Cops, Doughnuts, and Cadillacs

It's been a week since I posted, and while I can't remember what we've been doing, we have been busy! Sandy Oaks RV Resort is a quiet place with mostly retired residents. The weekends see a few grand kids arrive, with the expected golf cart, atv, and skateboard action. The park sits adjacent to a 50+ mile system of atv/snowmobile trails, and it seems that every resident has an off road vehicle of some sort. The alternate mode of transportation is via golf cart. At about 9 in the morning, the parade starts, with golf carts cruising slowly up and down the half-dozen streets at about 3 miles an hour. The expectation is to see a neighbor and spend some time solving a few of the world's problems! With all the carts on the road, there aren't a lot of people sitting on their patios, so most of the talking is done while parked in the street! Then, again in the late afternoon, between dog walking and sunset the carts come out again, and the ritual is repeated. Everyone is extremely friendly, and it seems to be a warm and considerate community.

Our friends Bill and Diane have entertained us lavishly for the two weeks we have been here. Bill is  great cook, and has been showing us his talents just about every night. He is a proponent of the Green Egg grill and has perfected it's use down to a fine art. He's done chicken wings, ribs, burgers, and steak on the Egg and has complemented the grilling with side dishes that are to die for. Diane is famous for her beans, which she doesn't fix very often due to the preparation time, but she did share some with us the other night. I had three helpings! I just couldn't stop!

Yesterday, the 23rd of July, we took a short day trip to Clare, MI, and to Cadillac, MI. Clare is a little burg of about 3500 residents located just of of highway 127 in central Michigan, and was founded in 1870 with the coming of the railroad. Ho-hum....but wait....

In 1896, a bakery opened near the intersection of US 127 and US 10 in downtown. It thrived for years, but fell on hard times in 2008. Nine officers of the Clare PD purchased the Clare City Bakery, gave it a makeover and a police theme, and now it's world famous.

We made the obligatory stop at the tourist board before heading inside. There was some confusion as to who was the perp, Donna or Diane!

A selection of delectable delights awaited us inside!

And, of course, a gift shop.

There were lots of cool souvenirs to look at!

Not all of the group wanted to do a test drive of the doughnuts, so Gawie had to volunteer! One jelly filled, glazed doughnut later, the caper was pronounced a success!

Clare is about an hour south of Houghton Lake. Another hour northwest is the town of Cadillac.

Cadillac is an old timber town of about 10,500 souls. It is beginning to fray a bit around the edges from its glory days a hundred  plus years ago. Located on and around Lake Cadillac. It has had a bit of a manufacturing history, having been the home of Ephraim Shay's locomotive company, the Michigan Iron Works, in the 1880's, and home to manufacturers of automotive parts. Today Cadillac Castings, Inc dominates the skyline of the town.

Sidebar: In October 1975, the rock group Kiss performed in the Cadillac High School gymnasium to honor the football team, which won the next seven consecutive games and the conference title. Kiss returned to play for the homecoming game later that year!

So after a 100 mile or so circle tour of the area, we returned home for a quiet evening watching the golf cart parade.

To the Tunnel of Trees

A late Saturday afternoon walk along Houghton Lake gave us a shot of sunset and a family of baby ducks.

On Monday the 16th, we stayed close to home. Our car has been showing engine fault codes and we took it into the local dealership for a checkup. The diagnosis was a simple electrical glitch, so we're back on the road. We shared dinner with our friends the Kellys, and called it an early night.

Today, the 17th of July, we piled into Bill and Diane's pickup and headed north for the bayside city of Petoskey, Michigan. It's a trek getting there, some hundred miles or so, but it was unquestionably worth the effort. Along the public dock we saw some awesome boats/yachts/ships tied up. The Xanadu caught our eye!

This Ski Doo is named for a sign near and dear to the heart of every retired Department of Transportation worker!

As though we hadn't driven enough, we headed north. Along the way we stopped in Harbor Springs to admire the "Summer Houses" along the shore of Lake Michigan.

