Bushels of Fun– Snake Creek State Park, SD 6/26

We had a long drive today through southern Minnesota. Actually, this part of the state doesn’t look much different than Iowa with miles and miles of cornfields broken up by the occasional dairy farm. Our original plan was to camp at the western border of Minnesota at Lake Shetak State Park that boasted swimming and a 6-mile bike path into the town of Currie. After about 5 hours of driving we finally pulled into the park, but deliberated whether or not to camp for the night. The concern wasn’t so much the campground, but the 70 mph winds, hailstorm and weather warnings that were continually being broadcast on the radio. So far we were fortunate in that we hadn’t seen any rain, but knew it coming. Even though we had already done a lot of driving, we figured it didn’t make much sense to stay put and be in the inevitable storm that was heading our way. On the way out of Minnesota and into South Dakota we decided to stop by Pipestone National Monument famous for the red soft stone that was the preferred source of pipestone among Plains tribes. The Visitor’s Center had several Indian crafts men and women carving and creating stone pipes and jewelry and a nice museum. As we drove down the main street of the nearby town, Pipestone, most of the buildings were made from this rock. While the architecture was similar to many small towns across America, the colors were definitely unique. I’m glad we made the side trip. Once in South Dakota we drove thru the storm, impressed by the strong winds and sheets of rain pelting down, but were pleased that in half an hour we were driving out of the storm and into blue skies/ We heard on the radio that the place we were going to camp was being pelted with golf ball size hail stones. Good call Team Russell! The next stop was the world famous and only Corn Palace! See today’s pic of Ned looking corny but cute in front of the Palace. (bad pun, I know). We pulled into our campsite quite late, about 8ish, but were rewarded with the last campsite directly situated on the expansive Missouri River. It’s a gorgeous evening and we’re enjoying a glass of wine, playing cards and taking in the sunset.

La Familia– Arrowhead Campground, Wisconsin Dells, WI 6/24-6/25

Before we left the campground Ned suggested we check out Kitch-iti-kipi or “The Big Spring”. We had a short drive to these springs and were really surprised by the beauty and interesting geological phenomenon. We were the only ones there and took a short walk to a pier with a self operated raft. Ned wheeled us out into the middle of the small lake, and viewing into the covered opening in the center of the raft you could look 40 feet down into the clearest emerald green water and see the bubbling sands as the springs flowed up. It bubbles up at 10,000 gallons a minute and is a constant 45 degrees year round. The tiny spring lake is located in a heavily wooded area and the sun was breaking just as we entered it - a truly magical moment. Our next stop was Lake Arrowhead for the family reunion. After a six hour drive we pulled into the campground, circled around, went to the site where the family was supposed to be and even checked at the office for the Santos-Saar family reunion. Nothing, nada, zilch. At one point, as we were sitting in front of the campsite that we thought was our group, a very worried “dad” came on over and asked us if we needed help. Yeah, will you be my family?! After a few phone calls, it turns out we were at the wrong Arrowhead Campground!! Fortunately the other Arrowhead Campground was only about an hour away and we finally caught up with the real family or at least the ones that haven’t disowned us yet. We had a great two days with everyone. Ned and I loved playing with all 4 great-nephews and they loved us for our van, which they considered a really cool playhouse. (See today’s pic of all 4 boys on the top bunk of Winnie). In all there were 6 boys ranging from age 7-3. We swam, played bean bag toss games, biked, and generally were worn out keeping up with the little ones. Ned and I took a daytrip on the Elroy-Sparta rail trail. We biked 23 miles through two former train tunnels along a gorgeous trail under arched trees. Others took side trips either playing golf, riding “the ducks, or enjoying the waterparks and we all met up for a true Midwest feast. Gary and Dru outdid themselves grilling up brats, burgers & dogs, Brunswick stew, salads and even homemade ice cream. The highlight of the evening was watching 6 little boys taking whacks at a piñata that wouldn’t break open. There are some serious baseball sluggers in this little group, perhaps even a future Cubbie or two. Later in the evening a pretty impressive thunderstorm rolled through adding plenty of drama to the night. This separated the men from the boys. Almost everyone scattered for their cabins or campsites. A hearty few of us – Marc, Gary, Becky, Andy, Laura, Lane and I played cards doing “shots” or drinking mai tais under a tarp as the storm raged on. As I’m writing this, early on Saturday morning – no one is yet up! Ned and I are on the road again for our next destination, Minnesota, leaving behind hung-over, weary campers. A good time was had by all.

