Tawas and the Upper Peninsula Michigan

Michigan has 124 remaining Lighthouses.

Tawas Point Lighthouse located in the State Park off Tawas Bay in Lake Huron.

Part of the park trails are closed due to the high lake levels this summer.  

The mighty Mackinaw Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the 

Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. Opened in 1957, it is a 5 mile drive from end to end.

Miner's Castle Scenic Overlook, view from the observation deck.

From St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula to Grand Marais is 111 miles.  We skipped visiting Tahquamenon Falls,  Paradise and White Fish Point which are must see's, we were there recently so we went directly to Grand Marais. 

Between Grand Marais and Munising which are 59 miles apart there are 10 waterfalls to visit.  We visited 9 of them and here are some of the pictures from our hikes.

Mosquito Falls, 1st drop is 5 feet, the second is 10 feet, coho and trout are common in this river.
This was about a 4 mile hike there and back.

Sable Falls 75 feet, a short walk then 169 stairs.

Munising Falls, 50 foot, easy walk from the parking lot.

Chapel Falls, 60 foot, 3 miles there and back.

We took pictures of all the falls we visited and each one was unique with so many pictures it was hard to tell them apart.  Here is a list of the falls that we couldn't identify but visited, one of them that we didn't visit was a privately run tourist attraction.

Memorial Falls also called Twin Falls, 40 foot, it's seasonal, it was flowing and it was only a short half mile hike. 

Tannery Falls, 40 foot, a very rustic trail with high cliffs.

Alger Falls, cascading, viewed from the side of the road on M 28.

Wagner Falls, 20 feet, a short walk from the parking lot on M 94, very close to Alger Falls.

Horseshoe Falls, 20 feet, a privately run tourist attraction, it wasn't open when we were out in the evening, there is a small fee to visit this fall.

Miners Falls, 50 feet, 1.2 miles round trip walk. 

The drive from Munising to St Ignace is 122 miles.

Travel in Michigan

We have enjoyed a great summer in Michigan visiting friends and being residents since before Memorial Weekend.  As of the third week in June the weather has been exceptional with sunny warm days in the 80's.  September has had a little more rain compared to the previous months, temperatures are still pleasant ranging from the 70's to 80's.   Let's hope October keeps up with warm temperatures on through to the end of the month for Halloween.  It puts a damper on the Holiday when the kids have to wear coats over their costumes.  Snow before Halloween is rare but it has happened.

As I get ready to post some lake shores and waterfalls I recalled last winter out-west encountering a gentleman from Oregon (I think it was) that wasn't aware the Great Lakes were fresh water.  After traveling and seeing the water in other states "wow" we have it made and are so fortunate to experience all our state has to offer for recreation and beauty.

Arenac County Park shoreline on Lake Huron, Saginaw Bay area.

There is camping , a boat launch, and a day use area for picnics.

View of the water from our campsite.

Were on the East side of Michigan between Standish and Tawas near Au Gres, the sunrise side of the state. 
I got up early to catch the sunrise.

Looking back at our campsite as it rose in the sky.

May 18, 2019 we arrived in Michigan and were still here, it's September

Were back in Michigan.  First we stayed in Hesperia, then Grand Haven, then at Whitmore Lake before heading to Waterloo Recreation area to be camp ground host for the month of June.

We attended 2 days of training at the MacMullan Conference Center in Roscommon.  

They supplied lodging and meals, the meals were great, breakfast, lunch and dinner with 2 snacks each day, that's a lot of food. 

I thought campground hosting was for retired people, but after the training, I would suggest young families host at their local campgrounds.  You receive free camping for the month and the responsibilities require your weekends when you would be there anyway.

My youngest grand kids coming out to spend some time with us.
I'm in heaven being with them.

It was sunny and warm however the water hasn't warmed up.

It's just great hanging out and being in the sun.

Grandpa having some fun.

The park was a great place for bike riding.

We had a great time being camp ground host, but decided it wasn't really our thing.  We were an hour from our friends and family and although some came to visit and camped it seemed to restrictive after our free wheeling adventures since last fall. 

The month of July we stayed in Linden which was closer to family and friends and we had a great time having complete freedom again.   We sold our Jeep Wrangler and purchased a Jeep Cherokee Trail-hawk so that took some time, selling, buying and then equipping the trail hawk for towing.  Whew living on the road and accomplishing that was crazy.  There were a couple of trips that I drove the trail hawk and Deck drove the motor home from place to place.

Our Jeep Cherokee Trail Hawk

Mississippi, Red Bay Alabama, Tennessee

Our free wheeling, go when and where we want, when we want, has changed.  We have an appointment in Red Bay Alabama May 13th.  We  are having trouble with one of our slides and were going to the hometown of the manufacturer to have it repaired.  So now were killing time, trying to reach our destination on time but not to soon.  

It's been raining everywhere we go since we left Arizona and started heading west, we have some days that we don't get drenched but it's been very wet and stormy, hmm it's those spring showers?

We left Little Rock and arrived in Mississippi May 9, 2019. 
The rivers are rising
to flood levels.

Oh the mighty Mississippi.  

Were staying at John W Kyle State Park in South Sardis, MS.  It rained all 4 days we were here.

This is the dam up the road from the lake were on.

