Category Archives: tourism

November 22, 2023 · 4:52 pm

Summer Visit With Grandkids

My grandkids are 17, 11, and 8, and with me only seeing them once a year, I enjoy taking them on individual outings, plus a few family activities. Our stay in Michigan was longer this year, so I was on the go with various outings. Keep reading if you’re looking for things to do with kids in the Clare/Harrison, Michigan, area!

We started our visit by meeting my daughter, Caroline, husband, Rob, and the kids for dinner at Budd Lake Bar & Restaurant. After dinner, they came over to Hidden Hills Family Campground to visit. Kids’ interests are ever-changing, so I had lists of possible activities. I was surprised at some of the things they passed over and others they selected.

Corbin is 11 and spends most of his time playing video games. He is also harder to appease with activity selections. I wasn’t surprised when he picked Valley Lanes Family Entertainment Center for two of his outings. This complex contains bowling, putt-putt, an escape room, a pool, a laser maze challenge, bumper cars, an arcade, a pinball alley, and laser tag. They also have an on-site restaurant where we enjoyed lunch during both visits.

On our first trip there, we spent quite a bit of time in the arcade. Corbin was surprised I could “ride” a motorcycle so well, not realizing I had ridden the real thing before his birth. I enjoyed watching Corbin play a large selection of games that did not exist when I was hitting the arcades as a teen or when my kids were young. We enjoyed playing air hockey and skee ball, two throwbacks to my day. I spent a lot of time in arcades in the 1970s, so this was a fun outing.

Corbin also elected to go bowling, and we rolled three games on each trip. I hadn’t bowled in years and didn’t do well, but we had fun. When I was a teen, all scorekeeping was by pencil and paper. Now it is automated, including a variety of game selections and cartoons that cheer you on or laugh at your blunders. Quite a change!

On our second trip, Corbin decided to do the laser maze. They had a video screen outside the room, so I could watch his progress, which required navigating over and under laser beams to reach a specific spot in the back, hitting a button, and then navigating the maze again to the front and hitting the ending button. It displays your time and the number of lasers you broke. I chuckled when he said he would make a good burglar, as he only broke six lasers. I said I wouldn’t rely on that; it only takes one to set off alarms that call the cops.

Corbin’s other selected outing was to a water park. Since he had been to the one in Mt. Pleasant a few times, I took him to Zehnders Splash Village in Frankenmuth. Water slides aren’t my thing, but I enjoyed watching Corbin play in the pools, relax in the hot tub, float the lazy river, shoot down a water slide, and other activities. Our tickets were for five hours in the park. Afterward, we enjoyed lunch in the hotel restaurant before leaving.

Corbin is interesting. He appears to be a self-absorbed video gamer, but when he talks, you can tell there is much more going on in his brain than people realize. He uses intellectual phrasing when presenting his opinion and absorbs a lot of information on a variety of subjects.

Austin is 17 and likes history and museums. We enjoyed three different locations on a wide range of topics. The first was to the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabek Culture and Lifestyle. The museum has 15 areas in their permanent exhibit area about the Saginaw Chippewa Indians. It was interesting to learn about the Chippewa way of life and the oppressive things done to their culture over the centuries. Austin expressed disgust at the horrible ways Native American people were treated in the past.

Austin suggested the Michigan Heroes Museum in Frankenmuth. This very interesting and unique spot opened in 1987, focusing on Michigan’s military and space heroes. It covers ten wars dating back to the Civil War, ending with Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. There are more than 900 Michigan veterans featured in exhibits.

The information is beautifully displayed in individual showcases about each person and includes some of their personal items. Three permanent galleries are dedicated to Michigan Astronauts and Space Pioneers, Service Cross Recipients, and the nation’s largest collection of Medals of Honor. When viewing a showcase that deals depicts how the Nazis destroyed the lives of innocent people, Austin commented on the horrible way the Nazis behaved. His comments made it apparent he had likely studied this subject in school.

Austin’s third outing was to the Longway Planetarium and Sloan Museum of Discovery. We were early for our planetarium show and mentioned it when I was purchasing a book in their gift shop. It was pouring rain outside, so the cashier gave us complimentary tickets to the show before ours. It was a different topic than the one we had purchased, and it was interesting. Sloan Museum is a hands-on learning experience. Austin is aging out of the museum but enjoyed the activities and suggested we go to the Real Bodies special exhibit.

Presented by Hurley Medical Center, Real Bodies contains real human specimens preserved to show how the human body works. This is more than skeletons; it includes muscles, lungs, heart, and more in beautiful exhibits. I highly recommend this exhibit, but only cell phone photography is allowed.

In touring the museums with Austin, it was interesting how much information he has absorbed about history from school or the reading he enjoys doing on his own. I was also surprised at his interest in the military, as I had not been aware of that.

ALEXANDRIA (Alex) is 8 and a girly girl, talkative and opinionated tomboy. This is why she has such a wide range of activities. We went to Day Escape and Spa for mani-pedis, her first. The salon enjoyed Alex because she was inquisitive and knew what she wanted. They said many of the young girls that come in won’t respond to their questions. Alex was stepping forward, voicing her desires. We walked into the pedicure room, and her tech asked if she wanted to select from a shelf that had mermaid polish on it. Alex looked at the display and said, uh, no, and turned to a large display of available polish. She pointed to three different colors she wanted; she made a different selection for her fingernails.

I was surprised when Alexandria selected the Antique Toy and Firehouse Museum for one of her outings. I had put that on Corbin’s list of possibilities because he has always liked vehicles, but he passed on the option. The museum has more than 60 motorized firetrucks, the largest collection in the world, and includes the FDNY Super Pumper, considered the T-Rex of fire engines. They also have over 12,000 antique and collectible toys.

Alex wore a dress and heels, catching the eye of museum docent Dave by asking him a question. Dave toured us through the museum, letting her into a gated area where antique toys were on shelves, encouraged her to climb up into all the firetrucks, which were labeled “do not climb, and told her when she was done looking around, she was going to drive a real firetruck—which she did! Alex drove a 38-foot firetruck with me in the passenger seat; Alex sat on Dave’s lap in the driver’s seat. We went around a rural block twice, with her turning the steering wheel and blowing the air horn when she saw people. I asked Dave how often they take kids out like that, and he said never; Alex is the only one. Definitely a once in a once-in-a-lifetime, memorable experience.

Alex selected Valley Lanes for one of her outings. Given the age difference between her and Corbin, the selection of games she made was different, and we had a lot of fun. Alex wanted to play miniature golf, which was an interesting 18 holes. I attempted to keep score, but I’m not sure if all the swings one of us took got counted.

I also took each of the kids for their own day of lunch and shopping for a few school outfits. Austin was in and out of the dressing room on his own, and other than showing me one outfit, he pretty much just told me whether they fit or not. It was hard shopping for Corbin as he has definite likes and dislikes, and the majority of clothes in his size were in his dislike category. Alexandria is very opinionated about what she likes. The only problem is her taste is in the older-looking girls’ section, but she is tiny and still wears little girl sizes for most things. She enjoyed trying on clothes, and it was like a modeling show as she posed for me to photograph each outfit.

In addition to my individual outings with the kids, we had a couple family outings. These were harder to fit in because Caroline works 6-7 days a week. We did manage to coordinate an outing with all three kids to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth. Bronners is the world’s largest year-round Christmas store, covering 2.2 acres plus 27 acres of landscaped grounds. If you are ever in Frankenmuth, Michigan, this is a must-see.

We also went on the Bavarian Belle Riverboat cruise. This is a one-hour cruise down the Cass River on a stern-driven paddlewheel riverboat and includes narration about the history of Frankenmuth. After the cruise, we shopped our way back through River Plaza to the car.

Another family outing was to the Children’s Zoo in Saginaw. Opened in 1929, this small zoo covers only 10 acres but has some interesting displays and over 150 animals. It’s a perfect spot for those who want to visit a zoo that doesn’t require a full day and miles of walking. We finished up with a late lunch at Saginaw Old Town Junction, where the kids wanted to sit upstairs with an overlook of the floor below. The food was good, and I shouldn’t have been surprised when Austin ate a half-pound hamburger with fries and then finished his sister’s fries. I forgot how much teen boys can consume!

We enjoyed visiting the Clare Historical Museum complex, which includes a museum, historic log home, blacksmith shop, and historical school. It was amazing how small the homes were where people raised many children. Entire homes were smaller than the family room in many of today’s houses. Ringing the school bell was comical, as Alexandria is so lightweight that the cord pulled her up off the floor as it rang. This is an off-the-beaten-path museum that is interesting and well worth the trip.

The final get-together with the family was a buffet meal at Ponderosa Steak House in Clare, which ended way too soon. It was a fun summer, and I always look forward to spending time with the kids.

I don’t miss the Michigan winters—I winter in Yuma, Arizona—but I miss the days when I lived a mile from the kids and had them at my house frequently. They grow up quickly!