The narrow road called The Tunnel of Trees is famous throughout the nation, and justly so. It is roughly 20 miles long, swinging between vacation homes, shore-side retreats, exotic golf courses, and picture perfect horse ranches that cater to weddings and events. Wow!

Eventually we reached our northern destination, the Legs Inn. It's named for the white painted, inverted stove legs that decorate the front of the building. Located in Cross Village, it was created solely by one man, Stanley Smolak, a Polish immigrant. He decided to settle here in 1921, when most of the residents were Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. The round and polished stones are from Lake Michigan. The twisted forms of trees, roots, and driftwood came from the lake shores. The framing and timbers used for construction all came from within a five-mile radius of the Inn. It is recognized as a Historic Landmark in the State of Michigan.

Bill and Diane were so hungry that they had to support each other!

Smolak's vision resulted in a variety of unusual pieces scattered about the property.

Even the trees overlooking the lake have been formed into artwork!

A veritable field of Hydrangeas separated the lawn from the garden.

The view overlooking Lake Michigan is breath-taking.

Collected driftwood and small animals decorate the interior. Built in the manner of an upstate hunting lodge, the interior of the Legs Inn is rustic....and fascinating.

Donna found a whimsical alien, created from the root of a huge hemlock tree!

The bar took a full year for Smolak to create from the trunk of a Hemlock tree. Each and every piece in the Inn was personally carved, finished, polished and placed by Smolak himself.

Honoring Stanley Smolak's legacy, the menu at the Legs Inn is substantially Polish. We began our meal with a house specialty, Smoked Whitefish Spread. Whitefish is a Great Lakes native, and is widely found on the menu at local establishments.
Donna ordered a serving of Pierogi's, stuffed with seasoned beef and pork. Bill settled on the Polish Hearty Lunch, which consisted of a cabbage roll stuffed with beef, pork and rice, Pierogi's, and Bigos (Hunter's Stew) with Kopytka dumplings. Diane opted for the cabbage rolls, while I finally settled on the Combo plate with Polska Kielbasa and Pierogi. All were extremely and deliciously edible!

Our drive home was uneventful but pleasant, heading south on US 127. It was a great day!

Houghton Lake, Michigan

Two hundred thirty seven miles due north of Shipshewanna, Indiana, lies the village of Houghton Lake, which lies along the southern edge of Houghton Lake itself. The lake is man-made and only about twenty-six feet deep on average, but it is the largest freshwater lake in the state. Made for fishing, jet-ski's, and pontoon boats, it is typically a weekend destination for residents of the surrounding two hundred mile radius.

We're "camped" at Sandy Oaks RV Resort, an ownership park set into a heavily wooded area south of town. Our friends Bill and Diane own a lot here and stay the summer in the cooler climate of Michigan. They invited us to join them while we're waiting for our furniture to be made, and were kind enough to find a site near them that the owner was not using, and worked out a rental fee for a few days. We appreciate their efforts, and have enjoyed their company for the last few days.

The sites are heavily treed, which is both a blessing and a curse. It's shady pretty much all day long, but the shade contributes to a larger humidity index. The trees also put an end to any hope of receiving any television channels! The huge upside is that everyone we've met in the park has been extremely friendly. As I write this, it's Friday night and several families have arrived for the weekend. Unfortunately, it's raining like gangbusters, with a prediction of more rain tomorrow! There won't be very many aluminum pontoon boats on the lake tomorrow since these storms seem to always be accompanied by heavy lightening and thunder.

As you know, one of our passions is eating. Wherever we go we sample local dishes. While we've been here, we have not had much of a chance to do that, since Bill has cooked for us! He has a Green Egg grill and is a master of the machine. Chicken and steaks have been jumping off the grill, to our great delight. Tonight we went out to a local restaurant called Spikehorn for the Friday night fish. Very good! Blue Gill, Salmon, Whitefish, and Cod were available choices, along with Clam Chowder if desired.

We intend to do a bit of sightseeing soon, so we'll keep you updated on our travels!