Poncho Villa Rides Again! - Indian State Park, Thompson, Michigan, 6/23

Today was just too much fun. We were hoping the big rainstorm that was headed our way would hit last night, but unfortunately I only saw stars every time I woke up. By the time we headed for Mackinaw City early this morning, the storm was definitely headed our way, the skies were clouding up and rain was imminent. We decided, “What the heck, let’s just head for Mackinac Island and take our chances”. We embarked on the passenger ferry, with our bikes of course, and had a great ride viewing the suspension bridge and other ferry boats with their huge sprays, like rooster tails, spouting behind them. Once we landed on the island we decided to ride the 8 mile trail around the island before exploring the town. Well, we got to about mile 3, felt a couple of rain drops, heard the huge thunder crack directly above and just barely managed to get our ponchos over our heads before the skies opened up. Oh and what a mighty storm it was!! We rode another half mile, getting completely drenched, then finally spotted a snack shack and ran for shelter. We were not the only ones there, and as the bike refugees huddled under the very narrow eaves, the water poured off the hillside and came in torrents around us. We soon found ourselves in ankle deep water wondering how long the storm would last. Some of the troops didn’t think it would abate so they abandoned ship and rode back to town in the pouring rain. Soon there was only a small contingent left, a dad with two daughters, and Ned and I. Our fellow band of brothers decided that it was best to retreat, so they headed off into the rain back to their dry hotel room once the thunder and lightening stopped - but not Ned and I. No, the fearless duo was in it for the duration and we were determined to bike around the island. Ned spotted a restroom sign through the woods and we made a mad dash for it. Once in the ladies room I stripped down and used the hand dryer to dry my clothes. After about 10 minutes of intensive drying two young girls came in and I’m sure I scared the pants off of them too! The last thing they expected was to open the restroom door and see a half naked lady in front of the hand dryer. Once somewhat dry, we threw on our ponchos again and damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. As we rode off into the light drizzle we both yelled, “Poncho Villa rides again!” (See today’s pic). These brave warriors were rewarded with the road to themselves and calm skies. We rode triumphantly back into town the l-o-n-g way. Once in town, we thought it was a great time to grab lunch and reconnoiter. As we finished our lunch the owner of the restaurant came on over and said we looked like adventuresome folks so he showed us some other fun, more off the beaten path, places to bike. By this time the skies had cleared up and we had a great time exploring the middle of the island passing horse drawn carriages, grand estates, the tiny airport and historic battle places. By the time we landed back in town we had ridden 16.5 miles. We grabbed the 3:00 ferry and headed for Yooperland. Our first stop in the Upper Peninsula was at one of the many smoke fish shop joints that line the highway, a just reward for our valiant ride. We arrived at Indian Lake Campground and were thrilled to get a site right on the lake, including our own dock and bench. After spending a bit of time cleaning out poor Winnie (too many peanut shells and cherry pits), the sun broke and we took advantage of the warmth and went swimming. As I write this, it’s beginning to cloud up again and we are hearing the distant roar of thunder. Mmm – might be a good idea to start rounding up all our gear that is airing out and batten down the hatches.