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Filed under Activities, children, Discoveries, education, events, Family, grandchildren, kids, Life is a Melting Pot, Michigan, play, summer, tourism, travel, vacation

Tagged as antique toy and firehouse museum, arcade, bavarian belle riverboat cruise, bowling, bronners christmas wonderland, childrens zoo, clare, clare historical museum, day escape and spa, family actiities, firetrucks, Frankenmuth, grandkids, hands-on museum, harrison, hidden hills family campground, hot tub, laser maze, longway planetarium, mani-pedis, Michigan, Michigan Hearoes Museum, military heroes, miniature golf, Native American, native americans, putt-putt, Real Bodies, saginaw, Saginaw Chippewa Indians, sloan museum of discovery, valley lanes family entertainment center, video games, water park, Zehnders Splash Village, Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabek Culture and Lifestyle

April 3, 2022 · 7:56 pm

35 Unique Things About Michigan

Although I now travel and spend more time outside of my birth state than I do in it, Michigan still holds a place in my heart for its many unique qualities.

Michigan is the only state that consists of two peninsulas. The “mitten” is the lower peninsula and is where I grew up, in the “only Eaton Rapids on earth.” The mitten is surrounded by Lake Huron on the East, Lake Erie on the South, and Lake Michigan on the west. To access the upper peninsula (the U.P.) you need to cross the Straits of Mackinac, a 5-mile channel connecting Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. The north shore of the U.P. is on Lake Superior.

If that isn’t enough, here are 35 more things that make Michigan a very special place.

Boat Night in Port Huron. Copyright 2015 Grace Grogan
Photo by Grace Grogan, copyright 2015
Paint Creek, Rochester Michigan. Photograph by Grace Grogan, copyright 2014
Bond Falls. Photo by Grace Grogan
Silver Lake Sand Dunes – Dune Jump. Photo by Grace Grogan
Middle Island Lighthouse. Photo by Grace Grogan
Port Huron to Mackinac Race. Copyright 2015 Grace Grogan
St. Clair Board Walk. Photo by Grace Grogan.
The Thomas Edison Depot Museum sits under the Blue Water Bridges on the Thomas Edison Parkway in Port Huron. Photo by Grace Grogan
Pointe Benzie Light Station. Photo by Grace Grogan

Detroit is the Car Capital of the World. Home to the “big three,” Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, and Chrysler LLC, the state handles 24% of all automotive manufacturing in the U.S.
Michigan is the largest manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries in North America. The American Battery Solutions Inc. manufacturing facility is located in Lake Orion and employs more than 100 workers. In support of this the Governor is working to develop the nation’s first wireless charging infrastructure on public roads.
Alpena is the home of the world’s largest cement plant. Lafarge Alpena has been in existence since 1907 and employs more than 200 workers.
St. Clair is the home of Diamond Salt Company, established in 1886 when a new process for making salt was patented. It is the world’s largest marketer of salt, supplying salts for culinary use, manufacturing, agriculture, grinder, pool use, water softening, and ice control.
Southwestern Michigan is home to the largest Dutch settlement in the United States, with almost 300,000 residents of Dutch heritage. Dutch residents are most prominent in the five counties of Allegan, Kalamazoo, Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa.
Rogers City boasts the world’s largest limestone quarry. The site is 7,000 acres, of which 3,000 acres are actively mined. The quarry has an anticipated lifespan of an additional 100 years.
Elsie is the home of the world’s largest registered Holstein dairy herd. Green Meadow Farms is a family operation established in 1922. With 80 employees, they raise all livestock and do all field and crop work on their 8,000 acres. The farm has a milking herd of about 3,900 registered Holsteins.
Enjoy the longest freshwater boardwalk in the world in St. Clair. The boardwalk is along the St. Clair River, an international border with Canada. The St. Clair River is one of the busiest waterways in the world with more than 5,000 ships traveling the water every year. With more freighter traffic than the Suez Canal and Panama Canal combined, it’s an excellent spot for freighter watching.
Colon is the magic capitol of the world and home to Abbott’s Magic Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of magic supplies. The city has more than 30 magicians laid to rest in its cemetery, more than any other cemetery in the world.
Michigan Sugar Company is the largest sugar factory east of the Mississippi river, the largest sugar refinery in Michigan, and the fourth largest sugar refinery in the United States.
Michigan ranks #1 in state boat registrations. St. Clair County ranks #1 in the U.S. for the number of boat registrations per capita.
Port Huron is home to largest freshwater sailing event in the world. The annual Port Huron to Mackinac race began in 1919 and more than 200 boats enter the race each year.
The state has about 54,800 farms covering 10 million acres and producing $6.5 billion in products yearly. Michigan is the largest producing region in the world for Montmorency tart cherries and Traverse City hosts the annual National Cherry Festival every July. The state is one of the top producers in the U.S. of grapes, apples, peaches, and blueberries.
Livestock population is significant, with about one million cattle, 78,000 sheep, 3 million chickens, and one million hogs. Livestock products account for about 38% of all agricultural output.
Sault Ste. Marie was founded in 1668 by Father Jacques Marquette, and it remains the third oldest remaining settlement in the United States
In 1817 the University of Michigan was the first university established in any of the states. It was originally named Catholepistemiad and was located in Detroit. The name was changed in 1821 and the university moved to Ann Arbor in 1841.
Michigan State University was founded in 1855 as the nation’s first land-grant university and served as the prototype for 69 land-grant institutions established under the Morrill Act of 1862. It was the first institution of higher learning in the nation to teach scientific agriculture.
The Mackinac Bridge is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. It spans 5 miles over the Straits of Mackinac and took 3 years to complete. It was opened to traffic in 1957
Kellogg Company made Battle Creek the Cereal Capital of the World. The Kellogg brothers discovery of producing flaked cereal was an accident that sparked the beginning of the dry cereal industry.
Vernors ginger ale was created in Detroit and is the first soda pop made in the United States. It was an accident. In 1862 pharmacist, James Vernor, was trying to create a new beverage. He was called away to serve in the civil war, leaving his “experiment” behind. When he returned four years later the drink in the oak case had developed a delicious ginger flavor and Vernors was born.
The Detroit Zoo opened in 1928 and was the first zoo in America to feature cageless, open exhibits allowing animals to roam free. In 1968 the zoo’s Penguinarium was the world’s first zoo building designed exclusively for penguins. In 2001 it opened Wild Adventure Ride, the nation’s first zoo simulator, and the Arctic Ring of Life, the largest polar bear habitat in North America.
Michigan is only place in the world with a floating post office. The J.W. Westcott II is the only boat in the world that delivers mail to ships while still underway. It has been operating 140 years.
The state boasts 3,224 miles of freshwater shoreline, the longest in the world. It also has the longest shoreline of the 48 continuous states. There are an additional 11,037 inland lakes and 36,000 miles of streams.
The state has 124 lighthouses and navigational lights. The oldest is the Ft. Gratiot Lighthouse, constructed in 1829.
It is the first state to provide in the constitution for the establishment of public libraries in each township and city, set forth in Article XI, Section 14 of the Michigan Constitution of 1908. It was also the first state to guarantee every child the right to a tax-paid high school education.
Isle Royal National Park shelters one of the largest moose herds in the U.S. The park is 206.73 square miles and is the 4^th largest lake island in the world. As of 2019 the island was home to 14 wolves and 2,060 moose. The moose herd was 2,400 at its highest point in 1995.
Upper Michigan Copper Country is the largest commercial deposit of native copper in the world. By the 1860s the upper peninsula was supplying 90% of America’s copper.
Michigan fared worse than the rest of the country during the depression between 1930 and 1933. The state’s unemployment rate was 34%, while it was only 26% in the rest of the country. This is because out of work automotive workers were starving to death by the early 1930s.
Michigan has the first auto-traffic tunnel built between two nations, the mile-long Detroit Windsor tunnel under the Detroit River was completed in 1930. This was the third underwater auto tunnel built in the United States.
The world’s first submarine railway tunnel opened between Port Huron and Sarnia, Ontario in 1891. It is both the first submarine tunnel and the first international tunnel.
In 1879 Detroit telephone customers were first in nation to be assigned phone numbers to facilitate handling calls.
In 1929 Michigan State Police established the first state police radio system in the world
Grand Rapids is home to the 24-foot Leonardo da Vinci horse, II Gavallo, the largest equestrian bronze sculpture in the Western Hemisphere.
Michigan is the great lakes state because its shores touch four of the five great lakes. We get our name from the Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian word meaning “large lake”
Detroit is the birthplace of Motown Records. Motown artists include Tina Turner, Otis Redding, Diana Ross, Four Tops, The Supremes, Al Green, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Ray Charles, Curtis Mayfield, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, The Commodores, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5, The Drifters, Smokey Robinson, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Fats Domino, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, and more.

