Days 43 – 44: Holland, MI

 

Leaving Grand Haven, we had a short drive – about 20 miles – to our next location, Holland, MI, and it was a beautiful drive with dunes, trees, and lovely homes/cottages along the way.  We arrived before lunch at Holland State Park  where we had a woodsy site a short bicycle ride from the lake.  In the afternoon, Jan and Irene drove into town and browsed in shops and enjoyed looking at the very attractive, well-kept buildings downtown.  George and George went to bicycle shops to get Irene’s flat tire repaired, to look at bicycles, and to check out better bike seats for the electric bikes. 

Friday morning we all bicycled to the beach and enjoyed the views and taking photos of Big Red, the lighthouse at the mouth of the river.  A fisherman in a passing boat landed a good-sized fish, and boats were heading out on the lake.  The sunny pleasant day added to our enjoyment.  When we returned to the campground, Jan’s sister Marilyn and her husband Ed had arrived, and we all went downtown for lunch at the 8th Street Grill, George S.’s favorite restaurant in Holland.   Later in the afternoon, Jan, Marilyn, and Irene drove south to the charming little town of Saugatuck which has tree-lined streets full of people looking in shops. 

This was the last day of our travels with George and Jan, and it’s been a great trip.  They invited us to join them to visit their favorite places in Michigan, and we totally agree that each location is outstanding.  Jan is an excellent “tour guide!”  The two Georges seem to click as buddies – both are motor home “techies” and  share a sense of humor.  What a rare and valued thing to find a great friend that you share so much in common with.  We really enjoyed traveling with them again, and look forward to seeing them again in a few days at a Country Coach rally in Chattanooga. 

Days 41 – 42: Grand Haven, MI

 

Grand Haven State Park, located on the shore of Lake Michigan where the Grand River  empties in it, has great views of the lighthouse and boardwalk making it an outstanding RV park.   While the roads and sites are paved, the fine sand blows and partially covers them.   We arrived here on Tuesday, and George and Jan and George and Irene headed out on our bikes on the boardwalk along the Grand River which is next to the park.  

Later as we sat outside talking and enjoying the view, our warm sunny day turned cool as a cold wind blew off the lake.  We went out to dinner to enjoy fried  clams and returned to the park before sunset which was impressive with the lighthouse and pier in the foreground. 

Wednesday morning was cool and windy when George and Irene bicycled to the Grand Haven farmer’s market where there was a variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.  We’d  passed by apple orchards throughout Michigan and were glad finally to arrive where the apples were ripe.  We bought Honey Crisp apples and raspberries.

In the afternoon, it was a little warmer and we all bicycled on some of Grand Haven’s paved bike trails and then ended up downtown for coffee and snacks.  Jan and Irene went in a few shops.  When we started back, Irene’s bike had a flat tire so she started walking (pushing the bike) accompanied by Jan who also walked.  George S. biked back to the RV park to get George who returned in the truck to pick up Irene and her lame bike.  After dinner, Jan and Irene walked down the beach to the pier, walking out to the lighthouse where people gather for sunset.  It was another great sunset, ending another great day in Michigan.

 

Shown left are bus drivers George Sanders and George Harper standing ready to receive passengers for a 17 mile run from Grand Haven, MI to Holland, MI. 

Days 38 – 40: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore is characterized by rugged bluffs rising as high as 480 feet above the lake, and many are covered with  grass and trees – not just sandy dunes.   They were created by a series of glaciers over 11,000 years ago.  The park’s Platte River Campground was full when we arrived, so our first night was spent at a nearby condo park, Indigo Bluffs.  From there we drove north along the coast with George and Jan to Glen Arbor where we enjoyed looking in art galleries and stopping for an afternoon snack.  A shop featuring “everything cherries” had dried cherries, chocolate covered cherries, trail mix with cherries, cherry salsa, cherry BBQ sauce,  etc.

On Sunday afternoon, we drove back north to Traverse City where George had planned to see a miniature 1/4 scale steam locomotive train owned by the city.  He had read about the train previously and learned that a man had built it in the 1940’s (except for the boiler), and it had been subsequently owned by two other individuals before being sold to the city.  This Sunday was the last day the train was running before closing for 2009.  George talked with the engineers extensively, and then we boarded the train for a circle tour of the park on the 15 inch  gauge rail.   It was surprisingly like the full grown thing with steam spewing up, typical chug-chug steam locomotive sounds, and whistle tooting at crossings. 

TART, Traverse Area Rails Trail, was right beside  the train track so we rode our bikes along the lake enjoying views of boats on the lake, including tall ships that were part of the Schooner Festival taking place through the weekend.  The beaches were crowded with people – quite like a view of a Florida beach.

On Monday we bicycled with George and Jan to the shore of the Platte River where we had great views of the dunes and watched fishing boats coming in.  We also saw a few kayakers.  For lunch we all headed north to Leland, a charming fishing/tourist village on the lake.  Jan told us the view from our restaurant was one of the most painted scenes in Michigan – a view of the river with docks and shops on both sides of it.  We browsed in shops (while the Georges waited) and took lots of photos before heading back toward the park and stopping at a kayak rental store for ice cream which we enjoyed sitting by the river. 

