Fall has arrived!!

 Yippy for the cooler weather.  I hate sweating!!! The trees are turning all kinds of beautiful color and the smell of campfires is in the air.  Things would be pretty quiet around here if we were not camping a dam highway.  Everyone says......oh you will get use to it! What kind of yahoos are these people. You NEVER get use to that noise.  We did pick this place to camp for the summer because it was a center point to many Michigan destination and multiple breweries but I am glad we did it and in our younger days of travel or we would not have been able to hear each other over this traffic.  It is near impossible to have a conversation without walking away with a sore throat from talking so loud.   OK enough of my bitchin!!

We have had a bunch of great last days in this area that included great weather and temps.  We traveled around a bit, walked around a bit, golfed a bit and we had a potluck with a bunch of great people today that were all leaving tomorrow for home or their winter destinations.  We stuffed ourselves to almost the breaking point with the tons of great food everyone brought. I don't think I will have to eat for the next two days.

This is the last weekend for the barrel train ride then our duties will be done and we can move on to our next adventure. Kentucky for a week, then somewhere in New Mexico for the rest of October and on to San Antonio for 3 months then over to Livingston, TX for two months then hopefully to Alaska for the following summer.  Plans can be made in life but never ever should you expect them to go as you wish.  We are ok with that and are always up for plan B, C, D.........  This was our site with our truck and trailer/one and only home. 

We went up to Luddington this week to check out some golf, some beer and some beaches.  I truely believe there is enough sand in Michigan to fill every sandbox in the world.  It's everywhere and we have to empty our shoes outside daily and sweep more than I have ever swept in my life. 

All in all, Michigan has been grand!  If we get the opportunity, we will return.  We have been to almost every state in the United States, but we have not camped together in all those states. When we do camp in a state that is when we intend to fill it in our map. This hangs just inside the front door and reminds us of how far we have yet to go.  Thank goodness we retired early to try to accomplish this.

Last night we has our last fire here at this campground and we had a great fire and burned up all our wood along with a spare electric cord for color.  What a great night it was to sit out and consume more of Michigans great beers.  We have been so lucky to be so close to so many great breweries on this adventure.  Spoiled actually!  We fear that our next destinations will not be so full of alcholic goodness.  I guess our livers could use the break.

                           * Up, sluggard, and waste not life; in the grave will be sleep enough.*

Packing up!!

We are begining the pack up, put away, & get rid of process here in Michigan. We definately saw a bunch of stuff here but have missed so much of this state. How can you see it all??  YOU CAN'T!!  If you try to cram it all into a couple of months, you will constantly be on the run and not enjoy your life. We can always come back.  That is the beauty of our retirement life style. 

We are in total relax mode almost all of the time. There is seldom a scheduled day and there is an adventure everyday. It may be to a new golf course, brewery, hiking trail or it just may be to sit outside and watch the grass grow(that is a thing you know).   We spent an hour watching dam fish!!!  It was so cool.  Kind of reminded me of the millions of jumping salmon in Alaska but not!!

We have met some pretty awesome people here in Michigan and I am certain we will meet some pretty awesome people where ever we go. Camping people have always been so friendly and helpf and Michigan people have not disapointed.  For fun we all make fun of how people back in their rigs and yes, we stare at people whos dogs are crapping so they are sure to pick it up! There certainly is a different kind of entertainment that goes along with our life style but we all laugh together and have fun.  We were asked to come back to this campground to volunteer again but declined.  Adventure awaits in another state.

We took another hike in the woods and found a giant mushroom thing.  Fear not, we didn't eat it and almost die.  There was another bottle cap art thing on this walk and lot of tall trees.  I was hoping this state had more wild life but thus far it has been pretty boring.  Maybe New Mexico will have more.  Maybe a scorpion or a snake or something creeping around on our dessert walks. We shall see! 

Since the last post we had another bottle share with the neighbors.  We really need liver relief so it is a good thing we are leaving Michigan.

                                                 *'Tis easy to see, hard to Foresee.*



Yoopers

 We took a couple days away from the camper and went to the upper pennisula of Michigan to hang out at a different shore!

We had a great time with Dick's cousin Glenn and his wife Cathy. They are Rockies so we were on a quest for rocks for Glenn to polish in his newish rock polisher.  1st we stopped in Petoskey.  We got a hotel and hit the beaches looking for Petoskey stones. I didn't know there was such a thing until I researched a bit before the trip.  I am sure that all the ones we found will shine up nice and pretty.  We also saw the famed Mushroom house. OH BOY was that exciting!! We hit the casino in the evening and didn't win a dam thing but had fun.

The next day we traveled to Grand Marais for more rock hunting.  This time for agate rocks.  I don't think I found any but time will tell.  Glenn took my collection that weighed about 20 lbs back to Wisconsin to pick through and shine.  If he sends me any shined ones back I will show you pictures of the beauties. I do beleive that Glenn and Cathys car will need a new suspension after hauling all the rocks they gathered.  There must have been over 100lbs of rocks!  I got over 17,000 steps this day exploring so very much of the Superior shore!!

Glenn rented a great cabin on the hill top near Grand Marais.  We spent two nights there exploring all the beautiful beaches, waterfalls, sunsets and even a disc golf course of course!!

There were some pretty awesome wave on our last evening when we went out to watch the sunset.  I took a picture of Dick and Glenn on the break wall the day before and then there is one of all the waves the last night just covering it.  They would have been sweapt out if they had gone on there last night. 

There are so many more pictures I would love to share but I know most of you probably have a job and can't spend all that much time looking at our fun.  Hope you enjoyed these!

We are back home safe and sound in our rolling home winding down from some busy but super fun days.  Any time we get to spend time with family while we are on the road, we feel so lucky!!

                                       *Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it,*