The state has even more interesting facts setting it apart from the rest of the country and world, but I had to stop somewhere. I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse of my home state.

Share where you are from and what makes your home state unique.

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Filed under Activities, Blue Water Area, Discoveries, education, events, exploration, farm, Festivals, home, impressions, Lake St. Clair, Life is a Melting Pot, Michigan, nature, reality, tourism, travel, Upper Penninsula

Tagged as abbotts magic company, agriculture, alfarge alpena, alpena, arctic ring of life, auto-traffic tunnel, battle creek, boat registrations, chrysler, colon, copper country, dement plant, depression, Detroit, detroit river, detroit windsor tunnel, detroit zoo, diamond salt company, dutch settlement, Eaton Rapids, elsie, floating post office, ford motor company, free education, freighter, freshwater boardwalk, freshwater shoreline, ft gratiot lighthouse, general motors, ginger ale, great lakes sate, green meadow farms, holstein dairy herd, isle royal national park, j.w. wescott ii, james vernor, kellogg brothers, kellogg company, lake orion, leonardo da vinci horse, lighthouses, limestone quarry, lithium-ion batteries, livestock, Mackinac Bridge, magic capitol, Michigan, michigan state pllice, michigan state university, michigna sugar company, mitten, moose herds, mowtown records, national cherry festival, only eaton rapids on earth, Ontario, penguinarium, polar bear, Port Huron, port huron to mackinac race, public libraries, rogers city, sarnia, sault ste marie, st clair, st clair river, submarine railway tunnel, suspension bridge, University of Michigan, UP, upper peninsula, vernors, wild adventure ride, wireless charging infrastructure

June 27, 2021 · 6:47 pm

20 Biltmore Observations

It had been on my bucket list for decades and I finally can check it off – a tour of Biltmore Estate and Gardens. Biltmore is America’s largest home. Taking my best friend, Vicki, with me, we elected to schedule the audio tour. This provides an array of informative information about the rooms you walk through as your visit three floors and the basement.

George Vanderbilt began construction of this massive 250 room, 175,000 square foot French Renaissance chateau in 1889. Originally the property is sits on consisted of 125,000 acres, now reduced to 8,000 acres. The family sold a considerable amount of their property to the federal government for the creation of Pisgah National Forest.

The home was completed in 1895 when George and his wife Edith entertained guests there on Christmas Eve for the first time. The home has more than four acres of floor space and includes 65 fireplaces, 43 bathrooms, and 35 bedrooms.

There is a banquet hall with a 70-foot ceiling, breakfast dining room and servant’s dining room. Other features include an indoor pool, bowling alley, and gymnasium. Each floor has a living/gathering area where guests could gather and socialize before going to the main floor for their meal.

The family opened their Biltmore home to the public on March 15, 1930. The purpose of the opening was to help Asheville, North Carolina survive the great depression. It also provided the family with income to assist in maintaining the estate. At that time the cost for a tour was $2.00 for an adult and $1.00 for children under age 12.

Family members remained in residence until 1956, when the last members moved from the estate, and since that time it has been operated as an historic house museum. The home became designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1963. Though no longer a family residence, it remains a family business operated by the fourth and fifth generations of George Vanderbilt’s decedents. The business has more than 2,400 employees.

20 Observations

Taking the tour of the beautiful gardens and home in mid-April we were rewarded with perfect weather. I did make the following observations during my visit:

1. After a year of very little walking due to Covid-19 stay-at-home orders, walking the gardens and home of Biltmore is tiring—the place is massive!

2. The audio tour is worth the additional expense and provides a lot of interesting information on the rooms, family, and events.

3. I can’t imagine living in a home that is 3-1/2 miles from my property’s entry gate and traversing it by horse and buggy as they would have done at the time it was built.

4. Walking the massive gardens I imagined doing that in the late 1800’s with the ladies in their full-length dresses. It made me think of the places you read about in historical romance novels.

5. Thirty-five (35) guest rooms is a lot of company!

6. The time to discover there is an elevator for those who have mobility issues is not half-way up the grand staircase. The elevator is the original one installed in 1895 and travels to all four floors. However in the interest of preservation it is now only operated between the first and second flours where the climb up and down the grand staircase is difficult.

7. There is nothing so mind-boggling as to stand in Vanderbilt’s master bedroom and realize his sleeping area is larger than the motor home I live in full-time.

8. I can’t imagine being 25 years old and a newlywed when you are brought to this massive home to manage and see it for the first time. Edith and George were married in Paris and she did not see their home until their return to the United States.

9. When driving the property a couple families of Canadian geese and goslings can cause a traffic gawker delay, which made us late for our wine tasting.

10. Forty-Three (43) is a lot of bathrooms to clean.

11. Biltmore makes very good wine—don’t miss the tasting and shop the wine store. The first vines were planted in 1971 and the winery officially opened in 1985.

12. I can’t imagine wearing formal wear to dinner every evening, but that is what they did! Tables were set with the finest linens, and dinner usually consisted of six courses.

13. America’s largest home is interesting and massive, with hidden doors, an indoor pool, 2-lane bowling alley, indoor gym, and more.

14. I love the 2-story library. One of my childhood dreams was of having such a room in my 3-story mansion when I grew up. Unfortunately reality and childhood dreams do not always coincide. The library has more than 10,000 volumes, each personally selected by George Vanderbilt himself. The second floor balcony style area is accessible from secret hidden doorways, making it easy for guests to visit and select a book to read.

15. In addition to bedrooms there were dressing rooms because it is inappropriate to walk through the house without being properly clothed. The rooms have no mirrors because a maid would make sure you looked proper before exiting the dressing room.

16. A billiards room with two (2) tables and tiered seating for viewers, plus a secret door leading to the gentleman’s smoking room is a wonderful spot.

17. The back terrace with its spectacular view is massive. There were no chairs, but it would be the perfect place to sit and read a book or have a meal.

18. As I watched a horse and carriage move along a trail from my terrace vantage point, I imagined how wonderful it must have been to live in a place of such grandeur.

19. The home has a very unusual outside design, complete with numerous gargoyles, and is not at all what I consider attractive. In my opinion, it has an almost scary, uninviting, appearance.

20. The walk through the gardens, greenhouses, azalea gardens, and around the pond is lengthy but does not disappoint. If you have the ability to walk a lengthy distance, do not miss the beauty of this area.

After The Tour

Following our tour of the gardens and estate, Vicki and I headed over to the Biltmore Winery in Antler Hill Village for our complementary wine tasting, included in our tour ticket purchase. We enjoyed sampling five different wines. You receive a discount when you purchase at least three bottles in the adjoining wine store, and of course we each took advantage of the discount and walked out toting our bags of wine.

A wonderful, exhausting day that is well worth the visit. I hope to make it back someday for another tour. I’ve heard the rooms you access are changed from time to time, as touring the entire 250-room mansion would be extremely time consuming. Our tour took us about two hours. If you are in the vicinity of Asheville, North Carolina, don’t miss the opportunity to visit America’s largest home. Please enjoy the slideshow of photos from the house and gardens below.

Biltmore House from a distance
Horse & Carriage on Property as seen from the terrace
Indoor Swimming Pool
Bowling Alley
Biltmore Basement
Edith’s Bedroom
George Vanderbilt’s Bedroom
George Vanderbilt’s Bed
Back Terrace
The Banquet Hall
Entrance Hall
Azalea Garden
Vicki
Grace
Side Terrace
Gargoyle
View From Back Terrace
Walking a Garden Path

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Filed under Botanical Gardens, exploration, Family, flowers, home, Life is a Melting Pot, tourism, travel

Tagged as America's largest home, azalea garden, bedroom, billiards, Biltmore Estate, dining room, Edith Vanderbilt, French Renaissance Chateau, gardens, George Vanderbilt, gymnasium, horse & carriage, library, National Historic Landmark, oblwing alley, pool, terrace, tour, winery

November 13, 2020 · 6:00 pm

Celebrating Traverse City’s Centennial 1947

I have always liked this photograph of my paternal grandparents, Louise Elizabeth (Lautner) King and Dominick King. They are wearing period dress for the celebration of Traverse City’s Centennial celebration in 1947. The photo made me wonder what the celebration and Traverse City were like in 1947.

My grandmother was 35 years old, and my grandfather 44. They were the parents of three boys; my father was the youngest and would have been 5 years old that summer. Did they dress the boys in period outfits too? I’ve never seen any photos to indicate they did.

Traverse City did not hold its annual Cherry Festival in 1947 because of the Centennial festivities. The majority of men in the area grew a beard in honor of the celebration. This photo is the only one I have ever seen of my grandfather with a beard.

Instead of having young “glamour girls” honored with the title of parade queen, the Traverse City Historical Society was assigned the task of finding an honorary Queen of the Centennial. The queen was to be someone who had lived in the area a lengthy amount of time and could portray the pioneering spirit of the celebration. I did not find anything to indicate who was awarded this honor. The only link I could find indicating information on the celebration required payment of a newspaper subscription and I chose not to.