CheBOYgan, Baby! – Cheboygan State Park, Michigan, 6/22

Ned here. (Debi’s talking to Josh in China…) Last night the skies opened up and produced the biggest thunderstorm of our trip so far. We ate breakfast in the van to keep out of the rain, which is something we did quite often on our trip last fall. As we headed north along the coast of Lake Huron, the rain stopped, although it remained cloudy. We soon stopped at a produce stand along the road that advertised both blueberries and cherries. We were soon on the road again, stuffing ourselves with some of the best blueberries and cherries we have ever tasted! We followed the “Scenic Sunrise Shore” drive suggested by our Most Scenic Drives in America book. Frankly, it was the first time we felt disappointed in one of the drives suggested by that book. There were only a few short areas where we were able to see the lake, which, however, we are pleased to report is much cleaner looking than our experience last night at Saginaw Bay. For at least 100 miles we passed very modest homes with lakefront property, along with 50’s vintage mom and pop vacation cottages. It felt like a time warp of when families loaded up the station wagon and vacationed at a cabin along the lake. During most of this time, Debi became obsessed with finding a place that sold smoked whitefish, a delicacy which she fell in love with last Fall on our trip through Wisconsin. However, we have yet to find any that meet her stringent specifications. We felt triumphant when we finally reached Cheboygan State Park. Last winter, as Debi was planning this trip to avoid cabin fever, we often joined in a chorus of “Cheboygan, baby, Cheboygan!” It was fun to actually get here after all that buildup! We stopped in downtown to buy some groceries, and decided to treat ourselves to dinner in town. We both ate a nice whitefish dinner on an outdoor patio, as the sun began to shine, next to the Black River,. As we ate, we watched three different fishermen pull in large fish across the river from us. On our way back to camp, we stopped at the beach in the state park. (See today’s pic) We verified again here that water in this part of the lake is relatively clear, but mysteriously to us, only a few inches deep, even several hundred feet from shore. We’re hoping for good weather tomorrow on our bike ride around Mackinac Island.

 

Cheboygan on Dwellable

A Gourmet Day, Back in the U.S. of A – Bay City State Park, Michigan, 6/21

We woke up to gorgeous blue skies this morning. We decided to revise our plans about passing through the Detroit area and headed straight toward Lake Huron, crossing into the US at Sarnia. We had 6 Canadian dollars (or 3 double loonies) left to our name, and wanted to spend them the best possible way before re-entry into the home country. For the past few days, we’ve driven past several Tim Horton’s (Canada’s version of Dunkin’ Donuts), and decided, what the heck, that was as good a place as any to blow our wad. Ned and I very rarely eat donuts, so this was quite an adventure. Three dollars and two wrong orders later, we were not impressed. By the time we reached the border, we discovered that we had a pay a $3 bridge toll to get back into the U.S…. Voila! Our first goal of the day was accomplished. Once we were back in Michigan, we desperately needed to make a fuel stop. Low and behold, the fine American institution of White Castle Burgers stood next door. Having grown up in the Midwest, I was smart enough to not partake. However, Ned had not been indoctrinated into the White Castle experience. After my strong encouragement, he ordered 4 “sliders”.(See today pic, before the big event.) Oh! The joy of the miniature steamed burgers, complete with micro-minced onions and dill pickle, which went down so easily for him! Two hours later, the joy was not so much… I had to admire his gusto in taking on both a Tim Horton donut and 4 White Castles on the same morning. (These Food Science majors will try anything in the name of research.) We drove along the shore of Lake Huron, on our way to Bay City, hoping to view the lake. However, for most of the way, the shoreline was obscured by trees or modest houses. When we reached Bay City State Park, on the shores of Lake Huron, we went for a great 15 mile bike ride. We really enjoyed riding the Rail Trail, a large part of which is shaded by over-arching trees. We rode through heavily wooded areas, along marches, and near the beach. It felt really great to get two long bike rides in back to back. Wanting to pick up something to barbecue tonight, we decided to check out the local grocery store. You can sure tell you’re in the Midwest: we don’t have cases of sausages and cheese stacked up like this back in California. We settled for a NY strip steak, corn and salad. After dinner, we decided to hop on our bikes again, cool off, and put our feet in the lake water. Yuck!!! This part of Lake Huron is smelly, thick with sludge, and dark brown. And this was the “swimming area”! After seeing the blue waters of Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and, last fall, Lake Superior, we were quite shocked. Tomorrow we take the highly recommended scenic drive from Bay City to Cheboygan, where all the timber barons built their mansions. It’ll be interesting to see if that stretch of beach is any better.

