Hartland

From Michigan's thumb we moved south and west a bit to Hartland, which is on the northern edge of the suburbs of Ann Arbor. The purpose of our trip was to catch up with fellow road travelers Karla and Eric. We met up with this fun couple last winter in Port Aransas and were eager to see them in their spot for this summer at Waldenwoods, a four-season RV resort and conference center.

Being back in the 'burbs for the first time in a long time, we've taken advantage of nearby shopping and stocked up on lots of things. We spent much of the day in Brighton, the next town to the south, stimulating the economy there. We're happy to do our part!

Tonight we joined Karla and Eric for the short trek back to Brighton for dinner and a meetup with another RVing couple, Sue and Paul. (That's them on the right.) Over tasty faire at the Stillwater Grill, we enjoyed fun conversation and lots of laughter. Thanks, y'all for a wonderful evening!

Our time here in Hartland has been short, but lots of fun. We're heading east tomorrow. Stay tuned for our adventures beyond "the hand".

Cheeseburger

When I called to make reservations at Oak Beach County Park, the recorded message threw me for a loop. It said, "We have no sites available for the weekends of Cheeseburger."

Huh?

Thankfully, the friendly voice went on to say that a few sites were available during the week. And, for us, that was definitely good news.

Though we still had no idea what "Cheeseburger" was, we were grateful that we could grab this cozy spot for a couple of nights. It's just a short walk from the lake and less than a mile from our friends' place here in Port Austin. And, the price is right. Full hookups and a clear shot at the satellite for a mere $25 a night. Deal!

The park, like most of the town, was decked out for this thing they call "Cheeseburger". We kept an open mind and checked in with our friends Pat and Ed.

They were definitely in the Cheeseburger spirit at their house. The tiki bar was in place and images of pink flamingos could be found all around. We didn't know much about Cheeseburger, but we were quickly figuring out that it's some kind of party. By the time Wednesday rolled around it was time to get ready for the Parade of Tropical Fools, the midweek highlight of Cheeseburger. Yesterday, Paul and Ed went to town bright and early to place our chairs along the route. By 9AM the locals estimated there were some 15,000 chairs lining the parade route. And, the parade wouldn't start until 6PM! When Pat and Ed's niece Alyssa donned her costume for the parade, we knew we were in for something fun!

Turns out that "Cheeseburger" is short for Cheeseburger in Caseville, a 10-day festival of everything Caribbean and, oh yeah, cheeseburgers. Caseville is a quiet little village that some 900 people call home. But, every Summer this little place on the shore of Saginaw Bay becomes the spot where Jimmy Buffet meets Mardi Gras, with a Cheeseburger, of course.

From its humble beginnings in 1999, when some 5,000 people came to town to eat cheeseburgers and act like parrotheads, Cheeseburger has grown. Official attendance estimates for this year's parade were between 60,000 and 70,000 parrotheads. The parade started like most parades, with a military color guard that received a standing ovation from the crowd.

Beyond that, it was like nothing we've ever seen.

This being an election year, there were plenty of politicians, of course. This candidate showed up with his "Nerd Mobile". (It looked kind of like a Bounder to us!)

Actually, there were several RVs in this year's Parade of Tropical Fools. This vintage rolling home was part of the Redneck Parrot Family float. (Yes, there were floats!)

This little trailer served as a bead closet for this float. When we said this is Jimmy Buffet meets Mardi Gras, we weren't kidding. There were lots, and we mean, lots of beads.

Yes, LOTS of beads! And, some of them were big!

Of course, lots of floats featured cheeseburgers. And, oh yeah, parrots. (No. This didn't make any sense. But, it was a lot of fun!)

Even the Flintstones made an appearance. This reminded us of our friends "Fred" and "Wilma". (You know who you are!)

Now would be a good time to remind you that this event is called the Parade of Tropical Fools. There were plenty to be found! We just couldn't believe that 50,000-plus people would gather on a lovely Summer night in Michigan's thumb to celebrate cheeseburgers. All of this excitement on a Wednesday! We were impressed at how civil everyone was. Yes, the alcohol flowed and a good time was had by all. But, everyone seemed to remember that Cheeseburger is a family event. (And, some of them had to go to work this morning!)

After the parade we moved into the amphitheater to enjoy the music of The Boat Drunks, a Jimmy Buffet tribute band out of Champaign, IL. They were lots of fun! And, of course, we all treated ourselves to a tasty cheeseburger and a brew (or two) while we were initiated into the "parrothood" up here in Key North.

Yes, we're a little bit sad we had to leave this morning. These folks in the thumb sure know how to have a good time. We'll definitely be back!

Port Austin

If you ask a Michigander where he or she is from, you'll get "the hand".

Guaranteed.

Yep. They will raise their right hand and point to the place they call home.

That's right. On their hand.

You see, Michigan - at least the lower peninsula - closely resembles your right hand. Check a map if you want, but we're absolutely correct on this one. Some Michiganders will position their left hand perpendicular to their right with their fingers nearly touching. The left hand is supposed to represent the upper peninsula.