For the Centennial at least three parades were planned. A children’s parade and pet parade on July 2^nd, followed by the big parade on July 3^rd. The big parade was planned as a purely historical parade. It was to be divided into sections with each segment portraying an episode or period in the history of the Traverse City community. It was to include floral floats, marching groups, old vehicles, Indians, lumberjacks and other items relative to the pioneer history.

Unable to locate information on the actual celebration, I decided to see what I could find out about the “period” clothing my grandparents are dressed in. The clothing my grandfather is wearing appears to be a tailcoat, which was squared off at the waste in front and cut into long tails at the back. Tail jackets were in style in the 1840’s, and it was fashionable to wear the jacket with lighter colored trousers, so it would have been fitting for their period costume.

The dress my grandmother is wearing is of a style I could not locate. I did find that synthetic dies had led to bright wild colors in clothing, though I don’t believe prints were generally used. Low sloping shoulders and bell-shaped skirts were in fashion, moving into a Gothic Revival style. Another article stated that a long-wasted bodice, narrow sleeves, and a full dome-shaped skirt that skimmed the floor were in style.

Because I could find nothing that resembled the dress my grandmother is wearing, I wonder if it were perhaps something she obtained from an older family member or friend, or whether she obtained a pattern and sewed the outfit on her own.

A Bit of History

In 1847 Traverse City was a small community which originated because a Reverend was looking for a place to settle with his family. The Reverend settled on the banks of the Boardman River. Traverse City remained an outpost until 1864, when the first road was built through the forest to the settlement.

In 1851 one of the owners of the Hannah, Lay & Co. Mill went to Washington DC and requested the new settlement have a post office called the Grand Traverse City. Because at that time Old Mission had a Grand Traverse Post Office, they shortened the name to Traverse City. In 1872 the railroad connected Traverse City to Grand Rapids.

Traverse City has been listed as the second best small town for travelers to visit in the United States. Each July during Cherry Festival, more than 500,000 people visit the town. The festival was first held in 1926 and now features about 150 events and activities, 85% of which are free.

Between the festival, tourism and having some of the best wine in the Midwest, resident population in Traverse City is now around 15,785.

I have a lot of family history in Traverse City, and my grandmother’s ancestors were some of the original settlers to the area. I am glad she and my grandfather were able to participate in Traverse City’s Centennial Celebration held 73 years ago.

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Filed under anniversary, celebration, Family, Festivals, Life is a Melting Pot, memoir, Michigan, summer, time, tourism

Tagged as 1947, boardman river, celebration, Centennial, cherry festival, community, dominick king, dress, festival, floats, glamour girls, historical, Louise Elizabeth Lautner King, outpost, parade, period, queen, tails, tourism, Traverse City

May 25, 2020 · 1:30 pm

DOCUMENT YOUR PART IN HISTORY

I look around, the place has more people than normal for this time of year, but it is still pretty well emptied out. Why wouldn’t it be? Who wants to stay where the summer temperatures go as high as 120° Fahrenheit?

Yet, here I am. Our original plan was to leave here at the beginning of April and visit several national parks and scenic areas through several states before heading to Michigan to visit family. Then head south and west again, hitting Sault Lake City and Colorado Springs for photography and RV conferences before going for a three-month stay on South Padre Island, Texas, followed by winter back here in Yuma, Arizona.

Those plans have been crushed by the Coronavirus shutdowns. We have extended our stay here in Yuma until at least August 3^rd. We are trying to secure reservations in Michigan for somewhere between mid-August to early October, but so far have not had any luck. The state is still locked down and the few campgrounds that are open do not have long-term spots available.

Time will tell if we travel, where we will be, and when we will get there. When you live full-time in an RV, campgrounds are an essential part of life.

We are living through an event that will be written about in history books. Have you recorded your stay-at-home location and changes in lifestyle? Have you noted the schools closing, people doing work-at-home because businesses closed, hospitals overrun with patients, people wearing face masks and gloves to protect those around them?

If you have young children, have you recorded their thoughts on what is going on around them? These are memories that may be forgotten over time but will be important to future generations.

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Paul and I are hanging tight in Yuma, Arizona. I walked around the park and took snapshots of the camp, documenting the place that was full when we arrived in February and is now almost empty. A lot of the people here in the winter are Canadian snowbirds who were ordered to return to Canada in March or lose medical insurance due to the pandemic.

So where are you? Have you documented the event? Leave me your comments below.

Stay Safe!

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Filed under Activities, assumptions, backyard, Canada, communication, Coping, decisions, Discoveries, environmental, exploration, flowers, Full-Time RV, home, impressions, Life Changing, Life is a Melting Pot, memoir, Michigan, reality, spring, summer, time, tourism, travel, winter

Tagged as Arizona, camp, canadian snowbirds, cancada, children, colorado springs, cornoavirous, document, face masks, gloves, history, history books, location, locked down, Michigan, national parks, park, people, photograph, photography, plans, record history, record thoughts, RV, sault lake city, shutdowns, South Padre Island, stay-at-home, summer, Texas, travel, Yuma

April 2, 2020 · 11:25 pm

Stay-at-Home Orders: 10 Positive Points

We have all been watching the fear of the unknown unfold before us with the Coronavirus spread throughout the world, but more closely to home here in the United States.

We all need a break from the chaos, and below I am going to give you 10 positive Points to the stay-home orders.

I am in a unique class of citizens. We do not have a “sticks and bricks” home, we live full-time in an RV. Stay-at-home orders affect us a bit differently. We elected to stay put in the RV park here in Yuma, Arizona until things calm down. Being in an area where temps average 107 in the summer is not our choice, but we feel it is the best alternative if things do not calm down before then.

When I think back to one year ago in April 2019 I was winding down on the sorting out of my house in the anticipation of moving into an RV full time. I was prepping for an estate sale, selling my home, leaving my full-time job, and hitting the road. By mid-August, those things had been accomplished.

I enjoyed a wonderful fall traveling in eastern Canada, and warm winter in southern Texas and Arizona. Our plans for this summer to hit some national parks before heading back to Michigan to visit family have been pitched. We don’t know when or if we will be able to travel to Michigan this year.

The Port Huron Township RV Park we stayed in last summer is closed indefinitely due to the coronavirus. The Port Huron Lapeer Road KOA is price gouging, charging $75 per night if you want to make a reservation. Under the circumstances, our plans are in limbo.

The coronavirus has been the main focus of news for the past couple of months and will likely be for the next few months ahead. We all need is a positive brain break during our stay-at-home time. Here are some positives of the stay-at-home orders:

You no longer need to set an alarm clock. Sleep in or get up early, your choice.
You can dress however you want – casual, pajamas, the scroungy never-wear-in-public old clothes – whatever suits your fancy. You aren’t going anywhere, no one is visiting, so it’s all good.
No need to wear makeup – who is going to see you?
You can now read those books you purchased but never had time to read. Clean off that shelf and prepare for a literary shopping spree when the stay-home orders lift.
There is plenty of time to do spring cleaning. Does anyone really do that anymore?
Do the spring yard cleanup, plant flowers, ready the vegetable garden.
Clean the junk drawer, the closet, or the basement. Think how neat and organized things will be once this pandemic is over.
Lower gasoline expense – if you aren’t going anywhere you aren’t using any gas
Skim through recipe books and try some new recipes. Think of all the money you save by not eating out, shopping, going to events and concerts.
More time with your spouse, kids, significant other. Make art projects and play board games. Did out your old hobbies – woodworking, sewing, ceramics, stained glass – anything you used to do and normally don’t have time for.
Sit on your porch or deck and enjoy the sun, listen to the birds, drink a glass of wine.

Use this stay-home time to enjoy life. Someday you will be able to look back and remember the brain break you were awarded in the midst of a pandemic.

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Filed under communication, Coping, decisions, Discoveries, employment, Family, freindship, friends, friendship, Full-Time RV, hobbies, home, Illness, Life Changing, Life is a Melting Pot, mind, play, reality, spring, summer, time, tourism, travel, winter

Tagged as Arizona, brain break, coronovirous, covid-19, Full-Time RV, KOA Port Huron, Port Huron Township RV Park, social distancing, stay-at-home, Yuma

December 11, 2019 · 5:04 pm

Nature’s Palette

As you drive to the north end you encounter drifts of sand on the road, then a small sign points to Beach Access #6. This access is outside the city limits and not maintained, but people use it every day. The sand is thick, so a 4-wheel drive is necessary. You maneuver through sand piles that will make you think of maneuvering deep snow if you are from the north. Once you break free you are on a beautiful beach that you can drive for about 3 miles south and 26 miles north on the Gulf of Mexico.

