Lake Superior with the two grandmothers. We distinctly remember this was a site where Grandma was in her glory when she fried fish for supper that night. It was just a couple of days ago, as the time for our trip neared, that we figured we would be ready to leave on Saturday and not Sunday as we had planned earlier. Though we are...

Jun 15, 2013 - Wings over Gaylord

Wings over Gaylord is a local event that is held every Father's Day weekend. We weren't sure what to expect, but everything was perfect! The weather was overcast for most of the day, but that's a good thing since we were surrounded by tarmac and dust. Five or six raindrops fell at some point; then the sun came out and made for a glorious afternoon... high was 77 degrees. The morning was devoted to looking at planes and military displays. Some of the planes were available for touring. Around noon we got lunch - Bob Evans had a concession...

Jun 15, 2013 - CAMPGROUND

Went to a car repair place early. They were not open but the mechanic was there. He said what happened with the filter was not uncommon and that he had a fix for it. He'll do it Monday for a couple hundred. Campground is basically a parking lot with electrical outlets, fresh water and sewers. Also has showers and a laundry room. Very reasonably priced. I am surrounded by dozens of quarter million dollar rigs. Called Yellowstone for a reserved spot for Monday and/or Tuesday since I could not get there very early for the first come first...

Jun 14, 2013 - MOUNTAINS

Had an adventurous trip to Cody, Wyoming. The GPS took me on some very steep roads. I should have followed the advice of some road signs to take a gentler route. Twice, while going up the hills, the engine died. I couldn't even get it onto the shoulder because there was none. I suspected "vapor lock" in the gas line where gas vaporizes in the line due to altitude and no fuel reaches the engine. I loosened the gas cap and a large amount of vaporized gas was released. The engine then started. In addition to this, the fuel filter started...