Yeah. Right.

Anyway, we've made our way from the "tip of the mitt" to the "tip of the thumb", Port Austin. We're here for a few days to see our friends Pat and Ed, whom we met it Port Aransas. And, we can see why they love to call this place home. It's something special, indeed.

Pat and Ed showed us around Port Austin and many interesting parts of "the thumb". The jewel of Huron County is the Pointe aux Barques lighthouse on the shores of Lake Huron. The lighthouse was originally commissioned in 1848. After a fire in the keeper's house, the house and tower were rebuilt and this lighthouse has been shining since 1857, making it the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes.

Port Austin is a cute town that is working hard to keep itself lively and vibrant. As Pat and I browsed through a lovely gift shop above the town hardware store, this little plaque caught my eye.

Thanks, Pat and Ed for your wonderful hospitality. We look forward to seeing you down the road soon.

We are definitely enjoying the journey!

Mackinac Island

Today was all about boats and bikes. We hopped on our bikes this morning and rode down to the ferry terminal. We arrived just in time to board a ferry and head to Mackinac Island, four-square-mile island that sits between the Straits of Mackinac and Lake Huron. This trip was more than 24 years in the making! Once upon a time, we considered Mackinac Island as a honeymoon destination. We built a new house instead, and vowed that one day we'd make it to the island. Today was the day!

Yesterday's wild wind was mild compared to today. It looked like traffic was being escorted across the Mackinac Bridge. But, we couldn't be sure because the waves were washing over the ferry and making a mess of our view. This photo brings new meaning to the word "watercolor".

After 20 minutes of rocking and rolling, we pulled into the harbor. Despite the wind, today looked like a perfect day to explore the island.

When you step onto the island, you step back in time. Cars are forbidden. The only modes of transportation are horses and bikes. When we first stepped off the boat, though, there were too many of both around. It was a zoo!

Ah! That's more like it. Within minutes we were enjoying the peace and quite of State Highway 185, an 8-mile stretch that circles the island. It was lovely.

There are several spots on the island that are tourist magnets, and there are others where few folks seem to stop. This lovely park on the shore of Lake Huron was very quiet today. We could have spent hours here.

But, we had geocaches to find! We were on a mission to locate 14 caches along the lakeshore around the island. And, they were all very simple. When you see a neat and tidy pile of rocks and driftwood like this one, it's pretty obvious that it's home to a cache.

We climbed a couple of long sets of stairs up to Lakeview Drive in search of one cache and instead found another at the corner of this stately Victorian. The house, gardens and views were gorgeous. And, we found 15 out of 14 caches. That's some kind of record!

Looking at the house next door, this could be a scene from the early 20th century. But, this is modern day Mackinac Island!

Mackinac Island's centerpiece is the Grand Hotel. Built in 1887, it bills itself as America's Summer Hotel and boasts having the world's longest porch. At 660 feet, we won't argue. However, we did decide to pass on the $10 admission fee to enter the property and the $50 lunch buffet.

We enjoyed a peek at the hotel's tea garden and went on our way. In our opinion there's much more to see and do on the island. And, our picnic lunch by the shore was much more comfortable!

With eight miles of riding and 15 caches and limitless views behind us, we had a great day on Mackinac Island. It was a delayed honeymoon visit, but for this happy couple it was well worth the wait.

Before we move on down into the "hand" of Michigan, we wanted to get something straight. Is it Mackinac or Mackinaw? We were very confused. We found the answer.

The bridge and the island are Mackinac. The city is Mackinaw. They're all pronounced "aw". Why? Because the French spelled it one way and said it another. The British spelled it the way they heard it. Apparently, the British named the city.

Mystery solved.

Mackinaw City

Our last day in the U.P. was a windy one. Driving along Highway 2 we watched the surf build on Lake Michigan. Some of those waves were big!

With only 80 miles or so to drive today, we thought our travels would be short. But, when we got to the exit to the Mackinac Bridge, this backup meant we had to wait awhile.

The long lines of traffic on a Sunday afternoon reminded us of our days in the Bay Area. But, the most important item in this picture is that flag on the left side. We were in for one stiff cross wind!

Paul steadied himself for the drive across the windy span. He looks like he's really concentrating, doesn't he? He was!

The Mackinac Bridge is four miles across. The wind was blowing so hard that when we passed the uprights the moose suddenly went silent. And with no wind for a moment, we nearly steered ourselves into the side. I think we took three, maybe four collective breaths as we made the crossing.

Within minutes of crossing the Mighty Mac we were parked safely in the KOA in Mackinaw City. We have a lot of exploring to do in a short time. So, Paul was quick to pull the bikes off the back and get them ready to ride. We took a quick cruise around town and made our plans for tomorrow's special trip.

Stay tuned for more from the "tip of the mitt"!