It is the north drive that has the most to offer. Every day is the same but different. Nature creates an ever changing palette intermixed with human elements. We enjoy driving in the edge of the water, but there is always a possibility a larger wave will come in and leave you a bit wet. That is what happened to us one day when we had top off the jeep. A wave hit the side coming in the driver’s side window and splashed so high it came down through the roof opening.

A trail of shells leads you down the beach, not only on the water’s edge, but also up near the dunes. This is because during high tide the water is considerably higher on the beach, and high winds bring it in even further. If you are lucky enough to be there on a high winds day not only will the waves be higher, but there will also be sand swirling off the dunes and flowing across the surface of the beach until it meets incoming waves, giving a soft, mystic feel to everything. The pounding waves provide a rhythmic music of nature as you drive.

Fishermen line their poles up along the water, sitting in lawn chairs waiting for their catch. some with BBQ grills set up to cook up their meal fresh. We stopped to watch one bring in his catch, but it was soon discovered he had hooked a sting ray, which he cut his line from so that it could work its way back into the water. Herons, gulls, pipers and pelicans congregate along the water’s edge, satisfying their hunger with the offerings of the water.

Visitors walk along with a bag in hand, searching for the perfect shell. On occasion you will see a group of horseback riders from a nearby stable. We came upon a driver in a car who was stuck in the soft sand along the surf. We pulled him out with the Jeep’s power wench. You may sometimes encounter nude sunbathers or swimmers. Everyone is friendly, everyone waves. The beach is a relaxing, fun place to be.

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Landmarks, both natural and human-enhanced, mark your way. Mile marker signs are mounted on the edge of the dunes so you know how far you have gone. Some of my favorites include a log decorated to look like an alligator, a log with an upside down boot on it, a buoy that washed ashore, a container anchor that has been covered in graffiti, a piece of driftwood shaped like a sea serpent, and even a water rescue pod that has been decorated. These items are constantly changing, impacted by nature and man, so each day brings a new look. Sands drift and cover parts while winds uncover new discoveries. The sea serpent log that was open and clear on our first visit now has sand over parts of it. The water rescue pod was moved further onto the beach by the US Fish and Wildlife workers as it was sitting on the edge of a wildlife preserve. A buoy that had drifted ashore was complete one day and missing its top a few days later.

I have enjoyed the time spent on the beach of South Padre Island, Texas. I will miss nature’s palette of beauty and change when I have gone. It will be interesting to see what items remain the same, what has disappeared, and what has been added by the time I return next year.

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Tagged as alligator, anchor, ashore, bbq grills, beach, beach access 6, buoy, Discoveries, drifts, driftwood, dunes, enhanced, fishermen, friendly, graffiti, Gulf of Mexico, horeseback riders, human, Jeep, landmarks, lawn chairs, log, mile marker, nature, nature's pallet, nude, pallet, photos, poles, relaxing, rescue pod, sand, sand dunes, sea serpent, shells, South Padre Island, splash, stable, sunbather, swimmer, swirling, Texas, US Fish and Wildlife, visitors, water, waves, wet, wildlife preserve, winds

November 14, 2019 · 7:38 pm

Driving the Chesapeake Bay Bridge- Tunnel

While in Virginia I was able to ride across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel twice – once going over, once coming back. This is an experience worth a special trip.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel opened on April 15, 1964 and was selected as “One of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World” in a worldwide competition. In 1965 it was described as an “Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement” by the American Society of Civil Engineers. From shore-to-shore the bridge-tunnel measures 17.6 miles and is the world’s larges bridge-tunnel complex. It consists of 12 miles of low-level trestle, two 1-mile tunnels, 2 bridges, almost 2 miles of causeway, 4 man-made islands and 5-1/2 miles of approach roads for a total of 23 miles. The clearance below the bridges varies from 40 feet at the Fisherman’s Inlet to 75 feet over the north channel.

I took the drive, which crosses over the Chesapeake Bay, from the City of Virginia Beach north to Cape Charles, Virginia on the Delmarva Peninsula, then a few hours later made the return trip. I shot photographs from a moving vehicle, which show driving across the bridges, going through the two tunnels, and on the way back I was able to capture a ship passing over the tunnel and between the bridges ahead of me.

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Once you cross over onto the Delmarva Peninsula be sure to stop at the Visitors Center for information and directions to the 1942 Bunker of the Winslow Battery from WWII. It is within walking distance from the visitor center, or if you prefer you can drive to the location where handicap parking is available. It is a unique treasure hidden from view and well worth the side trip.

Bunker from WWII

Despite the official name change to Lucius J. Kellam, Jr. Bridge Tunnel in 1987, honoring the man who spearheaded the building of the project, to preserve the bridge-tunnel’s identity and name recognition it continues to be known as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. The bridge-tunnel is one of only ten bridge-tunnel systems in the world, three of them are located in the water in the Hampton Roads area of Tidewater Virginia. I went through the Hampton Bay-Bridge Tunnel on my way to the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel. While it gives you a small taste of what is to come, the overall experience is small in comparison. If you get the opportunity to experience the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, do not pass up the opportunity.

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Tagged as American Society of Civil Engineers, bridge, Cape Charles, causeway, channel, Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bridge-Bay Tunnel, Delmarva Peninsula, Engineering Wonder of Modern World, Fisherman's Inlet, Hampton Bay-Bridge Tunnel, Hampton Roads, island, Lucius J. Kellam Jr. Bridge Tunnel, man-made island, Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement, Tidewater Virginia, tourism, travel, trestle, tunnel, Virginia, Virginia Beach, visitor center, Windlow Battery, WWII

October 9, 2019 · 3:48 pm

SEVEN WEEKS AND ROLLING

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Hard to believe it has been seven weeks since I started my new lifestyle of living on the road full time in a motor home (a/k/a full-time RV). In that amount of time I have visited Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, Canada and Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park, Maine in the United States.

One thing you have to do when living this way is be conservative, be flexible, and enjoy life. Sometimes things go well, and other times the best laid plans can be foiled. Highlights of my travels and learning curve:

The best laid plans can be foiled when you make a day trip three hours away only to discover that town’s power is out and all businesses (including museum you wanted to visit) are closed.
Pulling off for a quick lunch break takes more planning in a 35-foot motor home towing a vehicle than it does in a car.
Ottawa, Ontario is the capitol of Canada and is a very interesting city, but bring your walking shoes. There is one parking lot in the entire city and a lot of area to cover. If you take a double decker bus tour it is a great way to get around, but you may end up with a tour guide who has a strong French accent and is difficult to understand.
Canadians are very pro recycling The question in grocery stores is “Do you have your own bag?” not “paper or plastic?” Some stores charge you for use of their bags.
You can not stock up when items are on sale. There is no extra room beyond the refrigerator and pantry.
There is a large percentage of people in Canada who hang their laundry outside to dry….many on pulley-style clotheslines.
When living in an RV, laundry is a necessary evil that must be done in a laundromat (most campgrounds have them) every 2-3 weeks.
You can live in a house for years and never wave at your neighbors, but in a campground everyone waves at everyone else.
The architecture and culture of Quebec City, with its fortification wall, Citadelle, and French influence is like taking a step into another country.
When you travel full time you need down time. This is not a vacation, it is a lifestyle.
When you give up on the road signs being true and think you will never see a moose, one shows up on the side of the road and you do not have the camera ready.
No matter how many times you see them, the difference between high tide and low tide at the Bay of Fundy is amazing. This is where you see the world’s largest tides.
Getting your mail an average of once every four to six weeks takes planning so it arrives in a city where you plan to be at the appropriate time.
A GPS can be your best friend and your worst enemy. Our Trucker GPS in the RV took us down a road that had been re-done two years ago and no longer goes through — it is now a dead end. When towing you cannot back up because it damages the tow unit, so we had to disconnect the jeep, turn the RV around and then re-connect before we could continue. Of course it would have helped if Ellsworth, Maine had put up a “Dead-End” sign, as a woman on the road said it happens all the time and they have been after the city to do something.
In many spots what is promoted as a “scenic drive” is overgrown with nothing to see.
Convection oven cooking is not difficult, just different. The three burners on the stove-top is much harder to adjust to as it does not easily accommodate large pans.
I have not adjusted to the feel of the motor home when driving in high winds or uneven pavement. That one is going to take some time!
This is an awesome way to live and I’m glad I took the plunge and jumped in with both feet.

As time goes on I look forward to sharing more of my travel adventures with everyone.

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Tagged as adventure, Bay of Fundy, bus tour, campground, Canada, clothesline, convection oven, day trip, dead-end, Ellsworth, flexible, French, Full-Time RV, GPS, grocery store, high winds, Jeep, laundromat, laundry, life, lifestyle, lunch, mail, mail forwarding, Maine, motor home, neighbor, Ontario, Ottawa, outside, pantry, paper, plans, plastic, power out, quick, recycle, refrigerator, rolling, sale, scenic drive, seven, stock up, tides, trucker GPS, vacation, walking, wave, weeks, world's largest

September 2, 2019 · 2:58 pm

My First Week as a Nomad

My first six days as a Nomad were interesting, fun, and sometimes frustrating. In many ways it feels more like a vacation rather than a lifestyle change. It is relaxing and interesting, and sometimes not at all what is planned. If I can experience all this in six days, I can’t imagine what the future will bring.