 

Days 36 – 37: Petoskey, MI

 

After a short drive south, we arrived at Hearthside Grove RV Resort in Petoskey, MI, a vacation Mecca along Lake Michigan.  Hearthside Grove is an ownership park and is top of the line with outstanding sites and landscaping.  George and Jan took us on a tour of the area including Harbor Springs, Bay View, and Charlevoix.  Harbor Springs is an exclusive, moneyed resort with grand Victorian homes, and Bay View was established by a group of Methodists in 1876-77 as a summer camp “for intellectual and scientific culture and the promotion of the cause of religion and morality.”  The chautauqua-like program continues today as the Summer Assembly.  The most remarkable views were of the “mushroom houses” in Charlevoix which seemed to be enlargements from a fairy village.  They were delightful!  We also had great views of the lake with many marinas.  Jan is a great tour guide, and we had a great tour.

On Friday morning we bicycled along the lake in Harbor Springs and enjoyed seeing the grand homes, afterwards meeting George and Jan at Stafford’s Pier Restaurant on the lake for a very enjoyable lunch.  After lunch we drove to Petoskey and bicycled on the Little Traverse Wheelway, a paved trail mostly along the lake, and then explored some shops in Petoskey.  Unfortunately, when we left the coach in the morning, we forgot the camera.

 

Days 34 – 35: Mackinac Island

 

What a bicycler’s paradise!  And what a lovely “step back in time” to see the well-preserved homes and hotels, horse-drawn carriages, and thriving gardens that adorn Mackinac Island.  On Tuesday morning – after the Labor Day crowds had left – George and  Irene boarded the 9:00 ferry to the island with their bicycles and immediately set out on  the 8 mile circumference road on a bright, clear, sunny day.  We passed a hotel lawn with Adirondack chairs facing the lake and soon came to Arch Rock.  We climbed a long flight of stairs to reach the top, and what a view when we arrived – the clear blue of Lake Huron seen through the arch.  As we bicycled we had constant views of the lake on our right and views of homes, woods, and Devil’s Kitchen (a rock formation) on our left. 

Our next destination was The Grand Hotel – and it really lived up to its name!   It sits on a hill and our first view of it was looking up the street to see the hotel’s columns, American flags, and flowers – lots of flowers.  And on the street were horse-drawn carriages – the island tours, taxis, and Grand Hotel carriages that resemble Cinderella’s carriage (but they’re not glass).   From here we went to Mary’s Bistro where we had a delicious lunch overlooking the harbor.  We then browsed in shops and bought ice cream, and of course, Mackinac Island fudge.

When we returned to the campground, we were delighted to see our friends George and Jan from Birmingham who had arrived.  They had suggested showing us their favorite places in Michigan, their home state, which is what brought us to Michigan this summer.  We spent another great day on Mackinac Island with them on Wednesday taking a bicycle tour of the island and eating lunch at the Carriage House Restaurant, part of the Iroquois Hotel.  We ate outside   in a lovely garden overlooking the lake and dock with the sun shining and cool breezes blowing. 

After lunch  we bicycled to The Grand Hotel and toured it and then relaxed in rocking chairs on the porch overlooking the gardens (what lovely, huge dahlias!)  While we think traveling in our motor home is great, The Grand Hotel is altogether a different world!  Leaving the Grand, we coasted down the hill on our bikes to Main Street and boarded the ferry back to reality.  It was another good day in Michigan.

Days 32 – 33: “The Mighty Mack”

 

On Sunday we left Sault Ste. Marie - the northernmost point of I-75 – and drove south to Mackinaw City.  We crossed the Straights of Mackinaw on “The Mighty Mack,” the bridge which connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan at the junction of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The Mackinac Bridge is the third longest suspension bridge in the world and the longest in the western hemisphere.   And it’s quite a sight and experience!  As we approached the bridge, Irene began snapping photos.  The bridge shows off especially well when the sun is shining on it.  While we bicycled in Mackinaw City on Monday, George had the same irresistible urge to photograph The Mighty Mack.  The 52nd Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk took place on Labor Day morning, and incidentally, we met a couple on the Agawa Canyon train last Saturday who had come from Ohio to participate in the walk.

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Day 31: Algoma Central Railway

 

Early this morning we drove over the International Bridge into Sault St. Marie, Ontario, to ride the Agawa Canyon tourist train 114 miles north into the wilderness of Ontario. Shortly after departure we had breakfast in the dining car. The Algoma Central was originally built to haul iron ore to the Algoma steel mill in Sault  Marie, Ontario. It is now owned by the Canadian National Railway. In addition to the tourist train that goes only as far as the Agawa Canyon Provincial Park, the CN operates a passenger train all the way to the French Canadian city of Hearst, some 296 to the north.  

The route goes through the Canadian shield, an area of dense rock, making the construction of the line very difficult, especially so before modern construction equipment. We saw many ponds and lakes in the conifer forests along with a few cabins and tourist camps. These places are only accessible via the train. The train passed over an impressive trestle on top of a hydro plant on the Montreal river

At the canyon we hiked up 300 stairs to a lookout platform that gave us a grand view of the valley and train. It was a nice day marred only by nearly leaving Irene in the canyon for the night. She had independently decided to hike to Bridal Veil Falls.  George had advised her when to start back, but her hike took longer and she persisted. The train was scheduled to depart at 2:30 pm. At 2:29 George headed to an adjacent car to notify the crew of Irene’s absence when the train started to roll. The crew person radioed “safety” notifying them of a missing passenger. Safety radioed back, “Is she wearing a red striped top?” George did not know the answer, but stated that she had dark brown hair. George then learned that she had been taken back on board with some other truants. George had expected to have to detrain and look for Irene as the train headed back south. He figured they would then spend a cold night on the porch of the station waiting for the next day’s train. That was not a happy prospect especially knowing that Tina would be left locked in her crate for 36 hours.