May 17, 2013 - FINALLY LEFT

Left 2 days later than expected but on the way. Rain on the way up but dry at Sleeping Bear dunes. Rather chilly. Tested battery systems and the ran the George Forman grill no problem. Got 9.6 mpg on first fill up--better than the 7-8 I expected. Will leave tomorrow for Charlevoix at Greg and Marlene's. That 3rd picture is an RV that looks to be a former military vehicle. The map on the side is of Africa, Asia and Europe, with it's route displayed onthe side.

Sep 1, 2012 - More U.P.

After leaving the Picture Rocks area we headed for Newberry. We were going to visit friends from Texas who have a home north west of Newberry. Jean did not write down ALL the directions we were given a few days before. As a result, when we went looking for the correct roads, not all the turns were indicated in the written directions. It took us three hours to make a 45 minute trip, getting lost twice on a washboard gravel road with a top speed of 5 mph. But we made it and spent two nights at their beautiful home. Oscar loved being able to...

Jul 10, 2012 - Sleeping Bear Dunes

About 30 miles right up Hwy 22 from our campground is a sight that you don't want to miss if you are in this area. Sleeping Bear Dunes. Never knew that much sand could occur on an inland beach. The sand dunes are hundreds of feet high, witness the picture of stupid kids trying to climb down and back up!!! Breathtaking scenery. You have to get out of your car and walk to the overlook. Just past the National Lakeshore is the Leelanaw peninsula. Nice drive with several quaint towns.

Jun 6, 2012 - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore

We started the day out today taking the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is a 7.4 mile self-guided auto tour on the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. When you start the drive you get a small brochure that lists all the sights that you can stop at along the way and gives information about them. The first sight on the brochure was a covered bridge which is close to the beginning of the Pierce Stocking drive. The original structure was built by Pierce Stocking in the 1960s. The bridge had to be...

Jul 18, 2011 - The Dunes

Today started out overcast which was good. We got a late start since everyone was up the night before. It was about a 30 minute ride to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore visitor center. We watched the introduction movie, picked up some maps and headed out to for our first hike – Empire Bluff Trail. It was a 1.5 hike to an overlook of Lake Michigan through a forest. We could hear thunder in the distance. We couldn’t see too far since it was so overcast with the clouds coming in. From there we headed north to the Pierce Stocking...

Jul 15, 2011 - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Today turned out to be another really nice day. In the morning it looked like it was going to be cool and mostly cloudy all day, but it turned out to absolutely glorious! It was a two-hour drive from Petoskey to the Visitor Center of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Empire, MI, - part of the National Park Service. We had lunch at the Empire Village Inn, and then started our driving tour. We took the seven-mile scenic driving tour through part of the park, then continued north and then east across Lake Leelanau to Suttons Bay....

Jul 5, 2011 - Silver Lake to Sleeping Bear Dunes (SBD) 110 miles

The 1st thing we did was to take Bonnie for a swim. We found a beach full of goop - Cladaphora. Algae has washed ashore and decayed into a toxin that is killing birds that eat it; it smells like sewage. But, Bonnie had a great swim anyway. We drove to the US Life Saving Station (USLSS) where we got a tour from a very enthusiatic volunteer that told us all about it. Get a load of the breech buoy! All of the structures here had to be moved b/c of dunes threatening to cover over them. We never knew how labor intensive it was to save lives on...

Aug 5, 2010 - Camping in Michigan

Years ago Mark came to Sleeping Bear Dunes & so we came here to camp! We got the last open spot for our tent & we had our own trail to our own beach! Lake Michigan has waves bigger than Naples! We HiKED, the boys ran up & down Dunes! We watched a Maririme re enactment of life saving shipwrecks with a Lyle gun - it has been an awesome trip!

Aug 5, 2008 - Suttons Bay, MI

Land of the Trolls5 August - After dropping another 20 in the slots and having the breakfast buffet, I got underway about 10:30. Shortly after departing I crossed the Mackinac Bridge and entered into the land down under, where the Trolls live. I received a call from my daughter Mary while I was taking a break at the WalMart in Gaylord. Seems they (Mary, Betty (Mary‘s mother), Bonny (Betty‘s sister), and Laura (Bonny‘s daughter and the bride) were headed in my direction so we arranged to meet in the little town of Mancelona. Mary decided to...

Sep 5, 2007 - (Revised 9/18) Bob and Kay's home in Northport, MI

We arrived on the 2nd to spend some great times with my cousin Bob and his wife Kay. They have recently retired and are now a permanent fixture in their summer house. They are no longer a "fudgey"...this is the locals term for the tourist because they come and buy the fudge. Kay cooked, Brian cooked and Bob took us out to dinner. I had the time of my life just being the handyman. I got to work on the roof and Brian, Kay and I spent a day in the garden. Bob and Kay were feeling guilty but I really had a wonderful time 'putzing' around the...

Aug 29, 2007 - From the Upper to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan

What a beautiful day we had today. The first half was quite cloudy but still very nice. We left Escanaba at 9:00 this morning. It felt a lot earlier because we had just changed to Eastern time and it felt like 8:00 to us. It always takes a few days before you catch up to the time zone that you are in. We found a cute little coffee shop that you could drive through but we decided not to press our luck. It was pretty narrow and the eaves hung down lower than we were comfortable with. We ordered their Americana but believe me, it sure wasn't...

Aug 19, 2007 - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Aug 19, 2009 46991 We went out to breakfast, emptied the black and gray water tanks and filled the water tank before leaving. It was nearly 10:30 as we pulled out of the park. We are headed to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on the western side of Michigan. We are taking a scenic tour through Petosky and Traverse Bay. We do stop in Traverse Bay to pick up cherries and veggies. 2:15 We arrive at the campsite and then head out to explore the area. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Located on the Eastern edge of Lake Michigan...