On Monday we left Port Huron, Michigan and traveled to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Our original plan was to stay only two nights, but after reviewing travel information about the surrounding area decided to extend our stay to a total of four days.

On Tuesday we visited the Bush Pilot Heritage Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. Paul was a bush pilot when he lived in Owen Sound, Ontario as a teen so this was on his “hit list.” The museum was interesting, with several planes on display inside the hanger where the museum is located. We viewed two movies, the first was an “on board” experience with a bush pilot, and of course took the rider through a series of mistakes and mishaps that can happen on a plane, including an unexpected storm, dozing off with the plan on autopilot, and more. The second movie was in 3D and took you into the heart of fighting forest fires. You experienced time in flight with the commander of the entire firefighting operation, in flight with a pilot doing water drops, and on land with a ground firefighting crew. Both movies are well worth the time it takes to view them.

A small town about four hours northwest of Sault Ste. Marie is the home of Winnie-the-Pooh, and houses a statue of Winnie, as well as a Winnie-the-Pooh and Railroad Museum. I wanted to go there so a day trip was planned. Part of the trip goes along the shore of Lake Superior, and we figured we would find photo ops along the way. A visitor guide worker had told us about an off-road trail on that stretch which Paul wanted to check out. We didn’t locate the trail she used, but did access a logging trail, which about 20 minutes in we decided was not offering any photo ops so turned around and continued on our journey.

We did find a couple spots to stop and take photographs of Lake Superior, and a small rapids and river we walked in and photographed. It was interesting that this entire route had very few towns, gas stations, or any other type of business or rest area to stop at. So scarce they were practically non-existent. We saw a rest area/visitor center which made a good stop for a few minutes. They had a small gift shop where Paul decided to pick up a couple energy bars to tie us over until lunch, which we planned to eat in White River. That purchase turned out to be a very good decision.

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We munched on our energy bars, and decided to stop for gas as we rolled into White River, because we would need it to make the full journey back to Sault Ste. Marie. There were barriers up across the gas pumps and an attendant walked over and informed us that the pumps were not working because the entire town of White River had lost power and nothing was open. We drove through town and took pictures of the Winnie-the-Pooh statue. The attendant was correct, absolutely everything, including the museum we had just driven four hours to visit, was closed so we started our journey back.

Not too far south of White River was a small gas station with full-service pumps. The attendant there shared that the last time White River lost power they were out for a week. He also let us know that there was a restaurant on Hwy 17 just south of Wasmus where we could get lunch/dinner. By now it was after 2:00 pm and we were definitely getting hungry.

We drove the two hours south and located the restaurant. Our luck had not yet changed; on the front door hung a sign that they were closed until 5:00 pm. It was only 4:30 so we decided to drive on. We were not far from our campground when we found The Voyageur Lodge, which included a small restaurant. The menu was limited, but the food very good. Paul had an open face hamburger, which had gravy to which he added mushrooms and onions. It normally included fries and coleslaw, but he switched the fries for onion rings, which he said were very good. I opted for a fish sandwich which also came with fries. The sandwich was made with whitefish which was lightly breaded and very nicely done. We shared a butter tart for dessert, also very tasty.

Our final day in Sault Ste. Marie we drove into town and visited the historical canal sight. At the end of the island was a swing damn, one of only nine built and the last in existence. It is used in emergency situations if there is a problem with the lock. This is also where the lock is located for small boats, and we were lucky enough to see two of the Soo Locks Tour boats use the lock at the same time. The difference in elevation between Lake Superior and Lake Huron is 21 feet, so quite interesting to observe the lock in operation. A nice way to finish out our stay.

Friday morning we said goodbye to Sault Ste. Marie and drove east through Ontario, stopping at a small campground in Lavigne, Ontario. We are here only for two nights. One day of rest and computer work before continuing our journey to Ottawa, the capitol of Canada, where we plan to spend four days.

We did take some time from our paperwork to photograph some very decorative scarecrow displays around town. These have been prepared as part of a plowing competition in September. I finished out our last night in Lavigne with a walk around the park, taking a few photographs of Lake Nippising, which the campground is located on.

So far my life as a nomad has been interesting and relaxing, even if Winnie-the-Pooh’s hometown did leave me a bit frustrated. I guess in this lifestyle you simply have to go-with-the-flow when rocks appear in the river.

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Filed under Activities, Canada, decisions, Discoveries, education, exploration, impressions, kids, Life is a Melting Pot, memoir, Michigan, nature, summer, tourism, travel, Upper Penninsula, vacation

Tagged as auto pilot, bush pilot, Bush Pilot Heritage Centre, Bush Pilot Museum, campground, Canada, Capitol, change, forest fire, frustrating, future, go-with-the-flow, hanger, historical canal, information, interesting, intresting, Lake Huron, Lake Nippising, Lake Superior, Lavigne, lifestyle, logging, Michigan, movies, nnomad, Ontario, Ottawa, owen sound, photo ops, planes, plowing competition, Port Huron, railroad museum, rapids, relaxing, restaurant, Saulte Ste. Marie, scarecrow, soo locks, storm, swinging damm, The Voyageur Lodge, travel, visit, Wasmus, water drops, White River, Winnie the Pooh

August 6, 2019 · 9:51 pm

Life is not meant to be lived in one place

I have reached the point of excitement. My new lifestyle will soon be moving from life in an RV in my local area to actual life on the road. I am now on my last two weeks of work, with the 16th of August being my final day. I am training someone to take my place at work, will soon have the closing date on my house, and once that is completed we will set off on our new lifestyle.

This past weekend Paul and I opened up the “basement” storage in the motor home and got the last boxes out of my car and into the RV. Not everything is sorted and organized the way we want, but I am at least officially in the motor home totally and completely. The next two weeks will be a whirlwind of finishing up things at work and training my replacement, a doctor’s appointment, turning in my lease vehicle, finishing up paperwork, listing the second home I own for sale, and closing on the home I was residing in. In someways the day when I can “hit the road” seems so far away, and yet so close. Time passes quickly when trying to get everything finished in the final moments. Trave as far and as long as you can

We are now starting to plan the first leg of our travels, and it is exciting and a bit nerve wracking at the same time. I am semi-retiring prior to retirement age, so will need to do remote or seasonal work while on the road to supplement the spousal pension I receive. Until I have a steady income from remote or seasonal work I will be concerned about finances. That is just me.

At the same time, if I didn’t jump at this opportunity now to travel full-time I know I would regret it for years to come. You only live once, so might as well make the most of it. What are that chances that I will ever again run across the opportunity to live full time in a motor home traveling Canada and the United States with a person with whom I am compatible who is also a fellow photographer?

I hope this is a life style we can enjoy for several years. The opportunity to experience a variety of cultures and the diversity of nature as we travel cross country is something I am looking forward to. As I travel I plan to keep a journal about my travels. I enjoy freelance writing and hopefully you will see my writing and/or photographs not only in this blog, but also in published magazines and journals.

If you have any “must see” locations in Canada or the United States, please share.

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Tagged as "hit the road", "must see", Canada, diversity, excitement, freelance, home, journal, journals, journey, life, lifestyle, locations, magazines, motor home, nature, opportunity, pension, photographer, remote work, road, RV, seasonal work, semi-retire, training, travel, United States, work, writer

March 30, 2019 · 9:50 pm

Writing to Relax

I have been, and continue to be, in the whirl-wind of trying to sort through 36+ years of belongings accumulated in my house and reduce the “keep” items down to what I can take with me in a 35-foot motor home, in which I will live and travel the United States and Canada. Needless to say, this is a monumental task. I am on the downside now, with only a few things left to complete, and the estate sale is scheduled May 2-6, 2019.

I have been sorting through old items, boxes never unpacked from when we moved here in February 2004, and family heirlooms, mementos and photographs. Those special items I have painstakingly gone through and divided between my two adult children. In the midst of all this my son has been moving out. Between working long hours and moving about 45 minutes away, he has taken a long time in the process with a couple trailer loads of items still left to move. This has made for a very stressful situation. We are now down to “crunch time” as the estate seller will need to come into the home and get things priced. My son made a comment about me pushing my sale back, but I refuse to do that. I need to get my house emptied, ready for sale, and sold quickly.

closet cleaning I have spent weekend after weekend at home, sorting through all my current items and those in boxes, preparing for my estate sale. Today I took some “me” time and attended the #RochesterWriters Spring Conference. I enjoyed a day of informative keynote speakers and instructors, plus socializing with other writers. It was time well spent, combining instruction in self-publishing with networking. There is something about spending a day with other writers that inspires one to write. Even though you haven’t seen me here in quite a while due to everything going on in my personal life, I find myself here tonight writing a quick blog, just to say hi and let you know I am still alive and kicking.