It's sort of creepy standing by such a mighty force and the noise is crazy loud.

We arrived in Red Bay a small town where they make the Tiffen Motor homes.  We toured the plant which was really cool.  Just about everything in this town is connected to the motor-home industry.  Everywhere you go are motor homes in parking lots, on the road and people eating, hanging out  and camping all over  town.  It's very cool, the people are so friendly and laid back.


 

Who would have thought we would find a Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House in the area.  Designed in 1939 for a mere $14,000, the Rosenbaum House has been called one of the purest examples of Wright's Usonian design.  The house was deeded to the City of Florence in 1999 and restored to its original condition.

It reminds me of the Meyer May House in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Finally we have a sunny day to try out our 2 man inflatable kayak.  It's great.
Were in LaVergne Tennessee outside of Nashville. 

Finally a lake I'm not afraid to go into.  

Were getting closer to home, I'm excited but it feels like our adventures are ending.

The  C.O.E.  Knobs Campground.  Just like the national parks the Corp of Engineer parks are 50% off for seniors.

April May 2019 in Arkansas, Crater Diamond State Park, Hot Springs National Park, North Little Rock

Murfreesboro, Arkansas
We camped three days to allow one day of diamond hunting in the field. There is a gift shop, visitor information center, a diamond discovery center and of course the mine.  You can purchase or rent tools for your hunt in the dirt.

One of the only places in the world where the public can search for real diamonds. 
It's a 37 acre plowed field, the eroded surface of a volcanic crater.

It wasn't in our cards to walk away with a diamond. 
More than 33,100 diamonds have been found by park visitors since it became a Arkansas state park in 1972.

The largest diamond was 40.23-carat, Uncle Sam, recently  August 20, 2019 was a 3.7-carat yellow diamond found by Miranda Hollingshead from Texas.

About 35 miles north of Crater of Diamonds is Hot Springs.  My vision, hot tubs everywhere, not what I found.
Inside the Fordyce Bathhouse is a museum. 
You can wander through the building and various floors that show
case the different types of bath's and treatments used in that era.  Some treatments included shock treatments, yikes!
The Bathhouses were built between 1892 - 1923.

This is bathhouse row, inside the hot-springs are piped into the spa's. 
You have to pay for a spa treatment in the water, which vary in temperature.

This is the other side of bathhouse row.  It's very pretty and clean in front and behind the bathhouses.
The buildings are amazing. 

Behind Bathhouse Row is the Grand Promenade, a beautiful walking park that has springs along the path.  Most of the springs are capped off and the water is diverted into the Bathhouses.

Another spring running along the Grand Promenade walkway.

Hot Springs is a National Park in downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas. 
The gardens and parks are beautiful.

In and around Hot Springs there are many hiking trails and scenic drives. 
This was a view from a drive just above town.

North Little Rock, Arkansas.  We are camped on the other side of this pedestrian bridge.

We are right on the river, in the city of North Little Rock.  Three weeks later the town was evacuated due to the rising river.

The lights around the downtown area were spectacular.  Both sides of the river had parks with walking/biking trails.  It was about a 20 mile round trip to traverse both sides of the river. 

April 15 through April 28, Amarillo, Wichita Falls, Stephenville, Glen Rose, Waco, Mount Pleasant, Texas

Tiffen motor homes are made in Red Bay Alabama and we need some repairs, we have an appointment May 13th.  We are moving East heading in that direction.  Along the way it has mostly been raining.    

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Canyon, Texas.  This place was recommended by another camper whom we were sharing information about places to visit.  It was a huge place and most of the area was very flat, then you arrive at this canyon.  

This is from the top of the park and then you drive down into the canyon.

Once your down in the canyon there are hiking trails, we were hiking the Juniper Cliffside Trail 2.9 miles. 
This was a large cave that we walked up to.

I had a great salad and Deck had breakfast.  If your a fan of Fixer Upper like I am then you have to visit everything Magnolia in Waco Texas.

There are the Silo's, an open play area, the store and bakery.  Since we were full from eating and the line into the bakery was over an hour, we skipped the bakery.

Located in Mount Pleasant Texas.

 .

Our campsite in Ramblin Fever.

Just down the road from Ramblin Fever was a lake having boat races.  We spent the afternoon watching the qualifiers.

A typical wild flower scene in Texas.

East Terrace (1872-1884) Every princess needs a castle and industrialist J.W. Mann built this one for his bride.  The original structure was built in 1872 and added onto in 1880 and 1884. This is one of Waco's premier historic homes and is furnished in fine Victorian antiques.

The upstairs ballroom.

The debutante would have worn this dress for her opening season, only the debutante wore white.

Earle-Napier Kinnard House, (1858-1869) Begun in 1858 by John Baylis Earle, this one-room house was one of the earliest brick houses in Waco.  In 1869, the Napier-Kinnard family added the two-story Greek Revival portion of the house.  

Midway Campground, Waco Texas.

Glen Rose Texas city park with these large rocks sitting together in one area.

The dam at the city park.

Another view of the dam.

Stephenville race track on Saturday night.

They had a lot of different races with a variety of cars it was exciting.

Stephenville Texas RV Park right down the road from the race track.  Were actually on a horse farm, that allows campers to bring in their horses.