Oh Canada – Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario Canada 6/20

We thought it would be fun to cross over into Canada and check out the falls from our Northern friend’s side. It was crystal clear blue skies and the day was quite warm with not much of a breeze, quite a contrast from yesterday. Once entering Canada we took the Niagara Parkway along the gorge and we stunned by the beauty of this area. The drive is thru a park and we passed botanical gardens, a tomahawk and woodcutters area, saw the flower clock and really just enjoyed the pristine beauty of the gorge. The parkway ultimately spilled out onto an area overlooking all three falls. It was really quite stunning and much more of a panoramic view than on the US side. (See today’s pic). The last time I viewed this was about 15 years ago and I remember it being much more tacky than this. It seems that the touristy kitsch shops are now all located on one main street somewhat away from the falls. The crowed was a bit more sparse than yesterday and didn’t seem so frenzied. We continued down the parkway following the Chippawa Channel and enjoying the scenic drive with all the homes overlooking the waterway. We finally picked up highway 3 or the Crown Road as it is known in Canada and drove for about 4 more hours. We drove through tobacco country (didn’t know Canada grew that!) and through rural farmland, passing several dairy farms along the way. We finally reached Rondeau Provincial Park, which is a small peninsula that juts out into Lake Eerie. We had originally planned on going a bit further, but I was getting car crazy and desperately in need of stretching my legs. This is a pretty neat provincial park, with a sandy beach area along the Eerie Lake side and a really cool marsh area on the Rondeau Bay side. Eager to explore the area, we took a 14 mile bike ride on the Marsh Trail out to the point. It was so cool to ride down a sandy road through marshes and hedges that were at times higher than us while dodging the bunnies and chipmunks. We stopped at a lookout tower to get an overview of the area and read about the unique eco-system of this area. We have a sweet camping site, with a huge tree (diameter around 4 feet!) shading us and most of the campground to ourselves. You gotta love Sunday nights!

Maid of the Mist– 4 Mile State Park, Niagara Falls, NY 6/19

We had an early start this morning knowing that it would be a bit hectic at Niagara Falls and getting a campsite on Sat. night without reservations a challenge. We pulled into the campground at noon, secured a site right on the bluffs of Lake Ontario, then high tailed it for the falls. To say it was hectic is an understatement! The place was so thick with people that you could hardly walk thru the crowds. It seemed everyone was either Chinese, East Indian or Middle Eastern. The wind was blowing mightily, over 30 mph, and it was quite a scene seeing all the colorful saris and head coverings of the Muslim women blowing in the wind. We decided to embrace our inner tourist and headed for the Maid of the Mist. It was insane!! The sky had clouded up and was threatening rain while the wind had whipped up to quite a bluster. I don’t know what we laughed harder at, trying to put on our bright blue plastic ponchos or seeing how silly we looked once they were on! The ride was much better than we expected. The beauty of the falls, the force of the water pouring over the cliffs and being drenched in the mist all added to the thrill. We tried to take pictures when next to the falls, but between mist on the lens and getting drenched everything just looked pure white. As we disembarked from the boat, the skies cleared up and the day turned out to be crisp and blue, albeit still incredibly windy. The warm gusty breeze felt much like the Santa Ana winds from home. We had a great time walking along the river path and watching the torrent of water gush over the cliffs. (See today’s pic). Once back at the campsite we did a quick tour of the area on our bikes and then settled down to a lazy summer evening enjoying the vibe of the campground. On the huge grass expanse, with mature trees, overlooking Lake Ontario boys are playing catch with their lacrosse sticks and throwing footballs, kids are sitting in circles playing duck-duck-goose, and a father is playing soccer with his little girl. At the onset of the sun going down, Ned and I walked the few feet from our campsite to a perfectly situated bench and watched the sun slowly dissent over Lake Ontario for about 45 minutes. It was a spectacular show. When I turned around to look behind us, entire families, with their kids and dogs, were all sitting on the grass watching the sunset. The entire place was quiet just soaking in the magic of the moment. Now, as dusk has settled over the campground, there’s a sea of campfires and kids are playing flashlight tag on the grass and trying to catch fireflies. You can smell smoke and s’mores in the air. Ahh - the epitome of summer in America.