Once the sorting and packing is complete and I have moved into the RV, which will happen on or about April 23, 2019, you will begin to hear from me more often. As I move into fall and begin to travel the country I plan to post travel blogs of my adventures, and hopefully expand into writing some travel articles for magazines as well. What the future holds for me one can not be certain, but it will definitely be an adventure and a change in lifestyle.

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Tagged as #RochesterWriters, accumulate, adventure, box, Canada, downsize, family heirlooms, hours, instruction, keynote, life-changinng, mementos, packing, photographs, relax, sort, sorting, speakers, tension, travel, United States, weekends, writing

November 18, 2018 · 5:59 pm

Vacation Destination: Calgary, Alberta

Looking off into the distance, the peaks of the Canadian Rockies can be seen, drive a couple hours north east and visit Drumheller, a town sunken down into the earth that just happens to have the world’s largest finding of dinosaur skeletons and a huge museum displaying them, but the main purpose of this destination was to attend the Calgary Stampede, the largest outdoor event on earth.

It is exhilarating to travel somewhere you have never been before. To experience the beauty of nature and the excitement of a world-renown event. To visit areas famous for their natural beauty. That is what I did this past July when I flew from Detroit, Michigan to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for a 10-day vacation. To me travel and vacations are an opportunity to partake in the areas surroundings, take photographs, and experience the culture of the area.

Calgary is surrounded by a vast array of attractions, and I was only able to experience a small amount. I arrived at night and did not have the opportunity to view the Canadian Rockies from my plane, but when I awoke the next morning they could be seen in the distance from where I was staying. About 1-1/2 hours drive west from Calgary is Banff National Park. Canada’s First National Park comprises 2,564 square miles and is located in the Canadian Rockies. Banff is the home of Lake Louise and Lake Moraine, glacier lakes with a beautiful, distinctive emerald/turquoise color water. The breathtaking scenery makes this park makes it well worth the time to visit.

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A day trip to Drumheller, northeast of Calgary, is a “must see”. Located in the Canadian Badlands, this unique town is built in an area of land that at some point in time sunk down into the earth that now houses the badlands and an entire town. This is where you will find the Royal Tyrrell Museum, which houses one of the world’s largest displays of dinosaur skeletons and fossils. I spent several hours inside the museum, taking a break to lunch at the on-sight cafeteria.

The plan was to visit the Royal Tyyrell Museum in the morning and spend the afternoon driving the Canadian Badlands taking photos. The Canadian Badlands covers a 35,000 square mile region where dinosaur bones were discovered in the late 1800s. Nowhere on Earth has there ever been found the quantity and quality of dinosaur remains as have been discovered in the Canadian Badlands. It is speculated that for some reason this area of land sank down into the earth, creating a drastic drop in elevation and that stampeding dinosaurs fell over the age and died. The result is one of the world’s largest dinosaur fossil regions. Since the late 1800’s more than 1,000 complete skeletons of dinosaurs have been found and digs continue to this day. The Royal Tyrrell Museum contains over 130,000 skeletons and/or fossils from this area.

In addition to dinosaur finds, the Badlands is also where gangsters would run and hideout in the “wild west” era. The terrain of the area was dangerous due to its sunken area, allowing for an easy ambush and law enforcement would not pursue gangsters once they entered the area. The history of the badlands combined with the gorgeous rock formations makes the area a “must see” on a trip to the region. Unfortunately a rainstorm prevented the planned exploration of the badlands from taking place.

The main purpose of my trip to Calgary was the Fantasy RV Tours 7-Day Calgary Stampede event. The tour group arranged RV parking in a stadium parking lot and participants took a short walk to the train stop for a ride into the town of Calgary and/or to the Calgary Stampede Grounds. In addition to the stampede, the tour included a visit to Heritage Park and Gasoline Alley, attending the Calgary Stampede Parade, breakfast in the rotating restaurant at Calgary Tower, and a visit to the Glenbow Museum in downtown Calgary.

Heritage Park Historical Village includes Gasoline Alley, a “must see” car museum. I spent so much time in Gasoline Alley that my time was very limited on viewing the rest of this living history museum. A train ride around the park gave me a nice overview, and because of the way stops are scheduled you circle the park twice before you can disembark at the location you boarded. The majority of visitors get off and on to visit various attractions.

Our tour included breakfast at the revolving restaurant in the Calgary Tower. The observation deck of the tower provides a 360° view of the city and surrounding area. One area has a glass floor you can walk out on for a true view down. I found the glass bottom very disconcerting, and had to use the rail to walk out onto it. Across from the tower is the Glenbow Museum, which is a combination art and history museum. I spent quite a bit of time viewing the historical exhibits and taking photographs.

The Calgary Parade is a kick-off to the Calgary Stampede. This parade displays the heart and sole of Calgary and the Stampede, with horses, carriages, bands, and more. Many follow the parade down to the stampede grounds for the opening of the event. The Calgary Stampede grounds is a huge venue, including barns, a midway, an Indian Village, and the main highlight, the stampede grandstand. You definitely want to take in both an afternoon rodeo show and an evening grandstand show, which features chuck wagon races, performances, and fireworks. You will not be disappointed!

My trip to Calgary went way too fast and before I knew it my ten days had ended and I was at the airport and on my way home. I hope that someday I will get back to the area and have a chance to visit more thoroughly some of the areas I only touched on lightly.

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Filed under Activities, Discoveries, events, Festivals, Life is a Melting Pot, nature, Photography, tourism, vacation

Tagged as alberta, Badlands, Banff National park, Calgary, Calgary Stampede, Calgary Stampede Parade, Calgary Tower, Canada, Canadian Rockies, Canandian Badlands, dig, dinosaur, Drumheller, event, Fantasy RV Tours, festival, fossils, gangsters, Gasoline Alley, Glenbow Museum, Heritage Park Historical Village, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, museum, national park, outdoor, Royal Tyrell Museum, skeletons, stampede, travel, vacation

September 6, 2018 · 8:52 pm

When was the last time…

…..you did something for the first time?

That is a line in a song I enjoy by Darius Rucker, just click here to hear it. I was listening to the song and it got me to thinking about how we all develop set patterns of life. We get up, go through the same routine during the day, go to bed, get up and repeat.

The song goes on to say “Yeah, let yourself go, follow that feeling, Maybe something new is what you’re needing, Like a real life, let your hair down, feel alive, When was the last time, you did something for the first time?”

Those are thoughts we should all put into action when our life is feeling a bit ho-hum. It can be something major or something minor. Just spice it up a bit to re-build your energy and enthusiasm for life.

In July I took a 10-day vacation when I flew to Alberta, Canada for the Calgary Stampede. While it is not the first vacation I have ever taken, nor the first international flight (I flew to Mexico with a school group in 1978), it was my first time in Alberta, Canada and my first time attending the Calgary Stampede. It was also the first true vacation I have taken since 2014. when-was-the-last-time-you-did-something-for-the-first-time-quote-1

I am currently in an active sort-of first time events project. I have started doing some preliminary scouting of homes. I am planning to downsize and packing and moving an entire home, not to mention selecting and purchasing a home entirely on my own will be a first. When you have always done things with others, doing them on your own the first time is a different experience.

So, when you hear the question, When was the last time, you did something for the first time? What is your answer? What is on your bucket list? Throw out some ideas….I may want to incorporate your ideas into my list.

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Filed under Activities, assumptions, decisions, Discoveries, exploration, habit, impressions, Life Changing, Life is a Melting Pot, mind, reality, time, tourism, vacation

Tagged as alberta, Canada, darius rucker, downsizing, ho-hum, life, moving, packing, shopping, song, spice, stampede, vacation, when was the last time you did something for the first time

July 16, 2018 · 10:11 pm

Killing Myself Preparing for Vacation

Am I the only one who feels like they have to go into overdrive in order to prepare for a vacation? I recently planned for a 10-day trip to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In order to prepare I had to complete several things. travel-checklist-suitcase-world-map-260nw-449655331

Book Airline Flight
Reserve parking for my vehicle near airport
Passport due to expire five months before my flight, six months is the minimum, passport renewed
Go to bank to get US money exchanged for Canadian funds to take on trip — but my bank doesn’t have them plus charges a $12 fee; go to second bank that does not charge a fee and lets me obtain funds, which they have on hand, because I have a credit card issued by their bank.
Go back to bank closer to trip to withdraw US funds to travel with.
Check for good photo ops where I will be traveling to
Order meals for the two flights (coming and going) that are in excess of four hours.
Check the airline baggage requirements for international travel; order a suitcase that meets airline specifications for checked luggage
Measure my carry-on bag to make sure it meets airline requirements.
Check the list of airline regulations to make sure I am not doing anything to raise the hackles of TSA.
Make last-minute checklist so I don’t forget anything
Make sure all camera batteries are charged, SD cards clear, all camera gear needed is ready to go.
Continuously analyze whether I want to pack my laptop, just an external drive to download photos onto using my friend’s computer, or if just the SD cards will be enough and I can download after returning home.
Get haircut.
Work extra hours to get everything organized for when I am away.
Wash clothes on an “off day” so they are clean to pack and/or ready for return to work after vacation.
Pack suitcase and carry-on bags
Print boarding passes
Leave for trip — See ya when I return!