North of Newberry

We went in search of a little downtime in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and we found it in Newberry. We stayed at Clementz Campground and Cabins, which was fair at best. Although temps and humidity were both high, we saw our first glimpse of Fall. From our park, we took Highway 123 north to Paradise and Whitefish Point. Along the way, we grabbed this shot of changing leaves. And, it's so early! According to the locals, the trees are about three weeks ahead of schedule.

On the road to Paradise we stopped at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. (It rhymes with "phenomenon".) These two different falls are beautiful, with their carmel-colored ribbons of shimmering water. (The color is from tannins leached from nearby cedar swamps.) The falls are also famous. In Henry Wadworth Longfellow's epic poem "The Song of Hiawatha", these are the rushing waters by which Hiawatha built his canoe. Our first stop was the Upper Falls, one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. The falls are 200 feet across, drop 50 feet and more than 50,000 gallons of water flow over it's stunning edge every second.

As we walked down the trail from the Upper Falls, I spotted this interesting fungi along the trail. We heard the hiker behind us exclaim, "Only a photographer would shoot that." (Me, a photographer?)

Here's a look back at the Upper Falls from the trail. The day was warming up during our visit, and that water looked quite inviting!

We opted not to make the four-mile hike along the river from the upper to the lower falls. Rocky got us down to the Lower Falls in a matter of minutes.

The Lower Falls are a series of cascades that go around a small island, with several drops in the 10-foot range. The Upper Falls are very dramatic, but the Lower Falls are lovely.

After hiking around the falls, we were hungry. So, we drove on in to Paradise and enjoyed lunch at Brown's Fish House. It's just the kind of place you'd miss if you didn't know about it. We read about it on Laurie and Odel's blog and were glad we made the stop. (Thanks, guys!) We enjoyed some very fresh fish in this little hole-in-the-wall just steps from Lake Superior.

From Paradise we drove up the shore of Lake Superior to Whitefish Point. This former Coast Guard Station is home to a historic lighthouse, bird observatory and shipwreck museum.

The lace curtains in this window of the lightkeeper's house caught my attention.

Whitefish Point was calm and peaceful today. During the heat of the afternoon, the lake Longfellow called "Gitche Gumee" was a refreshing place to stroll!

It's hard to imagine that this lovely spot is also known as the "Graveyard of Ships". There are more sunken ships here than in any other part of the lake. Storms building up over 160 miles of open water create mountainous waves coming from three directions. As a result, hundreds of vessels have gone down, including the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. On that dark and stormy November night, the light station and radio beacon clicked off and the Fitzgerald was left to fend for itself. The rest is history, and a song by Gordon Lightfoot:

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down

Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee

The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead

When the skies of November turn gloomy.

Does anyone know where the love of God goes

When the waves turn the minutes to hours

The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay

If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her.

These Yoopers sure have us remembering a lot of old songs! Our time here has been fun. But, tomorrow we have a date with a big bridge, and another Michigan peninsula to explore.

Iron Mountain

Our three days here in Iron Mountain have passed quickly. They've also been miserably hot. And humid! Today our friends were back at work at their Habitat for Humanity build. So, we decided to stop by this afternoon to check out their work and see how everyone was holding up in the heat. They have made very quick work of this 3-bedroom, 1-bath home, which has gone from slab to this in just a week.

Our friends Don and Judy were holding up well. (It was really hot!) They were busy nailing foam sheets to the exterior wall.

Len and Mary Ellen paused to think, or rest, or maybe both! Despite the heat, everyone was excited about the work.

We weren't sure who was going to climb this ladder. Mary Ellen or Judy? They sure were all smiles, though! We were very impressed with everyone's work.

We decided to get cool by going underground. We were gifted two tickets to the nearby Iron Mountain Mine, which we were supposed to tour with our friends on Saturday. But, since we were held over in Lake Delton, we had to save our fun for today. The mine is hard to miss. "Big John" stands guard over the entrance.

We donned hard hats and raincoats for the train ride down into the mine. We weren't exactly sure what a drift or a slope was, but going 2,600 feet into the ground seemed exciting...and a bit scary...even if it is a paradise.

Riding the train along the skinny, drippy tunnels in the mine gave us a sense of what it might have been like for miners who traveled these tracks every morning and night from 1877 to 1945. Back in the day, when this mine first opened, it took three men 10 hours to dig just four feet. All while enduring pounding noise and breathing soot. Once again, we were thankful that we're just tourists on this trip!

The temperature inside the mine was a cool 43 degrees. So, it was comfortable, but creepy. When our guide turned on the lights to show us the big stope - a huge manmade chamber - bats flew. Eeeeeeew! Once the flying mammals cleared, this big hole deep in the ground was pretty impressive. Of course, for the rest of the day we had the Tennessee Ernie Ford hit "Sixteen Tons" in our heads.

You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go;
I owe my soul to the company store.

As the Summer sun sets here on Lake Antoine in Iron Mountain, we say "so long" to our hard working friends and wish them cool weather for the rest of their week here. Tomorrow, we're continuing our Yooper explorations further East.