Big Day in Shipshe

As the locals call it.

We were up at 6:30 this morning (that's Eastern Daylight Time, Cracker!) and stumbled around getting Ness2 ready to move. A cup of coffee and a bowl of cheerios, a quick hose disconnection, and we were ready to take a trip to our local Amish furniture store (of which there are hundreds in the area). We had previously chosen Lambright Comfort Chairs as our loveseat manufacturer of choice, so we fired up the GPS and off we went.

Well, you know how these GPS units are.....of the two ways to get to this small manufacturing facility, our GPS chose the shortest, which led us and all 47,000 lbs of Nessie down a narrow country road.

There are some car tire tracks visible, but for the most part, it's all about the Amish horses and buggies! So cool!

We spent a nice 3 hours at Lambright, talking to the owner, Vernon, and some customers as he got busy with other clients. Vern is Amish, and as such, is extremely self-deprecating, but he also knows how to have fun. When we entered the store, he was straightening some furniture that is on display. I had talked to him previously, so I asked for "Vern". He said, "Well, sometimes, I'm Vern!" He told us that our couch could not be picked up on August 1, 2, or 3rd, because his daughter was getting married. Only 1,500 guests are scheduled to attend! I tried to wrangle an invitation, but he said that because we were only interested in the food, he couldn't make it happen!

After a pleasant visit with Vern, we (kinda) zipped south and west to Nappanee, IN, to see Dave at Custom RV. Dave will be making some small tables for the ends of the new couch, as well as a few miscellaneous items to customize the motorhome to our liking. Another great person, Dave is also Amish, and has just taken over the business when the previous owner retired. Dave has many years experience in the rv, cabinet, and business worlds, and we have every confidence that he will do a great job for us.

Returning to Shipshewana via an alternate route took us to Das Essenhaus, a huge German restaurant and hotel. We tried to find the RV/Bus parking area, but could not, so we returned to our campsite in Shipshewana without lunch!

However, hunger will win, so after setting up for the evening, we shot into downtown Shipshewana and went into the Blue Gate for an early dinner. We've eaten here before, and know that a guest is never disappointed in the food. Particularly the fried chicken. It is exquisite! We were starving, so we chose the buffet option in contrast to the sit-down menu approach. Three pieces of chicken, salads, stuffing, and dessert later, we rolled out to the parking lot. We had planned to do some shopping in the area, but decided that walking was too great of an ordeal!

Back at camp, we took care of a few small things (like updating the blog) and settled in for a quiet evening. Tomorrow it's back on the road again!

Pop Goes the Fourth and More!

While we have enjoyed our travels across this great country, this visit to Minnesota has brought us back to old and new friends! Our family in this part of the country has treated us like royalty, and we joined them for an old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration at our Niece and Nephew's home in St Paul. Chuck and Jill have a reputation for throwing a great party, and this was no exception. Our niece Cara is Chuck's sister, and her husband Bruce were a large part of the days festivities and are wonderful people. Our son Jeff and his son Devan flew in from NorCal for the week, so it was a great family time, and we love them all.

The weather prediction for the Fourth was for intermittent thundershowers and rain. It did not disappoint. We started our afternoon with a knife and axe throwing competition that began with Bruce and his son James throwing in a downpour!

Then a quick exit to the shelter of the umbrella for some snacks!

After a 30 minute break, the competition resumed!

Then it was back to the shelter again!

There you go again...back to the contest! Where Jeff managed to accomplish a one of a kind feat...sticking the knife on the back side of the target board!

Devan, our grandson, and Jill kept us laughing!

So happy that we could get together!

After all the good food and good company on Wednesday (Bruce did a great job on the Jalapeño Poppers, and Chuck whipped up a huge plate of burgers), we decided that a low-key day on Thursday was in order. So, after another huge burger at Meisters Restaurant in downtown Stillwater, we adjourned to the local ice cream parlor for dessert. Nelson's has been serving up huge portions of ice cream for years and years, and Donna's face reflects the tremendous choices available!