How many of you go through similar rituals when preparing for a trip? Do you have any tips to make travel prep easier?

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Filed under Coping, decisions, exploration, habit, Life is a Melting Pot, Photography, summer, time, tourism, travel

Tagged as airline, analyze, batteries, boarding passes, camera, Canada, carry-on, check list, exchange, funds, gear, luggage, money, plan, preparation, travel, TSA, US, vacation

May 31, 2018 · 9:59 pm

If I Received $10,000 That I Had to Spend on Myself…

I saw the thought proving statement, “If I Received $10,000 that I HAD to spend on myself I would…” That got me thinking, what would I do with that kind of money if I absolutely had to spend it on myself, not save it, not pay bills, but spend it on just me, what would I do?

As my mind started tossing around the possibilities I realized that $10,000 is both a lot of money and only a small amount of money. It would not purchase a house, a motor home, a boat, or a new vehicle. On the other hand, if used with a bit of frugality, there is a lot that could be done with that type of “free” money.

I think I would take a few hundred dollars and re-work my wardrobe. A larger selection and more splashy, bright colored, fun things to wear. I might even splurge on some new shoes and a purse or two, as I tend to use mine until they are on their death bed, which I have a habit of doing with most of my clothes and accessories.

I might add a few pieces of quality jewelry. I have some good jewelry, but I have a lot of costume jewelry and I would likely replace some of those pieces.

The majority of the money I would spend on travel. I don’t know how far that money would take me, but I would think if I watched for bargains I could hit a few places I have never been or adventures I have never taken. For years I have wanted to take an Alaskan cruise on the inside passage. I have never been to the Grand Canyon, Yellow Stone, or Mt. Rushmore. Scenic photos of Wyoming and the Dakotas capture my eye, as do many other places in both the U.S. and Canada. I love places that are photogenic, so who knows what might grab my attention.

I have never been on a week-long cruise and that might be a wonderf TRAVEL ul way to kick-back and relax while seeing exotic places. I would like to get back to Hawaii someday, and I’ve heard the Caribbean and/or other tropical islands are wonderful places to vacation. I think it would be neat to travel in Europe, possibly visiting some or all of the countries of my heritage, those being Belgium, Germany, Poland, and Netherlands. Others of interest are Ireland, Italy, Iceland, Greece, and Switzerland…and I’m sure there are more. Of course there is always the possibility of a photo trip to Africa, or maybe Galapagos Islands. The possibilities are endless.

Have I spent my $10,000 yet? I’m sure I have. I guess $10,000 may seem like a lot, but I’m sure I could handle spending it all on me if I had to. Now if only that were reality. Dreaming…..I’m only dreaming…..

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Filed under Activities, decisions, exploration, Life Changing, Life is a Melting Pot, Photography, tourism, travel, vacation

Tagged as $10000, accessories, belgium, carribean, clothes, cruise, dakota, dream, Europe, germany, grand canyon, greece, Hawaii, iceland, ireland, italy, jewelry, money, mt rushmore, netherlands, poland, shoes, shop, spend, switzerland, travel, tropical islands, US Canada, vacation, wyoming, yellow stone

June 23, 2017 · 12:06 am

Matthaei Botanical Gardens

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor, Michigan. If like me you enjoy taking photographs of flowers and/or nature, this is a wonderful place to visit.

Matthaei has several options to fit everyone’s needs or desires. There are several trails that are open sunrise to sunset seven days a week, plus the conservatory, garden store, lobby and display gardens are open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. Admission is free; they do have a donation box inside the conservatory, and there is a reasonable parking fee of only $1.50 per hour or a maximum of $5.00 per day. With the size of the venue I opted to pay the daily rate immediately. _DSC6631

I arrived at 8:30 am. It was quiet, with only a few people quietly walking out onto some of the trails. I grabbed my camera and tripod and decided to walk the Sue Reichert Discovery Trail, which circles Willow Pond. This trail is only 4/10 of a mile, which they estimate to be a ten minute walk. I meandered slowly, taking pictures and stretched it into almost an hour, taking time to sit down a couple times on benches that were available.

The difference in time is whether you walk like the average person or walk like a nature photographer, skimming the area for possible subjects to photograph. Doing so can make a fast walk take quite a while and is why I prefer to partake in such places either alone or with other photographers who understand the time frame needed to fully enjoy the area.

I decided to do the outside gardens first, and in looking over the map not only did I not go up into the Children’s Garden, but I also missed the Perenial Garden, Grower’s Garden, MiSo House and Bonsai and Penjing Garden. I started in the Gateway Garden, a relaxing spot with benches, rocking chairs and fountains. I took photographs of flowers there, in the Marie Azary Bock Garden and in the Sitting Gardens before meandering down the Commons, which are bordered by two other gardens on the east and bench seating on the west.

The commons leads you into the Alexandra Hicks Herb Knot Garden. Here you will find chipmunks scampering back and forth amongst the plants and sometimes climbing up on them as well, but trying to capture them in a photo is difficult. They are quick little guys! Once I completed my photo rounds of the herb garden I strolled between that and the perennial garden and went through a vine/plant covered tunnel which led to the opening of the children’s garden. I had the option of going up into the children’s garden or taking a nature trail around the children’s garden. What I opted to do was take a short trail not shown on the map into the Oak Openings Garden.

There was nothing to attract my photographer’s eye in the Oak Openings Garden with the exception of wild strawberry plants that had begun bearing fruit. It was the bright red of the fruit that grabbed my eye as I looked down to scan the ground for photo subjects. I followed the trail through the Upland Woodland Garden and across into the Wet Woodland Garden. Unfortunately the hot weather we had been having left nothing wet, it was, on that day, better termed a dry woodland. Nothing caught my eye for photographs, so I proceeded into the Great Lakes Garden, which led me into one end of the Prairie Gardens, then the Coastal Gardens and back up where I started in the Gateway Garden. Unfortunately a group was there partaking in the rocking chairs or I would have grabbed one for a nice relaxing break.

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By now I had been wandering for a few hours and decided to take a snack break before visiting the Conservatory. One thing to keep in mind, the conservatory does not sell meals, only a limited selection of snack food, candy and beverages. If you plan to be at Matthaei Botanical Gardens for several hours you may want to consider packing a cooler with beverages and lunch or snack food. I had not planned that far in advance, so I purchased a small trail mix and flavored water. There are one or two small tables where you can sit inside to consume your snack, and there are also tables available outside on the deck. Food and beverages are not allowed inside the conservatory.

The Conservatory has three main areas, the Tropical House, the Temperate House and the Desert House. Here you will find many plants and blooms to view and/or photograph. On this day there was a water Lilly in full bloom, Cocoa trees, pineapples growing, sausage trees with their “fruit” hanging in abundance, and numerous other flowers and plants. The Desert House has the majority of their cactus growing in raised display beds, making it easy to enjoy and photograph the wide variety. I’m sure this was also done to preserve the fingers of little ones who may be touring with their parents. Some of those cactus spines are pretty long and wicked looking!

I spent about five hours touring the trail, gardens and conservatory, and I didn’t see it all. Keep in mind I was walking slow, took several rest breaks on the numerous benches that are available throughout the property, and was taking photographs. The average person might tour it at a much faster pace.

I would like to go back and walk some of the trails I chose to skip, plus with anything growing outside the gardens and trails are a constantly changing canvas with growing seasons and weather. If going they do recommend appropriate footwear for walking the natural areas and that you stay on paths due to poisonous plants such as poison sumac and poison ivy growing in natural areas. The Massauga rattlesnake also inhabits the area. I did not encounter any slithering reptiles, but did enjoy the “music” of unseen frogs as I walked around the pond.

If you are in the Ann Arbor area I highly recommend a visit to University of Michigan’s Mattaei Botanical Gardens.

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Filed under Activities, birds, Botanical Gardens, bugs, Discoveries, education, environmental, exploration, flowers, insects, Life is a Melting Pot, Michigan, nature, nature center, Photography, spring, summer, tourism, travel, vacation

Tagged as attractions, cactus, children, conservatory, desert, flowers, gardens, herbs, Mattaei Botanical Gardens, nature, perenial, photography, plants, tourism, tourist attraction, trails, tropical, University of Michigan, wildlife

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Matthaei Botanical Gardens

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