As you can see, Nelson's always has a line out the door! The only tables are outdoors, and the line snakes back and forth three times inside the building, Make your choice, tell the server, pay your cash, and out the backdoor you go! These people have ice cream down to a science!

Both Chuck and Jill are on staff at a company that makes, fits, and repairs orthopedic braces and prosthetics. They were kind enough to give the whole family a tour of the facility on Friday, showing us the whole process...from taking precise measurements to programming a robot to accurately create  prosthetics and braces. They can reproduce, support, stretch, and mold just about any body part necessary! Here's Da Boyz in the group:

Saturday was our last day with the Minnesota Fam, so we spent some quality time with Bill and Linda, but with a short break for lunch at Fiesta Cancun. We had been warned that "this is Minnesota, not Arizona", but despite that, the meal was one of the best Mexican meals we have ever eaten. And that's sayin' something!

Sunday found us leaving the Twin Cities and heading south. We went stayed on I 35 for awhile and then bailed off toward Cedar Falls and Waterloo, Iowa. This is beautiful farm country with an occasional wind machine thrown in.

After some 338 miles, we rolled into Little Bear Campground in West Branch, Iowa, for a quick overnight stop.

Monday morning Donna and I scrambled to get up early and hit the road. It was to be a three-state day, heading east on I 80 from Iowa, through Illinois via the south side of Chicago, and on into Indiana. 327 miles according to the GPS to get to Shipshewanna, IN. We're parked for a couple of nights at the Shipshewanna South Campground.

We're here to check in with a local Amish furniture company and see if we can get a comfortable loveseat recliner for our motorhome. Then, later in the day, we'll stop by a couple of Amish cabinet shops that will hopefully make some small items for us. We're looking forward to driving Ness2 up and down these gravel country roads!

Maple Grove, Minnesota

Nessie2 carried us out of Pequot Lakes on Wednesday, the 27th of June. Our goal was a KOA park in Maple Grove, just a few miles northwest of Minneapolis/St Paul, MN.

This park was not one we chose, rather, it chose us. Due to the screwy schedule switching "homes" over the last few weeks, we weren't able to pin down a site in the Twin Cities area until too late to get close to our family in Stillwater, over on the Wisconsin border. RV parks are a precious commodity around here to begin with, but trying to locate something that would accommodate our size over a holiday week at the last minute was almost impossible. Hence the KOA. The Hoh family has operated this park for over thirty years, and were very willing to find us a site. We did set a record, however: Mrs. Hoh told us that she had never been able to get a motorhome larger than 40' into this site, so our 43' holds the record!

We are here not only to continue our conversation with Nessie2, but to also spend some quality time with friends and family in the area. We've had a great time catching up with Donna's brother, eating at new restaurants, and seeing a bit of the countryside. We had to eat wings at RayJ's:

where Donna had sauce from ear to ear!

We enjoy watching the commercials for the Duluth Trading Company on television, so when we ran across a store, we had to stop in:

We found some great clothes in the store, but most were designed to eliminate a condition common to plumbers, and didn't fit us very well. Well, of course.....none of us are plumbers!

Today, Monday, the 2nd, has been a special day: Our son and grandson flew in from California to spend the holiday week with us all! It has been twenty years or more since they have been here, and we're looking forward to a mini family reunion. Our nephew and niece are hosting what I'm sure will be a spectacular Fourth of July par-tay!

We also enjoyed a long lunch with Dave and Sue, a great couple who live just a bit south of St Paul. We met them in Arizona last year along with their Golden Retriever, Goldie. We had exchanged numbers then, and, thanks to Dave, we were able to hook up while we're here! Ok....more eating....

The next few days will certainly be busy, so I probably won't post for awhile. We expect to leave Minnesota next Sunday on our way to order some furniture for the motorhome in an Amish area of Indiana. The big plan is to slide into Michigan while the furniture is being made and visit with another motorhoming couple and to visit a small cemetery where an old friend is sleeping.

We'll be baaaack!